Chapter 5: Supernatural Incident

  Nicholas's vision grew increasingly blurry. He pressed his hand to his forehead, closing his eyes to regain his senses. Yet, when he opened them again, the mysterious man at the courtroom door had vanished without a trace. Still, this didn't ease the pain from the abnormal symptoms that were afflicting him in the slightest.

  The commotion in the courtroom gradually subsided. Most of the people were escorted out by the court's security.

  Nicholas struggled to pull himself up, He hastily gathered his belongings, intending to leave the room before anyone noticed his condition.

  But before he could take more than a step, he collided with someone and he nearly fell.

  "Are you alright, Attorney Parlay?"

  Prosecutor Romero asked, catching him in time and helping him regain his balance. His eyebrows knit together as he scrutinized Nicholas closely, as though he knew something.

  "I'm fine!"

  Nicholas quickly brushed him off before staggering straight toward the front door, before stumbling toward the main exit. He left Romero standing there, watching him go in silence. Nicholas didn't even turn back to bid farewell to his client, Antonio.

  Dragging his nearly unconscious body, Nicholas made it to the restroom. He clung to the sink, attempting to wash his face. but before he could, his body collapsed into the toilet stall instead.

  Something in his pocket was trembling violently. Reaching in, he pulled out the grey mirror. Once dull and lifeless, it was now glowing with a blood-red light. The light began to gather, threads of red slowly converging across the surface of the mirror. They twisted and aligned in a mesmerizing pattern, gradually forming distinct written characters that floated upon the glass.

  Nicholas recognized the script at a glance.

  It was Ukati — an ancient language of the Ukus continent.

  "You have witnessed injustice,

  And yet turned a blind eye.

  A penalty shall be imposed upon you.

  Time remaining: 07:53:38."

  "What kind of nonsense is this?"

  Nicholas couldn't help but curse. Was it possible that this agonizing affliction, eating away at him until he was at death's door, was actually a punishment? A penalty for his silence and indifference during Antonito's trial?

  Strictly speaking, he wasn't the one who helped Antonio escape prosecution this time. that was the work of the previous 'Nicholas.' Why should he, who was merely trying to survive in this unfamiliar world, be the one forced to bear the consequences?

  But the most vital question remained: who was passing judgment on him? And who was the entity behind this grey mirror in his hand?

  'Damn it... my consciousness—'

  A sudden, violent surge of pain tore through his head. His vision darkened — then vanished, like a candle flame snuffed out by the wind.

  Nicholas snapped into a sitting position, gasping for air. He found himself in the same fifth-floor restroom of York Central Criminal Court. Beyond the windows, the sky had turned pitch black, indicating that the sun had already set beyond the horizon.

  It seemed he had been unconscious for quite some time. The severe headache and chest pain he had experienced earlier had vanished without a trace. The gray mirror he had been clutching before losing consciousness was now back to its normal state —looking like nothing more than an ordinary, dull mirror.

  In truth, he had thought about throwing the mirror away, believing it might be the source of everything that had gone wrong. But upon further reflection, he gave up that idea. There was no guarantee that discarding it would prevent such events from happening again. Besides, he still needed to uncover the meaning behind the strange message the mirror had shown him earlier.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Having made up his mind, he slipped the mirror back into his pocket, straightened his clothes and picked up his scattered briefcase before leaving the room.

  Nicholas walked out of the building to the main gate. Strangely, he didn't encounter anyone at all, whether inside the building or around the entrance area.

  Nicholas felt that something about tonight was abnormal. The dim light from the streetlamps created an eerie atmosphere. He had walked through the city at night before, yet he had never felt such desolation. The streets were dead silent. Not even the sound of insects or any living creature could be heard.

  walking along the street, the air grows increasingly cold. Before he knew it, a thin fog had enveloped the surrounding. Despite the chill in the air, his body broke out in sweat.

  Thump... Thump....

  At first, Nicholas thought it was the sound of his own heart pounding.

  …But it wasn't.

  It was the measured footsteps of someone approaching him.

  A shadowy figure slowly crawled forward in front of Nicholas until it became clearer little by little.

  The fog parted as a shadowed figure stepped forward. A man in a floor-length black cloak and broad fedora halted several meters away. Even beneath the brim's shadow, Nicholas knew it was him — the same figure from the courtroom.

  The mirror at his chest trembled violently again. Nicholas did not know what the man wanted from him. But whatever it was, it was definitely nothing good.

  The air on the street grew so heavy it felt almost tangible, black fog spread everywhere. The hat on the mysterious man's head shifted slightly before falling soundlessly to the ground, revealing a hairless head with bulging veins that throbbed rhythmically.

  As the dim light finally touched his face, the features once hidden in shadow were shown, allowing Nicholas to see him clearly for the first time.

