Some knights dragged Ajalas across the ground with the tip of a spear. His arms were chained tightly, clinking with every step. As he walked, Ajalas thought coldly,
"If I wanted, I could kill these weak humans right now...
But not yet."
They reached the jail area. Inside, three men known who were rapists were sleeping on the hard stone floor.
One knight unlocked a cage and said, "Get in."
Ajalas frowned. "Here? Can't I get a cell to myself? Why do I have to stay with these random lowlives?"
Another knight snapped, "Shut up and go in. You're lucky you're still breathing."
Ajalas glared but stepped inside. The three men stirred, confused, as the knight slammed the gate shut behind him.
"You'll be sent to court in a few days," the knight said flatly. "Until then, you stay with them."
One of the men sat up, squinting at him. "Who are you?"
Ajalas smirked and said, "I'm Ajalas. That's all you need to know." He sat down, his chains rattling as he leaned against the cold wall.
Outside the cage, a knight adjusted the spear standing beside the cell as its tip glowed faintly with a mana-draining crystal. He looked at the others and said, "He's in for murder. Killed one of our knights."
The second man's eyes widened.
" Killed a knight?
This guy's dangerous."
Ajalas laid his head back, eyes half-shut, and smiled darkly.
"Soon... I'll kill all of you insignificant creatures "
_________
Two days later, Diana was sitting beside the pond, looking at her reflection as her legs rested in the water.
She suddenly sensed a shadow behind her and said, "Selay, is that you?" She turned around and saw Nikola.
"Who are you?" Diana asked, shocked and slightly scared at the sight of an unfamiliar face.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you… I've been wandering around the village to.. I mean for something . Everyone here is older than me, and I don't really know how to talk to people but I was told to talk with someone of my age. But… when I saw someone around my age, I just felt like coming over. I really didn't mean to scare you, I need help " said Nikola, apologetically.
Diana stood up, still cautious. "Who are you? I haven't seen you in the village before."
"I'm… I'm new here. I came from the outside world," Nikola replied.
"Oh," Diana said simply. She then began to put on her boots, but as she lost balance, she started to fall toward the water. Nikola quickly caught her hand.
"Be careful," he said gently.
Diana stood upright and looked down the path..where she saw Selay approaching. She quickly pulled her hand away from Nikola's and said, "You should find someone else to talk to… I have to go." She walked past him.
As Selay walked closer, Diana said, "Where have you been?"
Nikola stood quietly, watching them.
"Oh… I was just taking time to finish. Sorry I'm late," Selay replied, then looked at Nikola and asked Diana, "Who is he? I've never seen him before."
"No one… He's just new to the island. I don't know anything about him," Diana replied.
" I just saw he saved you from falling, and you.." Selay looked at her. "You should've behaved better with him."
Diana quickly defended herself, "No… I was just..."
Selay stepped toward Nikola and said, "Hi… What's your name?"
"Me? Oh… I'm Nikola," he replied.
"You look the same age as us. How old are you, if you don't mind?" Selay asked.
"Fifteen," Nikola answered.
"Fifteen? Really? We're fifteen too," Selay said with a friendly smile, then extended his hand. "I'm Selay… Selay Archam."
Nikola shook his hand, though he didn't say anything back at first.
What should I say… Nikola thought, then said quietly, "Um… actually, I was looking for the school here. I met someone who told me to ask someone around my age, but I couldn't find anyone… then I saw her sitting here and thought I'd ask for help."
"Oh," Diana murmured.
"Help? What kind? I can help," Selay offered.
Nikola pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and said, "Well… I was told to go to the school and give this paper to them."
Selay looked at it. "An application to start school? Oh, I see. You want to study, huh?"
"I'm not sure, but a Knight gave this to me… Can you help me with it?" Nikola asked.
"Yeah, sure! Actually, we were going to school too," said Selay.
"We need to hurry. Doulong already left earlier," Diana added.
