Prologue: Amnesia

Xavier District is the district found closest to the central Cardinal Nexus. It could be defined as high-end, considering it's close relations to the Cardinal Nexus itself. One of the more apparent relations would be the Advanced Xavier Education Program, used to produce employees directly for the Cardinal Nexus.

I, Harvey Johnson, am a student within this program, and I'd describe it as a preparation for a career path directed towards working for the Cardinal Nexus. We learn all sorts of things based on our society of districts, such as the varying geographies, or the numerous laws implied in differing regions. It can be overwhelming, but it's understandable. Being in the Cardinal Nexus means being part of the larger power, and with that power comes responsibility.

"William." The teacher had called on a student in my class. I looked over, and he seemed dazed.

The teacher called again. "William?"

The boy was drowned out by the heat of the sun, whose yellow rays laid upon his skin through the open window he sat by.

"William!" The teacher now yelled. He finally snapped out of his imagination.

"Oh… yes?"

"It took me three tries to get your attention. Tell me, is that acceptable in this classroom?"

"Er…" William pondered for a second. "Is… it?"

"No!!!" The teacher now slammed her desk. Just watching her, I could make out imaginary smoke that fumed from her ears.

"Have you forgotten what program you're in? This is the highest honor and prestige you could be studying with, and you dare allow yourself to slack off in such a manner? This isn't tolerable William."

He lowered his head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry…"

I watched as the event unfolded. William looked both guilty, but also confused. It was as if he didn't know what he did wrong.

"To compensate for this horrendous mistake, you shall answer the next set of questions out loud. First, what is a unique bylaw found only in the districts that are furthest from the Cardinal Nexus?"

William's eyebrows furrowed. He looked completely lost. Awkward coughs could be heard as surrounding students sent pressuring glares in his direction. He tried to gather an answer in his mind.

Finally, he spoke. "I'm sorry… I truly don't know how to answer that question…"

The teacher's face flushed red with impatience. But with a few deep breaths, she contained herself. "I'm disappointed William. We'd just spoken on this subject no more than an hour ago. I'll proceed with the next question then, and hopefully you can correlate this with the last. What is the name of a district considered to be out in the 'further regions'?"

William seemed to be struck once again. He grabbed his head as if a migraine had made itself apparent.

"I'm sorry, what is a district?"

The entire classroom went silent. The coughs had stopped. Even the crickets weren't there to accompany the awkward silence.

"As an aspiring student in the Advanced Xavier Education Program, did you just ask me what a district is?"

The teacher looked like her patience was about to tip.

"William Fischer, I am officially expelling you from this special program right now. Leave this classroom immediately!"

And just like that, William was forever gone.

I turned to a male student sitting behind me. "What the hell just happened? Isn't he the top prospect in our class?"

The male student replied. "Yeah, it's odd... I spoke to him the other day, and he seemed extremely passionate about working for the Cardinal Nexus."

"And now all of a sudden, he's forgotten everything?"

The guy nodded.

"That's so weird. What a wild case of amnesia…"

In my mind I couldn't help but regard how odd this was. I stuck my hand out towards the guy. "Anyways, nice meeting you. My name's Harvey."

"Nice to meet you too. Call me Gula." He shook my hand.

I smiled. "I look forward to working with you in the Cardinal Nexus one day."

Gula smiled back, but didn't say anything.

The rest of the day went normally, so the amnesiac event involving William stood out to me even more. I was laying in bed at home, and even with much to distract myself, I was caught in a blunder of thoughts. Most were questions, but some were anxious notions.

What if one day I had forgotten everything, just like William? That thought scared me the most.

The next day, I caught a bus full of students in my program on the way to Education. The one free seat I found was coincidentally right next to Gula.

"Morning Gula," I sat down.

"Good morning to you too."

"Still remember everything we learned yesterday?" I tried joking around.

"Yeah. I haven't lost my memories yet." He gave me a jokingly smile. We both laughed it off.

Arriving to Education, I felt an odd sense of distress tugging at my back as I approached its entrance.

Why am I worried?

I blinked a couple times, and shook my head side to side. I scratched my head, and pinched my arm a few times.

"Alright," I told myself. "You're all good."

Class went as usual, and the teacher continued to speak. The only detail missing was our previous top-prospect, replaced by an empty seat.

"Harvey," the teacher unexpectedly called out to me. "I'm saying this for the sake of motivating others to do better; with William now expelled, you are currently the top prospect in this class."

The room suddenly bustled, and my heart beat swiftly. I tried to grab words to form a response, but I didn't know what to say. Instead, my teacher looked at me as if I didn't need to reply. "A competitive environment is a successful one," she said.

Other than the mentioned, the rest of the day went by normally, other than the now exerted pressure of being the top prospect in the class.

"Phew!" I threw myself into bed. Tonight would be a great sleep, and one to remember.

The next day at Education, I felt the same nagging distress that I'd felt the previous day while approaching its entrance. I did my usual worry-wiping routine, and pushed forward through the school's doors.

"You're all good."

But this sense of safety was interrupted by a collection of glares I'd felt behind my back.

I was the top prospect, so I'd expect to be looked at mercilessly by my own peers.

Turning around, I was surprised to find only one person following behind.

Gula.

Sitting down in class, my body shivered at the sheer pressure the room held. Like lowering on a seat of nails, my body twitched with energy and anxiety.

I was oddly distressed as a whole today.

This nagging feeling had been pulling me back for days now, and I couldn't exactly pinpoint its reason.

The fear of losing all my memories like William did?

There was more to it than that.

Rather, the feeling that something bigger was playing at hand.

What was it again?

Oh, right…

A few months ago, when news of the Seven Sins first broke out, I checked the website that the broadcast brought me to. Provided was a document containing the supernatural capabilities of the seven escapees from the Archangel Experimentation Association. I'm recalling this because I've found a similarity between William's incident, and one of the Seven Sins.

The Sin of Gluttony.

That was the label given to the escapee who was known to harbor 'memory-eating capabilities'. If I recall what I read, it was statements along the lines of "Ability to erase memories through physical… and distanced contact?"

I scratched my head in confusion. I was so caught up in my mind I hadn't realized the teacher was calling on me.

"Harvey!" The teacher slammed her desk.

"Sorry! Yes!" I replied.

"It took me three tries to get your attention. We already know that isn't acceptable in this classroom! What are you doing? Daydreaming?"

"Sorry ma'am…" I lowered my head in embarrassment.

She sighed. "You know the drill. You make a mistake, you compensate. Now tell me, which two districts contain more than one Education establishment?"

All eyes were on me.

Like lasers pointed at my head, I was glared at from all directions. But nothing felt all the more evident, than the most distressing glare of them all. The one that had been tugging at my back for the past few days now.

I turned over my shoulder, and shot a quick glance at Gula. In the split second, my fear had been confirmed.

"Harvey, what are you doing?"

The woman pulled my attention back in her direction.

"Answer my question. Which two districts contain more than one Education establishment?"

My mouth hung open. I was at a loss for words.

"District?"

I wouldn't be able to realize it, but by now, my biggest fear to be, had already come to me.

"I'm sorry, what is a district?"