G for the golden chest
1940-12-30
France

There is a story about a mystical object that is able to hold back all the sins of the world. It was created to destroy but it also carries the possibility of pure happiness inside itself; a chance for eternal peace. According to the ancient balance, where darkness appears, there has to be at least a slim ray of light, too – just as the dimmest flame is able to create its own shadow as well. Sometimes good wins, sometimes sins overcome virtues. Still, most of the time people simply stuck in the neutral zone.

Nowadays, it pretty much seems evil is going to win.

And the seven Sins do not even have to take efforts to spread their influences.

As the sun leaves the horizon and the already cold weather goes under zero, the citizens of Paris gather at a pub for a quick one at the heart of the capital city. At the end of the year, the Rouge is more crowded than ever – tipsy civils and drunken soldiers scream and shout every time they kiss a waitress, win a round of poker or drink up a glass of whiskey faster than their mates.

He sits in the corner under a glimmery light bulb that highlights his sharp jawline with an inky shadow. That mischievous smile on his face that became his trademark over the centuries is faint yet dangerous when he raises his left hand above his head.

’One more.’ He says when a young waitress finally looks him in the eye from behind the wooden bar. As their gazes meet, she cannot take her eyes off of him and suddenly, her already red cheeks become even redder as a soft voice reaches her ears and crawls into her head. ’Just take it. Everyone knows how hard you work. You deserve it and even more.’ She bites back her lower lip and sweeps a mop of hair behind her right ear before she looks around. Her gaze returns to the till over and over again while she tries to ignore that tiny, little voice in her mind. ‘It’s easier than stealing from a baby. Come on! You can do this!’ Noone watches her; noone except one particular man whose smile widens when the waitress puts the golden liquid on the top of his desk with a significant amount of stolen money in her back pocket.

The bourbon has never tasted so good before.

’All in.’ A German soldier shouts out of the blue when the dealer face-ups the cards on the table. He has one pair and a three of a kind which means there are only three combinations that could defeat his full house. Considering the previous rounds he has no doubt he has already won the party.

There are two men out of the six who continue the game and don’t throw the towel right away. Their eyes are full of stars just like the German soldier’s who cannot take his gaze off of the golden coins.

’Four ace.’ One of the French players says after he spreads his cards on the table.

Time stops for an eternal moment – the silence is so loud, even the frozen player’s faint breath is ear-splitting. The con man doesn’t hesitate at all, his trembling hands are already on the money.

’No way!’ The German soldier cannot believe his eyes and his gaze loiters over the French man at dismay.

The winner hides his satisfied smile in the corner of his mouth and takes a derisive bow towards the soldier and his mates before he pockets the money. The golden coins tinkle every time they crash into each other basically whenever the blonde man takes another step to the door.

He almost reaches the exit when a fake card falls out of his leather jacket’s sleeve.

’Look at the floor! He took something from you, something that belongs to you.’ The German soldier shakes his head to chase away that silly voice that gave him the idea of playing another round of poker but he just cannot beat his curiosity. The sight of the fake card hits him like a train; fastly and deadly.

’You little piece of !’ He screams loudly with an angry tone ready for revenge. His sparkling eyes turn dark and his gaze becomes cloudy while he points at the French man’s back.

The con man’s feet turn into stone and the coins fall to the ground when his head crashes into an unfamiliar chest.

’Let’s kill the bastard!’

The German soldier and his mates pull out their guns within a blink of an eye and suddenly there is nowhere the con man could run.

The smile of the cryptic man with a half-empty glass in his hand widens in the background. The loud noise of the gunshot makes his heart satisfied just as the faint sound of the warm corpse that falls to the dirty floor. The fake ace of black diamond turns to red as the con man’s blood spreads on the wooden floor.

The German soldier wipes the coins before he takes and tucks them into his pocket.

And noone says a word against it.

’Where were we?’ The man with his cheeky smile asks from his shocked drinking buddy. His long fingers take a nap at the edge of the glass while he waits for the other to returns to their conversation. ’You said…’

He clears his throat intolerantly.

’Oh, yeah!’ The old man turns towards his company with a quick and clumsy motion. His shaking arm almost brushes off his glass full of whiskey. ’There’s a rumour about a magical box that had been buried near to the Mount Olympus thousands of years ago.’ To hide his fear, he lets his trembling hands fall onto his legs.

