Ha, ha, ha.
Axel chuckled softly, "That's a surprise. All three of you survived, but it seems the one with the yellow hair is badly injured."
"You're injured too, but at least you're alive."
Axel huffed and pointed to the stairs, "I'll wait for you on the first floor."
Kōri tried to get up, but her leg was injured too badly to do so.
I held out my hand. She stared at it, lost in thought.
She took it gently...
I helped her up... she clung to me, almost buckling. We walked slowly, sore from the pain.
We went downstairs, exhausted and broken...
When we reached the second floor, we saw Lux lying on the stairs...
"Lux?"
"Y-yes... oh, By the holy winds. I feel so orange."
Kōri and I frowned...
"Orange?"
"I-I think colors are like feelings... orange is pain."
Wait, wait, wait... how the heck did Lux survive that fall?! First of all, he's stronger than the average human, he's taller than me (and I, or Nero's body, am very tall), he's incredibly resilient, and he looks young, like 18 to 20 years old.
Also... Kōri has a kind of sixth sense, she's agile like a cat, cold, and even though she's thin, she seems to have strength...
They don't look human... well... I don't look human either...
First of all, I'm agile, strong, resilient, and I can withstand pain...
What the hell are we...?
Lux struggled to his feet. His legs felt weak, and blood trickled from his arms. The wood seemed to have torn through his skin and flesh.
The three of us walked as best we could to reach the first floor. As I walked, my mind was having a monologue:
I just killed several people... how should I feel about that?
I don't feel good or bad...
I have so many questions that even I can't answer... What do I want? And why do I want it?
Those are such difficult questions to answer...
Look at my hand...
This hand killed someone, that's immoral... isn't it?
That would make someone evil... wouldn't it?
Am I evil?
But... what makes you good or bad? What makes you a hero or a villain?...
I understand now... no one is intrinsically good or bad... They are simply people trying to survive.
So... from that point of view, no one is a villain or a hero.
Because... you are good to some people and bad to others.
So, we are all... people, in a balance... that sometimes leans towards good and other times leans towards evil.
When we went downstairs, Axel was leaning against the wall; he was wearing a black hat, appropriate for the period.
Nero was still deep in thought, his head bowed...
"Hey...what's wrong?" Axel's tone seemed calm. "Are you in pain?... If that's the problem, I'll perform a ritual to heal you."
The comment surprised all three of us.
"I expected them to be injured, that's why I looked for some things." Axel searched the ground for something. When I found it, I bent down and picked it up. The object looked like a backpack, but it was also like a bag.
He opened it completely and took several things out...
A kind of glass goblet that seemed sturdy.
A small, sharp razor blade; in Vickmolt, that type of razor is used for shaving.
A powder of colors in shades of blue and purple.
And finally, a small vase of water.
Axel sat down on the ground.
"I'm going to need some of their blood."
Lux and I agreed, not giving it much thought. But Kōri seemed wary, almost afraid; she stood frozen.
She after agreed thinking for a moment...
Axel handed me the razor...
I cut my wrist, a sharp pain. My blood fell into the cup with a clinking sound.
Lux and Kōri repeated my action. Lux seemed to feel no pain whatsoever, and Kōri felt a slight pain but remained indifferent.
Axel sprinkled the dust in the cup...
The blood fused with the powders, creating a magical whirlwind inside the cup.
Axel put 2 of his fingers in the cup...
When he took them out, they seemed covered in magic, and he raised his fingers until they reached a considerable height.
Axel formed a cross in the air and recited: "Sanat peccatores qui hunc sanguinem donaverunt."
I understood Axel's words, but I didn't know exactly what they meant.
Our bodies healed completely... no, even better. Our skin became more vibrant, we felt more alive, stronger, and more agile.
Axel sat down on the floor and stared at us before saying, "Do any of you know what a Sinner is?"
The three of us shook our heads...
""Well, I'll tell you about one of the world's biggest secrets."
Our faces would show curiosity in our own way.
"Sinners are people with non-human abilities; they can, for example, burn forests in seconds, control lightning, or create objects out of nothing."
Powers? In this world, people can have powers!?
""The Sinners have Paths that represent emotions, moments, and a fusion of the two."
"The Paths are the representation of the soul, meaning that Sinners can only have one Path."
"These Paths are divided into 11 ranks. Each rank has a new ability and enhances the previous ones."
I raised my hand and said, "Axel, are you a Sinner?"
"Yes, from the Path of Cunning. Rank 10."
"Axel, you want to turn us into Sinners, right? If that's what you want, how can we do it?" Kōri asked, clearly curious.
"To begin on the Path as a Rank 11, you have to perform a ritual."
Axel laughed mockingly...
"After performing a ritual, your soul will transform into something physical, what the Sinners call a centrum. From the centrum come the Path and the ranks."
"But we'll do it tomorrow. Starting today, we'll live in one of your houses, and tomorrow you'll become Sinners."
What?... Why?
"That's right...What are their names?
""First the one with the white hair, then the tallest, and last the one with black hair, and while you're at it, tell us where you live."
"I'm Kori Ukiuq, 21 years old, and I live on the street."
Wow, I'm older than her...
"My name is Lux Stella, 18 years old, and I also live on the street."
This man or boy is inhuman...
"I'm Nero Alexue, 22 years old, and I live with my little sister in my house."
"Nero, we'll live at your house," Axel said, smiling.
I smilied a little, and I thought: Damn!!!
We all went outside. It was 4 a.m., according to Axel.
"Does anyone have anything to pick up?"
""Nah, I'm poor," Lux replied. "No, sir," Kōri responded. I shook my head.
A sound like fire suddenly appeared. Axel grabbed my shoulder tightly and threw me to the ground.
I looked up and saw Axel jump. While I was suspended in the air, Axel jumped again.
I focused my gaze on the large sphere of fire, which almost pierced me.
I turned my gaze to the launcher...
It was a man with a white mask and a sinister smile.
"Damn... a Smiler," Axel said from behind me.
Axel ran past me. I didn't know what was happening; I only knew that those two guys were Sinners.
Axel's eyes turned black, leaving only a beautiful combination of blue and black.
He slid along the ground, his eyes fixed on his enemy. He seemed calm but wary.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a Revolver...
The masked figure turned his right hand into a fist, rolled to Axel's side, and opened his hand, releasing another fireball.
Nero, Lux, and Kōri froze; everything had happened too fast for them. They were both amazed and terrified by these powers that defied their understanding.
Axel dodged the fireball and fired twice at the figure's head, shattering his mask.