"Someone reported you as a suspected intruder or spy. On behalf of the court, you are under arrest and we must take you to Lizf Prison. Please wait until the date of your execution is decided." These unfriendly words ended with the imprisonment of the person they had encountered.
Lizf Prison had only three cells. Each cell was three square meters in size. All three are made of thick glass that traps the cold air. The temperature gauge displays 15 degrees Celsius. The prison is intended for prisoners with high-level criminal offenses or special prisoners. Lizf Prison is located right in the heart of Arcent City, in one of the buildings that is still in the same area as the court.
In one of the cells, a 16-year-old girl named Reina Vidya is classified as a Special Inmate.
She has long dark hair and wears a short red and black dress. All she can do is sit in the corner of the room, leaning her back against the frozen glass. Her lips and face are already pale from the cold.
Fifteen hours ago, she was forcibly taken from her home on charges she never committed. The charges came from someone who failed to harm her with their powers and instead accused her of being an intruder. Unfortunately, she couldn't refute the charges because she was a minority with little defense, and now she was awaiting her execution hearing.
Was he behind all of this? No wonder that case hadn't been resolved.
The Special Prisoner designation attached to him referred to Reina, who wasn't from the "powerful" class. Her presence in the heart of Arcent City had provoked a reaction from those who were considered powerful.
Everyone living in Arcent City has control over water. They do this by raising their hands, concentrating, and then the water around them floats up to form a water droplet. Almost all activities involve their powers, and the most extreme ones can even be used to kill others.
"Open the door quickly! We have to take the cursed girl away!"
A voice was heard outside the room. Reina turned her head weakly. Her eyes, covered by long bangs, stared at the door covered in a thick layer of ice. The actions of the people outside caused the ice to crack, and the door opened outward.
Two adult men, one a tall, slender man and the other slightly stocky, stood at the doorway. The tall man approached Reina and handcuffed her hands. The stocky man simply watched them from the doorway.
There was no protest or anything. Reina stood up and followed the tall man. The outdoor temperature was much warmer than inside. Reina, who had been shivering, began to adjust to the outdoor temperature.
The three walked in a line, passing through a long corridor lit only by yellow LED lights attached to the right wall.
"Faster!" The stocky man roughly pushed Reina's back.
But Reina could only stare at him sharply, saying nothing.
After walking for some time in the dimly lit corridor, at the end of it, they were greeted by a faint white light. As they approached, it became clearer what was waiting for them there.
[Main Courtroom]
Reina closed her eyes briefly due to the blinding light. When she opened them again, she was at the edge of the courtroom. The room was almost entirely filled with benches where witnesses watched the proceedings. On the right were three podiums occupied by the judge, the deputy judge, and the court clerk.
Now, the situation was that the three galleries were filled with people curious about today's trial topic. The bailiff led Reina into the courtroom, as if showcasing today's main attraction.
Reina looked toward the judge's podium, where a 25-year-old man was flanked by two women and a middle-aged man. All three were wearing judges' robes, complete with insignia on their right chests. The one in the middle appeared busy with a sophisticated tablet in his hands, occasionally glancing at his colleagues beside him.
He's not here. Could he be on duty? If so, what's exciting to do?
The stands were already filled with spectators who began to grow restless when Reina was placed in the middle of the room. They couldn't stop whispering, muttering, and grumbling about the girl. They had gathered because they had heard rumors that there was an intruder or spy from another city.
"Just kill her."
"She's a disgrace to this city."
"Curse!"
"Fool!"
The commotion grew louder, blaming, cursing, and uttering oaths at Reina, who was still underage.
Tok!
The judge in the center struck the gavel of justice, a hallmark of the courtroom. Though it was only once, his loud voice succeeded in silencing everyone.
"I will begin today's trial." The judge's opening statement.
Satri, the name embroidered on the judge's robe he wore. Today he was replacing his senior as judge because the senior was still on duty elsewhere. The wooden gavel was placed back down, then he shifted to holding the papers in front of him.
"Sister Reina Vidya. Based on the information gathered, you are being prosecuted because you are suspected of being an intruder. Is that correct?" Satri began the trial.
Boring. Reina chose to remain silent.
There was no response, so Satri spoke again. "Reina, please cooperate. Answer the questions I ask you honestly. Are the charges against you true?"
Reina lifted her face, gazing at her interlocutor from behind her bangs. "No," she replied briefly.
"Don't lie!"
"Tell the truth! You liar!"
"No one wants to hear you here!"
Clang!
The judge's gavel sounded again. The commotion subsided once more.
"Please be quiet! I didn't tell you to speak!" Satri said firmly. His gaze returned to Reina, determined to conclude today's trial. "Can you give your testimony, Reina? This trial will be over quickly, and your sentence will be decided soon. What did you do? Are you really an intruder? Or perhaps you're from the Kumuh District?"
The Kumuh District is the name of a district inhabited by powerless people and/or outcasts. The distance between the district and Arcent is about four hours by train. The place is home to only about ten thousand residents. The city government has approved the wishes of the residents in the city center to keep the district away from them.
