The silence that came after we counted down was really loud. It was even louder than an explosion. The silence after the countdown was very quiet. It felt louder than an explosion.
The Judgment
Chief Justice Wardana's head fell forward. It came to rest gently on the thick file of his own hidden sins. This file was really thick. Chief Justice Wardana did not. Struggle. He just made a thud sound when his soul left his body. Chief Justice Wardana looked like a tired scholar. This scholar had been studying all night. Had finally fallen asleep.
Pistachio stood frozen. His hand was gripped tight around the silver key he had taken from the bench. He looked up at the projector screen. The video of the execution was not playing anymore. Now there was one word on the screen in big white letters, on a black background:
"ACCOUNTED."
Outside, people were cheering in the streets. This was not a sound; it was a happy one. Everyone was watching the Angel on screens all over the city, and they just saw the Angel do something big. The Angel struck down the important person in the law, and people loved it. The Angel was like a hero to them.
A Shadow in the Gallery
Detektif... Malik's voice came through the doorway. He was really out of breath. The crowds are breaking through the barricades. They are not coming to help the Detektif; they are coming to celebrate something.
Pistachio did not say a word. His eyes were stuck on the part of the room, the dark balcony, where people usually sat to watch trials. Then he saw something move. A figure wearing a long dark coat.
The figure did not run. He stood there looking down at Pistachio with a calmness that was really scary. The Executioner was not a monster or a ghost. From this distance, the Executioner looked like a man who had simply decided that the world was broken and needed to be fixed harshly. The Executioner seemed like a person who had made up his mind about the world.
Malik, you have to stay with the body. Do not let those people touch the files. Pistachio shouted this as he ran for the stairs.
The Rooftop Chase
Pistachio burst through the door that led to the roof of the Supreme Court. The rain was really cold. It hit his face hard. The silhouette was standing at the edge of the roof on the stone wall that went around it, looking out at the lights of Jakarta that were shining brightly in the dark. Pistachio saw the silhouette standing there at the edge with the city lights of Jakarta, behind it.
"Stop now!" Pistachio pulled out his gun, pointing it at the man's back. It is over. The man does not get to decide who lives or dies anymore. Pistachio said, "You do not get to play God with people's lives."
The man turned slowly. The man wore a mask. This mask was not a monster mask. It was a mask that reflected everything. When Pistachio looked at the mask, he saw his own frustrated face staring back at him.
"I am not playing God, Detective," the man said in a voice. It was a voice that sounded like the hum you hear before something bad happens, like what happened to Wardana. "I am a reflection of what is already there. I show the system what it is like. Wardana did not say anything, so I gave him the silence that will last forever. The Minister was greedy, so I gave him a lot of gold to deal with. Now he has to carry the weight of all that gold. The system gives me things, and I give them back. That is all I do. I am, like a mirror, Detective, and the system is what it is. I just reflect that back."
Pistachio said, "You are a murderer," and he was really angry. His finger was getting tighter on the trigger of the gun.
The Executioner pointed to the key that Pistachio was holding in his left hand. "You have the truth there," the Executioner said. If the police take the Executioner away, that silver key will be locked up. The system will make sure that the truth is hidden again, so it does not look bad. If the Executioner can stay out of jail, the truth is what will really matter. The truth is the thing that will be important. The Executioner wants the truth about things to come out, and the silver key that Pistachio is holding is the key to that truth.
A helicopter spotlight swung towards the roof. It was really bright. This light blinded them for a moment. When the light moved away, they looked at the ledge again. The ledge was empty now. The people who were there were gone. The helicopter spotlight and the empty ledge were all that was left.
The Choice
Pistachio ran to the edge. The city below was really alive. It felt like something was about to happen. The city was buzzing with energy. People were excited and ready for a change. Pistachio looked around. The man in the charcoal coat was nowhere to be seen.
He looked down at the key that was sitting in his hand. The silver key felt cold. It was very heavy. The silver key had a lot of power. It could really hurt the reputation of the entire judiciary system. The silver key was a deal, and it could cause a lot of trouble for the judiciary.
His phone made a noise. A new message had come from a number that the person did not know:
"The key opens more than just a file, Pistachio. It opens the door to the 'Garden'. See you at the old cemetery at midnight."