Mine, refine, transport, and rest.
That's all he has been doing ever since being adopted by a community of faunus and human miners. Though one might call it an adoption, he would rather call it "being sold off to slavery."
The name of the victim is Adam Taurus. And today is the same as usual.
Work to the bone.
Compete with others.
Do not share your reward.
It was a rule made up for only himself.
For the reward, high-quality bread and a little bit of privilege.
The bread is simple, so it doesn't need explanation, but what is special about this 'little privilege?' Simply put, a room with decent space, a toilet, bath, television, and a comfortable enough one-person bed to sleep in.
These rewards were only exclusive to the top 100 diligent workers, and the higher the ranking, the higher the luxury, like getting citizen food instead of just bread.
Although, his rank has only been in the 50-60ish. It was apparently impressive in community since he had a child physique, no one expected him to do well. Moreover, his so-called 'child's physique' is pretty developed nonetheless.
Often, Adam would hear "pretty impressive" or "how lucky" or "swindler" and stuff like that, though the latter wasn't aimed at him...
Treatment like that usually would make one proud of their achievements, but he couldn't feel any of it because this supposed privilege is just like being grounded in his bedroom with some snacks to sustain himself.
These rewards are a luxury for ignorant workers who haven't experienced living in a bedroom. However, the method is enough to will the unmotivated workers, or rather, enslaved people, to force their labour.
Adam couldn't blame them. These people were homeless and were either picked up from the streets or were like him, adopted from an orphanage. They wouldn't possibly know what's it like to live in a home of a family unless they were like him.
The people here were simply raised to mine Dust, and the ones that were picked up on the streets were threatened to work.
Although, his parents is dead now.
In Adam's case, he had a family and experienced what's commonly called a 'citizens life'. However, by some worse luck, his parents both got murdered during their honeymoon. Consequently getting him taken by the orphanage since he hasn't got relatives or anyone close to take care of him.
He was a little angry for his parents demise, but it's not like they cared for his wellbeing. Now that he reflected on his life with the help of his best friend, he realized how much he craved for his parents attention, and how much he got neglected during his years.
Adam didn't hate them, it's not like he got abused or anything worse than that. In fact, he got fairly educated by his mother, and decent food from his father whenever he gets back. He cared for them.
But he knows they only put up with him since they've already carved their future into himself.
Their way out of poverty.
He didn't know the specifics, but he could tell based from the conversations from them. But as long continued to work hard to acknowledged his accomplishments from his parents. Then maybe, just maybe he'll get to experience their love just like a happy family he saw from the movies.
But look where that got him. Became an orphan because of his optimism.
Again, ever since both of his parents died from a killer, he got deported to the orphanage, but later on, he got adopted by some suspicious individuals despite them wearing friendly smiles. Unfortunately, his suspicions were right and he got further deported for labour in the mines.
Afterwards, he begun to interacted with various of people like him and collected helpful information.
He still couldn't get rid his suspicions of people however due to his unpleasant experience. Fortunately, he has concluded that the community here, and the one who manages it, wasn't responsible for the death of his parents.
It's the one who monopolized this community — Schnee Dust Company.
He'll avenge his parents one day. He assures it.
For now, he has to focus on maintaining his rank just for her... His best friend.
She would be uncomfortable if he were to sleep in the same cramped room.
The room is only designed to make one person comfortable. Any more than would result to a cramped room if a person were to move casually. Nontheless, because of the natural heat and entertainment in each particular room, workers were bound to try coaxing the rankers no matter how suffocating they would get. The non-rankers would go as far to sleep on the floor inside of a rankers room just so they wouldn't sleep in the freezing cold stone floor of the cavern.
Loud, smelly, and cramped room. It was the opposite of what a ranker thought would enjoy who achieved the privilege through hard work.
Suppose one was selfish with the reward and decided to keep it. One would get treated with neglect and purposely avoid them. Leaving the ranker in isolation from social interactions. Although, Adam thinks it's for the best than to share it with leeches that will suck a rankers benefits.
Suppose one were to share it with only a close friend and only them. They'd both get treated like a cockroach, petty enough to treat both as shits. Faunus and Humans alike, they'd spread false rumors to slander them.
'Just because of inviting a person, It would result in that?'
Adam still couldn't believe their audacity after inviting his best friend, no, his only friend.
