"I understand the gravity of the situation and the shock it caused, but they must conduct the investigation comprehensively."
"If…" Amy's voice was audible, but Aren, frowning, didn't catch it. Amy lifted her head and looked at him with burning eyes.
"If you're innocent, it will come out in the investigation. But if you're lying—" She paused, her gaze locking onto Aren's with murderous intent.
"Then you will pay for the lies you told me and for killing my father! I will be waiting for that day."
After saying what she needed to, Amy turned and left in a hurry. Aren exhaled and leaned his head back against the wall, expression indifferent.
"She gets angry so quickly." He clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disapproval. "Well, let's think about what we should do next."
Honestly, I don't want to go to IMFA prison. It's a death trap filled with the most vicious criminals ever. But if I can't stop it, I'll have to face it… And if I somehow survive, there will be things there that could come in handy later.
"Yes, for now, we wait and see." He smiled, closing his eyes.
***
The cold room's single lamp cast shadows across Aren's face. His arms were restrained to the table with titanium. Across from him were two interrogators: one young and impatient, the other older and calm.
"Did you kill your father and the others?" The young interrogator slammed her fist on the table. "Your DNA was all over the house and the bodies."
Aren glanced at the crime scene photos placed in front of him, then, as if attending a boring lecture, stretched and smiled.
"Of course, my DNA would be everywhere in the house," he said, and the young woman's excitement at what she thought would be a confession faded when he continued. "After all, those who captured me left my body riddled with holes," he added, pointing to the places on his body that he had been pierced, even if there was no trace left.
"Blood splattered everywhere—how could my DNA not be there?" He shrugged.
"You little—"
"Enough, Emily!" Emily opened her mouth to protest, but a calm glance from Howard stopped her, and she closed it again, though she continued to glare at Aren.
"Indeed, the Aegis soldiers acted carelessly while capturing you, which unavoidably tainted the crime scene," Howard said with measured composure. Aren nodded with apathetic detachment.
"But this isn't the only piece of evidence. A witness at the scene has identified you as the one who committed the murder."
"What if that very witness committed the murder you trust so much?"
Howard met Aren's cold, crimson gaze, responding steadfastly without losing his composure.
"The witness is reliable."
Aren's right eyebrow twitched at the words. Howard continued: "Madam Eli Bryne."
The name instantly reminded Aren of the woman he had seen at the time of the incident. With her short, curly orange hair, piercing blue eyes, and heavy makeup, she was striking. She was the only saint in the Bryne family history whose sacred power had not been lost.
Her importance lay in this: throughout the centuries, the family had produced saints with sacred powers. When the next generation emerged with sacred abilities, the previous saint would lose theirs.
Eli Bryne broke this taboo. Even though her niece gained sacred powers and became a saint, Eli Bryne retained her abilities, elevating her status and influence.
Now I understand why they're so obsessed with proving me guilty. If a saint has decided I'm the killer, who would dare to defy her judgment?
Aren let out a quiet sigh. His silence stalled the interrogation, and he was sent back to his cell. The subsequent interrogations were no different; they were all for show.
Later, he recalled the meeting with the lawyer they had provided. In a room lit by a single overhead light, they sat across from each other. The man before him was dressed in a black suit from a luxury brand, his sharp features emphasized by his slicked-back black hair.
"Mr. Rayne, your situation is far worse than we initially thought. The evidence, the witness statements, the public pressure… I cannot reverse this. The most logical course is for you to admit your guilt."
"When I do, will I be set free?" Aren asked with cold sarcasm. The lawyer, Ryan Eckart, hesitated briefly but remained composed. He had dealt with such cases before.
"No, but admitting guilt may reduce your sentence slightly. Even if sent to IMFA, it could secure slightly better treatment."
Aren looked at his lawyer, who comforted him and made sweet promises, with a calm and somewhat indifferent expression. He didn't hire this lawyer. This person was the lawyer assigned to him in the case. Aren did not remember the existence of such a character while reading the novel.
Yet their brief exchange made it clear from the start that Ryan had no intention of saving him. The lawyer wanted to free himself from the prisoner as quickly as possible.
"The evidence, the witness statements, the public pressure…" Aren repeated each word lazily, locking eyes with Ryan. "As far as I know, there's only one witness."
"That's correct, but the witness's position makes them extremely credible."
Aren leaned back with a sigh.
"She was unconscious when the incident occurred. How can she be so certain it was me behind the murder?"
Ryan Eckart leaned calmly on the table, facing him, and said, "Because in court, the reliability of the witness will not be questioned. Her testimony carries more weight than your denial."