•★¡!Disclaimer!¡★•
Everything here is fiction, a creation and imagination only, with no intent to offend any specific parties. The religions mentioned in this story are also merely creations to complement the author's perspective on the meaning of "Justice."
In the Oktolea universe, there exist thousands of stars illuminating the darkness of the world. Within this universe, there is a planet named Mibu, a planet red like a ruby gem. This planet is the most just among all planets in the Oktolea universe, also called the Planet of Judgment.
Supraforce is the type of power existing in this universe, a special ability possessed by the Oktoleans. On Mibu, they possess an ability called Aurudimegia, a power that can create an imaginary courtroom, which then becomes a place to judge anyone.
Anyone within Aurudimegia cannot use Supraforce, and cannot act contrary to courtroom ethics.
On this planet Mibu, there is a country known as the most just. Its name is the nation of Antarvasa. This nation uses the Indonesian language, said to have been brought by a traveler millions of years ago. This nation is very advanced, with its unique cultures brought by that traveler.
Despite being highly advanced, this nation does not use ultra-modern infrastructure; instead, they use a Medieval-era model as their form of civilization. Culture is vital to them because if this culture ends, perhaps this nation will collapse thousands of years in the future.
**Year 1570**
**Vesara County, Center of Antarvasa**
**Mindplu Village**
Deep within the Mindplu village stood a large house with a red roof, its structure made of sturdy wood. Suddenly, a loud cry shattered the surrounding atmosphere, coming from a baby carried by a mother with long, straight red hair flowing down.
The mother soothed her baby, gently patting its bottom, "Don't cry, okay baby, hmmm~♪" she softly pinched the baby's cheek. A father with a sturdy build laughed, his hands behind his back, his eyes closed and a thin beard on his face. He stroked his beard, "His cry sounds just like his older sister who cries every day, Haha," he chuckled softly.
A little girl with her red hair in a ponytail crossed her arms, "What's that supposed to mean, Dad? Just because I cry a lot. And besides, I cry because of you!" She puffed out her cheeks, closed her eyes, and turned away indignantly.
The baby had hopeful eyes; he closed them again, falling soundly asleep in his mother's arms. The mother walked slowly, placing the baby into its crib, adorned with cute little stars.
The father smiled gently and asked softly, "So, what is the name of our second child?" He stepped forward slightly, looking down at his child. The mother leaned her head on the Father's shoulder, holding his hand, "Alexander Ziluck Bambang, I think, hehe" she laughed softly, cutely.
————
Several years passed. Alexander was taught to walk starting from crawling, taught to eat starting with porridge, and taught to read at the age of 3, starting with spelling.
Alexander was now 4 years old. The lessons received from his father and mother about Aurudimegia, math, and other knowledge made him a remarkably intelligent child. He often went to the library to read his books while playing with his toy car. Alexander walked down the hallway towards the library.
He opened the library door; light slipped through the crack, and when opened wide, the light shone into Alexander's eyes like the sun. Alex hummed as he walked towards the bookshelf, as he did every day.
He stood on tiptoe, trying to reach a book on the highest shelf. His hand couldn't quite reach. He laughed softly, "Ahaha, I forgot to bring a chair," he walked cheerfully, dragging a chair in front of the bookshelf. He climbed onto the chair and managed to reach the top shelf. The book he retrieved was a mystery book, Sherlock Holmes, written by someone named Stella Aviosa The Traveler.
He climbed down and carried the book to his table with glee. He pulled the chair close to the table; its scrape was loud. Alex sat on his chair, "I want to read Sherlock Holmes again! He's so cool!" He opened the book slowly, his eyes sparkling and a wide smile on his face. Page after page turned, and he stopped at a page nearing the end.
Alex read with great enthusiasm. But behind him, someone was staring sharply: Alexander's older brother, Guiholmonse. Gui stared intensely, gritting his teeth loudly; his eyes looked like a lion's. "Alexxxx....since Dad got busy and Mom started helping with Dad's work more often, I've been lonely. But why does Alex always refuse to play? Grrr....." He growled, clenching his fists hard.
Alex reached the end of Sherlock Holmes: The Valley Of Fear. He was shocked by the ending, which explained that Douglas died on a ship, murdered by the remaining members of the Vermissa gang, concluding that justice is never perfect.
Alex was amazed; he covered his gaping mouth, "S-spectacular..." Then he turned the page to the author's note: "Shout Out To Real Writers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle".
