Caleb's older brother by a few years and an apparition; James. When you played Anomalous, your first thought when encountering him was 'if character hot, why dead.' Yeah, you weren't too proud of yourself for that one. But, who could blame you? Now, unfortunately, you didn't have the luxury to admire his character design behind a digital screen. You readied yourself, attentive for what's to come.

James didn't seem bothered by your lack of response. "Since you didn't correct me, I'll just assume that I was right on the money. Oh! You know, I watched the SF trials. You definitely know how to put on a good show. I like that. Take the spotlight for yourself, that's how it should be."

James's voice was the kind you'd hear and all your worries would melt away. Though when he spoke with amusement and playfulness in his tone, it made for a very deceptive contrast.

Alright, now how are you supposed to stall for time until Caleb arrives?

"Is it safe to assume that you won't let me leave here without a fight?" you asked.

"I'd love to step aside and let you go. Actually, that was my initial idea. But I figured using you as a hostage for my little brother would be much more fun." He laughed. "C'mon, don't give me that look. I'm sure you won't go down easily, have some faith in yourself."

Encouraging words with a cheerful expression, yet hidden underneath were malicious intentions. Being around this guy for too long will definitely exhaust you. You cracked your knuckles and lowered your gaze; at least you knew what to expect from him, so his abilities won't come off as a surprise.

"You won't make the first move? Okay~ guess it doesn't hurt to strike first."

The ravens that surrounded the area began circling closer around you. Their caws swallowed up the eerie tranquillity of the space and you struggled to see James because of how many ravens there were. Some grouped up and dove towards you, lacerating through the air like a blade. Quickly, you summoned Mochi and he protected you. A growl left the wolf and some of the ravens backed off.

You heard a chuckle from James.

"So, you do work with apparitions. You're a fun one, (Y/n)––but, you know, your reaction to me was not what I expected." He pouted. "I was a well known and loved exorcist! Where are my tears of joy? Exasperated gasps? Words of denial? Or are you like Elias who loves getting straight to the point––ah, but he does have an emotional side to him. But that's besides the point, you seem far too calm and focused. That ruins the excitement. Shame on you."

You and Mochi exchanged unamused looks. "Sorry, should I try that again from the top?"

"I'm touched by the thought, but no need," he said. "I'm curious. How would you defeat an apparition if you can't exorcise them? You don't seem to have any exorcism abilities."

"Wouldn't it be more fun to find out?"

His expression brightened. "You're right!"

James snapped his fingers and the ravens continued to attack you and the air became heavy. James manipulates air, that's not fun. The ravens encompassed the space around you, creating a stifling and inescapable wall. If you ran straight towards it, you could expect to be torn to shreds. However, if you were to remain here, you'd collapse because of a lack of oxygen.

Guess you had no other choice. Copper, can you hear me?

I know, I know.

You needed to lead James to a place where there were a lot of shadows. Slowly, you continued to avoid the ravens whilst Mochi helped protect you in your blind spots. Every other second, you'd shuffle a little more to the side and the ravens would follow you. Faintly, you could see James's amused expression. Eventually, you got him right where you needed. Stealing a quick glance beneath your feet, you nodded to yourself seeing that you were standing on one of the building's shadow.

"Alright, Copper. Time for a counter attack."

You dismissed Mochi and avoided an incoming raven just in the nick of time when the ground beneath you became hollow and you slipped right through. Darkness dominated your vision for a moment, then light returned when you jumped off the ground right behind James. It was quick; literally like a blink of an eye. You brought your leg up and roundhouse kicked him in the face.

You were surprised. I had no idea how satisfying landing a hit could be.

The male stumbled back in shock, a hand touching his cheek. He was uncharacteristically quiet for a moment and his eyes fluttered in confusion. If it weren't for the fact that you were fighting him, you would've thought his expression was cute. However, James looked like he just got lightly slapped. Did your kick not hurt at all? Okay, that took a blow to your self-esteem.

"You can physically touch apparitions?" he asked, green eyes bright in awe. "Are you sure you're not one yourself?"

"Maybe you should worry about the fact that I landed a hit on you first," you said. "Who knows what I'll do next?"

