Chapter One: Zane Neid

Blood trickled down a man's face as he rested against a wall, his head down and his hands resting on his thighs.

He looked like he was in his thirties with pale skin and ragged clothes.

His legs were numb, and his left hand was broken with a hue of purple.

In front of the beaten and broken man stood another man with golden rings and clothing.

He had a younger look; some could guess mid to early twenties.

He stood tall within a room covered in gold, black, and white.

Golden man: “Where is it?”

A simple question, and based on the looks on both of their faces, they both knew the answer.

The beaten man didn’t try to hide it.

He was going to play dumb.

Beaten man: “Where’s what?”

While the man with blood chuckled, the man in gold wasn’t amused.

It was a lie, a ruse.

A game the beaten man wanted to play.

A game the golden man had no tolerance for.

Cocking his fist back, the beaten man’s head exploded a few moments after the golden man's fist connected with his head.

A woman behind the gold man jumped.

She had blue hair and was wearing a black business suit.

Woman: “W–why kill him? Didn’t he have info that we needed?”

Golden man: “He died laughing, I’d say that’s a good end.”

The golden man turned towards the woman.

Golden man: “But we have more info than we did days ago. The ring of envy is in the ninth ring.”

The woman was in shock at the way the golden man looked at her.

Golden man: “Dispose of the body and plan a trip. We’re going to the ninth ring. I need the ring of envy.”

…

..

.

A dump, a hell, a prison.

Those were the words that some have used to describe the ninth ring.

But there is only one that was the most acute.

If apathy had a place to live and thrive.

That is the kinda of place the ninth ring really is.

Within this place stood a man standing on top of a broken-down school.

The school was clearly not cared for, like someone just dropped it there and left it to rot for thirty years.

No love, no want for it to look its best; it was just there.

The man watched as he looked up into the sky; there wasn’t a sun in sight.

The sun, hell, the sky is only visible when looking directly forward; the only chance to see the sun set is right before it disappears into the night sky.

But that's if you can get yourself high enough to watch it in the first place.

The man standing on the “School” was wearing black sweat pants and a tank top.

This man was a boy.

Zane Neid, eighteen years old and gradrutated “highschool” an hour ago.

He had his left hand in his pocket while his right was scratching his neck.

His face didn’t have a specific expression.

Zane: “Honestly—”

He let out a sigh as he jumped from the top.

Zane: “ —I thought I would be happy or something.”

Landing on a huge pile of trash, Zane began to walk.

With each step, each person passed, Zane was looking in one direction.

Off on the side.

He didn’t even bother looking ahead.

He’d rather not.

Zane: “Should I get food for tonight? Mmmm… Mom might have made dinner, so there’s no reason to waste Benni on food I won’t eat.”

Each step seemed to be a bother until he had reached his home.

Calling where he lived a house might be considered a stretch.

He entered his “House,” taking his shoes off the moment he got in.

Zane: “Yo! I’m home!”

He looked around the “House,” walking into the “Living room,” where we had a hole in the ceiling and vines growing into the “house.” he sat on the couch, resting his head back.

Sniff

Sniff

The sound of the inhale from his nose rang in his head.

Zane: “That smells good.”

Mother: “It better smell good!”

A woman walked into the “living room” with a plate of rice coated in a rich brown sauce.

Mother: “I’ve been cooking this food for about two hours.”

Droll escaped Zane's lips as he stared at the plate.

Mother: “Geez, you're just like your father. Here, eat up!”

Not a moment after being given the plate of food, Zane began eating sloppily.

While eating the rice, Zane shared a glance with his mother, who was giving him a “look”.

Slowing down, he began to actually chew and enjoy his food.

Mother: “That’s better.”

His fork slowly eating his lips, the rice nuzzling against his tongue.

Zane: “Sorry.”

Zane’s mother sat next to him, also eating some rice she had made.

Mother: “How was the graduation?”

Zane: “I was—”

He thought about it. I thought really hard, but not about how he felt.

He knew how he felt.

But he was thinking about whether or not he should lie.

His mother went through hell to put him through schooling.

She’s considered one of the top three best chiefs in the rabbit district of the ninth ring.

Sephy Neid.

If you needed good food quickly in the rabbit district, you would go to her.

That was his mother—a hard-working, reliable woman.

So he could only imagine how disappointed she would be if he said he didn’t care about graduation.

Zane: “— It was fine.”

