To Sin Is Divine

"They say the generous never die poor."

"But they do die empty."

—Street Psalm, Graffiti in Old Velharem

A Shadow in the Market

It started with stolen bread.

Three crates, vanished in the night.

Then medicine.

Then three children went missing—but returned the next day, smiling, claiming they'd been "helped by the man with the silver smile."

Ren felt it immediately.

That wasn't him.

That was something pretending to be him.

[System Alert: Sin Signature Detected – Generosity Variant]

Designation: Ren_02 – "The Hollow Giver"

Ren cursed under his breath.

Kael and Serah joined him at the old market square.

Zayne asked, "Another Mirror?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah."

Ten narrowed his eyes. "What's this one stealing?"

Ren exhaled. "Me."

The Encounter

In the heart of the slums, where the Church once bought loyalty with rations, a crowd had gathered around a hooded figure.

He handed out coins, healed wounds, kissed foreheads.

They wept.

They called him Saint Ren.

But as the crowd parted, the real Ren stepped through.

The Mirror looked up and smiled—his smile.

His eyes shimmered. Empty sockets of silver.

"Brother," the Mirror said softly. "You finally came."

The Mirror Speaks

"You always gave them what they needed," the Mirror said. "But I gave them everything."

He pulled off his hood.

Beneath, there was no skin—just a smooth mask of polished bone.

No mouth. No face.

"Even myself," the Mirror whispered. "That's real love."

Ren stared, heart thudding.

"You're not love," he said. "You're surrender."

Phase One: The Taker Disguised as a Giver

The Mirror opened his coat—and hundreds of hands reached out from inside.

Begging.

Pulling.

[Skill: Gift Without Limit]

"Steal strength, identity, or memory from target. The more they accept, the more they forget."

Serah shouted from the sidelines. "Ren! Don't let it touch you!"

But Ren had already stepped forward.

"I'm not afraid," he muttered.

"You should be," the Mirror said. "You've never once taken anything for yourself."

Memory Fracture

The world bent.

Ren was suddenly back in the alley behind his childhood home.

His brother lay dying. Ren gave him the last of the stolen antidote instead of taking it himself.

"You should've survived," the Mirror whispered. "You were stronger."

Ren clenched his fists. "He was better."

"No," the Mirror said. "You just wanted to be a martyr. That's not generosity. That's pride."

The Fight: Blade vs Bone

The Mirror drew a jagged dagger of crystal—shaped like a broken coin.

Ren spun forward with his twin daggers, blades singing.

CLANG.

SLASH.

DODGE.

Fast. Flashy. Blurred motion like dance.

But every time Ren struck, the Mirror absorbed part of the blow—and mirrored the move back faster.

[Skill: Reflective Loss]

"Every gift becomes a blade. Every wound, shared."

Ren faltered.

Blood on his cheek.

His shoulder numb.

"Why… do you move like me?" he asked.

The Mirror smiled wider.

"Because I am you. The part that gave so much, you lost what made you yours."

The Realization

Ren dropped to one knee.

The Mirror walked closer.

"You give to feel worthy," it said. "You give to hide the fact that you've never forgiven yourself for surviving."

"Maybe," Ren admitted.

The Mirror leaned in. "Then let me take the guilt. Let me take you."

A bone hand reached forward—

—and Ren caught it.

Eyes blazing.

[Virtue Ignition: Generosity – Ascended Form]

[Skill Unlocked: The Last Coin]

"Give something of yourself… to gain the power to protect someone else."

Ren smiled.

"You want the last of me?"

He threw his last dagger—into his own shoulder.

BLOOD BURST.

Redirected memory loss protocol.

Target sync broken.

The Mirror staggered.

"What… did you… give?"

Ren stood, panting.

"My pain," he said.

"Not to you. To them. To Kael. To Serah. To the people who fight beside me. That's who I choose to give to now."

He dashed forward.

And drove the broken dagger into the Mirror's chest.

The End of the Hollow Giver

The Mirror gasped.

Silver leaked from its eyes.

"Wasn't I kind?" it asked.

Ren nodded. "Too kind."

The Mirror cracked.

Then shattered into dust.

System Update

[Sin Mirror Defeated: Ren_02 – The Generosity That Devours]

[Virtue Strengthened: Generosity +10]

[New Skill Acquired: The Last Coin]

"Once per battle, sacrifice HP or memory to empower an ally with doubled stats for 10 seconds."

Aftermath

Kael helped Ren up.

"You good?"

Ren wiped blood from his mouth.

"No. But I'm enough."

Serah handed him his cloak.

"You're not empty, Ren."

He smirked.

"Not yet."

Ten crossed his arms. "Three Mirrors down."

Elyan spoke quietly.

"And four more to go."

Kael looked at the horizon.

"Each one knows us deeper."

His grip tightened.

"We'll meet them there."