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Condemned To Death
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15th September, 1507
It was a bright morning, with birds chirping and stall owners opening up their shops. Sunlight streamed through the small window in Seren’s room, casting warm rays across the space.
Susie, who had slept through the whole night, opened her eyes slowly. She sat up straight, rubbed her eyes, and looked around dazedly, her hair disheveled as she stared at the ground. Then, she spread out her arms and took a deep stretch, feeling every muscle in her body rejuvenate.
‘What happened?’ Susie thought, trying to piece together the events of the previous day. ‘I remember forming a team with Seren and Elise for the practice matches’.
As she jogged her memory, she slowly recollected what had occurred, including the encounter with the harrowing creature. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the abomination she had witnessed. ‘S-surely that was just a dream or my mind playing tricks on me’. She thought, unable to believe she had faced something so terrifying.
After calming herself down, Susie hypothesized to the best of her abilities, ‘I think I likely fainted from horror back then, and Seren should have brought me back’.
Glancing around the room, Susie spotted her dark scythe lying on the ground in one corner, while Seren slept in the other corner peacefully with his bare chest exposed and his snow-white hair scattered across the floor.
“...”
With a mischievous smile, Susie thought for a moment before slowly crawling closer to Seren, careful not to wake him up.
With her mischievous smile widening, Susie couldn't resist the temptation that was surging within her. She leaned in closer to Seren, her heart fluttering with nervous excitement as she contemplated her next move.
In a daring move, she gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from Seren's lips, her fingertips lingering on his skin for a moment longer than necessary. The warmth of his skin sent a thrill coursing through her veins, and she couldn't help but marvel at the current situation.
As she leaned in closer, her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. ‘What if he woke up? What if he didn't feel the same way?’ But she pushed those doubts aside, determined to seize the moment.
Just as she was about to press her lips against his cheek in a tender kiss, a sudden movement caught her eye. Seren stirred, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal piercing red eyes that seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.
Startled, Susie froze, her hand hovering in mid-air as she held her breath, hoping Seren hadn't noticed her bold gesture.
But it was too late. Seren's gaze locked onto Susie's, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene before him.
"...Susie?" he said, his voice husky with sleep, but his tone betraying a hint of curiosity.
Caught red-handed, Susie couldn't help but blush furiously, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she withdrew her hand and tried to play it off.
"Good morning Seren!" she exclaimed, her voice slightly higher pitched than usual as she attempted to divert his attention away from her failed attempt.
Seren chuckled softly, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips as he sat up and stretched, his movements graceful and fluid.
"You're up early," he remarked, his gaze lingering on Susie for a moment longer before he turned his attention to the window, where the morning sun was casting golden hues across the room.
Susie breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Seren didn't seem to interpret what she was trying to do. But as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't shake the feeling that he knew more than he let on.
Seren asked casually, ignoring Susie’s peculiar behavior, “How’s your body? Do you feel any pain?”
Susie, still feeling disoriented, replied, “Yes, I’m feeling fine, but why do you ask? What happened yesterday?”
Seren regarded Susie with a contemplative gaze as he thought, ‘So the scythe even gives her monstrous healing abilities…’ He then started recounting the events of the previous day—Susie’s confrontation with Finn, her uncharacteristic behavior, and her defeat at Finn's hands.
With each word from Seren, Susie's anxiety grew, evident in the beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she listened anxiously.
Noticing Susie's distress, Seren continued speaking, adding, “I think it might be one of the side effects of the scythe.”
Susie had already considered this possibility, and she responded, “No, I tested the scythe before, but it had no such side effects.”
Seren offered another possibility, suggesting, “Maybe it only activates when fighting against another person, or it might be a side effect that has a certain chance of activating.”
Susie's troubled expression betrayed her concern. The scythe, a gift from the Luminar tree, held immense potential to aid her journey as a Lexarch. But if it caused her to lose control, it would be more of a hindrance than a help.
Seren, seeing Susie's distress, offered gentle advice, “You can ask Aldric about this issue at the academy; he should be able to help you out.”
With a tired sigh, Susie thanked Seren for his support, and they both began preparing to head to the academy.
