Chapter 2: The Scorn
The courtroom fell into a deathly silence, save for the boy's frantic weeping. The two guards froze in their tracks, looking up at the furious judge with wide eyes.
"Your Honor, we apologize," the taller guard stammered, his grip tightening on the boy's bruised arm. "He slipped past the outer checkpoint. He’s just some street beggar. We’re removing him immediately."
"A beggar?" Eleanor sneered, her voice echoing coldly off the classical architecture. She leaned forward over the podium, staring down at the boy as if he were an insect that had crawled onto her immaculate desk. "Do I look like I run a charity ward? This is a court of law, not a shelter for the city's refuse."
The boy stopped struggling for a fraction of a second, his wide, tear-filled eyes darting up to meet hers. He was trembling violently, his knees knocking together, looking incredibly vulnerable under the harsh gaze of the imposing woman in the black suit. The dirt on his face was streaked with heavy, unrelenting tears. He looked pathetic, and to Eleanor, pathetic was the ultimate sin.
"Look at him," she continued, her tone laced with cruel mockery. She addressed the courtroom, playing to her captive audience. "Covered in grime, completely feral. This is what happens when we allow the dregs of society to roam unchecked. They have no respect for authority, no respect for the law, and certainly no respect for this institution."
She turned her venomous gaze back to the guards. "Get this filthy creature out of my sight before I hold you both in contempt. Throw him out on the street where he belongs, and ensure he never sets foot near my courthouse again."
The guards nodded frantically and began to violently drag the boy backward toward the heavy doors. The boy’s heels scraped against the marble. The panic in his eyes turned to sheer, desperate terror. He realized he was losing his only chance. He dug his worn sneakers into the ground, fighting with a renewed, impossible strength.
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"No! Please!" the boy screamed, his voice tearing through the room, raw and agonizing. "I have to show you! I have to!"
"Gag him if you must!" Eleanor barked, thoroughly disgusted by the display. She reached for her gavel, ready to dismiss the entire chaotic scene from her mind and return to the matters of the elite.
