Satan's Little Helper

X X V I I - [ C H R I S T I A N A ]

DARKNESS ENVELOPES ME the moment I step foot in the fifth circle. I don't know exactly what to expect from this level, since, after all, no one's ever made it this far, but how bad can it be, right?

All of a sudden, an incredibly bright light appears and I involuntarily bring my arm in front of my face to cover my eyes from the blinding beam that shines before me.

"Christiana Galron." Says a collection of dark and rather mysterious voices, and I attempt to search for the source of it by squinting through my fingers. I failed, though, for the light really is disturbing my sight.

When the brightness subsides and I manage to blink out the black spots away, I notice seven luminescent orbs floating meters away from me. I squint once more, trying to see just what their purpose is, exactly, but failed in doing so.

"Christiana Galron," their voices repeat, "Do you know who we are?"

I gulp, trying to suppress my sudden nervousness. "No," I answer, not really knowing who to look at when I talk.

"We are the Seven Deadly Sins." The voices announce, and I understand now just why there are seven orbs; one for each deadly sin present.

"Come forward, human." They command, and I oblige to it, walking closer to the balls of light and stopping just a foot away from them. "Good, now look into us."

Timidly, I squeak out, "Which one?"

"Whichever you desire." Comes the answer, so I decide to start with the first one on the left.

I walk to the orb and level my gaze with it. "Like this?" I ask, making sure I'm actually doing it right.

"Look closer, human."

I do, and then all of a sudden, I feel the sensation of getting sucked in and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Christie, dear!" My mom's voice rings in my ears, and I tilt my head to see her standing by the doorframe of my room. "Can you please run out to pick up some groceries?"

I inwardly groan. "Can you give me a couple of minutes, mom? I'm talking to Zel on the phone." I answer, holding my phone to my chest.

"But it's almost time for dinner! I would go to the supermarket myself, but I've got pasta boiling on the stove."

"Christiana Galron. Behold, your Sloth." The voices speak in my head. "Our question is this: can you let go?"

I know that sloth's never really been a problem of mine, and I rarely ever procrastinate, so almost instantly, I answer, "Yes."

Immediately, the scene before me disappears and I'm back in the dark room.

"Choose your next orb, human."

Since I've already started with the first one on the left, I've decided to go for the one beside it and continue this pattern until the end.

I look straight into the next orb and I feel the same sensation once more.

This time, the situation is completely different. Apparently, I am now sitting at the dining table, with Zelda on the opposite side.