"Are you threatening me?" he asked (maybe a little too eagerly). You swore sparkles twinkled around him for a moment. "I haven't fun in a while, so––"

James's words were cut off when a light green explosion shot towards him. It missed your shoulder, but James had barely managed to dodge it. His arm was sizzling quietly at the graze; his expression dark and gaze unreadable as a shadow cast over his features, frighteningly illuminating his green eyes.

"I didn't know apparitions could be so creative!" A familiar voice exclaimed. "Taking the form of my dead brother, huh? Now that I think about it, it's a little cliche. I'll rate it a six out of ten."

So it was Caleb. You were both relieved and apprehensive to see him. Alright, now the drama was unfolding.

You turned around and ignored the pit in your stomach. "Caleb!"

He smiled. "Miss Support, come over here."

You rushed over to Caleb's side and he made sure that you were protected behind him. He then playfully ruffled your hair, commenting how the quick reunion was fate. You wished you could joke along with him, but knowing what's to come made it incredibly difficult.

James chuckled lowly. "You know, my arm got better now that I'm an apparition. Are you going to paralyse it again?"

Oh no. Caleb looked unfazed by his words. But knowing his past, that must've struck a chord.

"Ah~ Are you done talking?" Caleb laughed. "That kick from Miss Support must've hurt. Need some time to recover?"

Oh shoot, Caleb saw that? Your sus counter was tallying up real quick. Now you need to figure out a way to explain how you can touch apparitions––which you honestly didn't even know how it was possible. You know what, you'll just give up on being unsuspicious.

"Aw, my little brother is so thoughtful! I'll have to reject your offer. I'm strong, after all. Say, how about we have a lil old friendly spar? Only, rather than me treating your wounds when I win, I'll be finishing off the job." James chuckled. "No hard feelings, alright?"

"You sound confident, which is kind of annoying. No offence." Caleb smiled. "I guess I should quickly shut you up, huh?"

For a moment there, you heard Caleb's voice falter. You'd think meeting the apparition of your dead older brother would evoke a sense of relief, you'd think the individual would want to communicate with the apparition and talk things out. But a crucial piece of information to remember in Anomalous was that when a human apparition comes back with a consciousness and maintains their human form, it is rarely a good sign. For example, a vengeful apparition like Alastor.

Not to mention, James was most definitely not a spiteful older brother. He was the complete opposite, in fact. So the way he was treating Caleb now meant that there was something incredibly off, and that only furthered the conflict Caleb had to face.

"Caleb, you handle the exorcism and I'll back you up."

Caleb nodded. "Roger that."

Instinctively, Caleb made a move to take off his gloves, but stopped when he noticed your worried glance. That caused James to whistle in intrigue, to which Caleb quietly scoffed at.

James stretched his arms over his shoulders. "Two on one, huh? Since you both are younger than me, I'll let it slide."

The wind's intensity increased and it was difficult to have time to think with how occupied you were dodging the ravens that swooped in with the intent to rip you apart. You made sure to protect Caleb and gave way for him to attack James. Though, you could tell there was lingering hesitation in his move to harm his older brother.

What exactly were you trying to do here?

Currently, you just wanted to ensure Caleb didn't hurt his hands and arms for overexerting himself. There was also that scene you needed to intervene in. In the original storyline, Caleb loses to James, not before pushing way past his limits and increasing the chances of causing irreversible damages to his hands. James left him, not wanting to finish him off just yet.

And from then on, Caleb never used his gloves. Recklessly, he entered an operation since it was mentioned that his older brother was sighted at the area. He convinced everyone, he tried to convince himself more than anything, that he was there to exorcise his brother. However, before that could happen, he paralysed both his arms. When Amias and some of the main cast arrived... You shuddered, still remembering that scene vividly.

The door frantically swung open and a faint chime of a bell ringing followed suit. Amias looked around the area, searching for Caleb. The place looked like a cafe, one in ruins.

"Caleb! Are you there?"

Elias was close behind Amias and pushed him aside. For the first time, the brunet wasn't collected and composed. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, his glances were haphazard, and his breathing slightly uneven.

"Where could he be?" Elias mumbled. "I should've kept a closer eye on him, I knew he'd be the type to enter an operation without notice. Why couldn't I––"

"Elias!" Amias placed his hand on the brunet's shoulders. "Don't blame yourself, you did the best you could. Let's focus on finding Caleb."

