Execution. (2)

"He knows."

That was the only thought that ran through her mind.

Quana's eyes widened. She had messed up her expression earlier, and it seemed he was suspicious about her but couldn't confirm it due to the lack of evidence. At least not now.

With each passing moment, the risk of her being exposed grew higher.

What the hell will I do now? I can't call for help to try to make him escape. They blocked all the possible exits. I can't even call for help from my sleeping agents since Nelson is keeping an eye on me. If I call someone right after he got suspicious of me, that would be even worse.

Calling my PMC is out of the question due to me not being able to contact my agents.

I would either save him and expose myself, or let him get executed and stabilize my position. But... I can't bear the thought of him dying. I just can't. I need to find a satisfactory solution. Think, think!

Her situation was getting more and more helpless. She was on the verge of tears, yet she couldn't cry for fear of exposing herself.

She wanted to go and save him herself, but it was meaningless. In the end, it was impossible for one woman to do anything, especially fighting several seasoned fighters and even two armed men.

It was too risky, and the chances of success were close to 0%.

For the first time in her life, she started praying to God, hoping her prayers would reach Him.

She couldn't believe what she did at court out of a fit of jealousy—to make Xin regret his decision to leave her. She was guilty of his death.

It was all her fault. And the responsibility was more than she could ever hope to carry.

Please, God, save little Xin. I beg of you! Please!

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat, coming from a loud microphone through which a man spoke.

"Ahem, ahem, testing 1... 2... 3... I repeat, 1... 2... 3..." Seemingly satisfied, Nelson let out a beaming smile before continuing with his words, fingers interlocked on the table as he adjusted himself comfortably.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the host of this broadcast, Mr. Nelson Stacy—and that is me!"

"I would like to welcome you to the very first and last international broadcast of an execution that will ever happen, and I would love to hear your cheers!"

"Almost all of you probably know this, but let me repeat it for those who don't know and were fortunate enough not to."

He went on.

"This young man inside is known as Mr. Olympia, a monster in human form that roamed the lands, wreaking destruction everywhere he went. He killed, raped, and destroyed without remorse."

With a sad and pitiful expression, he spoke, crestfallen as he looked down.

"Many of you lost family members, friends, lovers, and neighbors to this man! He didn't spare anyone—not children, women, or the elderly. He spared no one! He treated everyone the same."

His sad expression slowly changed to one of resilience and confidence as he lightly banged the table with his fist repeatedly.

"However, fear not! For today is the last day of his life! The last day that you will ever see this monster again! With the passage of history, he will be wiped out forever. Forever!" Standing slowly, Nelson walked away from the table, motioning for Katy to continue videotaping the livestream.

He walked over to what appeared to be a mini lab with many different functions. He pulled down a lever and clicked an electronic pin—blurred on-screen—before a beep of success echoed. A small part of the lab opened, revealing a small box with a keyhole.

Rummaging through his pocket, Nelson took out an oddly shaped key and inserted it into the keyhole, successfully opening it to reveal a small, blue button.

After seeing this, Nelson turned back to the camera Katy held.

"Using a countdown, we will be counting down his death in 10 seconds. Get ready, and don't forget to count with me!"

A few feet away, Alfred's hand hovered over the blue button, ready to click at any time.

"The countdown starts now!" he called enthusiastically, setting his stopwatch to 10 seconds. It clicked with a high-pitched sound each time a second passed.

The countdown had begun.

00:1000:0900:0800:0700:06

Quana's heart grew erratic. She was running out of time, and panic set in, her eyes darting to the glass.

She had to risk it.

With trembling hands, she took out her phone, which slipped from her grasp, letting out a gasp.

She quickly reached down and picked it up once more, trembling, ready to call her PMC, throwing the risks to the wind—when she saw Nelson smiling directly at her.

Her blood ran cold as she looked down at her phone, finally realizing it was turned off. Then she noticed the back of her phone was partially open, revealing that the battery was missing.