Sephy: “That’s good. Now all we gotta do is get you a good job.”

Zane: “Speaking of jobs, how was yours today?”

Sephy: “It was fine, nothing new, honestly.”

A sigh left their lips as they both spoke at the same time.

“So both of our days were just okay.”

A moment, a small moment, a small comfortable moment happened between the two as they continued.

Sephy: “Well, that's okay. I’m just glad you had an okay time.”

Zane: “Same to you.”

Sephy: “OH SHIT! Hold on, I got something for you!”

She quickly set aside her plate, got up, and ran to her room.

The sound of boxes being moved and her own frustration could be heard before she got out of her room with a small box.

Sephy: “Here! This has been in our family for five generations. This is your graduation present.”

Zane: “Oh?”

He opens the box, and there is a silver ring in it. It had this vine pattern on the outside, while the word “Envy” was etched inside.

Zane: “I–”

The only time Zane had any feeling for his graduation was in this moment.

When his mother gave him a gift that had been in their family for generations.

Zane: “ —I like it.”

Sephy: “Really? You like it? That’s all?”

The young boy stared at the ring with a sense of protectiveness.

Zane: “Yes, I like it.”

He puts the ring on his right middle finger.

A smile on his face.

The sight almost made Sephy cry.

Zane stood up and hugged his mother.

Zane: “Thank you. I really, really like it.”

Later that night.

Zane was on the roof of his house.

Maybe one day, when I look up. I’ll see the night sky.

A simple wish, but one that sadly is unrealistic. He looked at his ring, staring at it for a moment.

Envy… why envy?

He took it off for a moment and read the word over and over again.

Envy? Does this mean there's like a lust ring? Is this like a collectible series?

He kept studying the ring over and over again until.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Someone was knocking on his door.

Sephy: “Hello?”

Murua: “Hello, ma’am, I am Murua. I’m sorry to bother you, but is your husband named Haraled Neid?”

Sephy: “!!!”

Zane: “!!!”

The young boy spied from the roof to see who this man was.

He was wearing a black suit with gold highlights. Behind him was a woman with short blue hair in a business suit.

Murua: “I’m going to take that as a yes. Okay, second question, where is the ring of envy?”

Sephy: “!!!”

Zane: “!!!”

Murua: “Please don’t make me ask twice. I hate wasting time.”

Sephy: “Leave.”

Murua: “Hm?”

Sephy: “You should leave.”

Slipping behind the door, she began to close it, but the golden rings of Murua stopped the door.

Murua: “Hold on now—”

A foot planted against Murua’s chest knocked him back a few meters. The owner of the foot was Zane.

Zane: “Back off!”

Once Zane landed, Murua began to brush his suit.

Murua: “You got dust on me.”

Is he not phased?

Murua: “Agh, we’re wasting time.”

With the snap of a finger, a little ball of light slammed against Zane’s chest.

He was flung back, crashing into the coach, breaking it.

Sephy: “Zane!”

Murua: “Platina, grab the woman we’re leaving.”

Platina: “Yes, Sir.”

Sephy: “Wait! Stay away–”

Zane: “Stay away from her!”

The boy charged at the girl with blue hair, approaching his mother.

With a right hook, he swung at her.

Zane: “Huh?”

The blue-haired girl grabbed the boy's arm and, using this moment, threw him across the street.

Murua: “Listen up, boy!”

Blood leaked from Zane’s ears, but despite that, he made sure to listen as clearly as possible.

Murua: “Find me the ring of envy, and you can have your mother back, understand?”

He looked at Murua, blood leaking onto his right eye.

Murua: “I said, Do I make myself clear?”

Zane: “Cristle.”

Murua: “Good, let's go, Platina.”

The blue-haired girl grabbed Sephy by the neck as they walked away.

Zane: “Wait!”

Murua stopped and turned around. He looked at the broken and beaten boy, so broken his legs won't move for him.

Zane: “Where can I find you?”

Murua simply pointed up.

Murua: “The top ring, see you in heaven. You hell spawn.”

He began to laugh as they kept walking.

Heaven? Is that where he is from? So, the hell is he an angel? Bullshit! But I have to admit that I am in hell.

Zane looked at the sky the moment his mother was out of sight for the first time in his life. After being born, he cried for his mother.

I’m in hell, looking at heaven, and they’re laughing at me.

—Chapter 1 End—