Maia lifted a brow slightly, her lips pulled to one side; she could not help herself. The large dungeon she had just entered was dramatically frightening. As if they meant to scare the truth out of her with dimly lit torches and dark stoned walls.

Empty benches rose on either side, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures. They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind Maia an ominous silence fell.

A cold female voice rang across the courtroom. "You're late."

Maia didn't reply. She really didn't have anything to say. She wasn't sorry about her tardiness and wasn't really in the mood to argue with court clerks or judges.

She dropped her gaze to the chair in the center of the room, the arms of which were covered in chains. She had seen those chains spring to life in her Magical Thinkering class and bind whoever sat between them. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she walked across the stone floor. When she sat on the edge of the chair the chains clinked threateningly but didn't bind her. Feeling weird but not nervous or sick she looked up to the people in the benches.

At her right sat Ms. Mulberry and Mr. Quail with her fellow students. Morgan was intensively staring at her, probably eager to see her in prison or on death row. Medusa and Ariel gave her a small smile, they couldn't wave to her but she could see they both thought this was a joke and soon Maia would be back in their dorm, chatting and sipping tea.

There were about twelve of them all in the bench above they wore black colored togas with an elaborately worked silver CoM on the right-hand side of the chest and all staring down their noses at her, some with very austere expressions, others looks of frank curiosity.

Maia recognized them as the eleven Olympian gods—one Olympian was missing—with an addition—Hades, the god of the underworld. Before the war, Hades would have been nowhere near the other gods but due to the new changes in parliament and governance, all the gods—the main gods—ruled.

According to Maia's history class, the country was split into thirteen covens to be ruled by their patron god or goddess. Hecate's School of Magic was in the seventh coven which, obviously, was ruled under the goddess of magic, Hecate.

In the very middle of the front row sat an olive complexion woman with black hair and stormy grey eyes, she wore a fierce, witty look with a teaspoon of pride. Maia recognized her instantly, Athena the goddess of wisdom and court affairs. Athena usually sported her war helmet and her shield with Medusa's head though today she had dispensed it for a pair of Judge wigs, black robes and a gavel.

A tall and muscular man with long curly hair and a big, bushy beard sat on Athena's left; his electric blue eyes were in a stoic gaze, the kind your parents would give you whenever you messed up. Maia narrowed her gaze at him. She knew he would be here but seeing him brought an unsettling feeling. One she'd sooner get rid of.

"The case of Ms. Maia and Ms. Morgan, my Lady," said the court clerk who sat at Athena's right. He was a lanky man with round glasses and ginger hair.

“Very well,” said Athena after banging her gavel. “The accused being present let us begin. Are both parties ready?” she called down the row.

"Yes my Lady. I am Zeus, the god of the heavens and these are my friends, Apollo, Hera, Aphrodite and Hades. We are acting on behalf of the Council of Magic in this matter."

A moment of silence passed as Athena nodded. Maia's lips pressed in a straight line. She had no god defendant. This could add to her sentence and a show of recklessness. Not that she wasn't reckless enough.

“—Acting on behalf of the accused, Hecate patron of the seventh coven.” said a quiet voice from behind Maia, who turned her head so fast she cracked her neck.

A lady with long black hair and striking green eyes was striding serenely across the room clad in long midnight robes and a perfectly calm expression. Her hair gleamed in the torchlight as she drew level with Maia and looked up at Athena through the half-moon spectacles that rested down her nose.

The members of the Council of Magic were muttering. All eyes were now on Hecate. Some looked annoyed, others slightly frightened; two goddesses—most likely, Persephone and Artemis—in the back row, however, raised their hands and waved in welcome.

"Thank you. Maia Callos, please rise to hear the charge." Athena said after Hecate took her seat in the empty chair on the above bench.

The lanky clerk cleared his throat as Maia stood, "Ms. Callos, you are charged that on, or about November third, in the year 2040, you did unlawfully cause the death of Ms. Krysti Alvina and thereby commit first-degree murder. How do you plead?"

"Innocent."

"I will like to call on the Council proving the following elements to ." Athena extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before her, took a deep breath, and read, "Identify Ms. Callos as the offender; Time and place of the offence; Ms. Maia and Ms. Krysti's relationship before her death; Ms. Maia threatening or implying to harm Ms. Krysti; and lastly, that Ms. Maia intent to kill Ms. Krysti."

Zeus cleared his throat, "My Lady, we intend to prove that Ms. Maia Callos killed Krysti Alvina and she did so knowing that which constitutes an offense under paragraph D1 of the Decree for the Illegal Use of Magic or Black Magic, 1824, and also under section eleven of the Council of Magic and Magical beings."

"To prove our case we intend to call the following witnesses: Lee Morgan Alvina, Ms. Krysti's twin; Devon Halt, their friend; and Blake Lively, another friend of theirs. We now wish to call our first witness, Ms. Morgan.”

Morgan rose and stepped into the witness box that was beside the left benches. Maia's gaze followed her every move. This was pathetic. The trial. The accusations. They were all pathetic.

The clerk made Morgan swear her oath and from there she recounted what happened three days ago. At some point she started to stutter and cry. Maia rolled her eyes at her little show. Give them some croc tears and they'll believe you, she thought as Blake helped her down the witness box with a roll of tissue in his hands.

The Council of Magic then went on to call on the other two witnesses, both of whom testified to Maia using advanced black magic during the fight in the school hall and their long rivalry with a bit of twist—apparently, Krysti had told them she was tired of fighting with Maia and she even wanted to negotiate with her but Maia had refused. Maia rose her brow on that one. She wondered if this Maia they spoke about was her. If yes, she wondered if she had amnesia of any type because she hardly remembered such a thing happened.

