“Seriously?” Jonas was completely stunned, he hadn’t thought his chiding would work, he just felt like releasing some pent-up stress by talking smack to the old jerk who liked grinding his gears. If he was being honest with himself, Jonas wasn’t even sure why he asked. Part of him just wanted to further his studies of Sin, while the other part felt like he could trust Old Louie. The old man took a deep long breath and then released it.

“I’ve never had a student before, but I’m willing to teach you on two conditions.”

“What are they?”

“First,” said Old Louie, “My training will be the harshest thing you ever went through, so much so that it will probably make you hate me, is that okay?”

“Deal,” said Jonas, “What’s the second?” and this caused Old Louie to roll his eyes, he didn’t understand how people like Jonas could just make huge life-altering decisions that quickly, without a care in the world, or considerations for the consequences of making the wrong choice.

“The second,” said Old Louie, “I want you to help me with one thing in the future. Earlier you said you would.”

“I agree, to both conditions,” said Jonas, “But seriously, what could I possibly help you out with, I mean, can’t you solve anything with the power you have?”

“Not everything in Hell can be solved with power,” said Old Louie.

“Yes, it can,” said Jonas, “Decision-making is also a type of power, and if you combine incredible strength with good decision making, you can solve any problem.”

“Your optimism is disgusting,” said Old Louie, but he didn’t necessarily disagree, “Fine, you can be my student, and I’ll teach you to become a Sinner,” and Jonas was nearly shitting himself in joy because he was one step closer to achieving his goals.

Everything had paid off. Being kidnapped and sold as a slave, leaving the Glatorius mansion, and traveling deep within the dangerous sewers, these experiences had all been worth the trouble. Jonas was going to learn how to Sin, he would put all his effort into doing so, and he was going to make sure that no one beat or humiliated him ever again. A burning fire filled his heart as he made an internal promise to try his best.

“What’s the Hell Challenge?” Jonas asked.

“Another round and I’ll tell you,” Old Louie smirked, but seeing the irritation in his student’s expression, he added, “Fine, if you can recite to me the seven sins, their titles and sin scars, I’ll buy the next round.”

“Easy,” Jonas chuckled, his memory was quite good, even with alcohol in his system, “Sinners of Lust are called Hunters and their symbol is a bullseye. Sinners of Greed are called Thieves and their symbol is a diamond. Sinners of Gluttony are called Nobles and their symbol is a heart. Sinners of Envy are called Rogues and their symbol is an eyeball,” Jonas only stopped to chug the remaining swamp ale from his dirty mug.

“Almost got them all, what else?”

“Sinners of Wrath are called Berserkers and their symbol is a flame, I believe you said, and finally, Sinners of Pride are called Crusaders and their symbol is a cross. I think that is seven,” Jonas began counting on his fingers.

“You got it, good boy. Janka!” he shouted at the bartender, “Another round on me, just put it on my tab,” and seeing that Janka was about to throw a glass mug at him, Old Louie smiled toothily and pulled out his hell phone. The transfer was surprisingly accepted, and as they waited for their drinks Old Louie continued his teaching.

“So now we’ve come to the Hell Challenge,” he said, “Basically, you travel the six floors of Hell and try to beat each of the Princes of Hell.”

“Wait,” said Jonas, “Beat them in a fight?

“Not exactly,” Old Louie explained, “Every Prince of Hell is allowed to create a challenge, and they are also allowed to determine the rules of that challenge and determine how challengers are chosen,” he added, “This can be a game of baseball, a fistfight, or a math test if they so choose.”

“What happens if you beat their challenge?” Jonas asked.

“You can use their private elevator to move to the next floor,” said Old Louie, and for the second time in that conversation, Jonas felt like everything was falling in place for him. He now understood what a Sinner was, what the Hell Challenge was, and more importantly, he knew how to get to the next floor of Hell.

“So first I learn what my Cardinal Sin is, then I train and learn to Sin, then I can take the Hell Challenge?”

“No, actually you need to take the Sin Assessment, then you can legally take the Hell Challenge and leave the first floor.”

“I’m guessing that’s some sort of test. Do you need a license or something to Sin?”

“Not at all,” Old Louie licked his lips eagerly as he watched Janka drop off a new tray of drinks and pickled eggs, “Anyone and their grandmother can learn to Sin, but only the best will ever be able to pass the Sin Assessment. It’s considered a privilege to be a licensed Sinner, and it’s an even bigger privilege to leave the floor you were assigned at death.

“So let’s just say I’ve trained my Sin enough where I can take this Sin Assessment, what then?”