Her breathing spun out of control.

She remembered they had taken her phone when she first entered the room, and thinking it was just a security check, she gave it to them.

But it turned out Nelson had been suspicious of her even before she entered, and he had her phone removed by a guard—one of his men in disguise.

I have to take action myself, she decided.

00:05

"Xin!"

Grabbing anything near her, she started throwing them at the glass in a desperate attempt to break it. Alfred, who had been watching the clueless young man on the other side with a light, mocking smirk, jumped with a surprised yelp when objects began flying near him, quickly moving aside.

The glass was anti-tank. It wouldn't shatter under the weight of some artificial plants, metal cases, or chairs.

00:04

Time was running out. Whipping out the revolver in her back pocket, she quickly reloaded it with cold sweat streaking down her face. She took aim and began shooting at the glass like a madwoman.

The room fell into chaos.

Alfred screamed at the men who had merely stood by, as if the whole farce had nothing to do with them.

"Stop that bitch! She's lost her damn mind! What the fuck is she doing!?"

The men didn't move, even under Alfred's raised voice, which made him even more furious. He was about to strike one of them when Nelson's urgent and cold voice rang out.

"Hold down this vixen! Don't let her make him break out. Number One to Number Nineteen!"

"Obeyed," they responded in a collective, mechanical voice. Taking out their restraining equipment, they surrounded her.

TAK TAK!

Tears poured from her eyes, and she started gasping for air as she felt suffocated, emptying her magazine into the glass before she raised the revolver and began slamming it against the impenetrable surface.

Finding no result, she panicked even more and turned around to look for anything else to use.

But with efficient movements, she was tackled to the floor by the silent men, who handcuffed her legs first to avoid unnecessary movement.

00:03

"We advise you to remain still. Otherwise, you will be injured, Miss Quana," one of the men said, his expression unchanged despite the resistance and kicks he received from her.

"No, no! Let me out! Xin will die! Let me f*cking out!"

She wailed and screamed as she tried to hit the man off her, only to be locked into a position where her head was pinned to the ground, her neck restrained. If she moved her head, she'd break her arm.

She squirmed, but wasn't able to move her head even a single inch.

In desperation, she cried harder and tried to look up through the glass, as if trying to reach Xin with her trembling arms.

"Xin, please let him go! I'll do anything you say, but please just leave him alone!"

Katy stood still, covering her mouth with watering eyes.

"Why..." she whispered.

Her trembling hands shook.

"Why... did you betray us...?"

In response to her pleas, they broke one of Quana's arms.

Crack.

She bit her lip until it bled to stifle the painful scream swelling in her chest.

"Hahaha! The traitor finally revealed herself! Who would've known that the Second High Judge would be affiliated with the criminal! This is something incredibly new! Something on a whole new spectrum! Even after knowing all he did, she tried to help him. She is no different than that filth."

"XIN!" she screamed in desperation.

00:02

Her state worsened.

Murmurs. Murmurs speaking in her head.

She hadn't thought much of it earlier, but now that she focused, she heard something akin to a whisper. It worsened her headache—yet brought a strange sense of comfort.

[Do you want power?]

A suspicious voice echoed in Quana's head. But in her mentally vulnerable state, all she cared about was saving Xin. She immediately agreed.

[Do you want to save those that you love?]

"Yes! Yes, I will do anything! Please, I need power!"

[Are you ready to sacrifice all you have to protect those you love?]

Without a shred of doubt or hesitation, she was prepared to pay the cost—no matter how great.

[Even if it meant to sacrifice your soul?]

"Yes!!"

She screamed with all her heart, pouring her soul into her words.

Everyone around her thought she had gone mad.

[…Very well. I will grant you power. In exchange, your soul will be mine. Do you acce—]

"I accept! I accept! Please... quickly!"

The sound suddenly vanished from her head as if it had never existed.

Horror crept into her eyes as she realized it might have been a hallucination—her mind playing tricks on her.

Please, please let this be real!

00:01

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