Seven

Chapter Three: Denial

Day 258

"Lily!" Lum yelled. Everyone in the room quieted down and widened their eyes. Ember's mouth fell open and Rain dropped his light torch.

"You have no right at all to criticize anything anyone does! You're the person who always avenges everything. You don't know what inner peace is. You also have no idea what it is like to never be mad, to never give repercussions to those around you! Especially the one you love the most! You're a sin, Lily! You are the full reincarnation of Wrath!"

The anger on Lily's face showed everything Lum was saying. Unconsciously, Lily started growing vines around her Master's body, her intention clear on choking. Lum knew fully of what the plants where to do to him. Rain was about to manifest of Lily's actions when Genie sent a telepathic wave blast to the plants and Lily. She snapped out of her anger, but still with a scowl on her face. 

Lum suddenly snapped in Genie's direction. Everyone was still in shock and couldn't react to anything their Master was saying. Lum took this opportunity of confusion to continue his rant.

"And you!" he snapped to Genie. "Goodness Grace of all the Greek Gods! You and your pride! When have you ever considered yourself equal to anyone but God himself! You are not the greatest thing the Earth has ever thing. You are not even the greatest thing any of us has ever seen! You may think that you know more than any of us because of your telepathy, but young fool, you know nothing! In all of my centuries, all of my lives," he heard someone gasp, "I haven't met anyone who couldn't admit himself to be nothing more than a simple human being. You, Genie, are Pride and that is not the best sin to represent."

Ember has never seen such hurt on a person before, and she has seen too much pain in her short human life. Will, in his shock, started to laugh, which caught Lum's attention.

Wrong move, thought Buzz.

"Don't get me started on you, Will. I have known you for the longest time in all of my lives. You know what it is to be someone like me and most importantly, someone like you. You are pure Greed, Will. You are the most selfish, most self-oriented person I know. You lie, you cheat, and you steal! You have no respect for others but yourself. And even Madeline--, " he started.

"I forbid you to talk about Madeline!" bursted Will.

"I have every right to talk about Madeline! You were the cause of her death! You were the cause of death of your unborn child because of your selfishness! Everything has always needed to be about you!"

Lum exploded. Everyone who wasn't his target was terrified of his words and of the aura that suddenly surrounded him. The light rays that engulfed his body were scary. But Lily was on the verge of killing someone and Will lunged at Lum. 

He sent all of his energy in a big concentration that could have killed anyone but Lum was not anyone. With the grace of an absolute being, he redirected the blast and sent Will flying across the room. Most of the people forgot, but the Master, Lum, was still the absolute being here. There was a reason why he was directed as the leader.

"If you are not man enough to hear the truth, then there is no chance for you to make it to battle. The first step towards any kind of victory is through mental peace. None of you have achieved this and if you continue in this direction, then we are all already doomed." 

"Why are you acting this way, Master? We have done everything you have asked of us!" yelled Rain. He hated seeing people being degraded the way they were right now. He had suffered too much for bullying to stand by when people were in need. But mostly, his heart clenched when he saw Lily, his nature.

"Rain, you are too young to be what you have become. Do not intervene in something that is unknown to you. If you want to come into this criticism so bad, then know that you have a lot to feel bad about. You envy everyone around you, but do you have any idea how lucky you are? You envied your neighbor for having a normal family, without being assaulted at home. But did you know that that neighbor was not happy? That he has committed suicide the day before you went on that plane? You envied everyone, but you are not thankful! That is your problem. Envy, envy, envy! That is all you know to do."

In this moment, Catalyst, without any want to get brought down, tried to discreetly slip out of the room.

"Catalyst, stay where you are." Lum did not turn, but knew that his right hand tried to leave.

"You're always running away, going with the flow. You're lazy; Catalyst and you never make an effort for anything. You are 43 years old. How did you survive this long? Why did you even permit yourself to live this long? You do not take any responsibility whatsoever and bring disaster to the respect that you should have had. You laze around everyday and only bring nothingness. You are pure sloth. You are the sin of Sloth. All I am asking you is to act and take an opinion on anything. Stop staying so neutral because others hurt when you don't take action."

Catalyst was tired and every time she took a breath she felt herself slowly turning into her curse. She slouched down in a corner and broke down in tears.

Everyone went quiet. There was a heavy silence that reigned over everyone. There were two victims left and they both knew what awaited them. There was a buzzing sound surrounding the blond with a panicked look on her face. Every time she lost control she saw them again. But here, it was much worst. The atmosphere of the castle only brought the voices of the dead and it made things worst for Buzz.

"Buzz."

She looked up. Lum was starting right at her. His quivering blue albino eyes told a story and that right now, he was the cause of these sounds.

"You have had the worst case of hardship than any of us. You have been through psychological defects and many unnecessary troubles. But then again, you have the most invalid reason to act the way you do. You eat, you store and then you take more. You take, you take and then you take some more. That's what you do. You're gluttony and you think that what you do is justified, but you're wrong. You're not fighting enough for this. You're tongue will be your undoing in everything."

Suddenly, everything quieted down for everyone. Lum had stopped yelling and his tone was brought down to a more suitable level. The storm had past. But like an earthquake, the aftershock was to come.

"As for you, Ember," he turned around and stopped. He looked at her auburn hair and searched her hazel eyes.

"I have never seen a woman so sexy and beautiful. You are tempting every man everywhere you go. You represent lust. You are what every man ever envies. I don't know what to think of you. I am completely and utterly in love with you and I don't know if what I am doing is correct. With how many men have you slept with? How many people have you brought shame and misjudgment to God? You are a slut-"

She slapped him. And she slapped him hard. Lum did not react to this and only stared at Ember.

"My point in all of these stupid speeches, it to finally make you people realize the real people you are. You were all brought here to for a reason and it is to prove to the power above us that humanity is able to overpower the seven fatal sins. But so far, you guys are only disappointing. Get over yourselves."

To that, Lum left and gave every one of the Se7en in deep thought and utter inner turmoil.