Chapter 41: End of Era
Alexandre had known the hotel room would be luxurious, but he hadn't quite understood the full extent of what that meant.
The room was huge, about 55 square meters—larger than the apartments which most people could afford to live in, given the global circumstances. The bed was massive and covered by a handmade quilt, and there was a small box of chocolates nestled into the pillow.
At one end of the room was an electric fireplace, while the other end opened up into a balcony that was so huge it made the one in his previous room seem like a fire escape. There was a massive television across from the bed, and in the middle of it all was a beautiful table topped with a pot of hot coffee, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a basket of warm bread.
Fatigued, bloody, and covered in scars, Alexandre couldn't help but take the opportunity of experiencing the luxury of this room's huge marble shower. Dispensers built into the wall squirted out designer shampoos and conditioners, and there was even a fridge full of craft beer built right into the shower.
Alexandre spent a long time under the hot water and drinking a cold beer, feeling the tension melt away from his still-healing muscles. When he finally exited the shower, water dripping from his beautiful hair down his muscular body, Alexandre glanced out the balcony to the ocean beyond. It was a far more gorgeous view than the previous room, high enough and close enough to the shore that the dark sea seemed to swallow every trouble in the world.
"I could get used to this," he said, and finished his beer. "This might be the first time I've truly understood the allure of luxury."
Then something caught his eye—the news channel on the room's television. Alexandre slowly walked toward it, staring intently, not caring about the water he dripped onto the thick carpet underfoot.
The announcer's face was solemn and rigid. "Hello, there! This is Kevin Brockman for CNN. We are about to witness the end of the judicial soap opera that has transfixed the nation for so many years. In just a few minutes, Dr. Goldberg will be executed here at New-Elden Prison, the infamous facility designed to hold Hunter prisoners.
"This execution is anomalous for several reasons. Not only will the event be broadcast live, something almost entirely unheard of, but the method of execution selected by the sentencing judge is hanging, a method which hasn't been formally employed in a decade, not since the execution of Michael 'Stix' Addison in New Hampshire in 2026.