Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Inside the endless expanse, a being that held no constant form floated around aimlessly. "Hello?" He tried to speak but heard nothing, "HELLO? ANYONE? Emily?" Once again no response. He tried to summon his magic and manipulate the space, but nothing happened.

"So… I am stuck here?" Drifting endlessly in the space he felt his mind slipping, "I can't allow this… Need to do something or I will lose myself… 10x10… 100…. 54 divided by 4… 13.5…." This went on for an indeterminable amount of time… 

After what felt like years, eons, or maybe even minutes, he had no idea as he couldn't feel anything. "MOTHER! IF YOU WISH TO DESTROY ME THEN…. WHY NOT ERASE ME!?!?" He shouted and the space shook, "Brat… This pains me more than it pains you… You grew too fast, didn't learn enough and the watchers have demanded you receive consequences for something you had no hand in… Don't ask who the watchers are, I can't tell you, but know this is not the end." A nondescript form appeared before his eyes, floating in a shroud of cosmic colors.

The first being seemed unperturbed, "So I am just going to float here till I lose my mind?"

"No, this is just to make you more pliable to what comes next."

"What comes next? Will Emily be with me? Or will I lose her too?"

"Emily will be with you… You will have a system, so of course Emily will be there… But her humanoid form will be locked for a long time… She will be in the form of a white snake or a white cat, her memories will be sealed as well and… I am sorry but this life will be hard for you… Your instinctual craving for power will be forgotten, and the only thing I will allow you to choose about this situation is… The type of system you will have… You can either have a mission system guaranteed to gain strength after completion… Or, a sign-in system with a random multiversal travel function. Choose well…"

"A snake or a cat? Hmm, snakes are too close to home… I have taken that form too many times… So a white cat sounds cute… Now the system…" His mind is already starting to go as he has stayed too long in the void. "Brat… Son… You have to answer… what system do you want?"

"System? What do you mean?" He blinks and the last bit of sanity comes back to his eyes, "Sign in….. At least I can…. Survive…." With that his eyes close and the being knows he won't open them again.

"I can't seal all of his sins… and he will have his bloodlines no matter what world I put him in… Son… I am sorry… but you will suffer with the sin of Gluttony… As for your history in that world…" She caressed his face and frowned with a slight smile at the end, "I can't interfere with that… You will only remember your first name… Nothing else… Not your past, previous incarnations, abilities, nothing… So I wish you luck my son… Please, survive, and know this wasn't your fault." With that, she waved her cosmic-cloaked hand and sent him into a portal which formed out of nowhere. 

*HONK!* 

"Get out of the fucking road, gutter rat!" The first thing he saw was a black car blaring its horn at him. Looking around cluelessly he frowned and noticed he was on the road in the middle of traffic. "Where… Am I? Who…

*HONK!*

"I SAID MOVE!" The man revved his engine and honked louder, this frightened him and he ran away into an alleyway. 

*Meow* 

A small white cat crawled out of his shirt and licked his face. "Who am I?" He asked as he looked at a reflection in the window. A young boy, around the age of 8 or maybe older depending on his emaciation. The boy had purple-black medium-length hair, and blue eyes and wore extremely dirty shorts and a tee-shirt. The boy grabbed his head and frowned, "Why can't… I remember anything?"

*Growl* 

His stomach gurgled and the boy doubled over, "Ughhh, I need food…" 

'Ding, Sin Gluttony has been activated… Please find food.'

"Gluttony? I know I need food… But… where?" The boy mumbled as he tried to remember anything about who he was, where he was, or anything. The last thing he can recall is an endless void, "Was that a dream? What is a dream? Owww, my head…" He clutched his head and kept walking around aimlessly, stumbling through the maze of alleyways, his mind cloudy and aching. He clung to the walls to steady himself, the hunger gnawing deep within, a fire in his stomach that felt unquenchable. The cat nestled in his shirt purred softly as if to comfort him.

