The Trial - Part 1

The guards led them through a large hallway. It had huge windows that offered a view of one of the gardens. Charlotte could hear the voices of various students arriving. She remembered that tomorrow was the opening ceremony.

Finally, they arrived at a tall door that must have been a little over 3 meters high. One of the guards had to use all his strength to open it.

“Remember, stay calm,” he whispered, keeping his face forward.

The room was incredibly large, and every sound echoed through it. Rows of seats were arranged in a semicircle. A special section with only seven chairs was higher than the rest and looked extremely elegant. In the middle of the room were only two chairs and a small table. Charlotte realized that was her place.

“You seem relaxed. Good, you need to show confidence,” said Alexander in a low voice.

“H-How is it going to be? What do I need to say?” she asked quickly.

“Keep your composure. They are only going to ask what happened. Alright?”

“That’s all?”

“Probably…then maybe bomb you with a million questions and accusations and make you look guilty.”

“What!” She lost her nerves.

“Calm down. Then it’s my turn. I’ll defend your posture and rebut everything they say,” he maintained a confident smile.

They sat down in their respective places. Charlotte couldn’t stop wringing her hands. Suddenly, the door behind them opened, and the sound of countless footsteps filled the room. Charlotte tried to look back, but Alexander stopped her.

Gradually, the empty seats were occupied by people of all kinds. After a while, the commotion stopped, leaving the room in complete silence.

“Please, everyone stand up,” said a voice coming from the door.

In a second, everyone stood up, even Alexander, who had to pull Charlotte from her arm so she would do the same.

Then a group of seven people entered the room. Everyone looked extremely important and radiated a powerful aura. They sat down in those special seats, just in the middle of the semicircle. Now, Charlotte had them right in front of her.

“Thank you, everyone. Please, return to your seats,” said an old voice from the group.

That voice came from an old man who sat in the middle of the group. He wore a large green tunic covering his entire body. The only hair left on his face was a long white beard.

“Now, I believe we can start,” he ordered.

“Principal Azmadeus is always such an honor to see you,” Alexander followed the conversation. “I just wish it were under another circumstance.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Professor Alexander. I must thank you for escorting this young lady”

“It was not trouble at all, Sir. I should be the one thanking you. But please, we don’t want to waste your time. We are ready to start.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Is she ready?” the principal asked, looking at Charlotte.

“But of course.”

In a second, all the eyes turned to Charlotte. She fought off her nausea, but her pale and sweaty face gave away her nervousness. She felt like her heart was about to burst. She tried to breathe to calm down, but it was useless.

“Miss Charlotte Armelier, could you stand up?” the principal asked kindly.

“SU—re,” her voice cracked, and her leg bumped the table.

“Beforehand, as the principal, I want to welcome you to the Blueroses Academy. But, above all, I must apologize for everything that has happened to you”

She felt a deep pressure on her chest. For the first time, someone was apologizing to her.

“These aren’t ways of treating a new student. But certain circumstances have forced us to react like this,” the principal explained.

“T-thank you, Principal Azmadeus. I really appreciate it.” She wiped off a couple of tears. “I’ll try my best to help and prove my innocence.”

“Such a lovely lady you are, Miss Charlotte.” The principal really meant it. “Now, following the rules, would you mind telling us everything that you know?”

The principal’s attitude calmed Charlotte down. After a deep breath, she started explaining everything, every minor detail, every sensation. She tried not to forget anything. Sometimes she stuttered. Other times she overexplained clumsily, but she was determined. For a moment she saw a ray of hope.

“I see. Such a tragedy,” said the principal.

“As everyone can see, my client declares herself innocent and a victim of a catastrophic event,” said Alexander as he stood up.

“Your client’s posture is accepted and will be judged according to it,” said the principal. “What follows is…—”

“The interrogation and debate,” interrupted a man next to the principal. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to start.”

The young lady felt a chill run down her spine after hearing that deep, menacing voice. The man’s amber eyes were filled with hatred and contempt. He had red hair and amber eyes. He wore a white shirt and a scarf. Sharp pieces of armor covered his body.

“Alright, you can start, Verstaban,” agreed the principal.

He quickly fixed his gaze on Charlotte.

“Well, Miss Armelier…it’s indeed such a tragic story, but exactly how are we supposed to know everything is real?” asked Verstaban.

“I believe her arm is enough proof, Verstaban,” quickly said Alexander.

“Oh right, Wulfur. I almost forgot you’re playing the devil's advocate. Ridiculous.”

“Please behave according to the situation.”

“So be it, Wulfur. Now, answer me. How can we be sure she didn’t make that story up? What if she did, in fact, kill those guards and that student?”

Alexander remained silent.

“Besides,” he had no intention of stopping his accusation. “From my perspective, that arm actually proves that she is linked to the Buried Tree. Maybe she is an emissary.”

“If that's true, why is she here? She could easily escape many times, but she is here facing everyone. Why didn’t she just kill everyone and leave the scene? You called her an emissary? So, she was sent to kill two guards and an F-ranked student? Well, that’s just brilliant.

“You perfectly know he was no ordinary student,” a voice next to Verstaban interrupted the discussion. “He failed the aptitude test on purpose. You remember, right?"

A black-haired woman with deep crimson eyes spoke. She wore heavy black armor. It looked far more intimidating than the other guards’ armor. She was tall, her face marked by old battle scars.

“Professor Alexander, we all knew that Maxwell Bastion had a surprisingly large amount of Magica in his body and was capable of controlling different types of Magica.”

“She didn’t know that. She clearly explained that she had just met him that day.”

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but I agree with Verstaban. The most powerful student is dead, and she is the only witness. Is that really a coincidence?” said the armored girl.

“I see no evil in her. Her past seems clean, and she’s really scared. I cannot sense a turbulent future in her,” a soft voice came from the other side, interrupting them.

She was a girl who looked the same age as Charlotte. Her hair was dark blue, and her eyes resembled a starry night. She wore a large witch’s hat, a blue dress with constellations on it, and carried a wolf-themed backpack.

“With all due respect, Miss Astria, your premonitions are most likely…erroneous,” said the girl in the armor.

“Marbel, you can’t disallow her premonitions,” finally Alexander interrupted. “Astria is one of the most powerful astrological mages in the world, and she just said she didn’t find anything against my client. That fact cannot be ignored. ”

“I don’t care what a stupid premonition says!” Verstaban complained. “That girl is cursed. She could attack anyone, just like she did with those guards and that student. She is a risk for everyone, so I’ll take care of it.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Alexander stood in front of Charlotte. “The trial isn’t even over.”

“There's nothing to discuss anymore. We all know that child is part of the Buried Tree.” Verstaban drew a pair of gold daggers. “But you’re right. This is a trial, so before voting anything to say?”

Alexander couldn’t say anything more. He reached into one of his trench coat pockets.

“Just as I expected.” Verstaban let out a disturbing smile. “Now, your fate is sealed, Charlotte Armelier.”

All the other people around joined the commotion. “Verstaban is right! She is cursed! We need to kill her!” shouted some. “She is just a kid! Leave the poor girl alone! “I believe her!” “Are we really gonna allow a murder?” screamed others.

Charlotte’s head started to hurt. The floor below her started dancing, and her vision became blurry. A cold sweat ran over her body. A stabbing pain came from her arm.