A hollow sound filled the hall. The black boots of Guisei pounded against the stone floor, the bright and elegant entrance he was met with when entering with the cold black stone that surrounded him as if in a tight box.

His golden eyes flickered to the walls precisely, his sight taken by the emerald that glowed ever brightly. He rested his arms behind his head as he let his gaze slither up the walls and to the ceiling. Like a scarce star in the dark, a single green flame flickered in the air to illuminate the scene. Guisei let out a sigh, bored.

"You'd think if you could transport me anywhere from that place, you'd at least get me down the hall," Guisei muttered to himself. A picture in his mind appeared of Leviathan's condescending laughter as revenge for a lack of respect.

His mind remained preoccupied and his movements were a steady stream, yet in a moment's notice the flow was halted as he was met with the sight of an expansive wooden door. It towered over the boy and in turn he gave it a dulled look.

"Alright, show's over boys. Cut this illusion bull and actually kill me properly this time," Guisei barked out at his surroundings, unable to shake the odd tension that lingered in the air. He watched as his surroundings drifted towards the door, akin to an illusionary mist.

At that moment, Guisei found himself in the same ornate room. The bright light emanating from the jewels and artistry was broken by the sight of men in black suits of armor. He paid close attention to the craftsmanship. Black Guards from both Mammon and Leviathan's Courts noted by the Gold and Emerald laced along the sides of their armor. The golden river of his gaze flowed to the sight of where the odd tension emanated. A man with armor closely resembling jade dragon scales stood before Guisei. The man's voice held the cadence of nobility and his demeanor accompanied it as he kept his hands carefully behind him, the bright pink hue in his eye dissipating into the snakelike green that matched his armor.

"As if wasting time killing you when obviously Mammon and Leviathan want you around would do me any good," the man said as he slowly approached Guisei. The surrounding air was dense, like a heavy storm cloud.

"Who knows, apparently the new saying around Axía is that the seventh...or eighth time is the charm," Guisei said, unfazed by the air, his will slicing past it like an unhoned blade. The eyes of the guards carefully studied the two, as if already understanding they had no place in what would take place.

"Others say that the watchdog of Hell shouldn't be too far from his master. Tell me, Greed, where is Lady Wrath anyway?" The man questioned, letting his jade blazed eyes move to Guisei, analyzing the boy's short stature closely.

"Her name is Nabi," Guisei corrected.

The man prepared to speak only for the sound of footsteps to fall upon his ear, the same monotonous tune of leather meeting stone as Guisei began his stride past him. As if the storm around him reversed, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A loud crunch filled the room as the force shattered a piece of armor left on one guard. His body crumpled to the floor, unable to fight against the pressure.

Guisei gave a childish laugh as he turned his head to look back at the man, focusing directly on the color that drifted closer to purple rather than the pink he knew.

"Ah, new tricks. I would be worried, but I think more for those guards. Using such weak Reiju like that, be lucky you didn't kill one of Mammon's or you would have had a national crisis on your hands."

His hands shook slightly, only to stop short to capture the yawn that escaped him. With the collected motion of his other hand, he ordered the man to follow. "Take me to him, will you," He said.

The man's snake-like eyes sharpened towards him, only to be met with the sight of the gold from Guisei's. He felt a sharp pain flow from his body and immediately cease. His body was left paralyzed from the look. Guisei broke eye contact in realization and continued to beckon the man to follow.

"Come on already," He'd say as his footsteps continued to have the same echo.

After walking through the labyrinth of a castle, the two descended into the black of a spiral staircase. A golden light glittered to illuminate what would be dark. While walking down, Guisei let his finger glide across the black of the wall, dark dust latched to his skin only for him to rub it onto the jade armor of the man who followed

The man shivered slightly, still rebounding from the feeling he that overcame him from the young man's gaze. He opened his lips to speak, his voice less like a noble and more like a beggar.

"When you get down there change into something less bloody and Lord Mammon will be with you shortly."

A calm and controlled chuckle escapes Guisei's lips as the two continue down the stairs. Bright blue light pressed back against the wall of black and gold as Guisei's was met with the sight of neither the dungeons of gold nor the murky caves he knew, but rather a sight to behold.

The cave Guisei found himself was wide and expansive, bright blue light reflected from the crystals that rested high in the air like sharp daggers that could fall in an instant. Water flowed from the center of the cave. The sound and smell of rushing waves seemed to calm his mind even past his awareness as he noticed the man in jade disappear up the staircase like a rat searching for food.

Guisei extended a hand forward, letting the energy around his body flow out and around him. Reiju, like bright fireflies; scattered across his body, dematerializing his frayed clothes. It swirled around his wrists, replacing what he wore with the golden cuffs of what would come.

Like thread, Reiju wove within itself, creating a fabric that grew black like the walls Guisei ventured, forming into a black robe. The same symbol that he encountered at the end of his mission, the symbol of Avarice, rested on his shoulder with pride.

He felt the cold cobblestone on his feet as he ventured forward into the cave, the sounds of the river like a tune. Golden robes, a horn that blended with shaggy black hair and the same dead eyes and dark skin were all familiar to Guisei as he noticed him in the distance. Mammon extended a hand into the air as their eyes met.

"Long time no see Guisei," Mammon said.

His voice was like the ocean, deep and carefree in tone as he looked upon Guisei as they stood face to face. The sound of the water seemed to cease as Guisei glared at Mammon, the two like mirror images of each other. Guisei opened his mouth to speak, to not waste time.

"I already know what we're here to do, don't try to waste time before your death."

Mammon shook his head in response, letting a chuckle escape him as if it all felt nostalgic to him. He let his hands lower to his sides only to link in front of him, his eyes measuring Guisei's short frame and occasionally noticing a flicker of light around him.

"I would at least wait until after the transfer, or else my powers might just die with me you know and you wouldn't want what you're aiming for to just go to waste so easily, right, my dear Guisei," Mammon said, allowing his voice to echo through the cave.

The atmosphere shifted.

Like black ink laced within his skin, a tattoo slithered down Mammon's arm. The air grew dense as Guisei gasped for air in a single moment. Earth split under Mammon's feet, the cracks akin to the bolts of lightning that seemed to focus around his hands.

Mammon allowed a devilish smile to cross his face as he looked at the young man for a moment. His lips opening for a single moment.

"I guess I should re-educate you on this, my boy — as my heir you, like my predecessors, will inherit my power, cultivate it and take my place," Mammon paused, his voice taking on a deadly seriousness.

His hair's black color shifted into a bright silver, his skin and sclera grew black as night. He focused his eyes on Guisei, the same gaze that Guisei had given to the man in the jade armor. Reiju swirled around him like golden wind, threatening to cut whatever came near.

"If you are worthy, then you just might survive and if not, I would have wasted the past 17 years grooming you to do this one thing. As a man of greed, I enjoy gambling like this, so all I can say is."

The man parted his lips, his tongue moving like the tune to the devil's song as he began his incantation.

True Curse Series

Avaritia

Shēng

A single second passed as Guisei looked upon the sight. The man who he had his sights set on stood before him, like a god among men. His mind remained frozen, as much as he wished to move his legs remained frozen as if his neck was held forward to look. Eyes forced open in a hypnotic trance despite wishing for it all to stop.

Like a sharp blade entering his chest, Guisei felt the impact. He was dead; he had to be in his mind as he felt his mind go blank and his body fall back against the ground. All he could feel was the same spitting feeling. The same pain. It reverberated in his mind.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Pain.

Then all went black.