The Sin's Virtue
Truth of 17 July 1600

Kian did not return for next couple of days and I had plenty of time for myself to think and then over think about everything that was in my way of bringing my sisters back.

Time is my biggest enemy right now. Its been days since we sent the message out for everyone to come and join us here and its been days since I have heard anything from Kian as well. I knew it would be hard to convince the Sins but at least some information would be appreciated right now especially when I am only left with a week and a few days with me. If I do not go back to Santo, and trace back the mark in time, I am dead and all of this would be for nothing. I’ll die with all this power inside me, with the power that measures seven Virtues right now and they would be stuck forever with Lucien, powerless. I do not know what is taking Kian so long or anyone for that matter. Neither me nor Vita have heard anything from anyone.

I just hope everyone comes around. I need as much support as I can right now.

But its not all that is bothering me. Kian’s diary has been eating away at my nerves but no matter how much I had flipped through the pages over the past few days, I did not find anything that could really help me in figuring out what actually happened to him or how Chao came along in the picture. I am just trying to piece together everything that happened that day, Chao’s words, Kian’s diary entry, somehow I just have this feeling that all of it is connected.

Kian has smartly left out the details that could help me know why the entry is how it is.

What could have possibly happened?

I groaned as I took in the familiar troubling trace in. Turning around from the forest that I was staring into while standing in the balcony, I faced the man that has sworn on his life to haunt me forever.

Chao grinned as I openly let my annoyance on display as a greeting to him.

“Hello darling.” He said in an amused tone. “How are you?”

“I am good. Thank you for asking.” I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone. The world may turn upside down but I will never be able to stand this man of misery.

“I see you are missing my best friend.” He said in a gleeful voice like my sour mood was satiating his ego. “That would explain the tantrums.”

“Go away Chao.” I said and turned away from him. I heard his footsteps nearing and I gripped the balcony rails tightly, just to keep myself from lashing out as his intolerable trace devoured the whole space around me.

“Without telling Kian about us? I don’t think so.” My thoughts came to a halt. Us? Him and I were never an us! “In fact I want to be honest with him about everything.”

I scoffed. He was not going to be honest with him. Instead he was just here to pressure me into doing that, to remind me of what I have kept from him.

“Honestly Shye, I never thought that you wouldn’t tell Kian about us. I mean being dishonest with your mate must be tough especially when he has been with so many girls...” I gulped hard. He was just messing with me.

Or not?

“C’mon darling, you did not think that Kian would fall for you when he has women back in Impío who throw themselves at his feet now, did you?” Chao said finally coming to stand beside me but I did not budge. I stood my ground, not looking at him, not giving him the satisfaction he is looking for, still I could feel my heart breaking on his words because I knew it may well be possible. He knows Kian, he is his best mate after all. “How long before he goes away leaving you behind with your little broken heart huh? He is a Sin and you know that.”

I do but I trust Kian. He would never do that.

“Ask yourself,” Chao said in a taunting whisper. “Would he stay after he comes to know that his mate did this..”

I looked up in confusion and before I could comprehend what was happening, Chao kissed me.

I froze. All my senses coming to a stop. This can not be happening not with my unorganised feelings for Kian, not now, not ever and so I pushed with all my might only to find a mist of trace that he left behind him. Tears blinded my vision and I looked up at the dark clouds that shrouded the sky light and cursed him with everything I had.

All my tears turned into raw anger that I was unable to contain. I threw myself into the shower and cleaned every bit of my skin especially my lips which were swollen from all the rubbing. I came out of the shower and got dressed into another one of Kian’s shirt and my jeans that I have been using these days. I tied my long wet hair into a messy bun and walked out of the closet.

I jumped when I saw Kian sitting in the lounge-chair, looking at me. He drew his gaze on me from tip to toe and smirked. I could not express how much I was relieved to see him even though my mind was filled with the guilty thoughts of Chao kissing me. Again.

He was here. Finally. Nothing else mattered to me right now.

I smiled as I clutched my racing heart.

“A knock would have been fine.” I said and sat at foot of the bed, facing him. He shrugged but said no more. My heart was racing like crazy and I knew it was not because of the scare I had when I saw him first. Maybe it was his eyes that he kept fixed on me and did nothing to hide the fact that he was indeed staring at me.

“Uhm what took you so long?” I initiated to escape his intimidating gaze. I was starting to feel like Chao has said something to him and if he indeed has then I am done for. I know how twisted his words can be even though I was not the one at fault.

He sighed.

“Sins can be hard to crack.” He said with his shoulders slouching a little as he tilted his head a little to side, in the manner he does when he wants to have a good look at someone.

“What are you looking at?” I asked in a soft voice, fiddling with my fingers. His silence and short answers were worrying me.

“You.” His answer made me look up at him. He was smiling. “You are so beautiful, Shye.”

