Pandora’s Box

"I'm... the Sin of Wrath..." Abel said.

It felt unusual, but justified. The title belonged to him. Abel knew that.

Midas grinned. "Exactly. You're one of us."

Abel didn't reply. His mind was undergoing a heavy flow of trauma. The memories that made their way in reminded him of the person he was, the person he is. Regret suppressed, he withheld all of it.

The things he did, the lives he took, it all came back to him.

His body count was overwhelming.

The faces of those who wronged him and put him through pain and suffering were also making themselves apparent. Rage wrote it off, but at the same time it fueled him.

His heart had been set ablaze, eternally.

"So you were responsible for the death of Diligence's brother. You're the reason he became so vengeful," Midas said.

Abel didn't reply.

"No wonder you had deceived yourself to be the Virtue of Forgiveness," Venus spoke. "You're apparently the one who wiped him out of existence after all."

Abel glared at him.

"I've killed so many people I can barely even remember the faces of those I've crushed other than three specific individuals. That means I could care less about any other person I've killed, including those mere Virtues."

"Oh how different you are with those memories back," Midas laughed.

Abel paused for a moment. He realized the separate personality he'd produced while his memories were absent.

"My memories were taken," Abel said. "Someone stole them from me. Someone physically drained them away."

A flashback caught Abel by surprise. Recollection was now present.

The last thing he recalled before his memories were reset, was the heavy grasp of someone's hand over his face.

He remembered the feeling of his memories draining. His rage, cooling off. Eventually, his eyes rolled up as he immediately passed out. Next thing he knew, he woke up in a forest unaware of what had happened, where he was, or who he was.

But now, preceding events weren't absent. Identity was known.

Abel now had memories to recall. He was no longer in need of answers.

He knew he was in a battle-royale. He knew why he joined.

He knew the truth behind his name and past.

He knew his name.

"But my memories have now all returned." He looked at Midas and Venus. "It was one of you, wasn't it?"

Venus looked at Midas, confused.

"Is he talking about—?"

"Yes. He is."

Abel was once again reminded of the crucial memory; his face being held by a rugged hand. He felt his forehead pushing forward with suction.

There were two individuals present at the stealing of his memories. Their identities though, were a mere blur.

Abel held his head trying to remember. That was the one memory that seemed foggy. All he could remember was that it happened in a forest, and that it involved two other people. One who grasped his face, while the other played bystander.

"Were you two behind it?" Abel asked the two.

Venus grinned, but Midas sighed.

"I'll be honest with you, your memories weren't supposed to come back."

Abel's foot stomped in anger beneath his feet. This left a dent in the pavement.

"What the fuck do you mean they weren't supposed to come back?!"

"Calm down... It doesn't matter now. Your memories are back, so we need to work with what we have." Midas took a step forward. "Work with us. We want you to join us, because with the Sin of Wrath included, the Seven Sins can finally be whole."

Abel's eyes lit with fire. "Did you get my memories taken away just so you could ease me into your team without difficulty...? Is that what it is?"

Midas grinned. "You're sharp. I didn't know you could think like that, Abel."

"Tsk!" Abel stomped his foot into the ground once more. "You can stop calling me Abel now!"

"That's too bad. I was hoping to recruit that side of you."

He glared at Midas. "You fear the real me. You fear the REAL Sin of Wrath, don't you?"

Venus raised his arm. "I don't fear anybody. Especially not a short-tempered imbecile like you!"

Abel clenched his teeth in anger.

Purgatory.

More forbidden memories began piling in.

The images of white, and red. They stained his brain.

"Urg—!"

Abel felt his mind crack.

There were too many memories, too many reminders of trauma, that piled in all at once. The mental load was overflowing.

One memory suddenly struck him in the heart.

"Mom... Dad..."

That was his tipping point.

"Tsk—!!!"

A gate that should've stayed closed was now reopened.

His mind began to spin in distress. Even more memories he'd tried to keep locked-out began breaking in.

Experiments.

Torture.

Isolation.

