For those involved without freak powers, they had their own separate hearing. Zane could tell from the small number of them that they had gathered that the freaks were more important in the case.

Among the group , only five had been called to testify due to their names being mentioned during interviews. In addition to Zane, the others included Hanna, Nelson, Yara, and Mark.

While they had all provided brief statements to the police—like most had—he knew something was going on when the courtroom door suddenly burst open before the hearing even started.

"One of the freaks retrieved information," someone panicked.

All five of them just stared at each other with furrowed eyebrows. One lawyer stepped forward to over to speak to the person who had panicked.

The question on his mind was: who had information that they could exploit? Scarlett or Greyson? No, both had been slowly changing, but one person popped into his head.

"The crackheads," Zane said.

"Excuse the interruption," the lawyer named Brock said.

Their own lawyer had told them that it's mainly about what jobs you did and what you did during that time.

The police had been asking questions about what happened that day or about who caused the conflict. All five of them would be the most charged out of any of them, unless they did side charges for those less involved.

It's not even much of a court hearing, but a discussion on what led to Simcoe becoming ash. It's all to pass the blame on them for the ruins of everything that has happened.

"We'd like to call up Zane Wilson," Brock called.

He approached wooden stand. The courtroom felt smaller than expected; there were fewer spectators and jurors, that almost seemed like a practice.

Brock began his questioning with a direct approach. "Zane, many people recognize you as someone who stepped during the challenging times, particularly for your contributions to the fire department. Could you elaborate on the certain duties when providing assistance?"

"I used the firehose when houses or buildings caught fire when we had electricity. I'd give resources like blankets and pillows to the daycare when it was still there," Zane admitted.

In the beginning, he had been the head of the fire department, but things started to change when Jason stepped down. He then led things through, like creating the trenches, putting together the best groups, and implementing regulations.

"So, you are admitting that you have used belongings from people's homes without even knowing whose they were?" Brock inquired.

"I've admitted it because if I hadn't, we'd be burned to death by snow or fires. I've carried bodies to be buried or dug trenches so people could stay warm when we were staring death in the face. There was a lot of blood, lungs, intestines, and urine to dump out as well."

People in the small crowd looked sick talking about the illness. Inflammatory Death could have killed him, but he was one of the lucky survivors. Even if it had been difficult fighting through everything, he had been the one person they would turn to for advice.

"And this happened was the storm your peers have mentioned?" Brock probed further.

Zane nodded his head. "I'll admit I've had to make cement blocks to block large holes that killed many children."

"Many of you were found to be driving underage, as the legal driving age in Canada is sixteen, but only when accompanied by an adult. We've also received reports about gun use among youth and have obtained photographs documenting some incidents."

At that moment, a television screen was rolled into view as Brock tapped the screen. It flickered to life, displaying an image of Eden holding a gun and her innocent smile.

Brock then pulled up a video recording capturing the deadly fight between Ashley, Divina, and Cassandra occurred. The footage showed as the three burned brightly in the sky while zooming in on those holding weapons on the ground.

"I've had to bury many who were shot. If we didn't have weapons, most of us would be dead," Zane said.

"That's all," Brock said, turning off the television.

He knew this court hearing would be short compared to the ones with the freaks, where it could go on for ages with it all looping back to Ashley, Divina, and the substance.

If Bella hadn't been the sacrifice, she'd be talking about everything at Uden or what happened with Eden that sent her to isolation. Many would be here, but sacrifices had to be made for them all.

"I'd like to call Hanna Bevan," Brock announced.

Hanna rose gracefully from her seat, as she approached the the stand. She fixed her gaze on Brock, wearing a flat expression. She didn't seem impressed with how everything was going or even Brock's behaviour as a lawyer.

"Hanna," Brock began. "You didn't start helping until later on when the storm started. What types of jobs did you have to do?" Brock asked.

"I gave medication and helped with the burns," Hanna replied. "There were some things I couldn't help, such as one girl going through drug withdrawals."

Ilya was struggling through drug withdrawals, which is why she constantly went to the infirmary. Nobody knew how to help someone because they weren't nurses. Emma couldn't magically heal her, and refusing drugs didn't work due to a drug dealer roaming.

"Where did all this medication come from?" Brock asked.

"Not a clue. They had mainly been there when I arrived, maybe from the pharmacy or homes," Hanna said.

