Crossed Paths

"But I don’t understand."

Jeht cried desperately.

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one with the most free time among us."

Olga's voice echoed in the hallway as the two of them made their way down the long hallway.

“Besides, we have great confidence in your communication skills.”

"You want to ditch me, don't you?"

Olga hesitated for a moment.

"It’s not like that..."

“Huh?! ”

Olga responded immediately to Jeht's sudden outburst.

“It's just that the more people we bring in, the more beneficial it will be for us. That's why the people brought here shouldn't be afraid of us."

"If you're trying to praise me, it's not working at all."

Jeht clicked his tongue and scratched his head.

“Besides, you say communication skills, but I'm not really sure I'm that good. I probably wouldn't even try that hard."

“Actually, this is exactly what we want. The more flattered they are, the more inclined they are to rebellion. What you have to do is show them both goodwill and authority.”

“And you are the only one…”

"…who can do it."

"Fuck off."

Olga laughed, then continued.

“Don't worry, it will only take a few weeks. Then we will send him to the mine and you will never see him again. Probably."

“Probably?”

“Unless they give you a mining mission.”

There was a brief silence. Only his own footsteps could be heard inside the building, which was made entirely of stone. Most people wouldn’t set foot here, as this was now an old prison where "miners" were kept. There were probably just the two of them and the person they brought in right now. Although it looked like a scary place from the outside, the moonlight filtering in through the glassless windows was enough to soften the atmosphere a little. Especially since Jeht knew that he had to spend some of his time here, he was making up various excuses for this place in his mind in order to love it. Of course, how well that worked was debatable.

"We are here."

Jeht's concern about the room with the cells closed by the iron bars was that this place was much quieter than the corridor. Not even the sound of breathing was audible, let alone any movement. This made Jeht a little suspicious.

"Is he dead?"

“Not yet, but there is a possibility.”

"What?"

"Come."

Olga walked across to the third cell on the left and gestured to the inside of the cell.

“Our new miner.”

Jeht nearly screamed when he walked up to Olga and looked inside the cell. This was certainly not the sight he had expected to see.

"You are joking."

“Nope . it's all yours now .”

“I hate you all .”

Olga patted Jeht on the shoulder and walked away laughing. Now Jeht was left to his fate.

The “miner” standing in front of him was sitting by the wall with his hands chained in front. His position was so awkward that Jeht began to suspect once again that he might actually be dead. His head was down and he wasn't moving. It was dark inside, so he couldn't confirm that his chest was heaving. His fear had increased a little more.

"Hey."

He opened the cell door and got inside.

"Are you alive?"

He walked quickly to him and got down on one knee and lifted his head. At that moment, he had the urge to scream once again. He almost resembled a skeleton, with a face so pale and thin as to be noticed even in this darkness, blank staring eyes, and short hair. His skin was icy, showing no signs of life. Jeht waited, putting his hand under his nose. He hoped he was breathing because he didn't want to deal with a dead person. He felt nothing at first, but then he sighed deeply as he noticed the light air hitting his fingers. He was indeed alive.

"You sure scared me."

He stood up and wiped the dust from his knees.

“You are a complete miracle.”

Jeht had vanished. In fact, he was suddenly so happy that he was full of energy. Even though it was the middle of the night, he just wanted to take care of the person in front of him.

"Are you hungry?"

There was no response from the body in front of him. When Jeht let go of his head, it was back to normal. Jeht waited a little longer, just in case, but still didn't get an answer, so he continued talking to himself.

“You must be hungry. You are skin and bones. Even if you don't die now, I don't want you to starve to death tomorrow."

He took a protein bar from his pocket and brought it close to his mouth.

"Eat."

No reaction.

Jeht opened his mouth with one hand and inserted the entire protein bar inside. Then he realized that he probably wouldn't do anything like chew it, so he took the protein bar back and broke it into small pieces.

"At least you won't choke if you swallow it that way."

