-A Day Later-

-At Midnight, In The Loop Mines-

I was in a horse-drawn carriage with my hands chained, heading for the mines with other prisoners. In the carriage were a few prisoners I didn’t know and a few ordinary soldiers of the epic.

The soldiers were taking me to the mines. Everything was going according to plan. All I had to do was open the entrance for the others to get in. I sat quietly until we reached the mines. It wasn't very nice to think that I was going to go into the mines once again, but there was no other choice. I had to do it to save the people here.

After an hour’s drive, we arrived at the mines. I looked up and was surprised to see that the mine was covered with big nets to prevent anyone from escaping.

When the carriage stopped, the soldiers pushed us out and told us to move to the entrance of the mine in a single line.

I looked around for any other entrance but everything seemed intact. Our only way out was through the entrance door in front of me.

As I entered, I saw that there were dozens of soldiers at the entrance to the mines. Any sudden move could have resulted in me being shot by twenty guns or more.

I continued to move forward calmly as instructed by the soldiers. When I entered the mine, memories of my previous imprisonment flooded back and made me nervous and uncomfortable.

But I had to focus on my goal. If I could do what Ryuu and the others had planned, I could get out of here before morning.

A soldier suddenly handed me a pickaxe and said, “Start digging, Panda. We’ll let you go to bed when the digging time is over.”

I started digging with the other prisoners. There were more people working here than the Leader had mentioned. With the people here, we might have had a small chance in the war.

While I was working in the mine, I was looking for the entrance to the pipes with my eyes. For the moment I had found nothing, but my curious eyes had caught someone's attention. A bearded, middle-aged prisoner next to me spoke without looking at me, “Did you lose something?”

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“No,” I replied. “I'm just looking for the entrance to the pipes.”

“The pipes? Why do you want to know that?”

I checked for soldiers nearby before approaching the prisoner and whispering, “I need to use the pipes to let my friends outside in.”

“Strange,” he said. “Usually everyone wants to get out of here.”

“Just between you and me, man, but this place is about to be history.”

“What do you mean, Panda?”

“My friends and I are working for the leader and our goal is to get you out of this hole.”

“Help? The leader let us rot in this hole. Now I'm sure he only wants us out because he needs us," he added. "He only thinks of himself. Just like in the past."

"I can't speak about the past, but your leader is a man who would give his life without thinking. He said he tried and failed. If words weren't enough, he gave us all the information we needed to get here. He risked enough to take on the enemy."

He stood up slowly and sighed, “After all this time here, how can we believe you or the Leader?”

“You may not want to believe in the Leader. That’s up to you. But at least believe in the people around you. We’ll help you and then you’ll have a chance to escape. But for that, you have to trust me. A man with a vested interest wouldn't put himself in this much danger.”

He scanned the area briefly before declaring, "It's impossible to escape from here, but I'd rather die trying than die here." His words lifted my spirits. "And just to be clear," he continued, "I'm not doing this for you or the Leader. I'm doing it for my family and comrades, nothing more."

"I understand," I replied. "But first, you'll have to help me find the pipes."

"Don't worry, I have a plan," he assured me. "See those two soldiers guarding the entrance ahead?" I nodded in affirmation. "I'll distract them and signal you when they leave. Then, you can slip in undetected using my mark."

I nodded, grateful for his help. "What do I do once I'm inside?" I asked. "Don't worry, I'll guide you. We'll reach the pipes together," he replied with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you for understanding our situation," I said gratefully. "Don't thank me just yet," he cautioned. With that, he moved towards the prisoner in front of us. I waited patiently for his signal. He winked at the prisoner and then abruptly threw a shoulder, feigning a fight. At first, I was taken aback, but then I realized that it was all part of his plan. He knew he would get hit and let the prisoner do it to create a distraction. The two of them started a fake and noisy brawl, causing the other prisoners to scream. The soldiers rushed to separate them, including those guarding the entrance, leaving it unattended. He signaled me to move towards the entrance with a nod. I slipped in unnoticed.

As I passed, he tossed dust into the air, making me invisible to the guards for a brief moment. He took advantage of the chaos and approached me. Gasping for air, he said, "Let's find your friends."