One Week Later
The Grand Hall of Justice was an amazing sight, showing off Exyllum's power and art. Tall arches of white marble reached up to a ceiling where stained-glass windows showed famous people from the Empire's past often Synapse users using their powers in glorious ways.
Sunlight streamed through these colorful windows, casting rainbow patterns across the polished stone floor.
But despite the beauty, all I could really focus on were the faces in the packed crowd a sea of looks from curious and slightly disgusted to openly angry and eager for quick justice.
The Astrea family, sitting near the front, looked deeply sad and barely hiding their anger. Lady Elara Astrea, Caius's mother, dabbed at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, while Lord Theron, his jaw tight, stared at me with clear hatred.
My hands, held by heavy iron shackles. I studied each face, my only tool in this place of power was my lifetime of observing how people show feelings. I noticed the almost hidden look of wanting blood in the eyes of Caius's friends who probably saw his death as an insult to their kind.
The barely hidden look of contempt on the faces of some nobles, for whom a Null from such a family was just an annoying problem.
And here and there, a quick flash of something like interest in the eyes of a few observers, maybe those who found the idea of a powerless man accused of such a thing... unusual.
A human court. It thrived on show, on the raw, unpredictable power of emotion, on deep-seated prejudices that often mattered more than simple facts. My only chance was to figure out these feelings and somehow use them against themselves.
Judge Valerius, a man whose presence felt heavy, cleared his throat, the sound amplified by the hall. His voice demanded everyone's attention. "Gabi Astrea," he said, his gaze sharp and steady as he looked at me in the prisoner's box,
"you are accused of the terrible crime of murdering your own brother, Caius Astrea.", heavy with silent accusation, a sense of loss and anger spreading through the crowd.
Caius an important Harmonizer from a famous family, a hero to the Empire praised for his fiery skill, a man who seemed built from the very heart of Apoy's flame. Now cold, dead, his bright power gone.
Murdered, the prosecution strongly claimed, by a Vector technique, a method needing a Synapse skill that I, a Null, supposedly couldn't use.
And the damning evidence, which was indirect and conveniently fit their story, pointed directly at me the brother with no Synapse, the anomaly, the outsider.
The prosecutor, whose ring on his finger pulsed with a faint light, stood up. He waited, his gaze sweeping the crowd, finally speaking to the court. "The evidence, Your Honor," he declared, his voice full of angry righteousness, "is not just strong; it is undeniable.
The accused was at the scene of the crime. His clothes were covered in the blood of the dead man. And a weapon, clearly from the Astrea house, was found in his very hand."
He held the gaze of several prominent family members in the crowd, their faces showing grief and a demand for punishment. "To suggest anything other than the accused's guilt is not only illogical but a deep insult to the memory of a brilliant Knight of the Empire, a shining light of Apoy extinguished far too soon!"
A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd.
"It wasn't me, it was another person. He tried to kill me too," I said, my voice, surprisingly clear and steady as it cut through the prosecutor's heated speech. A collective gasp, a wave of shock. Lady Elara visibly flinched, her eyes widening in disbelief.
The prosecutor scoffed, waving his hand and giving a chuckle. "A Null outsmarting a Synapse user, let alone one skilled in using Vector Synapse precisely? Ridiculous! It goes against all logic, all known facts about Synapse abilities!
It's a desperate lie, a pathetic attempt to escape the consequences of his horrible act." He turned back to the judge, his ring flashing with more intensity. "The court should not believe such an absurd claim."
"Your Honor," I continued, my gaze fixed on Judge Valerius, ignoring the prosecutor's anger, before presenting my argument, "the prosecution's story, while understandable given their grief and desire for quick justice, conveniently leaves out important details that the evidence will surely prove.
The killer of my brother, as the Synapse analysis will confirm, used Forward Impulse a very specific Vector Synapse move requiring not just raw power, but a complex and exact body alignment, a skill at transferring energy that even many experienced Vector Synapse users find hard to do consistently. Yet,"
I deliberately raised my left hand, the raw, red scars from the glass shard still visible, the shaking of my shackles a clear sign of my current danger, letting the visual evidence speak for itself, "I managed to... stop him. For a moment, perhaps, but I did.
