Most secrets... are best kept hidden. Especially if they can be held against you. In a world like this, you can only give a damn about so many people. What I've learned is that the only one you can trust is yourself. Words said by many, I know. Though, it's true. Take it from me; I wasn't careful enough. I grew emotional attachments, and trusted too many. What can I say, it was my first time building real friendships, but that isn't the point of this.

"Ms. Takanashi. The trial has begun; it's time," a male voice said behind me. I turned around, seeing my lawyer. I released a sigh, standing up. "There's a large amount of evidenced pitted against you, so we'll have to be careful. Just stay quiet, and improvise when being questioned," he informed me. We entered the court room, sitting at the table. The judge looked down. "The trial has now begun; attorneys prepare your evidence." The prosecuting attorney stood up, standing before the judge. "Your honor, Ms. Takanashi, one among many, works for the organization known as Bitoku. The woman sitting before you is a criminal, an assassin who has committed too many crimes to stay free. She has murdered countless policeman and politicians for Bitoku's personal gain. How she is not in prison yet exceeds me, nonetheless how she hasn't been sentenced to death for her crimes," she took a deep breath before continuing. "May 25, year 4028: Police Chief #67 was murdered by Ms. Takanashi at 6:21am on his way to work. She had shot him from the balcony of an apartment while he was driving. Died on the spot," she continued. The prosecutor handed out printed photos of surveillance footage. The four photos contained one of Police Chief #67 in his car at a stop sign, one of me on a balcony with a gun, one of him dead in his car, and another of me fleeing the crime scene.

"That's it; even this is enough for me to be sent behind bars. Who knows how much more there are," I murmured to myself. I looked over at the plaintiff; someone that I used to trust, someone I used to call a friend and protected from danger. How did we even get here? How did I become the one who's life was doomed to end? Everything is a blur... the past few days have been too much. The pressure is unbearable. My focus transitioned to the crowd behind me. "Monster," an elderly woman rasped. "She's the one who killed my sister..," a man said. "Mommy, why are these people calling her bad names? You told me that was mean to do," a little girl said. My eyes widened. Who would bring a child to a trial, especially one like this? "Sophia, don't let looks deceive you. Although she is beautiful, she is a devil. That.. thing has murdered many people, including one of our loved ones. She deserves to die like the ones she's killed," the mother replied. The little girl didn't say anything afterwards. That woman was right; I am a devil. I do deserve to be killed. Though, I can't back out now. It's too late.. I used to be Raven Takanashi; a higher up in Bitoku. What happened to me? Am I really pitying these people?," I thought to myself.

"Ms. Takanashi, to the stand please," the judge said. I looked up, returning to my surroundings. "Yes, your honor," I replied. I stood up, walked up the short stairs, and sat in the chair. Sadly, it was as uncomfortable as it looked. I took a deep breath to calm myself. I looked down at the prosecutor. I saw her shift beneath my gaze. She cleared her throat and took a step back, looking up at me. "Ms. Takanashi, where were you the early morning of May 25, 4028?," she asked me. I looked from my lawyer and back to the prosecutor. He gave me a simple nod. Guess I can't do much in this situation besides telling the truth until he speaks. "I was at a friends, celebrating his birthday. He hosted a party with a large amount of people. I was on the balcony, listening to music. Crowds aren't for me," I answered. "So you admit that you were on the balcony that morning?," she asked. "I don't admit to it, as I never denied it. Me being on the balcony is a pure fact. I am only reassuring you that I was," I replied. In Bitoku, we were tested on our skills, if we were ever to be questioned. Personally, this isn't the first time I've gone through it, but is the first time in a court room. "Did you have a weapon on you at the time?", she asked. "Yes, ma'am. I had a weapon on me, if I ever needed it for self-defense," I replied. "No more questions, your honor," she said, sitting down. She only asked two questions. Why not more?

