The dim light of the warehouse cast flickering shadows over the piles of gold and treasures that filled the room. Cusi sat at the center of it all, a king upon his hoard, surveying the riches that surrounded him. But even with all the wealth gathered at his feet, the gnawing hunger within him remained. It was never enough. He craved more.
His twisted, goblin-like shades scurried about, carrying more and more treasures into the already overflowing space, their grotesque forms darting back and forth as they worked tirelessly to please their master. But even their speed couldn't satisfy Cusi's insatiable desire.
"More," he growled under his breath, his sharp eyes scanning the wealth around him. "There is always more to take."
With a flick of his hand, Cusi summoned a handful of his most loyal shades to his side. They approached quickly, their hunched figures trembling as they stood before him, their glowing eyes fixated on their master.
"I want you to keep watch," Cusi commanded, his voice laced with greed. "That... creature, Tel-Nu, is out there. He thinks he can take this from me. He thinks he can take what's mine." He spat the words, his grip tightening on the armrest of his throne.
The shades bowed low, eager to follow his orders. They were born from his greed, reflections of his avarice, and they feared nothing but his displeasure. Their dark, gnarled hands clutched at the ground as they waited for his final command.
"If you see him, if you sense him, alert me at once. I will not let him take my hoard," Cusi hissed, his eyes narrowing with determination. "He won't stop me. Not with so much wealth to be had. I'll destroy him the moment he dares to show himself."
The shades scurried away, disappearing into the shadows, their grotesque forms blending seamlessly with the darkness. They would keep watch for Tel-Nu, just as Cusi had ordered. They would not fail him, not with so much at stake.
Cusi leaned back in his throne, his fingers curling around a solid gold chalice encrusted with gemstones. His eyes gleamed as he admired it, but his thoughts were far from settled. His paranoia had taken root, and the fear of losing his wealth, his power, gnawed at him. But with that fear came something else—an unrelenting desire for even more.
He picked up a nearby platter, also made of solid gold, and held it up in front of him, using its reflective surface like a mirror. His reflection stared back at him, twisted and monstrous, yet beautiful in its own dark way. The sharp angles of his face, the gleam in his eyes, the way his dark armor seemed to blend into the shadows—it was all perfect. A reflection of his true self. The embodiment of Greed.
His smile widened as he admired himself, his fingers tracing the edges of the platter. His new form was powerful, intoxicating. The sheer amount of power he now wielded, the ability to command the shades, the ability to manipulate wealth and riches as easily as breathing—it was beyond anything he could have imagined before.
But it wasn't enough.
It would never be enough.
The power he had gained was only a fraction of what he truly desired. Cusi wanted more. More wealth, more power, more control. He wanted to own everything, to take everything. The idea of owning the very world itself wasn't just a dream—it was a hunger that burned within him, a need that could never be sated.
His fingers tightened around the golden platter as he stared at his reflection, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"I need more," he whispered to himself, his voice filled with greed. "More power. More wealth. More... everything."
His gaze flicked back to the piles of gold and treasures around him, but instead of feeling satisfied, he felt empty. Even surrounded by such vast wealth, it still wasn't enough. He wanted it all—the world, the universe, everything within his grasp.
And the power of Gaia, the very energy source that the Sinister 7 had taken from the Earth's core, was still out there, waiting for him. It belonged to him, just as everything else did. It was only a matter of time before he claimed it all.
But first, there was Tel-Nu.
That creature, that... harbinger, was the only thing standing in his way. Cusi knew that Tel-Nu was coming for him, coming to take his hoard, to strip him of everything he had built. And that was something Cusi couldn't allow.
His eyes narrowed as he thought about the upcoming battle. He had already amassed so much power, but he needed more. He needed to be stronger, to be unstoppable. And he would be. Once he had secured his wealth, once he had claimed everything for himself, he would be invincible.
And no one—not even Tel-Nu—would be able to stand in his way.
The hunger within him surged, and he let out a dark, twisted laugh, the sound echoing through the cavernous warehouse. His greed was a living thing, a constant, insatiable force that drove him forward. And he would feed it, no matter the cost.
The shades continued to scurry about, their goblin-like forms darting in and out of the shadows as they gathered more treasures from the 2nd ring. They knew their master's hunger, and they worked tirelessly to bring him more, knowing that failure was not an option.
As Cusi stared at his reflection once more, he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. He was Greed incarnate, and soon, the entire world would belong to him. Nothing would stop him—not Tel-Nu, not the Sinister 7, not anyone.
He would have it all.
Cusi sat atop his throne of gold, his eyes scanning the riches surrounding him, but his thoughts were far from the wealth in front of him. As he twirled a jeweled ring between his fingers, his mind wandered to the rest of Corintopia. His hoard of treasures, though vast, was confined to the limits of his territory—the 2nd ring. It was one of the larger districts, true, but it wasn't enough. Not for someone like him. Not for someone who deserved everything.
