A strange tension spread through the courtroom.
The girl continued walking as if nothing had happened.
Her eyes never looked at the crowd.
They were fixed on the judge.
For the first time in decades, Richard Hawthorne felt a chill crawl down his spine.
She climbed the steps leading to the judge’s bench and stopped directly in front of him. She was so small that only the top of her head was visible over the wooden desk.
The judge’s hand trembled slightly as he held the gavel.
Without speaking, the girl slowly reached up and touched the center of his forehead.
The moment her fingers made contact, Richard felt something explode inside his mind.
It was as if a bright light had suddenly illuminated every dark corner of his memory.
“May I read your thoughts?” the girl asked gently.
Her soft voice echoed through the silent courtroom.
“You’ve been hiding the truth for a very long time.”
Richard tried to pull away, but he couldn’t move.
“Y-you don’t know anything,” he stammered, his voice no longer confident.
The girl blinked calmly.