The Count of Monte Cristo - Chapter 14 – The Two Prisoners

A year after his arrest, Edmond Dantès sees his first glimmer of hope when the inspector-general of prisons visits. Desperate, Edmond begs for justice, but the records—already tainted by lies—seal his fate. For a brief moment, hope lives in his heart, only to be crushed again. Meanwhile, another prisoner is revealed: the eccentric Abbé Faria, who claims to know the location of a vast treasure. Branded as mad, his pleas are dismissed, leaving him alone with his secrets. Edmond’s name is struck from memory and replaced by a number: Prisoner No. 34.