This world...

A girl stands on the edge of the world, her skin pale and her body frail as if she'd be blown away by the wind pushing her silver hair past her ears. Bright light obscures her face as if to hide her lifeless gaze at the scene. Her violet eyes rested upon the sight. Static, like one's mind frozen in time.

What worth is there in this world?

Why does it always cause me so much pain?

Her hands shook at the creeping thoughts leaking into her mind like the legs of a spider in one's throat, its shadow slithered to her throat as if to silence her thoughts, yet they continued. False Testimony, Theft, Robbery, Trafficking, Suicide, Rape, Arson, Discrimination, Violence.

Pain.

Pain that all refused to atone for.

Black miasma dripped from her eye, a cursed tear as she felt her body become polluted from within. In a world like this, purity is a lie. No one can escape it, or resist its call, nor change what is simply our nature.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, yet another voice accompanied her's.

"This world…

"This world…

"Is hell."

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Gold irises revealed themselves to the world once more. Guisei sprung forward, his eyes analyzing the world surrounded by white. The soft bedsheets replaced the cold cobblestone he laid upon.

Chaos was now comfort as the boy took the sensation all in. His soft and carefree gaze grew colder as a thought flickered through his mind. A reminder of what this was. The light bursting through the window behind him contained shadow, the air he breathed was like a flame, and the bed he laid upon was simply false kindness for a tool.

"Right…" Guisei muttered to himself.

He let his hand rest on his forehead as he felt the same burning sensation in his arm, though his torture was like an echo in a cave, distant yet deeper and rapid. Guisei's ear twitched, hearing a familiar noise.

Nabi remained at his side. Her skin shone in the morning light as he watched her slowly wake up, hearing Guisei awaken. She looked at the boy with her dull scarlet gaze as strands of her dark hair passed by, showcasing her white pupils.

"It's about time you woke up, Greed," Nabi said.

Her head bobbed up in down, doing her best to stay awake. Guisei changed his expression, letting it become lighter and carefree as he tilted his head at her to analyze the situation.

He watched her fight to return to her sleep in his eyes, a fierce battle one barely can overcome. In response, he rose his fingers to her forehead. Assistance in the endless fight as he flicked her forehead.

"Wake up, princess," Guisei said, maintaining a cheeky tone.

The boy allowed a sly smile to grow on his face, looking upon the sight. Nabi's dull gaze grew colder in response to the display as she contemplated returning the favor, only to lower her hand on her lap, letting out a yawn.

"I never got that thank you either," she muttered.

Guisei chuckled at the comment, and the chamber quieted as a calming air slithered around the two. "For what — " The memory flashed through his head like lightning in the open sky. Pain, the same burning sensation, visions, and the last sight he saw; Mammon.

Controlled and calm, Guisei let a sigh escape him, looking Nabi in the eyes as he spoke.

"Where's Mammon?"

Nabi offered no response and only a shrug. Guisei clenched his fist, only to remember the tattoo on his shoulder that spread down his arm. He traced his arm, recollecting the design as if snakelike.

"Those markings Nabi, when you found me, did you see them?" Guisei asked.

The girl gave him a quick nod in response. Her eyes sharpened as a burning sensation pierced her thigh, a crawling chaos that disappeared as quickly as it came.

"So Mammon's power—"

Nabi got up to stretch out, noting not to fall asleep in hospital chairs. The sun grew more and more, prompting her to move to the side. Guisei let his eyes fall onto his bandaged arm, an arm that barely felt like his own in the moment.

The power he coveted for so long. His desire was at his fingertips, yet it remained so far at the same time. Rage. Guisei felt the burning pain of his emotion build in his arm, leaving him in a trance. His train of thought, like glass, was shattered at hearing Nabi's voice once more.

"When you recover, we leave for Curse Academy."

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Several days later, Guisei recovered. He and Nabi set out for Curse Academy, as Leviathan had ordered. Sunlight crept through the large gate as it opened to the sight of guards in black armor. They lined the road as the sun beat down on their armor, an odd sight for Guisei and Nabi, who were more accustomed to the grey skies and nighttime the mountainside offered.

"Geez, it's hot. You sure we couldn't have found a train," Guisei complained before being interrupted halfway.

"It's faster this way," Nabi said in retort. A bead of sweat dripped down her face. She shifted her gaze to Guisei.

"Ughh!"

The boy flailed his arms around, striking the hot, moist air around him in fickle anguish. With each step they took, both felt as if time was longer than what it was. The golden sun beat down on the two as they continued.

After some time, they arrived in a garden. Snapdragon's that had yet to bloom lingered in the flowerbeds. Each path led to a symbol at the garden's center. A snake devouring itself, the symbol of envy.

"This was the 'faster way', huh? I know there was one of these in the castle," Guisei muttered to himself, at the thought of a similar symbol.

Nabi took a step onto the symbol, her mind passing Guisei's words from one ear and out the other. "We made it, finally," she said aloud. Like a sharp blade, Nabi pointed to Guisei, curling her finger towards him to beckon him closer.

Annoyed by the sun's rays, Guisei removed the black and gold jacket he made and tied it around his waist as he approached Nabi. His eyes flickered to the girl as he remembered the ritual she had to perform last time. Before she could say anything, Guisei cut Nabi off.

"Hold on. I can do this. Wasting blood like that will be bad for your Reiju storages, anyway."

"Fine," Nabi replied with a hint of reluctance, her eyes carefully examining Guisei.

The girl's mind returned to the day past and the state she witnessed him in.

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The cavern Guisei was led into was cold. A shiver ran up Nabi's neck. Her gaze sliced the blackened walls of the steps with idle fury at the thought Guisei ended up getting into something he wasn't ready for. She clenched her fist at the concept that Mammon could have wasted time in the transfer.

As blue light overtook the dark walls, she found her gaze fall upon the sight. Black miasma surrounded the body of Guisei, his breath thin like a corpse barely clinging to life. Nabi took a knee, extending a finger to prod his skin. Hot, like his skin, was set on fire. He had entered a familiar hell to her, and she despised it.

A voice echoed in the back of her mind, calling out her name. It continued, over and over and over, to where it should have given up on trying to get her attention, yet like the crack of a whip she heard her name….

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"Nabi!"

The girl looked around idly before taking in her surroundings. The boy who called out to her stood before her, tilting his head.

"Are you sure someone didn't drug you before we left?" Guisei questioned, circling Nabi with inquisitive eyes only to receive a flick to the forehead.

"Now we're even, Greed," Nabi said, looking at the symbol, "Don't use blood this time. It'll take longer, but it's fine."

Guisei conceded with a nod. "Fine, that works out, but I'm gonna need some space for this," A cheeky grin bloomed onto his face. He clapped his hands together, allowing his Reiju to ripple through the garden.

Nabi looked at the control, noting how sloppy it was. Her gaze flickered to the symbol's emerald hue being overtaken by the gold of Guisei's Reiju. Flashes of light moved through the air, swirling around the two.

Mimicking the light, they slowly broke down from their feet to their heads into Reiju. The light collapsed in on itself, and with a flash, the two disappeared from the garden, leaving only remnants of the Reiju to mark their presence.