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    Judge Mondy - Earlier in the Day


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    I carefully navigated through the forest on the outskirts of town, heading towards Crossroads—the place Lorde Diligence and Lorde Pride had discussed in their meeting a few weeks ago.


    I glanced at the map one last time, confirming my path, then made my way toward the clearing ahead where I heard the faint sound of someone sternly talking to another.


    With a cautious glance around, I took my bag off my back, packed the map away, and tucked it behind a tree, making sure it was hidden before I moved closer.


    As I approached the edge of the clearing, I saw movement that made me freeze. There, walking behind the cabin, was a girl who looked strikingly like Zoe Leir, Lorde Humility’s wife. My heart skipped a beat as I tried to process the resemblance.


    In my shock, I accidentally activated my signature, and I could see it had an immediate effect on her. She froze, scanning the area around her before sprinting back into the house, her footsteps quick and urgent.


    “Fuck.” I blurted out to myself, frustration bubbling up. I had planned to approach this more nonchalantly, but I guess it was time to just rip the bandage off and deal with whatever came next.


    I made my way to the door and knocked three times. The door creaked open, and there, standing protectively in front of his daughter, was Lorde Humility. His eyes narrowed as he growled at me, a low, threatening sound that sent a chill down my spine.


    “What do you want, Judge?” Lorde Humility’s voice was laced with a venom I had never heard from him before.


    I took a second to collect myself, forcing my facade back in place. “Humil, ol’ friend, why the hostility? Can we talk?” I said, my tone smooth, masking the tension building inside.


    “You know damn well why I’m hostile. Turn it off.”


    "My bad, ol'' friend, my bad!" I apologized quickly, forcing my fear-inducing power off.


    “I’ll be out for a while,” Lorde Humility said to his family. “Finish dinner without me.”


    And with that, Lorde Humility led me through the forest to a small clearing. He turned around, arms crossed, his gaze expectant.


    I bowed, trying to regain some control over the situation. “I apologize, Lorde Humility. I did not mean for my signature to activate, but the sight of your eldest made me subconsciously activate it when I saw the resemblance to Zoe.”


    “Don’t worry about it, Judge,” he replied with a broad smile. “It’s good to see you, old friend.”


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I winced at his words. “It shouldn’t be, Lorde Humility.”


    “No need for the honorific,” he said, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Zoe would kill me if she thought I made you call me that.”


    The tension that had been building in me slowly began to fade, and I couldn’t help but offer a sad smile in return.


    “They know, Humil.”


    “I expected they did when you showed up unannounced. When do they plan on attacking?”


    I hesitated for a moment, the weight of my lie heavy on my tongue. “Tomorrow night.” I lied, forcing the words out with more confidence than I felt. “Lorde Pride will be the main fight with Lorde Diligence in reserve.” I continued


    Lorde Humility placed a hand on my shoulder, his expression serious. “That’s all, Judge. We both know you shouldn’t even be warning me. Thank you.”


    Without another word, he began walking deeper into the forest, heading toward the location of Lorde Sloth’s Labyrinth. I watched him go, the weight of our conversation lingering in the air.


    I began walking back toward Lorde Humility’s cabin to grab my bag and wait for the inevitable events to unfold. But something tugged at me, a quiet instinct urging me to stay, just in case. I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever happened next, I needed to be ready.


    Time passed as the sun lowered, and Lorde Humility eventually returned home for a while before leaving again with Zoe toward town. I watched quietly, waiting.


    A little later, the two siblings emerged, running outside with urgency. They moved swiftly, and I followed at a careful distance, determined to keep pace and stay hidden.


    Suddenly, the younger one tripped, falling to the ground. I watched as the older sister quickly knelt to wrap her ankle but before they could get moving again a beast leapt at them from the shadows.


    I readied myself to intervene, but before I could act, Annabelle stood, her posture firm and resolute to engage the beast.


    She fought with surprising skill—quick, clever movements, as if every step was calculated. I stayed in the shadows, watching as she systematically outmaneuvered the beast, eventually slaying it with precision and grace.


    I also watched as three smaller beasts leapt out, causing Anna to run into the woods to lead them away.


    Fighting with myself, I made the decision to follow Anna, knowing she was in more immediate danger. By the time I caught up with her, the sight before me nearly stopped my heart—she was on the ground, blood pooling around her, her arm missing.


    Without thinking, my power activated. A surge of energy pulsed through me, and the three beasts froze in place, their movements halted as if time itself had gripped them.


    I was on top of them in an instant, my shortsword flashing through the air as I gutted the beasts, their bodies collapsing in a heap.


    I barely paused as I dropped to Anna’s side, urgency driving every movement. I quickly wrapped the spot where her arm had been, doing my best to staunch the bleeding, but the sight of her injury made my stomach churn. "Stay with me, Anna," I murmured, my hands shaking as I worked.


    Once I finished patching her up and cleaning the blood off of her as best as I could, I carefully lifted Anna into my arms. With every step I took, my thoughts were consumed with urgency, knowing I had to get her to safety.


    I began jogging back toward town, my heart racing as I hoped to find Zoe and Lorde Humility still alive, knowing they would’ve been fighting by now.


    As I ran, Anna’s eyes fluttered open, making me slow my pace, careful not to cause her more pain.


    Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized who I was. “Thank you,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes as she looked down at her missing arm.


    “Sorry,” she added, wiping her tears away.


    She started rambling, apologizing for everything—her mistakes, not being strong enough to prevent the events that had unfolded. Her words tumbled out in a rush, her guilt and frustration pouring into the air around us.


    Eventually, she stopped herself, shaking her head. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”


    This poor girl. This poor poor girl.