I could feel my face burning up. I never expected a compliment.

“Especially when you blush.”

“Okay thats enough!” I said and threw a small cushion at him as he chuckled softly. That melody!

“They all will be here in a few days.” He said giving me assurance. I nodded.

“We don’t have much time.” I said looking away from him and out into the balcony where Chao made a move on me. I frowned as it all took me back to the night he kissed me for the first time. He never was the right person.

“Shye?”

“Huh?” My head snapped towards Kian only to realise I had zoned out.

“What happened?”

“You never told me about how you met Chao?”

“Why do you ask?” He sounded a little off like he did not expect that I would ask about him.

“Curiosity.” I shrugged.

Kian looked at me like he did not believe it but did not say anything except for the heavy sigh that left his body, he ran his hand through his hair a few times before his head fell back on the chair. His eyes closed.

Was he remembering about what happened on 17 July 1600? I hope he tells me about how he met Chao.

“I am not a very good person, Shye, never have been. Lets say I am a lot more tamed now than I was a few centuries back.” I gulped as I knew where it was all going. He did not look at me though. From where I was sitting, I could see the darkness his face had while remembering everything. “There were times when I had been reckless without reasons. I was young and with the amount of power I had, it all got to my head. I was the Pride, source of all the Sins and had everything a man could possibly want. I do now too.”

“The only difference in now and then is that I was alone, too alone. Even with my brothers around, we were never connected. I always considered myself above them and thats where it went wrong.” It was first time that I heard his voice straining as he spoke with difficulty. “I became destructive, influenced balance more than I was supposed to, tempered with it all for fun because I didn’t care about anything or anyone.”

I bit my lip remembering the time when Virtues were actually having a hard time with the balance.

“So I paid. I was summoned by the Moon, our Luna, and faced her wrath and for the first time in my life I was scared. For someone.” He said and looked up and right at me. My heart lurched when I saw his broken eyes that were beaming with unshed tears. He looked so vulnerable.

“Who were you afraid for?” I asked, choking. I could not see him like this.

“You.”

My eyes widened as I processed his words, my lips parting to suck in the sob that was about to escape.

“What?” I was numb and all I could think about was that someone, he talked about in his diary was me.

“Of course I did not know it was you then, but I was there, chained while she had me stripping down my mate bond. It was painful, excruciatingly painful. My body was protesting with all it had. Even through that pain she kept me awake just to make me see and feel the misery of my own mistakes.”

By now I was a mess, as the devastating truth hit me. Even though it was ages ago, it sent freezing chills up my spine. To think I was going to loose him without even knowing it. My body was whimpering with the pain that thought brought me. The curiosity of how Chao was a part of all this was long forgotten.

“I was going to loose my mate, who I did not even know and it was all my fault. My sins were catching up to me.” He said as a lone tear escaped through the corner of his eye but I did not move, afraid that if I reacted he would shut down and would not let me in again. I want to hear him. I want to share his pain. “Thats when Chao saved me.”

I clenched my jaw.

“He was the one who stopped the Moon from seeing the process through.” He said, a small smile lighten up his face. Even with all the Pride he carries, he knows when he has to be grateful. I retuned the gesture. “He asked her to let me go, that I was not in my right senses to understand what I was doing. He sure does the job of convincing. She let me go eventually, since then I never took anything for granted. Especially my mate who I was determined to find and protect even if it meant that I’ll have to protect her from myself.”

I felt sad when I realised that he was going to find me just to be away forever.

“You don’t have to protect me from yourself. I trust you Kian.” I said in a whisper of voice.

“I did, Shye, but I was never able to. When I saw you at Río’s all I could think about was having you to myself. I acted selfish and took you right away to Impío.” A sense of flutter erupted in my stomach knowing he couldn’t stay away from me even though at the time all I wanted was to run away at the thought of him being my mate. “I never want to loose you, again, ever.”

“You won’t.” I said shaking my head. I did not say much. I did not want to cram his space right now. He remained quiet too.

“Those were some really dark times...” He chuckled.

“Yeah I read abou-“ I caught myself just in time but when I looked up, I realised it was too late. First time I was regretting my habit of being honest. This was not the right time. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“What did you just say?” There was a threatening edge to his low voice and it was scaring the heavens out of me. Its too late. I couldn’t form any words that could justify my stupid antics. He looked at me, then behind me at the closet door which was ajar and realisation settled in his eyes. I shut my eyes waiting for his anger which was about to lash out.

I deserved it.

But it never came. I opened my eyes.

He was gone.

Leaving behind a feeling of loneliness and it felt like I lost him just when I thought I found him.

-*-

Hey guy,

The story is coming to an end soon. Just a couple of chapters more.

Please comment and leave reviews. It means a lot to me.

Also I hope ya all are taking good care of yourselves.

Stay safe.

xo

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