Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

Cain felt the violet eyes of Gluttony lingering in his mind even as the silhouettes of Wrath, Pride, Lust, and Envy receded into nothingness. The air around him was silent, almost reverent, as if it too were waiting. Gluttony's presence remained, a shadow at the edge of his perception, calm and commanding.

"They will speak again soon," Gluttony said, its voice smooth and indulgent. "For now, it is time for you to wake up."

Cain frowned, confusion tightening his chest. "Wake up?" he asked. His voice sounded small to his own ears. "Where exactly am I supposed to wake up from?"

Gluttony did not answer in words. Instead, it lifted a small, delicate hand, the movement fluid and commanding. A strange pulse radiated from it, subtle but undeniable, brushing against the edges of Cain's mind. Before he could even think to resist, his vision flared into blinding white.

The brightness pressed against his eyes, overwhelming him with a sense of emptiness and weightlessness. His mind seemed to unravel and rebuild at the same time. When the light finally receded, he found himself staring up at a familiar ceiling. It was simple, cream-colored with a single light fixture casting soft illumination. He blinked and realized he was lying on a couch.

The realization struck him slowly. He was in Anna's apartment. His gaze swept over the quiet, familiar space. Nothing moved. No sound came from the kitchen, the bathroom, or the bedroom. He was alone.

Cain sat up, rubbing his eyes as the events of the void came rushing back. The Sins, Gluttony's plan, the conditions they had demanded. All of it pressed on him like weighty chains, yet also like fuel. His mind began to sort through the fragments, pieces of thought forming a pattern he could follow.

He had to find hosts for the Sins. They could not remain idle or detached any longer. He already had ideas about who would suit each of them, though he could not explain why. The intuition ran deeper than reason. He knew without question that the Sins would fit seamlessly among the people he knew. Strength for Wrath, influence for Pride, subtlety and charm for Lust, and resilience for Envy. The choices were becoming clear in his mind.

Cain stood, stretching as the couch creaked beneath him. His gaze fell on Anna's table, neat and orderly as always, the small traces of her magic tools scattered in precise patterns. He did not want to waste time. He moved to the table and found a pen, scratching a note quickly.

"Thank you for your help," he wrote, brief and sincere. "I could not have done it without your support."

He left the note in the center of the table and grabbed his coat, already moving toward the door. His movements were deliberate and fast. Every step was purposeful, every action meant to propel him toward the first stage of the plan. The Sins were waiting in his mind, their power barely restrained, and Cain was determined not to squander a single moment.

The sound of a key turning in the lock made him pause. Anna appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a towel, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. Her expression shifted as she caught sight of the note on the table. She stepped inside, her brow furrowed in annoyance.

Cain slipped past her silently, avoiding any confrontation. His mind was already racing through possibilities, contingencies, and potential hosts. He had missed Anna by mere seconds. She would have wanted to ask questions, to ensure he was alright. She would have tried to stop him, but Cain did not pause. His priority was clear.

Anna's eyes landed on the note, and she frowned deeply. She reached out and picked it up, reading the simple message. Her lips pressed into a thin line, irritation flashing across her features.

"Of course," she muttered under her breath. "He cannot even wait five minutes to say goodbye. I suppose this will be another excuse I will hear next time. Always rushing off without explanation."

Her fingers curled around the paper, crumpling it in a sudden gesture of frustration. She remembered then the crystal. The expensive, carefully crafted magical crystal she had spent months preparing for her research. She had been saving it, guarding it. And Cain had eaten it like a snack.

Anna's jaw tightened as she recalled the value, the effort, the precision that had gone into the crystal. Six months of research and resources gone in a single careless act. Her hands squeezed the note in anger, the paper folding and tearing under her grip.

"He ate it," she said aloud, more to herself than anyone else. "Six months gone. All my work. And he just leaves a note like it was nothing."

Her eyes narrowed, her mind already forming the resolve that had driven her for years. "He will pay for this," she whispered. "He will repay the crystal. Somehow, someway. I will make sure of it."

Cain had vanished into the night, unaware of the storm he had left behind. Anna set the torn note aside, her gaze lingering on the spot where he had been. A mixture of irritation, disbelief, and reluctant admiration filled her. He had always been impulsive, moving with a focus that ignored consequence, but she could not deny that there was purpose in every step he took.

Meanwhile, Cain ran through the quiet streets, the cool night air brushing against his face. His mind was a torrent of calculations, considerations, and possibilities. The Sins were calm within him, but their energy pulsed like fire under a surface of ice. He needed hosts who could handle their conditions, and he needed them fast.

He began forming a strategy, visualizing each potential host. Wrath required someone unyielding, someone who could bear the weight of their anger without fracturing. Pride needed a host who would command respect naturally, someone whose presence alone drew others to them. Lust required subtlety, charm, and an intuitive understanding of influence over the hearts of others. Envy demanded a host who could endure desire and rivalry, someone who could transform longing into strength without succumbing to weakness.

Cain's choices became clear in his mind. The pieces were falling into place. He could feel the pulse of each Sin, their presence resonating with the thoughts forming in his head. The first steps were simple, yet delicate. Each host would have to be approached carefully, tested subtly, and guided without alerting them to the true nature of what he carried within himself.

His pace quickened as he left Anna's building behind, the city lights stretching before him like a roadmap to the next stage of the plan. The night was quiet, almost empty, giving him the cover he needed. He did not look back. He could not afford distraction.

The bond with the Sins hummed within him, steady and patient, waiting for the right moment to assert itself. Cain's mind was already working on contingencies, thinking of ways to ease the transition, to ensure each Sin found a host who could satisfy their conditions. There was no margin for error. Failure would be catastrophic.

As he ran, Cain's thoughts returned briefly to Gluttony, to the violet eyes and the sharp teeth that had seemed so natural. The voice in his head was calm, indulgent, patient. It reminded him that time was an ally, but only if he acted decisively. The Sins would speak again, but for now, the work was his alone.

The night stretched out before him, empty and waiting, as Cain moved through the quiet streets with purpose. He was no longer the same person who had awoken on Anna's couch. The events of the void had changed him irrevocably, and the Sins were no longer distant forces. They were part of him, guiding him, waiting for him to make the first move.

Cain's plan was forming, precise and unyielding. He would find the hosts, satisfy their conditions, and prepare for the next encounter. Gluttony's promise lingered in his mind. They would speak again soon, but until then, Cain was the anchor, the catalyst, and the guide. Every step he took, every decision he made, carried the weight of not only his own future but the future of the Sins themselves.

And with that thought, Cain disappeared into the night, a storm of purpose and intention, ready to set the first pieces of his plan in motion.