Chapter 20
23:00pm.
Time for the execution.
“What’s happening?!” Iliana yelled.
“I have to go.” The masked man said as he trailed off.
Iliana was left with her shambled thoughts.
“How did it—” “When did—” “What is going on?”
“Rachel?” The voice of Alexander reached her ear.
“Alexander.”
“Are you okay? You don’t look okay?”
“Something just happened…”
Iliana tried her best to explain everything as clear as possible to Alexander but Alexander’s expressions differed. However, Alexander understood what she tried to say.
“You saw time move. Everything was fast up until this point.” Alexander summarized
“Yes. It was beautiful to watch but then…” Iliana shook her head.
“We’ll talk better when the meeting is done. Go get ready, I’ll be waiting for you out here. Don’t waste time.”
Iliana never thought about the meeting. She completely forgot about it. She was too overwhelmed to remember the meeting. She had also forgotten that she was going to be the executioner. She no longer felt sad but wrathful.
Alexander and Iliana, hand in hand, walked under the glorious beam of the full moon, it was indeed a beautiful sight but the full moon only meant one thing at that moment. One thing that made Iliana trembled.
They arrived at the meeting grounds in the forest, breathtaking as usual. They were first greeted by prying eyes and silent gossips. They seemed to always be the topic of interest wherever they were.
They arrived at the stage and no one was there yet. Iliana trembled, she perspired more than usual. Her wandering eyes could not find them yet. Her heart picked up it’s tempo. Alexander felt it all.
“You’ll be fine.” He tried assuring her but she seemed lost.
“Will I be able to do it?” She asked.
The crowd’s noise rose. They all looked at one direction. Iliana’s eyes followed. To her expected surprise, they were there. Stuart and Samuel were being pulled by . They both wore black clothing and had their heads shaved. Their necks were chained and so were their hands. They walked with their heads down and in their eyes, there was nothing left. Rajesh, Catherine, David and Jacqueline walked behind with smirks on their faces while Erik pulled the chain. Iliana felt a crack inside of her. Suddenly, a high pitched frequency made way into her ear. She could feel her werewolf form trying to surface. She let out subtle growl but fought the feeling, fought the transformation. Alexander observed her mannerisms and thought it was only the nerves getting to her. Iliana took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.
They made their way to the staircase that led to the stage. Iliana was not ready to look at their facades. As the head of Erik became visible, Iliana knew Samuel’s and Stuart’s was next. As they became visible, Iliana had a feeling she might go crazy. Their eyes met and there was no message from them; there was nothing. They were truly prepared to meet their fate. Samuel and Stuart were pulled to the center of the stage. They were made to kneel.
“LET US BEGIN!” Rajesh opened the meeting.
The place was, as expected, quiet.
“OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, WE CAPTURED SPIES. AS YOU ALL KNOW, IMPOSTERS ARE CRIMINALS IN HERE AND NEVER GO UNPUNISHED. THIS TIME, WE DECIDED TO GIVE THESE…CRIMINALS A CHANCE. SO WE TRIED GETTING INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE FROM AND WHY THEY ARE HERE. THEY…REFUSED.” Rajesh turned to look at them with a look of satisfaction. “THESE MEN!” His voice grew. “THESE MEN TRIED TO MAKE THE FOUNDATIONS, THE STRONGHOLDS OF THIS VERY PACK CRUMBLE.” Rajesh pointed at them. “THEY THOUGHT WE WERE FOOLS. THEY THOUGHT WE WERE BLIND AND COULDN’T SEE THEM. WE WILL REMIND THEM THAT WE, THE SILVER CREEK, ARE BETTER THAN THE REST.”
It was obvious to Alexander and all that knew Rajesh well that he was speaking based on sentiments, nonetheless he was not wrong.
“WE HAVE DECIDED THEIR PUNISHMENT. THEY WILL DIE.” The crowd mumbled. Iliana’s heart fell off. “HOWEVER…” silence was restored. “THIS PUNISHMENT WILL BE CLEARED IF…THEY GIVE US THE INFORMATION WE WANT.” Rajesh walked to Samuel and Stuart. “Now’s your chance to save yourselves.”
Samuel and Stuart had their heads lowered. Rajesh bent to their eye level. He was onto Samuel first.
“What’s your name?” He asked. “Where are you from?”
There was no response.
“If you talk, your life will be spared. Don’t you want to go home?” Rajesh said “You have loved ones, don’t you? The quicker you speak, the easier it’ll be for you and those loved ones. Tell me where you are from.” Rajesh instigated.
Still no response.
“Very well then.” Rajesh stood upright. “THEY HAVE REFUSED.”
The crowd murmured.
“WE WERE MERCIFUL ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE, BUT THEY ARE READY.”
Rajesh stretched his hand to David who held two small bottles that contained the blood. He collected the bottles and glared at Iliana.
“THIS…” Rajesh lifted the bottles for all to see. “THIS IS A WELL CRAFTED LIQUID. MADE EVER SO METICULOUSLY, THIS IS THE BLOOD. AN INSTANT ELIMINATION LIQUID.” Rajesh look at Iliana. “Come, my dear.”
Iliana was irresponsive for a while. She slowly walked away from Alexander and to Rajesh.
“Take this.”
Iliana reluctantly collected the bottles.
“NOW, WE WILL SHOW THESE OTHER PACKS HOW SUPERIOR WE ARE. ARE WE FOOLS?!”
“NO!” The crowd responded
“ARE WE WEAK?!”
“NO!”
“ARE WE VICTORS?!”
“YES!”
“WE ARE THE SILVER CREEK! WE ARE THE BEST OF THEM ALL; WE ARE GODS.”
The crowd cheered as Rajesh intensely chanted. Rajesh rose his hands and the crowd was instantly silent.
“Rachel, please do the honor.”
She slowly, hesitantly walked to Rajesh holding out his hand with the blood. Iliana quivered as she took the bottles. Her head throbbed and her heart raced like never before. Her mouth was dry and her temperature was elevated.
“WITNESS ONE OF THE POWERS OF THE SILVER CREEK!”
This was the moment she was expected to pour the liquids into their mouths. This was the moment she, as she condemned herself, executes Stuart and Samuel.
She walked to Samuel with one of the bottles opened. She looked him in the eye and tried pulling back her emotions. Samuel let out a smile and kept ajar his mouth. She brought the bottle to his mouth and gradually streamed it into his mouth. She did the same for Stuart.
Thirty seconds later, Samuel jolted and looked as though he was having a seizure and fighting the effects. Stuart displayed the same reaction. Iliana was all too confused, Alexander pulled her to him. She thought it would be smooth and painless. Rajesh had a confused expression as well. After a brief moment of struggling, Jacob Felix Rivera, also known as Samuel Davis and Stuart Richard Thompson, also known George Hugh, both fell to their deaths.