As he wandered, a faint, irresistible aroma caught his nose. The scent of something warm, freshly cooked bread, maybe, or soup. He followed it instinctively, led by his body's yearning more than any conscious thought. The boy soon found himself peeking around the corner of a small bakery.

He watched as the baker, a middle-aged woman with flour dusting her apron, handed a loaf to a customer. His stomach rumbled again, loud enough to catch her attention. She looked up, her gaze meeting him with a mixture of pity and slight concern.

"Are you hungry, little one? I have some spare bread I can't sell," she asked softly, her voice gentle like a caring family member. He nodded, stepping out into the light hesitantly. She held out a piece of bread, and he took it hesitantly but gratefully, sinking his teeth into it and savoring each bite. The stale bread filled his mouth, melting away the sharp pangs of hunger.

'Ding! Sin Gluttony has subsided temporarily.'

The notification startled him, but the warmth spreading through his stomach distracted him from the mystery of the voice in his head. The woman watched him with a warm smile. "Where are your parents? Do you have anywhere to go?"

He looked down, shaking his head slowly. He couldn't remember anything, his name, his past, even the very concept of "parents" felt foreign to him.

"Well," she sighed, "if you have nowhere to go, I could use some help around here. You can earn a meal in exchange for a bit of work. How does that sound?"

He looked up at her, feeling a sense of relief he couldn't quite name. Nodding eagerly, he followed her inside the bakery, his stomach no longer aching, at least for now. As he stepped through the door, he noticed the little cat still curled up in his shirt, watching him with bright, almost knowing pale white eyes.

"Guess it's just you and me, little one," he murmured. The cat purred softly, as if understanding, and hid in his shirt.

The boy worked in the bakery for a few short hours, sweeping the floors and dusting shelves, eager to please the kind woman who had shown him a glimmer of kindness. Yet, as dusk settled, the woman's husband returned. He was tall and stocky, with a face hardened by years of early mornings and labor, and his gaze turned cold the moment he saw the boy.

"What the hell is he doing here?" he barked, glancing disapprovingly at the boy's tattered clothing and grimy appearance. The boy instinctively backed away, clutching the cat against his chest. The woman tried to explain, but her husband's glare silenced her.

"I don't want some dirty street rat driving away our customers," he said, gesturing toward the door. "He'll only bring trouble."

The boy looked down, his face turning red with a mixture of shame and confusion. The woman gave him an apologetic glance, handing him a small, crumbling apple cinnamon roll, wrapped in a scrap of cloth. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her face drawn with regret. "Take this, and… try to stay safe."

With a nod, he took the bread and slipped back into the street, his shoulders slumping under the weight of fresh disappointment. He wandered back into the labyrinth of alleys, the bread a small comfort, though it barely touched the emptiness gnawing at him.

The night crept in, shadows lengthening around him, and he found a small corner and a few boxes of cardboard in an alleyway where he curled up, clutching the cat close to his chest. He looked down at the little creature, its fur white and soft, and wondered if it understood the pain he was feeling.

As he sat there, a sudden 'ding' echoed in his mind:

'Sign-in activated: Please sign in to receive a daily reward.'

The boy blinked, confused. Sign in? It sounded familiar, yet he wasn't sure what it meant. Still, he nodded, whispering, "Sign in…"

'Ding! You have received [Beginner's Pack: First Aid Kit, Dried Meat x2, Blanket x1, Basic Knowledge of Reading and Writing].'

A small satchel appeared in his hands, startling him. Tentatively, he opened it, finding the items promised. The box of first aid, the meat smelled savory, and the small blanket was warm and soft. His eyes welled up with tears; it was the first time he felt cared for since he woke up.

He wrapped the blanket around himself and his small companion, nibbling on the dried meat as he marveled at the magically appearing gift. The cat settled into his lap, purring louder, as if sharing his joy. The boy hugged it tightly, grateful for the small kindness in a world that seemed to want him forgotten.

