Chapter 28: The reward system (Part 3)
The main hall was more crowded than ever before. Mats, backpacks, and scattered blankets had been pushed to the sides, creating a makeshift open space in the center. Kerosene lamps cast unstable light, causing shadows to dance across the cracked walls. The air was thick—not with heat, but with tension.
Grzywacz entered without a word, followed by Layra, Kosman, Adam, Sareth, and Brann. They formed a half-circle around one of the tables, which now served as a podium. Dozens of eyes turned toward them.
"Thank you for coming," Grzywacz said, his voice calm, unadorned. "I know you’re tired. Hungry. Scared. But we can’t keep drifting without direction."
Someone in the crowd cleared their throat. Another whispered, "What do they want now?"
Yet another muttered, "I heard there was some meeting last night..."
"Last night," Grzywacz continued, "after talking with some of you, we established rules. Simple. Transparent. For everyone. A system that will help us survive—not for a week or a month—but for as long as necessary."
He paused. Murmurs spread through the crowd. Adam glanced around, reading the room. Some faces looked hopeful, as if someone had finally voiced what they were all feeling. Others were indifferent, emotionally checked out. But there were also those filled with suspicion.
"Funny how no one asked us," grumbled a bearded man against the wall.
"They had their meeting in secret," a woman whispered.
"And now they’re telling us how to live?" someone in the back added with a bitter laugh.
But on the opposite side of the hall, someone murmured, "At least someone’s doing something..." Another nodded in relief. A young boy with a broken arm raised it slightly and said, "If we want a chance, it has to start with rules."