Chapter VII

'An immeasurable number of years ago existed a single 'thing'. This 'thing' is what we, today, would call God. Its form unknown, it lived in a blank canvass; you could travel for infinity and, even then, an equal distance greets you.

In this space, other god-like entities greeted God, capable of fazing in and out of time itself; this ability nurtured a superiority complex within the beings, sparking the first sin: Superbia, the founder of all sins; this pride grew within the entities, forming the first Demons. In response, God fostered Superbia's twin: Tristitia, the first product of Superbia: the sin to breed life into almost all the other sins we experience today. At first, Tristitia was no threat to the Demons, but it continued to grow uncontrollably within God. The Demons forged the first product of this world to control God; this product was a cage.

The strain caused by producing the cage weakened the Demons; they couldn't create this world we live on, so they ran experiments; these experiments were so mortifying, no one has been able to write them into words; everyone who started was driven into insanity and eventually consumed by Tristitia.

Every one of these experiments failed, so, out of spite, the Demons repeatedly sent electrical currents through God, killing it. God came back to life however, stirring confusion and intrigue amongst the demons; if God can bring itself back to life, then why couldn't it bring other things to life? That is what drove the demons to continue the experiments; that is what created Vanagloria, Avaritia, and Acedia, Superbia's eldest children. They would ask God to create things out of nothing, and if God did not, they would shock it again. While God could not die, it could feel pain and pain did not diminish over time; God began to create this world: God first created the earth, dry and empty; next came the sea, which froze instantly. God continued to construct, but everything God created either died or reverted to dust, then to space; that is when light was created. God created light to keep hopeful, hopeful that one day its creations could prosper.

On one moment, one of Demons came alone to God; it asked for a wife. It promised to subdue the other Demons if God could create companionship, so God did, and it was a success, God had finally achieved its one dream; the light was a success. The next day, it requested another wife, supposedly unhappy with the one God created, so God created a new one. It continued until it had amassed one hundred wives. It approached God with a final request. 'Please remove their tongues, that is the problem.': Luxuria was born. God denied; God would not silence its first successful creation; instead, it made bread and wine to feed them while they resided in God's company.

Once the other Demons had discovered God's actions, they sought revenge. They would steal the food from the wives, causing them to die from starvation: forming Gula; this act angered God for the first time. Despite the torture, God had kept Tristitia concealed, but the death of God's creations killed apart of God, which could not heal. Tristitia burst from God's torso, releasing all the matter we see today; finally creating the world, but God would not be able to view it. When Tristitia burst out of God, God transformed into the youngest and final sin;

Ira was different from the other sins; it took the form of God's first successful creation. The Demons quitted from the world and returned to their own, leaving Ira alone. Out of loneliness and the fear of Tristitia rising from inside her, Ira created life: the animals, the plants, the fungi; everything that made you possible.

Sixteen people were born from Ira's flesh, significantly weakening her. On Ira's deathbed, her sixteen creations surrounded her. One by one, Ira limited their abilities to create and manipulate life, placing a seal on them: a petal. Ira died before she could banish the sins, but as she slipped away to meet God once more, she ordered her creations to prepare for the Demons' return. She didn't want another Ira to take away her life's work.

Hopefully, from that, you understand why we must suffer to control the world. It is out of sympathy and faith. It's to fulfil our creators dying wish, whether we want to or not.'

Hannah looks up to the sky; it is pitch black, clouds struggle to distinguish their contrasts. 'I will do it.'

'What will you do?'

'I will suffer, so others do not have to!'

'Ok then, I guess we should get in for dinner, Sao isn't one for sympathy. You'll start training tomorrow morning.'

Hannah nods, stands up, and goes to walk back inside where Akuma is waiting, staring out the window with lowered eyebrows with his right hand holding up his head.

'Oh yeah, Hannah,' Yuda calls.

'Yes, Yuda sir.'

'Look out for Akuma, he's hiding something; also drop the formality, we're friends, not a business group.'

'Ok… Yuda.'

They walk into the house – Yuda allowing Hannah through first – greeted by steamed fish laid on a bedding of jade lettuce, emerald spinach, and jasper cucumber, circled by a ring of sliced steaming potatoes.

'Here,' Sao hands Yuda and Akuma a paper plate; it's hardly extravagant but competent. Everyone, asides from Sao, are in shock: Akuma and Hannah in delight, Yuda in disapproval.

'What happened to rations? If we eat like this, we'll run out of food by next week!'

'Well, Yuda, it is a special occasion.'

'What? It's not that Christmas thing is it?'

'No, no, no, not at all. It's more sentimental than that.' The group waits in a silence that is occasionally interrupted by Yuda's disapproval. Sao hands out plastic cups filled with water to the others then raises his in the air, 'Why is today so important you ask? Yuda, Yuda, Yuda. Today is the day we have received our first true job. We can finally get to work.'

Hannah smiles, a little, and raises her cup; Akuma goes into a fit of joy, prancing around the room, singing as if no one could hear; Yuda lets out a slight chuckle, raising his cup and tapping Sao's, 'Fine, maybe one big meal now and then isn't too bad. But about the fish-'

'This is our dream coming to life Yuda. We have finished part one, we've passed that roadblock. The revolution begins tomorrow. For me and Akuma that is. It's an espionage mission in a town towards the far south; taking all of us will put too much of a strain on our resources, it's best if you and Hannah stay here, I can't trust Akuma with anyone else, God knows what he'll get up to.'

'Understood. I'll take the time to unlock Hannah's potential. By the time you return, she should be plenty capable of caring for herself.'

'Good luck with that. I'm trusting you.'-