Endless giggles and laughter fade as the eerie, heavy ambiance overwhelms them after stepping inside the Cryptic Chambers. And with a heavy chest, the four maidens gulp, looking at the vicious and sickening scenario in front of them, yet even though the scene isn’t that clear, they know that chaos is near and will wrath upon them.

A thin, golden cloth, dividing the rarest Ambrosia to the eyes of any thief, shows the devious act of the most heartless kind. They feed themselves with the only ingredient that could save people’s lives like they didn’t care how sacred it was to the eyes of the Greeks.

Aicelyn gazes her eyes at silhouettes, gritting her teeth as she felt rage devouring her entire body.

“Lyn… don’t fucking move.” Sabrina knows what her friend was thinking. And in order for them to escape death, the only thing they need to do is to avoid stupidity.

“Ano?”

Kinuyom ni Aicelyn ang kanyang kamao, tumingin kay Sabrina na tila ba siya’y hindi makapaniwala rito. Dahil sa isipan ni Aicelyn, ang tanging nais niya ay ang makaalis sa lugar na ‘yon na dala-dala ang Ambrosia upang mailigtas ang libong katao. At hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit pinipigilan siya ni Sabrina rito.

Nang mapagtanto ni Sabrina ang mga salitang lumabas sa kanyang bibig, napayuko siya’t umiwas ng tingin. Dahil lahat sila ay iniiwasan na galitin si Aicelyn. Isang kautusan mula sa hari ng Cerulean Kingdom, King Alendis. At kahit isang katanungan iyon sa kanila, walang kahit sino ang kumwestyon dito.

“Lyn… I’m sorry,” bulong ni Sabrina.

Makahulugan na nagpalitan ng mga tingin sina Celine at Serena saka agaran na pumagitna sa dalawang kaibigan bago mangyari ang kanilang kinakatakutan. Inalo ni Celine si Aicelyn, marahan itong kinausap upang pakalmahin samantalang si Serena ay humingi ng tawad kay Sabrina dahil sa naging ugali ni Aicelyn.

“It’s not your fault—” A tremendous feeling of fear stops Serena’s words to come out of her mouth as the thin cloth dividing them from their uninvited guest slowly falls to the ground.

Fear and terror consume them; they are too stunned to move nor speak, especially that the three creatures standing in front of them are mere products of the book they have read, a myth that shouldn’t even exist. A fucking nightmare.

They’ve got long fangs with curved horns coming down from the side of their heads. And having to look at their eyes is like a sunken pit; full of orbs of molten lava, dripping and burning their flesh. Their entire body is covered with small, jagged spikes, along with thin, tattered wings.

The deviants. The demons. The Kins of Dark Continent.

And because none of the maidens could even move, one of the Kins stops from devouring the Ambrosia as he looks in their direction, along with the wickedest smile one could ever plaster.

“Ah… visitors!” One of the Kin says. His words taint their mind, destroying the women’s hope as the other two Kins shift their attention to the four demigods watching them secretly.

Serena bites her lips, pulling and tugging her friends, “We—we need to run!”

They all knew it, yet they also know that they can’t do it.

The joyous laughter of the Kins echoes, captivating and stealing the sense of the four maidens out of them. And with their eyes locked at them, the ugliest creatures slowly shifts into the prettiest ones; someone that everyone could fall for just by looking at their eyes.

“I badly want them… I want them to scream with pleasure,” the female Kin says, uttering her words with a lustful tone.

Tumingin sa kanya ang isa pa niyang kasama, ang lalaking may luntian na buhok, “No. Sa akin sila, Asmodeus.”

Ayon sa mga nakalimbag sa mga aklat, ang pitong pinuno ng Dark Continent ay may kanya-kanyang taglay na sumpa, na kahit sino ay mabibihag nila rito—kahit ang pinakamabuting kaluluwa pa. Ngunit, ang kasamaan nila’y mas aapaw oras na mapasakamay nila ang kanilang vessel—the kin vessel, the vessel of the seven deadly sins.

At sa kanilang lahat, si Asmodeus ang nagtataglay ng pinakadelikado’t nakakatakot na sumpa, na kahit isa ay hindi makakatanggi sa temptasyon niyang taglay. Asmodeus possesses the curse of Lust, among the Seven Kins, she has the most undesirable curse, that even the Kins couldn’t stand.

“Shut up, Mammon. Look closely,” sambit ng huling Kin.

Pinagmasdan nina Mammon at Asmodeus ang apat na babae, kasabay nito ang dahan-dahan na pag-angat ng mga labi nila.

