The system spoke again:
> [Begin judgment: Is Defendant No. ⑤ guilty or innocent?]
[You have 30 seconds to decide.]
Shen Yan stood at the center of the tribunal platform, watching her.
She did not show remorse. She did not show defiance. She simply looked… exhausted. Worn. As if her soul had been audited and measured so many times that nothing was left.
"Did you ever consider," he asked quietly, "that your 'truth' might have been too much for children?"
"I did," she answered. "But I feared more what they'd become if no one ever taught them how to question."
The countdown began.
> [30]
[29]
[28]…
Shen Yan closed his eyes.
He remembered a teacher — the only one who refused to read from the standard script. Parents screamed at her in public. The school washed their hands.
He remembered her bowing slightly before she left the office.
That day, he had wanted to say something. He never did.
> [15]
[14]…
"I vote."
> [Vote submitted: Defendant No. ⑤ — Innocent.]
Moments later, the others followed.
> [Final judgment reached: Defendant No. ⑤ — Innocent.]
The red spotlight faded. An exit opened.
She did not smile. She only nodded once toward Shen Yan, then walked into the light.
Watching her leave, he felt like he was still in a classroom — just not one that would ever appear in a textbook.
---
[Shen Yan's Memory · Fragment]
We thought growing up meant gaining wisdom.
But often, growing up just means… learning to stay silent.