Chapter 2 – Noose
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“Is this the one who murdered Miss Yurina?” the voice from above echoed, solemn and sharp cutting through the vast room. Even with their face obscured by the shadows, the air around Raine felt a bit thin with a pair of invisible eyes boring into her tiny frame.

Sweat started to form at the base of Raine’s neck, before another figure appeared behind her. A white robed man, skin wrinkled and dry like a raisin paired with slightly sunken eyes appeared before the middle of the platform. The ornaments around his robes seemed like holy relics and the accessories strewn over his body gave away a sense of authority from some sort of religious faction.

“Your graces,” he gave a polite bow before continuing, “At the first instance of dawn, one of Solaris’ nun was making her usual rounds. One such place was the storage room where Sister Andris found Miss Yurina in her own pool of blood and the black-haired girl from unknown origins.” He retold the tale as if he were there to witness the tragic event, gesturing his arms in vigor.

The room instantly broke out into low murmurs, but with the sea of people in the room it hardly sounded like anything but low. Rather, the intensity coming off from the audience sent patronizing terror throughout Raine's state of mind. Their eyes were nothing less than scavengers, readily watching their prey buckle under menacing pressure.

“Furthermore,” the old man continued, turning toward the audience as if trying to rile them up even more, before the sound of the judge’s gavel thundered through the whole room demanding silence. “We have conclusive evidence that this vile black-haired girl had murdered Miss Yurina because the main murder weapon was found in that very room!”

“And what was the murder weapon, Father Augur?”

“A short handed knife of common craftsmanship, your honor.”

As puzzling everything was about this case, Raine was adamant that she did not murder the person everyone believed she did. However, she also understood it was futile to advocate for her innocence knowing very little, but nonetheless she had to fight for her innocence or the foreboding threat of life will come true.

“No, your wrong! I didn’t kill Miss Yurina—" She attempted to voice out but was ultimately cut off by another pensive voice.

“Then how do you explain the knife, you, and my sister’s unmoving body in the storage room. The only other person who Sister Andris found was you! Y-you vile woman! With that disgusting black hair and odd face of yours, it seems strange that you wouldn’t commit murder against my sister! Why was the only other body in the storage room that was last breathing, you?” A young man around his early 20s suddenly emerged onto the platform, with his wheat colored hair and brown eyes bubbling with fire that couldn’t be smother.

If that was the brother then the man on his left, seemingly around his late 40s should be the father. He had the same wheat colored hair as his son, but eyes dark blue. His anger was more subtle and better concealed than his son, sticking out an arm to prevent his indignant son from attempting to rush towards Raine.

The other man appearing to his right may have been part of the family judging by the tied up platinum blonde hair and violet eyes. Though it was unlikely they were related, the peculiar colored eyes further justified that Raine was no longer on Earth. Like the duo, his eyes narrowed dangerously into a glare; his own type of frontal anger.

The bottom of her lips twitched in pain from the unconscious biting, fully aware that having the whole world against her weighed down on her mentally. It stung even more when a stranger had the audacity never seen by her, to venomously scream in her face. Her voice could not reach the skin of their ears and the invisible noose further tightened around her neck. She staggered to take another breathe, scared it may be her last, but the trepidation of actually dying in a foreign world before returning back to Earth carried on greater weight in her heart.

I c-can’t breathe. I need to calm down and think... think... THINK...

Do you have any last words before you imminent execution?” The voice above resounded heavily in Raine’s ears, thumping louder than the pounding of her heart.

Her eyes squeezed shut, mind vehemently running through its course to help her. When she had managed to think up something, she mouthed to speak but the tremors caused by her anxiety became another obstacle.

Speak! speak up! Please SPEAK!

I didn’t kill Miss Yurina because of two reasons!”

Raine gave a huff, sweat sliding off her cheek as she hiccuped from taking in a breath of air.

“Preposterous!” the brother bellowed, casting aside the arm that would have kept him from approaching. Yet another hand grabbed at his arm, and it was none other than the man with purple eyes.

“Mr. Guillemont, please restrain yourself or you’ll be escorted out of this courtroom,” the judge warned.

Unable to face the humiliating warning, Guillemont directed his every increasing anger at the small back of the girl, glaring daggers as if he wanted to maul her down. He turned to his companion only to stiffen at the sight of his icy purple eyes and the forming frown, before the grip on his arm eased. It was never good to test his patience and Guillemont resigned himself to step closer to his father.

When the outburst subsided, all attention was drawn back to Raine. The audience seemed to be flustered at what the black-haired girl had to say before her execution, so much that they seemed to be at the edge of their seat, leaning a bit over to hear what sort of absurdity that may not get her out of death’s grip.

“First,” she began, looking up into the hidden faces of the three judges. If she died under their sentencing, at least the three judges from Greek mythology would ultimately determine she was not a murderer as they claimed she is.

"I cannot possibly murder Miss Yurina, since she had been dead from the moment I came here, though you may not believe it. Second, I'd like to prove to you all that I am not from this world as a way to prove my first claim is justified."

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