The Chief’s expression darkened, nostrils flaring with fury as he turned sharply to his guards.“Hold the girl down!” he thundered.Rachael Colton, daughter of Lance Colton, barely had time to react before the guards lunged. They ripped her out of her mother’s arms and yanked her forward. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she stumbled.“No!” Evelyn screamed, lunging forward, her voice raw with panic. But two guards grabbed her, restraining her thrashing frame like they were restraining a wild animal.“She’s just a teenager!” Evelyn cried desperately.John—Lance’s old and trembling father—pushed through the crowd, fighting his age and weakness. “Please, I beg you!” he pleaded, his voice cracking. “Punish me instead! She’s only a child!”But the officials only watched, some with cold indifference, others with twisted amusement.Alister stepped forward, a wicked glint in his eyes. He licked his lips, clearly enjoying the chaos.A few hours earlier…Evelyn had been preparing her goods for

“You want to speak boldly?” he sneered. “Then scrub boldly.”He raised his whip and cracked it once—loud, cruel, terrifying.Rachael flinched, her breath catching. But she didn’t cry.Not yet.She reached for the brush with trembling hands, her knees pressed against the cold, dusty floor. The guards stepped back, watching her every move.The crowd looked on, silent.Disgust. Pity. Powerlessness.And just behind Alister—John knelt, head bowed, silent tears trailing down his face.The brush scraped softly against the stone floor.Each stroke was slow, shaky, but deliberate. Rachael gritted her teeth, her knuckles whitening around the toothbrush handle. Dirt caked her fingers. Her knees scraped raw against the ground. But she refused to cry.She refused to them the satisfaction.Alister folded his arms, watching her toil like a cruel king surveying his subject. “Let’s see how long your defiance lasts,” he muttered.Evelyn lunged forward again, wild with grief. “She’s just a girl! Stop t

Alister flinched. Just for a second.But then, regaining his composure, he smirked. "And what if I do?"Lance’s eyes darkened, his eyes burning with fury. Alister folded his arms. "Your father refused to pay the levy."His eyes turned to Evelyn. "Your wife is nothing but a shameless woman who enjoys seducing men."Lance’s fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white."And your daughter," Alister continued with a sneer, "has no respect for her elders.""Your family is indeed useless, and you all deserve to be punished!!!"Lance’s chest rose and fell with rage as he stared down Alister. Then another voice joined in.The chief, the very man who had ordered the flogging said, unimpressed by Lance's appearance, finally spoke. “Lance, your family have committed crimes against the east district, and they deserved their punishment.” “And let’s not forget Lance himself. A deserter of the battlefield!""He should be punished for his crimes against this city.” Malcolm added. "We're

Alister’s throat bobbed. Sweat trickled down his forehead.Nicholas’s voice cut through the tension.“Enough of this nonsense!” he barked. “You’re a deserter, Lance! And yet you still have the guts to act like this in the Memorial Hall?”Lance’s gaze flickered toward Nicholas, his grip on Alistair unwavering.“A deserter?” Lance scoffed.“I’ve spent the last ten years in the military." "I’ve never once flinched in battle.” His voice dropped, each word laced with venom.“Meanwhile, you people spent that time bullying and tormenting my family.”His eyes returned to Alistair, the weight of his wrath crushing.“You all deserve a miserable death!”Nicholas suddenly burst into laughter, his voice filled with mockery.“A warrior?" "You?” He sneered, shaking his head. “You’re nothing but a pathetic loser, Lance.”“Stop lying,” Nicholas spat. “You weren’t fighting battles—you were hiding like a rat.”His eyes gleamed with cruelty.“You’re just a poor, homeless nobody, that’s why you came craw

The chief let out a sharp laugh, his eyes narrowing with pure disdain.“You’re nothing but a liar, Lance,” he spat. “A pretender.”He gestured at Lance mockingly.“The Elite Guard? That’s the special force only the general himself can summon. So tell me—” His voice dripped with contempt. “How could a mere deserter like you call upon them?”The crowd murmured in agreement. Laughter rippled through the hall.Nicholas smirked, stepping forward.“Enough of this nonsense,” he sneered. “The chief’s nephew will be here any minute. You’d be wise to get on your knees and apologize now.”His eyes gleamed with malice.Lance didn’t move. He didn’t flinch. His expression was carved from stone.Nicholas turned to the chief.“But before that—” His voice was sickly sweet, laced with cruelty. “Evelyn and Rachael haven’t received their full punishment.”Evelyn’s breath hitched.Rachael clung to her mother, terror in her wide, innocent eyes.Nicholas’s smirk widened.“They still have punishment to do.”