I did this not with any power of my own, but by using a basic rule of how bodies move, by precisely disrupting the chain of movement in his attack at a weak point in his body. I beg the court to thoroughly review the upcoming autopsy reports, and the analysis of the attacker's physical state right after the fight.
You will find evidence of nerve damage in the attacker's main arm damage matching the use of focused force against a specific spot, exactly how someone like me would have to fight."
A more significant murmur spread through the courtroom now, a clear change in the atmosphere as the initial shock turned into a growing understanding that my claims, however unlikely, might have some truth.
Several heads turned toward the prosecution, a subtle question in their eyes. Even Lord Theron's stiff posture seemed to loosen slightly.
Then, a figure moved in the shadows near the prosecution's table, stepping forward with grace. It was Seraphina of the Royal Guard.
The subtle golden halo that shimmered behind her head, a visible sign of her connection and sworn Oath with the Seraph deity. Her gaze, stayed on me, a silent assessment before she spoke to the court.
"Interesting, Sir Astrea, Your theory is made out of desperation. The Overwatch hunts wolves, not moths. Prove you're not both." she said.
"However, with all due respect, the Exyllum Overwatch works based on set rules and proven knowledge.
Giving complex murder investigations, especially one involving a notable Synapse user and a suspect currently facing charges for the same crime, to... untrained detectives, regardless of their family connection to the victim, is not standard procedure."
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the courtroom, acknowledging how serious the situation was. "This investigation must be handled properly."
"My offer," I countered, meeting her gaze, with determination in my eyes, "The real killer is still free, and the usual methods of investigation, focused on Synapse signs as they are, have led to only one, though mistaken, conclusion.
I offer a different way, a way to bring the real attacker into the light. The person who so brutally murdered my brother, a Synapse user of high status and clear pride, will not let the shame of being briefly stopped outsmarted, even by a Null go unanswered.
His sense of being better, his very identity, will force him to seek revenge against the one who dared to challenge him when he was winning. He will come for the man who, against all odds, managed to briefly stop his deadly purpose. I offer myself as bait, Your Honor."
Judge Valerius usually emotionless showed a flicker of something like... interest. He put his fingertips together, considering the idea. He closed his eyes briefly, his decision seemingly made. The courtroom held its breath.
Finally, after a long moment, he spoke. "One month," he declared, the heavy gavel resting threateningly on the polished wood before him. "One month, Gabi Astrea. During this time, you will be closely watched by the Exyllum Overwatch.
If you fail to provide clear evidence leading to your brother's killer within this time, then the court's sentence will be carried out without any more appeals." The heavy clang of the gavel echoed through the hall. Lady Elara gasped, while Lord Theron's face remained a mask of cold anger.
As the guards moved to take me away, their grip surprisingly loose, Seraphina approached. Her sharp, intelligent gaze still judged me. "Gabi Astrea," she began, her voice now practical and calm, "you are, as of this moment, temporarily assigned to the Exyllum Overwatch, specifically within the Detective Branch.
Your main and only goal remains the investigation into the death of your brother, Caius Astrea. You will be assigned to a squad in the Detective Branch, and you will report directly to me.
Your lack of Synapse will no doubt cause... difficulties. However," she paused subtly, her gaze steady, a hint of something like unwilling respect in her eyes, "your... unusual methods have, for now, earned you a temporary chance.
Do not confuse this with going easy on you. Do you understand the exact details of this... arrangement?"
I met her steady gaze, a flicker of grim determination hardening my own. "Perfectly. I have a badge now, even if it's temporary. Let us see just how useful a tool it can be in finding the truth."
Even as the guards led me through the echoing hallways of the Grand Hall, my mind was already replaying the Crimson Wolf's movements, analyzing every subtle shift. Next time, I thought, armed with the authority of the Overwatch, however brief, I will have much better variables.