SINNER

The first thing Kain noticed when he woke up was the headache. Splitting pain radiated throughout his head, making it feel like there was a wedge pressing against the back of his head. “Ughh…” Kain got up, rubbing the back of his head. “What…where…” Kain looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was in a soft bed propped up on a metal stretcher. A white curtain obscured the rest of the room, but from what he could see the roof was made up of dark wood, the walls a white tile. “Good, you're awake.” Kain snapped his head toward the voice. It was the girl from last night sitting on a stool, her arms crossed with a disapproving look on her face. “Wait…you hit me!” Kain tried to sit up, but fell back down clutching his head. “Yes, and you were planning to kill us. There was no other way to act without eliminating you.” Kain remembered the events of last night and what he had tried to do. He blinked his eyes in disbelief. Had he really tried to kill these people? A dark thought raced across his mind. He was going to kill them to take their memories. To get closer to finding out who he was. Kain looked at the girl. “Yes, I was going to kill you.” She looked taken aback due to the blatant confession of murderous intent. “Well, at least you’re honest.” Kain put a hand over his face. “Who am I?” The girl raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” Kain looked at her, tiredness in his eyes. “You said you knew what I am, so who am I?” The girl looked at Kain. “So you really don’t remember anything? Then why is someone like you here if you weren’t ordered by the Doc to be here?” Kain smiled weakly. “Well, I came here with the only two people I trust to help find out who I am. One says she knows me. Her name is Celina.” Kain turned over in the bed to look at the girl. “She can’t tell me though, because she says that they would have an excuse to kill me and her.” The girl looked at Kain curiously. “Celina, as in the child of House Kindness?” Kain nodded. “I know, surprising right?” The girl sighed. “Well, if it helps, I’ll tell you all about us. Maybe you’ll find some info you're looking for in my story.” The girl looked away. “My earliest memory is being jabbed with something. I was only four at the time. The rest is a blur, I was being run though tests, experiments, and trials. When I was eight, I was put into a cage inside a room. There were others like me, although I couldn’t see them. For a while, it was just me and the boy across from me, two cells down. He said he’s been there the longest, but he was never lonely. He had a friend, a girl with blonde hair, who would always come to visit him on the other side of the cage. And like he said, she was there like clockwork. Every day she would come sit down in front of his cage and talk to him for hours. Then after a while, the others came. Finally, there were seven. Elais was put across from me, that’s how I knew him so well. When we were twelve, they started to take the boy that I first talked to. Multiple times a day they came and dragged him out. I didn’t know why they did anything too us, but they just ignored us and went for him all the time. A year later, the Doc came. He said he was going to rescue us, and that he did. All seven of us broke out. We ran and ran, but it wasn’t enough. The boy was taken in the escape. Even now the Doc still feels guilty about that. He said that they would never let him go, he was the perfect experiment. We have been living with the Doc ever since, doing the best we can to locate that boy. Once we’re all together, the Doc says he can start his plan to set us free. Set every one free. We came to this Academy for the chance that he might be here. That’s my story.” Kain looked at the girl, who now had tears running down from her face. “Then why did you call me a Sinner?” The girl looked at Kain. “That’s what they made us to be. Sinners. We don’t have Virtues like the others, we have Sins. We’re cursed, not blessed. I called you a Sinner because I think you are that boy that was lost all those years ago. I think we finally found you.” Kain widened his eyes. Was he finally getting close to finding out who he was? If she was not lying, the Doc would most likely have information on him. He wouldn’t have to wait at this Academy for the safety of a new rank, but he could find out as soon as he met this Doc. Kain sat up quickly ignoring the pain in his head. “When can I meet Doc?” The girl was about to answer, but the sound of a door opening could be heard. The curtain was drawn back to reveal a woman with long black hair and a clipboard. She had bags under her eyes, and her uniform, which was a white button up showing a red cross on the right breast, was disheveled. “Kain, was it?” The woman leaned against the wall and yawned. “I’m the resident Nurse here at the Academy. I treated you and Sarah’s wounds last night. Anyway, you seem well enough to attend Orientation. Now get up, it starts in thirty minutes. I left your uniform folded on the desk over there. And you,” She pointed at who was presumably Sarah with a pen. “Go ahead and head over to Orientation.” Sarah nodded and stood up, thanking the Nurse. She looked over at Kain and said, “We’ll continue our talk with Elais at Orientation. Any questions you have, I’ll answer them.” Kain nodded, and Sarah briskly walked out of the room. “Well that’s that, I guess.” The Nurse walked over to the stool and propped it against the wall. “Now come here, I’ll treat your headache." Kain stood up from the bed, clutching his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t fix that right there. I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any permanent damage before I just healed the surface.” She walked over and roughly grabbed Kain’s head with her hands. “Ow, hey!” “Oh stop complaining.” Suddenly a warm feeling enveloped his head. The pain from the headache was slowly fading away. When she was done, the Nurse backed away and headed for the door. “Now throw your clothes on and get going. Hurry, I’ll be yelled at if you’re late.” She stopped by the door and grabbed a block of wood that rested in a basket. A loud crack resounded, and the Nurse threw the pieces into the trash. Without another word, she left and closed the door.

