Page 1 of Fated to the Demon

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CLAUDIA

The pickaxe swings down, biting into coal-streaked rock. Sweat trickles down my spine, soaking my threadbare shirt. Another swing, another chunk of coal freed.

"Watch it, Claudia!" Mack's gruff voice echoes through the cramped tunnel. "You're getting awfully close to my section."

I squint through the dim lamplight. "Sorry, Mack. Hard to see down here."

He grunts, returning to his own work. The rhythmic clanging of metal on stone fills the air, punctuated by labored breathing and occasional coughs.

"How's your sister?" Sarah whispers from my left. Her face is barely visible, streaked with coal dust.

"Fine," I mutter, not wanting to draw attention. "Thanks for asking."

Sarah nods, understanding my reticence. We all keep to ourselves down here. It's safer that way.

The air grows thicker, heavier with each passing minute. My lungs strain against the coal dust and stale oxygen. But I can't stop. Not if I want to make quota.

"Water break!" The foreman's voice booms from further down the tunnel.

A collective sigh of relief ripples through the miners. We shuffle towards the main shaft, careful not to bump into each other in the narrow space.

"Here." Old Tom passes me a dented canteen. His gnarled hands shake slightly, years of mining taking their toll.

I take a sip, savoring the lukewarm liquid. "Thanks, Tom."

He nods, moving on to the next person. We don't waste words down here. Energy is too precious.

The break ends too soon. We file back to our positions, shoulders hunched against the low ceiling. My pickaxe feels heavier now, each swing more of a struggle.

"Keep it up, folks," the foreman calls out. "Just a few more hours till shift change."

A few more hours. I close my eyes briefly, picturing Narina waiting at home. It's for her. All of this is for her.

The mines swallow us again, darkness pressing in from all sides. But we keep swinging, keep digging. It's all we can do.

The rhythmic clang of my pickaxe against rock fills my ears, drowning out the ambient noise of the mine.

"Claudia!" Vic's urgent whisper cuts through the din.

I pause mid-swing, turning towards his voice. "What is it?"

Vic's face looms out of the darkness, his eyes wide with worry. "I need to talk to you. Now."

Glancing around, I make sure no one's paying attention. "Can it wait? We're in the middle of a shift."

"It's about Narina."

My heart skips a beat. I lower my pickaxe, moving closer to Vic. "What about her?"

"I saw something on my way here. A group of dark elf soldiers, roaming the outskirts of town."

The blood drains from my face. "Dark elves? Here? Are you sure?"

Vic nods grimly. "Positive. Full armor, nasty-looking weapons. They seemed to be searching for something."

My mind races. Narina's alone at home. Vulnerable. "Did they see you?"

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