Brock looked suspiciously at her, as if she had admitted to murder. Hanna would have been one who wouldn't have broken a law, unless they counted using cold medication as drugs.

"We've been informed that you have ruled out an overdose from illegal drugs. Do you know how Ilya came into possession of those substances?" Brock inquired.

Nobody knew except the crackhead herself who has illegal drugs. One whose mind lived in space but could get away with a crime with ease.

"I didn't until Zane told me after Ilya overdosed," Hanna stated.

The overdose cast a heavy shadow over the daycare, affecting not only the children but those who volunteered there. It was dangerous, but Layla got them and overdosed just like Ilya.

Zane didn't know if Ilya's death was a suicide, but he assumed it was not due to her drug addiction. It's a dark topic, and they shouldn't have had to learn from how young all of them were.

Then again, Mia knew about drug smuggling when she was just twelve years old. While people understood the dangers with drugs, once someone fell into the grip on addiction, it was hard to get out.

"We conducted some research on the drug, and it ended up being Xanax," Brock implied.

Rumours circulated that Mia was a drug dealer, but Zane assumed she didn't take the drugs but used them for money. If she buys and deals, she'd know a wide range of what she could give.

Zane watched Hanna keep her gaze steady. "You'd have to ask whoever dealt them about the drugs. I wasn't the seller," she said.

Brock leaned forward, his eyebrows raised. "Yes, but did you have any interactions with Mia Ortiz giving the infirmary drugs?"

Hanna shook her head. Zane knew she wasn't lying. Mia never stepped foot in the infirmary unless it was to see Bryce.

"No. Mia never gave anything to the infirmary. Everyone knew her drugs could be lethal," she finished.

Brock nodded with a sly grin before tripping backwards.

"Mr. Ross, are you okay?" the female judge asked.

Zane knew it wasn't pure tiredness that caused him to trip. He had seen him drinking coffee before this whole thing started and looked wide awake.

"Why's everything spinning?" Brock mumbled, gripping the wooden table for support.

Was his ambush on Hanna motivated by Mia's drugs? Zane knew that Mia's drugs had been burned in the fire at Uden, but she can be rationally smart when it comes to drugs.

Brock then collapsed to the ground, his cup of coffee spilling across the polished table. People from the small crowd panicked while someone called an ambulance.

"There's a drug in his coffee," someone said.

Well, Zane never expected someone in a courtroom to be drugged.

"Let's take a break," the judge called.

Zane followed the others out into the hallway, his eyes glued to the chaos inside the courtroom. Paramedics moved quickly over Brock, and a cold sense of disbelief ran through him.

"I bet he got drugs from Mia," Hanna whispered. "He keeps asking about her, but I don't know anything."

His gaze drifted toward the freaks' group returning from break. Jason's knitted eyebrows made Zane wonder if the supernatural kids even noticed the lawyer's collapse.

"You guys are already on your break?" Jason asked.

"The one lawyer passed out from drugs," Yara said.

"I had someone ask me what some drug did, but I lied," Mia whispered with a laugh. "They were sleep medications that Eden used on the housewife."

"Did you sell them?" Zane asked.

"Nope, but I know drugs like a dictionary," Mia breezed.

"They finished some statements, but adults are tense. Eden kept that hospital information about Ashley, and they are all stressed," Jason said.

Zane watched Mia stumble back over to Eden, who was wearing handcuffs.

"Doesn't that get us a breakthrough? It basically admits none of this was our fault," Nelson said.

"They are having Bella's mom speak next. Nevaeh is basically hearing everything, which is that they definitely want Greyson and me charged, along with the crackheads," Jason sighed.

"I thought they had to decide as one big group who is and isn't facing charges?" Yara inquired.

"It's about what they admit for damage, but we'd have to pay millions for all the destruction in Simcoe," Zane stated.

"Highlighter, our trial isn't over yet," Bryce called out.

They watched as River stiffly walked in the opposite direction of where the freak courtroom was located.

"They want to hold my court hearing," he trembled.

Were they even allowed to pull someone out of a court hearing for another one?

"Get the money so we can go to Dairy Queen afterwards!" Mia exclaimed.

They would be one court hearing worse than the freaks and the helpers. Zane knew that openly discussing dead bodies was a different field than revealing trauma.

River was going against his own mother because Cassandra had uploaded a memory to the police officers, which they vividly saw in their minds.

