The subtle sounds of the horse’s hooves seemed to drone on endlessly as an unnatural buzz filled my ears.

We were moving forward but I couldn’t see where as all the windows were covered by purple curtains that had gold frames. But I had a pretty good idea of where I was being taken. It wasn’t like my brother had kept any of this a secret from me.

My stomach churned as both my hunger and my anxiety warred endlessly for my attention. But currently, both of those went unnoticed as I stared at the screen in front of me.

Name: Bastion Silverstein

Class: Noble

Age: 7 cycles

Symbol: [NA]

Race: Human

Level: 0

Awakened Aspect: [NA]

XP: 0/10

Attributes:

Strength - 5

Agility - 5

Intelligence - 7

Wisdom - 8

Endurance - 11

Charisma - 6

Magic - 2 (Current Value: 0)

Skills:

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Trap Breaking – Level 6]

[Locked]

[Locked]

Status Effects:

Magic Suppression [Imminent Threat]

My teeth were clenched so hard that I was pretty sure they would break with the strain they were undergoing. My heart began beating faster and faster as I read the status effect that had been placed on me for what felt like the fiftieth time.

Why… Why me…

It had always been like this so I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I couldn't get the bitter taste out of my mouth. It had always been him. Even before he had awakened. But it felt as though the entire world was against me now. Why had he awakened instead of me? What did he have that I didn’t? Why did I have to be born this way?

My mind kept going through these thoughts that no seven-year-old should ever have. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think I would ever be ready. But there really wasn’t much I could do to change this situation, could I?

Well, there was [Trap Breaking] but using the skill now would only expedite my death. I had learned this skill for this very occasion, but it was not yet time. I knew what was to come and this skill would have to be used only when it would provide the most value.

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Creak.

My heart felt like it was jumping out of my chest as I heard the carriage door open. We had reached? But the castle was…

My thoughts ground to a halt as I saw the castle in its full glory ahead of me. Made almost a hundred years ago with Blight Marble, one of the most expensive construction materials on the continent, the castle still held an astounding beauty that inspired a sense of awe in all who gazed at it. The white glass-like walls of the castle seemed to reflect the moonlight in perfect angles at every point so as to make it seem as if the castle was shrouded in a halo around it. Even though I had seen the castle a few times before, it still somewhat took the breath out of my lungs as I glanced at its splendor again.

Or maybe that was the kick I got in the chest.

“Stop delaying kid, let's just get this over with”, a guardsman of the Silverstein family said to me as he dragged me out of the carriage.

I almost fell the moment I stepped foot on the pavement that led to the castle. I was learning that it was not easy to balance yourself when you had literal metal handcuffs placed around your wrist that weighed a ton.

With the weight of the cuffs, it was almost certain that it was a magic item but with my [Analyze] skill blocked, I couldn’t really confirm it. Although that was mostly unnecessary since I knew the basic functionality of the cuffs anyway.

The lack of access to all my skills and the [Magic Suppression] debuff gave me enough knowledge to go by.

Walking into the castle brought a whole new wave of nausea that I barely held back.

This was it. I was being thrown out.

After a few minutes of walking, we entered the royal courtroom. It was a beautiful place with golden linings. But the place brought me no awe. No. This time, the beauty was not enough to mask my worry.

To the right and left of the room were seating arrangements for the nobility and clergymen. Normally the royal courtroom seats were never fully filled. Because although all sessions that occurred here were important, not everyone wanted to spend time on such matters and the room itself was quite large that it would take a lot of people to make it appear full.

But today it was packed.

It made sense. Today quite an important event was taking place after all. One that concerned the Silverstein Dukedom. Not a single soul would be ready to miss it.

Lucky me…

As I marched forward towards the dais where I was to stand and receive the verdict that was to come, I noticed that people seemed to be trying to maintain as much distance from me as possible. Even leaning over in their seats to do so.

I wasn’t all too surprised. I had heard the rumors that were circulating. And if I had been one of the people on those seats, I might have looked at the current me with the same scorn as well.

If only they knew the truth. But they wouldn’t know. Perhaps not today. Perhaps never. Because who would believe me even if I said anything to help my case?

My only hope sat on an elaborate throne in front of me.

The king had a certain pressure around him. He kept observing everyone with his piercing eyes. As I felt those eyes pass over me, I felt like I was being critically examined and a shiver run down the back of my spine, but I didn’t feel the same scorn that I felt in the eyes of everyone else.

Perhaps I still had a chance.

If only I could appeal my case with him. Perhaps he would see reason. Maybe I would be let go.

When I reached the dais that had been made for criminals. I saw the rest of my family in the seating. They had probably already given their testimonies. I had not been allowed to enter until the end of the procedure so I couldn’t be sure but it was alright.

Although they had probably leveled horrible accusations against me, it was alright. This was a world of magic. No court case was ever concluded without conducting a memory-scrying spell. They would see that I was being framed. They would see the truth.

“The suspect, Bastion Silverstein, will now be scryed to confirm the charges being levied against him for the murder of Lady Layla Brighton. Come forward and stand in front of the king.”

I started to move forward eagerly before the words of the royal officer finished processing in my mind and then I abruptly stopped.

Layla…? Layla was… dead?

But I had seen her a few days ago. With her cheerful smile and her usual excited demeanor.

How…

As I looked at my family who were pretending to be sad and devasted at the side, I suddenly knew. I even saw the smirk that flicked across my older brother’s mouth before he too masked it with a sad expression.

No…

My mind was blank and I suddenly wasn’t able to understand what was going on around me. I vaguely felt myself be pushed towards the king and slowly started walking there myself. Though it was more instinct than actual conscious movement.

The king stood in front of me, and it was only his deep voice echoing in my ears that finally brought me back from the dark recesses of my mind.

“Bastion Silverstein, this is your last chance. If you admit your guilt, we can skip the scrying procedure and move directly onto the verdict. Many find that it's better to not have to go through the additional pains of mind magic on top of their sentence.”

I wasn’t able to speak for a moment, but eventually, my mouth moved to say, “No.”

That was all I could manage to get out.

The king nodded and then began the spell.

Suddenly, all my thoughts about Layla’s death ground to a halt and the only thing that remained in my mind was pain.

It felt like a worm was in head, constantly crawling around and eating parts of my brain. Although I knew it was no worm, it was the king’s magic and he was digging through my brain. Searching through my memories and looking at everything that made me me.

My head felt like it was going to explode and my vision went black. I don’t know how long I stayed like that but by the time I came to, I was on the floor with sweat trickling down my face.

The pain was no longer there. In fact, nothing seemed different from just a few minutes prior except for a slight pain in my knees from having hit the floor a bit too hard. But the memory of something crawling around in my head still shook me.

As I looked up at the king, waiting for the verdict, I saw it.

His eyes seemed to say a million things at once. Those piercing eyes that had scared me and relieved some of my worries when I entered the room seemed to be locking onto a hundred different emotions. Many may have said that this was due to the scrying spell he just performed that sent all my memories to him. But what I saw was different. What I saw in the forefront of his eyes were two simple words.

'I’m sorry.'

“The charges levied against Bastion Silverstein have been confirmed. He will be sentenced to death by a hunt for the murder of Lady Layla Brighton.”