My lawyer stood up, looking at me. "Ms. Takanashi, what time was it when you sat on the balcony?," he asked. I recalled when I was walking down the short hallway to enter the balcony. An image from my memory returned; it was when I glanced into the kitchen as I walked. The time on the stove glowed in a dark blue. "It was 3:04am when I first sat on the balcony," I answered. "And what time did you leave the balcony?," he asked. "7:23am was the time that I entered the apartment," I said. "Now, what was the weapon you had on you at the time of this event?," he continued. "I had a gun," I said. "If it was for self defense, and not murder, then what had happened?," he asked. "There was a man in the street.. he wore a black outfit and a black device covering his eyes. He had a gun aimed at me, ready to shoot. I didn't hesitate; I pulled the trigger, aiming at him. What I had not realized was that it was a mere hologram; whoever he was and whoever he worked for had a goal to frame me for the murder of Police Chief #67, and succeeded. They placed a hologram pearl on his tire. Once he had stopped, it was turned on, therefor the hologram appearing right in front of the car's window," I explained. I heard a small gasp release from the prosecutor.

My lawyer handed out a zoomed in photo on the car's tire; which was a small pearl that slightly glowed light blue in the night. "This right here is a hologram pearl; the one placed on Police Chief #67's car tire. This proves and defends what Ms. Takanashi has told us all," he said proudly. "Let's give the jury a moment to decide their votes. As the jury returns to their private room, everyone must remain seated. Ms. Takanashi, please return to your table," the judge announced. I sat down in my chair. "Would if someone notices that the 'hologram pearl' is really a tracking device?," I whispered to my lawyer. "Has the plaintiff ever come in contact with a tracker?," he asked. "I don't believe so..," I said. "As long as he hasn't, then we should be fine."

A few minutes later, the jury returned to their seats. After a few moments of murmuring, the judge gave an appalled look. "More questions need to be provided before the jury can come to a decision, as Ms. Takanashi isn't only being questioned for the murder, but also her being involved with Bitoku in the first place," the judge announced. I let out a restless sigh. This trial could go on for hours, possibly even days. "You need to be extremely careful when they ask about Bitoku itself. Try to release as little information as possible. You made a vow, y'know," my lawyer said. I nodded. Little did everyone know, Bitoku always has lawyers around in case a member gets into legal affairs. Mine was one among many.

I sat in the chair on the questioning stand once more. "Ms. Takanashi, what was your experience while being a member in Bitoku like? Any romantic affairs? Betrayal? Death?," she asked. All of those questions hit the nail on the head. I frantically looked around, but rested my eyes on her once more. I gave her a short glare before giving a neutral expression again. "It was... eventful, to say the least. Although, I will not release word on the romantic affairs, as those are other people's business, not mine. I have no right to tell a story that I know little about," I replied. "Respectable," the prosecutor said. The judge gave me a surprised look. If only they knew that I'm not as insensitive as I sound. "First, tell me about your first kill. What was it like for you?," the prosecutor added. The question puzzled me at first; why would she want to know of my first kill? Then, it came to me. She wanted to know how I felt when I killed for the first time. Was I a true devil, or a sympathetic human? In all honesty, that's for you to decide.

The time has come for me to tell you my story; the life of The Purple Devil. A young woman who killed for a cause that was doomed since it's creation. It all began in the year of 4024; I first began living in the city named Aura. The city is known for it's futuristic-modern architecture and rich politicians. Crime rates were low, as the police force did well at their job. The most frequent crimes were robbery and destruction of property. Murders only came from Bitoku, yet at the time, no one knew of the organization's existence. My true name is Raven Takanashi; a higher-up assassin of Bitoku, and I'm 25 years old. The public citizens of Aura nicknamed me The Purple Devil. I'd say it fits well, considering what I've done. 4 years ago, I joined Bitoku at the age of 21. Maybe from an outside point of view, you can judge me. Tell me, am I a true devil, or a sympathetic human? After all, the jury decides my fate, whom are my fellow citizens of Aura. My side of my story would be biased, so getting the true point of view should suit best. You can call me heartless, a monster, the devil herself, or even an abomination for all I care. That's for you to decide.