Wang Yong, previously passed out, now opens his eyes. His left eye throbbed as consciousness returned, the metal chain restraints his wrists and ankles. The platform beneath him is glowing, hummed with energy. His bruised body ached, and the slash wound across his left eye had crusted over. When Wang Yong opened his eyes, he realized that he was in the middle of the ArkBaiki town plaza, in the middle of the crowd, and his neck was tied with the rope that was hanging in the top of the plaza ceiling.
Arkbaiki town plaza stretched across five acres of polished marble, its pristine white surface reflecting the morning sun. Holographic screens floated above the crowd, broadcasting close-ups of the execution platform. Hundreds of citizens packed the plaza, their excited chatter filling the air like buzzing insects.
Chrome-plated security robots lined the perimeter, their red sensor eyes scanning the crowd. An invisible dome shimmered occasionally when birds tried to fly through it. For the information, it was because of Aiman's shield power that created an impenetrable barrier around the execution grounds.
"The boy's awake." Aiman's deep voice boomed across the plaza. He stood tall in his ACP uniform, thick brows furrowed, as he addressed the crowd on the podium in the center of the plaza. "Citizens of Arkbaiki, we gather today to witness justice."
Lisa shifted beside him, her pink hair catching the sunlight. Her ACP uniform strained against her chest as she crossed her arms, watching Wang Yong with an unreadable expression.
In the front row, Linda sat with a blank expression, surrounded by a team of lawyers in pressed suits. Their tablets displayed holograms of legal documents and final preparations for the execution proceedings.
Wang Yong's mother stood apart from them, her face twisted with hatred as she stared at her son. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her hands trembled with frustration.
Aiman raised his hand, silencing the murmuring crowd. His broad shoulders cast a shadow across the platform as he stepped forward.
"In here, we present Wang Yong, age fourteen, who stands accused of the brutal murder of Wang Liang, his older's brother. We have eyewitness accounts, security footage, and DNA traces, all of which pointed to this calculated act of fratricide. And now, we invite the jury to give us their decision for the accused fate."
Aiman signals the jury, and they get up from their seat, handing a sealed envelope in his hand. Aiman accepted it with a nod and broke the seal. Revealing a paper that Aiman open it and read the content to the whole audience.
"The jury finds the accused guilty of murder. We hereby sentenced Wang Yong to death by hanging."
Wang Yong, shocked, tried to refute it. But his throat constricted as he tried to speak. His jaw worked, but no sound emerged. He glanced and found a chill of ice smoke in his breath escaping his lips. He glanced at Lisa, who maintained her serene smile even as frost crystallized around her fingertips.
"What is going on??? I thought they were on my side. Am I dreaming right now?? Please tell me this is all a dream." Wang Yong desperately thought that, but when he realized the aching wound in his left eye and all over his body, he realized this was not a dream.
"Before we proceed for the execution," Aiman's voice echoed across the plaza, "I invite the victim's mother to address the court."
Wang Yong's mother stepped onto the platform. Her face contorted with raw hatred as she faced the crowd. They are all silent as Wang Yong's mother prepares to speak.
"That son of the b*tch is no son of mine. He murdered my precious Wang Liang, my ONLY child. For years, I worked myself to exhaustion at the brothel, sacrificing everything for my children. And how does he repay that sacrifice? BY DESTROYING OUR FAMILY."
Her fingers curled into claws. "Wang Liang had such potential. But this... this powerless piece of sh*t took all that away. I don't think he deserves to be hung. He deserves worse than that. He deserves to suffer as I have suffered."
After that, she quickly summons a water ball in her hand and quickly throws it to Wang Yong, which hits Wang Yong's head, splashing his face. It didn't hurt him, but Wang Yong felt pain in his heart.
Tears streaked down Wang Yong's mother's hollow cheeks as she continued. "But I have to become a kind mother to Liang'er. So, I thank the jury for their wisdom. Let his death serve as a warning to others who would destroy their blood. Let justice be done."
And the crowd erupted in thunderous applause at his mother's words and action. Their faces twisted with hatred, eyes burning with righteous fury as they jabbed fingers toward Wang Yong.
"Kill the f*cking murderer!"
"Hang him!"
"Justice for Wang Liang!"
"Death to the brother-killer!"
The chants grew louder, merging into a deafening roar that shook the plaza. Security robots adjusted their positions, metal joints whirring as they contained the surging masses.
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Meanwhile, Wang Yong is devastated. He felt each breath more painful than the last. For fourteen years, he'd watched her shower Wang Liang with love while treating him like dirt. Every smile, every gentle touch, every proud moment - all reserved for his brother.
He remembered the countless nights he'd gone hungry because she gave the best portions to Wang Liang. The times she'd praised his brother's water power while ignoring Wang Yong's efforts to help around the house. The way she'd turn away whenever Wang Liang tormented him.
The unfairness of it all crashed over him in waves. His brother had tortured him for years with that water power, yet their mother had always blamed Wang Yong for "provoking" the attacks. Wang Liang could do no wrong in her eyes, while Wang Yong could do no right.
Tears welled up in his good eye as the crowd's hatred pressed down on him. Their voices merged with memories of his mother's constant disappointment.
"Useless child."
"Why couldn't you be more like your brother?"
"I wish you'd never been born."