"Where am I? The night is cold and lonely, but at least I have you." He held the cat closely and smiled, "What do I call you? You need a name… Do you want me to give you a name?"

*Meow*

'Emily… My Name's Emily.'

"Did you just speak?" The boy asked, shocked.

*Meow*

'I can't talk… But I can speak in your mind…'

"Do you know who I am? Why am I here?"

'You are… Guldrin, my… I can't say… As for why you are here; I can't say that either… Just know, you aren't alone… I will always be with you.'

Guldrin's eyes softened as he gazed down at the little white cat nestled in his lap. The revelation that Emily could speak in his mind brought an unexpected warmth and familiarity in this strange, lonely world. Even though he couldn't remember who he was or why he was here, her presence gave him a sense of purpose, a thread to hold onto.

"Emily," he whispered, testing the name and feeling the comfort it brought. "Thank you for being here. I don't feel as… lost now." He stroked her soft fur, and she purred in response, her presence grounding him as he fought the rising feeling of emptiness within.

'You're welcome, Guldrin. We'll get through this together,' she responded in his mind, her voice soothing like a lullaby.

He took another bite of the dried meat, savoring its flavor, and his mind drifted to the strange "sign-in" that had given him these gifts. Whatever this system was, it seemed to be a lifeline, something offering him a way forward in an otherwise harsh and indifferent world. Even if it didn't make any sense to him, he would use it to the best of his abilities.

Opening the satchel, he found the 'Basic Knowledge of Reading and Writing' It was in the form of a simple-looking card which he held in his hand, 'Would you like to use the Basic Knowledge of Reading and Writing? (Y/N)'

"Yes," He spoke and it burst into fragments of light and sunk into his body. 

However before he could react to this strange sensation, a small rustling sound from the alley startled him. He froze, clutching Emily protectively as his eyes scanned the shadows. A group of older kids emerged, their faces hard, with eyes assessing the area as they noticed him. Their leader, a tall boy with a scar across his eyebrow, sneered.

"Well, look what we have here. Little street rat found himself some food and a warm blanket," the boy taunted, his gaze flicking from the meat in Guldrin's hand to the blanket wrapped around him.

Guldrin stuffed his blanket in the bag and backed away instinctively, his grip tightening on Emily. He could feel her tense in his lap, and her thoughts echoed in his mind: 'Stay calm, Guldrin. If they come closer, we'll find a way out.'

The scarred boy stepped forward, reaching for the meat. "Hand it over, runt. You don't need this as much as we do."

Guldrin glanced down at the food, the warmth of the blanket gone, and Emily's reassuring weight. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. The voice of Gluttony echoed faintly in his mind, urging him to protect what little sustenance he had.

"No," he whispered, his voice steady though his heart pounded. "I need it too."

The older boy laughed mockingly. "You think you're tough?" He lunged forward, grabbing for the satchel, but in that instant, something deep within Guldrin responded. An instinctual reaction, as if lightning surged through him, he twisted away, narrowly avoiding the grasp.

He stumbled to the ground, heart racing, as the system's voice dinged softly in his mind: 'Ding! Defensive reflexes used. Awarded +1 to agility.'

"Stop squirming, you little-!" The boy moved forward again, angrier this time, but Guldrin's newfound agility kicked in, and he darted through the small gap between two trash cans, breaking into a run.

With Emily secure in his arms, satchel on his side, he sprinted down the dark alleyways, dodging crates and puddles as he listened to the fading shouts behind him. He ran until his legs burned and his lungs felt like they would burst, finally collapsing in the shadows of an empty lot.

Emily's gentle voice echoed in his mind. 'You did well, Guldrin. Now rest. We're safe for now.'

Guldrin was panting, clutching Emily close as he wrapped himself in the blanket once more. A strange sense of determination filled him, mingling with fear and hunger. He didn't know what the next day would bring, but he had Emily, a voice in his head, and his own instincts.