Chapter 87: The Testimony of Shadows
The air in the cell was thick, smelling of damp stone and the iron-like scent of dried blood. Silas Thorne stood in the center of the cramped space, his expensive leather shoes planted firmly on the uneven floor. He didn't look for a place to sit; he knew there wasn't one. Instead, he stood like a pillar of cold logic, his silver-rimmed glasses reflecting the flickering, dim light from the hallway. He looked at Ren, his gaze sharp enough to cut through the boy's exhaustion.
"So, Ren," Silas began, his voice smooth but carrying a dangerous edge. "Let's get back to the basics. Do you know anything about the King's Guard who was present at the scene? Any detail, no matter how small, could change the trajectory of this entire trial."
Ren leaned his head back against the cold wall, the chains on his wrists rattling with a hollow sound. He searched his memory, visualizing the chaos of that morning—the sirens, the shouting, the heavy boots on the pavement. "No," Ren muttered, his voice raspy. "I don't know anything about a royal guard. There were just police officers. Everywhere. They moved in so fast... I didn't have time to check their credentials."
Silas adjusted his glasses, a faint, cynical smile playing on his lips. "Of course. To an untrained eye, a wolf in a sheep's skin still looks like a sheep. One of those 'police officers' was likely a high-ranking guard sent directly from the palace. They don't just show up for a standard Forsaken arrest. But let's set that aside for a moment. I need to hear the story from your mouth. Reading these reports is incredibly boring, and they are usually filled with the lies of the arresting officers. Tell me exactly what happened."
Ren took a deep breath, the pain in his mangled arm flared as he shifted his weight. "It started that morning. I was in my room, getting ready for the Vane Academy. I was already on edge. The night before... Hana had been acting strange. Very strange. Her behavior was erratic, aggressive. She even slapped me. It was the first time in our lives she'd ever laid a hand on me in anger. I knew something was wrong."
Silas didn't blink. He just watched Ren, his silence an invitation to continue.
"I saw her leaving the house, fully dressed and looking like she was in a trance," Ren continued. "I followed her. I kept my distance, hiding in the shadows of the alleyways. She walked straight to the Church of the God of Curses. I was about to rush in after her when Adam stopped me. He told me he was there on an official mission to eliminate a cultist threat. I begged him not to hurt her, but he wouldn't listen. His orders were absolute. So, I did the only thing I could—I drew my revolver and aimed it at his head."
Silas sighed, a sharp exhale that sounded like a hiss. "Yes, the report mentioned the standoff. Aiming a weapon at an Academy student and a mission operative... that's what they're using to bury you. But let's talk about the girl. Mina and Go mentioned a catalyst. A necklace that was supposedly controlling her every move. Where is it? I need it for the forensic team."
Ren's heart sank. He looked at the floor, unable to meet the lawyer's eyes. "It... it stayed there. At the church. When the chaos broke out and the fire started, we were just trying to get Hana out alive. The necklace broke, and we left it in the ruins. I thought getting her to safety was more important than a piece of iron."
"You idiot," Silas said, though his tone remained perfectly calm. "You left the only piece of physical evidence that could prove her innocence in a burning building. Without that necklace, you're just a brother who attacked an official to save his sister from the consequences of her own actions. In the eyes of the law, she wasn't possessed—she was a willing participant."
Silas turned his gaze toward Hana, who was huddled on the floor, her eyes wide and clouded with confusion. "And you, Hana. Tell me what you remember. Start from the beginning of that day."
Hana looked up, her voice trembling so much it was barely audible. "I... I don't know anything. I don't remember the church. I don't remember the fire. It's all just... black. Like a dream I can't quite catch."
Silas stepped closer to her, his presence looming over her paralyzed form. "Think, girl. People don't just wake up in a cursed church. Where did that necklace come from? Who gave it to you?"
Hana clutched her head, her fingers digging into her scalp. "A friend... from school. She gave it to me. She told me it was a gift, something to make me feel better because I was always so sad and lonely."
Silas froze. This was the first real lead. "A friend? I need a name, Hana. What did she look like? When did she give it to you? Every detail matters. If we can find this 'friend,' we can trace the source back to the Church and prove you were targeted."
Hana's eyes welled with tears as she struggled to pull a name from the fog of her memory. Silas stood over her, his shadow stretching across the cell walls, waiting for the one piece of information that could either save them or send them both to the gallows.
"Her name..." Hana whispered, her breath hitching. "I think her name was... Miku."
Silas didn't move. He stood there, etched in the darkness of the cell, his mind already spinning a web to trap this 'Miku.' He knew the clock was ticking, and the Warden's twenty minutes were almost up.
"Miku," Silas repeated, the name tasting like poison on his tongue. "Well, Ren, it looks like your sister's 'friend' might be the key to your salvation—or the final nail in your coffin. Don't go anywhere. Not that you can."
With a sharp click of his heels, Silas turned toward the door, leaving the siblings alone in the suffocating silence of their cage.