The day of the long awaited trial had finally come. The people in Notre Dame had already gathered and talked about it since the first light of the Sun touched the ground. In front of the Temple, a trial room had been set, everything was ready for the main event. And the people only had to wait until noon before the Temple’s priest and priestess carried Glenda Shaw, the ‘plaintiff’ in this case, to show up and face her judgement.

Of course the team was there, after what happened to Maria and Kyle, they were more than curious about how the Temple would perform in front of the general public and how the general public would reply back. But as soon as Glenda Shaw was taken out to the public eyes, the team could see that something was clearly wrong.

“This is no trial, this is an execution,” Luna said. Glenda Shaw was taken in shackles and handcuffed. As she walked to the state, the people in the city went wild and started cursing at her, calling her a demon and yelling to kill her right now. They then started to throw things at her from rotten fruit to small rocks. She was an elder woman, gray hair could be seen on her head and her face showed a clear sign of age. She was walking to the state, in front of the public and in front of the High Priestess and her people, slowly and lifelessly.

“This is awful, there is no way she could have a chance, the people are already against her.” Allan said. But that did not matter, the ‘trial’ continued as Glenda was being tied to a pole, surrounded with firewood. The team knew very well what was to come. Maria and Allan could not take it anymore so Liam took them back to the Inn. It was normal for them to react that way, no it was abnormal for anyone who did not, they were sure that they were going to have to witness someone get burned alive. And even though she might be a witch for real, from what the experience, they did not want to find out as the chance could mean that they would have to see something they could never unsee.

“Why didn’t you go back?” Kyle asked.

“Because you’re still here, because I wanted to see how cruel this world can be to be ready for it” Luna replied.

They both watched in silence as Glande was convicted. First the Temple showed their evidence that she was a demon in disguise. However, it was hardly evidence at all. It was just rumour and stories from eyewitnesses that no one knew who he or she was. Some evidence even came from the time she was imprisoned by the Temple.

“How could these people be so blind and unreasonable?” Luna said.

“Because they are religious,” Kyle said. That answered stunned Luna for a second, it was a bit cold and harsh but nonetheless true to some degree. Back in their world, not all religions are peaceful, some even went as far as straight up hate each other. There were those who blindly followed them to the extreme, so in the end wars and killings as a result of beliefs and faiths were not uncommon. What they were witnessing was just an extreme case or an alternative ending that their world could have looked like.

“Believing in something, someone more powerful than yourself is not wrong but not everyone should be trusted and not all rules should be followed.” Kyle said. And this was definitely the case. The people were so blindly believing in the Temple, in what they were told that they would not cross their mind to think otherwise. It was almost as if they had lost their own self consciousness.

Next the Temple showed their most important evidence, the demon child. Glanda Shaw's child was taken out as evidence against her. The second the child was brought out, everyone was shocked. It was truly a monster, a hideous looking creature with humanoid shape, but with no hair and had much longer claws on its finger. When it came out, it just screamed making a sound that only a creature would do. Luna was shocked at the humanoid creature. But Kyle did not show much reaction at all, rather his eyes became more focused than usual, as if he was getting ready for a fight.

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In the end, Glenda Shaw admitted to being a witch without any resistance, knowing well that it would mean death to herself.

“She did not fight back at all, why did she not fight for her own life?” Luna asked. That was when Kyle told her what he was focusing on.

“She was badly torture.” Kyle said. “What, how did you..” Luna replied as Kyle cut her words.

“They pulled out all of her toenails and a couple of her fingernails,” Kyle said. Luna was shocked and felt like she was gonna vomit right there. Indeed, when you got a closer look at her, you could see that they were trying to cover her wounds in various ways, but if you look close enough, you could still see blood coming out of the fresh wound.

“I think I’m gonna be sick…” Luna spoke “So that how they did it, they torture her to get a conviction out of her. How cruel”.

“Not just that either, it took them days to break her. Now either this woman is very strong or she has something that she needs to protect, something that is worth dying for.” Kyle replied.

“What is it then, what is valuable to her that she was willing to go to all the torture and face Death in the eyes for ?” Luna asked. Kyle did not answer her question but just silently watched what happened after.

The High Priestess then stood up announcing her final judgement and sentenced her to death. Glenda Shaw's only response was “Do what you want to me, but remember what you promise, do not kill her, she is innocent”. And even though the cheer and chant of the crowd was very loud, Kyle and Luna could still make out what she just spoke.

“So that is what she is protecting” They both said to themself.

The High Priestess spoke “I promised not to lay a finger on her” and then ordered her to be set on fire.

Luna turned her back away from the scene and Kyle soon after. They both did not want to witness this horrendous display of inhumanity but at least now they knew what the Temple really looked like. No more reasons, no more circumstances this time, this time it was just evil, simple as that. Glenda Shaw screamed in pain as the fire burnt her skin, she was being burnt alive in front of a cheering crowd and her own child. As the crowd laughed and cheered, the humanoid creature screamed, although no one could understand it, you could hear it’s scream and knew how it felt. Kyle looked into the deformed creature’s eyes and he knew exactly what it’s trying to say.

“I’m sorry my daughter,..... I’m sorry…..” Glenda Shaw's last word before she took her last breath, her body was still burnt in front of the Temple and the people were still cheering like crazy. Luna started to shed a tear, her back was still turning away from the scene but she could still hear the screams and the cheers, it made her feel sick.

“Please Kyle let’s just go back, I can not take this anymore” Luna said as she tried to take Kyle’s hand and force him to go back with her.

“Not yet Luna, there is still one monster left they need to take care of,” Kyle said. Luna realized what he was trying to say, Glenda Shaw’s child was still here, the humanoid creature, it’s fate was still unknown.

“Now the witch’s child. The Temple promised not to lay a hand on it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do the Goddess work for us. She will be taken to the outskirts of the city, everyone feel free to come and slay the monster for the Goddess” the High Priestess spoke as the creature was taken away. The crowd cheered and prayed to her.

“That fucking lying snake” Luna said. Anger and fire filled her eyes and her voice. Kyle did not look any different than her either.

“Do you want to do something about this ?” Kyle asked. “

Yes, but how, there are too many of them,” Luna said.

“That is all I need to know. Now this is how we're gonna do it” Kyle spoke to Luna.