The Art of Sin (Unedited Version)

Chapter XV

Nikoli was supposed to come back by now. Yesterday marked a week that he's been gone. No one would say it out loud, but it was worrisome. If anything, wouldn't he find someway to contact us?

I think Bain was taking it the hardest. On the surface he seemed the most calm, but I knew he suffered. He was the first of us to be taken in under Nikoli's care. Keon was the second and he was no where near as good at hiding his pain.

We were eating lunch, a nice arrangement of sandwiches and various fruits. Noir tried to keep it lively, talking about various topics. They others played along, but Keon stayed quiet, not that that was uncommon.

He didn't eat much and got up to leave as soon as lunch was over. After I helped Lycus, I went to search for Keon, hoping that I might help.

I found him at the top of the stairs in front of the front door. He kept staring at the painting I'd made. The others had hung it there. They wanted it to be the first thing Nikoli saw when he came home, well, besides us.

I climbed the stairs to stand next to him. I analyzed the painting, noticing every little flaw. Soon a scowl was on my face at how much I could have done differently or better. I heard a chuckle and found Keon smiling as he looked at me.

"What?"

"It is amusing to see you get worked up over this. Don't be so hard on yourself, the painting is magnificent."

"I see so many mistakes. It's just a blob of bad technique," I huffed.

"Artists always hate their creations, it grows stronger the longer they look. They see what they could have done differently, but even if they could change those things, would they not just find new aspects to dislike?"

I thought about his words, finding myself nodding at the logic. Keon sent me a small smile, but it disappeared with his next question:

"Do you think that there is so much suffering because the Gods hate their creations? Is that the reason behind our pain?"

I stared at him, his hellish eyes still looking at the painting, as if it had the answers. I thought for a moment, trying to better form my thoughts. Finally, I opened my mouth.

"I... do not know. I do not know many things in this world. Who is to say that there even are gods? There are so many things in the world we do not know and may never know. As for suffering? I cannot say. If there were gods then I will not make assumptions on what they like or do not like and how they express it. If I ever meet one I'll be sure to ask."

Our positions were reversed, he was the one staring at me as I looked straight ahead, continuing.

"The pain that I or any one of you have been through is something that I try not to think about. It is not healthy to stay in the past, but it isn't wise to forget it either. I believe it is better to learn from it and move on, relish in the now and be happy. And," I turned to him, taking his hands into my own, "when you find yourself slipping back into the days of suffering, know that we will be here to pull you back into the present."

For minutes we only looked into each other's eyes, neither one of us speaking. I felt his hands tighten around mine, and, slowly, a soft smile graced his lips. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine.

"Thank you." I gave his hands a small squeeze in response. I felt him tense. Thinking that I did something wrong, I was about to let go, but he shook his head, eyes still closed.

"No... just... stay, please." I nodded and he relaxed again. We stood there for a while, leaning against one another. Finally, he spoke, but it wasn't what I expected.