The Trial

Nobu checked on Himari. "Are you okay?" 

Himari coughed as she found her breath again. "I'm okay, but Sachi..."

"We're going to need to find a way out of here quickly."

Himari nodded. She gazed out in the direction Sachi was taken. Please hang in there Sachi, we'll find a way.

-

The king continued to drag Sachi by her throat, giving her just enough leeway to breathe every so often. Sachi's vision blurred and flashed black and white. Her consciousness was slipping in and out, but the king's hold made it so she stayed awake and alive. She tried to grasp at the force holding her hostage, but it was futile.

The king finally entered a grand hall, throwing Sachi across the floor into the center, releasing her from his grasp.

Sachi desperately choked for air. Her mind still clouded until she caught her breath.

When Sachi's lungs felt comfortable enough, she observed her surroundings. The hall was bright as sunlight filtered through enchanted arches, giving her no room to hide. She was surrounded by tiered rows of high officials, nobles, and advisors - all draped in finery that shimmered with the magic of this world. The king took his place on at the highest tier on a majestic throne, his eyes never wavering from Sachi. Beside the king sat Prince Soma whose eyes lacked a will of its own. 

Sachi's heart pounded in her chest. Anxiety dripping from her body. They all stared at her. Staring directly at her. She could feel the weight of their gazes - cold, accusing, judging. She knew those eyes. She had seen those eyes too many times in her life. Sachi searched the crowd but to no avail, all the eyes on her showed no room of wavering. Before she could do or say anything, she was already judged, already hated. She felt hopeless. Her ears began to ring, and her eyes started to burn.

With the snap of the fingers, a guard cast bands of magic around her wrists and ankles. 

The king finally spoke. His voice booming in the grand room. "Before us is the otherworlder destined to bring ruin to us all. To everything we've built, to everything our ancestors built, to you my trusted advisors, to your families that wait for you at home. Today, we must decide what must be done with this being of destruction."

Sachi's head lowered. This was it. There was nothing she could do. Why was I brought here if I was just going to burden others? Why was I brought here if I was just going to be hated? 

"I say we kill the otherworlder. No good can from its existence." Called the head of the royal guards. 

"We do not know if killing the creature will stop the prophecy! For all we know, it could speed the process up or perhaps cause anger and greater destruction. I say we monitor it." Countered a scholar.

An advisor spoke. "Your majesty, if we do not dispose of it then we are allowing the prophecy to come true."  

"That is simply not true your majesty, for the prophecy is unclear. The prophecy claims that everything will change but neither in a positive or negative way. Perhaps this child is a gift rather than a curse." An old voice explained.

Sachi raised her head. Was someone fighting for her? A gift rather than a curse? 

The old voice continued. "We have been deciphering the ancient texts for centuries, trying to understand the prophecy. There is no proof that it is a curse."

Another advisor snapped back. "The sky shall meet the earth. Do you not remember those words from the prophecy? Have you not felt the tremors of our lands? Have you not seen the destruction of our islands? The Collapse is evident and this being is the cause!"

The crowd murmured in agreement. 

"Kill it!"

"Throw it off the island!"

"Dispose of the creature!"

Voices of the crowd attacking Sachi. Memories of her past resurfacing. 

-

"Drop dead."

"What a freak."

"She's not even human look at her."

"No one would care if you disappeared, so get lost already."

-

Maybe they're right... Sachi's own mind giving in. I wanted to die anyway so might as well...

Sachi's hands trembled. Her lip quivered. Her breath hitched. The pain inside her was overwhelming. The eyes, the voices, the hate, the shouting it was all too much. The tears slowly stained her cheeks. Without even realizing it, her voice slipped out. "But... What did I do that was so wrong...?"

The king's eyebrows raised. "Otherworlder, what did you say?"

Sachi looked up, tears flowing, voice breaking. "What did I do that was so wrong?!" 

The crowd whispered in outrage. How dare the otherworlder talk back to the king.

Sachi turned to the crowd. Her voice frantic. Her mind overflowing. Her heart bursting. "What did I do to hurt any of you?! I never asked to be in your prophecy. You look at me like I'm a monster. Like I'm a mistake that shouldn't exist. But I didn't choose this. I didn't make those tremors. I didn't destroy those islands."

This was no longer just about the prophecy. Sachi's emotions poured out. The ones she had locked away for so long finally came through. Her fists clenched, nails dug into her palms, grounding her as her voice rose and her tears dried. "I didn't ask to be here! I didn't ask for this life! I didn't ask to be like this! Do you have any idea what it's like to be looked at as some kind of burden?! I've always tried my best to be good. I tried to fit in. Tried to be the person everyone wanted me to. And still-"

Her voice cracked. "And still, it wasn't enough. It's never enough is it?! I could be perfect. I could be everything anyone wants. But it still won't be good enough."