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Kain did not like his new uniform. The blazer was too stiff, the tie too tight. It seemed to him that all fancy clothes were inherently uncomfortable, and he wondered why anybody actually wanted to wear them. Also, Kain was lost. He looked around for anything that might give him a sense of direction, but all there were was fancy looking hallways and doors that led to classrooms. He hurried down a flight of stairs. How long had he been wandering about? He needed to get to Orientation…whatever that was. Finally he came across a set of large double doors. Kain rushed to them, hoping they would at least get him to where he needed to go. Kain pushed on them, hopeful. Alas, his hopes were dashed as he saw an empty courtyard in front of him. He grumbled and sat down on some stairs. “Seriously, this place is too big…” A voice sounded from behind him. “First day and already skipping? Kids these days.” Kain turned to see a familiar face, the Nurse who had helped him earlier. She leaned against the wall, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. “No, I’m–” “You're lost, aren't you? Ugh, I guess it can’t be helped.” The Nurse sighed, her face showing an annoyed expression “Come on, I’ll show you the way. I was hoping I could skip, but I guess life had other plans.” Kain stood up ready to follow her. “Didn’t you just look down on me for trying to skip?” The Nurse stiffened and looked away guiltily. “Shut up and follow me. Kids these days…” She plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and threw it at Kain. “Hey!” She chuckled a bit, then straightened up. After a while of walking, the Nurse led him to a large hallway, a room resounding with music at the end of it. “Alright, we’re here.” The Nurse leaned against the wall. “I’ll just stay here, they don’t need me over there anyway…” Kain looked at her, exasperated. Sighing, he walked down the hallway. Eventually he got to a large open room with many students walking and talking, classical music resonating through every corner. There were tables presenting food and drink, and at the very end of the room was a stage where the musicians played. He walked deeper into the party, looking for Sarah who promised him more answers to his questions. Kain swept the area, but there were just too many students there to make out any familiar faces. “Kain!” He turned to see Rika running toward him. Before he could greet her, she swept him up in a hug, jumping into his arms. “I’m so glad ya are okay! They took you away and said they weren’t gonna to hurt you, but wouldn’t let me come with ya. For a while there I thought they were gonna just throw ya into some supply closet or something.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Umm…Rika, you’re a little close…” Kain nervously looked at her. Her face grew crimson, and she pushed him away. “Idiot! Ya made it weird!” Kain sighed. If he knew Rika, responding now would get him nowhere. Rika composed herself, clearing her throat. “Well…I’m glad ya are okay and all.” Rika spied a table with some deserts on it. Her face brightened, seemingly forgetting the previous event. “Kain! Look!” She turned to him and smiled mischievously. “We need to eat them before someone else does! Hurry!” She tried to dash away, but Kain held the sleeve of her blazer. She turned to him, annoyed. “What?” “I need to find Sarah. Have you seen her anywhere?” Rika raised an eyebrow. “Whose Sarah?” “Remember the girl who knocked me out yesterday? That’s her.” Rika looked angry. “Oh, that girl. I don’t like her.” She closed her eyes and nodded her head. “I didn’t get a very good first impression and all, I mean, she knocked ya out and dragged ya away.” “Me either. Remember, they pressed a knife against your neck.” Rika winced and rubbed at her neck, almost as if the knife were still there. “Yeah, that too. Anyway, why do you want to see her?” Kain turned to look at Rika. “She said that she would answer some questions. Also, she thinks that she might know me. I could finally get some answers.” Rika nodded. “Okay, makes sense. But I’m coming with. If something happens, I gotta protect ya!” Rika held up her arm in a flex, hand on her bicep. Kain rolled his eyes. “Alright, sure you will.” Kain was met with a kick to the back in response. Kain’s search efforts yielded no rewards, as he could not find Sarah anywhere. It seemed Rika, however, had better luck. She pulled on his sleeve and pointed toward the corner of the room. “Over there, I think it’s them!” Kain turned to see where Rika was pointing. Sure enough, it was Sarah and Elais. They were talking to each other in hushed tones, separated from all the other merry students. “Come on, I wanna get this over with so I can eat some cake. Hurry!” Rika walked ahead quickly, causing Kain to jog in order to keep up. After weaving through the crowd, they finally reached the pair. Elais perked up when he saw Kain, stopping the whispering that he was doing with Sarah. “Kain! Sarah told me about your swift recovery! Glad you're okay!” Elais beamed a bright smile. “Yeah, thanks.” Kain waved away the concern. Sarah stepped forward, shoving Elais out of the way. “Let’s continue our discussion.” She looked over to Rika, who had her hands on her hips, suspiciously eyeing the two of