Splash.

Water hit me like a cold slap to the face. My eyes shot open, muscles stiff and unready for the assault. I sputtered, wiping my face as I blinked up at Aria, whose grin was nothing short of wicked.

"Seriously? Water? What is this?" I coughed, wiping my mouth.

She giggled, leaning casually against the doorframe. "You didn't hear me calling you earlier. Thought I'd speed things up."

I rubbed my face with the back of my hand, my patience just a hair's breadth from snapping. "And the reason for this… 'wake up' call?"

Her smirk only deepened. "The execution. You know, the one you've been waiting for."

I felt a familiar, sharp knot twist in my gut. The nobles. The pigs. "Right. Let's go," I muttered, pushing myself up from the bed. My bones felt like they'd been soaked in iron, but I shoved the exhaustion aside. No time for it now.

Aria matched my pace as we made our way down the narrow, stone steps of the castle. The air down here was thick, stifling. The smell of sweat and blood clung to the walls. A cold shiver ran through me as I pushed the heavy iron door open.

It was a sight I never got used to.

The prisoners, those noble bastards, were huddled in the far corner, trembling, their faces pale as ghosts. The air was thick with the scent of their fear. Funny how a single day in this hole could turn the proudest into nothing more than quivering animals.

I looked over at the guards. "Open the gate."

The guard, barely more than a kid, hesitated before he did as told. I stepped inside, my boots echoing off the stone floor. They didn't look up. Their eyes were fixed on the ground, not daring to meet mine.

I walked over to one of them, the one who used to be Lord Harken, the one with the silver hair that once shone like a crown. Now it looked like a rat's nest. I grabbed him by the collar, dragging him to his feet.

"Do you regret what you did?" I asked, keeping my voice steady, even as the rage churned in my stomach.

His eyes shot wide, a flicker of hope igniting in them. "Please, my king, I swear, free me, and I will change! I will never, "

I cut him off, tightening my grip. "No. No more chances. You're getting executed today."

I let go of him and shoved him to the ground. His knees slammed into the cold stone with a sickening thud, but I didn't care. This was justice. This was right.

I walked out of the cell, ignoring the sobs echoing behind me. Aria was already waiting by the door, her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

"It'll be held now," she said flatly, her eyes following me as I walked toward the courtyard.

"Yeah." I didn't say anything more. There was no need. This was bigger than us. This was bigger than anything personal. This was for the people who'd bled because of them.

We walked through the castle halls and out into the plaza, the sunlight bright against the dark stone. The crowd was already gathering. Word spread fast. The peasants were hungry for blood, hungry for revenge. I could see it in their eyes.

The two prisoners, no, the pigs, were dragged out in chains. Their heads were low, their bodies slack. Not so proud now, were they? They'd thought they could steal from the people without consequences. They thought they were untouchable.

I climbed up onto the platform, standing tall. The crowd hushed, waiting. I pulled a scroll from my belt, unfurling it with a dramatic flair. I looked out at the sea of faces.

"These men stand before you today not as nobles," I boomed, my voice cutting through the morning air. "They stand before you as thieves, as criminals who thought their titles would shield them from justice. They betrayed you. They betrayed the very people they swore to protect."

I let the words hang there, the weight of them sinking in. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to choke on. I let them feel it.

"But before their end," I said, pausing, the crowd shifting restlessly, "they will be shamed. You, " I gestured to the baskets filled with rocks, "will take part in this judgment."

A murmur spread through the crowd, and then, like wolves, people rushed forward. They grabbed rocks, their hands shaking with anticipation. I could hear the laughter, the mockery, the release of years of frustration.

I let them have their moment. Let them feel it. They deserved it.

The first stone hit, then another, and soon, the air was alive with the sound of rocks slamming into flesh. The nobles cringed, their faces contorted in pain, but they couldn't escape it.

After a few minutes, I raised my hand. "Stop."

The crowd fell silent. The nobles were covered in bruises and blood, their dignity stripped away. It wasn't enough. Not for me. But it was something.

The executioner stepped forward, a hulking figure with a dark mask. He didn't need to say a word. He just did his job.

The first noble's head went into the hole, and the blade fell cleanly. The crowd didn't cheer, but the tension in the air shifted. There was no joy in their death, only the satisfaction of justice being served.

I watched as the blood pooled beneath him.

"One down," I muttered. "One to go."

Aria handed me a steaming mug of tea, the scent of herbs wafting up. I took a sip, feeling the warmth spread through me. There was something almost calming about this moment, the finality of it.

"Good riddance," Aria said, her eyes scanning the crowd. "They won't be missed."

I glanced at her, but my mind was still on the prisoners, on the people they had hurt. "They'll be forgotten, sure. But at least the next one will think twice."

She smiled faintly. "Hope so. But it's always the same, isn't it? No matter how many times you do this, it never gets easier."

I didn't answer right away. My eyes drifted to the second noble, already trembling in fear. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, a mix of desperation and guilt, but also something else. Fear for his own life.

"You know," I said, more to myself than anyone, "this won't change the system. It won't change the way they think."

Aria snorted. "Yeah, but it's a start."

I nodded, my gaze shifting back to the noble. He was shaking so hard now, his lips moving in silent prayers.

"I hope the next time they think about crossing the people," I said, "they'll remember what happened here."

The blade fell again.

The crowd dispersed, some satisfied, others still hungry for more. The air buzzed with their chatter, their excitement, their whispers of hope. But for me, the satisfaction was fleeting. It always was.

Aria turned to me, her eyes softening. "You did the right thing."

I didn't respond. There was no answer I could give.

But deep down, I knew one thing for certain.

It wasn't enough. Not yet.

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