Location: Blackwood Central Square – Dominion Broadcast Event
POV: Global Viewers + 5i (front row)
The square was a beast of silence. Not even the wind dared to interrupt the spectacle.
At the center stood the Judgment Pillar, encased in transparent steel, where 77ii was shackled and elevated for the empire to witness.
Her wrists were bound in Number-coded cuffs, her mouth sealed with a restraint that monitored pulse, breath, and tone.
Over 900 million viewers tuned in via holo-screens, AR vision, and neural-link broadcasts.
Number 3 – The Dictator stepped forward first. Her voice thundered through the sky.
> "By law of the Dominion Code, no citizen may question the authority of their assigned number. 77ii, born to First Class lineage, has violated this law by inciting rebellion, spreading anti-ranking propaganda, and threatening Dominion stability."
She turned to the panel beside her—Chris (1), Skylar (2), Christiana (3), Classic (4), and me… now officially 4i.
Then came Chris's voice, booming like God Himself from the Imperial balcony:
> "Let this be a reminder: A number is not just a title. It is a covenant. You break it… you break yourself."
He raised a single finger, and the Sentence Orb began its ritual. It hovered over the accused and spun, scanning data from every corner of the empire tied to her actions.
The voice of the Orb was neutral, absolute:
> "77ii… Guilty on all charges.
Suggested sentence: Termination by Silent Injection – within 24 hours.
Appeal rights revoked by Dominion Law 22.1."
There was no cheering. No outcry. Only the sound of power at work.
Suddenly, 77ii raised her eyes—and stared right at me. Somehow, defiant. Unshaken.
I leaned forward.
> "I spared your people," I said through the comm-link into her cell, "but not you. This is what a Blackwood looks like."
---
Later that night – Private Chambers, Blackwood Tower
POV: 5i
The door opened. Chris entered.
I stood immediately.
> "You performed well," he said. "But this is only the beginning. Now comes your test: Managing a Dominion."
I nodded. "I'll prove it. I'll make Sector 14 the strongest outpost."
He smirked.
> "Good. Because I'm assigning you more. Soon, you'll compete with Classic. And when the time comes… only one of you will rise to take the Final Seat beside me."
He left those words in the air.
A competition between father and son. A daughter clawing her way to relevance.
Power doesn't sleep in the Blackwood Empire. It breeds war.
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