As a result, the Kumuh District is not considered part of Arcent City. They even have their own leader. They go about their daily lives like ordinary people and never interfere in the affairs of those who think they are in power.
Her voice trembled. Was she nervous? If so...
Reina smiled slightly and tucked part of her bangs behind her right ear. Blue and brown eyes adorned her face. She was the only person with eyes of two different colors.
"Are you a trainee judge? And you have to handle cases like this? I feel sorry for you."
The entire room fell silent, and the next moment, it erupted into chaos. Meanwhile, Satri, who felt the question was directed at him, was offended.
"Watch your words. We're here to judge you, not anyone else," Satri said firmly. He shifted the tablet screen in front of him and looked back at Reina.
"Reina, tell us your alibi before the arrest. Are you really as accused?"
"Alright. I'll answer. This afternoon, I was walking along the road and saw a man about to harm a small child with his powers. Unable to bear it, I defended the child. He also attacked me with his powers, but failed. And he just left. So, he reported me as an intruder? Haha. I think he's a dramatic and slightly crazy person. Are you holding a trial for such a reason? Without any evidence and dragging me here? No wonder you're still an intern. If you think about it more deeply, you shouldn't be handling a case like this."
Satri placed the tablet on the table and looked seriously at the girl who was much younger than him. "If you keep talking about unimportant things, I can give you the harshest punishment. So, please cooperate, for your own sake."
Satri's words elicited a soft laugh from Reina. "Are you sure you have the right to punish me? You didn't skip any procedures as a trainee judge, did you? Do you understand why this city was separated from the Slum District? The laws governing people who come from the Slum District are different. Do you know that?"
"What does a little girl like you know, huh?!"
"Don't ramble in court!"
"Admit that you're wrong! You lowly person!"
Chaos began to erupt in the gallery, defending Judge Satri, who felt cornered by Reina. Even the burly man who brought her there looked annoyed. He almost entered the courtroom if the bailiff hadn't stopped him.
Reina turned around, staring at the people in front of her. "Seeing you all gathered here makes me feel disgusted. You're here just because of a trial without clear evidence? What about the case of the missing person five years ago? Aren't you curious why the court closed that case?"
"Please stop or we will have to postpone this hearing." A court clerk standing beside Satri instructed. The woman with a neat bun and glasses stared at everyone with a blank expression.
Reina turned back to the podium. "It would be better that way. Today's judge is just a substitute, right? The judge who was supposed to be on duty couldn't come today. I also don't want my case to be handled by an intern judge who doesn't even know how court proceedings work."
"Hey! You're just a little girl! Don't you dare judge adults!"
"That's right! You're a minority here! So shut up!"
"Who do you think you are, meddling with the judge?! Didn't your parents teach you manners?!"
Reina gave a crooked smile, lifted her face, and spoke loudly. "Is that so? So only adults are allowed to judge adults? If you know I'm a minority, you should shut up and listen to me. But you're making noise instead. Speaking of parents, you're the ones who taught me to be rude in this place. Who's to blame now?"
"DAMN IT!!"
One of the men standing in the front row of the stands reached out his hand toward Reina. The people around him began to move aside, pushing toward the opposite direction to protect themselves.
The man muttered something, reciting a spell. The water from the various bottles of drinks belonging to the audience began to react. All the bottle caps broke, and the water began to gather in front of the man's palm. The water swirled, narrowing into a water spear. The next second, the spear shot through the empty space toward Reina.
Oh...
Casually, Reina turned around, as if challenging what was heading toward her. The water spear moved faster and faster, and as soon as it touched Reina, the water vortex vanished.
Everyone fell silent, frozen in confusion. Some couldn't speak at all. Others sat down with limp legs.
"What was that?"
"How is that possible?"
The crowd's murmurs began to rise. The three people standing behind the podium remained frozen. Especially Satri, who realized for the first time that this case shouldn't have been handled by him.
While everyone in Arcent City had the power to control water, Reina possessed the power to erase that power. There was only one person in the city, and she was that person. Reina Vidya, the girl with the power to erase others' powers.
The commotion continued. The secretary beside Satri nudged him with his elbow to snap him out of it. Satri blinked and immediately grabbed the gavel.
Tok!
Satri regained everyone's attention. Reina turned back toward him. She looked so satisfied seeing the foolish expressions on the faces around her.
"Reina Vidya, two more questions. What is your purpose in this city? Where are you from?"
"Where I'm from? I was born, raised, and live in this city. And you ask about my purpose? I already mentioned it earlier. I'm trying to find out about my parents' whereabouts. They disappeared five years ago. You know, right? About the case of the missing Abbey Research Team?"
"That case was closed because there was nothing left to investigate. Are you just making excuses?" Satri looked seriously at his interlocutor.
Reina shrugged indifferently. "You're the one making excuses. Are you deliberately covering it up?"
Clang!
The judge's gavel sounded again. Satri placed the paper in his right hand and looked back at Reina, who was five meters away from him. "I think that's enough. Don't change the subject. According to the rules, I will sentence you."
Satri paused. He gripped the gavel in his hand more tightly, as if his heart was hesitant to pronounce the sentence.
"Death penalty."