“Big talk for someone who just learned about Sin today,” Old Louie stuck out his tongue, “Take the assessment, pass the test, become a true sinner, beat the first challenge, and you can leave the Overworld and head to the second floor. Honestly, though, that’s all a pipe dream for you. With the way you are now, I can teach you to protect yourself from the assholes in the Outlands. The Inlands however, is an entirely different animal.”

“You don’t think I’ve got what it takes?” Jonas felt a bit indignant.

“It’s not a matter of attitude, it’s a question of talent, parentage, and destiny. You’re never going to be able to compete with those young Hellites who’ve been handed a silver spoon in life. Their bodies are perfectly made for sinning, they have the best tutors money can buy, most have started training at a young age, and their parents are Sinners which makes things much easier for them. To be honest, I don’t see you ever passing the Sin Assessment, as it’s a giant death trap meant for young Hellites of the Inlands to pray on the common sinners of the Outlands.”

Jonas didn’t feel dissuaded, though he did feel like Old Louie had a point. If parentage and having an early start mattered as much as the old man said it did, Jonas would probably always be behind those Hellites of his generation, perhaps never catching up to them.

“What else is there to know?” Jonas changed the subject, “Tell me about your healing powers,” and Old Louie considered him for a moment.

“I’ll answer questions about Hell, but that’s enough for today about Sinners. I want you to focus on learning the basics and not thinking too far ahead and don’t argue with your teacher,” Old Louie cut across Jonas who had just opened his mouth to argue.

“Fine,” said Jonas, he tried to think of something else to ask, “How does one become a Prince of Hell?”

“You have to beat a Prince of Hell in a duel, usually to the death. That’s enough for the King to allow you to take their place.”

“So for the Hell Challenge, what happens if you beat all six challenges?”

“You get to ask the King of Hell for one wish.”

“A wish from the King of Hell himself?” asked Jonas in disbelief, “Why would anyone want a wish from Satan?”

“Why would anyone want a wish from the second most powerful being in all of creation?” asked Old Louie who looked just as in disbelief as Jonas, “Why the fuck do you think someone would want a wish, you could ask for anything!”

“Anything?”

“Fuck, wealth, power, rebirth, immortality, an army of demons at your disposal, a harem of beauties, death to your enemies, fucking anything.”

“How about clemency for a sibling?” asked Jonas.

“Sure, why the hell not,” said Old Louie, “You think the King of Hell gives two shits about some brat and his older brother?”

“No,” said Jonas, but his heart was moved by the thought, “So all six Princes of Hell have already completed the Hell Challenge and asked for a wish, correct?”

“I believe so,” said Old Louie.

“Couldn’t you wish to be a Prince of Hell?”

“Not at all. The King couldn’t just usurp power because someone completed the test a bit later than someone else, he would have a mutiny on his hands.”

“So you can’t wish for anything then, right?”

“You moron, you couldn’t wish for him to destroy the entire universe could you, obviously there are things you can’t wish for. Jesus fucking Christ I can’t believe my first student is such a dumbass.”

“You old crock of shit,” said Jonas angrily, “I can’t believe I took a fucking homeless sewer rat as my master.”

“You unfilial little fuck face, why don’t you show some piety and buy your master another round?”

“Another round? Do you know how much it cost me just to find you and get the information I wanted?” Jonas slurred as the alcohol continuously crept upon him.

“Oh don’t act like you earned that money yourself,” Old Louie bantered back as he slowly got sloppily drunk.

“Old Louie,” said Jonas a few moments after he finished choking back a Dumpster Fire.

“Huh?” the old quack grunted, “You got something else to say?”

“How can I become a strong Sinner?” Jonas simply couldn’t see a way around the fact that his body wasn’t tailor-made to be one of the strongest Sinners in all of the Overworld, a position he would need to reach if he had any hope of seeing his brother again.

“You’re hopeless,” said Old Louie, “Even that pansy Rick made you his bitch, and he’s not even a Sinner, just give up any thoughts of taking the Sin Assessment.”

“Do you need to be completely evil to become a good Sinner?” Jonas hoped that giving up his humanity wasn’t a requirement, “Can I bypass the whole talent crutch?”

“No, to both questions,” said Old Louie, “But it’s too long and difficult to be both a Sinner and a good person, and although some will try, eventually they end up like the rest of the Sinners; cold, brutal, and merciless. Unfortunately, even if you stay a good person, train like Hell, and do everything perfectly, you’ll be capped at being one of the strongest people in the Outlands, which isn’t all that bad. Not enough for you to see your brother. There is a different way for you to meet him.”

“There is?” Jonas looked a bit hopeful.

