True to form, alongside the usual unpleasant boiled potatoes, today's meal included a small wooden tub filled with exactly ten apples.
To the prisoners, these washed but low-quality fruits were more precious than gold.
They watched helplessly as the silver wand delivered the tubs into the cell, and then everyone lunged at the fruit like it might vanish at any moment.
Nathan swallowed hard as he looked at the apples, he hadn't tasted anything besides potatoes in ages, yet he still knew the unspoken rule: no need to rush, since the warding distributed the fruit evenly.
Suddenly, Jimmy, who had been the first to jump on the apples, approached Nathan holding two in his hands with a grin.
"Captain, I grabbed your share too. I saved the two biggest in the tub for you. Here, this one's bigger," he said.
"Thanks," Nathan said, a bit taken aback as he accepted the apple. "Everyone's supposed to get a share, so it shouldn't be like this."
Jimmy shrugged.
"Yeah, but there's always a size difference. You know how rare it is to get anything besides potatoes in this godforsaken place, meat's practically a myth. I even swallowed the core of this apple before," he grumbled.
Jimmy took a big bite of the apple in his hand without even bothering to wipe off the dirt stuck to it.
As he chewed, a look of intoxicated satisfaction crossed his face.
Watching Jimmy's carefree attitude, Nathan couldn't help but laugh at him, this kid really could find a way to entertain himself no matter where he was.
Just as Nathan was about to take a bite of the hard-won apple himself, a sudden burst of sneezing caught his attention.
Looking around, he and Jimmy spotted an old man covered in dirt, sitting on the ground with a bitter expression and tears streaming down his face.
Having lived together for so long, Nathan naturally recognized him.
He was an elderly squib from the eastern park, a kind old man who was well-liked by everyone in their cell and never caused any trouble.
"What's going on? Why is old Willy crying all of a sudden?" Nathan asked a nearby wizard, curious.
The wizard sighed and shook his head.
"What else could it be? Sykes stole old Willy's apple. You know Willy, he just doesn't know what to do when someone takes something from him."
Nathan nodded, putting the pieces together.
Sykes was a patrol member who used to be in the same park as him and Jimmy.
They'd almost come to blows before, but Nathan had stepped in to stop it.
At that moment, Sykes was sitting nearby, munching on the stolen apple and casting a taunting glare at Nathan and Jimmy.
"You bastard, bullying people like that!" Jimmy snapped, anger flaring in his eyes.
He rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront Sykes.
Nathan quickly stepped in, holding Jimmy back.
"Don't be rash! Jimmy, there's no point in starting trouble over some fruit," he said.
"But look at his face! He's locked up with us, and he's bullying his own cellmates. That's just cruel!" Jimmy protested, struggling to break free.
"Jimmy!" Nathan tightened his grip and pulled him back firmly. "You won't help old Willy by getting into a fight right now. Let's think this through."
"You're just going to get yourself into trouble. Don't be silly, listen to me!"
Jimmy struggled, but he couldn't break free.
Frustrated, he shouted, "So what? We're just going to sit here and watch him do whatever he wants?
We can't keep going like this!"
Nathan let out a helpless sigh.
"Look, we're all stuck in this cage together. The best we can do is look out for ourselves and stay out of other people's business. That guy will get punished sooner or later," he said.
Just then, as if on cue, a silver wand gun suddenly appeared in the prison aisle.
A voice rang out loudly.
"Everyone, listen up!"
The Silver Wand that appeared once again was, of course, Moody.
He still carried the arrogant air of a big shot, shouting to grab everyone's attention.
"I have some good news for you all!" Moody announced slowly, scanning the crowd. "Pretty soon, you won't have to stay in this godforsaken place any longer. I hope you're all ready for what's coming."
Using a loud spell, his voice echoed through every corner of the prison.
The news sparked different reactions among the prisoners.
Those wizards who had once been part of the club smiled, seeing this as a sign they would be freed from prisoner status and no longer have to suffer alongside the rest.
The commoner wizards felt a bit more relaxed, they had endured a harsh life in prison, and a new place might offer some relief.
But the more cautious wizards frowned, suspecting that the silver wand never intended to truly set them free.
They worried about what lay ahead.
Among them, Nathan and Bob were the most conflicted.
They had been planning their escape for a long time, but now, with the sudden news of relocation, everything was uncertain.
Would the new place offer a chance to escape, or would the controls be even tighter?
They simply didn't know.
In the center of the open space, Moody seemed indifferent to everyone's thoughts.
He muttered to himself.
"Don't worry. We've already renovated the new breeding park for you. The environment won't be worse than before, it just needs to be fully transferred. But first, we have to test your loyalty! Only those who are absolutely loyal will be allowed to live and work safely in the new environment."
"Loyalty? Master, I'm the most loyal one here. I've been serving the club for years!" one wizard called out.
"Master Silver Wand, we'll definitely prove our loyalty to the club, don't worry!" another added eagerly.
Moody's words sparked a response from the cooperative prisoners, who took this as a sign that if they passed the so-called 'loyalty test,' they might regain their freedom.
"That's good," Moody said with a satisfied nod.
Today, Moody announced that he would first select ten people to undergo the so-called 'loyalty test.'
"Who wants to volunteer?" he asked.
Almost immediately, shouts echoed through the prison.
"Me! Choose me!"
"Master, pick me! I'm ready for the test!"
Several cooperating wizards eagerly stepped forward, including Sykes, who was in the same room as Nathan and Jimmy.
It seemed they still believed the "loyalty test" would benefit them somehow.
Moody nodded with satisfaction.
Then, raising his hand and casually pointing a few times at the crowd, he fired the silver wand gun at those who were usually most attentive to the club.
Nathan was surprised to see Sykes hit by the spear as well.
When Sykes was freed by the ordinary silver wand gun, he even flashed a proud grin at Nathan and Jimmy.
Jimmy frowned, watching Sykes leave the cell.
"Seriously? In this world, good people don't get rewarded, but a bastard like Sykes gets his freedom back? I already know he's going to make things difficult for us," he muttered angrily.