This world devoured humanity itself. Each person's flaw was treated as a sin they'd committed, something that hurt them or their loved ones. Those flaws consumed them completely, pulling them under until they drowned in their own darkness.
Worse still, every kill brought strength and riches, but also a burden. They inherited a fragment of the fallen's flaw. Though these borrowed Sin Fragments could never control them like their own Flaw did, they were no less terrifying.
But after more than a week since Halo came to this world, he still felt human. He felt uneasy about leaving someone behind.
Not his best friend, whom he spent his entire life with but still died by his hand, or Noah, the duty-burdened tyrant whom he'd promised to end his misery once he became an Assassin, but Saint Paris, the Dark Saint.
Not only had their time together shaped him to some extent, but he feared she might fall by someone else's hand. Her hopes, dreams, and desires, sinister or not, would be shattered.
But when purpose called, no one questioned its authority. He had to attend to pressing matters, yet the urgency of his promise lingered at the edge of his thoughts, fingers crossed in hope that when his purpose finally ended, he could return to meet her.
***
It was early in the morning, barely past 6am, when Halo stood by a narrow, rough road that stretched in opposite directions, extending so far it disappeared into the morning mist.
He couldn't tell whether the morning wagons had already passed, but after more than an hour of waiting, he highly doubted it. Still, he didn't intend to wait forever. Using the morning sun as his guide, he would set out on his own the instant it began peeking over the horizon.
Just as Dark Saint had told him, it would take nearly a week to reach Mirror Steppe on foot, and worse, roaming the lands at night was suicide since Sinners grew stronger in the darkness.
But he couldn't stand still and wait either, the longer he delayed, the greater the risk of failing his purpose and losing the hero.
Something he had no intention of triggering.
However, something in his peripheral vision sent chills down his spine.
Approaching through the dim atmosphere and dry trees was a wagon with a wooden base, four large spoked wheels, and its top covered with a white canvas canopy stretched over curved wooden bows.
At the front sat a driver fully covered in black, holding the reins to a white bear-like creature whose fanged mouth drooled and snarled despite its chains.
However, after a moment of relief as the wagon rolled in his direction, his expression shifted. Reality dawned on him. He had only six Sin Fragments in his arsenal, and worse, he had no idea if he could even afford the fare.
He gulped. He might have to walk after all.
The moment the wagon drew before him, it came to a halt. Halo could hear murmurs within the canopy, more than he'd initially imagined, and since the wagon stood directly opposite him, he had to shift to see inside. But before he could, armor clacked at the wagon's entrance.
A towering man in heavy silver armor with long blond hair and striking features stepped toward him. Halo had to crane his neck back just to see past the man's chest. He was a literal giant.
How did such a creature fit in the wagon, though?
The man offered Halo a smile, then spoke briefly. "You must be heading to Mirror Steppe."
Halo felt the urgency to be polite and respectful, perhaps they'd have mercy and let him ride for free. But his cold nature had other plans. Despite himself, his expression grew so dim that the man's smile slowly faded.
"Okay. That will be three Sin Fragments." The man hurriedly added, as though Halo's cold stare unnerved him.
Halo, however, felt his soul groan in pain. Three Sin Fragments? That would leave him with three! He already wasn't strong enough for his purpose, and now this? What would become of him if all his Sin Fragments were exhausted?
Despite his inner terror, all the man saw was death incarnate as he hurriedly thrust out his hand for the transaction.
Halo hesitated. This could be his end if he didn't take the wagon, and he was running out of Sin Fragments as it was. But with a heavy heart, he reluctantly placed his hand into the man's and watched the bronze screen materialize before his eyes.
***
[ Would you like to share Sin Fragments?]
| Yes | No |
***
Reluctantly, he followed every instruction and made his payment. This sent a similar cozy sensation down his spine, just like the chilled feeling from receiving a Sin Fragment.
The moment he ducked inside the wagon, though, he knew he'd made a mistake.
There were about fourteen people crammed into that little wagon like livestock.
But judging from the expressions of the women and men within, this was normal. They smiled and chatted without a care. Halo couldn't dwell on it much.
He'd claimed a spot by the entrance, not only did it give him air and breathing space, but if any Sinner approached, he could escape.
The moment the wagon began rolling, his eyes darted everywhere but inside the canopy, but that wasn't enough to prevent him from hearing most of them brag about their achievements and the lands they've been to.
Their chatter was so loud and unrelenting that Halo couldn't spare a thought for how Dark Saint would manage without him.
She was still Dark Saint, after all, she'd been fine before he arrived. But being sealed in a tree while her only companion was left without promise of return had to weigh on her.
Even that flicker of sympathy, though, was drowned out by the noise around him.
Before long, Halo found himself listening to their conversations more than he cared to. They would only spend one night on the road. Good.
But with only two armored passengers, including the towering man he'd spoken with, those were clearly the strongest.
The lands they'd traveled, though only within the Voiceless region, were places Halo could only dream of reaching. Death. Power. Blood. Torture. Nothing mattered in their journeys beyond survival.
However, nothing piqued Halo's interest like the words that escaped the towering man's lips a few hours into their journey. He couldn't decide whether to be glad or terrified, yet his laidback nature prevented him from asking questions. But did he need to?
"I'm certain Kysa still lives. The strongest Knight to ever exist… yet, there's something else about her. Something darker. Sinister."
Halo's skin crawled.