them. “In private.” Kain nodded, then went over to Rika. “Stay here and keep an eye on Elais, make sure he doesn’t try anything.” Rika raised an eyebrow. “So ya don’t want me to come with ya?” Kain waved his hand nervously and looked away. “What? No! You’re the only one I can count on to do this job!” Kain clenched his fist in front of her. “C’mon! Teamwork makes the dream work!” Rika stared at him, deadpan. “Sure, whatever. If ya get kidnapped again, don’t come crying.” She sighed and went over to Elais, who was staring at the two with a confused expression. With that out of the way, Kain went back over to Sarah. “Seriously? Teamwork makes the dream work?” Kain looked away, embarrassed. “Well, I’d like to see you come up with something right off the bat!” Sarah just sighed. “Well, back to what we were talking about earlier. “You wanted to meet the Doc, right?” Kain nodded. “He might recognize me and give me some answers to who I was.” “Well, you won’t be able to meet him in person anytime soon, but I can arrange a message of sorts.” Kain looked puzzled. “Why not? Can’t we leave as soon as possible?” Sarah shook her head. “No, that won’t work.” “I thought your mission was just to find the last one of you. Didn’t you say that I am the one you all are looking for?” Sarah narrowed her eyes. “It’s not that simple. Yes, we were tasked to look for the seventh, but our primary mission is to gather intel at the Academy. The way they do things, their events, classes, and other things like that.” Kain looked at Sarah. It seemed she had got his hopes up for nothing. He really did think he would leave this place sooner, not having to wait for the answers he sought. “Don’t just stare at me like that. We have only been tasked with staying here for a year. Then we can leave this place and ask the Doc anything, alright?” Kain did not respond. He stared at her, stared into her eyes. Nothing could ever be simple for him. Wait to catch recognition, wait to the end of the year, it seemed waiting is all he ever did. It would be so easy to take the easy way out. Sarah trusted him now, and it seemed Elais followed suit in whatever Sarah did. If he could just catch one off guard, it would be possible. Rika would help him, too. Yes, his friend would help him. That was why he trusted her. Kain realized where he was. Snapping out of his reverie, he smiled at Sarah. “Yes, that sounds like a plan.” Sarah searched his face, seemingly looking for any hint of deception in his face. After a while, she smiled back at Kain. “With this out of the way, you should be fine to just stand by until the year at this place is up. Elais and I will do all the work.” Kain nodded and turned to walk back to Rika, who was awkwardly talking to Elais. “Kain, wait.” Kain turned back around to face Sarah. “We need to talk about one more thing.” Kain waited for her to continue, curious. “It’s about the power you used last night. Do you remember?” Kain thought back to last night. He did not think anything unusual, other than the fact that Rika was held at knife point and he was kidnapped, apparently. “How did you channel Wrath? The Doc said only one Sinner is supposed to have it, yet you channeled its power. How did you do that?" Kain furrowed his brow, thinking again back to last night. Then he remembered. The dark feeling of searing anger beneath his skin, the seething rage that overpowered him. That same rage caused him to fight back, but the event seemed like a blur. It was almost like the world was clouded with red. Sarah must have seen the recognition on his face, as she continued her previous thought. “That strength that you drew from, that was Wrath. It’s no surprise that you don’t remember, the anger that you feel when first drawing upon it clouds any other thought. I would know, after all.” Kain looked down at Sarah, wondering what she meant. “You and I, we are cursed with Sins. They are fundamentally different from the Virtues that all these people draw on.” She swept her arm over the crowd. “They’re more destructive and violent. They can hurt us, as well as other people.” Kain shook his head. “I’m not…’cursed’ with anything…” Kain stopped mid sentence. He recalled the conversation with Celina about the occurrence after he killed Marcus, the enforcer. She had said something about an ‘activation condition’, and other things regarding Kain’s experience. In the end, she had made him swear never to tell anyone about what had happened. This confirmed that Kain had actually done something out of the ordinary, not just hallucinated everything. That’s why he was banking on his mysterious ability for answers. If this was some sort of ‘curse’ like Sarah said he had, he would like to know more about it. “Don’t lie to yourself. You just channeled Wrath last night, which should have been impossible.” Sarah pointed at Kain. “Another way our Sins are different from their Virtues is that there are not a lot of them. I only know six personally, and not one of them has been able to draw on my power, or any others. The same goes for me.” Kain swallowed nervously. He did not know what she was saying, but it seemed momentous. “I am the only one to be cursed with Wrath. I can only use it, or was supposed to be the only one who could use it. So tell me, is there anything else that you have experienced