The coil of regret - chapter 5
The faint aroma of stew filled the halls of the sinner facility — soft warmth layered over the cold iron walls.
Mary stirred awake to the scent, blinking the sleep from her eyes. For once, she felt… content.
Camila(wife of branthok I just realized I didn't name her last chapter) was in the kitchen, humming faintly as she chopped herbs — her hands steady, her smile small but genuine. The little boy played with scraps of dough beside her.
Mary leaned against the doorframe. "Smells heavenly. You've got the hang of it fast."
Camila chuckled. "Well, I had a good teacher."
Mary waved it off, smiling. "Don't flatter me. I'm not that great."
But as she scanned the dining hall, something tugged at her attention — the benches were emptier than usual.
"Where are the others?"
Camila glanced over her shoulder. "Most of them went down to the lab. You know… the goth depressed guy's place."
Mary blinked, then laughed under her breath. "You mean Marmon? Yeah, accurate description."
Camila nodded, wiping her hands. "All except one. Ssiraphine didn't go. She's been quiet lately. Locked herself in her room."
Mary's smile faded. "That's not good."
She walked down the corridor — the metal floor cold under her steps. When she reached Ssiraphine's door, faint whimpers echoed from inside.
"...No... no, get away... I didn't do it!"
Mary's eyes widened. She pushed open the door.
Inside, Ssiraphine was tangled in sheets, drenched in sweat. Her hands clawed at the air as though fighting something invisible.
"Don't come closer! I didn't do it!"
Mary rushed to her side, shaking her shoulders gently. "Ssiraphine! Wake up — it's a dream, it's just a dream!"
The angel's eyes shot open, pupils wide and trembling. Tears streaked down her cheeks.
"Mary... I... I saw them again... the ones I—"
Mary's voice softened. "It's alright. You're safe here. Just breathe."
pov shifted to marmon lab though
Marmon's lab buzzed like a hive of quiet curiosity — glass tubes glowing faintly, liquid data flowing through veins of metal.
The sinners sat in a semi-circle before him as he jotted notes on a cracked tablet.
"So," Marmon began, adjusting his glasses, "tell me what you saw before you fell."
Branthok leaned forward, voice low. "They listed my sins. Every fight. Every man I hurt. Then... the light above me vanished. I woke up in the fire."
Marmon nodded, scribbling. "Cast down with record of sin acknowledged."
Velithra spoke next — a sharp smile on her crimson face. "I saw a glimpse of heaven before the drop. The angels wanted me to see what I could never have."
"Interesting," Marmon muttered. "Heaven uses regret as punishment."
Glimbleth raised a clawed hand. His voice was soft, echoing faintly. "I was never judged. I wasn't human... I was born in hell."
The others glanced his way — unease flickering in their eyes.
Marmon looked up. "Fae-born?"
Glimbleth nodded. "Half divine, half infernal. Both sides hate me. No judgment. Just exile."
"Hm," Marmon mused, jotting quickly. "Born here. No judgment, no exile… existence itself considered sin. A paradox."
Finally, maria(the girl pyro and other recruited)spoke. "I was thrown down. No glimpse, no words. Just... dark."
Marmon tapped the pen against his chin. "So... the closer you were to heaven, the more they showed you what you lost. The further, the less they cared."
He stood, stepping away from his desk as if the theory were a living thing forming in his head.
"Heaven's cruelty scales with attachment. Fascinating."
The sinners exchanged uncertain looks. Marmon waved them away.
"That's enough for today. I need silence... and thought."
They filed out quietly, Glimbleth giving him a respectful nod before closing the heavy door.
When the lab fell silent, Marmon's hand trembled slightly. His mind buzzed — too much knowledge crawling under his skin again.
He steadied himself, whispering to the darkness:
"Not yet. Just... a little longer."
Something deep in the room seemed to whisper back.
A little longer... but don't make it long.
His eyes flickered black for a moment before he smirked, hiding the pain under curiosity.
Back to Mary and sSiraphine
Ssiraphine sat trembling, drenched in cold sweat, her breath ragged.
"No... no, I didn't—don't come closer!"
Mary's voice was gentle but firm as she shook her shoulder. "Wake up, Ssiraphine. It's over."
The sinner gasped awake, clutching her chest. Her pale eyes darted around the room before settling on Mary's calm expression.
"...You were dreaming," Mary said softly.
"It wasn't a dream." Ssiraphine's voice cracked. "It was memory."
Mary sat beside her. "Then tell me."
"I used to run a company in the upper ring — big, promising, bright. We were supposed to save the underworld with our inventions."
Her expression twisted with guilt. "But I sold us out. Leaked research to the rival firms. Thought I was clever, untouchable. They bankrupted us overnight. Everyone lost their jobs... families... lives."
