Alice let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, adrenaline still racing. She glanced at Shí'àn.

  "Is...is she gone?"

  Shí'àn nodded slowly, still watching the spot where Lust had vanished.

  "For now," she said. "But she isn't just going to give up. She'll be back...with a new vessel, like she said.”

  Alice felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought of the Sin returning, stronger, more dangerous.

  "But...then, we'll just stop her again, right?" she said, trying to hide the slight waver in her voice.

  Shí'àn turned slightly, gaze finding Alice's.

  "We will," she agreed, voice steady but soft. "But next time, it might not be so easy."

  Shi’an paused, her eyes narrowing as she turned to her right.

  "She's in...Phenomena City.”

  Alice blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject. "Phenomena City? Where's that? How do you know that?" she asked, her earlier fear momentarily forgotten in her confusion.

  Shí'àn glanced back at her, eyes flickering. "I can sense her," she said simply. "Her energy...her sin. I can feel it from far away. It pulls. And right now, I can feel her energy coming from Phenomena City.”

  "Wait, you can...sense her?" Alice echoed incredulously. "Just... because of her 'sin'?"

  Shí'àn nodded. "Yes. Each of the Seven Deadly Sins has a distinct energy. And I can sense them all...but Lust's is the easiest to pick out," she murmured.

  Alice stared at her, mind whirling with new information. "So...you can sense her from far away...like some kind of sin compass?" she asked, half-joking.

  Shí'àn gave a faint nod. "Exactly," she said, her voice low.

  "Lust is getting stronger, she’s found something in Phenomena City that’s feeding her power." She paused, then added quietly:

  "We need to stop her before it's too late."

  The hint of urgency in Shí'àn's voice made Alice's heart skip a beat. "Too late for...what?" she asked, anxiety creeping back into her voice.

  Shí'àn glanced at her, eyes narrowing. "There is a legend."

  Alice blinked. "A legend?"

  Shí'àn paused, her gaze fixed on some faraway point Alice couldn't see.

  "Yes," she whispered. "A legend about the Sins. When they work together, when all their power is aligned...they are said to be unstoppable...unless the Seven Heavenly Virtues intervene.”

  Alice's eyes widened in horror. "You mean... if Lust gets strong enough, she could attract the other Sins?"

  Shí'àn gave a slow nod. "Exactly." She turned to Alice fully now, her expression grave but steady.

  "And once they're all gathered...they'll become unstoppable."

  A long pause stretched between them, thick with dread.

  Then Alice swallowed hard and whispered:

  "...What do we do?”

  Shí'àn looked her dead in the eyes. "We stop them. We stop all of them, but first we need to find a way to trap Lust. Keep her from becoming more powerful. And right now, in Phenomena City, that's where her power is growing."

  "But if we go there, we'll have to deal with more than just Lust," Alice said quietly, the reality of what they were up against slowly sinking in.

  "Yes," Shí'àn confirmed, "but it's where we have the best chance at trapping her.”

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  Alice took a deep breath. This was serious, more serious than anything she'd ever faced before.

  "Alright," she said after a long moment, her voice trembling, but her eyes determined. "Then we have to go there. We have to find Lust, stop her from gathering more power. And we have to stop the other Sins from coming together."

  Shí'àn nodded, a faint flicker of approval in her eyes. "You're brave," she said quietly. "And you have a good heart.”

  Alice felt a rush of warmth at the compliment, though she wasn't sure how much bravery was really in her at the moment.

  "What about you?" she asked, looking back at Shí'àn. "Why do you want to stop the Sins? And...how do you know so much about them?"

  She hesitated then added: "You've fought them before, haven't you? I can tell…”

  Shí'àn didn't answer right away. She turned her gaze downward, hands clasped tightly in front of her as if trying to steady herself.

  Then, quietly, so softly it was almost lost in the air:

  "...Because I failed once."

  Alice froze.

  There was pain there, a deep wound that hadn’t healed. And for a moment… she saw it not just in Shí’àn’s voice but also in Shí'àn herself, the way shadows seemed to cling to parts of her like old scars refusing to fade.

  She swallowed hard before speaking again:

  "You...failed?”

