SkyCloud Central Prison
.............
The warden of SkyCloud Central Prison was lounging on his chair, lazing away his time when suddenly the ancient looking landphone rang.
RING!RING!RING!
Wallen, the warden was annoyed. Anyone enjoying a peaceful nap and suddenly getting roughly awakened by the buzzing ringtone of the old landphone will surely be annoyed. No surprise. Still he suppressed his annoyance and picked up the old landphone.
"Who is it?", he asked in a rough voice.
And then he went silent for a long while, gradually straitening his back, sitting upright as if facing superiors in person. After a long while the call disconnected. Wallen looked dazed for a while, and then he immediately barked out prders on his communication device.
Minutes later, prison guards appeared one after another in the warden's room. Wallen surveyed them and nodded with satisfaction. He went straight to the matter, "Bring out all files we have on Neo. He was sentenced last month and should be in one of the cell. And bring him to me as well."
His words silenced the prison guards. They all looked around, shaking heads as if communicating with an unspoken language. This sight immediately angered Wallen. He rose up from his comfy chair and slammed his hand at the table, accidentally breaking it to dust.
Bang!!!
Wallen looked at his treasured table turned to dust, his eyes twitching furiously and then shifted his attention back to the prison guards in front of him. As such his anger was naturally directed towards them.
He roared, "Did you not hear what I said? Or does my words hold no more value, huh?"
Seeing the warden on the verge of exploding, the prison guards hurriedly explained in a panicked tone, "Sir, it isn't that. This matter....this...it is that....."
His stammering only angered Wallen even more, making him roar even more furiously, " Just speak, dammit! What are stammering for?"
Wallen looked livid. Almost giving them all a sound beatung. And they had no doubt he will do so as he definitely had enough strength. So one of them stepped forward and shoved the stammering guy aside.
"Warden, sir. None of us have received any new prisoner last month. Not one. So, we don't actually understand who you are talking about. How about elaborating it further, sir?"
Wallen looked thunderstruck. His anger seemed to have all but gone. Hi vouce was even shaking slightly, "What.....what do you mean by that? No prisoners last month? The report clearly says a student named Neo has been sentenced to ten years high security confinement!"
All the prison guards looked around at bewilderment. We genuinely didn't know!
...
SkyCloud Central Court
....
Judge Malkor Veyren pucked up his fountain pen and signed on the paper of order. A clerk came and delivered the oder to the Law enforcement officer present at te court. He left with a final statement, "Neo of SkyCloud shall ve presented at the court for a retrial in three days!"
Everyone stood up to show respect to the Judge, whether they liked or not. After his departure, Malia Rose went to discuss subsequent plans with Principal Velren and his students, Aina and Kael.
Malia spoke with confidence, "Principal, rest assured. The case is all but secured. The proofs are on our side. The other party clearly didn't do a good job on forging false proofs."
The last sentence of her seemed to be aimed at a certain person or a group. They sat still even after the departure of the judge. With a crest depicting a blade piercing a golden sun. The Sunblade family!
Damain Sunblade had a faint smile tugged at his lips. Clearly not at all concerned that Neo might be proven innocent. Well, he was innocent to begin with.
Just then a law enforcement officer came in and whispered some words in the ear of Malia Rose. Her smiling face gradually stiffened and a ugly expression replaced that. She looked towards Damian Sunblade with a grim face, leaving the principal and his students utterly confused.
Damian stood up slowly and started walking towards the exit. When passing by Principal Velren and his group, he deliberately slowed even more and said with scarcasm evident on his tone, "A bird that flies high naturally has the sense of Pride and freedom. What happens when it gets it's wings cut? Loss of freedom! All that is left is Pride! Hahaha"
...........
Ayna, seeing Malia's ugly expression, had a bad premonition and stepped forward to ask concerned, " Sister Malia, what did he mean by that? What exactly happened?"
Malia took a deep breath, and then another until her face became expressionless. She replied softly,"Neo.....he isn't in Central Prison at all!"
Hearing this, Principal Velren, Ayna and Kael became stunned. Unable to process their thoughts properly. Principal Velren frowned and asked immediately, "What do you mean? If ge isn't in Central Prison, then where is he? He is just a minor. He couldn't possibly be sent outside the city for such a minor case!"
Malia looked grave as he stared blankly at the distance, muttering softly," He is still in SkyCloud. Just not in Central Prison."
The principal and student trio looked confused. Where else could he be if not in Central Prison? It can't be that Neo wasn't in prison, right? That would be a joke!
Malia still didn't turn her head. Just staring at the distance and muttering incoherently, as uf she was questioning reality, " SkyCloud city was built on top of an abyss. Later the abyss was transformed into a prison, holding the most terrifying criminals, guarded by one of the worst AI: Warden!
And Neo, he was transferred to Abyss prison without notice! A minor sent to a place dreaded by deadliest of criminals! How ruthless!"
A deafening silence seemed to occupy the place for an instant. Nobody spoke. Immersed in the consequences of the information.
Abyss Prison! The place that can terrify criminals with deadly willpower. Can Neo truly remain sane in such an environment?
Will he truly be the Neo they knew? The future.....seemed bleak.