…
Seren and Susie stepped into the classroom, only to be met with a chilling sight starkly different from their first day. The once vibrant atmosphere had turned toxic. Hostile glares shot across the room, laden with animosity and disdain. In one corner, a group of students surrounded Jake, their leader, like loyal minions, hanging onto his every word with a fervor bordering on worship. They followed him like shadows, ready to execute his every command without question.
Elsewhere, the air was thick with tension as victims of bullying cowered in fear, their tormentors reveling in their newfound power. Cruel taunts and malicious whispers filled the room, drowning out any semblance of harmony or camaraderie. The classroom, once a sanctuary of learning, had devolved into a battleground of manipulation and dominance.
Susie was very puzzled over the shift in the behaviour of the students and how everyone was treating each other but to Seren, this much was expected from the beginning.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Seren silently recited a saying he had come across in a different reality, ‘Humans are fragile creatures. They bond based on trust, love, and friendship, but these bonds are as brittle as glass. Before the matches, students didn't know each other's strengths, but afterward, almost every relationship crumbled. Once-trusted friends turn their backs when they learn you're at the bottom of society and relatives no longer recognize you as their own.
That's human nature.
Every man expects another to be like him, they expect you to be as strong as them, be as loving and caring as them, and be able to give something more than them.
This is second nature.
Master the art of giving, and you hold the leash of loyalty in your hand. Whether it's the allure of love's embrace or the intoxicating taste of power, fulfill their desires and watch as they become your faithful hound, ever at your service.
And this, is the Law’.
Susie felt a bit anxious dealing with the next atmosphere of the classroom as she unconsciously inched closer to Seren who was standing next to her. The air seemed thick with tension, and Susie's nerves were on edge.
"Seren," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the murmurs of the other students, "what's going on?"
Seren glanced at her, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Susie," he said softly, his tone calm yet firm, "Just take your seat for now. I'll explain in a bit."
With a nod, Susie made her way to her desk, her eyes darting around the room. Surprisingly, none of the students tried to approach her this time. Instead, they only gave curious glances before retracting their gazes, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Seren walked forward, his gaze fixed on Lorien, who sat with Finn and Kai. Lorien saw Seren approaching but his expression remained unreadable as tension crackled in the air between them.
When Seren reached Lorien, a heavy silence fell over them. Then, without a word, Lorien produced a large pouch of soul stones and handed it over to Seren, his actions speaking louder than words.
Seren's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he took the pouch. A delighted smile spread across his face. "I didn’t expect you to be this upright and actually hold up your end of the bargain," he said, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.
Lorien remained stoic, ignoring Seren's words and returning to his own thoughts.
Before leaving, Seren added, "I’m sorry I’m not good with my words, but that was meant to be a genuine compliment."
Back at his seat, Lorien grumbled to himself, his annoyance evident. "Hmph, not good with your words? I bet it’s just another one of his tricks to get me to let my guard down”. After yesterday’s events, Lorien felt the need to be extra conscious of everything Seren did and said.
"Dang, he got your ass good," Finn chimed in with a mischievous grin but just ended up earning himself a nice and hard punch from Lorien.
Meanwhile, in Seren’s mind, if Lorien hadn’t paid him the 50 soul stones, he was prepared to taunt and mock him in front of the whole class. This was to hurt his pride as the son of the Ashbourne family to make him eventually cough up those soul stones, but Lorien seemed to already be aware of the weight of his status as the heir of the Ashbourne family.
Seren sat beside Susie, the pouch of soul stones in hand. Curious, Susie asked about the pouch, and Seren explained the bet against Lorien he had won.
Seren didn’t feel the need to lie about this since the more truthful and open he was with Susie, the more she would trust him.
Susie didn’t seem to mind that Seren had used her to make a profit; after all, he had been kind to her, treating her injury without asking for much in return and even letting her stay over at his house. She wanted to help him however she could.
Just like Susie, when Elise entered the room, her initial reaction to the next atmosphere of the classroom mirrored Susie's, but she quickly composed herself, taking in the situation with a keen eye. Then with a smile on her face, she made her way over to Seren and Susie, settling herself on the desk to Seren's right, while Susie occupied the left.
"Good morning," Elise greeted Susie warmly, her smile infectious. Susie returned the greeting, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of another friendship forming.
