When the work finally ended, we were driven back into our rooms as usual.
I lay down on the cold floor, staring at the ceiling. My heart was beating too fast.
I was waiting.
Every second felt endless.
Every sound behind the door made my body tense.
Night came quietly.
And then—
The door to my room opened.
I sat up sharply.
Ken was standing at the doorway. Several other slaves were behind him. Their faces were pale, but there was fire in their eyes.
I understood immediately.
The plan had begun.
We moved carefully through the corridors, pressing ourselves against the walls. Darkness was our ally, silence our only shield.
Ken turned to us and spoke in a near whisper:
— Listen carefully. There's a hidden tunnel near the outer wall. It will lead us outside.
He paused.
— Don't forget—we only have five minutes before the next guard rotation.
We nodded silently.
Then one of the slaves whispered something that froze us all:
— What… what do we do after we get out?
I froze too.
He was right. Even if we escaped through the tunnel… what then? We didn't know if we could even leave the island.
We waited.
Ken took a deep breath and said:
— When you exit the tunnel, run straight toward the forest. On the other side of the forest, there's a port. There are ships there. We can escape the island.
Hope ignited in our eyes.
Freedom.
Ken lifted his gaze to the sky. The moon hung high above us—cold and distant.
— When I give the signal, move immediately toward the tunnel.
We waited.
Then Ken raised his hand.
The signal.
We moved carefully toward the wall, step by step. But suddenly I noticed—
Ken wasn't moving with us.
— Ken, — I whispered. — Why aren't you coming?
He looked at me.
— Do you remember the slaves who started the fight?
I nodded.
— I can't abandon them. They're still being punished. If it weren't for their distraction, I wouldn't have been able to steal the key.
His fists clenched.
— If we leave them behind, their punishment will be worse than death.
I clenched my teeth.
He was right.
— I'll go with you, — I said. — I'll help.
Ken shook his head.
— Thank you. But no. You need to go with them. Escape.
He gave a faint smile.
— Once I free the others, I'll follow you.
I nodded.
— Be careful. We'll wait at the port.
Ken nodded back and disappeared into the darkness.
I ran after the others.
At the edge of the wall, we found it.
The hidden tunnel.
Narrow. Dark. Smelling of damp earth.
We descended one by one, holding our breath.
When we emerged on the other side of the wall, smiles spread across our faces.
We made it.
We were free.
But the joy lasted only a moment.
Something inside me screamed.
Danger.
— Move! — my instincts shouted.
I threw myself to the side.
Bullets struck the spot where I had been standing just a second earlier.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Figures began emerging from the darkness—members of the mafia, one after another.
Gunshots tore through the night.
Some slaves fell instantly.
Others screamed and ran.
I ran.
Toward the forest.
Without looking back.
The five minutes of freedom were over.
The hunt had begun.