similar to the feeling of Wrath?” Sarah looked at him. No, she was trying to look through him. Kain came to a dilemma. If she was telling the truth about the Sins and Curses, which Kain was sure she was, should he tell her about the incident with the enforcer? He could either find a way out of the conversation, effectively dodging the question, or he could come clean and hope she knows something about his ability. Kain decided to go for the ladder. After a detailed discussion about what Kain had experienced that day and how it changed his body since, Kain awaited Sarah’s response. She looked at him, troubled. “That’s…I’ve never heard of something like that among the six people I know. Although…” Sarah seemed to retreat back into herself, muttering under her breath. “What? You don’t know what that could be?” Sarah put a hand up to silence Kain, annoying him. After a while, Sarah spoke up. “If its not one of the six that we know…I think I might have the answer.” Sarah stared into Kain’s eyes. “This confirms it even more, you are the missing seventh. Kain, your curse is Gluttony, the Sinful Devourer.” Kain blinked. “Gluttony? What’s that?” Sarah lowered her voice, as not to be noticed by the others in the crowd around them. “It’s the opposite of Temperance, one of the seven Virtues that people draw from. Gluttony is consumption past the point of need or want. The nature of a Glutton is that of the abyss, never full, never being satiated. That is what the Doc told us, anyway. He doesn’t know the exact nature of the Sin of Gluttony like the other six due to the host being snatched away years ago, but I believe that power that you hold in you is the curse of Gluttony.” Kain nodded. Sarah again lost herself in thought. “But that doesn’t explain how you could use Wrath…” Kain grabbed Sarah’s shoulders, snapping her back to reality. “If what you say is true and I am cursed, how do I use it? I saw you moving faster than a person ever should last night. That was Wrath, right?” Sarah nodded and shrugged Kain’s hands off of her shoulders. “Yes, that was.” Kain looked at Sarah eagerly. “So teach me how to use it. You know it better than me, so it would only make sense. I need to have an edge against these people if I want to stay unnoticed here.” Kain looked pleadingly at Sarah. She sighed and put her head in her hand. “I don’t even know how you possess two curses at the same time.” Sarah looked back up at Kain. “But if you insist, I’ll show you all I know. It only makes sense.” Kain smiled at Sarah. He started to thank her, but it was interrupted by the crackling of a microphone. Every student turned to look up a the stage. Kain felt someone come up behind him. “Ya guys talked for quite a while, huh?” It was Rika, who had taken advantage of the beginning of the announcement to stop the conversation with Elais and walk back over to Kain. “It was important, and she wanted to talk alone.” Rika just stared at Kain disapprovingly. “So, did y’all go over what you needed to?” Elais went to stand by Sarah. “Yes, I’m sure he is the seventh. Let the Doc know.” Elais grumbled. “Why do I always have to do everything?” Sarah was about to form a retort, but was stopped by a annoyed “Shhhh!” coming from the crowd. “Look up there, isn’t that the announcer from the Garden?” Rika nudged Kain and whispered, pointing up at the stage. A familiar face stood up on the stage, a microphone in his hand. It was indeed the announcer from the previous Holy Selection held in the Garden. “Greetings, I hope everyone has been well this past day, and that you have found you’re dorms accommodating. Welcome to the first years Orientation event, where we tell you the guide to succeed in our fair Academy. I already see so many eager and bright faces in the crowd, and I implore you to keep that same attitude throughout your years here.” The announcer waved his arms over the crowd of students, almost as if welcoming them to a grand event. “My name is Berst, the headmaster of this Holy Establishment. My job is to guide you throughout your time here.” The announcer, Berst, suddenly gained a rather serious expression. “I will go ahead and say this. If you do not want to work for success, if you have ridden to success on money and power, and if you have had everything handed to you in life, leave. Now.” This bold declaration caused students to murmur throughout the crowd, but they were quickly silenced by the continuation of the speech. “This Academy has no room for waste of Virtue like you. If you are not those people,” Berst smiled. “Then once again, welcome. We will teach you greatness, power, and how to achieve success better than anyone could. Above all, we will show you the way of Virtue. We will show you how to be Holy!” Berst held his hands above his head in reverence, continuing his speech louder. “We will teach you perfection! We will teach you things your mind cannot comprehend!” The crowd of students began to cheer. Berst did not stop them, only walked around the stage and motioned to the crowd to cheer louder. Suddenly, he stopped. He held up his hands. The crowd went silent. Finally, he spoke. “So for the last time, welcome.” Berst stared out into the crowd. No, stared directly into the eyes of Kain. “Welcome to ascension.”

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