Chapter 172: All But One
Laesh’s tragic death had shaken everyone to their core. The unexpected cruelty of the guards, who had broken their unspoken promise and killed the boy so close to reaching freedom, left a bitter scar on their hearts. It wasn’t just Laesh who had fallen that day; with the sickening sound of his small body hitting the ground, their fragile dreams had been crushed as well.
That faint glimmer of hope—the one they had all clung to so desperately—was now completely gone.
The ropes that once symbolized freedom now dangled emptily above their heads. No one touched them anymore, and no one dared to look up. The will to fight had been extinguished in all of them.
All but one.
"Why are you still training?" Tayiid asked, leaning heavily against the rough stone wall. He held out a slice of bread to Rhaegar, who snatched it greedily and devoured it in seconds. Hours of relentless training since early morning had left him utterly drained, and only now, as he took a break, did he realize just how starving he was.
"I can’t let Laesh’s sacrifice be in vain," Rhaegar replied firmly, accepting another slice from Tayiid’s large, calloused hand. "His death made me realize something: dreaming has to be done in silence. You can’t announce it to the world. I have a plan, you know."
Tayiid let out a weary sigh, a sound heavy with the weight of years spent in the pit. "Sometimes I envy you brats. I keep asking myself: How did I lose that hope so quickly? Maybe it’s because I was never really ready to fight for it. Maybe I was prepared to give up from the very start."
Rhaegar looked up at him, surprised by the admission, but Tayiid quickly dismissed the moment with a shake of his head.
"I’m leaving soon," he continued, his voice quieter now. "They’re finally taking me out."