Chapter 48

~ Rayel’s POV

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I turned my attention back to Zeeb. "Alright," I said, trying to sound calm.

"Let's back up a bit. You claim you're innocent. Then tell me, how did you end up in this state? Who gave you those nasty wounds?"

His eyes darted back and forth, a flicker of fear mixing with the pain etched on his face. He stole a glance at his father, Mr. Lobo, who stood frozen in the crowd. Mr. Lobo's own expression was a confusing mix of worry and concern.

Zeeb licked his cracked lips and stammered, "Th-the wounds... I..." He trailed off, his voice barely a whisper. The weight of the accusation, the anger in my voice, and the silent judgment from the crowd seemed to be suffocating him. His eyes darted back and forth between mine and his father's. His eyes seemed to be silently pleading for his dad to intervene, to do something to help him or bail him out of the situation he had found himself in. Mr Lobo took a tiny step forward, but as his eyes m