"I hope he'll be okay. He's probably one of the most talked about as well," Yara said sadly.

Their lawyer approached them and informed them that it was okay to go back in. There wouldn't be anything more eventful that Zane could think of, unless they admit that it's the pharmacy's fault in Simcoe.

As they walked back in, they noticed a different lawyer instead of Brock. Zane assumed they didn't have time to start an investigation but put it on using drugs.

"We'll start where we left off," the judge stated.

Zane wasn't sure if it would get them anywhere other than information about charges and jail time.

River sat outside the courtroom with a male lawyer named Louis. He was one of Cecile's previous lawyers in the past, but he had either left or been fired. River didn't know the details, but he knew that Louis wanted to help him fight.

This wasn't a case that could be settled with money, as some people claimed that the vivid memory was a result of Cassandra's abilities. That's why he saw some of the police officers from that day, but his body still shook with fear.

"River, I understand that this is a very stressful situation for you. You'll need to explain what happened and any other signs of abuse or unusual behaviour from your mother," Louis explained.

River's chest felt like it was being squeezed. This wasn't just stress that—it was pure terror. He buried his face in his hands, bouncing his knee so fast it felt like it might shake right off.

Every memory from those days came flooding back, when his eating disorder had taken control of him.

He had managed to overcome it when Cecile was gone, but she had warned him not to eat large portions of junk food. She had also sexually assaulted him while she was intoxicated, leaving him trembling and crying.

As the doors to the courtroom opened, River looked up. Despite gaining trust from others and finding the love he needed, he was still scared.

He slowly stood up, but his legs felt weak and shaky, as he looked around at Cecile's staff, some of whom he remembered and others whom he didn't know.

When he saw Cecile, she had a cold glare on her face as he collapsed back onto his chair. She was wearing handcuffs, even though she hadn't been arrested.

Nevaeh's father was also present, along with some fashion designers or former models.

"All rise!" the male judge called out.

River had to use the table to support himself as he stood up. Being in the courtroom for the freaks' trial was stressful enough, but here he just wanted to hide away.

"You may be seated," the judge said.

River continued to bounce his leg under the table. Each tap of the foot felt like a tiny countdown to the nightmare he feared reliving. He wanted Cecile to be held accountable, but a part of him wished he could vanish, hide from the memories clawing back at him.

He was a child who could be handed millions of dollars with at least four houses from different areas. The cottage, a mansion in Toronto, and two beach houses in Hawaii and Cuba. There were even jets, airplanes, and limos that could be handed to someone who hated modelling.

"We are here today for the case of Cecile Dunlop and claims of sexual assault and child abuse against her son," the judge began.

Cecile's lawyer, Tori, stood up. River knew her; she had been one of the people who had been intoxicated at the afterparty at cottage on the night of the assault.

"We would like to call River Dunlop to the stand," Tori said, causing River's eyes to widened. He wobbled as he stood up, avoiding eye contact with her until he reached the stand. "River, we want to know what you remember from that night at the summer party when that incident happened."

"There were a lot of people drunk after a celebration at some show in Toronto. I remember having cake because it was my birthday the next day, on June 8th. There was dancing and snacks mainly," he said, but his mind was elsewhere.

Each word dragged him back to that night—the muffled laughter, the smell of alcohol, the sudden weight of Cecile on him.

"People mentioned seeing you leave with your mother. Was that because you were feeling exhausted?" Tori asked.

River's hands trembled uncontrollably. He clenched them in his lap, trying to push down the panic rising in his chest. Memories clawed forward: her warning about food, the sneer in her eyes, the helplessness he felt.

"Some staff told me to bring Cecile to her room because she vomited," he admitted, his voice tight.

"What happened after that?" Tori pressed.

River's heart raced as he pressed his lips together, struggling to find the will to speak.

His hands shook as he gripped the edges of the stand. "I... I brought her to her room, but..." His voice faltered.

He closed his eyes, trying to steady himself, but the images flooded back anyway.

He swallowed hard, tears stinging his eyes. "She... she pinned me against the wall. My arms were over my head, and when I asked her what she was doing... she didn't answer..."

River's chest heaved as he pressed his lips together, trying to stop the sob that threatened to escape. Every detail buried for so long clawed its way to the surface.

"Then... she started removing my clothes and..." he whispered, shaking his head, unable to continue.

Tears streamed down his cheeks because it was all scarring. The bubble had memories that were haunting, but the sexual assault broke something inside of him.