Wang Yong had enough. He felt unfair, and unconsciously, a strange sensation rippled through Wang Yong's body, starting from his heart. It spread like wildfire through his veins, down his arms and legs, tingling at every joint until it reached his fingertips.
The crowd's jeers became a distant roar as he focused on that burning feeling inside. Wang Yong's hands trembled against the restraints.
"It's not fair." He thought to himself while letting the power consume him, so he immediately gestured his hand to summon his Power.
But before he could do the thing, a different kind of cold crept up his limbs. His muscles seized, refusing to respond. Wang Yong's eyes darted down to find his arms encased in a thick layer of frost.
Lisa stood at the edge of the platform, one hand extended toward him. Her usual flirty smile had vanished, replaced by an expression of steel. Ice crystals danced around her fingers as she strengthened her hold on him.
Wang Yong' struggled against Lisa's ice power. He was held firm, powerless. Each breath came out as a visible puff in the suddenly frigid air around him. Wang Yong met Lisa's gaze. He felt betrayed.
Aiman raised his hand again, a gesture to demand silence. His deep voice carried across the plaza.
"The promised time has come. Let us pray for his soul, that may the gods show him mercy where we cannot. Bow your heads!"
The police robot on the platform lowered their heads in unison. Lisa's eyes closed while keeping her power active to continue restraint Wang Yong. Aiman also lowered his head, his usual stern expression softening into something almost resembling pity.
But the crowd refused to participate in this final act of grace. They continued jeering, some making rude gestures while others shouted for Wang Yong's death. The security robots' red sensors pulsed faster, tracking the increasing hostility.
Wang Yong's tears fall from his cheeks. His body shook with silent sobs as the weight of his situation crashed down. No one would mourn him. No one would remember him with kindness. His mother wanted him dead.
The prayer ended. Aiman straightened, his thick fingers hovering over the control panel. The platform's below Wang Yong hum grew louder.
"May the gods forgive your sins, the accused one." Aiman then proceeded to press the button. The platform below Wang Yong is revealed to be a trapdoor, open with a metallic clang. Lisa's ice shattered as he dropped, and the rope in his neck began to do his job. Hanging him.
Wang Yong's body jerked violently. His legs kicked uselessly at the empty air as the noose tightened. His lungs burned, desperate for oxygen that couldn't pass his crushed windpipe. Dark spots danced across his vision, growing larger with each passing second.
His good eye rolled back as consciousness slipped away. The crowd's roars faded to a distant buzz, then to nothing at all. Darkness swallowed him whole, dragging him down into its endless depths.
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In the endless void, Wang Yong's stare through the darkness. The sound started as a chuckle, then grew into a hysterical cackle that bounced off invisible walls.
"Ahahahahahahaha. A hero? What a joke." His voice cracked. "All those dreams, those stupid hopes of joining the ACP. Is it impossible for me??"
Just then, a flash of movement caught his attention. A familiar strawberry-scented vapor curled through the darkness, and there she was. Shi Ying. Her curly hair was floating as if underwater.
"Catch me if you can!" Her playful voice drifted back to him as she darted away, her black jacket melting into the shadows.
"A Ying? Wait!" Wang Yong broke into a run. His feet pounded against the invisible ground, but the distance between them only grew. "Where are you going?"
Her laughter floated back to him, light and carefree. "Come on, slowpoke! You're falling behind!"
Wang Yong pushed himself harder, his legs burning with effort. But for every step he took, Shi Ying seemed to take three. Her form grew smaller and smaller, becoming just a speck in the distance.
"Stop! Please!" His voice bounced off the darkness. "Don't leave me here alone!"
But Wang Yong's desperate chase after Shi Ying came to an abrupt halt as a strong hand seized his collar, yanking him off his feet. He found himself staring into Wang Liang's face - pale, twisted, with blood still seeping from the gash across his neck where the water dagger had struck.
"Why?" Wang Liang's voice gurgled through the blood. "Why did you kill me, little peasant? It should have been me. I should have taken your insignificant and useless life!!!"
Wang Yong kicked his legs uselessly in the air, struggling to break free from his brother's iron grip. Behind Wang Liang, their mother show up from the darkness, her hollow eyes burning with hatred.
"You should have died instead of my precious Liang'er," she spat. "Worthless child. Son of the b*tch. Monster. Murderer!"
The void filled with voices, hundreds of them, thousands, all screaming for his death.
"Kill him!"
"Brother-killer!"
"Die! Die! Die!"
Wang Yong clamped his hands over his ears, but the voices burrowed through his fingers, drilling into his brain. His throat burned as he screamed, trying to drown out the endless chorus of hatred.
"STOP IT! PLEASE, STOP!"
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His eyes snapped open. Harsh and bright lights stabbed at his retinas. The screaming voices faded, replaced by the steady beep of medical equipment. A hospital room came into focus around him - white walls, the sharp smell of antiseptic, tubes running into his arms.
A young doctor in his mid-twenties stood at the foot of his bed, reviewing some kind of chart. Lisa sat in a chair beside him, her pink hair tied back in a neat ponytail, still wearing her ACP uniform.
And when Wang Yong was awake and screamed, they both looked at him. Lisa, with an expression of concern, relieved. "You are awake, thank god you are finally awake."
Wang Yong, seeing Lisa, thought, "Am I dreaming again?"
image [https://i.imgur.com/mFA9L2S.png]