Ang mga mata ni Mammon ay kumislap, pinakikita ang pagkasabik na nararamdaman nito habang ang pinagmamasdan niya ang isa sa mga demigod na nasa harapan nila. Mammon possesses the curse of Greed, for he is known as the Avatar of Greed, and the only Kin that has a curse to steal someone’s magic.

And before Mammon could go near to the demigods, Aicelyn immediately creates a thick wall of ice, dividing the Kins and the demigods. Yet, in just a touch, Mammon effortlessly destroys the gigantic wall.

“Lyn…” Serena mumbles. She closes her eyes and gathers water all over the place, making it into a gigantic sphere of water. But with a single touch from Mammon, the water turns into a speckle of dust.

Celine and Sabrina exchange glances with each other. And even after being countered by consecutive times, they didn’t let the opportunity slip into their hands. Celine builds a wall from the ground as she supports Sabrina by lifting the ground as she wields her twin swords. Sabrina’s eyes gaze at Asmodeus, along with a slice of her sword.

Asmodeus laughs. Sabrina’s attack passes through her, and instead of Asmodeus, Sabrina receives her own attack.

“Your heart is full of lust, and desire.” Asmodeus smirks. “Hindi mo ako masasaktan.

“Hindi naman talaga nila tayo masasaktan—”

“Nasa Divine Continent tayo, Belphegor,” ani ni Mammon. “Masasaktan nila tayo pero… hindi sila katulad nina Garet, hindi nila magagawang masaktan tayo.”

Belphegor possesses the curse of Sloth, the Kin that lurks in the mind and murders people in their dreams. He turns people’s laziness into sharp knives in the illusion of desires that kills them without any effort; falls in his dreams, in his temptation, and one can never escape.

The Seven Kin of Purgatory, the deviants of the Dark Continent.

They are demons that seem completely like humans, but their reflection is that of hideous monsters.

“Aicelyn Hailey Lean…” Asmodeus mumbles. “Did your mother tell you who you are?”

“Anong kailangan sabihin sa ‘kin ni Artemis?”

“Oh my! Alendis didn’t told you who your mother is!” Niyakap ni Asmodeus ang kanyang sarili na tila ba’y lubhang nasisiyahan sa kanyang nalalaman. “Ah… I just wish that cute little Night is here—”

“How did you know my—”

“Asmodeus,” Belphegor warns.

Hindi maintindihan ni Aicelyn ang mga sinasabi ng mga nasa harap nila. Sabay-sabay ang mga tanong sa isip niya tungkol sa sinambit ni Asmodeus tungkol sa ina niya, kay Alendis at Night, ngunit alam niya na ang mga katanungan na iyon ay makapaghihintay.

At habang nalulunod siya sa iba’t-ibang katanungan, hindi niya napansin ang mga itim na aso sa nakapalibot sa kanya. Hindi ganoong kalakas ang mga ito kung ikukumpara sa tatlong Kins na nasa harapan nila, ngunit sapat na ang mga ito upang dahan-dahan na ubusin ang lakas nila.

Nang makita ng mga kasama ni Aicelyn ang sitwasyon n’ya, agad na tumungo ro’n si Celine upang tulungan siya. Sa bawat pag gamit ni Celine ng kanyang Binderia, sinusunog o ‘di kaya’y pinayeyelo ni Aicelyn ang mga kalaban.

Samantalang, si Serena nama’y kinukulang sa kanyang mga perlas ang mga ito at si Sabrina ang siyang kumikitil sa buhay ng mga itim na aso hanggang sa bumalik sila sa pagiging alabok.

Isang nasisiyahan na ngisi ang umusbong sa labi ni Mammon kasabay nito ang paglitaw niya sa harap nina Aicelyn, “Yo!”

“Fuck…” Celine curses.

The black wolves disappear in just a blink, diving in the shadows, yet fear becomes more evident as the bloodshot eyes of a greedy king, look down on the four maidens.

“Satan is probably having a could time right now. I might as well enjoy myself,” Mammon says.

He touches the tip of Sabrina’s sword, making it rusted. And with a light push, Sabrina flies in Serena’s direction, making them collide with each other. All of a sudden, Mammon teleports in front of Aicelyn, and out of shock, she immediately builds a thick wall of ice, with Celine supporting by adding another layer of the ground on it.

And just Mammon is about to touch the wall, a presence in his back steals his attention.

“What a sneaky demigod,” Mammon says.

Pinigilan ni Mammon ang espada ni Sabrina gamit ang dalawa n’yang daliri at ngumiti rito. At kitang-kita naman sa gilid ng mga mata niya si Serena na tinututukan siya ng baril, ang perlas na bala nito ay mabilis na naiwasan ni Mammon, kasabay nito ang pagsira niya sa mga espada ni Sabrina. Nang sinuntok ni Mammon ang pader na gawa sa yelo, mabilis na umatras si Sabrina at lumayo sa kanya.

