They dragged them through the village.
Chains scraped against the ground. Dust rose with every step.
People gathered—men, women, children—forming a path of eyes and anger.
Then the first stone came.
It struck Greed's shoulder.
Another hit his side.
Then more.
The crowd erupted.
"Demons!" someone shouted.
Greed flinched but did not fall.
His eyes searched the faces around him.
Why do they hate me?
What is this feeling…?
It burned in his chest—strange, heavy… something new.
Sloth walked beside him, quiet, almost untouched, his expression dull as if none of this mattered.
Then—
A voice cut through the noise.
"Stop!"
A young girl stood in the crowd, her hands trembling.
"They're children!" she screamed.
The stones slowed.
For a moment… silence.
Then a man stepped forward, his face hard.
"Demons can be children too."
The crowd answered him.
Another stone flew
They were thrown into the pit.
Their bodies hit the ground hard. Dust rose and settled slowly around them.
Above, the sky looked small.
Far.
Greed pushed himself up, wincing slightly. His eyes moved across the pit—walls of dirt, no easy way out.
He studied everything.
Every edge. Every shadow.
Every possibility.
Sloth lay back as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Sloth turned his head.
"Greed…"
Greed didn't look at him. "What?"
"When we escape…" Sloth said slowly,
"…we will kill all the men, right?"
Greed paused.
"Kill… another us?" he said quietly.
Something about the word felt heavy.
Strange.
"I don't know that feeling," he continued.
"I must learn it."
A small nod.
"Alright… we shall."
Then Greed finally looked at him.
"But why… all men?"
Sloth's eyes didn't move.
"My mother was kind," he said.
"My brother was kind."
A pause.
"My father… was weak."
Greed said nothing.
He understood enough.
A shadow moved above them.
A guard climbed down into the pit.
He looked at them like they were already dead.
"The next moon," he said coldly,
"will be your trial."
He turned to leave, then added—
"Prepare yourselves."
The light above shifted as he climbed out.
Silence returned.
Greed looked up at the sky.
Greed tilted his head slightly.
"Sloth… what is a trial?"
Sloth didn't move.
"I don't know."
Greed looked up at the small piece of sky above them.
"Let's sleep," he said quietly.
"The moon will arrive."
They lay down.
The night was calm.
Too calm.
At some point, soft footsteps approached the pit.
A shadow appeared above them.
It was the young girl.
She looked around nervously, then threw something down.
Food.
"Our king has returned," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Then she disappeared.
The sun rose.
Sloth groaned as he woke, his body heavy.
He tried to sit up—but his body refused.
"Greed… wake up," he said.
Greed was already awake.
Sloth froze.
"Greed… what is that?"
Greed held something in his hand.
Sharp.
Curved.
A claw.
"In the forest," Greed said calmly,
"I learned… we must copy the strong creatures to survive."
Sloth stared at it.
"That's not food."
Greed didn't answer.
They ate anyway.
Silence.
Then Greed spoke again.
"How did this get here?"
Sloth didn't hesitate.
"That girl… the one who defended us."
Greed narrowed his eyes.
"How do you know?"
Sloth smirked faintly.
"My senses."
"Shut up!" a voice barked from above.
A guard appeared.
"Your trial has begun."
Greed stood slowly.
"What trial?"
The guards climbed down and grabbed them.
This time, as they were dragged through the village—
No one threw stones.
No one shouted.
The silence was heavier than before.
Sloth glanced around.
"The mood changed."
One of the guards answered coldly:
"No one will be shamed on their trial."
They arrived at a massive structure.
Larger than any hut.
Guards surrounded it.
Watching. Waiting.
They were pulled inside.
At the front stood three figures.
The Great Leader.
A woman.
And a child