Axel 

I opened my eyes, trying to calm my racing heart. My body was throbbing all over again. Light poured through my eyelashes. I eventually saw the scene in front of me after stuttering for a while.

"... Nothing." My face became flushed with frustration. It was suffocatingly dark all around me, the same as the cave before, but it was different... like something normal? There were a few glowing bulbs affixed to the cave's ceiling. They emitted a blue, radiant light. When I examined them closely, they appeared to be shining... diamonds? I tried to examine my surroundings, but I soon realised I was feeling heavy all over my body. It wasn't the sensation of anything pressing against me from within, but rather that something was practically on me. Not just on me, but something was pressing on both sides of me.

"Is it a soft object?" I twisted my body to release myself from whatever it was. Then I discovered I couldn't separate my hands. They were held together by metal cuffs. The same was true with my legs. I wiggled free from the heavy weighing objects and discovered my back was pressed against a solid... metal bar? Or, more accurately, bars.

"Am I in prison or what?" I attempted to make sense of what was going on. The weights I imagined as objects were humans in the same situation as me. I tried to wake them up, but after a few tiny groans, they fell back asleep. Some beams of light were falling on us from the cave's small cracks in the walls and ceiling.

It was a small metal cage full of people, each of whose four limbs were bound by cuffs like mine. But that's another issue to be concerned about. For the past few months, I had been left alone, believing that I was the sole survivor of that disaster, but even in this dreadful situation, I couldn't help but be relieved to see other living humans besides me.

In this horrific bliss, I heard something like "A river?" It was louder than that... "Perhaps a waterfall?" The last thing I remember was a sharp ache in my chest and something hard striking my neck. I pushed my hand against my chest and felt nothing unusual. There were no visible wounds, but the same could not be said of my back. "Ah!" I moaned in agony.

Behind my head, I had a minor concussion. When I attempt to think about what happened, my head hurts.

"From one hell to another, eh?" I sighed quietly to myself. There was no longer any pain in my chest, but I recall someone striking my neck from behind.

"It's all too vivid to discern." My priority is to understand the situation I'm in. I know I'm not in better shape, but at least I can move... not my limbs though. I sighed at finding myself in such odd situations, one after the other.

"Wake up, people... It's time to leave. " I tried yelling at them, but they didn't respond, just a few more mutters.

Struggling to break free from the iron cuffs, I kicked some people to jolt them awake... but it was in vain. Did they drink alcohol or something? Or were they... drugged? Whatever it is, they are... "Ah!" I can't take it any longer. I need to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Don't you think the boss is a little too lenient...?"

"I, too, believe that is the case. We would have gotten things done more swiftly if he had given us more time. "

When I heard someone approaching, I closed my eyes and feigned sleep.

"All this trouble for such an insignificant number? Doesn't that sound like too much of a burden? "

"If you're that upset, why don't you talk to the boss yourself?"

"Are you a lunatic? I still want to keep my head intact. "

There were two of them. They were conversing in front of the cage, but I couldn't see their faces as it was still dark.

"When do you suppose we'll get our cut of the money?"

"You're as dumb as ever, Pax. You've got to dream big, man. Do you think our boss will have time to take care of this small business once he becomes a phantom? Who do you think he'll hand this over to...? uh? Once we have complete control over Grim Woods, we will be the ones handing out money to others. "

"Don't you think it's a little far-fetched? And even if the boss becomes a phantom, why would he entrust this job to incompetent fools like us? "

"You're the idiot here, Pax. Don't put me in the same category as you. "

"Do you want to go at it then?"

"Do you think I fear you or what? Let's go. "

What are they talking about, and why are they suddenly getting into a fight? Are they both dumb...?