The Trinity War (Book 3 of the Trinity series)

Chapter 51

The next couple weeks went by excruciatingly slow. Those that were able and healthy were recruited to help reconstruct Trinity University. The campus was cleaned, the debris was removed, and the were buildings remade. There weren't many people that stayed behind to help. Most people went back to their homes after being released from the hospital. The integral members of the Order stayed behind, though.

In this time, the trials for the prisoners and the army for the dark side were conducted. These took place at the Trinity Government building in Italy. To get away from the campus and Caley's screams, I made sure to attend every single trial. The repetitive nature of the trials was boring, but it kept my mind occupied so I didn't have to think about other things. Almost every prisoner that was convicted was charged as guilty. However, the form of punishment was different for different people.

For example, Caley's good friends Gerrard and Isobel were let off with parole and community service hours. If they were to act for the benefit of the community, then they would be granted their freedom early. Other prisoners received some jail time with the length of time to be served decided on by the severity of their crimes. People like Isaac and Gianna, who were Elijah's most trusted confidantes were given a life sentence. In Isaac's case, he would be shifted to a maximum security prison that was located on a remote island in the Siberian Sea. He was to be placed in a prison cell that fed off his magic and used it to fuel the facility's energy sources.

The most anticipated trial, though, was that of Elijah Lucia himself. Hundreds of people showed up to watch his trial. There were reporters and journalists everywhere, waiting to be the first to release the result of his trial. He was brought to the stand in shackles that were enforced with the same type of magic used in the prison cells that would house Isaac for the rest of his life. The shackles fed off of Elijah's powers so that he couldn't break free. They were made so that no living person could harness the energy that they held. With no magical prowess, Elijah was just a weak, sadistic man and his insanity showed during his trial.

"Will Elijah Lucia come forth to the stand?" the judge said. The persecutor brought Elijah to the stand and Elijah sat. He had a small smile on his lips and his crystalline eyes sparkled with malice and glee, as if all of this was just incredibly amusing to him.

"Elijah Lucia, you are being convicted on endless counts of murder, treason, torture, use of dark magic, stealing, mind control, and exposure of magic to the non-Magii. Elijah Lucia, how do you plea?" the judge asked. Elijah sat forward, leaning towards the microphone. He dramatically cleared his throat before answering the question.

"Ummm...well, I plead guilty," he said, a smirk on his lips.

There was a collective whisper that buzzed around the room. Unlike the other prisoners and criminals, Elijah didn't plead not guilty. He was openly admitting that he was guilty for his crimes, which essentially meant that there wasn't really a need for a trial.

"You...what?" the judge asked, confused. Elijah's lawyer had his face in his hands, shaking his head. Clearly, Elijah wasn't following protocol.

"I plead guilty. I admit that I did the aforementioned actions and more," Elijah said simply, sitting back in his chair and folding his shackled hands on his lap.

"You do realize that if you plead guilty then you have no defense, right?" the judge asked.

"Why would I say that I didn't do any of those things? Credit should be awarded where credit is due. I started the war, I initiated all of it. I want credit," Elijah said.

"Do you understand the gravity of your actions, Mr. Elijah Lucia?" the judge asked.

"Oh, I understand completely. That's why I did what I did. I don't regret anything. The only thing I regret is not winning, especially against my brother," Elijah said, his icy eyes resting on his brother, who was sitting with the prosecution. Michael didn't even blink; he simply stared back at his maniacal brother with a look of distaste and disappointment. It must have been hard and embarrassing for Michael. While one brother was the leader of the dark world of magic, the other brother was at the forefront of the good side. They were completely opposite, the two brothers. But when the judge had ruled the death sentence for Elijah, Michael got up anyway and pleaded for the judge to change it into a life sentence. People were immensely confused and the journalists were having a field day. But Michael didn't give anyone a reason. When he passed me on his way out of the courtroom, all he said was, "You can't let go of family, no matter how rotten they are." And even though at the moment I didn't think much of it, the thought became embedded in the back of my mind.