Hours passed. The guards, or "collectors" as Elara had overheard them call each other, were sparse, only two at a time, seemingly confident in their remote location and their captives' weakened state. The meager gruel they'd thrown earlier had been devoured quickly by the hungrier children, leaving only crumbs. The flickering light from the deeper part of the cave suggested a larger network, perhaps where the "master" resided.
Elara cautiously shifted closer to Kaelen and the other girl, whose name she now knew was Lyra. They huddled together, trying to draw warmth from each other.
"We can't just... wait here," Elara whispered, her voice barely a breath. "They mentioned 'harvesting'. That doesn't sound like a good plan for us."
Kaelen shivered, his eyes darting to the distant shadows where the guards occasionally passed. "What can we do? They're strong. And our magic... it's like trying to breathe underwater here."
"Mine too," Elara admitted, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the children around her. Some were still crying softly, others stared blankly into the gloom, defeated. But she saw a flicker of hope in Lyra's eyes, a spark that resonated with her own defiance.
"What exactly did they say about the 'spark'?" Elara pressed Lyra.
Lyra hesitated, her voice trembling. "Just... that some of us have it. And the master needs it. To... to awaken something." Her eyes widened with fear. "They said it was like feeding a dormant artifact."
A cold knot formed in Elara's stomach. Feeding a dormant artifact. That sounded ominous. It confirmed her fear: their magical potential was the very reason for their captivity. They were not prisoners for ransom, but ingredients.
"We need to find out more," Elara whispered, her mind beginning to strategize. "Where are their cells? Are there more guards? What's beyond that flickering light?"
"I heard one of them mention 'the ritual chamber' when they talked about the master," Kaelen volunteered, his voice slightly stronger now, a glimmer of courage. "And I think the main guard post is beyond that light. That's where they seem to spend most of their time.
Elara nodded, her gaze fixed on the distant light. "Alright. Here's what we'll do. We need to identify who among us has the most clarity, who can move with the least pain. We need to watch their patrols, listen to their conversations. Find a weakness. A distraction. Anything. We won't just sit here and wait to be 'harvested'."
A fragile hope began to bloom in the cold, damp air of the cave. Lyra nodded, a flicker of resolve in her eyes. Kaelen, despite his injured arm, straightened slightly. The children, initially just victims, began to stir, a quiet, nascent rebellion taking root in the heart of their shared prison.