The High Priest sat at the far end of the table, but he wasn't eating. His hand was
pressed firmly against his ceremonial belt, where the "Sin-marble" Jee-shahn had
gifted him was tucked away. He could feel it vibrating—a cold, oily pulse that seemed
to be reacting to the joy and "noise" of the banquet hall. It was as if the ball of
corruption was a hungry eye, watching everything.
He cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of authority. "Ahem... My
Lord... Jee-shahn. Now that the union is sealed and the... shadow has been dealt with,
perhaps we should discuss the security of the Sapphire Coast? If the Seven Sins are
truly manifesting, our armies will need your—"
Jee-shahn didn't even look up from a plate of succulent roasted oysters. "No."
The High Priest blinked. "No? But the Empire is at risk! The spirit said—"
"I don't care what the smoke-man said," Jee-shahn interrupted, his voice mufled by a
mouthful of sea-silk bread. He swallowed and pointed a greasy finger at the Priest. "I
am on vacation. Vacation means no armies, no security meetings, and definitely no
talking about 'manifestations' while I have three types of honey on my fingers. If the
world starts ending, let it end quietly so I can finish my dessert."
Jasmine winced, feeling the eyes of every noble in the room on them. To save the
situation, she quickly grabbed a napkin and began dabbing at Jee-shahn's chin.
"What my husband means," she said, her voice strained and high-pitched, "is that he
has complete confidence in the Suiseiryu defenses! Right, Jee-shahn?"
Jee-shahn leaned back, letting her clean his face as if he were a giant toddler. "Sure.
Whatever keeps the noise down. By the way, running lady, your ring is glowing. It's
distracting me from this oyster."
Jasmine looked down at her right hand. The ring was indeed pulsing with a soft, azure
light. But it wasn't just glowing; it was vibrating in perfect rhythm with the
"Sin-marble" in her father's pocket.
Suddenly, the massive double doors of the Banquet Hall creaked open. A young
scout, soaked to the bone and covered in black, foul-smelling mud, collapsed onto
the floor.
"High Priest!" the scout gasped, his eyes wide with a terror that made the room go
cold. "The Trench... it's not water anymore! It's turned to ink! The Seven Sins... they
aren't just possessing people... they are drinking the ocean!"
The High Priest stood up so fast his chair toppled over. The "Sin-marble" in his
pocket let out a high-pitched, gleeful shriek that shattered every wine glass on the
table.
Jee-shahn stared at his now-empty wine glass, then at the mud-covered scout. A
slow, dark shadow crossed his face. Not because he was worried about the ocean, but
because the shattering glass had spilled wine all over his last piece of Golden
Phoenix.
"My bird," Jee-shahn whispered, his voice dropping into that low, vibrating frequency
that made the floor tiles crack. "You spilled wine... on my bird."The lazy observer was gone. The Monster was looking for someone to blame for his
ruined meal.