Divided Mind

The seven men sat around the brown table, surrounded by brown chairs. They were representatives of the seven deadly sins: Pride, Wrath, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, and Sloth. Their personalities and expressions matched their sins in a way that was almost comical, and yet, at the same time, dangerously powerful.

Sloth, still in his bear-patterned pajamas, lay asleep with a white pillow on his head. His heavy breathing filled the air, oblivious to the chaos brewing around him.

Wrath, his legs sprawled across the table, was deep in thought, his anger evident in the tightness of his muscles and the flicker of rage in his eyes. He could have been waiting for something—anything—to ignite his fury, yet for now, he remained still.

"We're not here this time!" Wrath, Gluttony, Lust, and Envy all shouted in unison, rising from their seats in defiance. They turned to leave, leaving behind a mess of half-formed thoughts and unresolved tension.

Wrath slammed his hand on the table, his fury palpable as he grabbed Sloth by the collar, shaking him awake. "You lazy good-for-nothing! We could have found someone better than you!"

Sloth lazily opened his eyes, a grin creeping onto his face as he lazily sipped from a black cup. "Why do you think we were chosen for this? They selected us. Especially me, being the deadliest of the sins… It's almost touching, really."

"What will I do with you?" Wrath growled, slamming his hand down again in frustration, then collapsing back into his seat as if the effort had drained him.

"That's it, then. It's all up to you, Nihility, or instinct…" Wrath muttered, looking toward the figure at the head of the table, the only one who had remained silent.

Meanwhile, in the real world…

"Here it is, Konyon!" Adam, his hand gripping Raika's shoulder as he guided her through the door.

"Huh?! Hey, is that really your response?" Adam turned and gave Raika a questioning glance.

"Stop stalling and let's go in," Adam said with a smirk. Raika let out a sigh and followed, stepping toward the entrance.

"Is it true that the person who saw Konyon imagined it as they did?" Adam asked with a half-grin, scratching his head.

"Correct. So be careful, or you'll end up soiling yourself with dangerous thoughts," he added teasingly, earning a frustrated reaction from Raika.

"You little—! Never mind," Raika muttered, her voice trailing off as the door opened. The air outside was cool and the sight of lush green meadows left them in awe.

"Look at that! Even more impressive than the big bugs I've seen!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I agree," Adam said, both of them now staring ahead, taking in the beauty of the landscape.

As the door slowly began to close, they rushed inside, their movements quickened by the urgency they felt.

"Wasn't there no meadow last time?" Adam asked, kneeling down and picking up a handful of grass to examine it.

"So… what was there then?" Raika responded, trying to form a ball of earth from the soil.

"A pure white path—" Adam suddenly tossed the soil at Raika's head, hitting her squarely.

"Looks like our little princess might cry now," Adam smirked, trying to hide his amusement.

"You!" Raika shouted, grabbing a handful of dirt to throw at him. But Adam had already bolted away, dodging the earth missile effortlessly.

"You can't catch me!" Adam called over his shoulder as he sprinted across the grassy terrain, heading toward a cliff.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Adam's boastful shout echoed as he neared the cliff's edge, but Raika froze when she saw the city in front of her—its high walls blazing with fire.

"Does this look familiar, Adam?" Raika asked, her voice shaky as she pointed to the burning city.

Adam glanced at the city before meeting Raika's gaze. "It's all part of the plan, isn't it?" he said with an air of arrogance, but there was something in his eyes that betrayed his indifference.

The flames of the burning city reached towards the sky, attempting to pierce through the heavens themselves, but the sinners below were holding them back—just like they had once tried to stop Adam.

"What… What is this?" Raika exclaimed, unable to tear her gaze from the spectacle.

"These aren't your memories, are they?" Raika asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

"No…" Adam replied, his tone cold. His once carefree demeanor had turned to something more calculating. He stepped forward, taking one step closer to the city, Raika trailing behind him.

"What happened here?" Raika asked, her eyes scanning the ruins of houses that were little more than ash.

"None of your concern." Adam's voice hardened as he quickened his pace, pushing Raika forward with him.

Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence

"Why? Why did you do this?" A familiar voice rang out, and Raika looked up to see a figure she recognized—Nam.

Nam's black hair was disheveled, his eyes barely open as he stumbled toward them. His 15th-century attire, cream-colored tunic with wide collars, and dark brown, simple clothing contrasted with Adam's modern appearance.

"Why? Because it was you who burned the first city, wasn't it?" Adam said coldly, looking down at Nam with an expression of disdain.

"You're the one who brought me into this world! You killed everyone—what more do you want?" Nam's voice broke with desperation, the anger seeping into his words.

Adam's hand reached for his sword. "You asked for this, Nam. It's too late for you now."

In a flash, Nam's head was severed from his body, the blood spilling onto the ground. Adam looked at him with an unreadable expression, his face betraying no emotion.

"You'll live in another timeline," Adam said dismissively, his words carrying no weight of regret. He turned away, casting a final glance at Raika before walking on.

"Wait… why did you do this?" Raika muttered under her breath, trying to make sense of it all.

"You'll never know," Adam replied coldly without turning back.

"Will you kill me too?" Raika asked, fear creeping into her voice.

"How many tests are left before we enter Konyon?" she asked quickly.

"Two," Adam answered, his voice firm as they moved on.

Meanwhile, in another place…

Suddenly, Adam found himself standing in a blank space, facing eight figures. These were the Seven Deadly Sins and Nihility, each represented by a different color.

Pride was golden, Envy was emerald green, Wrath was a deep red, Sloth was pale gray, Greed was dark yellow, Lust was dark purple-red, Gluttony was orange, and Nihility stood in white.

"I can't believe I've divided my mind into eight pieces," Adam remarked, as if casually commenting on the absurdity of it all.

"You shouldn't have done it," Greed said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Nihility took a step forward, his gaze fixed on Adam. "I hope you haven't forgotten about me, Adam, the first being."