Below it, Alex saw small writing that said: "Injustice or crime will never end. Harmonize virtue with evil; that is the world's balance, or the most possible justice that can occur in the world." Alex read it carefully and calmly. His heart felt slightly troubled. "If the world's justice isn't perfect... where is perfect justice?" he murmured quietly.
From behind, Gui tapped Alexander's shoulder, "Of course, the most perfect justice is the justice of the Great Matra, in the world after our death," he murmured quietly into Alex's ear. Alex glanced at Gui curiously, "Great Matra?" he looked confused.
Gui stepped back slightly, "Ah, you haven't learned about that yet," he then placed his hands on his hips confidently, pointed his thumb at himself, his eyes wide with self-assurance, and smiled. "Alright, let me, who is 7 years older than you, teach you!" Gui laughed proudly and arrogantly. Alex stared sharply, "Overdoing it..." he thought to himself.
Gui paced back and forth, explaining while holding a ruler in front of a chalkboard. "The Great Matra is the God believed in by the majority of Antarvasa, in the Liogras religion." He pointed at the chalkboard with his ruler. Alex murmured, "I see," wondering inwardly where this chalkboard had come from, narrowing his eyes.
Alex asked again, "The world after death... why is there still a world after death?" His eyes looked curious but with a dark gaze. Gui raised both hands, "Excellent question!" His eyes shone yellow, as if possessed by an angel; light appeared above his head, creating an atmosphere of grandeur and holiness. "Indeed, the world after death is the true judgment place for all our actions in this world!" Gui's tone became increasingly reverent towards the Great Matra.
Alex looked amazed, growing even more curious. Gui lowered his hands slightly, "Judgment in this world exists only to balance evil and good, in order to slow down Calamity Gressus." He looked seriously at Alex. Alex flinched, "Ca-Calamity... Gressus?" He tilted his head forward, his eyes sparkling, growing more curious.
Gui tilted his head, "Hmm? Are you curious? Calamity Gressus is a prophesied disaster. It's said that when the world becomes full of wickedness, Matra will despise it, then curse that world, sending it into the void and the souls to the world after death. The purpose of justice in this world is to slow down its occurrence!!" He turned around, pushing the chalkboard until it fell and shattered.
Alex was stunned. He then stood up, "Wh-why do we have to slow it down?" he asked, extremely curious, wanting to unravel the mystery. His brother turned around, scratching his cheek, "I... don't know, hehe" with a mischievous expression. Alex's jaw dropped; he grumbled, "Ugh, and here I thought you were being cool just now!" He crossed his arms in annoyance.
Gui scratched his head, "Hehe, well sorry, I'm not that devout in religion yet," he glanced away. Alex turned his back, "Forget it, boring! It's night now, I just want to sleep," he walked out of the library and went to his room.
Gui puffed out his cheeks, "Seriously, just when I thought I could play with him." Gui followed him out of the library, watching Alex's back. He then looked towards Alex's hand, "Huh... that's the book... mystery," he murmured in surprise. "That must be why he wouldn't talk to me..." Gui frowned.
Alex just walked quickly. He headed to his room, lay down on his bed, and placed the book under his pillow. "Hufft, it's taking so long for me to get my Supraforce, still another year to go." He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
---
Somewhere else, Alex's father, Jimly Ziluck Alkostar, was investigating a very complicated case. This case involved someone poisoned via coffee.
The poison reaction was only found in the victim's mouth but not in the coffee itself. The case was perplexing. The victim was a school principal who was in his office 24 hours a day for work. There were three suspects: the Assistant who made the coffee, the Troubled Student who met briefly with the victim, and the Victim's Child who allegedly had a heated argument with the victim a few hours earlier.
Jimly now stood facing the crime scene, stroking his chin, bewildered. "The main suspect is obviously the one who made the coffee, but he doesn't have a strong alibi. The other suspects... from the CCTV, there's no sign of them putting in the poison... and moreover, the poison wasn't in the iced coffee or the glass. Could it be... suicide..." he mused.
Jimly's wife, Anestara, tapped his shoulder from behind. "You're not thinking this is suicide, are you? Because... the principal's birthday is coming up soon, and he was also about to receive money from compensation for a previous defamation case, amounting to... 4 Trillion rupiah," she said, her gaze sharp.
