Elric couldn't sleep that night. Even after tossing and turning, even after burying his head under the pillow and trying to drown everything out with loud music, the numbers wouldn't leave his mind.
Sin Points: [9,876.]
Virtue Points: [24.]
Rank: Sinner - Level 1
Those numbers burned themselves into his thoughts like a brand. He kept replaying the images from his dream — all the lies, all the parties, all the cheap thrills. The fun things he used to brag about now felt like anchors pulling him under.
Morning came, but it didn't feel like a new day. It felt like an extension of a nightmare.
At school, the halls buzzed as usual. Laughter, yelling, sneakers squeaking against the floor. Verde threw a paper airplane that nearly hit a teacher in the head. Josiah was already showing off some prank video on his phone.
Elric stood by his locker, eyes vacant. He could almost see the points ticking above people's heads, like ghostly numbers floating in the air. When someone shoved past him without saying sorry, he swore he saw the person's score drop slightly.
Then he noticed something else — faint outlines in the corner of his vision. Like dark shadows just behind some students. Some shadows were small and thin, but a few were massive, stretching over walls and ceilings. They shifted and twitched, almost as if they were alive.
Elric's heart pounded. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.
When he opened them, the shadows faded. But the unease remained.
Josiah noticed Elric's pale face and pulled him aside.
"Dude, you look sick. You need water or something?"
Elric shook his head quickly. "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Josiah asked, his voice suddenly softer, a rare moment when his usual jokes disappeared.
Elric forced a nod. "Yeah, yeah… I just didn't sleep well."
Josiah patted his shoulder, though he looked unconvinced.
In class, it got worse. Every time Elric thought about copying someone's answers, he felt a sharp jolt in his chest, as if someone had punched him from the inside. His pen almost slipped out of his hand. When he resisted the urge, a soft glow appeared at the edge of his vision, and he felt the tiniest sense of relief.
During lunch, Verde dared everyone to sneak out and steal sodas from the vending machine behind the staff room. Everyone cheered. Josiah and Derrick started forming a plan. Bertinus jumped up, already acting like a spy.
Elric didn't move.
Verde turned to him, frowning. "What's up? You scared? Since when did you turn into a choir boy?"
The words stabbed at Elric's pride, but he stayed silent. He just stared at the group, then at the ground.
"Man, he's gone soft," Derrick said loudly, laughing with the others.
Elric's fists curled, but he forced himself to walk away. Every step felt like pushing through heavy mud.
He heard them mocking behind him. Calling him names. Whispering that he was boring now. That he was weak.
He made it to an empty stairwell and leaned against the cold wall, gasping for breath. He didn't feel like a hero. He felt like he was crumbling apart.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He pulled it out slowly. The Bible app was open again, shining softly like a distant star in the night.
A new message appeared on the screen:
"Congratulations, Elric. You resisted temptation. Virtue Points +10."
His hands trembled. The number on the Virtue side had changed.
Virtue Points: [34.]
It was small. Barely a dent compared to his mountain of sin. But it was something.
He stared at the screen, his mind spinning. Was this real? Was he actually changing? Or was he losing it completely?
Before he could think more, a sudden warmth spread through his chest. A strange feeling washed over him -almost like a gentle hug from the inside. It felt… good. Like he was finally breathing real air after years underwater.
For the first time, he saw a small notification appear at the top of the app:
"First Trial Completed: The Choice to Resist."
Elric sat down on the steps, letting the feeling sink in.
The hallway outside was still loud with echoes of students running and shouting. But in that little stairwell, it felt like he was in a different world.
A world where every act mattered. Where small good choices could actually fight the darkness inside.
Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes.
He wiped them away quickly, almost angry at himself for feeling weak. But deep down, he knew.
This wasn't weakness.
This was the first step toward becoming someone new.
Someone who might actually deserve a second chance.
Elric sat on those cold steps for a long time, staring at the glowing message on his phone. A part of him felt proud for finally resisting. Another part felt terrified. He wondered if his friends would ever see him the same way again.