He popped a piece of protein bar into his mouth and tilted his head back so he could swallow it. This was not enough. This time , Jeht patted his throat with his other hand. At that moment, the method used to make animals swallow drugs came to his mind. It's a known fact that it usually works, so he thought it wouldn't hurt to try. However, even with this method, getting him to swallow wasn’t easy. After struggling for a few minutes, Jeht murmured when he finally saw the movement in his throat.

"Here you go."

Continuing to use the same method, He fed him the whole protein bar.

“This will keep you up until morning.”

He was starting to feel like a parent forcibly feeding his child, but somehow it didn't bother him. Doing the same thing day after day had worn him out enough lately, taking care of something new was something he needed more than he thought. Maybe because they noticed his condition, they had given her this assignment, but to be honest, he was almost certain that they were just using it as an excuse. They really wanted to keep him out of sight for a while, and Jeht couldn't help agreeing to them for a moment.

“They must have had enough of me.”

Irregular sleep patterns, avoiding duties, acting randomly, not taking anything seriously… All of these were so identified with Jeht that even he couldn't give up on these habits. He wasn't sure he wanted to give up, either. He didn't think he could withstand the long road ahead of him any other way.

“I wonder if that’s how you feel too…”

Jeht sat cross-legged in front of the emaciated figure, deep in thought. He couldn't help but wonder about the person's past, what led them to this state, and why they were here in this desolate place. The silence inside the cell felt heavy, almost suffocating. Jeht's mind was racing with questions, but he knew there was no one to answer them, at least not at this moment.

"I wish I could understand what you've been through," Jeht whispered softly, almost as if he expected the person in front of him to respond. But of course, there was no reply.

He glanced around the dimly lit cell, taking in the stark conditions and the cold, hard floor. It was a far cry from the comfortable life he had back in the city. The decision to send him here might have been harsh, but he couldn't deny that it was the wake-up call he needed.

"I can't say I fully understand why I'm here either," He mused, looking at the unconscious figure before him. "But maybe, just maybe, there's a reason for all of this."

He felt a strange connection to the person in the cell, a sense of empathy that he hadn't experienced in a long time. As he continued to sit there, he couldn't help but think about the choices he had made in his life, the people he had hurt, and the opportunities he had squandered.

"I've been so caught up in my own world, my own problems."

Jeht admitted to himself.

"Maybe this is a chance for me to change, to become better."

After a while, he finally stood up, feeling a newfound sense of determination. He couldn't just leave him here without doing anything to help. Even though they might not appreciate it or even know it, Jeht felt compelled to be there for them.

"I'll come back tomorrow." Jeht said with a resolute voice. "And the day after that. We'll figure this out together, even if you can't respond right now."

He took one last look at the silent figure before turning to leave the cell. As he stepped out into the hallway, the weight of the decision to care for someone else, even temporarily, settled on his shoulders. It was daunting, but Jeht also felt a glimmer of hope.

Walking back down the long hallway, he thought about what Olga had said earlier. Maybe there was truth to her words about him having the most free time and some communication skills. Perhaps this was his chance to use those skills for a purpose greater than himself.

"I won't let you down."

With newfound determination, he left the old prison behind and stepped out into the moonlit night. He took a deep breath, feeling a sense of freedom he hadn't experienced in a long time. Jeht knew that the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but he was ready to face whatever challenges came his way.

As he walked back towards the headquarters, he knew that he had taken the first step towards change. The person in the cell might not be aware of it yet, but they had given him a purpose, something to care for beyond himself. And in doing so, they had given him the chance to find meaning in a place that once seemed like a punishment.

The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, Jeht felt a flicker of hope in his heart. And he knew that as long as he had that hope, he could face whatever lay ahead.

With a determined smile, he continued his journey, ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities that awaited him. And for now, that meant coming back to the cell every day and being there for the person who needed him, even if they couldn't express it.

The old prison might have been a place of confinement, but for Jeht, it had become a place of unexpected connection and potential transformation. And as he walked under the moonlight, he felt grateful for the chance to make a difference, not just for the person in the cell, but for himself as well.