Jimly met her gaze, "Of course not... because I was the judge who ruled him innocent..." he spoke firmly and seriously. Jimly then turned to face the three suspects: Don, Ferdas, and Krelaya. Everyone gathered there – journalists, suspects – felt the tension from Jimly's sharp, serious stare.
A female journalist stepped forward. She had long blue hair with white patterns flowing down and placed a microphone near Jimly's mouth. "So, have you found out who the murderer is?" Her eyes sparkled, slightly sly.
Jimly replied coldly, "For now, we lack evidence." Suddenly, the journalist laughed loudly, holding her stomach as if she couldn't contain herself, very arrogantly. "Huuh, Jimly, you're the judge with the highest reputation in this village," she walked slowly beside Jimly, arrogantly, then whispered to him, "How can you not know such a simple trick?" Jimly furrowed his brow, "What do you mean, Journalist Satella?" he growled, his gaze sharp.
Satella just grinned widely and shouted, "Aurudimegia!"
Her voice shook the earth, the sky, and the dimension. Waves of destructive light emanated from her head, coating the surroundings. The waves then formed themselves; objects rose from the ground, created from nothingness. A courtroom assembled, with Satella standing at the Prosecutor's bench. Satella looked around with a wide grin and eyes full of confidence.
Jimly, other journalists, and Anestara sat in the Witness stands. And one of the suspects, the female assistant with a Bun hairstyle, thick-rimmed glasses, sharp brown eyes, and a simple suit – her name was Don – stood at the Defendant's stand. She looked towards the Judge's bench, presided over by a long-haired man with long blue horns flowing with his hair. Dressed predominantly in white and blue, his blue eyes were also sharp.
Jimly was astonished by the room. "Aurudimegia..... Type, Vox Clamantis... This type is often used by Detectives, where the Detective becomes the Prosecutor, and the judge... is usually a judge that matches the Prosecutor's imagination," he exclaimed in a firm voice, then continued, "What is the meaning of this?" he shouted towards Satella, who was still smiling.
Satella shrugged, "Oh? Still don't understand? But the trick is quite clear and famous!" She stretched out both hands, surprised at Jimly's ignorance. The judge, Neu Vuilete, slammed the staff he carried, shaking the entire room, creating sparks of water around him. The atmosphere became tense. "Please observe courtroom etiquette. Do not speak without the judge's permission. Very well, I, Monsiure Neu, will proceed with the trial. Satella Voisia brings Don into the courtroom, charged with the murder of School Principal Grevesia. The Prosecutor is expected to summarize the charges." His voice was stern. "Ah, but before that, allow me, Neu, to outline the events roughly: The principal was doing his work and was about to meet two of the suspects. The victim asked the Defendant to make him iced coffee. After that, Suspect number 2 entered the office, discussing his school problems. Then suspect number three, the victim's child, arrived, arguing about his reduced allowance. After that, the principal took a sip of his coffee. But he suddenly collapsed in front of his child. His child tried to wake him, but he didn't wake up." His tone was firm, focused on the witnesses.
Neu looked towards Satella, "Any additions?" he narrowed his eyes. Satella smiled, raising her hand confidently, "Statement Permission!" she yelled towards Neu. Neu nodded, "Granted," he said flatly but firmly.
Satella then placed a hand on her chest, "The actual sequence is: While making the coffee, Don put poison into it and gave it to the Principal." Neu nodded, "Very well, charges accepted. Does the Defendant wish to object?" he asked firmly. Don raised her hand, "What was my motive? And what proof is there that I put cyanide in the ice?" She adjusted her glasses; a sharp, confident gaze radiated from her eyes.
Neu nodded, then looked at Satella, "Does the Prosecutor wish to respond?" he asked, this time sharper and colder. Satella raised her hand, "The cyanide wasn't put *in* the coffee, but *in* the ice cubes!" she shouted with a grin and a sharp stare. Everyone in the room was shocked by this statement. Don stared wide-eyed, then yelled, "HAH! WHAT PROOF DO YOU HAVE!" She gripped the edge of the table, leaning her body forward.
Neu struck his staff hard on the ground, startling the entire room, "ORDER! MAINTAIN ORDER AND DECORUM!" His eyes narrowed, his hair flew upwards, and his long horns glowed blue.