  Shí'àn nodded slowly, eyes fixed on something beyond Alice's vision.

  "Once, a long time ago," she said, voice barely above a whisper. "The Sins were gathering...and I was supposed to stop them. It was my job...but I failed."

  Alice watched her carefully, seeing the pain and guilt etched deep into Shí'àn's features. She took a step forward, as if to offer comfort... but stopped. Somehow, she got the feeling Shí'àn wouldn't accept sympathy. Not when reliving old wounds.

  Instead, she kept her distance, and simply asked quietly:

  "How... how did you fail?"

  Shí'àn sighed, the memory playing out like a dark memory. "A series of circumstances, some beyond my control, some not. But in the end...it didn't matter. I couldn't stop them. And..."

  She stopped, the rest of her sentence disappearing into the stillness of the chamber.

  "And...what?" Alice prompted gently, sensing there was more to the story.

  For a long moment, Shí'àn didn’t speak. Then, finally, her voice barely a whisper in the quiet chamber, she finished:

  "...The Sins killed thousands."

  Alice flinched, her heart squeezing in her chest. She'd known the Sins were dangerous...had seen the danger up close. But somehow... hearing it put into words so bluntly was... different.

  "I...I'm sorry," she managed, voice rough with emotion.

  Shí'àn shook her head. "You have nothing to be sorry for," she murmured, gaze falling back to the ground.

  Another pause. Alice watched her, a thousand questions hanging on the tip of her tongue. But as much as she wanted answers... she felt that Shí'àn wasn't ready. Not yet. And pressing her would push her away, not something Alice wanted to do right now.

  So, instead, she asked quietly, "So uh...how are we going to get to Phenomena City? Sounds far, considering this place doesn't look like a city.”

  Shí'àn gave a small nod. "Yes, it's far, but I know the way."

  She turned slightly, motioning toward one of the chamber's shadowed alcoves where something shimmered faintly, like starlight caught in glass. A portal?

  Alice blinked at it for a second before asking: "Is that...your ride?”

  Shí'àn nodded. "That's one of my Portals, it will take us directly to Phenomena City in less than a heartbeat."

  Alice felt a shiver of anticipation go through her. "And...it's safe?"

  "Yes," Shí'àn confirmed, crossing over to where the Portal waited. "It's completely safe. Just...walk through. But..."

  She glanced back at Alice. "I want to tell you something, and I need you to promise to not freak out. Can you do that?”

  Alice's stomach twisted. The words did NOT sound good. And the serious look on Shí'àn's face made it worse.

  But... what choice did she have? They needed to get to Phenomena City, fast.

  So, swallowing her unease, Alice managed a shaky nod. "I... I promise I won't freak out. What is it...?”

  Shí'àn studied her carefully for a moment, as if making sure she meant her promise. Then, she turned back to the Portal, stepping so close her nose almost touched it.

  "It's about Phenomena City," she began quietly. "Specifically... about the people who live there."

  Alice tensed, bracing for the worst. "What about them?" she asked, her heart beating faster.

  Shí'àn glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly.

  "They aren't exactly...friendly."

  A pause. Alice's stomach twisted tighter. "Uh...what do you mean not friendly?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

  "They... don't like outsiders," Shí'àn answered carefully. "They don't like anyone who isn't like them, who doesn't fit into their little perfect world."

  Alice's mind started to race, picturing the worst-case scenarios. "So then... they won't want us there," she said quietly.

  "No," Shí'àn agreed. "They definitely won't. And they may react...strongly. So whatever you do...do not leave the city center for whatever reason.”

  Alice froze.

  "What?"

  The words sent her heart racing even more, and her mind reeling. She'd prepared herself for trouble. But being specifically told there would be trouble? That was NOT what she had expected when she'd first stepped through that chamber door.

  "...Why?" she asked, feeling the beginning of panic start to take hold. "What will they do if we don't stick to the city center?”

  Shí'àn didn't answer right away. She simply turned back to the Portal, stepping through without hesitation.

  Alice stood there for a second, stunned by how casually Shí'àn had just disappeared into thin air. Then she swallowed hard and took a deep breath before stepping forward herself…