SEVEN: Cursed Souls

CHAPTER 48: SIN OF PRIDE

Some time before Rychard's faked death.

"Camou, The Eye had been here for years, we must end him already and I entrust you with doing that," Assassin said.

"Who are you to boss me around? I know what I am doing!" Rychard answered.

"Hey, hey! Watch your mouth! We both know that Assassin got here first, he deserves to be the leader," Witch rebuts.

"Oh come on! This man leading this group? Assassin, what are you so proud of? Your muscles, your body, your huge dick? Pathetic! You don't even have the power and I am sure that the whole group would revolt against a powerless leader," Rychard mocks.

Assassin clenched his fist. "How dare you mock me like that?! We are a team here and us three are the only hope of this group. You are well aware of what this group had become, the more evil killing the lesser evil, reaping the sinners when this group is more vicious than they are. I don't care if anyone among us three gets to be the leader, as long as it would not be Puppeteer, Techno, or Hex," Assassin replied.

The three had been preparing to take their leader down for some time already because they are aware of how atrocious their group had become and that they no longer serves their purpose but rather uses the group for their benefit. Rychard(Camou/Chameleon), Witch, and Assassin hope for the right moment to execute their plan and dispose of their current leader, Eye.

Some months later.

The group started to be in terror when Eye's sidekick, Hex suddenly went missing. Eye was fast to change him with a navigator and got James into the group. But James also failed to locate Hex.

"This is the best time that we do something to Eye. Would his cards finally tell him to do the right thing? Or would he continue to be evil?" Assassin said.

Rychard started laughing, "HAHA! I can finally be the leader of this group! Oh, to be below no one!"

Witch intervened, "Are you out of your mind? By the way you talk, it seems like you would just be like Eye when you get the position. Remember our goal!" she said.

Rychard got closer to Witch, "I know what I am doing, Witch! Stop nagging at me, it's annoying. And I know about our mission, we must restore the law in this group."

The three then started to sabotage Techno and Puppeteer so that Eye would get distracted.

"Assassin, I need your control over the maze? You must be caught as the reason of these failures then lure Eye into the maze so that we could catch and end him," Rychard commands,

"A maze will not simply do but a labyrinth could!" Assassin replied.

Some time later and Rychard was able to trick Eye into getting to the maze. He lied that it was Assassin who caused Hex's disappearance and that Hex is somewhere in the maze.

"Grandpa, you know that it is time that this group have a new leader, right?" Rychard asked.

"What did you just call me?" Eye asked back.

"Oh 'Grandpa'?! The Book of Shadows clearly stated what I am to do with my own grandfather, Solomon Espiritu."

"Book of Shadows? So that means..." Eye sighed, "It is the end then. But you have to kill me to get that position."

Rychard laughed. "With this?" he showed the back of a tarot card, "this is your end then! And soon, this cult's!" he showed the front of the card: an upright Death card.

Eye removed his mask and smiled at Rychard. He pulled a sheet of paper from his pockets and placed it on the ground between them. 

"Give me your right hand!" he said. 

He also pulled out a knife and sliced his right palm, doing the same thing with Rychard's palm afterwards.

They shook hands and allowed their blood to drop to the sheet of paper below.

"Take good care of the group, Rychard!" said Eye.

He was later lead back into Rychard's room. 

"The group must not know of their leader so Camou must be buried with me, Rychard! Now that you are the rightful leader of the Reapers, your persona here must be no more, so as your life outside this group," the Eye explained.

Before Rychard could even answer, Eye already closed the door and the room he is in was devoured by the land.

He knew where the Eye was taken and the way to get there. He went inside the Witch's room and through the tunnels but he no longer found his room or even the Eye.

Their contract is bound by their own blood so he knew that there is no more Camou nor Rychard. He cannot go against what was written in that paper. Eye is right, Rychard had been buried with him.

Rychard had to fake his own death so they had to use his and the Puppeteer's powers to sacrifice one of their members to pose and die as Rychard. Rychard never knew how tricked he was  when he shook the Eye's hands, because in that piece of paper was also written that Ryder would become one of their group once Rychard ascends as the leader of the cult.

Ryder

Present time, inside Anonymous' room.

"Let me read the letter for you, Rychard!" the person that struck Ryder said.

"Lived below but fears no one. Never looked above. 

You craved for superiority, you lust for power. 

Too proud, felt strong! If you only stepped down, then maybe you'll not face your end. 

Too proud, not strong! Accepting defeat by holding his hand was your only way through.

Death be upon you!"

Ryder tried to open his eyes, he could not say a word because his lips are taped. He looked forward and crawled to where the two are.

"Goodbye, Rychard!" the stranger said. Ryder could only see his back. Brother shouldn't die because he was about to take my hand.

Rychard was lied down the floor and his face was bloody. He looked at Ryder then smiled. The stranger proceeded to chopp Rychards's head off, using an axe to chop countless of time until he was decapitated. 

Ryder wanted to yell and help him but he couldn't move. Rychard's eyes were still wide open after his head was cut, he was still looking at Ryder.

The man picked Rychard's head then looked towards Ryder, smiling. Seeing his face made Ryder tremble.

"You! Traitor!" he yelled when he was able to remove the tape by rubbing it through the ground.

He made a grin, "Shut up!" he smashed Ryder's head again. He should've killed me, I will be his ending!