He heard their voices echoing down the hall. Laughter. Shouting. Someone clapped loudly, probably because they managed to grab the sodas.
For a brief moment, Elric felt strong enough to keep his distance. He thought maybe he would just stay there, maybe even go to the library or just sit alone until the bell rang.
But slowly, doubt started whispering inside his mind.
What if they left him out completely? What if they started ignoring him altogether?
He thought about the nights they all spent at parties, sitting around a table with Mabel pouring drinks, Verde telling some dumb story, Bertinus making everyone laugh until their sides hurt. He thought about those wild dances, those inside jokes no one else understood.
He remembered the warmth of being part of a group. The feeling of belonging.
Even if it was wrong, even if it led him deeper into darkness, it felt safe.
Without realizing it, he stood up and began walking back toward the cafeteria. His footsteps were hesitant at first, but then he picked up speed.
When he turned the corner, he saw them crowded around, clinking their stolen soda cans together like they were celebrating a victory.
Verde spotted him first.
"Look who finally decided to stop acting holy!" he shouted, his grin wide and wild.
Derrick threw an unopened soda toward Elric. "Catch!"
Elric caught it awkwardly. His heart pounded in his chest.
"Come on, man. You're late. We saved you a can," Josiah teased, raising his drink.
Elric stood frozen for a second, staring at the can in his hand. He knew what it meant. One sip wasn't just a sip anymore. It was a choice. A new sin point. A step backward.
But he cracked the tab anyway. The sharp fizz echoed like a small explosion in his ears.
He raised it to his lips. The cold drink rushed down his throat, and with it came a wave of laughter and cheers from his friends.
Verde slapped him on the back, almost knocking him forward. "There he is! The Elric we know!"
Elric forced a laugh, feeling the sting in his chest. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a sharp jab -like an invisible needle pricking at his soul.
In that moment, he saw the screen in his mind again,the system popped up.The numbers shifted, almost as if they were breathing:
Sin Points: [9,892.]
Virtue Points: [34.]
His eyes twitched. The small burst of warmth he felt earlier was gone, replaced with a cold hollowness.
The system message appeared again, clear as day:
"Temptation Resistance Record: Broken. -10 Virtue Points."
Elric looked around at his friends, all of them yelling, pushing, laughing.
Bertinus poured a soda into a cup and pretended to chug it like beer. Derrick challenged Verde to a burping contest. Josiah started playing loud music from his phone, and within seconds they turned the cafeteria corner into a mini party.
Mabel appeared out of nowhere, as if she could smell chaos from a mile away. She slid her arm around Elric's shoulder, whispering close to his ear, "Good to see you back, troublemaker."
Her perfume mixed with the smell of soda and sweat, sending shivers down his spine. He felt her fingers trail down his arm, playful and electric.
For a split second, he wanted to push her away. To run. To choose that warmth he felt on the stairs.
But he stayed.
Mabel laughed and leaned in closer. "Don't look so serious," she teased. "Smile. Have fun. You only live once, right?"
Elric tried to force a grin, but it felt like a cracked mask. Deep inside, his stomach twisted into knots.
As the music pounded and the noise grew, he felt the shadows again, shifting in the corners of his eyes. He could almost hear faint whispers behind the noise - like voices calling his name, warning him.
But no one else seemed to hear them.
His phone buzzed in his pocket again. He ignored it.
In that moment, he felt completely trapped. Part of him wanted to claw his way out, to scream at them to stop, to beg for a second chance. But the other part - the part that craved belonging, craved approval, craved warmth -was stronger.
He tilted his head back and finished the soda in one long gulp.
Laughter erupted around him.
"That's our Elric!" Verde shouted, pumping his fist in the air.As they pulled him deeper into the crowd, cheering and jumping around, Elric's mind drifted.He thought about that glowing message that popped up, about the invisible points, about that moment of warmth he had felt earlier.
And for the first time in his life, he realized something terrifying.
Sometimes, the heaviest chains aren't made of metal.
Sometimes, they're made of people