Sinners and Hollows

After entering Belle and Wise's home, Hella and Hecate made their way upstairs, since they were used to sleeping in Belles room.

While I made my way towards the staff room to sleep on the couch, but before I could do so, Belle came in with two cups of tea.

"Mind if we chat for a bit?" She asked.

"Of course, I said and scooted to the side to allow her to sit next to me, she then handed me one of the cups.

I gently took the cup in my hands and blew on it to cool it down and took a sip, the two of us then sat in a comfortable silence.

"Do… do get scared when you have to face those things?" She asked, I only took a sip and nodded.

"Every time, every time I go out into the rust, facing a sinner, facing an apostle of ashes, facing corruptors, facing monsters, I always feel scared." I placed the cup on the coffee table and held my hands together.

"It is a never ending war, one that I have to take a part of, again, and again, and again." Belle only looked at me with concern and placed her cup next to mine.

"Can't you just quit, have someone else take your position?" She asked me, I only looked at her, then closed my eyes.

"I can't, no one can take my position." I moved my arms and looked at my hands, the shackles glowing faint, and the weight I carried remained in my mind.

"If… there was a way to pass the shackles to someone else, would you do it?" Belle asked with hesitation, I then looked at her, but shook my head.

"Would you?" Belle didn't responded, instead, she brought her knees to her chest and hid her face in her knees, shaking her head.

"I don't want you to suffer, you're a really great guy." She said through a muffled voice.

"Thank you, you're a pretty girl yourself." Belle then looked at me with surprise, and a red hue began to tint her face, while her eyes were wide in shock.

"Ah, don't just say that at random!" She stood up and slapped my arm, she then tossed me a spare blanket and soon ran out of the room.

'I only said the truth.' I thought and was confused on her reaction, but I only shrugged and decided to finish my cup of tea.

However, I saw the two cups in front of me, and I forgot which cup of tea was mine, in the end, I shrugged and drank both.

However, as I placed the second cup against my lips, Belle came back and looked nervous, but she soon stopped as I was drinking the tea.

"Oh, sorry about this, you ran out and I forgot which cup was mine, hope that doesn't make you too uncomfortable." I said and offered both cups to her.

Belle only took the two cups and walked out quickly, all the while she made a high pitch hum.

As the door finally closed, I turned off the lights and laid on the couch, closing my eyes and enjoying the embrace of sleep.

Unbeknownst to me, the W-engine I had, opened, and the mania began to make its way towards me, specifically entering through my eyes.

3RD POV

Eros soon gasped awake, but instead of being in the staff room, he found himself standing in a large black lake.

He began to look around to see if there was anything, but all that remained was the black lake.

"Hella, Hecate, Crache?!" He shouted, wanting to know if there was anyone else with him, but with the lack of people, he didn't bother to shout.

He soon began to walk in a random direction, but struggled to do so, thje black liquid that he stood in was like glue, he struggled to lift his foot, but he didn't stop.

He kept trudging through the lake, just to see if he could find anyone that was trapped like he was.

Yet, no matter how much he walked, he found no one, not a man, woman, or a child. All he could was walk in this strange lake, pulling his foot forward.

After walking for who knows how long, he soon saw a room that was eastian in culture, and in the center of the room was a woman.

The woman herself was slim and wore a large dress that was a mix of black and white, she also wore a large white veil around her lower face.

Her hair was long and reached to her back, while two hairpins were placed on the sides of her hair, while a third one was placed in the far back.

Her skin was a healthy white, with red eye shadow adorned on both eye lids.

The woman then opened her eyes, her gaze soon meeting mine, her lips formed a gentle smile, as if she was welcoming an old friend.

"How interesting, it seems I do not need to tell your story, do hurry, I have plenty of tales to tell you." The woman then disappeared, leaving me alone in this dark landscape.

"If I'm seeing this, then this could give me a lead to where the rest of the sinners are." He muttered to himself and began to walk forward once again.

