Halo ate about five plates until he couldn't breathe.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Everything about my Purpose is going smoothly, and still… my mind keeps circling back to my Nemesis every single day."

Liam clenched his fist.

Halo lay in his seat, his hand rubbing his swollen stomach.

"Whenever I think of them, I want to stop everything I'm doing and track them to the ends of the world. I've never felt hatred this strong. Not ever."

He turned to Halo.

"Does yours do the same to you?"

Halo gave him a lazy look.

Everyone had a Nemesis, a naturally sworn enemy. The world itself forced hatred between them, regardless of personal feelings. Mutual nemeses, where both parties held that designation for each other, were theoretically possible but had never been documented.

Not only did you need to track your own Nemesis, but you had to guard against whoever considered you theirs. A deadly triangle where timing meant everything.

In the game, the hero had gained unimaginable strength after killing his Nemesis, the Ancient Light. Maybe the forced hatred was worth that power, but…

Halo, however, still hadn't received his Nemesis. Strange, considering everyone gained theirs upon awakening. But his arrival in this world hadn't been like the others, no summoning ritual. He couldn't expect the same rules to apply.

He met Liam with silence until Seraph spoke up.

"It happens to all of us, Liam. Just don't let it consume you."

Halo remained seated, breathing hard as he listened to them discuss their Nemeses. The conversation eventually turned to Sin Fragments.

He remained quiet. His stomach might explode if he spoke.

"I expected the weight to crush us, but I guess a few thousand isn't enough to push someone into madness. The higher ranks bear far greater numbers… maybe even millions."

Liam said.

"You misunderstand. A Flaw eats you whole, but Sin Fragments work through subtler cracks. The brief jealousy, the envy, the sudden flicker of rage… those impulses are theirs. They don't consume you in one bite the way a Flaw does, but over time? They erode you, piece by piece, until you're lost."

Seraph said and turned to Halo.

Halo nodded.

It made sense.

Someone bearing the Flaw of Listless couldn't consume a million Sin Fragments of Vibrant and expect the same effect. That would undermine the gods' entire framework.

Halo sat back and listened to the Eyes of the Night and Child of Deceit discuss Nemeses and Sin Fragments at length.

Something felt off with Seraph, though he couldn't pinpoint why. And Liam wouldn't stop going on about his Nemesis. Their dynamic seemed the same on the surface, but underneath, something fundamental had changed.

This was all weird for Halo. He didn't expect their meeting to be about that.

He wanted to know how their lives were going.

He adjusted in his seat.

He cleared his throat and grabbed their attention.

"How are your Purposes going?"

Liam was the first to jump in.

"It's easier than I expected after how exhausting our last Purpose was. I'm only making sure the people of Shattered Perks feel safe… but at this point, it won't be long before I'm done. They've started calling me a hero."

Halo gave him a soft smile. It was nice knowing he was having it easy.

"I don't have much to do most days, so I focus on training. They even set up a personal gym for me. Not bad, right?"

Halo turned to Seraph, whose eyes were fixated on the floor, lost in thought.

"Hey, Seraph."

Halo's call startled her.

"What about you?"

"Oh, yeah."

She took a deep breath.

"It hasn't been the best, though the Sinners are pretty easy to deal with. They look like worms and never stop pursuing the Onyx Tree. But they aren't what you should worry about…"

Her expression darkened.

"My comrades want me to—

She paused.

Halo and Liam stared at her in confusion.

She smiled.

"It's nothing…"

She turned to Halo.

"How about you, Halo?"

Halo stared at her for a hot minute.

Something was clearly bothering her. Halo hated seeing that sadness in her expression, but it wasn't his place to pry. She could handle her own problems.

"My comrade, Iris, is pretty cool, I guess. There's another one, but we haven't met."

Seraph's dark expression softened.

"Dark hair, golden eyes, right?"

Halo nodded.

"I tried to befriend her at the academy, but she always seemed annoyed. She only speaks with that one staff member anyway."

Halo attempted to smile but couldn't.

That was Iris, alright. But he was surprised by how much Seraph's Flaw pushed her into getting to know everyone. It was cool in that sense.

Before he could say anything else, Seraph spoke with a sad tone.

"Do any of you hate your Flaw?"

"I do, but you know, it has its perks. Being anxious constantly kind of makes me cautious… weirdly, I like it."

Liam said.

Child of Deceit turned to Halo.

"I… don't really know what to say. I've always been like this. I wish I could be happier and more expressive, you know? Maybe I would've been if I hadn't ended up in this world. But at this point… what can I even do?"

Seraph looked worn out.

She hated her Flaw, and it was evident in her eyes.

But it went beyond her Flaw. None of them knew much about her, but they sensed there was more to it. Her new comrades must have played a role.

In the next second, it was as though something within her shifted.

She began wearing the cheerful smile they always saw her wear. It didn't seem forced. It was genuine.

"I got you something, Halo."

She rose to her feet and hurried into a room.

"What do you think is wrong with her?"

Liam asked.

Halo shrugged.

"Don't mention it for now. If there's a time she wants to talk about it, she will."

Liam nodded.

Seraphim returned with a bag stuffed with supplies.

She handed it to Halo.

It was lighter than it looked.

"I got this for you."

She leaned toward Halo the moment she spoke and whispered something.

Halo frowned.

She told him she'd come see him after his Purpose. It was harmless enough. He didn't understand why she'd felt the need to whisper.

Still, he gave her a positive response.

Liam had his mouth parted.

"What about me?"

Seraph smiled.

"This is for Halo. Maybe I'll get you yours… one day."

"Maybe?"

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