The next day -
11:43 AM
A car came to a halt in front of a massive black castle, its towering structure casting shadows over the crowds gathered outside. People were pouring into the castle, many carrying cameras, and thousands more were scattered around the grounds, creating a bustling scene.
Akondo stepped out of the car, his gaze fixed on the imposing building. "They call this the 'Royal Execution Center' now, but it's actually an old church. This is the place where the last prophet, Fuzi, was executed over a thousand years ago," he thought, taking in the castle's haunting silhouette. "Fuzi was sentenced to death for spreading his beliefs. The king of the empire made a public spectacle of his death, hanging him in front of everyone. His body hung for twelve days until it finally turned to dust. Fuzi's last words claimed his dust would remain in the earth's air, so we'd remember him and follow his path forever. After his death, his followers overthrew the king and liberated the empire."
As he started walking towards the entrance, he continued his silent reflections. "This place holds deep significance for Fuzi's followers. Even now, anyone sentenced to death from that place of the world faces their death punishment here. There's a steady flow of executions, drawing people from across the world. My country's infamous for many things, and apparently, this is one of them."
Akondo looked around at the crowd, the sheer number of onlookers surprising him. "Is it always this crowded, or is it just today? I've never been here before. They say watching someone's final moments purifies the heart, reminding people to avoid the sins that lead to this fate."
He entered the castle and stepped into a massive chamber at its center, dominated by a glass-walled execution room with a rope hanging ominously. "So, this is where it happens," he murmured, scanning the area. The gallery surrounding the chamber was enormous—larger than any football stadium he'd seen—and nearly every seat was filled.
Akondo found a seat tucked away in a corner, just out of sight but with a clear view of the chamber. "I need to stay out of view, but I have to see everything," he thought, settling in and glancing at the clock. It read 11:51.
"If I'm right, the execution should happen around noon," he thought, focusing on the glass room. He watched as two guards entered, escorting a man into the chamber. "So, that's him," Akondo thought, studying the condemned man, Marou.
In a private section of the gallery, heavily guarded by security, Ren and Maxima sat watching the proceedings. Ren noticed the distress on his mother's face and leaned closer. "Mother, why are you looking so sad?" he asked quietly.
Maxima's face softened, tears pooling in her eyes. "He's my brother… my younger brother. How could I not feel this way?" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ren placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand, but don't forget he tried to kill you—and me. He even killed our driver."
"I know," Maxima replied, her voice breaking as a tear slipped down her cheek. "But… can't we reconsider this? Can't we reduce his sentence, somehow?"
Ren reached out and gently touched his mother's hand. "Mother, it's not possible. You've spoken with Father about this many times, and he'll never forgive him—nor will I. Uncle Marou was once my favorite person, but he betrayed us when he tried to kill us. That alone makes his punishment necessary." Ren's voice was firm. "He's not being sentenced just for attempting to kill us; it's also for the driver he murdered. If we stop this now, it would break the law of justice… and in our kingdom, taking a life is punishable by death."
Suddenly, Ren felt an unusual sensation, like a ripple in the air. He scanned the crowd, sensing an ominous, unfamiliar energy. "Where is that coming from… it's different… way different," he thought, his eyes narrowing as he tried to pinpoint the source. Activating his power, he could see the souls and energies of everyone around him, glowing in shades of light blue, all appearing normal.
"What's wrong, Ren?" Maxima asked, noticing his tension.
Ren forced a smile. "Nothing… it's nothing," he replied, but his mind continued to race. "Something isn't right."
Meanwhile, Akondo was watching Marou, his expression thoughtful. "What's his reason for being sentenced?" he asked a man seated nearby.
The man glanced at him, surprised. "You don't know? He tried to kill the Queen and Prince of Valloria."
"That's it?" Akondo asked, feigning casual interest.
"Well, no, I suppose," the man replied with a shrug. "I come here whenever I'm free to witness these sentences. I didn't follow this one in the news, so I'm not sure about the full story."
"You come here often?" Akondo asked, masking his curiosity.
"Yeah, every couple of days or so. There's always someone from somewhere facing justice here. It's… kind of peaceful when the crowd's smaller, you know?" the man said.
"I see," Akondo replied, slipping on a pair of dark sunglasses. "If the soul swap works, my eyelids will close for a moment. I need these glasses so no one will notice—just in case," he thought.
His eyes returned to Marou, who was now positioned on the platform, his face covered by a black hood as the hangman prepared the rope. "I have to act fast," Akondo thought, concentrating intensely.
