King

The air around Zale felt heavier than ever, as if the world itself rejected his presence. His chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, every movement a struggle against the fatigue eating away at him. No matter how hard he tried to shake off the drowsiness, it clung to him like a parasite.

He trudged forward, his feet dragging against the ground as he made his way home. The journey was a haze, one step bleeding into the next. His body was weakened, but his determination kept him moving. Whatever had happened to him, whatever this power was, he needed to understand it.

The Sin of Sloth. That was what he had been given. And its influence gnawed at him constantly, tempting him to surrender, to collapse into a deep and endless sleep. But even with that relentless exhaustion tearing at him, his thoughts burned with purpose.

He needed answers.

The battered remnants of his shelter loomed ahead, its rough structure barely holding together. The place offered no real comfort, but it was familiar. A cruel reminder of the life he'd been forced to endure since being discarded into this forsaken land.

Zale stumbled through the entrance and collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving ground. His body refused to cooperate any longer, the weight of his limbs too much to bear. The moment his head hit the dirt, his consciousness began to fade.

Sleep claimed him almost instantly.

When his eyes opened again, the blazing sun had already risen. Its harsh light pierced through the cracks in his shelter, stabbing at his eyes like jagged knives.

He groaned, rolling onto his back, his entire body aching from the ordeal of the previous day. And yet, the sensation that dominated his mind was that overwhelming sense of lethargy.

It was worse than before.

The temptation to drift off, to let the darkness swallow him whole, was stronger than anything he had ever experienced. But as powerful as it was, something deeper stirred within him. A burning resentment.

He wasn't about to let himself fall victim to this power. He would conquer it. Master it.

The words he heard still echoed in his mind: "The Seven Sins have chosen their master, and the Demon Kings are those chosen by the Sins. Let their greatest desire come true."

The meaning twisted through his thoughts, bringing with it an unsettling clarity. If he truly was the King of Sloth, then this power was his to control. But there was something preventing him from fully understanding it. A barrier that held back the true potential of his abilities.

He had to figure out what was blocking him.

Forcing himself to sit up, Zale closed his eyes and reached into the darkness within. The power was there, waiting to be called upon, responding to his will like a shadow stretching toward the light.

It was strange. The way it obeyed him so easily now. As if some primal bond had been forged between them. But there was still a limit. Something keeping him from grasping its true essence.

"What do you want from me?" Zale whispered, his voice hoarse.

The darkness curled around his fingers, swirling like ink in water. Its touch was cold, yet oddly comforting. But it offered no answers.

Frustration gnawed at him. He clenched his fists, the shadows coiling tighter around his arms. He had been granted power beyond comprehension, yet he couldn't even control it properly.

Was it the exhaustion? The unending urge to sleep that clouded his mind? Or was it something else entirely?

He needed to understand. And he needed to do it now.

Letting out a slow, steadying breath, Zale allowed his consciousness to sink deeper into the darkness. It was like plunging into an icy void, his senses growing numb as his mind drifted further and further away from reality.

It was there, within the cold embrace of the shadows, that he felt it. A presence. A sensation that prickled at the edge of his awareness.

Slowly, he reached for it. His fingers stretched through the darkness, searching, grasping. And then, his hand brushed against something solid.

His eyes snapped open.

Suspended in the air before him was a glowing orb, its light faint but unwavering. It pulsed softly, radiating a warmth that stood in stark contrast to the chill surrounding him.

Zale's gaze locked onto the orb, his breath catching in his throat. He could feel it—something calling to him from within that light. A truth waiting to be unveiled.

Without hesitation, he reached out and touched the orb.

The world around him shattered. His vision swirled, colors bleeding into one another before fading into darkness. And then, the voice came. Cold, absolute, and undeniable.

"The Seven Sins have chosen their master, and the Demon Kings are those chosen by the Sins. Let their greatest desire come true."

The words slammed into him like a tidal wave, their meaning carving themselves into his mind. The Sin of Sloth had not only granted him power. It had claimed him. Made him its vessel.

Its King.

His eyes widened as the realization crashed down upon him. He was the King of Sloth. That title belonged to him, whether he wanted it or not. But there was something more. Something locked away from him.

The words had mentioned desire. A burning hunger deep within his soul. Was that what he needed to confront? His own desires?

The orb's glow began to fade, its warmth retreating until only the cold emptiness remained. But the message continued to ring in his ears, relentless and unyielding.

"Greatest desire…" he muttered, his voice barely more than a breath. "What do I even want?"

Images danced through his mind. The faces of those who had cast him aside. The pain. The betrayal. The rage that simmered beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed.

But was revenge truly his greatest desire? Or was there something deeper, something buried beneath the anger and resentment?

He didn't know.

But he would find out.

No matter what it took.