Descendant of Sloth

I leaned back against the pillows, the warmth of the soup bottle in my hands with the cool air in the room. Hina had been fussing over me for the past hour, and it was starting to wear on my patience. 

"Come on, just drink it," she said, her voice soft but insistent as she held the bottle out in front of my mouth. 

"I've got it," I replied, gently taking it from her hands. She pouted, crossing her arms. 

"You're so stubborn," she muttered. "At least let me help you—you're still weak." 

"Hina," I said, giving her a tired look. "I can drink soup by myself. Stop treating me like a child." 

She huffed, her cheeks puffing out in mock frustration. "You never take care of yourself. You act so carelessly, and then you expect everyone else to pick up the pieces!" 

"Do I?" I said, looking on side nonchalantly and bored.

"Yes you do! Now rest will you?" She said, her nerves twitching in anger. 

I groaned, covering my ears with my hands. "Alright, alright. I'll rest. Just stop lecturing me, please." 

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't say anything else. She turned away, muttering something under her breath about how I'd never change. Satisfied that she'd finally given me some peace, I closed my eyes, letting the exhaustion pull me under. 

The sound of footsteps stirred me from my slumber. Heavy, deliberate, and growing closer. My eyes stayed open just as the knock came. 

Knock* knock* 

The door creaked open, and Henry stepped inside. He stopped just inside the doorway and bowed slightly, looking at them. 

"They're here," he said, his tone low. 

Three people entered the room, their presence immediately commanding attention. They were dressed in black suits, their movements slow and focused. Two men and one woman. The air seemed to grow heavier with their arrival. 

Henry gestured toward me. "Sir, this is Adrian. He's a member of the Higher Order. It's only been a few months since he joined our team." 

I removed the blanket from me and sat up. I was feeling light and good but people around were treating me like a weakling. 

One of the men, older and clearly in a position of authority, raised a hand. 

"It's okay," he said, his voice calm but firm. "Stay rested if you need to." 

"I'm fine," I replied, "Honestly, I don't even feel like staying here." 

He smiled faintly. "I see." 

Hina stood off to the side, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Henry remained by the foot of the bed, his expression unreadable. 

"Adrian," Henry said, his tone more formal now. "These are members of the Vigilante Order. They're here to talk about what happened a few days ago." 

The Vigilante Order. The name alone was enough to make my chest tighten. I quickly bowed my head, a gesture of respect. 

"It's an honor to meet you," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. 

The older man stepped forward, his presence commanding. "I'm Ezekiel, leader of the Vigilante Order," he said. "These are my colleagues." 

He gestured first to the younger man, who gave a curt nod. "I'm Esther," he said. He looked to be around my age, maybe a little older. His sharp gaze swept over the room, taking in every detail. 

The woman spoke next. "I'm Mira," she said. Her voice was smooth, almost musical, but there was a seriousness to her tone that reminded me of Hina. She had a composed demeanor, but her eyes held an intensity that was hard to ignore. 

"Nice to meet you all," I said, bowing my head again. Despite their polite introductions, the air around them was heavy, their seriousness was visible. 

Ezekiel didn't waste any time. "Adrian," he began, his voice steady. "I'll get straight to the point." 

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. "Yes?" 

He met my gaze, his expression unwavering. "The elites have decided to execute you." 

"Huh?" I blinked at Ezekiel, my expression as bored and tired as ever. "What? Why?" My tone was casual, completely out of place for the gravity of the situation. Fear should have gripped me, but instead, I felt an odd detachment, as if my body was too drained to care.

Before Ezekiel could respond, Hina burst forward, her voice trembling with outrage. 

"Why? What wrong did he even do? This has to be a mistake!" 

Her outburst made Ezekiel's calm demeanor flicker, but it was Henry who stepped in. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder, trying to guide her back. "Hina, calm down. Let them talk." 

"No! Why should I?" she shot back, shaking off his hand. "I want answers too! Why will they—" 

"Hina," Henry interrupted, his voice sterner this time. "Let them discuss. There's more to it than you know." 

She turned to me, her face filled with anger and worry, then Henry guided her toward the door. Just as Henry was about to step out with her, 

she whirled around. "Adrian, don't let them bully you," she said, her voice softer now but still fierce. "I will ask my father and talk for you!!" 

I gave her a slight nod, "Don't worry about it," I said, as casually as I could manage. 

Henry gave me a brief look before leading her out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated by the muffled sound of Hina arguing with Henry in the hallway. 

"So noisy," Esther muttered. He leaned back against the wall, with his hands inside the pocket. His demeanor as sharp and cold as before. 

Ezekiel ignored him, his sharp gaze focused solely on me. 

"Adrian," he began, his voice slow and deliberate, "let me repeat this so there's no misunderstanding." 

"Go ahead," I said. 

His words came like the snap of a whip. "You are to be executed within the next two days." 

The next reaction that came from me must be something they must've not predicted as Ezekiel, Esther and Mira were staring at my face. Probably to see what I'll do next after hearing about my execution but the thing that came out was nothing but a deep — 

—Sighhhhhhhhh*