City of Sinners

Chapter 6: Circle of Limbo Arc

Now I got the reason why I found these men circling around the blazes of fire. They are having an emergency meeting because of what Valour and I has just seen. The arc for the first circle of hell. Many of them weren’t really believing of the ‘conspiracy theory’ that Gaston has been confidently telling to them—yes, some considers Gaston’s ‘legend’ as conspiracy theory. However, when Valour told that he had finally seen the gate towards the first circle of hell, everyone’s disbeliefs were stirred. Including Solomon. Solomon was the very first one who deeply protest and does not believe to Gaston’s ‘foolishness’ (he called it that way, I discovered). But thanks to what Valour seen, he started to rethink whether if Gaston was right all the time or not. You see, though people hadn’t seen yet the arc towards the first circle of hell, they had already believed Valour. That man was known to be no joking and is always telling the truth—but in a lazy manner. On the other side, Gaston was finding himself hard to prove that he was telling the truth. After all, his face is a joke.

I have a lot of questions, lots of confused thoughts swirling in my head. I wish I wasn’t sleeping for one whole day after the impact of the meteor, so that I wouldn’t be left hanging. No matter how many times I asked Gaston for more, or even Valour, they could not answer me directly. I am not a push-over woman, that is why when I sensed that no one is going to tell me the real deal, I stopped asking.

Now, I am just a poor woman walking in the wilderness of fire, ever confused, and like a missing kitten. In my front is where the other gangs with higher rank than us is walking, while at our back is where the gang of Owls is afraid and trembling with fear.

Because we are not in the safe zone anymore.

Just as planned last night, we are going to the place where we have seen the arc towards the first circle of hell. Beside me is Gaston, holding a metal-made baseball bat. His weapon he has been using ever since. The rest of the gang was holding their weapons as well, and feeling frightened, they have been looking in the surrounding with wary. As for me, I have two sharp twin knives. These knives were fascinating because its handles were made of jade. It was in precious green color that makes it smooth and easy to hold. The sharp of the knife wasn’t made of ordinary steel, but as far I can see, it was perhaps made of a little bit portion of gold. Valour had given me this before he joined the frontline of this venture. He was personally asked by Solomon to be a frontliner because he was the one, aside from me, who knows the direction of the arc. Solomon could not stand me, and so am I, that is why it was a bad choice to make me a frontliner as well. At least, Valour’s personality can still be held.

I was playing with my knives when Gaston asked me. “You fine, Sitri?”

I looked at him with shock, and replied, “huh?”

“Yah’ seem bothered.”

“Ah, I’m okay, Gaston,” I replied. I fixed my gaze on the left side of the group where I can see the desert of fire. There are uncounted number of dancing fire in this place, and it seems it was as eternal as the ember of the Burning Bush.

“You’re uncomfortable without Valour on your side, wasn’t it?” he asked me.

What?! From that, I quickly looked at him with a scowl, but I was stunned by how malicious his grinning was.

“Wh—What the hell are you saying, Gaston?! I—I’m not bothered even Valour was not beside me. I can freakin’ handle myself even without that … that lazy-headed man!” I defended.

I quickly pulled my gaze away from him and looked back at the desert of fire. His grinning was insulting, as if behind those, he knew something that even I, do not have any idea. Strangely, my cheeks were burning. Was it because of the heat and fire raging in the surrounding? Whatever. What I am feeling right now, however, was irritation to Gaston because he has been sputtering things which I could not properly comprehend.

“Why was it taking long?” I asked to get rid of awkwardness. “we’ve been walking here for a longer period of time, but we couldn’t reach the place yet?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we’re missing?” Gaston said. “Or maybe because Valour was not beside you that’s why you time slaps slowly.”

“Shut up, Gaston.”

But in no sooner second, after I have asked that question, the people in my front started to have a commotion. There were people who has been elongating their neck, trying to look at the thing that was on their front. Some are thrilled, some were excited to see it, but most of them… were frightened. Feared.