"Your honour, I think that's enough from him," Louis called.

"We'll answer more questions later," Tori said.

He wobbly stood and rubbed his hands over his face. When he sat, he put his face on the table because it was all so vivid.

Was Tori doing that on purpose, or did she want Cecile behind bars? He could barely deal with a girl poking him when everything started because of what his mother did.

"I would like to call Roger Bolton to the stand," Louis announced."Roger, word is it true that you were one of those who claimed the entire memory as your own from Cassandra Newman-Russell?" Louis inquired.

It was believed Cassandra had somehow used Nevaeh's ability of mind reading, combined with her own power, to implant the truth into the minds of police officers.

"Every detail that River has described, but much more explicit," Roger confirmed.

"Would you consider the memory you obtained to be a form of sexual assault?" Louis probed.

"I have conducted numerous investigations into sexual assault, and based on what Cassandra uploaded, it aligns with River's accounts," Roger replied."It appears that they were in the master bedroom of the cottage before she pinned him against the wall and continued with the rest."

"Thank you," Louis acknowledged.

River's body still trembled as he feared what false evidence that they maybe have against him. He suspected that they edited pictures that showed lies instead of the truths he told.

"I would now like to call up Joyce Walters to the stand," Tori announced.

River knew who Joyce was. It was one of Cecile's models who would lie out of any problem. She had even lied about knowing the truth about his eating disorder in order to protect Cecile's reputation, not his safety.

"Joyce, were you aware of any abuse towards Cecile's son?" Tori questioned.

"Cecile always acted kind to her son whenever I saw them together," Joyce responded.

River looked down at the brown table, knowing that it was all an act. In public, Cecile had to appear as a loving parent and devoted parent, but behind closed doors, it was the opposite.

"And at the party before the incident happened, did you witness Cecile getting drunk?" Tori continued.

River remembered from that party that Joyce and Cecile were in the kitchen, laughing and taking shots of vodka together.

"No, I don't," Joyce said.

"If I may, Joyce," Louis started. "People at the party claimed you were doing vodka shots with Cecile in the kitchen. Is this true?"

"Yes, but I was only a little tipsy," Joyce admitted.

River remembered her passing out on the kitchen floor and their maid having to guide her to the downstairs bedroom.

"Thank you," Tori said.

"I'd like to call Nick Wincliff," Louis said.

River recalled that Nick was their technology guy for the house. This included updating televisions and other devices to the latest version.

Louis pressed a button on the television beside him, and the screen flickered to life. The footage was grainy, black and white, taken from the corner of the room far from view.

River's stomach dropped as he stared at the screen, every muscle tense.

"Nick, you are often the one who provides video cameras for the house and rooms for security, right?" Louis asked.

"Yes, I make sure that all rooms are safe, and I catch any videos or pictures if anything suspicious happens," Nick confirmed.

"Nick has provided a security tape he found during that week to check if anything suspicious happened," Louis explained as he pressed for the tape to start. "We are keeping it muted."

River couldn't stop staring at the table as he saw himself in the room, guiding Cecile inside. He shut his eyes, not wanting to watch the video, but knowing that others needed to see it.

One thought then crossed his mind: were the security cameras on during the bubble? No, that couldn't be possible because they were taken down after that party strangely, and that's why Nick was fired. It all made sense— Cecile must have bribed him off to keep quiet. This video proved that River's side of the store was true.

Louis stopped the video and River slowly glanced up, looking away from the television. The room was filled with tension as the video was enough proof on its own.

"Why didn't you bring this to the police?" Louis inquired.

Nick took a deep breath before responding. "Cecile paid me not to report it because she knew I would discover the truth from the security cameras monitoring the rooms and houses," he explained.

"How much did she pay you?" Louis pressed.

"Fifty thousand dollars," Nick replied.

River stared in disbelief. That much money for a single video that exposed her crime. Wait, doesn't that mean that's a crime as well? He didn't know the laws, but wasn't it a crime covering up evidence?

"River, I'd like to ask you something," the judge started as he flinched and looked up. "Did you give your mother's consent to what she did?"

He shook his head with his eyes downcast. He didn't, because he couldn't. Even if he tried pushing her arms away or trying to get away, it didn't work. People are there to support and get Cecile out of this, but there is no way out of it.

The judge turned towards the jury, signalling for their verdict. "Jury, I'd like you to make your call."