Silently, Elias nodded. A few minutes elapsed and the two young men eventually stumbled across an unsettling scene.

There Caleb was. Amias gasped when he looked at the state of Caleb's arms; disjointed and charred. His complexion was pale, his eyes tired, and his expression looked like he had given up. Yet, when he made eye contact with Amias, he mustered a smile. The apparition, James, seemed impervious to his younger brother's weak state.

"Oh! You guys came." A strained laugh left Caleb. "Great timing..." There was a short silence and Caleb tried moving his arms. There was a small movement, but that was it. "Weird... Okay. Give me a second, I––"

It all happened so fast. Too fast.

No one's eyes caught what was going on at the moment until Caleb's body fell to the ground. His green eyes remained opened––once cheerful and full of energy now dull and lifeless. Blood dripped from his forehead and reality struck Amias. The wind James directed was like a bullet, a bullet that created an instant death for Caleb.

Just a moment... Just a moment ago Caleb was talking to them.

Elias remained still, as if unbelieving of the sight in front of him. For a moment, a suffocating silence wreathed the air.

Then, he whispered, "...Caleb?"

No response. No cheerful laughter, no playful comment at the serious expression on Elias's face, no teasing words to lighten the mood.

Just silence.

"Oh, he was going to say something." James sighed. "I should've let him finish speaking. Or maybe I shouldn't have lied and promised that we can be brothers again if he atoned for what he did. It was fun while it lasted."

Amias was appalled at the apparition's words. "He... He cared so much about you."

"Yeah, I guess. Very sweet." James was quiet for a moment. "A shame I didn't... No, I couldn't feel the same way. It's funny, right? I cared so much about him when I was alive. I remember everything. I worked hard to provide for my younger brother, I did everything I could to ensure he had a good life. But now? I can't do it. I don't feel any of that anymore."

"But that didn't mean you had to kill him!" Amias shouted. "If you didn't care, why couldn't you just leave him alone?!"

"It was inevitable. He wouldn't have lasted long anyway," James said. His tone was no longer inappropriately exuberant. He was serious. Then, he placed a hand on where his heart was and he glanced at his younger brother's corpse. "Though... I do feel like... Maybe I shouldn't have done that."

Elias's expression was unreadable, but each syballbal he spoke was laced with venom. "Amias, we're going to kill that thing."

"Miss Support, this is the first time we've worked together like this, huh?"

You snapped out of your momentary daze and just barely managed to not trip over your own feet when Caleb suddenly brought up that question. Just recalling Caleb's death scene almost had you in tears and you were thankful for the interruption.

"Yup, wish I was a little cooler, though."

Caleb chuckled. "It's fine! Your company is good enough for me. Stay close, okay?"

There was a sense of helplessness in his voice despite its cheerful nature.

"I'll do my best."

Though you had an idea of what must be going through Caleb's mind, you couldn't even begin to comprehend the onslaught of conflict and guilt that plagued his head. It was amazing that he was still maintaining his composure. Though you were determined to make sure that he doesn't injure himself, would that resolve the core issue?

Was there anything else you could do?

Ah, there it was again. The feeling of knowing you could do so much more, yet you were holding yourself back. You didn't even try last time to offer any words of comfort through the excuse of 'it would be too invasive, he doesn't know me well.' Whilst there was merit in that thought, you still dismissed the idea entirely. It wasn't like there was only one option, you could still connect with him as someone he met a few months ago.

Were you afraid of getting close to him on an emotional level? To truly sympathise with him?

But if that was the case...then wouldn't that contradict my ability? Isn't the whole point of me using the book because I was able to sympathise with the characters? Your eyebrows furrowed in conflict. Just what was it that you were missing? This feeling... It's reminding me too much of my past life. You grimaced in distaste at that.

James let out a dramatic sigh. "This is dragging on for a little long. How should I make things more exciting..."

He didn't seem even a little worn out despite the intense battle; he was simply tired due to the lack of entertainment. James's eyes locked onto yours and you swore a lightbulb went over his head. He grinned and pointed a finger gun at you and immediately a rush of wind shot your direction, mimicking a bullet. You managed to dodge right on time, sweat dripping down your forehead at how close it was.

