Honestly, the reason the boy kept insisting on staying inside the cage wasn't because he wanted to.
He was just… tired, tired of everything.
He wanted it all to end. So he thought that if he acted rude and stubborn, maybe his master would finally lose patience and beat him to death.
But somehow… he didn't get punished for it. What a bizarre situation.
"But since you don't want to come out," Salem continued calmly, "then I'll stay here too." And before the boy could react, Salem sat down on the ground, right next to the cage.
The ground was dirty, and normally, he wouldn't want to stain his clothes with dirt. But honestly, this place reminded him of how filthy he used to be back then, so a little dirt on his clothes now was nothing.
"Why…?" the boy asked in a small voice. He quickly told the other children in the cage to move back, as if trying to protect them. "Is this the start of your punishment?" he asked carefully.
