"Where… Where am I?"

Van turned his head to look around, he was currently in some kind of house. It was small and unfamiliar, but still contained a warmth that made his heart feel welcomed.

​​

"Hm…", when his vision started to darken and he felt himself be drowned by the weight of his own body, he thought that he would dream of his visions again, the one with the winged-soldiers and the giant men. It has been a while since he had it.

But this… The brightness was enough for him to feel a burn on his eyes, causing him to slightly cover his face.

"Mother, I got a job!"

"!!!", Van quickly turned around as a loud piercing noise echoed into his ears, faint, but lasting.

"That…", Van felt his throat dry up as soon as he saw a familiar face, it was Desmond. The very first one which life he took. His eyes felt unwilling to look at Desmond as he looked to the side. Are these Desmond's memories? Van whispered. If so, why was it being shown to him?

"A job?"

Van then heard another voice-- a woman. And as soon as her voice entered Van's ears, an old woman appeared in front of Desmond, sitting on a chair.

"But I thought you wanted to attend the Academy?", the woman said, her breaths reaching Van even though they were far away.

"Yes!", Desmond smiled as he lifted his mother into the air, "They would be sponsoring my stay at the Academy!"

"W… what? What kind of job is that?", Desmond's mother stuttered as she gestures his son to let him go.

"I just need to babysit some rich kid going to the academy!", Desmond let out an excited chuckle, his smiles almost reaching near his ears, "Apparently there are others, but the pay is still good. Good enough that you won't have to work anymore!"

"...Really!?"

"!!!"

Van's vision once again trembled as the scenery in front of him burst into tiny pieces, like smoke being blown by a gale. But slowly, a scenery once again unfolded in front of him, with the smoke forming again, showing Desmond wearing the Academy's uniform.

There were three other men beside him, faces which Van was very familiar with. In front of them, was the red-haired man that Van also killed, Lucas.

"You will be watching young master Gerald from now on!", Lucas commanded, his tone making Desmond slightly flinch. "Just do not let him do anything stupid and rash. Your job is not only to protect him but also to protect the other students from him"

Hearing Lucas' words, Van saw a slight movement on Desmond's eyebrows.

"Also--"

Before Lucas could finish his words, the scenery once again changed.

"!!!"

Van's face instantly became heavy as he saw himself standing on top of a platform. His breaths became solid as he looked around the new scenery that was laid in front of him.

"This is… the arena?"

This is where Gerald and his group of friends… no, bodyguards ganged up on him and beat him to death. But this time, he saw clearly what they were doing.

A Mage-type student heated up the stage, which caused Van to jump, only for him to land on his arms and rip off his skin from the heat. He crawled out of the stage, only for Gerald to punch him back to the center.

They then started throwing the relics he collected, causing the sharp glass to get in his eyes.

"How… did I even live?", Van's hand trembled as the weight inside him grew. He then saw Desmond, who was not doing anything, his fists also trembling, and his eyes not wanting to see the torment that was being done to Van.

"...", Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows as he saw the reluctance and unwillingness in Desmond's eyes. Van's breaths were starting to waver as a heavy weight started to fill his chest.

"Let's go!", Gerald then shouted.

"S… shouldn't we heal him first!?"

Desmond. Desmond pleaded to heal him. But Gerald's words were absolute as he left the arena, not even minding Desmond's words.

Once again the scenery changed, this time, it was in Van's house.

Andrea's hands were trembling as she held the knife towards the intruders that suddenly barged in the house. But before she could even react, one of the men hit him in the back,

"Why would you do that!?"

Once again, Desmond's echoing voice pierced Van's ears.

"We were only ordered to wreck the hous--"

Even faster, the scenery shifted. And it was a scene that was quite fresh in Van's mind. The moon had just settled, and Desmond and his companions were walking down the street.

Lucas was in front, leading them.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, a black silhouette blurred in front of Desmond, instantly causing him to fall to the ground.

"Is that… me?", Van could not help but gulp as he saw himself bathed in darkness. The only thing that had color was his eyes, fuming a golden light.

"Gah!"

The loud screams once again echoed through Van's mind, repeating over and over again.

"I must save them!", words that were as if entering straight to Van's mind. He then quickly looked towards Desmond, who was lying on the ground before leaping towards him.

And Van… he then saw himself, even with the darkness clouding over his entire body, he saw his own face.

"I… was smiling?"

Van felt his breath stutter as he watched himself plunging the knife into Desmond's leg, a huge smile plastered on his face. Van then felt his face twitch, only to feel the edge of his mouth slightly lifting.

"I… am smiling now as well?", Van felt his legs fall asleep as he dropped to the ground.

Is this how Desmond saw him? It looked as if he was a monster, a monster that Desmond could not even see.

"Mother…"

Desmond's cries then pierced his ears, "What about… my mother?".

"Why are you showing me this!?", Van screamed in an attempt to drown Desmond's cries, but alas, the only thing he could hear was Desmond's tears falling to the ground.

Why was this being shown to him?

"Why!?", Van once again shouted, and as soon as he did so, he felt his whole body being dragged across the street as his vision once again darkened.

[The Penalty of Hades is Over]

His whole body jolted as a loud gasp woke him up. Van quickly looked around to see if he was back in his room, but alas, no matter where his eyes wandered to, there was only darkness.

But it was a darkness that was quite familiar to him.

"Kaaaa!"

Van felt his skull crack as a shrill entered through the depths of his body. He quickly turned his head to the side, where the disgusting scream was coming from.

And there, just right beside him, was a grotesquely tall human, six wings attached on its back. Its whole body was trembling, it's wings slightly scrunched as some of its feathers withered away.

This… this is one of the winged-soldiers that he saw in his last dream, wasn't it? But weren't there supposed to be 7 of them?