Ron watched him take the pill. His lips moved, but he hesitated to speak.
"If you have something to say, say it," Uncle Scar said, glancing at him. He carefully tucked the canister back inside his shirt and leaned against the cold wall.
"Uncle Scar..." Ron hesitated, then lowered his voice. "The Master is with us for the time being. With him around, those who'd prey on us won't dare get close. Can't we take a break? The pills... can you stop taking them? Or at least take less?"
He looked up at the pitch-black tunnel beyond their platform and lowered his voice even more. "Taking too many Nightmare Pills deepens the early stages of Nightmare Transformation. It makes you a target for those 'collectors.' We had no choice before. We had to take them to survive, to have the strength to work. But now..."
A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes. "With the Master here, we're much safer. Maybe we can find work that doesn't depend so much on the pills?"
