Chapter 22 – Silence in the Interrogation Room
The political crisis had reached its peak.
Aria prepared to publicly expose the truth.
Roland was scheduled to confess under supervised testimony.
Information that could shift the balance of power was about to surface.
But the Shadow faction moved first.
---
The Interrogation
Roland sat inside a reinforced interrogation chamber deep within the detention facility.
Magical suppression runes surrounded the room.
Two elite military investigators monitored him.
Selene had authorized the session personally.
She wanted full transparency.
Roland had already begun cooperating.
He had admitted:
- He was manipulated.
- He received shadow artifacts.
- He allowed pride to cloud judgment.
He was preparing to name names.
Then —
A guard outside the chamber suddenly collapsed.
No warning.
No sound.
The security barrier flickered.
Inside the room, Roland noticed something strange.
The suppression runes dimmed briefly.
He looked toward the reinforced door.
"…Something's wrong."
Before the investigators could react —
Dark energy seeped through the walls.
A thin blade made of compressed shadow materialized silently behind Roland.
No dramatic entrance.
No warning signal.
Just execution.
---
The Assassination
The shadow blade pierced through Roland's back and exited through his chest.
His eyes widened in shock.
The attack was instantaneous.
One investigator screamed:
"Security breach!"
The second activated emergency defense spells —
But the assassin had already retreated through a collapsing shadow portal.
Roland collapsed onto the floor.
Blood spread across the stone.
The suppression runes activated automatically — attempting emergency stabilization.
But the damage was fatal.
---
Final Moments
Selene rushed into the chamber seconds later after receiving the alarm.
She saw the scene immediately.
Her expression froze.
Roland lay on the ground — breathing weakly.
His eyes met hers.
He tried to speak.
"…They… silenced…"
Blood interrupted his words.
Selene knelt beside him.
"Stay with me."
Roland forced one final sentence.
"…Don't let them control the narrative…"
Then —
His body went still.
The system monitoring crystal above him displayed:
Vital Signs – Terminated
Silence filled the room.
---
Immediate Chaos
News of Roland's death spread within minutes.
Official report:
"Prisoner eliminated during unknown assassination breach."
But everyone understood what it meant.
The Shadow faction had executed him to prevent exposure.
He was removed before he could testify.
Before he could reveal names.
Before political accountability could happen.
---
Political Explosion
The capital reacted immediately.
Some nobles argued:
"Evidence died with him."
Others accused:
"The division allowed a security failure."
Opponents used the assassination to claim:
"If you cannot protect prisoners…"
"How can you protect the empire?"
Pressure mounted to dissolve Aria's division entirely.
---
Audrey's Reaction
When Audrey received the death report —
His expression turned cold.
Not because Roland betrayed him.
Not because Roland attacked Aria.
But because Roland was killed to silence truth.
He spoke quietly:
"They erased a witness."
Selene replied:
"They escalated from manipulation to execution."
Aria, still recovering, clenched her fists.
"He deserved judgment."
"But not silence."
Audrey looked at both women.
"This changes the war."
"Now the enemy doesn't negotiate."
"They eliminate."
He activated system detection.
Golden particles scanned across the capital —
Searching for residual energy from the assassination.
He found something.
A faint signature.
The assassin had left a trace.
Audrey narrowed his eyes.
"They made one mistake."
"They left evidence."
---
The Turning Point
Instead of weakening the faction —
Roland's assassination produced an unexpected effect.
Soldiers who doubted Aria realized:
"If the enemy kills their own assets to cover tracks…"
"They are dangerous to everyone."
Sympathy shifted.
Anger redirected.
Public outrage targeted the Shadow faction more than Aria.
Roland's death became proof of external interference.
The narrative changed.
The enemy intended to suppress testimony.
Instead —
They created a martyr.
---
🔥 End of Chapter 22