When I first heard that voice echoing through the hospital walls, I thought it was a hallucination born of trauma.
Now… I realize it was a vow. The walls weren't speaking—they were merely a conduit for him.
The doctor wasn't treating me. He was observing me.
Every nightmare from that sterile white laboratory… was it all him? The child abductions, the alleyway, the police ambush, our medical care, the man who hunted Saka, the kidnapping, the psychic hallucinations, and finally… Saka's death.
Was it all a symphony conducted by his hand?
How? Am I this broken version of myself because of him?
I had to accept the reality.
My inner voice roared in fury:
"Are you surrendering now? You have no part in this crime. How can you stay silent while they bury you in their lies? I want you to win. Don't you dare lose… for you are Tai."
The flame of defiance reignited. I let out a sudden, chilling laugh that made the doctor flinch.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked, his voice wavering. "Have you finally broken?"
I looked him dead in the eye. "Why are you afraid? Does your fear mean your words are nothing but fabrications? Do you want me to reveal the true ghost behind these crimes? Saka is dead—you got what you wanted. But… don't you dare think for a second that I will lose."
The doctor's expression shifted instantly from arrogance to a jagged, nervous twitch.
The officer dragged me to the cell. "You stay here until tomorrow," he grunted.
Lying in the darkness, I dissected his web. The doctor isn't the head of the snake; he's just a puppet being moved by strings I can't see yet. I tried to sleep, but my mind was a cinema of grim scenarios.
(The Second Day)
The officer banged on the bars at 1:00 PM. "Out. The trial starts at 2:00."
As I walked out, I noticed the officer who interrogated me yesterday was missing. "Where's the other one?" I asked.
"At the courthouse already," the guard replied shortly.
Why would he go ahead when he said he'd take me personally? I wondered. I was placed with a different officer, one who watched my every breath as if I were a ticking bomb.
The courthouse was a sea of people. I turned to the officer. "Where is my lawyer?"
He gave me a cold, mocking look. "You don't have a lawyer."
Perfect. Well played, Doctor. You think you've won? He who laughs last, laughs the loudest.
Five minutes before the trial, a man—a father—erupted from the crowd, a pistol trembling in his hand. He aimed it at my head. "This is for my son!" he screamed.
Without a flicker of hesitation, I grabbed the nearest officer and used him as a human shield.
The father panicked, his aim wavering. I lunged forward, driving a kick deep into his ribs. He collapsed to his knees, and I finished it with a boot to the face.
He stayed there, sobbing, convinced I was the monster who took his child. Foolish man. I leaned down and whispered into his ear:
"It seems you're eager to join your son. Here's a quick tip: I'm not the kidnapper. The one you're looking for is sitting right there among the audience."
The father looked at me with a flicker of doubt. I stood tall, scanned the room, and shouted to the entire gallery:
"To everyone here who sees me as a killer and a kidnapper…"
I slowly raised my middle finger.
"To hell with all of you."
The silence that followed was heavy. No one dared to breathe.
Zero hour arrived. The trial began.
The judge was the same one who presided over my parents' divorce. A familiar face in a twisted past. He took his seat and sighed. "Let us begin this and get it over with."
Everyone stood—except me. They glared at me with their hollow eyes, expecting me to care. I remained seated.
"Go on, Judge," I said, my voice echoing. "Start the show. But remember, the higher you place yourself, the harder the fall."
"Record that," the judge snapped. "Any word you speak will be used against you, criminal."
He paused, glaring. "What exactly do you mean by 'the higher you place yourself, the harder the fall'?"
I leaned back. "Am I a criminal already? You haven't even started the trial, and you've already decided my guilt. Does that mean you're against me? And as for your question… I thought it was obvious. Only an idiot would need it explained."
The judge turned pale, his hand trembling as he slammed the wooden gavel to officially open the case.
The prosecution lawyer stepped forward. "Your Honor, members of the jury. The person before you is the sole suspect. Not only is he likely the kidnapper, but we have other cases that prove his true nature."
I didn't wait. I stood up. "Objection."
The judge tried to shut me down, but I spoke over him. "On what grounds do you deny my objection? How can he bring in other cases when the primary charge is abduction?"
"Do not speak unless spoken to!" the judge roared. "You are barred from objecting until the prosecution finishes."
I sat back, satisfied. I only wanted to sow a seed of chaos.
The prosecutor continued, "The primary case is the kidnapping. However, we have a secondary charge: the destruction of a facility a month and a half ago. Your Honor, I request to interrogate the defendant."
The judge nodded. I walked to the stand.
The prosecutor's first question: "Your name is Tai, correct?"
I stared at him in absolute silence.
The room erupted in boos and whistles of derision. The judge hammered his gavel for silence. "Tai! Why won't you answer him?"
I looked at the judge with a bored expression. "You told me to remain silent until the prosecutor was finished with his speech."
"We aren't playing games here, Tai!" the judge yelled.
I leaned forward, the 'walking emptiness' in my eyes finally showing.
"Neither am I. You brought me here because you couldn't find a single shred of real evidence to pin this on me. I am innocent. And now he wants to interrogate me on a separate case? Tell me, Judge… how exactly do you expect me to respond to that?"
(End of Chapter 27)