“Lyn, run!”

Aicelyn’s eyes are firm while looking at Mammon who’s now standing right in front of her. And before Mammon could even lift a finger, Aicelyn jumps and kicks him, catching out of surprise before opening the gap between them.

“Feisty.” Mammon smiles. “Let’s make a bet then…”

At first, Aicelyn is lost, wondering what he meant for those words, but as the Cryptic Chambers becomes eerie, as the collision of overwhelming aura begins to suffocate the entire cave—fear once again devours her. From a gorgeous-looking human, Mammon slowly transforms into a sickening demon once again.

Aicelyn purses her lips, especially since she knows that meeting the Kins is her doom.

“Life or Death?”

At imbes na magpalamon sa takot, lakas na loob na tiningnan ni Aicelyn si Mammon. Habang nagpapatagisan sila ng tingin, mahigpit na hinawakan ni Sabrina ang natitira niyang espada at mabilis n’yang sinugod si Mammon.

Nang makaiwas si Mammon dito, mabilis na ngumisi si Sabrina’t habang nasa ere ay nagbago ang direksyon ng espada niya dahilan upang matamaan ang pakpak ni Mammon.

“This sneaky demigod!” Mammon unconsciously slaps Aicelyn out of groaning due to Sabrina’s attack.

As Aicelyn catches his wrath, she immediately freezes his lower body, making Celine and Serena launch an attack to him. Mabilis din na umalis sina Sabrina nang gumawa ng isang fire vortex si Aicelyn. At nang tuluyan na malamon ng apoy si Mammon, umatras si Aicelyn kasabay nito ang pagkakulong niya sa lupa.

“What now?” Sabrina asks.

They are breathless. They watch the ground, waiting for Mammon’s response, but only silence screams in the vicinity. And with their attention pouring down to Mammon, the maiden fails to feel the devilish smiles plaster from the faces of Asmodeus and Belphegor.

“Don’t move,” Celine says, feeling the ground beneath them.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Celine nang dahan-dahan na pumaikot sa kanila ang buhangin kasabay nito ang malakas na pagkatibag ng lupang nagkukulong kay Mammon. At sa isang malakas na kalabog, isang walang hanggang bangin ang naging marka ng galit ni Mammon. A devilish grin welcomes them, along with an unscratched Mammon.

“Weaklings should never live because no matter how hard you try… you are still weak.”

All of a sudden, a vortex of shadow appears in front of Mammon. He slides his arm inside of it and begins to pull something out of it until a jagged, spikey sword gleams in his hand.

His bloodshot eyes gazes to Celine and Serena, in just a blink, deep wounds suddenly engraves to their body as their blood slowly streams out of them. Wala sa sarili silang napahalik sa sahig. Masyadong mabilis ang nangyari at walang nakaramdam o nakakita man nang pag-atake ni Mammon.

“What… what happened?” Bulong ni Celine, pilit niyang minumulat ang kanyang mga mata habang nanlalabo ang paningin niyang nakatingin kay Aicelyn, kung saan nasa harap nito si Mammon, “L—Lyn… run… please, fucking run.”

Kagat labi na sumenyas si Aicelyn kay Sabrina nang binalot niya sa yelo ang sahig, nanatiling nakatayo sa harap ni Mammon si Aicelyn samantalang si Sabrina’y ginamit ang blessing ni Aicelyn upang makalapit sa p’westo nila.

Isang ngisi ang kumubra sa labi ni Mammon kasabay nito ang pagsulyap niya sa bangin na kanyang ginawa.

“Sab—”

Aicelyn’s words fail to reach Sabrina as Mammon immediately strikes the sword’s hilt to Sabrina, making her fly towards the direction of the endless hole. And without wasting her, Aicelyn slides in the direction of the unconscious Sabrina before she could even fall.

Aicelyn forcefully pulls Sabrina, making her be the bait of the endless hole.

The second one offers her life for the best.

“No—no! Bring back my cousin! Bring back my cousin… bring back her… bring back my Lyn.” Celine cries, weakly stamping her hand to the ground.

Mammon grins at her, kneeling amusingly, “Life… do you want to make a contract with me, demigod?”

In a vicinity covered with everlasting darkness, Aicelyn’s body remains still. She slowly opens her eyes, yet she is unable to see anything. She can’t speak nor move her body. A tear slowly falls down her cheeks as she feels herself swimming in a pool of blood.

“Do you want to live?”

“I do.”

“Lilith… her reincarnation will fulfill your wish.”

“Her… who…”

“Sapphire Mendoza, the reincarnated soul of Lilith, the Queen of the Seven Deadly Sins.”

#