“Guess we finally here,” Gaston said. From the jolly voice that he has always been using, it had shifted in a deep, gloomy tone. When I heard it, chills ran down through my spine. I know the seriousness of the things that is happening. But truth be told, how deadly and dangerous this place is … it hadn’t sank through me yet.

I’ve seen, face to face, a dangerous creature who almost killed me had not for Valour. But aside from that, I feel no fear at all. Unlike other people, even those guys bigger than me, who is uncontrollably shaking because of fear, I am calm, but only confused. The reactions of those big men were the natural reaction I should have been feeling. Because I know how this place resembled hell. But strangely, I don’t remember panic, nor frightened from the thought that we’ll be entering the first circle of hell. The only part that I felt frightened was when Gaston’s voice turned ghostly.

Right. Am I still normal?

Now I’ve noticed that the people in our front—those gangs who has higher rank than us—was moving, and forming a line parallel to the arc of the first circle of hell. Because of that, group by group, we were able to see the tremendous size of the arc in our front. I have felt how my mouth dropped open as I stared above, and read the letters that was written above the arc:

First Circle of Hell: Limbo.

Everyone was gasping, and some was even bawling in tears, asking to God for repentance.

Secretly, I was doing it too. Praying. Asking for forgiveness.

Because since the night before this day, I have been asking myself: was the reason why we are here, in the realm of hell, because … we’re sinners? We do not repent and follow the divine law? That we seek pleasure through sins?

Now I felt how my heart starting to race its beat.

In our front, before the arc that would lead us to the first circle of hell, Solomon and the higher ups of the Raven gang stood with presence. Beside Solomon is Valour. If Valour was one of the members of the Raven gang, I wouldn’t hesitate or ask why. Because just like Solomon, I have to accept, that he’s also good looking. But since he’s a member of the Vulture gang, I wouldn’t forgive him if he transfer his membership to them. I’ll be the one to kill him.

“Everyone,” Solomon said. “I know you’re all terrified. Afraid. Frightened. Right inside this arc, we cannot assure that it will be safer than here. Maybe not. Maybe there were more frightening creatures that could be found inside the first circle of hell, but … what can we do? This has been the snap of our faith.”

“I—I think, I’d rather stay here, or in the safe zone, than to pass there… th—through that circle of hell,” said one of the afraid man from the gang of Owls.

“You know how scarce is the food in this place, wasn’t it?” asked Solomon. “I couldn’t even find a single food after the first day. You know what it means. You’ll die here in vain.”

“But I am sure we too will die right inside that circle!” said another man.

“Yeah, the Sinners will kill and eat us before we could get food and items from them, and besides, we have no idea what were inside that place!” said another.

“Gaston, wh—what are they saying? Th—The food?” I asked, confused.

“I’ll tell you next time. Or maybe no need if you see it right in yah front. But to cut, once we kill a sinner, it would drop either food or items. Like in a video game. The apple I gave you earlier? It’s a drop from a sinner.”

I felt a sudden churning of my gut, and an urge to throw the food being dissolved in my stomach. But I tried my best to hold it. The hell? The food we’re eating was from those horrible creatures? I bit my lip to control myself as I continue listening to Solomon’s speech.

“Remember that I wasn’t forcing you to enter the first circle of hell,” he said. “It’s your choice to enter or not. It’s your choice to continue or stay. Because honestly, from the both choices we have, the end result is that we will all die. But at least, from my view, there is a tiny bit of hope if we enter the circles. Because a thin chance we’ll be able to reach Paradiso. The safe place. The escape from this hell. That is, if that Vulture leader was telling the truth.”

“Hey, I am telling the truth! I wasn’t lying!”

“Either way,” Solomon sighed. “I cannot assure everyone’s safety. That is why you choose: join us entering the circles of hell and die while surviving, or stay and die surviving.”

“Wow, what a very good set of choices,” I said, smirking in mockery.

What can we do? From both the choices, there is an assurance that we will die. But entering the circles of hell, at least, will give us a tiny chance to reach through that needle of light which is at the center of Sao Garde City. So I guess, I’ll just choose to die.