A Brave Transformation Toward Hope

If one chooses to remain in this dark and hopeless prison, the only outcome for everyone is death; there is no other way. The only difference is how much longer one has to endure the torture.

In the end Erza's friends decided to escape this hellhole. During their breaks, they dug little by little through the walls, carving out a passage to freedom.

But just as the tunnel was about to open, Erza hesitated. She began to doubt whether such a reckless escape was really feasible. They all knew what happened to the children who escaped and were caught—it was hell.

Overwhelmed by fear, Erza trembled helplessly, tears welling in her eyes, unable to move an inch. Simon, standing before her, desperately wanted to comfort her, but he too was gripped by fear, making him, already tongue-tied, even more at a loss for words.

"Don't worry, there's nothing to be afraid of." Just as the atmosphere fell silent, a gentle voice sounded from behind Erza.

Jellal!

The newcomer was Jellal, who was at the very back because he was in charge of wrapping things up. Unlike the others who looked gloomy, Jellal's face was full of confidence, and he clenched his fists to encourage everyone.

"There's no need to be afraid. Believe that we can definitely achieve the freedom, the future, and our dreams that we desire!"

As he spoke, Jellal stood in front of Erza without hesitation and extended a hand to her.

"Let's go, Erza!"

"Um!"

Looking at the courageous Jellal before her, Erza's gloom dissipated considerably, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her rosy cheeks. She gently placed her small hand in Jellal's hand and bravely took a step forward.

But dreams are always too beautiful. Escaping from this heavily guarded tower is as difficult as climbing to heaven, and it's not something a few teenagers can easily do.

They were eventually discovered.

Several enormous monsters with gaping maws surrounded them. A group of dark mages looked at these innocent brats with mocking smiles on their faces. Erza and the others could only crouch on the spot, trembling, not daring to put up the slightest resistance.

"You brats, do you really think you can escape so easily?"

Two mages, one fat and one thin, presumably the leaders, pushed through the crowd and stepped out. The fat one glared at Erza and the others with hatred in his eyes.

"Rsystem's deadlines are getting increasingly tight, yet you guys insist on running away at this crucial time. It's unbelievable!"

The skinny guy next to him casually interrupted the fat guy, "Well, wait a minute. We can't let this delay our progress any further."

"I was originally going to lock you all up, but this time I'm being lenient and only arresting the ringleader! Isn't that fairer? Come on, tell me who planned this operation! After you tell me, everyone else can go home safely!"

Having said that, the skinny man fell silent, watching with amusement the children who were lying on the ground, suffering terribly. He loved seeing the expressions on people's faces when their humanity was being tested.

Erza instinctively looked at Xiu, who had initially made the suggestion, but when she saw Xiu's helpless, sobbing appearance, she didn't know where the courage came from, but she actually wanted to take the punishment in Xiu's place.

"I"

"I did it!"

Unexpectedly, before Erza could finish speaking, another, more resolute voice silenced her.

Jellal stood up without hesitation, his face showing little fear. He glared at the dark mages and said what Erza wanted to say.

"I proposed this plan, and I was the one who started it. If you want to arrest someone, arrest me!"

The skinny man didn't see the grotesque scene he was looking for, but he wasn't disappointed. Instead, he looked at the children with amusement. In fact, it didn't matter who confessed; the most important thing was who he wanted to catch.

"No, it wasn't you at all! It was that red-haired girl! She was just about to confess!"

The skinny man looked at the astonished Jellal and his companions, gave a mocking smile, and ignored their attempts to argue, directly giving the order to take Erza away.

He didn't care about the children's resistance at all; after a round of electrotherapy, they all became obedient.

Watching Jellal and Simon struggle against the Lightning Magic, Erza, though terrified, managed a weak smile and stammered incoherently, trying to appear strong.

"I... I'm fine. I'm not scared at all. Because, because Jellal said so, so I'm not scared at all!"

Erza!!

Seeing Erza's forced, miserable smile, Jellal was practically seething with rage, but he was powerless to do anything but cry out helplessly as he watched Erza being dragged into hell.

Erza only learned what true torture was after she was captured.

It wasn't just physical, but also mental. These dark mages worshipped the most evil god in history, and their methods were utterly inhuman. Just because Erza companions didn't react to their missionary work, they gouged out one of her eyes as punishment.

If it weren't for the belief that Grandpa Rob spoke of and the courage given to her by Jellal, Erza would have lost herself long ago. She wasn't as strong as she thought; she was like a tiny candle flame in a storm, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

Erza!

But just as her thoughts were about to fade away, a shout brought her back to reality. Struggling to look up, she saw Jellal charging in, carrying a massive sword as tall as a man and covered in wounds.

Rescuing Erza from the bronze pillar and holding her mangled body, Jellal couldn't help but shed tears of anguish, his voice filled with hatred. "How could you be so cruel and despicable! Erza, what did we do wrong?"

"Jerus, Jellal, what happened to you?" Erza opened her empty eyes, weakly trying to ask something.

Seeing Erza awaken, Jellal forced a smile, "Erza, I've come to save you. We have no way out; we have to fight!"

"Fighting"

Before Erza could understand Jellal's words, several magic circles lit up around them, and more magic soldiers blocked their path, letting out ferocious roars!

Even Jellal couldn't help but clench his greatsword tightly, his heart filled with despair.

A group of dark mages clapped their hands and walked up to Jellal, mocking him. "Kid, since you're so powerful, why don't you take this little girl's place and accept our punishment?"

In the other cell.

"Will Erza be alright?"

"Grandpa Rob, you came back alive from that room, right? What's it like there?"

"I believe in Erza. She's strong enough inside. If your heart is firm enough, you don't need to worry about your soul being taken away."

Clang!!

The iron door to the cell was kicked open, and Erza, dressed like a rag doll, was thrown in.

Everyone rushed forward to inquire about Erza's condition, but Erza was barely able to speak.

When Xiu saw that his beloved sister Erza had suffered so much for him, he could no longer hold back his tears and burst into sobs.

The crying immediately angered the overseers, who rushed forward to teach the noisy brat a lesson. Even though Grandpa Rob stepped forward to shield Xiu with his body, they ignored him and proceeded to punch and kick the two of them.

The cell became incredibly noisy, filled with shouts, cries, and banging noises, all of which further aggravated Erza's already fragile nerves, which were on the verge of collapse.

"We have no choice but to get up and fight!" Jellal's words kept echoing in my ears, refusing to leave.

Boom!!

The iron door to the cell was suddenly blown open, and the two troublemaking overseers were blasted out.

Erza, holding a shovel, slowly emerged from the dust, the cowardice and helplessness in her eyes gone.

When fragile nerves can no longer withstand any more pressure, most people will break down and become a walking corpse. But there are some people who can transform and become a better version of themselves that they never imagined.

"Take up your weapons! Neither obedience nor flight will bring freedom; the only way is to fight, to rise up and resist for freedom!!"

"A rebellion has broken out!!"

Read Fairy Tail: Thoughts Follow Your Heart