“If Drake is as unique and dangerous as you described, and he was sent to the sixth floor, it’s always possible he could become a Sinner himself. If that’s the case, once he passes the Sin Assessment of his assigned floor, he’ll have to come to the Overworld to start the Hell Challenge. Technically, you just need to make it to Sin City, and eventually, you’ll meet him,” Jonas felt rather disappointed after hearing this idea.

“That’s so out of my control. Besides, even if Drake is amazing, he and I share the same parents, so our talent for Sin is probably similar.

“That’s true,” Old Louie nodded his head, “You never know though, maybe he’s already accepted a master too, someone even more qualified than me.

“I can’t see someone being more qualified than you,” Jonas chuckled, “You might stink, but you do know your stuff. So, you're telling me you can’t be a strong Sinner and keep your humanity?”

“I didn’t say that, did I,” said Old Louie, “Yours truly is still human.”

“Bullshit!” said Jonas loudly, “Old stinking sewer rats don’t count as human.”

“Yeah, whatever, you blonde bimbo, there have been plenty of strong Sinners who are decent people. Just look at the Angels on the fifth floor, they managed to do it just fine.”

“So they are real,” Jonas smiled at the thought, “With the wings and halos.”

“No halos,” Old Louie explained, “But yeah, the fifth floor is where all the Angels live, and they raise all the children who died before eighteen.”

“I knew that when kids died they went to the fifth floor, but I didn’t believe they were raised by angels,” Jonas was feeling a bit jealous that he didn’t get to go to the fifth floor when he died. He felt like it shouldn’t make a difference that he was one year older.

“Assholes like you don’t get to experience Little Heaven, that’s for the innocent, the saint-like, and those humans who were so virtuous that even the demons couldn’t sentence them to the first floor.”

“I feel like there is so much to learn about Hell,” said Jonas bleakly.

“This dimension is one of the oldest things in existence,” said Old Louie, “Almost as old as the mortal dimension that you came from,”

“How do you know so much?” Jonas asked though he knew his new Master was sure to lie.

“I’m an old man who's been down here in Hell for a very long time,” said Old Louie, “I’ve seen so much down here that I’m starting to realize that the biggest punishment of Hell isn’t the torture, fear, or pain…” he trailed off, “It’s the fact that you can’t die. There is just no release from this place, and once you come to Hell, you’re stuck here for all of eternity. That is the true punishment.”

“I don’t get it,” said Jonas, “Not dying is probably the coolest and weirdest thing I’ve heard about in Hell, though I haven’t been ballsy enough to try it.”

“Listen,” said Old Louie, “The rules of death are different for each floor, but here in the Overworld, if you die you’ll come back a few days later.”

“What does it cost though?” asked Jonas skeptically. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that life was like a video game and you could just respawn infinitely without consequence.

“All your powers and memories will be wiped, but there will usually be a bit left, just enough to keep you as you. Some of the weakest most unspectacular people in the Overworld were once tremendous Sinners, you’d just never know it because they died and lost everything upon their resurrection.

“Wow,” Jonas was stunned, “I didn’t think of it like that.”

“You’re a moron,” said Old Louie with a smile.

“So what are you going to teach me first?” asked Jonas who was excited to start training his Sinner powers, and Old Louie slammed back another Swamp Ale.

“We can focus on training tomorrow, for now, let’s just drink, and you can ask your questions, I’m in a good mood,” and so they did. Round after round until Jonas was dizzy and disorientated. He laid his head on the cold musty bar counter and stared at the disfigured old man in front of him.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I’m scared,” the alcohol was both making him impulsive, and bringing out his honesty.

“We’re all scared,” said Old Louie, “The measure of a good Sinner is his ability to conquer fear, and ignore the pain.”

“Good,” Jonas yawned as he felt his eyes begin to close, “I’m just going to lie down for a bit,” he mumbled, and he instantly fell asleep. Old Louie chuckled as the drunkenness in his face immediately disappeared and his eyes regained their clarity. He examined the drunk, sleeping youth next to him and contemplated in his heart.

‘Alas, I hope I’m making the right choice. Sorry, boy, but you’ll find that becoming a Sinner isn’t all about asking questions, or going for jogs,” and out of curiosity, Old Louie patted Jonas’ sleeping back, right where the mysterious seal was. His mouth fell ajar.

‘It’s halfway opened?’ Old Louie looked absolutely stunned, ‘It’s only been a week, and yet the seal is almost open?’ he began examining it as carefully as he could, less he got another shocking surprise like from before, ‘Why though?’ he wondered, ‘Could it be his exposure to Hell’s Sin?’