You didn't realise it had grazed your cheek until blood dripped. Your hands trembled a little when you wiped it off, if that had hit you... James wasn't fooling around. You were reminded of the perilous nature of Anomalous, how your life could easily be taken if you were to let your guard down.

There wasn't much time to mull over that. Since the wind didn't hit you, the building that was behind took the damage and was collapsing. You tried moving out of the way, but your movements were suddenly slowed as if invisible chains had strapped you to the ground, weighing you down. Then, your throat felt dry and an invisible force snaked around it, restricting your breathing.

You grimaced and saw James's amused expression. Caleb immediately rushed over to you, but James was quick to stop him by directing the ravens towards over to Caleb's area whilst continuing to use the air around him to his advantage. For the first time, you saw panic on Caleb's expression.

"It's okay, Caleb! Just focus on the apparition!" you shouted, doing your best to sound as reassuring as possible. "I can get out of this––"

You had to cut your sentence short. Making use of Copper's ability, you melted into the ground through the shadows to avoid getting crushed by the building. Just like before, you jumped back out. However, this time your sense of light and dark became disoriented and you needed a moment to calm down. Another repercussion, guess it was a smart move to take it easy on Copper's ability. Not to mention coordination and communication with Copper to work in sync with his abilities was mentally exhausting.

Disquiet lingered in the silence as you observed the area. Well, you were trapped. Minimal light squeezed it's way through and dimly lit the area, debris blocked the space, and it was super dusty. You tsked in frustration. You needed to get out of here as soon as possible and get to Caleb.



===



The door to a bedroom swung open and a boy of fourteen years leaned against the door, crossing his arms with a smug look.

"Guess who just arrived." He pushed himself off the door and theatrically spun around. "Your favourite older brother!"

On the bed and on his phone, the younger sibling looked up from his device. "I don't know about that."

"Caleb, I'm your only older brother."

Caleb smiled. "Exactly."

"Oi." James huffed. "You know, I was going to let the fact you ditched me at the party slide, but now I'm reconsidering it."

"I didn't ditch you, I'm just taking a break."

"It's been hours."

"A long break." Caleb clarified. "These parties are annoying anyways. Why do I have to be nice to people I don't like?"

"Do you want the adult response?"

Caleb made a face. "No."

James chuckled before skipping over and jumping onto the bed, sitting besides Caleb.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Caleb asked before huddling his device closer to his chest. "Oh, I'm not lending you my phone because yours ran out of battery."

"Wh––Hey! Can't an older brother give his sibling company?" James asked, exasperated. Though, soon after he quietly asked, "... How did you know my phone was out of battery?"

"Because it's you."

"Aw, my younger brother knows me so well!" James exclaimed. He ruffled Caleb's hair, to which Caleb playfully smacked his hand away. "I'm so touched."

"Okay, okay. What are you really here for?" Caleb asked.

"Like I said~ To keep you company! Okay, but there's also the fact that the party is really boring." James sighed, cupping his cheeks with his palms as his legs childishly swung back and forth on the bed. "I know we need to keep up appearances and all, but it's always the same thing over and over again. I feel like a robot."

Caleb was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "But if we become strong exorcists, we don't need to please anyone. It'll be the reverse."

"True." James grinned. "Then, we should train harder, huh?"

"But training all day gets monotonous."

James nodded. "I have an idea. We can have another goal. How about we aim to run a cafe together as well in the future? That way we won't get bored. Oh, oh! We can design a bunch of new sweets and stuff." James sighed happily. "I'm getting excited just thinking about it."

"I don't know how to make sweets," Caleb said. "But can I eat them? I can be the taste tester or something! Genius."

"No, Caleb. We'll go out of business. Your sweet tooth genuinely terrifies me." James was deep in thought for a moment, his eyes narrowing at thin air. Then, he suddenly snapped his fingers. "How about I teach you? You'll be learning from the best, which is me, so you'll be a pro in no time." He jumped off the bed and walked towards the door, steps light and bouncy from excitement. "C'mon! We can start now."

Caleb placed his phone down and followed his older brother. "What about the party? If our parents found out we skipped it, we'd be in trouble. Every man for themselves, I'm pinning the blame on you."