Here's a refined version of your scene. I've preserved every detail and dialogue, but improved grammar, sentence structure, clarity, and dramatic tension while keeping the language simple and intense:
Meanwhile, inside a grand hall, the three killers and rapists stood at the center, on a flat platform surrounded by tables and chairs. Knights were seated all around, watching silently. Two knights stood on either side of the criminals, holding spears. The criminals' hands and legs were bound in glowing chains.
Facing them was an old man seated on an elevated chair. He held a stack of papers, flipping through them one by one before placing them down and signing the top sheet.
After a moment, the old man spoke in a stern voice, "Alright. After reviewing all the evidence and witness statements, I shall now pass judgment. Based on the nature of the crimes and circumstances, the court has decided to sentence all three of you to death...for the murder and rape of an innocent woman. The punishment is death."
He then stood up and concluded, "The case is over. Thank you."
But suddenly, a voice echoed from behind him... deep and menacing.
"Not so easy, old man."
From the shadows behind the judge, a red arm reached out and grabbed him.
The knights gasped, rising instantly and drawing their weapons. But before they could react further, the arm vanished into the darkness.
In its place, a monstrous figure appeared...tall, with massive wings and crimson skin...standing beside the three criminals. The glowing chains around the prisoners began to melt, falling to the floor in sizzling puddles.
The two knights guarding them lunged forward to attack.
In a blink, one knight's head was severed, dropping to the ground with a dull thud.
A strange, glowing magical symbol formed beneath the criminals and the red-skinned entity. In a flash of dark light, all four vanished leaving behind silence and horror in the courtroom.
Mann while Inside the classroom, students sat at their desks which were simple table-chair sets while listening to a woman who looked to be in her 50s, speaking from the front of the room. Doulong, seated near the back, was only half-listening. His thoughts drifted:
"Where are those idiots? Are they really going to skip the final class?"
Just then, Selay and Diana appeared at the classroom door. The teacher looked up and said, "You two are late again," before nodding to let them in.
They entered, and Doulong glanced over, thinking, "Finally, they showed up." But then his eyes narrowed as he spotted someone unfamiliar entering behind them.
"Wait… is that the boy who dodged that man's attack? The one I couldn't even see coming...and not even a trained Knight could dodge?"
The teacher noticed the unfamiliar face and asked, "Who are you?"
"Umm…" Nikola hesitated.
Selay quickly stepped in, "Ma'am, he's new here. He came with a class-joining application approval letter."
The teacher glanced at Selay. "Oh… and I didn't ask you, though. Go to your seat."
Selay and Diana walked to their seats beside Doulong.
"'Nikola', huh?" the teacher said, turning to him.
"Yes," Nikola replied.
"Please give me the application."
Nikola handed her the paper. She scanned it briefly and said, "Ah, you're fifteen. Looks like you entered the right class… just at the wrong time."
"Huh?" Nikola asked, confused.
"Nothing. Have a seat. We'll talk after class," she said, and Nikola quietly walked and sat down behind Sekay.
The teacher then addressed the class. "Alright, we won't make this class long since the Mana Evolution Test is the day after tomorrow."
She pulled a bundle of papers from her desk. "I've got all the test passes for you. Fill them out with your power information...how it works, and how you use it."
She began distributing the forms, walking between rows and handing them to students. When she reached Selay, she gave him a sheet… then skipped Nikola and continued with the others.
Seay turned and called out, " Ma'am... you didn't give one to Nikola."
The teacher responded, "Oh. He needs to learn how to use his power properly before attempting the Evolution Test. I think it's better for him to try next year. Otherwise, he'll end up with a low-value rank."
Nikola spoke quietly, "I know how to use my powers properly."
"You do?" the teacher raised an eyebrow.
"Yes… I've learned them myself since I was younger," Nikola replied.
"Oh really? Then why don't you show us your power? If you can convince me, I'll give you the test pass."
"Here?" Nikola asked.