Mary's gaze stayed steady. "And after you fell?"
Mary sat besides her in the bed asking about everything as sSiraphine opened up
sSiraphine started about her mortal
live
"When I was alive... I ran a company. Sold research to rivals. Bankrupted them. People lost everything. Some... even took their lives. I thought I was clever."
as she looked away expecting herself to be judged by Mary but Mary but her hand on sSiraphine shoulder
As Mary hummed little melody she asked what about her fallen days?
Ssiraphine's laugh was hollow. "I did the same thing — only this time, for demons. Joined a company Their I acted sweet loyal catsfished other to believe I was good though I wasn't I snitched Their plans as everyone their got slaughterd."
Her eyes dimmed. "The worst was the boy. A mortal prodigy sent here for a mission — Jack, I think his name was. Said he wanted to learn how demons build. I convinced him to invest in my project. He believed me. And I betrayed him too."
Mary frowned. "Jack... a mortal in hell?"
"He was under protection from Olympus. Some experiment, some favor for Athena. I didn't care. I saw a chance to climb again."
Silence.
Mary finally stood, her eyes glowing faintly gold. "Then we'll find him."
Ssiraphine's head snapped up. "What?"
"You'll look him in the eye," Mary said. "And tell him what you did. Not because he deserves it — because you do."
Ssiraphine's lip trembled. "He'll kill me."
Mary turned toward the door, the faint echo of divine light tracing her outline. "Maybe. But redemption doesn't come from comfort. It comes from truth."
Ssiraphine's steps were hesitant, each echo on the cobblestone seeming louder than the last. Mary guided her to the small workshop where one of her former employees now worked. The man looked up from his tools, his eyes narrowing as he recognized her.
"Don't… don't come near me," he said sharply, his voice edged with years of bitterness. "You ruined my life. Just… stay away."
Ssiraphine's chest tightened. This is worse than I imagined… She opened her mouth, searching for words, but Mary's hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"You're not here for forgiveness," Mary said softly. "You're here to understand. Your regret isn't for them—it's for you."
The employee turned back to his work, ignoring her entirely. Ssiraphine's shoulders slumped. A heavy, bitter weight settled on her heart, but beneath it, Mary's words stirred a faint clarity.
"I… I see it now," Ssiraphine whispered. "I… I did ruin lives."
"Yes," Mary said. "And recognizing that is the first step. Regret isn't about them accepting you. It's about you facing yourself."
Ssiraphine nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't need their forgiveness—she just needed to see the truth, and she had.
Mary led her down the quiet streets of the demon village, the shadows of the past clinging like fog. "Redemption isn't a gift they hand out," Mary explained. "It's earned by understanding your actions, by feeling the consequences. By seeing the world you affected. Only then can you move forward."
Ssiraphine's hands clenched. She thought of every ruined deal, every betrayal, every life she touched and twisted. The faces came unbidden: anxious employees, desperate rivals, former clients crushed by her schemes.
"I can't… make it right," Ssiraphine admitted, voice trembling.
"You won't," Mary said gently. "And you don't need to. You only need to face it, and you did. That is enough for this step."
Ssiraphine exhaled, a bitter smile flickering across her face. "I… I did wrong."
"Yes," Mary replied, "and now, you know the truth of yourself. That is what counts."
After that they visited the Olympian outskirts yes outside hell so they had to make it quick to show what happened to jack
The final walk led them to a small village nestled against rolling hills. Here, Jack quietly worked, rebuilding homes and helping villagers repair what the war and past chaos had broken.
Ssiraphine stopped at a distance, her gaze lingering on him. Jack looked strong yet gentle, the kind of man who carried responsibility without complaint. He had survived her tricks, her deceit, and still, he rebuilt.
This is what my actions cost… Ssiraphine thought, her stomach twisting. Every plan, every deceit, every gamble she took in her past life had rippled far beyond her imagination.
Mary's voice broke her reverie. "Do you see now? This is why you feel regret. It isn't punishment—it's understanding. Redemption begins with knowing the damage you've caused, not necessarily undoing it."
Ssiraphine's shoulders sagged, a mixture of sorrow and clarity flooding her. "I see it… I see everything."
Mary nodded, her eyes kind but firm. "Good. That's the first step. Remember, you can't change the past. But you can choose what to do now."
Ssiraphine whispered, almost to herself, "I will… I will choose differently."
And in that quiet moment, Ssiraphine truly began her path toward redemption—not for Jack, not for her employees, but for herself.
(If you ask ya it's jack from my original story fun fact if you didn't understand how big her doing is jack is a head director in the Romanian camp or former head director rn these after serve of duty literally promoted to godhood she basically stopped birth of a god)