James waved his hand dismissively. "Pft, it'll be fine. I already talked to all the important people. There's nothing else to do." He grabbed Caleb's hand and eagerly led him to the kitchen. "We can start by making cookies to bring to school tomorrow and can share it with Elias and Sara."

"That's if I don't eat them all."

"I'll lock them away if I have to."

A small smile on Caleb's lips, he chuckled and followed his brother to the kitchen.

Out of all the things to dream about when he was knocked out, it had to be a memory he was trying to forget.

A tired groan left Caleb as he groggily stood up, brushing the debris off his clothes as he took a moment to allow his mind to clear up. Drugging someone's wine? Now that was just plain rude. Well, at least it wasn't the pastries.

Yawning, Caleb observed the area. Outside the city, huh? Guess he just needed to get back. He had been on a few solo operations here and there, so he was pretty familiar with the situation. There was one particular operation where... He ignored the thought and checked the device on his wrist. There was plenty of time left until the SF trial was over. He'll finish this off quickly and take his sweet time waiting for the trial to end.

Whistling, he traversed through the area without any issues. There were a few annoying apparitions here and there, but nothing he couldn't handle. The area was the same as before; dead and quiet. A place where your thoughts could wander and a place where no matter how desperately you shouted, how exhausted you were, and how incredibly helpless you felt, no one would come to your aid.

Hopefully, he'd run into someone soon and can start a conversation. He hated the silence.

"I wonder if I should take Miss Support out on a cafe date," he mumbled. "She'll say yes, right? Maybe I can bribe her by saying we can visit a library after."

Eventually, he approached a place decimated in ruins. Another place once filled with people being reduced to nothing but a space for apparitions to thrive. Walking through the area, Caleb could see many apparitions wander aimlessly. They all looked like blurry white silhouettes in different shapes and sizes, but if he focused enough he could envision crying children, desperate mothers and fathers, struggling individuals trying to survive, the list was long. Caleb didn't mind the whispers, he didn't mind anything that prevented his mind from indulging in silence. He made no moves to exorcise them, they were harmless, after all.

I'd love to step aside and let you go. Actually, that was my initial idea. But I figured using you as a hostage for my little brother would be much more fun." He laughed. "C'mon, don't give me that look. I'm sure you won't go down easily, have some faith in yourself."

Caleb's steps came to a sudden halt. That voice... He shook his head. No, it couldn't be. Caleb turned a corner and peaked from behind a dilapidated building, trying to track the source of the voice. When he caught a glimpse of who was there, his world went still.

... James?

Though he looked human, Caleb could sense that he was an apparition. How? Apparitions don't take on such detailed forms under normal circumstances. Caleb listened and observed more closely. It was James, his mannerisms matched up. Yet... There was something off about him.

A chance to speak to a dead loved one again? Normally one would cry tears of happiness at the opportunity. But it wasn't that simple for Caleb. Why did he come back as an apparition? Caleb's nails dug into his palms. If it weren't for the gloves, he would've drawn blood. Was it because of me? Caleb cursed under his breath and forced himself to refocus. You were there as well and your life was endangered. While he was occupied with his emotions, you were trying to face the apparition by yourself. He bitterly chuckled.

Wow, I can really be incompenent, huh?

"Are you threatening me? I haven't fun in a while, so––"

Caleb stepped out of hiding and attempted to exorcise the apparition. To no one's surprise, the apparition dodged and turned his head around. Emerald green eyes locked onto Caleb, they were the exact same green eyes as his. Yet, the apparition's gaze wasn't filled with warmth, but hostility. That was enough for Caleb to confirm that though the apparition looked exactly like his deceased older brother, he wouldn't be receiving any warm treatment like his older would profusely give.

"I didn't know apparitions could be so creative!" Caleb exclaimed. His throat felt dry, his chest felt heavy. He wanted to leave. "Taking the form of my dead brother, huh? Now that I think about it, it's a little cliche. I'll rate it a six out of ten."

"Caleb!"

Your voice calmed him down a little. At least he wasn't alone. "Miss Support, come over here."

The apparition chuckled lowly. "You know, my arm recently got better. Are you going to paralyse it again?"

