Chapter 12 – The Crime of Kindness

A Cry for Help

Cedric was walking through the Low Human district in Sky City. The streets were dirty, the buildings small and broken, and the people tired and hungry.

The High Humans forced Low Humans to live here. They treated them like servants, barely giving them enough food to survive.

Cedric hated it.

As he passed through an alley, he suddenly heard a child scream.

"Please stop!"

Cedric froze. His heart pounded.

He turned the corner and saw a small girl, no older than five, crying on the ground. Her mother was holding her, covering her with her body. Blood dripped from her forehead.

Standing over them were three High Humans, dressed in fine clothes. One of them, a young man with golden hair, held a whip.

"You Low Humans never learn," the man said, raising his whip again.

The mother cried. "Please, my daughter didn't mean it!"

The man laughed. "She ran into me. That means she disrespected me. I must punish her."

The little girl sobbed, holding onto her mother. "Mama, I'm scared!"

Cedric couldn't watch anymore.

Before the whip could come down, Cedric moved.

Cedric's Fury

Cedric grabbed the man's wrist, stopping the whip.

The High Human's eyes widened. "Who dares—"

Cedric punched him in the face.

The man flew backward, crashing into the ground.

The other two High Humans gasped.

"You filthy—" One of them drew a sword and swung at Cedric.

Cedric easily dodged and grabbed the man's arm, twisting it until he screamed in pain. Then, he kicked him hard in the stomach, knocking him down.

The third man ran away.

Cedric turned to the mother and child. The mother looked at him with fear and shock.

"It's okay now," Cedric said gently.

The mother hesitated, then bowed her head. "Thank you… thank you, sir…"

Cedric bent down and checked the little girl's wounds. "Are you hurt?"

The little girl sniffed. "My knee hurts…"

Cedric ripped a piece of his sleeve and tied it around her bleeding knee. "There. That should help for now."

The little girl stared at him with big eyes.

"You're nice…" she whispered.

Cedric smiled. "I just did what was right."

The City Reacts

But Cedric's actions didn't stay secret.

By the time he returned to his room, the entire Low Human district was talking about what happened.

"The boy from the ground stood up to a High Human!"

"He knocked out Lord Marcellus's son!"

"He protected a mother and her child!"

"He's a hero!"

But in the High Human district, the reaction was different.

"He attacked one of us?"

"An outsider dares to touch a noble?"

"This is an insult to our people!"

The news spread like wildfire, and by the evening, it had reached the High Human Council.

The Arrest

Cedric was in his room when the door burst open.

Armed High Humans entered.

"Cedric of the Low Humans! You are under arrest!"

Ciara and Orin were there.

Ciara jumped up. "What?! For what?!"

The lead guard glared. "He assaulted a noble. He will answer for his crimes."

Cedric stood up slowly. "You mean I stopped a noble from hurting an innocent child."

"Silence!" The guards grabbed him.

Ciara tried to fight, but Orin held her back.

"They'll take us too if we resist," Orin whispered.

Cedric looked at them and forced a small smile. "I'll be fine."

Then, the guards dragged him away.

Locked Away

Cedric was thrown into a dark stone cell deep within Sky City.

The door slammed shut, leaving him alone in the cold silence.

For the first time in a while, Cedric had no way out.

But he didn't regret what he did.

Not one bit.

The Council's Decision

The next day, Cedric was brought before the High Human Council.

They sat in a grand chamber, wearing robes of gold and white. They looked down at Cedric like he was dirt.

One of the Council members spoke. "Cedric of the Low Humans, you committed a great crime. You attacked a noble."

Cedric stared back. "I stopped a noble from hurting a child."

Murmurs filled the room.

A woman on the Council scoffed. "You should have let the noble handle it. He was in his rights."

Cedric felt his anger rise. "So you think hurting children is 'justice'?"

Silence.

Then, the head of the Council spoke. "Your actions cannot be ignored. You must be punished."

The punishment was already decided.

"You will be publicly executed."

The room fell silent.

Cedric's heart pounded. Executed?

The Council leader continued, "We will not kill you with a blade. Instead, we will send you down to the land. Without food. Without weapons. Without hope."

Cedric's fists clenched.

They weren't just killing him.

They were throwing him away like trash.

And the whole city would watch.