"My Lady, we would like to submit a few possessions of Ms. Callos that we find quite illegal as Exhibits 1 to 3 in this trial."

Zeus handed over Maia's lightning necklace, a copy of ‘Hundred Years of Black by Lavine Wing’ she recently acquired from a witch and her twin wands, to the clerk who in turn showed Athena then placed it on her desk.

Maia's cheeks flushed with anger. How could they? How dare they? Both the wands and the necklace were regular items a magician her age should have. Yes, she was meant to have just one wand but the other was her mother's. She took it because her mother had no use of it granted the condition she was in right now.

The book was a gift from an old friend and the Court and Council were well aware Maia was a Verno—a dark magician. The book was rare, yes, and probably worth a thousand gold pieces with some silvers but they had no right to call it "illegal" or "dangerous."

Athena then called upon her friends—the defender's witness—to give their own account of Maia and Krysti feud and what Maia was supposedly doing on November the third. Her friends told the judge everything. No twists or turns to gain Maia an advantage. Just like they had planned. Maia might have been a Verno but she always stood by the truth, just like her mother.

After the defender's witness, the clerk then called on the accused—Maia—to step into the witness box, which she did cheerfully. She gave a bright smile as she swore her oath catching Morgan's scowl.

“You are Maia Callos, a student at Hecate's School of Magic, resident at Room 4BC Verno Left wing?” Athena said, glaring at Maia over the top of her parchment.

“Yes,” Maia said.

“You received an official warning from the Council for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?”

“Yes, but —”

“And yet you conjured an advanced black spell on Ms. Maia on November first?” said Athena.

“Yes,” said Maia, “but—”

“You also have been involved in several misuse of magic and have broken several school rules?”

“Yes, but—”

“And according to both the defending and accusing witnesses you were in the hallways after your detention with Ms. Krysti?”

“Yes, but—”

“Fully aware that you were not supposed to be there?”

“Yes,” said Maia angrily, “but I was looking for my necklace—”

“The same necklace that is being collected as evidence and spoken of by Ms. Morgan?”

“Yes,” said Maia, “but I didn't find it till the morning she accused me of Krysti's death.”

“And did you or did you not in fact kill Ms. Krysti?”

“Yes—I mean no—I didn't kill her!” said Maia.

Athena paused for a second, Zeus whispered something to her, "Where were you on the night of November the third?"

“I was in my dorm room when I heard a sound from outside. I went to check it then found out someone had left my necklace in front of the door, as I was leaving I saw footsteps in the snow so I decided to investigate for some time and head back to bed. I only stayed for a couple of minutes and heard Morgan sobbing. I didn't approach her but went to call some of the teachers."

"So you do acknowledge the fact that you were again in school hallways at inappropriate hours? And you also acknowledge that you being awake and the only person to hear Morgan sobs even before the caretakers is a bit fishy?"

"Yes, I suppose it is a bit fishy but what can I do about that?"

The council whispered among themselves—Athena included—before the goddess cleared her throat. "The jury would like to take an hour break before passing out judgement on the accused. Both witnesses, accused and the audience can leave the courtroom but not the building. To continue in an hour's time."

Then she banged her gravel.

An hour later everyone took their seat as the clerk said, "Order in the court." Everyone stood as the judge walked in.

"You may be seated." Athena says settling into her seat before asking the clerk, "Has our jury reached the verdict?"

"They have, my Lady. Themis, the goddess of justice represents the jury." A woman in long green robes outlined with gold and a wooden tiara stood then began to read from a piece of parchment.

Maia's heart was beating fast but she did not show her distress. 6th November, 2040 the day I am charged to die or live. The penalty for murder was death. Everyone knew this. It didn't really matter if it was second-degree, first or even self-defense. That was the flaw in their law.

"We the jury, find the accused, Maia Callos, guilty of first-degree murder." Then the gasps followed from Ms. Mulberry to Morgan. Strangely, Maia didn't feel anything, she was calm. The only thing running through her mind; "At least I don't have to take that test on Monday."

Athena then proceeded, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury thank you for acting as jurors in this matter. Both society and the law benefit from your contribution. In return, I hope you have found it to be an interesting and rewarding experience. Maia, You have been found guilty of the offence of first-degree murder and a sentencing will be held now. Council, do you have a submission on the appropriate sentence?"

This time it was Hades who spoke for the council. His grey eyes revealed nothing as he read the parchment. "Yes, my Lady, we do. This is Ms. Callos first official offence although she pleaded innocent but was found guilty. We suggest that the appropriate sentence in this case is a period of imprisonment for the maximum allowed under the Youth Criminal Justice Act for this offence. Rather than the usual death penalty."

"Defense, do you have anything to say?"

Hecate cleared her throat," Yes, my Lady. As the patron and founder of Hecate's School of Magic, I would like to be personally involved with her imprisonment and punishment. Maia is a good student at my school. Even though some of her choices are a bit reckless we must not forget she is still a child."

Athena nods and scribbles something into her parchment, "Maia Callos. You have been found guilty of a serious criminal offence and must not take these proceedings lightly. And have not been straightforward in your answers. However, In this case, I feel that your rehabilitation or chance to become a responsible citizen is more of a concern than the protection of the public and hereby sentence you to six years in prison."

"Court dismissed," then a bang of the gavel.