Kaelen's pov
"Then they die for something." The words felt harsh even to me, but I meant them. "Better that than dying slowly in the mines, gasping for air while the rock crushes them. Better than dying from starvation, watching their children waste away. Better than the slow death of hopelessness that comes from living under a system that treats them like cattle."
Vera finally spoke. Her old voice cut through the tension like a knife. "You're asking them to become a symbol themselves. To offer up their lives so that others might have hope."
"Yes."
"And you think they'll do it? Risk their lives for a symbol? For an idea?"
