The air was thick with tension.
Inside the community hall—an abandoned gymnasium now repurposed for meetings—the crowd stood in uneasy silence. Makeshift lanterns swayed gently from ceiling hooks, casting flickers of light over anxious faces. A few people whispered, but most simply stared ahead, waiting.
Kaia sat slumped on a wooden bench, her wound freshly bandaged, her body weak and sore. She didn't look at anyone. Not at the murmuring crowd, not at Elias who hovered nearby, and certainly not at Leon, who stood at the front with the authority of a self-appointed judge.
It had been barely an hour since Elias had found her crawling from the storage room, bleeding and gasping, her clothes torn and her eyes wild with pain. He had carried her to safety, shouting for help. The others had gathered quickly. They listened as Kaia, trembling and pale, told them what happened—that she had been attacked, that she had defended herself, and that she hadn't meant to kill.
But when they checked her timer and saw it had increased… everything changed.
Now, judgment hung in the air like smoke.
Leon stepped forward. "We've heard the testimony," he said slowly. "And I've considered everything."
Kaia looked up at him. Her throat was dry, her heart pounding.
Then Leon continued, his tone hard and unforgiving. "This wasn't just self-defense. The fact remains—she killed a man. Her timer increased. That's the one thing we can't ignore."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Leon straightened his shoulders. "I am the sheriff here. If we let this slide, we invite chaos. Kaia will be imprisoned for two months. No contact with anyone. One meal per day. Let it be a warning to all—killing, for any reason, won't be tolerated."
The silence was sharp, stunned.
Kaia's stomach turned.
Elias stepped forward. "You're punishing the wrong person."
"She took a life," Leon snapped.
"She saved her own!" Elias shouted back. "And she's the only one being held accountable—what about Zane? He murdered Kul in cold blood and walked away untouched!"
Leon's jaw twitched. "Zane's case was different."
"How?" Elias demanded. "Because he's stronger? Because you're afraid of him?"
Before Leon could respond—
"I saw everything!" a voice cried.
All eyes turned.
Lilah stood at the edge of the gathering, small and shaking but with tears of courage in her eyes.
"I saw it all," she said, louder now. "Kaia didn't do anything wrong! That man tried to hurt her. He… he was pulling her pants down. She didn't want to do anything. She tried to scream. She only fought back because she was scared!"
A wave of stunned gasps spread through the room.
Leon blinked. "You… you saw this?"
"I was hiding behind the shelves," Lilah said quickly. "I saw the whole thing!"
Just then, the gym doors burst open with a loud crash.
Zane strode in, flanked by two men. His expression was icy, unreadable. "How sweet," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm. "Children giving courtroom testimonies now?"
He smirked. "You people are losing your minds."
Lilah flinched slightly, but Elias stepped protectively in front of her.
Zane turned to the crowd. "I'm here for justice. One of mine is dead. If you don't give me answers, I'll take them myself."
Elias glared at him. "Don't talk about justice. You killed someone and laughed about it."
Zane raised an eyebrow. "That was survival."
"So was this!" Elias shouted, pointing to Kaia.
Zane laughed bitterly. "Sure. She kills a man, takes his time, and now plays the victim. I know people like her. She's no different than me."
"No," Elias said coldly. "She's nothing like you."
Lilah stood her ground, fists clenched. "She didn't want to kill him! He tried to rape her!"
Zane sneered. "Little girl, you don't know what you saw."
But the room wasn't buying it. The crowd began murmuring again—some in disbelief, some in anger. Someone whispered, "Why didn't Leon arrest Zane when he killed Kul?"
Leon tried to calm the group. "We are handling things—"
"Are you?" Elias barked. "Because it looks like you're protecting Zane and throwing Kaia under the bus."
Leon's face reddened, his authority slipping.
Zane, sensing the shift, stepped back. "This place is becoming pathetic."
Kaia watched from her bench, the pain in her side matching the sting in her heart. But for the first time since it happened, she didn't feel alone.
Even if Leon's verdict still stood.
Even if she would still be led into isolation.
Even if the world doubted her.
There were voices rising.
And they were starting to question everything.
---
The murmurs grew louder, scattered voices rising in defiance, but Leon didn't flinch.
"She is sentenced," he said, voice like steel. "This discussion is over."
"But Lilah saw it—" Elias began, stepping forward again.
Leon cut him off. "I will not let chaos reign. I won't have people thinking they can kill and justify it after the fact. Whether it was self-defense or not, the rule is clear: no killing."
"She's not a threat," Elias said, almost pleading. "And if we punish people who defend themselves, what do we become?"
Leon turned, giving Elias a hard look. "We become something that survives."
Two men, appointed by Leon as guards, stepped toward Kaia. She didn't resist as they helped her stand. She had no strength left—not to fight, not to argue. The people around her watched in silence, their eyes filled with uncertainty. No one reached out. No one spoke.
Elias took a step forward, but Kaia gave him a faint shake of the head. She would face this.
They led her out of the gym and down the path to a small brick building that had once been a maintenance shed. The interior had been cleared and fitted with a crude iron-barred door. One mattress lay in the corner. A bucket stood in the opposite one. It smelled of mold and dust.
Kaia was pushed gently inside. The door clanked shut. A key turned. The guards left.
She sat down slowly, pain biting through her body. Her arms wrapped around herself for warmth, though the room wasn't cold. Her mind was a maze of thoughts—memories of her past, of her attacker, of the screams she couldn't forget.
Hours passed. Maybe longer.
Footsteps echoed outside. The latch creaked.
Elias stepped in, carrying a tin plate and a plastic cup of water.
"They let me," he said softly. "I told them I'd take care of it."
He knelt and placed the food beside her. Rice. Something close to beans. She didn't touch it.
"I don't care what Leon says," he added. "I believe you."
She looked up at him, eyes swollen, but grateful.
He hesitated. "I'm going to keep pushing. I'll talk to people. Things are changing. Zane overplayed his hand. They're starting to see it."
Kaia didn't answer, just gave him the faintest nod.
He stayed with her for a few more minutes, then stood.
"I'll come back tomorrow."
But just before he reached the door, Kaia spoke. "Thank you."
Elias paused… then nodded and left.
The door shut again, leaving her in silence.
She stared at the plate. The food sat untouched. The shadows on the wall danced from the lantern outside. She lay back down, the pain in her side matching the ache in her heart.
And then—just as her eyes were closing—she heard it.
A voice outside, hushed and angry.
"…we'll handle her… just wait until the guards change."
Another voice. "You sure Leon will turn a blind eye?"
Footsteps shuffled away.
Kaia's eyes snapped open.
Someone was coming for her.