Early the next morning, some guards barged into the prison. They opened the cell Victor was in and dragged him out.
"Where are you taking me to?" He asked them amidst his struggle to free himself. "Could it be that someone is finally here to save me?" A weak smile stretched across his face. "... I said it, that figure from last night was only bluffing."
Victor thought that he was going to be saved, he had already prepared to laugh at the figure when next he sees it but unknown to him, the worst was about to happen.
The guards dragged Victor until they finally stepped out into the open. They took him to the outside of the prison, a on open field with canopies at all corners. The field was surrounded by people —heroes and non-heroes alike... Much to his surprise.
At one end were familiar faces—His father, mother, siblings, and then his friends. They were all staring at him.
Then under one canopy were distinguished identities. Victor needed not to be told, he knew them—the world heroes. These men brought about the heroes organization so only them have the ultimate say in any matter that has to do with the heroes.
'Why are they here? Why now?' Victor thought inwardly. He had least expected to see them or even this many crowd.
"Let the sinner come forward!" One of the distinguished men said. His voice echoed in the air.
The guards forcefully grabbed Victor's arm per the command and dragged him to the center of the field.
"What's happening?" Victor mumbled. He turned to his family and his friends. His gaze fell on his mother but the woman lowered her gaze immediately, his father looked elsewhere, while his brother seemed to be grinning.
"You better kneel!" The guard nearest to him whispered. It wasn't out of concern but because he wanted to taunt him.
"I can not kneel," Victor said.
The guard scoffed. "Sooner or later, that arrogant look on your face will disappear completely." With that, the guard left with the others.
"Rule no. 5 of the heroes rules and regulations states that, villains must be put to death immediately or arrested by any hero. If a hero is caught saving or being in any form of relationship with a villain, he or she must be put to death in the presence of the whole world," the same person said. "And you..." He pointed to Victor. "Is found wanting."
The words echoed inside Victor's head.
'Put to death.'
For a moment, he thought he heard wrong.
"…What?" the word slipped from his lips, barely audible.
A low murmur spread across the crowd, like a rising tide. Some whispered, some watched in silence. Some… looked at him with disgust.
Victor's chest tightened.
"No…" he shook his head slowly, taking a step back. "No, that's not right. That rule is for actual accomplices. I didn't—"
"You allowed a high-level villain to escape," the man cut in sharply. "There are witnesses. There is no need for further argument."
Victor's gaze snapped toward his friends again.
Toward the people who could end this with just one sentence.
Just one.
"Tell them!" Victor shouted, his voice cracking this time. "Tell them the truth! I didn't help her—I just didn't kill her! There's a difference!"
No one spoke for a while, then one of his friends stepped out, his expression stiff.
"There is no difference."
Victor staggered. "You too?" He whispered, staring at his best friend. They had been friends since childhood.
"You hesitated," his friend continued, ignoring the shock on Victor's face. "A true hero would have finished the job."
A sharp ringing filled Victor's ears. "So that's it?" He laughed weakly. "That's all it takes? One moment I am a hero, then a moment of hesitation and I become a villain?"
His friend said nothing.
Victor shifted his eyes to his mother.
"...mom? Say something. You know me best, I am your son, you know me better than them."
His mother looked away.
He turned to his father.
"... Father? Say something, please," he pleaded with a helpless look.
But his father said nothing at the moment. After some time, he stepped forward and spoke for the first time since.
"Victor Kane," he began, his voice carrying across the entire field. " You have violated the fundamental law that binds the society together."
Victor felt his heart sank instantly.
"You chose compassion over duty," his father continued. "... And in doing so, endangered countless lives."
Victor clenched his fists. "I saved a life and that's what heroes are meant to do."
His father shook his head. "You saved the wrong life."
"I saved the wrong life. So that's it? That's all I am to you?"
His father didn't respond. He simply turned away and that hurt more than anything else.
Victor let out a hollow breath.
"... I understand now." His shoulders dropped instantly.
He felt the last bit of resistance inside him crack.
From under the canopy, the distinguished man raised his hand.
"The verdict has been decided."
The entire field seemed to hold its breath.
"Victor Kane— once a former citizen has now become a failed hero. You are to be executed immediately."
Gasps spread through parts of the crowd.
Others remained silent, waiting and watching what will happen next.
Victor didn't move or react for a moment, everything felt distant like none of this was real.
"…Execution?" he muttered. A faint smile formed on his lips."…So this is how it ends."
The guards began to move again, surrounding him. One of them stepped forward, raising a weapon.
Victor glanced at it, then slowly, he lifted his head. His gaze swept across the field one last time, his friends, his family, the so-called heroes... all of them had become strangers.
"…None of you," he said quietly, "even tried."
No one spoke, no one stepped forward to stop what was about to happen.
Victor chuckled softly. "…I really was alone."
The weapon hummed to life, energy gathering.
The guard was ready to strike and Victor closed his eyes. But just that second, a voice echoed in his mind.
"You have until tomorrow."
His eyes snapped open, a sudden chill ran through his body.
The air shifted, the shadows beneath the canopies moved. At first, no one noticed, soon, a man screamed.
"W-What is that?!"
All heads turned towards the place.
The shadows on the ground began to stretch unnaturally, twisting and rising like living things. Darkness spread rapidly across the field, swallowing light, crawling over the feet of those present.
Panic erupted.
"Stay back!"
"Form a barrier!"
"Protect the council!"
But it was too late. From within the darknes, a figure stepped out.
The same figure from the night before, he moved calmly as if this chaos had nothing to do with him.
Victor's eyes widened. "…You."
The figure stopped a few steps away from him, ignoring everyone else and ignoring the weapons now pointed at it.
"Good morning, Victor Kane," it said lightly.
The distinguished men rose from their seats, their expressions dark.
"Who dares interfere with an official execution?" one of them demanded.
The figure tilted its head slightly, then, it laughed.
"Execution?" it repeated, amused. "Is that what you call this?" The shadows around it deepened. "You call yourselves heroes," the figure continued, its voice now carrying across the entire field, "yet you kill your own for a single act of mercy."
The air grew heavier.
"You are no different from the villains you claim to hunt."
"Silence!" one of the leaders roared. "Seize him!"