Often, the unexpected comes without warning.
You never know when it will strike, nor what you must do to endure it.
You don't even know what has befallen you, only able to try and mend things, to cope, after it has already happened.
But this is a hurdle that so few can ever overcome.
The only recourse is prayer...
The moment she saw those hollow eyes, Aizahár felt as though a pitcher of ice-cold water had been poured into her heart, dousing its faint warmth and chilling it to the very core.
She wanted to lower her head, to avoid the figure's gaze, but it was as if an invisible hand held her head in place, forcing her to look up into those eyes.
Her body trembled, terrified, screaming from the very depths of her being at the person before her, only for the sound to be snuffed out by an overwhelming pressure.
What was this? Aizahár didn't understand. She understood neither her current state nor the person in front of her!
But there was no time or space for her to comprehend. The moment the black-robed figure appeared, Aizahár's mind plunged into a state of inescapable torpor.
Chaos reeled, the world spun...
BANG—!
A startlingly loud noise cleared Aizahár's thoughts. A blinding light shone from straight ahead, making her instinctively look away to protect her eyes.
Under the intense glare, Aizahár felt completely exposed. The light seemed to pierce right into her heart, illuminating every dark corner with stark clarity.
And hidden within the glare were countless gazes coming from all directions. These cold eyes scanned every inch of her, as if wanting to peel her apart layer by layer.
That's right... that paralyzing fear came from these gazes... but... whose gazes are they?
In the silent world, aside from the frantic beating of her own heart, there was the crisp sound of footsteps.
Aizahár looked up, squinting against the harsh light toward the source of the sound.
An indistinct black shadow stood before her, silhouetted against the light. Only in the shadow it cast did Aizahár get a moment's respite.
"Sinner, Aizahár." Just as Aizahár was about to use this chance to survey her surroundings, a flat pronouncement pulled her attention back.
No, that wasn't "flat" at all!
The sonorous voice seemed to come from the myths of old, a deafening roar that nearly shattered her very soul!
She shut her eyes in pain, covering her ears and crouching down, but the voice continued.
"The charges—Deceit, Envy." Every word hammered against Aizahár's eardrums, but even so, she clearly received every word spoken by the voice.
What? Charges?
"Do you—plead guilty?" The black shadow seemed to grow taller, its silhouette changing slightly. Something appeared in its hand, like a cross, yet... different...
"I... don't... know..." Aizahár couldn't see any more. Her mind was flooded with a splitting pain, and her ears were ringing.
"Hmm..." The voice paused in feigned contemplation. The next moment, it spoke again. "The sinner has raised an objection. The verification of the charges will now commence."
"First—the crime of Deceit."
The world under the bright light suddenly changed, transforming into a scene from Aizahár's memory.
["Big sister, would you like to buy a bouquet of flowers?" Aizahár held up a bouquet, slipping over to Bianka's side while everyone's attention was on Siegfried not far away.
I've seen that man before... he's a famous person around here. What was his name... Kaslana?
What a strange name. He must be some big shot, right? After all, everyone is so respectful to him. I remember even my fierce neighbor, Hake, was scared out of his wits when he heard his name.
From the moment that man appeared on this street, I noticed Bianka, who he was holding hands with.
A child held by such a person... must be very important, right?
She has a canteen hanging from her waist. Maybe... she has a lot of money?
Should I go and try?
Aizahár's heart pounded in her chest. This went completely against her usual principles... the other person was just a child, about the same age as her. She probably didn't even know what good and evil were, what a good person or a bad person was...
Am I really going to deceive her?
But... I haven't had a drop of water in two days...
"A bouquet only costs..." The little girl stepped forward. As she spoke, her gaze wasn't on Bianka, but fixed on the canteen hanging from her waist.
She paused for a moment, as if deliberating the price, then cautiously spoke to Bianka: "You can buy a flower for just one hundred milliliters of water..."]
The short scene ended abruptly. The dazzling lights before Aizahár coalesced into a long, thin spear. Its sharp tip glinted with a cold, indifferent light, pointed directly at her right hand.
"The jury will now render its judgment..." The sonorous voice had just faded when a cacophony of hurried voices erupted.
"Ugh! Disgusting! Deceiving a child like that! Her conscience must have been devoured by dogs to do something like that!"
"People like her are just born evil! How else can you explain a child knowing how to lie?"
"Lying is wrong! Damned liars like her don't deserve to live!"
"Using the kindness of others to satisfy your own selfish desires, how despicable! If no one took pity on you, you'd deserve to starve to death!"
"It's scum like you that's wiping out all the good people in the world!"
In truth, Aizahár couldn't make out what the rushed voices were saying. The sounds came at her like a landslide, a tsunami. Only the thick malice within them was so real...
No, that wasn't malice. It was [Light].
A [Light] that was indifferent to life or death.
DOOM—
Whether it was the sound of a gavel or a bell, the cacophony instantly ceased, leaving only Aizahár, who had curled herself into a tight ball.
"The jury has reached a verdict—Guilty," the sonorous voice announced. "For the crime of Deceit, the sentence is—"
"Deprivation of the Five Senses."
This was the last sound Aizahár heard. The moment the words fell, it was as if a sharp blade had sliced through her ears, cut off her nose, slashed her throat, and gouged out her eyes. Then, it scored a cut across every inch of her skin, leaving her with nothing but endless agony.
Ah— Gack—
She couldn't even scream.