It’s been a while since he last faced with the demon and he wished time could have waited a little longer. But fortune had never been on his side and now it’s time to pay back his debts. It’s time to make another deal with him who sits there all young and charming. His coal black pupils still absorb his cold blue irises. His blonde hair is still shaggy under his hat. He still manipulates everyone around him. He hasn’t aged, he didn’t change, while the man has grown old and folded.

’And?’ The demon’s left eyebrow rises up and stucks in the middle of his forehead.

’They say…’ The old man leans against the table as he lowers his voice. ’They say the Fuhrer finally found the box’s exact location and his innermost men already start the excavation.’ He whispers as if he was telling to the high level demon a secret but it’s more like a loose rumour that spreads among people. His wife heard it from her friend who heard it from his drunken mate who heard it from her sister who works at the Fuhrer’s general’s kitchen. ’He is so obsessed. He thinks…’

The mysterious man drinks up his glass.

’Oh, man!’ He hisses as the glass touches the surface of the wooden desk. ’It doesn’t matter what he thinks or doesn’t think. The only thing that matters is that he found it.’ The gray man’s body winces as he notices that mischievous smirk on Greed’s angelic face that makes everyone tremble. It scares the out of him. Just like the wicked tone of his deep voice. ’You can go, now.’

The old man's right hand turns to stone in the middle of his motions when their gazes finally meet. He doesn’t stand up – despite his heart that beats like hell and his body that crawls all over, he stay as still as he can.

His voice is hoarse like a tipsy person’s would be. And his words as reckless as someone’s who has nothing to lose.

’Do you…’ He starts but eventually, the demon’s reply outplaces his question.

’I take this from here.’ The sight of the old man’s bitter facial expressions entertains the demon’s unbeating heart hence he prolongs the depressing pause before he continues. He has been always like this. Obsessed with other people’s pain. Obsessed with things he could never get. Obsessed with power over others. ’You served well, your daughter is free.’

The old man almost falls onto his knees because of his dismay.

’Thank you. Thank you so much.’ He says with shining tears in his eyes. A few months ago, when he came to realize that his adorable daughter made a deal with Greed to save her old father from the Fuhrer’s rage he couldn’t think about anything beside that the past will repeat itself. Her freedom? This was the last thing he dared to wish for.

’Just go, before I change my mind.’ The demon orders his company. His words are sharp on purpose. In spite of the fact that he has to follow the ultimate rules – for example he cannot break his promises - there is no reason for him to keep his company alive. If he becomes enthusiastic over the fact that his family is free, he might become boring as well. And the only thing that Taehyung hates more than powerlessness is being bored.

As the Rouge’s door closes behind the grey man, the demon leans back on his chair with a satisfied smile on his face. A faint sigh leaves his mouth as he plays with the thought of being the only Sin in the whole wide world.

’One more.’ Someone shouts out of the blue not so far from the man’s table. The raw accent of the stranger hurts the demon’s ears. ’And I want you next to my whiskey, too.’

The drunken soldier’s eyes are full of stars when he his lips with a lustful growl. His hands grabs the closest waitress’ wrist like she was nothing like a pretty prey. Someone who will be his before the sun comes up.

’Let me go!’ The girl hisses quietly under her snub nose full of moles. Her long, blonde locks fall in her eyes as she leans against the manly soldier’s chest.

The massive desk bruises her hips when the already tipsy man grabs her waist and pulls her onto his legs. The faint scream that leaves dies in the noiseful atmosphere.

’Come on, baby! Don’t be so shy!’ The man’s hand travels south and stops at the girl’s bare limb under her half-length skirt’s hem. His alcohol-smelling breath that reaches her ear is like a warm breeze after you fall into a deep lake. It makes her stomach hurt and it is way too far from that lingering feeling she read about in her favourite romantic books.

’Please, just let me go!’

Hearing her desperate cry for help, the demon in the corner discovers another thing that he hates a lot. Untapped opportunities.

First, he doesn’t even plan to stand up; he wants to do this at the same way he always does; from the shadows. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he looks for the entrance into her mind. A little gate that shines brighter than the cynosure in a cloudless night. It usually doesn’t take a minute. But this time, there is no green light, there is no gate. Just a dark wall made of something impossible that’s a thousand times thicker than metal.

And it arouses his interest.

Taehyung stands up and turns directly towards the strange couple at the table next to his desk. His movements are slow yet elastic; his curiosity fights with his cold personality and it seems this time it’s going to win.

