Pillar of Yita

When the huge noise came, Fang Hong was originally prepared to rush out, but naturally stopped subconsciously. He turned back, only to see three people standing behind him.

A guard clad in armor, a gloomy old man, and a corpulent man.

Fang Hong couldn’t help but pause for a moment.

The guards had no faces, seemingly only empty armor, hollow iron gauntlets, not connected to the main body, floating in the air.

One hand held a glaring long halberd, the other reached out, pulling open the rusty iron door.

The previous huge noise was precisely the teeth-aching sound of the door opening.

”Lord Praetor...”

Behind in the darkness, came a girl’s frightened voice.

The man, akin to a mountain of flesh, his eyes overflowing with undisguised greed, stared straight at the direction of the black prison.

Seeing that gaze, Fang Hong couldn’t help but shiver.

Was that a gaze any human should have? Inside lay an abyss of insatiable desire.

Yet he maintained an elaborate dignity, silently stroking the seal ring on his hand, keeping a stony silence.

The old man came first.

At this moment, Fang Hong couldn’t see the situation on Eve’s side.

He only saw a very forced smile squeezed out on the old man’s face.

”Eve, a week later, Lord Praetor will openly announce your pardon, at the next grand assembly.”

But the girl in the dark, wasn’t as excited as imagined.

She only clutched the wall tightly behind her, somewhat convulsing: ”...Really? But last time, they said the same, can I really get out?”

”Certainly true, Eve.”

”Lord Praetor is here too.”

The man finally spoke: ”Miss Eve, please don’t worry, the Kingdom will definitely return your innocence.”

The girl looked at the three, tears bursting forth, murmuring to herself: ”Wonderful, I finally waited for this day.”

”I want to see my parents... and, and Yoshude, can I see them?”

”Of course, of course,” the old man replied.

”Really great.”

Eve leaned over, changing the prison bars one by one, her gaze carrying a touch of unrealistic fantasy: ”...Then, can I leave here first?”

She looked at the three, her heart brimming with anticipation for that answer.

”I, I no longer wish to stay here, I haven’t seen the sunlight for a long time, since, since I’m innocent, can I leave this place first?”

”At least change to another cell, I’m begging you.”

”The prison guards too... lay hands on me. Can you tell them I’m, I’m not a criminal, I’m, I’ve only been misunderstood—”

The old man turned back.

But the man solemnly said: ”Of course not, what do you take this place for, Miss Eve. I’m the Praetor of the Kingdom, representing the King’s face.”

”Even if you’re innocent, before the public trial must adhere to the basic rules.”

He answered righteously: ”You must understand, it’s not me who returns your innocence, but the Kingdom’s law. Although privately, I understand, but equally cannot show favoritism.”

”Trial?”

”That’s just a term,” the old man replied: ”Just a chance to publicly declare your innocence, yet people don’t know this.”

”I understand, I understand.”

The girl bit her lower lip: ”Then... I’ll wait a little longer.”

Her tone carrying infinite disappointment, yet a sliver of final hope: ”Is it really only a week, only seven days?”

”Only seven days,” the man grew somewhat impatient: ”Not a day more, am I clear enough in my explanation to you?”

”Yes, yes, sorry.”

The cell door opened once more.

The three people walked out in single file, leaving this place.

In the darkness, only the girl remained, her face pale, leaning against the bars, sitting down.

She wrapped her slender shoulders with both hands, burying her head, emitting a fine sobbing sound. Unclear whether it was tears of joy or a sliver of release after endless despair.

Fang Hong silently watched this scene.

But he didn’t go over.

Because the girl’s phantom, in the darkness gradually faded away, when all the light disappeared, within the black prison remained only a ground of gravel. The marks left by a hundred years of time, long since buried everything that once happened.

Fang Hong silently watched that place, dazed for a long time.

That simple and kind-hearted girl in his impression, once sat there, endlessly waiting in the dark, waiting for a she perhaps would never receive, non-existent hope.

He silently clenched his fist.

Atira came up from behind, perhaps seeing his heavy mood, opened her lips but for the moment didn’t know how to offer comfort.

Yet Fang Hong knew what he should do, merely sighed slightly, and continued to walk forward.

The scene ahead was not beyond his expectations—

Beneath that black prison, the girl’s voice of dispute was unprecedentedly intense:

”A week has passed, why can’t I be let out!?”

”Sorry, Miss Eve, some new circumstances have arisen.”

”What circumstances, but Lord Praetor promised me—”

”Apologies, even he’s very troubled.”

”Then what about my foster father? I want to see my foster father!”

”He can’t see you either.”

”Why...?”

Then followed a longer stretch of time.

Even that official no longer appeared, in fact, fewer and fewer people showed up in the black prison.