They didn't get angry for that reason though. The majority of their anger is not directed towards the ranker; it's the one they decided to invite. The one that the rankers invite is like giving accessible luxury without getting in the rankings, no effort needed as long as one gets invited.
In short, jealousy.
Inviting another ranker wouldn't make sense since they already have a room. So if a ranker would invite a friend, It would more likely be a non-ranker.
Adam did just that.
Though, they don't interact with any selfish rankers. They respect them in their own way, but when it comes to inviting freeloaders, that's a different story.
'I've decided... Even if they're faunus, I'll treat them the same as humans.'
Adam's angrily thought. But he was oblivious to the reason for their jealousy and hate.
Inviting more would lessen the problem. It's unfair treatment towards the winners and fair treatment towards the losers. This sharing has happened so many times to newcomers that they'd try to avoid getting the privilege even though they're capable until they reach adulthood.
Adam dislikes this behaviour. Not to the newcomers, but to the Faunus working here. It's like he's seeing a faunus attempting to copy a scummy human behaviour directed towards a human worker in this community.
It's ironic. It's especially challenging his views that the faunus race is more benevolent than the human race... One things for sure though, is that faunus are superior in terms of natural abilities.
He wouldn't change his mind if one were to reprimand him. He has seen a multitude of animalistic abilities of his race ever since he came here. And he has concluded that the faunus would've been the superior race if it weren't for human technology.
But he believes that if faunus race had the same level of technology, then the course of history would be quite different.
'My parents wouldn't have been treated like garbage from the humans... They would've paid more attention to me if it weren't for them...'
Some newcomers would question, 'why not report this to the authorities?' Not the authorities who manage this place, but the authorities like the police departments in a kingdom.
The answer is, well, If it were that easy. Adam would've done it by now.
In a place where a cold cavern is like a prison, if a person were to attempt to escape outside, one would obviously get beaten up by the private guards.
Even if private guards with an 'SDC logo', the perpetrator of this whole illegal activity, were to pretend they didn't see any escapees out of sympathy. One could only get so far until the escapee gets mauled off by some wandering Grimm trailing negativity in the air.
That's right. They weren't anywhere near the Kingdom of Atlas.
Even to avoid those obstacles, one would still have to navigate through the intense blizzard.
One had to have some very specific and specialized Semblance to go through all that. Even then, they would probably get silenced if they were to reach Atlas. All these workers were soon forced to acknowledge this since they had known capable people escaping. Perhaps being friends with them as well, but still haven't been rescued for all these years.
Maybe forgotten, betrayed, imprisoned, or as he said, silenced.
At least, that is Adam's conclusion anyhow after prying some information. He was pretty stubborn, trying to find a way out, but after experiencing the gravity of their situation. He soon accepted reality. Therefore, he reluctantly didn't plan his escape since he thought it was already pointless.
What's more, he couldn't possibly escape.
There was one special person he had to take care of. And it was his best friend who insisted on coming along after being told by him many times that his departure wasn't a pretty place. She became even more stubborn and said unnecessary things like: "couldn't live without him".
'The same goes for me... Eve.'
How hypocritical of him.
In the end, his (girl) friend named Eve came along. He knew it was a mistake, but how could he possibly choose. Those scheming caretakers were the ones that comprised this to happen. Thus, he hated them all his life.
He thought that as long as he thought of Eve, then it would serve as a motivation for him to escape. Perhaps they somehow knew and used his friend as a chain for his escape.
'The nerve of them of using her...'
In the end, all he could do was accept the unfairness, he couldn't do anything to them. Rationally thinking, he's not smart like the adults, so of course, he'll lose to the caretakers if they were to take action. He just didn't expect they would do it sooner after knowing his fate.
Now, his motivation is served to always get a 30-40th place in the rankings to get the 'privilege' for his frail and weak friend. He might have made up the unwritten rule "Do not share your reward", but she was an exception to that rule.
Just for her... He couldn't stand seeing her sleeping on the rocky floor and seeing her restrain herself from requesting more supplies to sustain herself, resulting to her looking skinny as a skeleton.
Therefore, he had to work hard to get gallons of water for her so she wouldn't collapse from dehydration. He even told Eve not to go outside and just stay in his privileged room as she did in the orphanage so that she could experience the happiness she felt back then.
No, that was probably the worse because his friend somehow possesses tomboyish nature ever since he got to know her, despite her weak physique. She wouldn't enjoy a place without freedom, a place where no one can play...
