Seven Sins System Chapter 286. Doom and Gloom (Patreon)

Seven Sins System Chapter 286. Doom and Gloom

My chuckle carried a wry amusement, echoing within the confines of the conversation that had veered into rather unexpected territory.

"Is it because I tortured that soul?" I ventured.

Her nod was measured.

"It's just a form of his punishment," I acknowledged. Indeed, the tormented souls within the realm bore the weight of their actions, their agony an intricate dance with the sins they had committed.

Still, Julia's perspective was a reminder that not all could perceive our realm through the same lens. "I know it's just a form of his punishment. Still… I think death is better than long torture like that," she confessed, her voice a gentle whisper carrying the weight of her empathy.

A quirked eyebrow conveyed my curiosity. "He is dead already," I remarked, a hint of dry humor underscoring my words.

Julia's counter was swift and laced with a touch of defensiveness. "It's just a metaphor, Allen. I don't really mean that," she clarified, a hint of a sheepish smile gracing her lips.

Taking a deliberate inhale, I let the weight of my confession hang in the air for a moment before releasing it into the currents of conversation.

"I'm a devil, Julia," I stated candidly, my words carrying the weight of my reality. "And I act like one." There was a measured honesty in my tone.

With a contemplative pause, I continued. "I punish souls and manage the underworld city, the kingdom, the realm. I know what I do in the mortal realm is very different from this and there is a time when I have a hard time adjusting there without all the privileges I have.”

"Yeah, I can imagine that…" Her voice held a mixture of both understanding and uncertainty.

"This place is more extraordinary than I ever thought. But also scarier…" she admitted.

I regarded her closely, noting the fear that lingered within her eyes. An involuntary connection sparked within me, drawing a parallel between the emotions that danced within her gaze and the memory of another – Ravenna. The vision of her final moments, a cascade of emotions amidst the tumult of a world on the brink, flashed before me.

Refocusing my attention on the glass cradled in my hand, I let the weight of the conversation settle between us. "When compared to the mortal realm, yes," I acknowledged, my voice measured. "But everything here has its own meaning and intention. The shadow does not exist to do evil or to be evil. We exist to bring balance and do what other creatures don't want to do," I elucidated.

"What do you mean?" she asked, asking for an explanation from me.

A subtle smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "The light doesn't want to punish but only wants to protect," I began, my voice adopting a contemplative cadence. "So, it's us who will punish the damned and rotten souls."

Leaning slightly forward, I captured her gaze with a knowing look. "The light does everything with the rules in place," I elucidated. "While some don’t need that. We're the ones who took over. We do the dirty work and wash our hands with blood," I stated with an air of somber acceptance, the phrase heavy with the weight of reality.

"That's what demons are," I concluded, a note of finality lacing my words.

Demons had always been seen as evil beings while we had not always done evil things. We torment the souls since the sinners had to pay for what they did. Unfortunately, in an environment like this, some of us went crazy and considered all mortals the same as sinners. Those crazy demons started chasing the innocents and living ones and treating them the way they treat the sinners.

"But aren't the demons also the ones who seduce the mortals?" she prodded, her gaze intent upon mine.

I leaned back slightly, allowing a casual grin to dance upon my lips. "No. It's just bullshit created by mortals to escape their responsibilities," I affirmed, dismantling the notion that demons were solely responsible for all the evil things in this world.

Leaning forward once more, I gestured with animated hands, illustrating the complexities of the dynamic. "We indeed have the power to manipulate someone and make someone do what we want," I admitted. "But we don't always exist in the mortal realm, and that's usually only a certain case," I elaborated.

As if punctuating my point with a touch of flair, I snapped my fingers. The bottle filled my glass with champagne. "Besides…" I continued, my gaze holding hers in a candid exchange. "Don't the angels also have the same abilities as us?" I posed the question. "They can also manipulate mortals to do what they want," I pointed out, presenting a counterpoint that challenged the one-sided perception. "But why do mortals never credit the angels for the good they have done?" I queried with a rhetorical tilt to my voice. "Why do mortals only put the blame of evil on the demons? Isn't that unfair?"

“You have a point…” she conceded, her voice carrying a hint of realization.

A knowing smile curled on my lips. "That's why you shouldn't be afraid of the shadow," I asserted, leaning back casually against the couch. "We exist precisely because the light doesn't always want to finish the job properly," I continued, emphasizing the nuance of balance.

“They only want to take the good things and leave the dirty work for us," I declared, the words ringing with a certain truth that resonated within the confines of our reality.

A chuckle escaped my lips, a wry expression that held a touch of irony. “Light and shadow are two things that cannot be separated after all,” I mused aloud. It was a symbiotic relationship, one that existed not in isolation but in harmonious coexistence.

Instead, I shifted the tone with a shrug, an air of nonchalance that often marked my demeanor. “So… Here we are, living in the shadow and more accustomed to the art of torture and punishment than anything else." I picked up my glass, swirling the champagne within with a thoughtful gaze. "But hey, it's not all doom and gloom," I quipped, breaking the intensity with a playful grin. "We've got our own brand of adventure, mystery, and a nightlife that's to die for," I added with a wink, raising my glass in a mock toast to the unconventional reality we shared.