Execution

William's heart, once filled with disappointment, now burned with a seething rage. The weight of his helplessness pressed down on him like a mountain, crushing his spirit but not his will. He had been thrust into a nightmare, a cruel theater orchestrated by those in power, where justice was a mere illusion and truth was buried beneath layers of deceit.

"YOU BASTARDS! I WON'T SPARE ANY OF YOU! I WILL FINISH YOU ALL OFF!" William roared, his voice trembling with a mixture of fury and sorrow.

"Your Majesty, look at how he threatens to kill us in your presence! Imagine the danger he poses!"

The emperor, nodded solemnly. "Hmm... I understand. He has brought this upon himself."

William just wanted to live happily with his family. But he was now in a situation where his destruction was inevitable. He know his wife is very beautiful, however, he didn't know how his wife, who she is an ordinary receptionist at the adventurer guild, had gotten involved with the prince. But he understood that this was the reason for all this. The prince wanted to remove him, which was why he had conspired so much against him.

But the conspiracy was not limited to him alone.

"Father, mother? Li....." William whispered in a trembling voice.

A group of soldiers brought his family.

They were not exempt from this conspiracy either.

His father, a gray-haired ironworker; his mother, her hands still smeared with flour from the bakery; his younger sister Li, only twelve years old, shivering in her nightdress. It was obvious that they had been caught out of the blue.

"Admit William's guilt," Kael murmured, "say your son is a traitor!"

"Your highness,... there must be some mistakes here! My son can do no wrong"

William's mother also couldn't accept that her son could do anything wrong.

William's little sister was fidgeting and didn't understand what was happening. She was too young to understand.

This was a show. An innocent man was being framed to be convicted.

What was about to begin was a race against time, an attack on those who couldn't resist. Lies and truth were being replaced. This was a theater of social destruction, where excited crowds were incited and the public had no choice. They say that the testimony of loved ones against the accused sounds much more credible.

"You are all guilty of treason! His blood relatives are equally culpable! But if you confess and renounce him, you will be forgiven!"

"My son is innocent!" William's father repeated.

"Yes, he is innocent," his mother added.

The high priest's face twisted in anger. "I see that you are drowning in sin! Emperor, I believe they cannot be saved."

The emperor nodded, his expression cold and detached. "Then let us at least purify their souls."

"NO! STOP!" William screamed, but his cries were ignored.

The priest raised his hand, and with a swift motion, signaled the soldiers. The sound of gunfire echoed through the chamber.

**Bang! Bang!**

William's parents fell to the ground, their lives extinguished in an instant. His sister, Li, screamed in horror, collapsing beside their lifeless bodies. A guard yanked her up by her hair, forcing her to face the crowd.

"This man and his family are responsible for conspiring against our country!" the guild master declared, his voice booming. "He tried to kill his wife to cover his crimes and plotted to assassinate our prince! Does he and his family deserve the death penalty or not?"

The crowd, whipped into a frenzy, roared in unison. "DEATH PENALTY! DEATH PENALTY!"

Everyone voted for the death penalty, instead of mourning William's innocent parents. They were also expecting to see the death of a young girl. This was the true picture of society. As the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, "In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule."

They wanted justice for the wrongdoers but were not interested in verifying whether the person was really guilty or not, they only saw and believed what they were shown from the outside, no one was interested in knowing the real truth inside.

The high priest laughed at their reaction.

"Last chance, girl. Is your brother a traitor?"

She couldn't even answer normally, just swallowing her tears. Usually people pity the weak and helpless, but now the townspeople were laughing excitedly.

She was given only two choices: death or no death. If she refused, she would be executed, and if she confessed, she would be released. That is to say, it was clear.

She cried, her eyes meeting William's. "H-yes! He-he plotted against our country! He is a traitor."

William felt no anger toward his sister. He understood her fear, her desperation. He was glad that she would live, even if it meant his own death.

The high priest smiled triumphantly. "You heard it! His own sister has declared him guilty! What greater witness could there be?"

Two soldiers dragged William toward the firing range, which had been prepared in advance. As he was pulled away, he caught sight of Kael and Eliza, their faces twisted with satisfaction. They had won. But William's spirit was not yet broken.

"YOU WILL ALL REMEMBER THIS DAY!" William shouted, his voice filled with defiance. "THIS IS NOT JUSTICE—IT IS A TYRANNICAL TRIAL, A CORRUPT SPECTACLE OF SHAME AND GREED! THE DEATH PENALTY FOR A TRAITOR? NONSENSE! DAMN YOU, KAEL, YOU COWARD, JEALOUS OF ANOTHER MAN'S WIFE! DAMN YOU, EMPEROR, WHO HAS FORGOTTEN YOUR DUTY! AND DAMN YOU, CHURCH, FOR USING THE NAME OF SAINTS TO MASK YOUR LUST FOR POWER! AND YOU, ELIZA, A SHAMELESS WHORE WHO HAS NEVER KNOWN LOVE! YOU ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS INJUSTICE!"

His words hung in the air, a final act of defiance against the darkness that had consumed his world.

**Bang! Bang!**

The sound of gunfire echoed once more, and William's body fell to the ground.