He leans towards to the French girl’s ear and ignores the German soldier's animalistic murmur.

’Don’t you want to be free?’ He whispers. His voice is soft and mesmerizing like centuries ago when he wasn’t aware of the size of his power. He used to touched his victims; fondled, hugged and kissed them before he tempted them to sin. ’Let’s take what you want!’ His soft lips press onto her bare neck. Her skin becomes hot like hell and it makes the demon smile. ’Take it by force if necessary.’

Her palm that kept away the soldier now crashes into the demon’s body for the same reason. Her tears like liquid diamonds run down on her flushed cheeks.

’No!’ She replies with a determined tone. Despite her shaking hands her voice is stronger than ever; it’s like she receives a bit of energy by touching the devil.

Greed’s eyes widen at dismay as he takes a choppy step back.

’Come on, sweetheart, I know you want it, too. It won’t hurt that much.’ The German soldier says with a loud laugh. His long fingers mop the long, blonde locks behind the waitress’ ear before he tries to kiss the girl’s rosy lips. ’Just scream my name loudly.’

The girl turns her head to right so the soldier’s aggressive kiss becomes a childish peck on her cheek.

At the sight of the scene the demon’s mouth twitches a little. Her attitude makes him want more; and it’s not even a surprising plot twist. Whenever he finds something he cannot control, he maniacally wants to rein it. Whenever he sees something he find attractive, he wants it for himself. It’s his true nature.

So he takes another deep breath and takes a step forward.

’Here is a bottle. Just hit him and you will be free.’ He whispers while he tilts his head left. The dim light glints at the edge of the empty glass that is barely an arm’s reach from the devastated waitress. The temptation flashes in her eyes but as quick as it comes, it disappears in the mixture of the cigarette smoke and confined air.

’Are you crazy?’ She asks in a tiny tone. Her reserved gaze runs around the inside of the crowded pub looking after informers and shady-looking customers. The last time when someone hit a German soldier, the local general made a whole family vanish. She cannot afford something reckless like this. So, lack of any better idea, she clears and turns towards the drunk man one more time. ’Let me go!’

The high-level demon tilts his head to left with his slightly constricted eyes and his lower lips with his tongue while his gaze loiters over the waitress’ body. Her messy, blonde locks and delicate, blue eyes are painfully ordinary. There is nothing special in her yet there is something in the background that slips his notice. Something extraordinary. Something that he longs for. Power.

Seeing her useless movements and hearing her pointless words, the demon rolls his cold blue eyes and grabs the German’s right hand that tries to get under the girl’s skirt. He barely clenches his fist yet the soldier’s palm turns to white.

’Damn it, are you deaf?’ He asks. ’Let her go!’

The girl’s eyes widen when Greed pulls her out of the man’s violent embrace. She almost falls onto her knees because of the sudden freedom after the demon takes his hand off of her. She has to held onto the edge of the wooden chair to keep her balance.

’Why? Who do you think you are?’ The German hails at the demon violently. His hoarse voice reaches its limit when he tries to shout even louder. Taehyung almost laughs at the absurd question. Who is he? One of the most powerful demons of the world; one of the terrific Sins. Someone who could easily tear his heart out. Someone who has already committed more violent crimes.

Greed takes a deep breath. It’s something he usually does these days. Otherwise, his ever-growing power would consume everything around him. And the world is already a huge mess. He counts to five, ten and fifteen. He is at seventeen when he replies.

’Someone, who doesn’t like repeating himself.’ He doesn’t even have to struggle himself to open that certain door. It opens up as easily as the dandelion petals fly above in the sky after a soft breeze. ’You deserve someone better, like those chicks behind the red door. Why would you toils because of a slip of a thing like her?’

It doesn’t take a minute. The soldier shakes his head and drinks up a glass of golden alcohol before he stands up and moves towards the mentioned door.

The girl cannot take her gaze off of the blonde demon. She opens multiple times before she is able to create a normal sentence.

’Thank you.’ She looks directly into Greed eyes with a shy and kind smile that makes the Sin furious. He clenches his fist while he maintains the eye contact. How is this even possible? Is she an idiot? Didn’t she see how dangerous he is?

And why can’t he look over her walls?

He is the one, who gives up first.

’Whatever.’ He murmurs under his nose before he walks back to his table to drink up his warm whiskey like a petulant child.