He muttered a single word under his breath. "Repel." But nothing happened immediately. "What… it didn't work?" he wondered, but then he felt a sharp pain grip his chest, growing more intense by the second. "It's working," he realized, steadying himself. He fought the urge to react, determined to keep his composure despite the pain.
Then, a notification flashed in his mind. "Swap Completed," the system announced.
In the next instant, Akondo found himself looking through Marou's eyes.
At the same time, Ren, still watching Marou closely, saw a sudden flash of black energy hurtle into Marou's body with supersonic speed. "What the…" Ren thought, stunned, as he watched Marou's soul change, the light within him twisting into a deep blackness. Unable to see his face under the hood, Ren's eyes narrowed, his instincts screaming that something had just gone terribly wrong.
"What just happened?" Ren thought, staring at the blackened soul with confusion and dread.
Maxima's voice broke into his thoughts. "I… I can't watch this!" she cried, her face pale and tear-streaked.
Ren placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Mom. It'll be over soon," he said gently, though his mind remained fixated on the strange energy he'd sensed.
Meanwhile, Akondo, now in Marou's body, could only see darkness through the hood covering his face. He was pushed forward until the rough rope was placed around his neck. He heard the faint sound of the hangman's watch ticking, and his heart raced when he saw the time: 11:58.
The hangman, bringing a microphone close to Akondo's mouth, spoke with impatience. "Any last words?"
"What should I say?" Akondo thought, trying to steady his nerves.
"Hurry it up," the hangman prompted, his voice tense.
Akondo took a deep breath, speaking slowly, "I don't regret anything. I did what I believed I was supposed to do… and I would do it again. I… I feel no regret. Not even a little."
A stunned silence fell over the crowd.
Maxima and Ren exchanged looks of shock.
"He… doesn't regret it? What?" Ren thought, frowning. "He told Mom he was sorry a thousand times… he claimed he regretted everything. And I knew he wasn't lying then—my power would have caught it if he were. But his tone… it's like he's someone else entirely."
Maxima, her face drained of color, whispered, "So he never regretted it? All those apologies were just an act to fool me? To make me believe he'd changed…?"
Ren shook his head, a slight bitterness in his voice. "Mom… it doesn't matter anymore. He'll be gone soon."
As the hangman prepared to end it, he reached for the lever, pulling it swiftly. The platform beneath Marou's feet gave way, and the rope tightened around his neck, suspending him in the air.
"It hurts… it hurts so much… I need to go back!" Akondo thought frantically, the pain searing through him. He focused with all his might, forcing the word to echo in his mind: "Repel."
In an instant, Akondo felt his soul return to his original body. He blinked, back in his own seat, and quickly removed his sunglasses, his gaze returning to Marou's lifeless body swinging from the rope.
The crowd murmured, some horrified, some relieved. For Ren and Maxima, confusion and shock lingered in the air.
"That's strange," murmured the man next to Akondo, his brow furrowing.
"What do you mean?" Akondo asked, feigning nonchalance, though he was tense beneath the surface.
"Usually, when someone's hanged, they fight—struggle for breath, their body jerks in desperation. But this… it's like he died instantly, without any resistance. It's… unnatural," the man replied, eyes fixed on Marou's lifeless form.
Akondo felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "Really…" he thought, a flicker of unease crossing his mind.
Others around the execution site had noticed the same disturbing detail. The guards exchanged uneasy glances; the hangman himself looked bewildered. Even Ren was silently taken aback by how quickly and passively Marou's body had succumbed.
The hangman hesitated before ordering the body to be lowered. Once down, he leaned over to check for signs of life, confirming aloud, "He's dead." But inwardly, he was shaken. "I've never seen anything like this," he thought. "Death doesn't come that quickly without any reaction at all."
Watching the scene, Akondo thought, "I must've messed up… I should've endured the pain longer, forced the body to react. If I'd stayed just a few seconds more, it would've looked real."
Meanwhile, in the stands, Maxima sobbed, her grief breaking through any sense of relief or closure. Ren, though, stood beside her, lost in thought, his expression shadowed.
"This isn't normal," Ren thought, his mind racing. "I saw that black energy enter Marou, then leave right before he died. The second it vanished, Marou became completely motionless… Where did that energy come from? And why does it feel so familiar? It's the same as that boy… the one I saw in the hospital."
A chill ran down Ren's spine as he tried to piece it together, his instincts telling him something darker was at play.
[To be continued]