"He is the one who killed Brother Arthur," said Lala, pointing his finger toward me.
They all turned toward me, their gazes heavy with suspicion and anger. The tall man among them stepped forward, gripping the cell bars with both hands. His sheer size made the bars groan slightly under the pressure. His piercing eyes met mine, and for a moment, it felt like the room grew colder.
"This kid killed our teammate," he said, his voice guttural, laced with fury.
"Sorry for being a kid," I replied flatly, leaning against the wall with a calmness that only seemed to agitate him further.
The tall man's eyes narrowed, turning a dangerous shade of red, veins bulging at his temple. The elder elf, who seemed to command some authority among them, finally broke the tense silence.
"What do you propose we do with them?" the elder elf asked, looking at the tall man.
The tall man let go of the bars, straightened up, and smirked. "What should we do?" He folded his arms across his broad chest, eyes glinting maliciously. "Simple. These two must be the reason for the plague. Look at them! Outlanders who just happened to show up, and suddenly everything goes wrong? That's no coincidence."
Hina irritated took a stand, stepping forward to grab the bars with both hands. "We are innocent!" she yelled, her voice trembling with equal parts anger and desperation. "Arthur was the one who tried to kill Esther! And it's these travelers who are the reason for the plague, not us!"
The elder elf frowned deeply, shaking his head. "Arthur and his team have been nothing but helpful since the very first day. Why would they suddenly turn against us?"
Lala, standing beside the elder, added, "Exactly! They've been working tirelessly to help our people. What possible reason would they have to harm us?"
The tall man shrugged, his smirk widening. "Do you have any proof to back up your wild accusations?"
Hina's eyes flared with indignation. "And what proof do you have that we caused the plague?"
Before the tall man could respond, the girl standing behind him chuckled, a cold and sharp sound that cut through the air. She stepped forward, brushing a strand of raven-black hair behind her ear. "You killed our teammate—someone who was helping these people survive. That alone speaks volumes about who you are."
Hina clenched her fists and stepped closer to the bars, standing toe-to-toe with the woman despite the barrier between them. Both women crossed their arms and stared death at each other, a silent but intense battle of wills.
Meanwhile, I leaned back against the wall, watching the exchange with detached amusement. My eyes drifted toward the tall man, who was smirking silently to himself, clearly hiding in the chaos.
I sighed, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Sighhhh... This is going to be tiring," I muttered under my breath.
The elder elf raised his hand, silencing the escalating argument. "Enough!" His voice carried an air of finality that even the tall man seemed to respect. He turned to Hina and me, his expression cold and unforgiving. "You have until tomorrow morning to tell us the truth. Every. Last. Bit. If you don't..."
His words hung in the air like a death sentence.
"We will have you both executed," he finished, his tone devoid of emotion.
With that, he gestured for the group to leave. The tall man shot me one last glare, his gaze burning with unspoken threats. I met his glare silently, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
One by one, they filed out of the room. The last thing we heard was the heavy thud of the door shutting behind them.
Hina let out a shaky breath and slumped to the ground, still clutching the bars. Tears began streaming down her face as the weight of the situation finally sank in.
"What do we do now? I don't want to die here...I want go back to my academy...I want to become Queen and now I will he executed!!" she said, her voice cracking.
I rolled my eyes and plugged my ears with my fingers. "Stop crying like a child. It's annoying."
She glared at me through her tears, her voice rising in frustration. "It's all your fault! Why did you have to kill him? Why couldn't you just—chop his legs and bring him with you."
"Sighh, I had no choice," I interrupted, my tone as flat as ever. I turned away from her, lying down on the single bed with my back to her.
"Hmph!!" Hina sniffled but didn't respond.
For a long while, the cell was filled with nothing but the sound of her quiet sobbing. Eventually, the room fell silent as exhaustion claimed her.
Hours passed, though it was impossible to tell exactly how long. The cell was dark, and the oppressive silence made it feel like time had come to a standstill. I had just started to drift off when I heard it—a faint click.
My eyes remained closed, but my senses were on high alert. The sound grew louder as footsteps approached our cell.
Hina and I were both laid on our beds seemingly asleep. The faint light from the torches outside cast long shadows on the walls as a figure came into view.
It was the yellow-haired guy from earlier. He stood in front of our cell, his face unreadable as he stared at us.
I didn't move, keeping my breathing slow and steady to feign sleep. Hina stirred slightly beside me, but she didn't wake.
The yellow-haired man reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. There was another soft click as he unlocked the cell door.
I felt the cool air from the hallway brush against my back as the door creaked open.
And then, silence.
He stood there for a moment, watching me. I could feel his presence, the weight of his gaze on my back.
Finally, he stepped inside.
"Don't bother..." My voice cut through the silence, calm yet sharp enough to halt him mid-step.
The yellow-haired man stopped, his eyes narrowing as his lips curled into a faint smirk. "So, you were awake," he said, his tone heavy with seriousness, though laced with a trace of mockery.
I shifted, sitting up lazily on the bed and my back still facing him.
He raised his hand, and with a subtle flick of his fingers, shimmering threads began to form around his arms. The threads shimmered faintly in the chamber before fading into invisibility, coiling like serpents ready to strike.
"You think that'll work?" I asked, tilting my head slightly, meeting his eye straight.
His smirk deepened. "Care to find out?"
"Your friend Arthur... he tried something similar—attacking from behind," I said, my tone casual, almost bored. I locked eyes with him, my expression cold. "And sadly for him..."
The man's smirk faltered, his brow furrowing as I let my words hang in the air, the unfinished sentence heavier than anything I could have said.