I woke up to the smell of disinfectant and instantly knew I was in a hospital. How I came to be here was a little hazy, but I could faintly recall the system screaming in my mind. Still, that wasn't what made me faint.
If I remember correctly, it was an innate fear of something—someone. I don't really know what happened. I remember seeing the stunning girl from the thrift shop, looking terrified, as the system's warning became a distant hum.
Despite the clear warning, I went toward her. I remember someone was holding her. Her face is blurry, but I was startled by her beautiful eyes.
Until they turned my way. The fear that permeated my every being took hold. Even without the system screaming in my mind again, I knew, as surely as I knew the sky was blue, that this person was the deadly sin of Wrath, the one the system had been warning me about.
The next thing I knew, I tried to be the hero, got scared, and ended up doing nothing as the girl was dragged out of the restaurant to God knows where. After that, the fear was too much, coupled with memories of my past. I started hyperventilating, unable to breathe.
I basically deprived myself of the oxygen necessary to stay conscious, thanks to what I believe was a panic attack. I've had them before, many times. You'd think I'd know what to do when they happen.
But as evidenced by this, I'm still as lost as the day the attacks first started. I exhaled, trying to banish the unwanted memories clawing at me.
"How well do you know Eva?" That was Sarah's voice. Her tone was different than usual, almost dead.
"Not as well as you, I imagine," came Heather's reply, strained. She didn't like that someone knew me better than she did.
They hadn't realized I was awake. I couldn't blame them since I hadn't opened my eyes or made a sound.
"That's true, and you never will," Sarah shot back. Was that a jab? Why was she trying to pick a fight with Heather? Fuck, if I let this go on much longer…
"Was that a hint of jealousy I detected?" Heather, why are you picking a fight too, and sounding smug at that?
"Me, jealous of you? In what world would I be jealous of a woman with the face of a hag?" Sarah's words were sharp, even for her.
"I didn't know Eva's friends were vain about their looks. No wonder she doesn't talk to any of you. You're not worth her time."
Heather, you shouldn't have said that. Sarah's always had a sore spot about her appearance, and she's still pissed off at me for leaving her. You're not helping.
Sarah, please don't punch her. She doesn't know any better. You might be wondering why I haven't intervened, and the answer is simple: I don't want to get punched or dragged into this madness.
They'll force me to take sides, and my desperation will make me choose Sarah, no questions asked. But that'll create a rift between me and Heather.
Then, there'll be the classic, "Are you in love with Sarah?" Believe me, I've been asked that question many times. No matter my answer, it always ends with me being single, thanks to my girlfriends' insecurities.
At first, I used to get pissed that they'd make me choose between them and my best friend of many years. But now, I'm starting to see a pattern I never noticed before—until today, or was it yesterday? I still haven't seen the time, so I don't know.
But Sarah's inner thoughts made it clear she was in love with me. Meaning my crazy exes were right all along. But even so, I know I would've picked Sarah every time.
Sarah being in love with me doesn't matter—at least not until I have to confront it.
The room was steeped in silence, and I wasn't about to "rise from the dead" during this tense moment. Instead, I focused on the system, hoping it would explain something.
'My beloved system, can you hear me? It's me, your favorite human.'
[…]
'Come on, at this point, I'll have to report you to the higher-ups for neglecting your work.'
[…]
'Just answer this simple question: What in God's name is the deadly sin of Wrath? Is this a biblical thing? Is that it? Is God real? He is, isn't he? He must be so disappointed in me, an—'
[Shut it already! Can you stop thinking for one second? It's nauseating. I can't explain about the deadly sins, only warn you when they're nearby. At least not right now.]
'Then when? Something tells me they're a dangerous bunch, and I'd like to keep all my body parts attached. I don't want to meet any more danger, so tell me something useful.'
[Well, you could check your status.]
'Why should I check it?' I asked, but no response. 'Come on, system, give me something.'
[If you want to learn about the deadly sins, you need to awaken your Greed. Now stop bothering me.]
'Awaken my Greed? Is this system broken or something? What kind of ridiculousness is it spouting?'
Just as I was about to ask another question, a memory surfaced.
'Your scent, mmm? It reminds me of an old friend. Frankly, it pisses me off. Greed, is that you? Hahaha… just joking, boo!'
I almost instinctively opened my eyes. In the memory, there wasn't a face, only a wide, maddening smile—that's all I could remember of the person named Wrath. But I could still feel her eyes all over me, and it made me shiver.
'System, why can't I remember my encounter with Wrath?'
[Because no human has ever been able to recall the faces of the deadly sins once they choose to be forgotten. Frankly, you're doing better than most. You can still remember bits and pieces. Others can't remember anything.]
I wanted to ask more questions, but not only would the system probably ignore me, I also wanted to check my new missions. I need to make some money—both Heather and Sarah have drained me.
But won't checking my status require me to open my eyes? Fuck the system, and fuck my life. Sighing, I pried my eyes open and said "Status" in my mind. That's when a holographic blue screen appeared before me.
[Mind Reading System:]
[Ability: Mind Read
[Rank: Tier 1]
[Money In The Bank: $23,523 (Hint: You wasted most of your money—more than five thousand, each—on your girlfriends.)
{New Missions:}
Main Mission:
> Find Nina
Clue:
> Detective Jade Carter
Reward:
- $150,000
- Sub Ability: Illusion
- 2% Greed Awakening
Danger Tier:
Level 4: Very Dangerous
Side Mission:
>Come clean to your parents and apologize for how much of a disappointment you are. Reward:
- $37,000
- An insider into your parents' expectations of you
Extra Mission:
>Get Heather and Sarah to work together on Heather's startup dream.
Reward:
- $15,000
- A taste of Tier 2 of your ability for 24 hours]
"What the fuck is this?"
I abruptly sat up, groaning from a minor splitting headache. It hit too fast for me to fully process.
"Eva, don't push yourself," Heather was immediately at my side.
I looked at both of them. While Heather gave me a concerned look, Sarah stared at me like she expected I had all the universal answers.
Shit. I was so shocked by the missions I'd forgotten myself. Before they started asking questions, I needed to change the subject.
"Anyone up for pizza? I'm starving."