Purgatory.

His sanity was being pulled apart, piece by piece.

Pain.

Suffering.

Agony.

Fear.

Each piece, breaking off into more and more.

Heaven.

Hell.

Raphael.

Archangel.

His mind shattered into pieces.

Pieces and pieces and pieces and pieces.

Just like broken glass, shards scattered about.

"Abel?" Midas called out. He noticed him twitching unnaturally.

Abel was unresponsive.

"Has the imbecile gone mad?" Venus asked. His answer was given.

Abel's leg jerked forward, leading him towards them.

Midas and Venus reacted instantly.

"STOP CALLING ME ABEL!!!"

He slammed forwards, wrecking the pavement where he landed. He had just missed Midas and Venus, who dashed out of the way. The two watched as the boy had an uncontrollable spasm of rage. He moved like his body wasn't his own.

"The imbecile's broken, there's no going back." Venus breathed heavily.

Midas clenched his fist. "He wasn't supposed to regain his memories. Fuck!"

Venus gritted his teeth. "The Gluttony imbecile wasn't supposed to disable his ability, was he?"

"No... I specifically instructed him to keep hold of it for as long as possible..."

"So then why—?"

"Something must've happened to him..." Midas frowned. "He wouldn't just disable his ability like that, not for any particular reason. Something must've happened to him if its worn off now..."

The two looked up, and saw Abel charging in their direction.

"WATCH OUT!" Midas called.

The two jumped out of the way, causing him to miss and slam down onto the floor once again. Abel's device fell out of his pocket, but he paid no mind. More-so he didn't notice at all.

His jacket was dusted, his shirt was ripped, his hair was messy, and his mind was broken.

He wreaked havoc in every path he crossed. The rooftop parking lot was beginning to look like a demolition zone.

"We need to get out of here if we wanna make it further in this tournament. He's gonna be a problem if we stay here," Midas said.

Venus nodded, ready to make a run for it.

Suddenly a loud beep buzzed from the sky.

"25 contenders remaining, Phase 3 initiated. Eliminate the indicated contender sent to your devices. Failing to do so by the given time will result in immediate elimination."

The voice echoed off.

Surprised, Midas and Venus both checked their devices.

Both came face to face with a picture that resembled Abel. In fact, it was completely identical to Abel. But the name 'Abel' was nowhere to be found. Instead, another name was found listed under the picture:

{ Reed Regardius }

The familiar name was accompanied by a timer of 24 hours.

"...don't wanna end up like Mr. Regardius, right?..."

A faint memory echoed in Midas' head. His blood stopped cold.

He recalled a familiar unsettling fear.

"—MIDAS!" Venus yelled.

Midas was shaken out of his trance.

"WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

Midas looked in the direction Venus yelled towards. Turning around, a rampaging figure rushed in his direction.

Panic instantly rose within. Venus noticed this, and raised his arm in defense. Clenching his palm, a rapid blast was sent towards the threat.

Boom!

It struck him with impact, but he continued to run, completely unharmed.

"What?!" Venus' eyes widened.

Midas could only watch anxiously as the menace approached.

"Imbecile!" Venus raised his arm once more in a manner different than before.

"Prepare to be deceived once more by my Deception!"

Venus unleashed his newfound ability towards the foe.

But in quick response, Abel raised his hand against this.

"Reflection."

"Huh?"

Venus suddenly felt a wave of nausea overtake him.

"What—"

He instantly dropped, hitting the ground on his back. Venus was now completely knocked out. He swam in a delusion of his own.

"V-Venus?" Midas looked at the passed-out victim with concern.

He suddenly felt the ground shake near him. Midas looked back in the preceding direction.

It was the embodiment of wrath.

He came to inflict pain on those who stood in his path. For those who wronged him, carried on unknowingly.

They lived a life of actions unjust, without the repenting of resenting sins.

For they bore wings, he bore horns.

His flame was set eternally ablaze.

For this was the result of unjustification.

Hell was bestowed, the world would now be taken.