Chapter 9:
There's only one Truth
"This is... Veronica's trial?" Aiden realized.
"Yes, in her shattered dreamscapes, this scene appears most frequently." Fei sat beside him, handing over a bag full of popcorn.
Aiden didn't take it. He still wasn't sure if this succubus might take advantage of him. Maybe while he was eating in this dream, he was actually gnawing on a pillow in the infirmary back in reality.
This was a very peculiar trial. The judge, prosecutor, and jury members were all giants over three meters tall. These giants had no eyes or ears, leaving only noses and enormous mouths, making them look incredibly bizarre.
The only two living beings in the spectators' seats were them. The others sitting in the seats was just a faceless puppets.
After the judge pronounced the verdict, the hands of these puppets seemed to be lifted by invisible threads, and they started applauding.
"Execution! Execution! Execution!" The puppets shouted in unison, echoing the judge's verdict. They had no vocal cords or mouths, but they still produced sound, as if there was an invisible puppeteer behind each one, ventriloquizing in unison.
"Why do these people all look so strange?" Aiden scanned the surroundings.
"This is her dream, dreams are inherently strange. The appearances of these characters have evolved based on the impressions in her subconscious." Fei replied while munching on popcorn.
"Is this how she sees herself?" Aiden pointed to the defendant's stand.
A girl with wolf ears, bearing a striking resemblance to Veronica, stood on the defendant's stand, nervously scanning her surroundings, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Many people dream of their childhood when they feel insecure," Fei explained calmly.
"In their memories, childhood is when they were the most vulnerable. Once they experience feelings of helplessness or injustice as adults, they link those feelings to memories of their childhood."
After hearing Fei explanation, Aiden understood a little bit.
This was the impression left in Veronica's heart by that trial: in this trial, the prosecutor accusing her, the judge and jury who was judging her were all giants she couldn't resist. These giants were blind and deaf, unable to see the facts or hear her defense.
"What did you find out?" Aiden responded, turning around.
"Their initial statements during the first interrogation didn't match at all, so I asked them again. Here are the transcripts." Franda respectfully handed over the transcripts.
Aiden quickly skimmed through them. Anna and Catherine initially pointed their fingers at Veronica, but many details contradicted each other.
It was clear there was an issue—however, it could be understood.
Veronica's sudden attack on them was a completely unexpected situation. They didn't have a chance to coordinate their stories from getting beaten up by Veronica to being restrained by the riot squad.
Then, in the second interrogation by Franda, their statements became slightly more credible.
They admitted to the extortion of Fei, and most details aligned with what Veronica and Fei had stated.
The only contradiction was that they both accused each other of being the mastermind behind the extortion, claiming they were coerced accomplices.
"These two are quite loyal," Aiden sarcastically chuckled, returning the transcripts to Franda.
"Both of them will be in solitary confinement for ten days, and their treatment level will be lowered to the minimum. The extortion case will be filed separately, and they can congratulate themselves on an extended sentence."
"Understood, but what about the death row inmate... Veronica?" Franda asked cautiously.
After realizing she had nearly falsely accused Veronica, her attitude had become more cautious.
"Put her in solitary confinement for half a day, and tomorrow morning, send her back to her own room," Aiden immediately gave instructions.
"Does she... also need to be put in solitary?" Franda hesitated.
"Stopping the duo from Room Six can be considered as an righteous act and won't be pursued. But she is partially responsible for the accident caused by the soap she dropped on the ground, so she must bear some of the blame. We have to follow the regulations," Aiden smiled.
"Alright, I understand. I'll assign someone from the night shift to watch over her," Franda replied.
"No need, I'll go personally," Aiden waved his hand. "It just so happens I have some questions to ask her privately."