His territory was only the third largest among the Sinister 7, and that fact gnawed at him like a parasite. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Junna held the second largest district, the 1st ring, a sprawling section that housed the bulk of the military and the most valuable assets of Corintopia. Cormac controlled the 4th ring, a massive residential area filled with resources and people he could twist and manipulate as he pleased. Both of them had more than he did, and it infuriated him.
He deserved more.
After all, he was the embodiment of Greed. His hunger for wealth and power was greater than any of them. Why should they have more when it was he who could truly understand what it meant to own? He was the one who should control the most valuable parts of Corintopia. The others were simply playing their parts—pretending to care about their slices of the pie. But Cusi wasn't satisfied with just a slice. He wanted the whole damn thing.
The twisted, goblin-like shades scurried about his warehouse, bringing him more treasures as they always did, but the sight of it only made his frustration grow. He had enough wealth to buy the world ten times over, yet it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.
He thought of Junna, with her towering walls and her legion of warriors. She commanded the respect of the Sinister 7, and her presence was undeniable. But behind her pristine armor and her paladin-like demeanor, she was nothing more than a twisted mockery of purity—Lust wrapped in a shining facade. Cusi sneered at the thought. She thought she had it all, but in truth, she was weak, focused on fleeting pleasures while he was building true power.
And then there was Cormac, the monk who claimed to embody Temperance but was nothing more than Gluttony in disguise. He gorged himself on the loyalty of his people, using their devotion to feed his own ambitions. His district was a hub of activity, the largest ring in Corintopia, but Cusi knew that Cormac's desire for control was nothing compared to his own thirst for power.
The others? They were no different. Kira with her manipulative kindness, Dmitri with his relentless diligence, Eshe with her impulsive wrath, and even Delson Sr. with his hollow facade of leadership. They all pretended to care about their districts, but Cusi knew the truth.
They only cared about themselves.
And yet, here they were, all working together toward the same goal: defeating Tel-Nu. But it wasn't really about Tel-Nu, was it? No, the battle was just a means to an end. Once Tel-Nu was dealt with, each of them would go back to their districts, ruling over their little slices of Corintopia like the petty tyrants they were.
But Cusi wanted more than just a slice. He deserved more.
He gritted his teeth, his hands tightening around the golden chalice in his grasp. The thought of the others lording over their districts while he was confined to the 2nd ring infuriated him. He was Greed, the one who should have it all. Why should he be satisfied with a portion when he could take everything?
The answer was simple: he wouldn't be.
He deserved more. More land, more power, more riches. His territory should stretch across the entirety of Corintopia. The others were merely pretenders, and when the time came, he would take what was rightfully his. He would strip them of their lands, their wealth, their followers. They were weak, and he was strong. He was the embodiment of desire, of hunger, of Greed.
They wouldn't stop him. Not Tel-Nu, not the other members of the Sinister 7. No one.
As he stared out over his hoard of riches, Cusi's mind raced with thoughts of expansion. Junna's district was vast, but it could be his. Cormac's residential empire? He would take that, too. One by one, the other rings would fall to him, and when the dust settled, all of Corintopia would belong to him.
"Cusi," one of his shades hissed as it approached, bowing low before him. "We are watching, as you commanded. If Tel-Nu comes, we will see him."
Cusi didn't respond right away. His eyes were still fixed on the glittering treasures in front of him. The goblin-like shade shifted uncomfortably, waiting for its master's command.
"Good," Cusi finally said, his voice low and filled with malice. "But don't get too eager. He'll come. And when he does..." He trailed off, a wicked grin spreading across his face.
The shade nodded, bowing even lower. "And what will you do, master?"
"I'll destroy him," Cusi said, his voice laced with venom. "He thinks he can take what's mine, but he's wrong. Tel-Nu doesn't understand the power of Greed. No one does. I will crush him, just as I'll crush the others when the time comes."
The shade scurried away, leaving Cusi alone once more with his thoughts. He picked up a golden platter and admired his reflection in its surface. His new form was glorious—sharp, menacing, the embodiment of hunger and desire. His dark eyes gleamed with ambition as he traced the edges of the platter, thinking about all that he had gained... and all that he would take in the future.
"I deserve it all," he whispered to himself, his fingers tightening around the gold. "More than this. More than them. I'll have it all."
His greed was a living thing, growing stronger with every passing moment. He could feel it bubbling up inside him, pushing him toward his ultimate goal. Cusi had always been hungry for more, but now, with his new powers, that hunger had become an insatiable force.
And he would feed it.
The time for cooperation was almost over. Soon, the Sinister 7 would turn on each other, and when they did, Cusi would be ready. He would take their territories, their power, their very lives if he had to. Nothing was off-limits. Nothing was out of reach.
Not for Greed.
He set the golden platter aside, his mind already racing with plans for the future. The others didn't know it yet, but they were already falling behind. While they focused on Tel-Nu, Cusi was thinking bigger. He was thinking about how to take everything for himself. And when the time came, he would strike, and all of Corintopia would bow to him.