Neu continued, "Can you clarify, Satella? What do you mean?" he faced Satella, asking firmly. Satella then projected a hologram from the CCTV footage. "If you look, when the victim lifted the cup and drank, he swallowed the ice cubes as well. When I investigated, his neighbor mentioned that the victim indeed liked swallowing ice cubes; he enjoyed the cold sensation." She pointed at the hologram with a ruler and zoomed in on the cup. When viewed, after the victim drank the coffee, the ice cubes in the cup disappeared.
All the participants in the courtroom looked shocked. "How could... she see such detail from the CCTV?" Jimly murmured, his eyes wide. Don clicked her tongue, "Even so, what proof is there that *I* put the cyanide in those ice cubes?" she asked, looking annoyed. Satella grinned, then laughed loudly, "Kakakakakaka!! Ugh..." Don looked increasingly furious; she clenched her fists hard. Satella slapped her forehead, then lowered her hand, "Did... anyone say the poison was *Cyanide*?" she murmured slyly.
Don froze. She stepped back, feeling cornered. All eyes were on her. Neu then asked, "Does... the Defendant have a rebuttal?" He stared firmly and sharply at Don. Don clicked her tongue again, "S-Still! There's no proof *I* put the poison in!" she shouted, denying vehemently.
Satella then declared, in a sly tone, "You know? The victim had high self-esteem... he would never drink his coffee in one go in front of a student. And his child never cared about his adoptive mother, the victim..." She crossed her arms. "When I asked, the child didn't know if the victim had any particular habits while drinking. Whereas, *you* said the victim would definitely sip his coffee cleanly when stressed." She stared sharply at Don.
Don felt cornered. Neu tapped his staff, "Defendant, do you have a rebuttal?... None? Very well. The charges are accepted, and Don is found guilty."
Don lowered her head, "I admit my guilt..... and... my reason for killing Gravesia was... because I wanted to try out a trick I saw in a storybook created by that famous sky traveler!" Her eyes glowed purple, and she smiled wickedly.
Neu stared sharply. The entire room was stunned. Jimly shouted, "What do you mean?! You did this just for satisfaction?" He stood up from his seat. Other participants protested loudly. Before Neu Vuilete could strike his staff, Don laughed loudly, "HAHAHAHA! SO WHAT IF IT WAS JUST FOR MY SATISFACTION?" She spread her arms wide, leaned her body forward, and glared around with wide, cruel eyes.
The atmosphere became tense. The courtroom vanished, including Neu. They returned to Satella's imagination. The courtroom participants felt intense fury. Handcuffs restrained Don's hands; she was escorted by police into a police car. As she walked, Don paused briefly and murmured, "If you think I'm that cruel... then you are too shallow. There are many crueler than I, who take their murder tricks from the works of Stella Aviosa..." she said coldly.
Jimly stared at Don's back. "Stella Aviosa... the traveler who brought culture to this nation," he thought. He turned around, seeing Satella about to leave. He tapped her shoulder, "Satella, I want to ask you something," he said firmly, looking at Satella with conviction. Satella turned her head, then faced him fully, "What is it?" Her face just smiled, looking at him with wide eyes.
Jimly continued, "The judge in your courtroom earlier... I don't know him. Who is he? Any particular preference? Because I felt that judge was quite unusual." Satella raised her eyebrows, "Ahh, him? That's a character from Stella Aviosa's stories. She once talked about her favorite game, and that judge is a character from that game. I remember seeing a picture in her book, and I liked the design and his attitude, especially the part about 'When the Water Dragon cries, rain will fall,' which I found very emotional! As I recall, the game's name was gens**** impa***" she explained, raising her finger.
Jimly was slightly surprised, "I see," he stroked his chin. Satella then waved her hand and said goodbye as she left. Jimly pondered, "Satella Aviosa... I have her books in my library too. Her books can influence for good or ill. I hope the bad influence doesn't reach my family... truly a mysterious entity." Jimly then turned around, taking Anestara's hand. "Let's go home, the case is over..." Anestara looked at Jimly, who seemed worried, and wondered what he was concerned about.
Anestara was pulled towards the car, "Ah, don't pull! I can walk myself!" she said firmly.
They walked to the car and drove off, illuminated by the rising sun. The sun beginning to rise signaled something about to begin. This story has only taken its first step and will continue without end.
At home, Jimly entered the house and opened Alex's room. Alex's face was lit by the light slipping through the door. Jimly glanced under the pillow and found the book written by Stella Aviosa. "That book... well, I guess Alex is still too young to be influenced... but, Sherlock Holmes? A detective book... hmmm" He then closed the bedroom door.
–To Be Continued–