“The subject, Romulus Lacheses has committed severe atrocity against this institution and the people in it. He has received the thrice-bled pain spell and will be exiled from civil society for life. Leave now if you agree with this punishment.” Randell’s head snapped up. They could save them, if they stayed.
They would stay. He told himself, it was the last shred of hope he had left. All else had been wrecked by his bleeding back.
They could save him and they would.
They started to trickle out. First the ones who never knew him, them the ones who
hated him, then the ones who barely knew him, then his friends. He felt like crying out to the people he had loved. He felt like screaming out the things he had done for them. He wanted them to stay so bad, he wanted them to save him. He wanted to believe again.
But they proved him foolish.
Now only three people remained. One: Calista, his girlfriend. She gave him a hesitant glance, averted her eyes.
And left.
Randell would have screamed.
If he had had any human left. This last blow was cemented as cold hard calculating anger. He was wrong. There was no hope.
Not for him and not for humanity.
Two: A girl he had never met. She pulled herself from the corner of the room and
passed Jaumet giving him an expectant look. He nodded.
Three: Jaumet.
“I’m staying.” And Randell almost believed.
Nihilistic Porcupine 