Engaging in small talk, Elise and Seren exchanged pleasantries, careful to keep their transmigrator identities hidden. Elise couldn't help but feel a thrill at sharing this secret bond, comparing this to the certain romances she had watched in K-dramas.
Meanwhile, Finn watched the interaction with a mix of awe and frustration, his mouth agape and eyes wide open. "Why is Seren getting all the pretty girls?" he muttered, feeling a twinge of envy. "I'm plenty charming, but they don’t even give me a glance."
Kai, feeling bad for Finn, patted him on the back in an attempt to console him. "There, there," he said, struggling to find the right words.
"FUCK!" Finn exclaimed, his frustration boiling over. "Lorien is already enough of a hater, but not you too," he accused, feeling betrayed by Kai's lack of support.
Lorien and Kai exchanged amused glances, thoroughly enjoying Finn's emotional turmoil, their laughter mingling with the chatter of the classroom.
…
CRASH!
The sound reverberated through the dimly lit room as the man crashed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. His assailant loomed over him, a shadowy figure in the darkness, while another figure sat calmly in a chair with his features obscured.
The man in the chair spoke with a chilling nonchalance, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Your payment was due on the 7th, and it's been a month since then."
Without a word, the assailant dragged the fallen man forward, bringing him closer to the seated figure. As the candle flickered, revealing his features, it was clear the man was in his late 20s, with black hair framing his face and eyes that seemed to pierce through the man kneeling in front of him.
"Dan, you claim you still don’t have enough to pay us back," the man continued, his voice icy yet calm.
Dan looked terrified as he looked up at him with fear in his eyes. “I-I-Please give me one more week” he said with a desperate voice “One more week and I will have the soul stones ready”.
The seated man took a deep breath as he said in a grave voice, "The president is expecting results today. How am I supposed to face him empty-handed? How do I walk away from this and still maintain my reputation?".
Dan stuttered back with drops of sweat pouring down his neck “I-I PROMISE!”
“You promise? Ok good, good very good…” The man took a deep breath again as he took in the situation. Then after a bit of contemplation, he said to the 15 other men who stood in the dark room watching silently “...Take his leg off”.
“NO NO PLEASE I BEG YOU I WILL PAY YOU BACK DOUBLE I PROMISE!”
Dan's tears flowed freely as he pleaded, his desperation growing further as he resorted to bashing his head against the unforgiving floor in a futile display of resolve. But the man in the chair remained unmoved, his indifference cutting through Dan's cries like a knife.
Ignoring Dan's futile attempts to garner sympathy, Asher rose from his seat and strode purposefully toward the door, leaving Dan scrambling in his wake. Desperation clawed at Dan's heart as he attempted to pursue Asher, only to be met with cold indifference.
Meanwhile, the room seemed to shrink as the menacing figures in black closed in around Dan, their weapons glinting ominously in the dim light. Some wielded knives, others axes stained with the blood of their previous victims, their intentions clear as they slowly closed in on Dan.
Dan, now feeling fearful for his life, put his hands up close to his head and activated his defensive relics.
SLAP
Before Dan could even activate his relics, a man in a black suit suddenly appeared beside him and gave him a brutal slap, sending him crashing to the ground once more.
Dan cried "No! Please, I'll do anything! Just give me another chance!"
Before he could even gather his bearings, Dan was overwhelmed by the swarm of assailants, their grips like iron vices as they pinned all his limbs down.
"Let me go! I beg you, I have a wife and children, I'll find a way to repay you I swear on my life!" Dan begged the leaving Asher as a last-ditch effort.
Asher opened the metal door and before leaving he said in an indifferent voice, "Your life isn’t worth that much."
Clang
As the door closed behind Asher, Dan's screams echoed from behind the closed door, giving a haunting symphony of agony.
As Asher continued his brisk stride down the darkened hallway, his expression remained stoic and unyielding. But his facade of indifference was quickly shattered by the sudden appearance of a masked man, running through the hallway, his eyes troubled.
"Boss, we have a problem," the masked man panted, his breaths ragged from exertion.
Pausing in his tracks, Asher frowned deeply as he regarded the messenger. "What is it?"
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Condemned To Death
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