Reign of Sins

Know The Sins

TRINITY HIGH IS LOCATED in Zone 13 of the Void. This zone is a new project of the Void for the new citizens. The place is more industrialized. New establishments are built here. Even though it was only established three years ago, this school is already grand. It is like a massive palace from Ancient Europe. This school caters to students from elementary to high school. On the other hand, D University accepts college students.

“Sir Chase!” Flustered by my sudden arrival, the guard immediately opened the driveway for me.

It has always been like this. Either they recoil from my presence, or they run from it. 

I take my sweet time as I trudge into the school. Glancing at my watch as I walked along the eight-columned halls, my footsteps echoed around.

Teachers talking with each other and students giggling welcomed me as soon as I took the turn on the nearest right corner of the hallway I was trudging a moment ago. As I walked deeper, a couple of gazes shifted at me, and I could not blame them. Who will not stare at the abomination that I am? If only I could use a mask to his the marks that the Void had given me, but no. Even that cannot be tolerated. Indeed, loyalty is a shackle to one’s freedom – to some extent.

 I can feel them staring at me, so I turn in the opposite direction. I use one of the benches nearest to a lavish column as it perfectly hides my silhouette.

Trinity High is peaceful, and I want to say that this is just a regular school since it looks like one. But who am I kidding?

This school offers the Night Shift explicitly. If academics are taught in the morning, as soon as dusk comes, the special and limited class will immerse – the Art of Warcraft. The Void built this school to train students to be potential assets of the Void. Children with talents have additional Night Shift classes as early as five years old. 

As I wander my gaze, I learn the essential things about Trinity High.

All students wear pants no matter their age. Boys wear white polo with a red striped vest and a tie, while girls have a white blouse paired with a blue striped vest. Although, I expected a little bit of skin for the girl since I know damn well who designed the uniform. Siren’s smirking face popped inside my head, my teammate.

I am about to head to the Faculty Room when the humungous Grandfather’s Clock, situated at the apex of the school, chimes. Its echoes resonate at every nook and cranny of Trinity High, shaking the stale air of the school. Upon hearing the noise, like a reaction from a colony of ants, students scatter around like bees as they go to their respective classes. 

Curious, I follow a group of teenagers - entering their room under their senses before deciding to sit at the farthest seat at the back. I want to observe the classroom’s everyday set-up.

There’s nothing really weird about what they’re doing.

Students laugh, flirt, fight, talk, sleep, and read. The ambiance is calm until the assigned teacher, whom I know, comes in. The teacher glides with confidence and warning like a predator amid an omnivore’s herd. When he nods in my direction, I offer the same courtesy. 

Frankenstein, better known here as Sir Frank, is the Mathematics teacher of this school. But I know him as an underground fighter from Sector VI, which I used to overlook.

Half an hour passed when I decided to visit the Faculty Office. I am about to stand from my seat when the door opens.

The atmosphere shifts and everyone stops talking. 

Even I, a Phoenix member, am confused because of their reaction. Someone even falls off his chair while someone drops a pen. Mainly, the students bow their heads – cowering in fear from the newly arrived presence.

“Hm,” I murmured. This one is a member of the Seven Sins, I suppose. 

Who won’t stop from whatever they’re doing after seeing them? They are all wearing black cloaks and masks when they enter the room – and it is the middle of the afternoon! They are like attending a Halloween party with their get-up rather than attending classes.

I inch myself to the second door, but someone beat me to it when it opens before I can even stand. What a timing! Standing before me is another member of the Seven Sins. I am greeted with her heterochromia eyes, one iris is amber, and the other is red albino. 

Stopping from my tracks, I got lost in her eyes, for there is nothing beneath them but a promise of the Void. “Alice Verona, please take your seat,” Frank instructed, making her move and leave. It was as if she did not stare at me. She sat next to her teammates without looking back as if nothing had happened.

They really are the Void-spawns.

As soon as I left the classroom, I remembered one of the folders I read on my way here. “Alice Verona, the dark arms user who commands the Setsuna. The counterpart of the Queen of the Void’s Enraiha.”

                                 

RED POINT IS BUZZING AGAIN. Not minding the regulars, the first thing I did when I arrived at my bar was to go straight to my office. 

And now here I am, spending my last taste of freedom for a while, reading a bunch of folders for my next mission.

 - - -

Experiment Number: 000266

Name: Zone

Sin: Pride

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Birthday: January 05, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Mercutio

Ability: It is a strap connected to the back of the user. It creates genetically modified angel wings that enable the user to fly and navigate the Dark Arms when activated. Aside from traveling, the Mercutio can turn its feathers into daggers as a form of offensive attack.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest history: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

I have only read one file from the Seven Sins, yet I feel like I’m already inside a science fiction novel. I thought people like the Queen of the Void were the definition of experiment-based humans, but these kids are still here. In fact, Dark Arms are more advanced than the Phoenix's weapons.

The next folder I read is from the twins: Greed and Gluttony since they share a single folder.

