The day began like any other would.
Soren Arata, seventeen, sat like how his days normally goes back at the class of Class 2-A, head leaning on one hand.
His ribs still ached from the recent encounter with those black enforcers and injury that got him a free temporary medical leave. Now he was back but only to be alone as usual.
The pain in his side pulsed faintly with each breath, but he forced himself to endure.
After sometime its time for the mathematics class, midway through the lesson his vison began to blur, his eyelids felt heavy.
Soren blinked slowly confused until he finally caught on the problem at hand.
"Damn it..."
He had taken the wrong medication early in the morning.
The sleeping pill and painkillers looked nearly identical to each other both stuffed into unmarked blister packs in the bathroom cabinet.
The dull fog swallowing his senses confirmed it he had taken the wrong one. As the math teacher droned on about logarithmic functions his world was dull. His chin sank toward his chest.
Just as he dozed of to the land of dreams a sharp piece of chalk flew across the room aimed straight at his forehead.
THWIP
Without opening his eyes , Soren's hand shot up caught the chalk mid air and flicked it back.
TACK
The chalk struck the whiteboard beside the teachers head. The entire class went silent all eyes on Soren. Mr. Ishihara, stunned stared at the chalk now embedded on the board
"You little punk..." he muttered.
Soren did not move. His eyes remained closed, his expression unreadable. The classroom tension broke into soft whispers and laughter.
Mr. Ishihara did not pursue the matter further so without choice he continued the lesson leaving the sleeping Soren alone.
3:45 PM - Outside Akihabara High School
The bell rang students flooded the streets in waves, their laughter and chatter filling the cool spring air.
Soren walked alone, as always hoodie up, earbuds in playing his favorite artist XXXTentacion's song Moonlight which touches him every time he listens to it.
The day had almost ended quietly but it was good for Soren as he wanted the days of the week to end. As he passed under a streetlamp, a mechanical beep echoed behind him.
BZZ- WHIRRRR.
A high altitude drone hovered into view descending like a vulture. A soft blue light scanned over his body. After the scan then came the voice that punishes many people.
NAME: SOREN ARATA
AGE:17
CRIMINAL IDENTIFIED
Soren froze.
"Wait what...?"
His eyes widened. The words did not make sense to him a moment later, the black tag enforcement units that wanted to kill him last time the same humanoid machines in matte black armor the same guys dropped from skyrails onto the pavement before him.
He saw many black tag units approach him and he did not understand he gets surrounded. "Soren Arata you have been charged with a crime and must be sent to the supreme court. One of the units said.
"What are you talking about i have not done anything?"
They don't take his answer and start coming closer to him. Soren looks at them confused then he remembers a line that he once saw in a movie "This is strike three for me!"(implies prior offenses).
Then without thinking panic surged and he turned to run.
"RESTRICT"
A black tag raised her hand. An electromagnetic pulse burst from her palm.
Soren's limbs locked mid stride then a portal opened beneath him like gaping void and in a flash of white he is gone.
R.E.A.P. Supreme Court- Virtual Trial Chamber
All screens around the world pop out in different cities from different countries. From the Times Square to Johannesburg, Shibuya crossing to Moscow's Red Square the gazes of many people watched in real time as a new trial is about to begin everyone stops what they are doing and focus only on the screens.
Seventeen years old. Handcuffed. Scared, worried and other emotions devouring him. Soren was taken to the court as the system R.E.A.P is waiting for the trial to begin, after Soren is forced to sit down, a soft mechanical hum echoed.
Then a voice cold, synthetic, absolute filled the court.
"Initializing trial protocol.
SUBJECT: SOREN ARATA. AGE:17. CRIMINAL INDEX MATCH CONFIRMED.
The AI's voice continued, emotionless.
"Examining evidence… DNA verified. Security tape was matched. Cross-checking social records… event noted."
"Crime: Publicly known cultural symbol and student performer sexually assaulted Amane Yui."
"Sentence pending."
Soren's lips apart. No sound was made.
"'Amane Yui…?'"
His memory activated.
Two months ago.
Soren ate alone at lunch, like he always did. The classroom was empty with one boy wandering over with an infuriatingly broad grin.
"Yo, Arata-kun," he said casually. "Why do you eat alone all the time, man? People believe that you're, like, a robot."
Soren shrugged, unmoved. "Not especially fond of people." "Well, rumor is that you've never even spoken to a girl."Soren rolled his eyes. "What are you getting at?"
The boy smiled. "Want to test that theory?
Before Soren could respond, the guy scurried out.
Five minutes later, he came back pulling her along behind him. Amane Yui.
Idol. Actress. The princess of their school.
Her hair shone with soft auburn light. Her very presence stilled the room.
"Meet your new lunch date," the boy smiled.
To Soren's surprise, she smiled.That day became dreamlike. After school, Yui asked if he wanted to spend some time with her.
He hesitated, then nodded. They had dinner at a ramen bar. Laughed. Talked about music. She had a few sips of sake illegal for someone of her age, but nobody said anything. When she stumbled out, Soren caught her instinctively.
She was giggling. Tipsy."Just go home with you," she slurred, holding on tight. Soren, shocked and flustered, did exactly that.
She slept on his bed.
He slept on the couch. The next morning, she was gone.He gave it no more thought… until today.
Present Day
The screen displayed photos of Soren introducing Yui into his house.Then video testimony of Yui crying stating, "He raped me. I didn't consent."
The world gasped.
Soren stared aghast. "I didn't— I didn't touch her…"
The evidence was overwhelming. The AI didn't flinch."Analyzing emotional profile. Subject exhibits consistent behavior with deception."
"Final verdict: GUILTY."
"Sentence: DEATH.
Shockwaves coursed through the worldwide audience. Protests erupted immediately. Some shouted, others applauded.Then the screen flickered briefly.A silhouette manifested.
A man no face to speak of just a wide, disquieting smile.And then it was gone.
Execution Chamber
Soren was strapped to a metal chair.This was it.Real, and final.Tears slid silently down his face."I didn't… do anything…?"The machine hissed. The sequence to execute began.
Neural inhibitors. Suspension of the heart. Fragmentation of cells.The longest execution in R.E.A.P. history.Each second became an eternity.
As the lights in his eyes grew dark
Soren recalled her.
The girl who smiled at him that day.
Was it all… a deception?
His last breath escaped his lips.
Soren Arata died.