Soma felt his heart twist. Sachi's words spoke to his soul. He was always perfect. The perfect prince. The perfect son. The perfect magic user. The perfect heir. But it was never enough for his father. He spent so much time molding himself to his father's vision after his mother passed that he lost his true self along the way. His real self that he hid and covered up so that he would be good enough to everyone else. 

A bitter laugh escaped Sachi's lips - ugly, wounded, real. "You all hate me because you're afraid. You're afraid of what you don't understand. Of what you can't control. Of what is different to you."

The eyes from the king and crowd didn't waver. But Sachi didn't care anymore. She didn't care if it made a difference. She didn't care if they listened. For once in her life, she was finally standing up for herself. For once in her life, she was saying the things she wanted to say. For once in her life, she was being true to herself. 

"Continue to be afraid of me. Continue to be ignorant towards me. Continue to think you're better than me. I don't care what you do or what you think. I am not the monster, not the freak, not the burden that everyone says I am. You don't even know me so who are you to judge me? So, I'm something you don't understand or don't know how to handle, how is that my fault? Tell me, what did I do that's so wrong? Why am I being punished for being born the way I am? Why am I punished for being me?"

-

The faint sound of a bell.

The faint sound of a crack.

-

Soma's eyes lit up. Here was someone standing their ground for something that isn't even directly their fault. Someone standing their ground in a room full of people she didn't know, in a world she wasn't from. Someone being true to herself in the face of hate and judgement. Soma bit his lip and laughed to himself. I'm such a coward.

Prince Soma rose from his throne. "I believe we should study and monitor the otherworlder for better understanding of the prophecy. I believe no good will come from acting reckless on prejudice."

Sachi turned to the prince. Someone stood up for her. Her words got through to someone. 

The king stayed silent, only offering a glare to the prince. 

The crowd talked amount themselves in disagreement. 

Finally, a scholar in the crowd spoke up. "Your majesty, there is no one in this room or kingdom for that matter that would take on the grave responsibility of watching the creature."

The crowd murmured in agreement again.

"I will." Someone claimed. It belonged to the old voice from before. He was a middle-age man, though his features looked old and weary, time clearly had not been kind to him.

The king spoke. "Masato, you are one of my most trusted advisors and one of the highest scholars of this kingdom. Why do you volunteer for such a thing?"

Masato's old straining voice spoke up. "I am a humble scholar your majesty. My life's purpose is to understand the unknown. There is so much we don't understand about the prophecy, what if there was a way we could use it to our advantage?"

"Nonsense! It would be a waste of time and resources to study this creature!" Another scholar refuted.

"Perhaps." Masato continued. "But what if there was some benefit from this prophecy? From this child? What if we could make life better for all our people somehow?" He turned to the crowd. "Are you all telling me you are willing to sacrifice an opportunity to benefit our people, to benefit your families because of hate and fear?"

The crowd was silent. They looked amongst themselves not knowing what to say, not knowing what is best. 

"Do you take full responsibility for this decision?" The king questioned threateningly.

"Yes. I will gladly put my status on the line." Masato bowed.

The king rose, his mind had come to a decision. "Masato shall look after the otherworlder and study it for a greater understanding of the prophecy. He has until the next tremor hits. If no progress is made, then the otherworlder shall be disposed of." The king took his leave, with prince Soma slowly behind. 

The rest of the officials slowly left the hall too, gossiping amongst themselves.

Soon, Masato and Sachi were the only ones left.

Masato approached Sachi and used his magic to remove her binds. He noticed the marks on her and used his light magic to heal her wounds. 

"Thank you." 

"This is nothing child."

"No. You saved me. I can't thank you enough."

"You owe me no thanks. I did this because I wanted to. Now, you must quickly go."

"What? Why?" Sachi asked confused.

"There is no studying I could do on you to understand the prophecy. You are simply a child, a human, whose fate works against you. There's no logic behind it."

Sachi thought that this man had an idea about how to prevent the prophecy. Her hopes were quickly extinguished. "Why did you stand up for me and risk your job and status if you knew there was nothing you could do?"

Masato's eyes grew distant. 

-

A small child on the floor crying. "What did I do that was so wrong?! I did my best so why am I being punished?!"

-

"You remind me of someone I owe a great deal to. I can only hope that by helping you, I redeem myself to them, even if just a little bit." Masato explained.

"But you'll get in trouble..."

"It is a price I am willing to pay. Now, you must leave here quickly before the next tremor strikes."

"I can't leave without my friends."

"Your friends?"

"I came here with two friends. They're probably still in the dungeon. Can you help me?"

Masato started walking. "Follow me."

Masato guided Sachi to a long windy staircase. "This is the backup entrance to the dungeon. There shouldn't be any guards this way. I cannot go with you though."

"Why not?"

"I am willing to sacrifice my status, but I cannot sacrifice my life, I still have a family at home who needs me."

"I understand... But wait, do you know how to undo the magical barrier?"

"You should find an apparatus that controls it down there too."

Sachi started down the stairs. "Thank you. I won't forget your kindness."

"Live your life child." Masato closed the door to the entrance.