Ash looked around with disbelief, he was chained to a steel chair while the wretches who damned him watched from the other side of the indestructible glass wall.
He stared into their eyes which were filled with grief, anger and murderous intent twisting together to something insidious. It was a look he was well acquainted with and had grown use to but seeing it in the eyes of the people he bled for and fought for made him bitter.
Sentenced to death for third degree murder.
He never thought those words would be said to him considering his occupation and considering he was their hero.
He lowered his head and thought
Where did he go wrong.
War had taken everything from him as a child, his home, his friends, his parents, he despised war and violence but still he became a soldier in the greatest war.
A war to stop all wars. A war for peace they called it.
Now war was his specialty, his life, the people even praised him for it, calling him the war hero.
If only he had never signed that damn form, if only he had quit while he was ahead then he wouldn't be here right now, he wouldn't be a murderer.
He sighed
Or maybe it was when he gunned down three armed young men who tried to rob a bank.
It all just happened so fast.
Bullet fired into the air, the bang of gunshots resounding In the walls, the smell of gun powder and the sound of screams.
The moment he turned around and saw people bleeding his body moved reflexively after all he was trained to protect, no, he was trained to kill.
And everything went downhill from there.
The constitution was heavily in favour of the young men and their parents who wanted closure so here he was chained to a chair waiting to be burned alive.
Ash raised his head, his gaze falling heavily on the six men dressed in fine uniform in charge of the execution.
The men stood in front of the glass wall and one of them stepped forward, his palm hovering over the big red button.
"What are you waiting for, burn that monster".
"Burn him"
"That bastard killed my son in cold blood"
"I pray you suffer"
"you will burn in hell for what you've done"
Tears streamed down falling heavily on cold floor, their voices were a mix of grief and bloodthirsty anger.
Their words hit him was like a hale of bullets, shattering what fragile little heart he had left.
Years of pain, years of bloodshed, years of nightmares for them.
His eyes and expression became unwavering and desolate.
And then his eyes met his executioner's which stared down at him with grim resolve.
And to his surprise the executioners and the multiple armed men in the room stomped their foot into the ground as they raised their hand in salute.
"Thank you for your service"
The parents and people were appalled, they yelled at the men with disgust but their words were met with deaf ears.
Ash eyes widened.
Every man that had fought in the war, knew who he really was, a warm hearted man, who had dived into hell more times than one had years to save his fellow men, who had led entire armies to victory, who had strived through blood and bone for peace.
He was the last person who should've been called a cold blooded murderer.
He glanced at each soldier then said with voice hoarse and empty "At ease men" he paused "I am drenched in the blood of innocents, I am no soldier and am definitely no hero" he smiled "it would seem, i wasn't even human"
The executioner trembled then said "To me sir, you are a hero, you may not remember but you saved me once"
The man's voice was trembling, almost like he was about to burst out in tears.
"Thank you for everything"
Ash remained silent then lowered his head and with an insurmountable pain the man push the button then turned around and walked away, followed by the other men.
The parents and the people stared at the soldier's with distain then turned their distasteful gazes at ash.
The lines carved into the room beyond the glass wall shoned with ghostly blue light and the temperature in the room rapidly increased.
At first the heat was bearable but as it became hotter his skin blistered and his hair burned away. The people stared at him with a gleam of satisfaction in their eyes which made him frown.
Was he to suffer while these wretches found peace.
No
His gaze fell on the people, piercing their fragile conscience, making them shiver and step back then he spoke his voice broken and hoarse filled with pity and mockery.
"Your children weren't humans, they were animals, one step away from becoming trash and I saved them from that fate"
"Curse me if you will"
"Hate me if you will"
"But if I had another chance I'd do it all over again"
"I would take their lives, I would watch their lights go out because they were everything you claim I am"
"Lier" they said
"My son would have never taken a life" they said
"You could've done better" they said
"You could've have deescalate the situation" they said
He simply shut his eyes not bothering to listen to their gibberish, he had already accomplished his goal.
He had shattered what little closure they could have ever hope to have.
All that was left was to die.
A little while later, the chamber Ash was imprisoned became a furnace, his eyes boiled, his skin and flesh melted exposing his muscles, the metal chains and chair were wielded to his muscles by the unyielding flames.
And, through all that he didn't scream, he didn't grit his teeth in perseverance, he didn't even grimace.
He just stared at them even after his eyes had become hollow and his brain roasted in his skull even after his skin and flesh were no more.
The people watched in horror as their salvation became their worst nightmare.
And after all was said and done, what remained were guilt ridden men, traumatised grievers and the charred bones of a once great hero.