The Count of Monte Cristo - Chapter 15 – Number 34 and Number 27

Driven to despair, Edmond Dantès nearly ends his own life. But in the silence of his cell, a sound breaks through—a steady scratching in the wall. At first he believes it is rats, but soon discovers it is another prisoner digging a tunnel. With desperate hope, Edmond answers, and a voice replies. The stranger is Abbé Faria, Prisoner Number 27, who has been confined for years. In that moment, Edmond is no longer alone. A bond is forged through stone and darkness, and the young sailor finds new purpose—companionship, knowledge, and perhaps the first step toward freedom.