Adrian silenced them with a raised hand. His voice was steady, but carried weight.
"This isn't just about bricks. This is about trust. Sabotage once is weakness. Sabotage twice is betrayal. If we let it go, there will be a third time—and blood will follow."
The crowd waited, breathless.
Adrian turned his gaze on Darik. "You tried to destroy our future. For that, you will not walk free."
Darik paled, sweat dripping down his face. "You—you'd cast me out? Kill me? I only wanted to save us!"
Adrian's jaw clenched. His Earth memories clawed at him—betrayals by men who had smiled to his face, shaking his hand while plotting his downfall.
Mercy only invites the knife to return.
But then he looked at Lukas, at Elara, at the villagers. They weren't just watching for justice—they were watching for the kind of leader Adrian would become.
Finally, he spoke.
"You won't die. But you will work. The hardest labor, under watch, until the wall stands. No hut of your own, no freedom until you've rebuilt every brick you tried to break. That is your punishment."
The crowd erupted—some relieved, others disappointed it wasn't harsher. But all understood: betrayal had a price.
Adrian turned his back on Darik, already calculating the next steps. One traitor exposed. But how many more?
And in the shadows, Kerren the hunter watched silently, his expression unreadable.