Fortunately, she was still obedient to what he ordered. Still, he feared the worse whenever he set off to mine and transport Dust...
In the end, his fear came true.
Eve collapse.
How Adam got this news was none other than the workers snickering their conversation that his precious friend had collapsed somewhere. They purposely made Adam hear to hurt him, but it only helped him because of the crucial information.
'What happened...? Was she bored in her room...? Didn't I give her enough supplies? Didn't I tell her to stay in her room! When did this happen?! How long did this happen?! Where did this happen?! Why did this happen!?"
Adam was overloaded with questions at that time. To the point, he didn't realize he was questioning (threatening) the workers.
Naturally, his distressed questions were reluctantly ignored due to him following his own rule. But after a quick convincing (threatening) several workers, he found her location.
When he found her unconscious on the floor, however, she held the tools that people bring for work.
He immediately knew the situation.
Those workers, no, slaves couldn't care less about his best friend's well-being. To their eyes, she was like a freeloader. Something they despise, envy, and something too snicker at.
How else could this explain why Eve is equipped for mining?! Maybe, all those workers bullied Eve with their words once he was not there for her. They would probably make fun of her right outside her door so that she could hear how useless she was!
Useless. How many times has Adam heard of that? He heard that type of insult every day once he got back home. At first, he picked a fight with them. But soon endured the insults directed at his friend because Eve didn't want to escalate things. It took over a month to get used to things.
No, he's pretty sure a nerve on his forehead is visible. He developed it after his constant endurance of verbal abuse.
Perhaps that's why Eve decided to move, to work. She couldn't possibly handle the disparaged remarks coming from those petty workers.
It was unforgivable.
He didn't mind her being useless.
He should've taken action.
He just wanted her to be there for him.
Just like when he first met her, and when she first met him. Just being happy. But he hasn't found a way since he got here.
Truly, it was the happiest day when he met her.
Ah, in his arms, he could tell despairingly. She was not breathing.
'What should I do? CPR? But only Eve watched that on TV! I didn't have time for any citizen's entertainment since I have work...! What should I— No, I need to take the risk.'
Adam stopped his excuses, placed Eve down, and incorrectly placed his hand on her chest. And started chest compressions.
He did it for more than a minute. He has even lost count because of how desperate he was. He didn't even notice someone sitting right beside him and chanted an incantation until Eve started glowing but later disappeared.
At this moment, Adam saw a way.
This, of course, was his only chance to save her! Aura, a manifestation of one's soul! Used as an Offensive and Defensive weapon against monsters like Grimm. That wasn't the ability he was focused on; however, it was the ability to Heal the user from internal injuries.
Yet only a handful of people can possess them.
So he has to pray and hope while also beg at the man before him.
At that time, Adam didn't have time to be grateful for the attempted help; he just gazed at the man with a tearful face. He looked blurry in his eyes of Adam because of his overflowing tears. But he looked familiar enough for Adam to start pleading for help.
"He–lp her! Her, please—! Please, I, I beg of you! Save her–! I will – I will do anything! Just, her, save her! Don't let her die–! Pleeease—!"
Adam didn't even notice how pitiful he looked. He was choking while his tears were running down. But the moment he gradually got no answer, he choked out one last line as if exhausted by the world.
"She is... My only precious friend... In this unfair world... Without her, I will join her soon..."
He desperately wanted her to wake up.
The man answered in a tired voice.
"...Step aside," The man moved Adam aside with his green skin that looked like chain mail. Sharp claws like that of a dragon. "Once I unlocked her Aura, put two of your hands centered on her chest. Shoulders directly over your hands; elbows locked. Push hard in about 100 to 120 per minute and allow her chest to return to normal position after each compression. Got it?"
"Y-yes."
"Good. Now, I'll start."
The man places her hands on her chest. Then he started chanting again, but a more powerful voice rang out of his mouth this time.
"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."
Then, a glow shines in Eve.
Like, literally, it shone through the hallway. Making some workers who were present in that scene look bafflement.
The man who helped had the same expression as the workers who were watching the drama, but nearly collapsed in his kneeling position.
It looks like he has been weakened.
However, Adam didn't care. No, he even forgot his the man's presence and his instructions.
Because right now, right in front of him.
It was like seeing a miracle.
AN: Craaaaaaap, I accidentally placed a wrong chapter here!! I'm really sorry for the confusion and hope this mistake doesn't happen again!
Next Chapter: Adam's Pov. (last)
