The hall of disciples was pitch black. It was a tranquil night, filled by snores and soft breaths, the hours slowly drifting towards the sunrise.
Marshall kept falling between sleep and consciousness up all night. No amount of sheep was enough to stomp over his restlessness.
A good amount of time before sunrise, urgent steps shattered the silence. Marshall opened his eyes, blinking through the dark.
Two guards encircled his narrow mattress, and before Marshall could comprehend what was happening, he was plucked from the disciple hall, akin to a weed being yanked out of the ground.
He couldn't even manage to form a coherent sentence as the guards dragged him to the conference room.
"What? Where—wait—"
By the time the rest of the disciples came to senses, Marshall's bed was cold.
➳ ➳ ➳
Arbiter of Justice, General Gi and Lord Chioni sat by the round table. A handful of officials, including Master Gi Shan, stood behind their backs.
Searching for an explanation, Marshall looked from one face to another, but all he saw was rigid hostility reflected in the officials' eyes. Even Master Gi Shan regarded him with a look of disgust.
Just as Marshall was about to ask what was going on, a timid figure clad in linen emerged from the furthest corner. His eyes looked to Lord Chioni's, and after receiving a nod of approval, the man resolutely stepped forward.
"This is the boy I saw by the Tainia river. I'm sure of it!"
Marshall's brows furrowed in confusion, but when he spotted the thin smile lurking behind Lord Chioni's beard, a sense of dread washed over him. The cold satisfaction was subtle, but it was there.
"Was he alone?" Lord Chioni inquired in a solemn tone, contrasting the smirk.
"Yes, he was alone," the witness turned to face the officials, still pointing at Marshall, "This boy walked through the forest. Me and the huntsmen saw him carrying a woman on his back..."
"...at the moment, we didn't think anything of it, but when we heard that the heir of Lou Sect was missing, we thought it was necessary to speak up."
Marshall shook his head in denial, frowning, "I never carried anyo—" but he was abruptly cut off.
"Silence. Answer only when you are spoken to," Master Gi Shan ordered, his gaze piercing through the disciple's soul.
Marshall pressed his lips together, looking around the room that felt like it was closing in on him with the glaring eyes. The officials' faces gave the impression that they were about to pass a death sentence.
The witness continued, "The woman was dressed in purple, braided hair. At first we thought she was drunk, but thinking back, she might have been dead."
A mute scoff left Marshall's mouth. His eyes darted around the room. What was this man talking about? Marshall hadn't seen Lou Yumei since her disappearance.
Arbiter of Justice clasped his hands on the table. "Shei Marshall, explain yourself."
"I..." the disciple was at a loss for a moment, then reluctantly asked, "Lou Yumei is dead?"
A moment of silence followed, everyone's eyes scrutinizing Marshall.
"Lou Yumei's body has been discovered on the northern side of Sky Oriels," Arbiter of Justice stated. "There is an arrow wound on her chest with remains of spiritual energy..."
"...which leads us to assume Lou Yumei was shot by a spiritual arrow. Shei Marshall, as you know, it is not a widely practiced skill."
He reached into his robe folds and took out a piece of dark fabric, setting it on the table. "Along with the statement from the witness, the cause of death, and this evidence found at the scene, we are led to believe you are guilty of taking Lou Yumei's life."
Marshall stepped towards the table in a daze, staring at the familiar piece of fabric. A shudder of realization ran down his spine. He frantically reached to check the edges of his outer robe to make sure it hadn't been ripped.
A corner was missing. The exact shape and size of the fabric that was laid on the table. How could it have ripped? When could it have happened? Most of all, why was he being framed?
His eyes shot to Lord Chioni, who sat there with an unperturbed expression. He knew Marshall had been hiding behind the screen in Wyn's room. But that couldn't serve as a reason to incriminate someone.
If Marshall's eyelids hadn't been puffy from lack of sleep, his eyeballs would have rolled out and bounced across the marble tiles.
Lord Chioni gave a light nod to the man in linen clothing, a gesture so subtle that it slipped unnoticed through the cracks of everyone's attention. The witness stepped back. His job was done.
Then, another official entered the conference room. The golden whip that hung off his belt glinted as bowed before speaking.
"We have finished questioning the disciples under Young Dame Calla's unit. According to them, there had been a moment Shei Marshall was absent during the mission at the Tainia stronghold, his whereabouts unaccounted for," the official reported.
The atmosphere grew heavier, and Master Gi Shan's face grew darker.
Marshall slowly shifted further away, dreading to see what would happen next. He wasn't sure what he could say to turn the situation in his favor.
"I went hunting," he blurted out. "It's true that I was alone in a forest by the stronghold, but I left for some fresh air, and then brought back four birds. You can ask Chioni Wyn's unit, I gave them to a boy under his command!"
His attempt at defending himself fell away like a drop of water in a puddle.
Arbiter of Justice gestured at the man with the whip. "Detain him as we prepare for a trial."
Marshall stumbled back, his eyes unblinking for so long that tears rushed up to provide some moisture. His chest clenched as hard as his fists as he desperately looked to Master Gi Shan, hoping for something, anything.
The official with the whip approached him with a hard expression.
"No, no, wait! Wait just a moment!" Marshall pleaded, taking two more steps back until his back bumped into the wall.