Only this time, with renewed vigor. His steps remained slow, but his determination grew stronger making each step easier to take.

In the small distance, another figure could be seen, another woman could be seen, but when he arrive in front of her he held his breath.

The woman herself wore what looked like a white nightgown with a white undergarment, her hair was a mix of silver and white, and the length reached towards her calf.

She laid on what looked like an expensive couch, and she looked peacefully asleep.

Surrounding her were multiple corpses with large flowers blooming in different spots of the corpses.

Some of the flowers were blooming on their chest, others had a flower blooming on their eyes, some even had the flowers blooming on their backs.

The woman herself also had a flower, one that bloomed on her head, but she remained fine, in fact, she looked like she was enjoying a good night sleep.

She soon smiled and yawned stretching and exposing more of her body, and as soon opened her eyes, a pair of ruby red eyes could be seen.

Eros moved his head away, not because of the lack of clothing, but by the gaze her eyes held as soon as both of their gazes connected.

He wanted to keep moving forward, not wanting to stay for long, but he felt a hand on his face, forcing him to look the sinner.

"I miss you my poppy, I long for your touch, your scent." She said and was close to touching his lips with hers.

Besides showing affection, there is a hint of obsession in her eyes, her breath brushes against his skin, with the scent of iron and poppies.

"You belong in my garden, and I will make sure you stay, even if I must kill you." She giggled and leaned closer, her lips were close to brush against his.

Only for the sinner to fade like the first one, Eros was able to release the breath he didn't know he was holding, and nearly landed on his knees.

"That's not good, she's using her powers again." He said with a mix of concern and pity, and soon recalled the time he had to arrest her.

He could still remember her laughter as she ran towards him, using her rapier to slash and stab the solders that stood between her and Eros.

He then shook his head and continued to push through the landscape, however the sky that was once dark soon began to change.

The black sky began to change into grey, with a white fog blocking the path in front of him.

The once calm atmosphere soon began to turn more cold, followed by the feeling of the shackles chaining him down causing him to feel constricted.

However he only raised his foot, taking one step after the next, the farther he walked into the changed atmosphere, the more he felt a cold piece of metal was pressed against his throat, as if death stood behind him.

"How long will you keep following me, Nox?" The fog that surrounded him soon parted, and in front of him was Nox, holding her blade barely close to his throat.

Nox doesn't say anything, instead she stares at him not moving the blade away nor closer.

"Why aren't you striking me?" He asked, but the sinner grim reaper stays silent.

Eros then took a step struggling forward, instead of feeling the cold metal press against his throat, Nox herself took a step back.

This caused him to stop once again, looking at her with confusion written on his face, but Nox didn't change her expression.

Seeing that she didn't say anything, nor did she push him back, Eros continued to trudge forward.

Both contend to walk in the same direction, one with a large blade, while the other was held down by his own burden.

After the long silence, Nox lowered her blade and placed her hand on his shoulder, and decided to break the silence.

"You still carry the burden, to save those who cannot save themselves, you hide your pain to make others smile, you choose to dive into the blade of death, only to narrowly escape, why do you still wish to carry the burden?" Her voice echos as she speaks.

The weight then changed as the ground began to sprout hands and faces of the people she had killed.

Some old, some young, men, women, children, all that have suffered in the syndicate died by her blade, she calls it salvation, no longer do they need to suffer, no longer do they need to feel pain.

Nor do they have to think of themselves as a burden, she only plunges her blade, saving them.

"I am the one of many, the one who walks next to death, the one who will act as the shield to all of humanity." Eros said and raised his arm, rolling it back and exposing multiple scars that run across the entire skin

"Each mark I gained shows the pain I have faced, suffered through." He then rolled up the second sleeve, exposing more scars.

"Each mark reminds me of the lives I saved, the monsters I faced, even though I had people fight for me protect me." Eros then removes his upper clothing and spun around, exposing even more scars on his back.