  It was the face of an elderly man, pale and lifeless. Both eyes were opened so wide they nearly bulged out, with blood flowing from both sides, as if weeping tears of blood— He swore he had seen this face before.

  ...It belonged to David John Paul, the victim in Antonio's case who had been missing for over 2 weeks!

  "You've got to be kidding me..."

  Sweat soaked through his shirt as Nicholas stood paralyzed. No matter how he looked at it, the situation was beyond abnormal. But the shock did not end there.

  David John Paul's lifeless eyes slowly shifted toward him. The moment they locked onto Nicholas, the eyeballs rolled back into his skull, and a violent torrent of blood gushing out from the sockets.

  Nicholas could feel malice radiating through the air. The man's body began to swell unnaturally. Suddenly, his neck, chest, and shoulders burst open. with a sickening tear of flesh, faces began to emerge from its neck, chest, and shoulders—an old woman, two girls, and a young boy. They screamed in unison, filled with pain and agony.

  Extra limbs sprouted and tore through its skin. The figure bent down in a crawling position on the ground like a wild beast. Its skin rapidly rotted and deteriorated, emitting a sickening stench that filled the air.

  The streaming blood began to darken then transformed into a black substance covering its entire body. A living substance moved independently as if alive and burrowing like a swarm of parasites.

  The horror before him nearly made Nicholas vomit. but before he could even heave, the monstrosity lunged at him with terrifying speed.

  Ten pairs of hands scrambled wildly across the floor, leaving behind a trail of foul, viscous slime. Just before it could reach him, Nicholas snapped back to reality and lunged to the side. His shoulder slammed against the hard floor, sending a wave of numbness through his arm, but he had managed to stay out of the monster's reach.

  CRASH!

  A deafening crash echoed as the creature, still clumsy in its mutated body, overshot its target and collided with the trash heaps. As it flailed in a frantic attempt to stand, Nicholas forced himself up before running desperately for his life.

  "What the hell is going on?!"

  Nicholas screamed for help, but it seemed his efforts were futile. There was no one around him. Even though he screamed at the top of his lungs, it was as if he were merely talking to himself, as though he had been sent to another dimension separate from reality.

  A painful, wailing scream sounded from behind. The disgusting black figure crawled closer and closer to him.

  If things continued like this, he would easily be caught.

  Searching for any means of escape, he spotted an old, deserted factory in the distance. It was his only hope for a hiding place. Gritting his teeth, Nicholas quickly changed his path and ran inside the factory.

  Inside the factory was full of abandoned machinery. It looked like a cotton mill, but now there was only dust settling on the floor. Nicholas ran to hide behind a large cotton machine to catch his breath.

  BOOM!

  The sound of breaking and crashing machinery rang out. The monster that was once named 'David John Paul' charged the factory. Although this factory had been abandoned for a long time, the fact that it could break through one of the walls like this indicated tremendous physical strength.

  A cold shiver raced down Nicholas's spine. He held his breath, desperate to remain undetected. The agonizing wails from moments ago had shifted into a low, mournful sobbing—a distorted chorus of women and children.

  Something deep inside told him this encounter was no coincidence; the entity's unyielding malice was aimed solely at him.

  ...Or perhaps it was because he was Antonio's defense attorney—the very man who had helped a cold-blooded murderer walk free after butchering this poor family. This monstrosity was likely a manifestation of vengeful spirits, here to exact retribution upon the 'previous Nicholas.' And now, it was he, trapped in this body, who had to inherit the consequences of a sin he didn't commit."

  Failing to find Nicholas, the beast let out another harrowing wail before beginning to tear the factory apart. Nicholas knew his time was running out.

  But then, a strange sensation stirred against his chest. Amidst the panic, he hadn't noticed the grey mirror emitting a red glow. Nicholas quickly pulled it out watching in disbelief as the light reshaping itself into into floating characters of an ancient Ukati script right before his eyes.

  "...Conditions have been fulfilled

  You have encountered a supernatural incident for the first time

  You are qualified to be appointed as a Judicial Representative

  Will you accept the appointment?

  [Accept] [Decline]

  Warning: Upon acceptance, you will no longer be able to return to an ordinary life."

  Nicholas read the message before his eyes, his gaze pausing on the warning. He thought back to everything that had happened over the past few days. Even if he wanted to return to a normal life, after witnessing such horrors, he probably no longer could — even if he wished to.

  Moreover, he still needed to find out why he was sent to this world, and what he had to do in order to return to his own world.

  Deafening crashes of splintering metal drew nearer. In such a desperate situation, he probably wouldn't have time to worry about such trivial details, would he?

  "I accept."

  He spoke the words in Ukati.

  The previous message gradually disappeared from the mirror, replaced by a new line of glowing text:

  "Welcome to the proceedings, Judicial Representative"

  12.10.550

  Nicolas Parlay

  Judicial representative