Chapter 480: Verdict (1)
Chapter 478
[Unknown Viewer: No. What is he doing? He has a chance to turn this around, so why is he doing this to himself? You fucker, you saved my daughter’s life that day. Come on, fight for yourself here.]
[Proud Hater: Are you defending such a monster? Didn’t you hear everything that’s been said here today?]
[Unknown Viewer: I did, and I don’t give a fuck. All that’s being said, I wasn’t there to witness. What I did witness was the person you all are calling a monster saving my daughter’s life when that Aberrant was about to kill her.]
[Jester: Yes. The last Aspirant the Aberrant was going to attack before the werewolf transformed was actually my son. I don’t know about you all, but my son is the last thing I have in this world that matters, and he saved him. He better not get executed.]
[Bonny’s Lover: You all are pathetic. Defending such a creature and even contesting for his life? You make me sick. I pray that if he gets released, he eats you all first.]
The comment section was on fire.
Public opinion was divided between what they were hearing inside the courtroom and what they had witnessed on the day of the invasion.
The person being branded a monster had saved countless lives that day.
Yet what were the public doing now?
Bashing him.
Those who wanted the Tribrid to be kept alive were minuscule compared to the overwhelming number of people calling for his execution.
They weren’t even more than ten percent of the total viewers watching the livestream at the moment.
Ray’s situation was terrible.
And everyone knew it.
Even Jack was taken aback by Ray’s response.
"What?"
"...."
Ray heaved a tired sigh.
Then, with a slight stagger, he pushed himself back to his feet.
His body swayed for a brief moment before he steadied himself.
Swinging his head backward, his long silver hair slid away from his face, finally revealing the grey eyes that had remained hidden for most of the trial.
They pierced through the hall.
Cold.
Calm.
Unwavering.
"I said...."
The entire hall seemed to hold its breath.
"No. I have nothing to say and nothing to ask.
"All he accused me of, I did.
"I did them all."
Bryce and Berg smirked together.
They had gotten exactly what they wanted.
’What are you doing, Ray? You will be killed.’
Van screamed inwardly, his chest tightening as helplessness settled heavily within him.
Frost began creeping between Trisha’s fingers as she clenched her hands tightly.
She stared at Ray without saying a word.
Caster, meanwhile, heaved a tired sigh before looking toward the others.
"Well, we had a good run in the Corps, guys. At least we have all graduated, and I have no claim to my father’s position."
Felix raised a confused brow.
"What are you getting at with this?"
Trisha’s gaze sharpened as she listened to everything being said.
"The moment the verdict is passed against Ray, I’m bursting him out of here," she breathed out.
Caster’s lips slowly curled into a smirk.
"See? She gets it."
Kai turned his gaze toward Ray for a moment.
Then he looked back at Jack.
Slowly, a smile appeared on his face.
"Yeah. Maybe there’s something we can still do."
Jack stared at Ray for several seconds.
His eyes lingered on the silver-haired boy before shifting toward Berg and Bryce.
"Do you have something else to add?"
Bryce shook his head.
"No."
Berg, however, stepped forward and gave a curt bow.
"I have said all I want to, made all my points, and even shown my evidence, so it’s up to the jury to render the justice we all deserve.
"Aspirant Dawson has no right to live.
"A monster like him cannot be allowed to remain amongst us, lest we get attacked from behind while we face the Aberrants. Humanity needs to stand together in this war.
"We can’t allow a creature like Aspirant Dawson to remain in our midst.
"That’s all I have to say."
With that, Berg and Bryce turned around and began walking toward the stands where Ray’s friends sat.
The sound of their footsteps echoed through the chamber.
As Berg passed by them, he turned his head slightly.
Then he gave the cohort a wink.
A smug, confident little gesture.
After that, he continued toward the stands, found an empty seat, and settled into it.
"...."
Murmurs and whispers erupted across the entire hall as the jury jotted down their thoughts while quietly discussing amongst themselves.
Jack remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ray, who was leaning against the reinforced pole with an almost bored expression.
Elyon, however, was completely confused by what was happening.
«The hell are you doing? You aren’t defending yourself anymore? Do you want to get executed? What about your revenge against the Aberrants? Have you f—»
’Of course I haven’t.’
Ray’s expression remained unchanged.
’I haven’t given up on life, and neither have I given up on my vengeance. Not against the Aberrants... and certainly not against those who stood against me today.’
His eyes remained calm as he continued watching the proceedings.
’I’m not dying today.’
A brief pause.
’Not until I accomplish everything I’m after.’
Bruce frowned within the mindspace.
«And how do you intend to do that when you sabotaged yourself, dumbass?!»
Ray didn’t give any reply whatsoever.
Instead, his eyes shifted toward Captain Ella, who stood off to the side with her weapon pointed toward the ground.
A tired sigh escaped him.
Jack suddenly slammed his hand against the table.
BANG!
The noise in the hall died down almost immediately.
Lifting his pen, Jack wrote something down before raising his head toward the massive double doors.
"Call in Sergeant Lincoln for me."
"...."
Ray’s gaze shifted toward the doors.
They slowly opened.
Sergeant Lincoln walked into the room with controlled, steady footsteps. The sound of his boots echoed through the vast chamber as every eye followed his approach.
Soon, he stood in the same spot where Berg and the previous witnesses had stood.
With a firm salute, he straightened after Jack gave him a nod.
"State your name and rank."
Lincoln folded his hands behind his back.
"Sergeant Lincoln, overseer of physical and gear training in the Aspirant Corps, sir."
Jack nodded before pointing toward Ray.
"What do you have to say about the accused, seeing as you were his instructor?
"Note, it would seem as though the jury have already come to a decision about what to do with him, so your reply will have no effect on his sentence.
"We simply want to hear what you have to say as a standard procedure. So go ahead."
Lincoln nodded.
His eyes briefly shifted toward Ray before moving toward the jury.
Then they returned to Jack.
"Aspirant Dawson is a one-of-a-kind Aspirant who comes once in a blue moon.
"I don’t know about all the accusations labelled against him, but what I do know is that he is a force to be reckoned with.
"A talent that I have never seen before.
"Always grasping what has been taught with perfect clarity. Actions performed once, he already knows how to replicate them.
"He is also a good soldier on the battlefield. Like you have all seen, he stood toe to toe with the Five-Spined Aberrant—"
"As a werewolf that he is."
Berg’s voice suddenly rang out from where he was seated.
Lincoln’s expression didn’t change.
"Aye. As a werewolf."
He paused before looking toward Jack.
"But let me ask the trial room a question."
Jack nodded.
Lincoln turned toward the jury.
Then he slowly swept his gaze across the entire hall.
"Which of you here can do all Ray has done?
"Which of you would put your life, identity, and safety at risk to protect those you care about?
"You all accuse him of being a monster, but all I have seen today, and all the words the witnesses have spoken today, are of a protector.
"Nothing else.
"Someone who wants to keep his friends and loved ones safe, even if it means burning the rest of the world."
Lincoln’s voice grew firmer.
"Same thing each and every one of our mothers would have done."
Silence.
"Did I lie?"
His gaze moved across the room.
"Have our mothers never fiercely protected us before?"
"...."