"I still used my own body to protect the innocent, if this doesn't prove I will carry the burden, then strike me down." Nox stayed silent at his words, she then lowered her blade, and the souls she killed released me.

"Do not let the others suffer, continue to carry that burden." Before she disappeared, she took one last glance at Eros.

"Death shall be your blade once more." She then walked away, her entire body fading as she walked farther and farther away.

The weights of the shackles felt slightly lighter, but trying to walk forward, was the same, he struggled to move his foot, but he never stopped.

However, after walking a few steps, Eros soon arrived somewhere different, somewhere that felt familiar but different, however he didn't need to ask himself where he was.

The sounds of ethereal's roaring and screeching were heard, and Eros soon realized he was in the hollow.

Which one? He had no idea, all he could do was walk to where the noise was coming from, and he soon arrived at the source.

Looking at the source, he could see multiple ethereal's circling around five crystals, all which are different in colors.

One of the crystals was black and cold, with multiple stones floating around it, and any ethereal that got too close soon began to float, orbiting the large crystals.

The second crystal was green, with plants and insects crawling along the surface, none of the ethereal's dared to approach it, instead, they kept their distance, screaming and howling at it.

As if it was a large predator, stocking them and waiting for the right opportunity to strike them all.

The third crystal was an orange rust, with gears and metal sticking out, there was an entire robotic arm, it sparked and twitched every few seconds.

The ethereal's tried to attack it, but as soon as they got close, the arm would react and knock them all away, as if it was programmed to protect itself.

The fourth crystal was a fiery red, with specks of flames licking the air, and the ground itself was in a semi-liquid state, the ethereal that were close all began to kneel towards it, as if showing respect.

Finally, the fifth crystal was a dark blue, with water dripping to the floor and with fish and crabs inside the crystal, all which moved as if they were alive.

Besides the that, there were multiple spears poking out, just like the third crystal, the spear was covered with bits of barnacle and seaweed along the staff.

"They're here as well? But how, and which Hollows is containing them?" Soon, a loud roar caused the rest of the ethereal's to stop what they were doing, and turn to where the roar came from.

While Eros himself held his head in pain, the world around him began to fade to black, and the sound of whispered began to flow through his ears.

"Discover the secrets…. Survive and become the alpha…. Guide the lost lambs…. Repair all machines…. Dive into the depths of the sea." The words began to repeat within his mind.

Over and over, like a mantra to help someone calm down, but it did the opposite.

The words began to cause harm within his mind, knocking against his skull like multiple hammers banging against metal.

He screamed in the air, holding his head from pain, until it stopped.

No words were heard and no sound was made, all that remained was an endless void.

Eros only floated in the void, nothing above him, and nothing below him, all he could do was close his eyes.

"Oh, you're in so much pain." A soothing voice spoke and the sound of bell chimes ring through the void.

"Rest now, you'll find us soon." The woman then placed her lips on Eros's head, and the scent of wisteria soon flooded his nose.

Eros was then left alone, no longer was he carrying the weight, nor was he in pain, all he did, was sleep.

But deep within his soul, the shackles, they glowed along his body, a reminder of what he will face, and the pain he will endure.

He is the chain that holds the sinners, he shall be the one to suffer the most out of all sinners.

To control a sinner, one must be a sinner himself. He shall dawn the skin of a wolf, hiding the sheep within.

Only when the wolves are chained, can the wolf remove its skin, exposing the sheep that lies from within.

[This is the pain he will always endure, he must be seen as a someone cold and uncaring when outside, but within the walls of the MBCC, is a kind man, willing to show compassion, and help the sinners, he's the only one who can help us all, controversial, I know. But to the many, we are seen as monsters, we aren't given a chance to prove our innocence, some of us may have been given a good life, but the second they hear that their loved one is a sinner, they only see them as a monster, no love, no care, just fear and disgust… send those powers stones to show support, and uh… see you next chapter.]