Was it this quick? Isn't Cecile supposed to talk and hear her side, or have they made their decision because she's famous?

The jury foreman stood slowly, holding a crisp sheet of paper. River felt his chest tightened as all eyes turned toward the panel.

"We have reached a decision," the juror said, pausing.

River's hands trembled, and he gripped the edge of the table. His stomach churned.

"After careful consideration," the juror continued. "We find Cecile Dunlop guilty of sexual assault, child abuse, and the illegal distribution of hush money."

River felt a strange mix of relief and disbelief. His legs gave out slightly, and he pressed his palms to his face, trying to hold back tears. This was real. It wasn't a dream.

"Wait, I'm supposed to go on the stand!" Cecile exclaimed as she stood from her chair.

Louise placed a hand on River's shoulder. "It's over," he said. "You're safe now."

River nodded, but couldn't speak. The courtroom seemed to fade around him as he tried to process what had happened. After months of fear and nightmares, Cecile had been held accountable.

Louis cleared his throat. "Because of the conviction, the law dictates that Cecile's possessions and assets will now be transferred to you."

"But... I'm only fifteen," River whispered.

He thought Mia was lying when she claimed he would inherit all of his mother's money. Then again, the crackheads knew the law backwards, and they can be smart when they want to be.

Louis nodded. "Yes, there will be restrictions. You won't be able to drive the cars yet, or use some assets freely, but legally, everything she owned is yours."

River's gaze fell to the credit care Louis handed him. His name glimmered on it. Millions of dollars, homes, vehicles—everything. The weight of it all made him dizzy.

For a moment, he didn't feel excitement or greed—just a hollow shock.

Slowly, he slid the card in his pocket. This wasn't about luxury. It was about freedom. For the first time in years, he could breathe. He could make choices for himself, and even think about helping others, like he planned.

"What about Cecile's fashion line?" River asked.

"You can either own the company or do whatever you want with it," Louis said.

They slowly walked out of the courtroom, but he could care less about his mother's fashion line.

"I don't want it," River said, voice trembling. "Just... get rid of it."

He didn't need that stain anymore because she had lied her way through the years about everything. He was forced to do that modelling, which did include starving himself at times because of it.

"Okay, I'll call some people. Was there anything else you'd like to know?" Louis asked.

"Am I allowed to put a proposal to build condos?" River inquired. "I want to do something for those that don't have parents coming to get them. I want to do this because they helped me in there."

It was a plan he had in mind that Nevaeh helped him with. So many people have helped him when he thought he couldn't trust anyone.

Louis brushed a hand through his black hair, searching in thought. "We would need to talk to potential investors before moving forward," he said. "It's important that you don't use it carelessly. Plus, it's about the court's decision with your friends for charges."

River knew he could still face charges for Simcoe's destruction, but he had money. He didn't want to spend it carelessly on buying cool cars or fancy clothes, but on other things.

"You should get back to your hearing," Louis said.

River nodded, turned, and felt tears stream down his cheeks because it was really true this time. Cecile was going to be gone for good. She wouldn't be yelling at him, scolding him for the eating disorder, or criticizing him.

When he pushed open the one door to the courtroom, he spotted Nevaeh on the stand. Her frown cracked into a smirk as the people stared. He brushed his tears away, holding up the card.

"Way to go, Highlighter! Everyone cheer!" Mia exclaimed loudly.

Nobody clapped, but Will just started laughing as most seemed shocked.

River quickly walked over, wiping his face and sliding the debit card into his pocket. Nevaeh climbed down from the stand to see Bella's mother walking up to answer the looming questions and tell the truth.

If there were charges, he could pay them off. They were so rich that even the whole destruction of the Simcoe would be little compared to their money. Yet he wanted to be a regular teenager who'd go to fast food places or return the favour to those that helped him through everything. That's why he wants to build condos for the people who won't be coming to get them or for those who don't want to live with their parents.

All of it felt unreal, like a dream. His mother, who led him to an eating disorder or a crime that challenged most of his behaviour, is going to be behind bars.

How was this all real? It was dreams he had since the assault that left him trembling, and he feared facing Cecile when he modelled.

"You did it," Cindy whispered in his ear. He looked at her with a nod. Everything that he wanted had finally come true.

Our Highlighter got the justice he needed!

Did you think Bella's mother will admit the truth about the substance?