Steel Eyed Faker

Chapter 4: Save the Accused

Beta read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness.

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Chapter 4: Saved the Accused

-The Capital-

Deep within the bowels of the Capital's labyrinthine-like dungeons, Tatsumi languished in a squalid, dimly lit jail cell. The atmosphere presented itself as one of perpetual dread, a tangible miasma that seemed to seep through the very stone walls that confined him. Everything around him exuded the feeling of death, lacking any sign of hope for a future beyond these cells.

The cramped cells, devoid of any comfort, save for a rickety cot made of rotting wood, its foul-smelling straw mattress offering no respite. The small, barred window high above offered a mere glimmer of candlelight from the room it was connected to, casting long, eerie shadows across the cold, moss-covered stone floor squirming with countless insects that gave him chills. The air was thick with the unmistakable stench of human waste, a putrid amalgamation of despair and filth. The faint, haunting cries of other unfortunate souls who shared this wretched place filled the air, their voices merging into a discordant chorus of agony.

"Damn it, this is like hell!" 

Tatsumi's desperation had driven him to the edge, and he clung to the bars of his cell, a final glimmer of hope in the darkness. His voice, echoing in the oppressive silence, carried his pleas and proclamations of innocence, but they fell on deaf ears. 

"I'm innocent! I didn't commit any crime! You've got the wrong guy! I was framed, I tell you! I was on duty and just fell asleep once! Besides, I’ve barely been in the Capital for more than two days! How could I have done any of the stuff I’m accused of!?"

The other prisoners nearby, their eyes hollow and their spirits broken, paid little heed to Tatsumi's outbursts. They had grown accustomed to the cacophony of cries and moans that plagued the dungeon's air.

The guards stationed within this subterranean abyss were a grim, humorless lot, their armor and weaponry clinking with each step. Frustration painted their faces as they made their way to Tatsumi's cell. One of them, a burly figure with a face etched with disdain, was the first to respond.

"One more complaint out of you, kid, and I'll get the torturers to shut your mouth permanently with rusty wire in your jaw before they sew your lips together. Now stay quiet!" His patience worn thin, the guard abruptly swung the butt of his spear towards the boy's face. The impact itself was both swift and brutal, sending a searing wave of pain through Tatsumi's cheek. He staggered back, clutching his throbbing face, his pleas silenced for the moment. The guard's voice, laced with stern warning, cut through the miasma of despair present in the dungeon, "This is already going to be your last night in this world, but it can be much more painful for you if you continue to be difficult. So shut your mouth, prisoner, and don’t make us come back here again."

And so with his point made, he returned to his post leaving the imprisoned boy on the ground holding his bruised face. Blood began leaking out of his nose, frustration and a sensation of unfairness rising in his chest. Minutes turned into hours, the cries stopped a long time ago with the only thing accompanying Tatsumi were his own thoughts. "Hah… why is everything turning out like this? First I got rejected from getting a captain position in the army, which I absolutely deserved. Then I got all my money stolen by that deceitful blonde woman with her big beautiful boobs, and because of that, I had to sleep out on the streets my first night here. Talk about misfortune." 

With no means to buy food, he had to push down his pride and take the spot of a regular city gate guard whose job was to check documents for entering caravans and travelers. The only requirements were that he knew how to handle a spear at a basic level and how to read. It was thanks to Sayo, who forced him and Iyassu to learn how to read from a young age, that he’d managed to land the job. Despite his less than enviable introduction to the Capital though, being a guard had gone smoothly at first. Tatsumi had promised himself to make the most of this opportunity to climb up the ranks and protect the citizens. But then out of nowhere, he got framed for a whole list of crimes he did not commit or even heard of, and was thrown in jail without even getting a trial or any kind of investigation to prove that he was guilty.