Byrne's words came too suddenly. It took several seconds for the others present to react. With a collective snap, everyone's gaze focused on Juan.
"Didn't Juan say she was watching the convenience store the whole time on the day of the fire?" Georgia asked in surprise.
To her, Juan had always been quiet and calm. Compared to the aggressive Alex or the suspicious-looking Lei, she really didn't seem like the type to commit arson. Consequently, in Georgia's mind, Juan's suspicion had always been the lowest.
Alex crossed his arms, sizing up Juan as he speculated, "Her convenience store is three streets away from the Red Maple Theater. That day was a Saturday, so there should have been more shoppers than usual. If she didn't hire help, she wouldn't have had the time to commit the crime unless she closed the shop early."
Facing the scrutinizing eyes of the group, Juan defended herself. "Byrne, don't throw baseless accusations. I really was in the shop all day. From opening at seven in the morning until closing late that night, I never left once."
"Oh, really?" Byrne leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. "On the day of the fire, specifically within the hour before and after the fire started, you really stayed in the shop the entire time and never left?"
Juan's shoulders gave a nearly imperceptible tremor. Her hands at her sides clenched quietly, but she remained steady as she spoke. "Of course. It was Saturday; I was so busy I didn't have time to go out, let alone to the Red Maple Theater."
Her voice was raised slightly, but to Byrne , it seemed like she was covering up her guilt.
"During the initial inquiry, I mentioned that on the day of the fire, I was taking over a renovation design project for a teahouse in the Old District. Unfortunately, that teahouse is also in Jinyun Alley. On the following Monday, when I went to the site, the teahouse owner mentioned something to me. He said that during construction at 6:30 PM the previous Saturday, they accidentally broke the underground water pipe of the convenience store next door."
"After the pipe was fixed, the teahouse owner went over to apologize. What he saw wasn't the proprietress, but a temporary worker filling in for a shift. The teahouse owner went back, intending to wait for the proprietress to return, but later he got busy and forgot about the apology. At first, I couldn't be sure the convenience store the owner mentioned was yours. It wasn't until the most recent inquiry, when you named your shop 'Jinxin Supermarket,' that I confirmed the proprietress the owner spoke of was you."
Juan's body swayed, and her entire face turned deep red. Then, her eyes widened as she shouted at Byrne:
"You're lying! I didn't hire any temporary worker! I was in the shop the whole time that day; the teahouse owner must have remembered it wrong!"
Though she shouted loudly, her defense sounded hollow. Byrne raised an eyebrow and mocked her. "What a coincidence. It wasn't just the teahouse owner; the renovation crew saw the temporary worker too. Did all those people remember it wrong?"
"I didn't commit arson... I just had to go out for a while that day and found someone to cover the shift." Juan's defense began to crumble. Her voice dropped sharply, carrying a sob, and her previous composure vanished. She gripped the hem of her clothes, her fingertips trembling incessantly. Tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back. She knew that admitting she had left the convenience store was equivalent to confirming she had the time to commit the crime.
Larry questioned her, "If you went out for something, why didn't you say so during the questioning? Why wait until now?" Clearly, Juan's explanation lacked any credibility.
"I was afraid you would suspect me if I said it, so I didn't dare. I only went out for personal business." Juan's words were hesitant, growing quieter and quieter until her voice disappeared entirely.
Tyrone pushed up his glasses and sneered. "Heh. What kind of 'personal business' could be more important than proving your innocence? Or perhaps your personal business was going to the Red Maple Theater to set a fire?"
"No! That's not it!" Juan snapped her head up, her face covered in tear tracks and her eyes bloodshot. "I didn't want to commit arson! I just wanted to burn some things..."
Perhaps driven to a corner, or perhaps through a slip of the tongue in her haste, Juan finally spoke the truth. The moment the words left her mouth, she reacted and covered her mouth with her hands. Unfortunately, she was a step too late. Her final words had been heard by everyone else.
Simultaneously, the sand in the hourglass on the dining table ran out. The banquet hall was dead silent as everyone looked at Juan. There was shock, certainty, and a faint, imperceptible trace of relief. Finally, the real arsonist had been found.
Juan slowly lowered her hands from her mouth. Her tears finally broke through, rolling down her cheeks and hitting her skirt, leaving small wet stains. Her shoulders shook violently. Her originally elegant and calm demeanor had completely collapsed, leaving only deep-seated regret and fear.
"Time is up. Now we enter the voting phase. Choose one arsonist."
As Baron Blackmist's voice fell, a voting device appeared in front of everyone. By this point, even the slowest person knew who to choose. The result was no surprise: everyone except Juan herself voted for her.
With a wave of the Baron's right hand, all the voting devices vanished. "Juan, 6 votes. Byrne Byrne, 1 vote. According to the rules, the majority vote stands. The choice is correct."
Immediately after, a faint black mist rose around Juan. This mist didn't possess the aggressiveness of the mist that had devoured others previously; instead, it acted like shackles, binding her firmly to her chair. She didn't struggle; she simply sat there, paralyzed, and wept. Clearly, her heart had turned to ash.
Baron Blackmist let out a snort and pointed his cane at Juan. The black mist around her tightened abruptly, enveloping her entirely. As the mist grew denser, Juan's figure gradually became transparent. Finally, she transformed into a sliver of pale grey light and was slowly drawn into the Soul-Devouring Pot.
"The sweetness of greed, the bitterness of stubbornness, and finally the salt of regret. Today's Soul Banquet has been exceptionally satisfying." Baron Blackmist's red-glowing eyes swept over the six survivors. "Since the arsonist has been found, according to the rules, you may leave the Red Maple Theater safely."
The wall lamps on both sides of the banquet hall flickered to life. The areas previously swallowed by darkness were restored to light. The glow from the crystal chandelier spilled onto the long table; the eerie plates and utensils had already vanished, as if the bizarre banquet had never occurred.
The six rose one after another and walked toward the doors of the banquet hall.
Fifteen minutes later, Byrne walked alone on the streets of the Old District. The experience at the Red Maple Theater felt like a nightmare, yet it was undeniably real. He looked back at the theater; the building stood silently in the night. He withdrew his gaze and turned toward the Bluestone Community.
The curtain had fallen on the blood-colored banquet at the Red Maple Theater. For David Byrne, the Rule Ghost Stories had only just begun.
Half an hour later, Byrne arrived home. As soon as he entered, he noticed a paper box had appeared on the shoe cabinet by the entrance again. This time, the box wasn't pure black; instead, it looked more like a birthday gift box. Byrne walked closer and saw a sticky note on the lid with four words written on it:
A Gift of the Rules.