- - -

Experiment Number: 000015

Name: Axle

Sin: Greed

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Birthday: July 22, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Roseta

Ability: It is a skeletal-looking bracelet locked from the wrist to the arms one inch below the elbow. The Roseta is a versatile Dark Arms that can pressurize the air, enabling the pressurized air to be controlled by the user. This can be used for both defense and offense.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

-

Experiment Number: 000014

Name: Exle

Sin: Gluttony

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Birthday: July 22, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Origami Kotodama

Ability: The Origami Kotodama is a Dark Arms produced by alchemy. It resulted in a marble-like stone that will enable the user to use any paper origami into explosives when swallowed by the user.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

I am staring at the photograph of the small stone in the folder. I could never know that this stone had this kind of ability. Now I understand why the Queen of the Void wants to take back the Dark Arms that were once in the VVoid's care. If a bad guy gets ahold of these weapons, there will be chaos. 

There are still four folders I haven’t opened yet, but I know that the moment I do, more surprising things will greet me. With clammy palms, I grab Wrath’s folder.

 - - -

Experiment Number: 000368

Name: Farah

Sin: Wrath

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Birthday: August 28, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Mad Hatter

Ability: Its form is like the snipe shooting gun, but its power can be compared to a canon. To activate the Mad Hatter, the user must insert the syringe into their neck, which will enable the Mad Hatter to connect with the user’s emotions. The more the user gets angry, the more the power of the canon’s charge is.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

The connection between the user and the Dark Arms is evident. So this is one of the many reasons why the Queen of the Void forbids the continuation of the research. I can’t even imagine the pain these candidates went through just to be compatible with the weapons. My gaze is now transfixed with the experiment number, which indicates the children who died before a compatible user was found. Grinding my molars, I stop my guts from churning.

The more significant the experiment number, the more casualties. And the Dark Family, the family of the King of the Void, did this to the people of the Void.

Such a twisted way to live – a living tool to the very end. But do I really have the right to sympathize with them? Not when I am a product of a failed science as well?

Shaking my head from the stray thought, I continue.

 - - -

Experiment Number: 000888

Name: Heather

Sin: Envy

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Birthday: May 15, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Medusa

Ability: Named after the fictional character cursed with snake hair because of a goddess’ wrath, this Dark Arms is a marble-like stone that, when swallowed, can give the user an ability to hypnotize whoever locks their gazes at the user’s eyes. For long-range, this Dark Arm can disrupt the signals sent by satellites.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

I read Sloth’s folder next.

- - -

Experiment Number: 021001

Name: Darcy

Sin: Sloth

Age: 20

Gender:

Birthday: April 11, 20XX

Physical Appearance: No Available Data

Dark Arms: Viper

Ability: Viper is a Dark Arms permanently attached to the user’s wrists and is connected to the user’s neuron activity levels. This enables the strings, which are as light as a feather but as sturdy as a diamond, to move according to their user’s command. The strings are almost transparent as human hair.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

When I reached the last folder, I remembered the colors of her eyes. My molars gnash against each other upon reminiscing how she looked at me as if I were a mere bug beneath her soles.

 - - -

Experiment Number: 000001

Name: Alice Verona

Sin: Lust

Age: 20

Gender: Female

Birthday: June 18, 20XX

Physical Appearance: Left eyes color (Amber); Right eyes color (Red Albino)

Dark Arms: Setsuna

Ability: Setsuna is the first Dark Arms made from the same components of Enraiha (The Queen of the Void’s special katana). This Dark Arms is a cursed katana where one graze can instantly ensure the opponent’s death.

Origins: No Available Data (Latest History: Found in the underground laboratory of the Dark Family)

- - -

“That’s it?” I asked myself. “That’s all the data about them?” Even if I observe them now, I’m sure as heck that I can quickly get this data. 

The one remaining mystery is their faces.

Lost in my train of thoughts, I remember to check the emails from the Queen of the Void, the leader of Phoenix.

As I scan the additional information she got for me, a vein pops on my forehead upon realizing that these are only records of assassinations and retrieval operations. Reports which are mostly a success. All the targets for the assassination were people who had broken the new law of the Void. After all, there were still officials opposing the new system of the Void.

The crown called these traitors the Revolutionary Officials of the Void. And somehow, the Queen of the Void believes an army is waiting for the right time to attack us. No matter the cost, the Seven Sins will stop them at that ‘right time’.

But those are just kids. Yeah, they are only younger than me by five years at most, but they are still young to carry the burden that I once proudly pranced like a trophy, not knowing the cost of it. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes as I did.

I start arranging the folders with a tightening heart before carrying them in front of the fireplace. One by one, I threw them at the blazing fire – burned to ashes. It is always better to be safe than sorry. 

With the last of the folder leaving my grasp, I trudge to the glass wall of my office. Both hands in my pockets, hiding my clenched fists as I recall my wretched past, a bitter curve carves on my lips. The flashing city lights of Sector VI are the least of my focus, for tomorrow, I’m going to face them as their new homeroom teacher. 

Starting tomorrow, the Seven Sins will go back to Class 3, where only seven will attend. I will teach them Physical Education in the morning and self-defense during Night Shift. There are days when I will be the only one teaching them, but I squeeze in some subjects to let them grow their social circle.

Maybe, just maybe, those seven people still got some dawn waiting for them. The dawn never comes for me.