"If you're sure you won't harm anyone, yes. Please also try to explain your ability. Come stand on the platform."
Nikola got up and walked to the front of the room. There were ten students in total, and now all of them turned to look at him...including Selay, Diana, and Doulong.
Standing on the platform, Nikola said calmly, "First… I can do this."
Suddenly, mana began to surge from his body. Both his hands lit up...one enveloped in black energy, the other in white. Each formed a perfectly shaped mana fist, aligned precisely with his hands.
Doulong stared in disbelief.
"Two different mana colors…? I've never seen anything like that before."
"I can do this and..." Nikola said, as the two mana fists around his hands slowly transformed into two glowing orbs one black, one white identical to his two hair colors . He held them up for everyone to see.
"And I can also merge them into a gray mana sphere."
The black and white orbs fused together, swirling into a shimmering gray ball of energy that hovered above his palms.
"Wow... impressive," the teacher thought, eyes slightly widened. The entire class was stunned.
Then, Nikola slowly lifted off the ground, hovering a few centimeters in the air without any visible support.
"Flying... without wings? That's impossible! How did he do that?" a student whispered.
"And," Nikola added calmly, "I can also move objects without touching them."
He pointed toward a pencil on a student's desk. It gently floated into his hand. He examined it briefly, then returned it back to its original place in the same smooth motion.
"You have telekinesis, huh?" the teacher asked, narrowing her eyes.
"What is that?" Nikola asked with curiosity.
She smiled. "You don't know what it is called huh....alright. I'm impressed."
She handed him the test pass. "Now, go back to your seat."
Nikola nodded and in the blink of an eye, he teleported directly next to his seat. The teacher's eyes widened.
Even Doulong was shocked. "Yeah... this is exactly what I was thinking. He moved the same way that time."
Nikola, now seated, turned to the others. "I can also cover distances like that."
He looked down at the paper in front of him but frowned slightly.
"I don't have a pencil," he thought .
"Didn't expect you could do all that," Said Selay looking back at Nikola
Selay replied, pulling out his own pencil. "Here, take mine."
"Thanks," Nikola said softly, taking it.
After Class
As the students walked out, Diana and Nikola stood just outside the door. Diana hesitated before speaking.
"Sorry for not behaving well, before... I just..."
"It's okay," Nikola said, smiling faintly. "I don't think you behaved badly."
A slight invisible blush rose to his face.
In the distance, Doulong was walking quickly down the path. Selay jogged to catch up.
"Dude… at least tell me what's going on."
"Nothing. I told you....I've got stuff to do. Go home, or hang out with Diana, I don't care. Just don't follow me," Doulong replied coldly.
"Ever since Aunt Chaw died, you've been disappearing for entire days...and most part of nights too. What are you doing? What's really going on?" Sekay grabbed his arm, desperate.
"None of your business. And I said stop following me." Doulong pushed him away and looked back.
At the far end , Nikola stood beside Diana as other students were also talking with him .
Doulong stared at him for a moment before turning away and continued walking, leaving Selay there and Selay didn't follow anymore .
That Night.... Midnight
Inside the graveyard that was silent, bathed in pale moonlight.
On top of Chaw's grave, a shadowy figure stood still. His features were hidden in the darkness. Behind him stood three more figures resembling male and they stood still.
One of them said: "Boss… do it quick."
"Shh…" the lead figure hushed them.
He raised his hand, which morphed grotesquely into a monstrous limb that was muscular, clawed, and didn't look human anymore . His face followed, transforming into a terrifying, unfinished creature like face, as though it were still forming halfway but didn't finish.
Then, the figure slowly placed his massive hand over his mouth.
Something began to emerge.
From within that monstrous mouth, he pulled out a severed human head of a woman.
The moonlight struck it and that made the head visible and it was the head of Chaw.
Her eyes were still open but dead, frozen in an expression of terror, shock, or perhaps something even worse.
Tbc....