The wind whipped through the skeletal scaffolding, carrying with it the bitter scent of the sea and the chilling wails of everyone's despair.
The authorities dragged Nelson, Eleanor, Astrid along with Matt onto the execution stage.
The crowd, a silent, faceless mass, huddled beneath the looming gallows, their faces illuminated by the flickering torches that cast grotesque shadows against the stone walls.
Magdalena, her heart a leaden weight in her chest, stood at the edge of the crowd, her gaze fixed on the four figures being dragged towards the execution stage.
Eleanor, her eyes vacant and distant, seemed to be looking right through the assembled throng, her face a mask of stoic acceptance.
Beside her, Nelson, his face pale and drawn, met his fate with the stoicism of a man who had long accepted his grim reality.
Astrid, on the other hand, was a whirlwind of grief and fury.
Her screams, raw and piercing, tore through the night air, echoing off the cold stone walls.
Matt, his face lit by a chillingly serene smile, met Astrid's gaze, his lips forming the words, 'Our family is together now, Astrid. In the afterlife.'
Astrid's cries intensified, her body wracked with sobs as she was dragged toward the gallows.
The executioners, their faces hidden by the hoods of their black cloaks, moved with efficient brutality.
The ropes, thick and unforgiving, were slipped around the necks of the condemned.
The wooden chairs, designed to break their necks with a swift snap, were adjusted to fit each prisoner.
The silence of the crowd was broken only by Astrid's agonized cries.
As the executioners tightened the nooses, a collective gasp arose from the crowd.
The condemned, their faces contorted in pain and fear, struggled against the constricting ropes as they are finally hanged.
Astrid's cries turned into strangled gasps as the noose tightened, while Nelson fought with a desperate ferocity that seemed to defy death itself.
Eleanor, her gaze still fixed on some distant point, remained silent, her struggles against the noose barely noticeable.
The final moments were a horrifying spectacle.
The condemned bodies, twitching and contorting, struggled against the unrelenting pull of gravity.
Their faces, contorted in agony, were a chilling reminder of the fragility of life.
Magdalena watched, her stomach churning with a mix of horror and satisfaction.
The sight was terrifying, yet strangely fulfilling.
The wind continued to howl, carrying with it the echoes of Astrid's cries, the final sounds of their struggle, and the chilling reminder of the darkness that had seized the city.
As their bodies convulsed and their lungs strained for air, a booming voice filled the cold, stone walls.
It was Emperor Randolf, his haughty demeanor and cruel smirk etched upon his face.
'My loyal subjects,' he uttered with feigned sorrow, 'it is with a heavy heart that I announce the execution of these criminals.' His gaze swept over the writhing figures.
'They stand condemned for their heinous crimes against the crown and people's lives,' he continued. 'They have been found guilty of kidnapping, witchcraft, and the most heinous of all acts—murder.'
A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd that had gathered to witness the gruesome spectacle.
Shock and disbelief spread across the faces of those who had known and loved the accused.
'Astrid and General Matt are innocent!' cried a lone voice from the back of the throng. 'You are lying, Emperor!'
Randolf turned his cold gaze upon the dissenter, his lips curling into a cruel smile. 'Silence, fool! Your claims are baseless. The evidence against them is irrefutable.'
The crowd fell silent, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their pleas for justice would fall on deaf ears.
As the minutes turned into an eternity, the criminal's' bodies grew limp and lifeless.
Their once-bright eyes now glazed over, staring blankly at the crowd.
Magdalena stepped forward, her gaze steady as she surveyed the restless crowd before her.
The murmurs and whispers died down as the people sensed the gravity in her demeanor.
"People of this city," she called out, her voice strong and clear. "I stand before you today to deliver a message - a warning, if you will."
She paused, allowing her words to sink in. "Too long have I watched as selfishness and greed have taken hold, as these individuals, Astrid, Eleanor, Nelson and Matthew, have pursued their own gain without regard for the consequences. Well, I say no more."
Magdalena raised a hand, her eyes narrowing. "Mark my words - when your actions are wrong, when you seek to exploit and harm others for your own benefit, there will be consequences. The weight of your misdeeds will come back to you, however long it may take."
She swept her gaze across the crowd, her expression resolute. "The time has come to change your ways. Embrace compassion, seek justice, and put the needs of the community before your own. For if you continue down this path of darkness, it is you who will face the consequences of your evil."
Magdalena fell silent,with a final nod, she laid a finger at the 4 corpses, "They should be burned alive", leaving the crowd to ponder her impassioned words.
YOU ARE READING
Black Magic
Mystery / ThrillerA woman in the 19th century curses her husband with black magic, she doesn't know the exchange of that, it might end her whole bloodline.