Old Louie shook his head, and he was just about to pull his hand away when his incredible senses noticed something extremely dark, and disturbing, a hidden shadow that clung desperately to the walls of Jonas’ psyche.

“I see you, beast,” Old Louie smirked venomously as goosebumps crawled up his arm, and although the sight of the thing was rather shocking, it wasn’t the first time he had dealt with one.

“Leave us be, old man,” Frydee croaked, “I mean him no harm.”

“Of course, you won’t harm him,” Old Louie glared daggers at the shadow, “How did you come to be?” and for a moment, Frydee carefully considered Old Louie.

“I can’t remember everything,” the shadow replied, “Nothing makes sense, I awoke many years ago when the seal was broken, but someone resealed it, and I was forced to sleep until not too long ago.”

“What is your name, foul beast?” Old Louie demanded.

“The foolish boy calls me Frydee,” said Frydee, “But that is just a childish nickname given by a toddler who couldn’t say my real name properly.”

“Which is?”

“Pride.”

“You’re his Pride,” Old Louie began to mumble, “But that means, he’s a-”

“Exactly,” said Pride, “But don’t ask me how, I don’t remember.”

“This boy,” Old Louie licked his quivering lips, “Just who in the world is he?”

“Someone powerful, someone important,” said Pride, “I would know because I am him.”

“He’s human though,” Old Louie began tugging on his beard, “I’ve checked for foul play.”

“Of course we’re human,” Pride snarled, “I think I would know if the body I occupied contained blood belonging to something other than human.”

“The purpose of the seal then?” Old Louie asked though he felt as if he already knew the answer.

“To hide me, to hide our power,” said Pride arrogantly, “Someone doesn’t want the world to know about us, at least not yet.”

“A Sin Shadow and an ancient seal” Old Louie sighed deeply, “This is more complicated than I had originally thought.”

“Do you regret getting involved, Monk,” Pride’s tone had become much more insolent as soon as he realized Old Louie would not attack him. Truth be told, Old Louie terrified Pride, but the shadow knew that as long as he was attached to Jonas, he was safe.

“He would have learned eventually, as soon as the seal broke his powers would become available, and he would discover Sin through trial and error,” said Old Louie, who didn’t seem either surprised or irritated with Pride’s tone of voice.

“Exactly,” Pride sounded prideful, “Even I know enough to teach him the basics, the information is programmed into me, it’s instinctive. I would have served as his guide.”

“How long until the seal is undone?” Old Louie stroked his beard.

“Could be a few weeks, or possibly even less,” said Pride, “Our Sin Scars will glow, our power will grow, and we will take Hell by storm,” and he began to cackle in a rather mischievous manner.

“You should not lead him astray,” Old Louie eyed the shadow suspiciously, “He has a good heart, it should stay that way.”

“Old man, we will become, what we were meant to become,” and Old Louie didn’t necessarily disagree, so he went forward with his next question.

“What about the brother, what do you know about him?”

“That’s an even bigger mystery to me,” said Pride, “He also had a seal, and it was broken much earlier than the one that contained me.”

“You know this, how?” Old Louie demanded, “You said you were asleep.”

“I have access to every single memory that Jonas ever made during that time, his brother had strength and talent that far exceeded what a normal human was capable of, it only makes sense that he too is someone special. Unfortunately for Drake, he only had access to the foul mortal energy that Earth provided, but down on the sixth floor of Hell? I bet he has already become a Sinner.”

“What about the car accident?” Old Louie was starting to believe that something was seriously off about the events he had stumbled upon. For the first time in many years, he felt a dark dread slowly creeping into his heart.

“What accident?” Pride spat, “I saw the memory of the car crash, that was no accident, but I also saw another memory.”

“What memory?”

“A man, a man of… ah!” and Pride suddenly cried as it was hit by a wave of the most excruciating pain it had ever experienced.

“What man?” Old Louie shouted, “Pride, what man do you speak of?” but no matter how much he called for the creature, no one replied. Janka was none the wiser as he polished dirty glasses across the bar. The conversation that had just taken place couldn’t be heard with normal ears.

Goosebumps had permanently etched themselves across the old yellowed skin belonging to Old Louie. He stared at Jonas’ sleeping figure in disbelief, not daring to take his widened black eyes off of the boy. He had officially bitten off more than he could chew. It seemed an inevitable truth had been revealed to Old Louie, a truth he dreaded even more than the one he just learned. After all these years, he would soon need to reveal his true self. He could feel it in his aching bones.

“I’m sorry, Jonas,” he sighed, “There’s going to be a change of plans.”