Paralysed. Memories he had been suppressing for years were slowly surfacing again. Ignore it, Ignore it. Miss Support's here, focus on getting her to safety.

"Ah~ Are you done talking?" Caleb laughed. "That kick from Miss Support must've hurt. Need some time to recover?"

Caleb was surprised that his cheerful demeanour didn't break down right then and there. Good, good. Talking like this to an apparition––to his older brother––the more he thought about it, the more conflicted he felt. So it was best to not think about it at all. Be cheerful, be carefree, continue that persona you built for all these years.

"Aw, my little brother is so thoughtful! I'll have to reject your offer. I'm strong, after all. Say, how about we have a lil old friendly spar? Only, rather than me treating your wounds when I win, I'll be finishing off the job." James chuckled. "No hard feelings, alright?"

"You sound confident, which is kind of annoying. No offence." Caleb smiled. "I guess I should quickly shut you up, huh?"

His voice faltered for a moment.

"Caleb, I'll be on the defence while you handle the exorcism," you said.

"Roger that."

Caleb made a move to take off his gloves, but stopped when he noticed your worried glance. His heart twisted in guilt. I shouldn't worry her. He wished that you didn't care so much about him.

His actions prompted an intrigued whistle from the apparition, to which Caleb scoffed quietly at. It was a pathetic attempt to mask his vulnerable expression.

The apparition stretched his arms over his shoulders. "Two on one, huh? Well, since you both are younger than me, I'll let it slide."

The intensity of the wind increased and vanquished the space. It was powerful, but nothing Caleb couldn't handle. However, the ravens that consistently swooped in to attack did prove to be a hindrance, especially since they weren't apparitions so he couldn't exorcise them. Caleb was thankful that you did your best to create opportunities for him to exorcise the apparition, but he couldn't shake off the spectacle of hesitation in his actions.

Distract yourself. Don't let your thoughts wander.

"Miss Support, this is the first time we've worked together like this, huh?"

You had almost tripped over your feet when he had asked that question. For a moment, he saw a sad expression on your face. "Yup, wish I was a little cooler, though," you replied.

Caleb chuckled. "It's fine~ Your company is good enough for me. Stay close, okay?"

Please don't leave. Caleb chuckled quietly at how pathetic he felt. I don't know how I would handle being alone right now.

"I'll do my best."

The apparition let out a dramatic sigh. "This is dragging on for a little long. How should I make things more exciting..."

The apparition's gaze focused on you. Before Caleb knew it, a rush of wind shot your direction. Thankfully, you managed to dodge right on time. However, your cheek was grazed, causing a thin line of blood to drip.

Were his reflexes getting dull? On normal occasions, Caleb could've easily pulled you out of the way or counter-attacked. And he'd do all that effortlessly with a cheerful smile and a carefree joke. You were hurt because of him.

The building that was behind you began collapsing. Caleb rushed over to you, but ravens blocked the path and his own movements began to feel heavy. Get a grip! He cursed himself a million times. Why are you acting like this is the first time you faced an apparition? At this rate, another person is going to––

"It's okay, Caleb! Just focus on the apparition!" you shouted. Your expression was determined and your voice was firm. At that moment, he wasn't sure what expression was on his face. "I can get out of this––"

A loud crash tumultuously thundered and dust filled the air. Caleb saw you disappear in the nick of time, right? It looked like you had melted into the ground––or was his mind playing tricks on him? No, he saw correctly. After all, he witnessed you did the same thing in order to get behind the apparition and land an attack. You'll be fine––right?

Caleb's eyes narrowed. Seriously? Was he just going to desperately hope for your safety? Why couldn't he help you?

"You should focus up here."

A torrent of wind came rushing towards Caleb and he just managed to avoid it. There was a perfect moment to counter-attack, but he hesitated, which cost the accuracy of his aim. The apparition noticed and smiled, which made Caleb feel sick to the stomach. Just another apparition to exorcise, nothing new. Nice and easy, just like always.

"Hm, you're avoiding eye contact. You know, I feel kind of bad. This is probably a lot to take in, huh? So many questions and yet I'm not willing to explain anything," the apparition mused. "Oh, but I have a question of my own. How's saving up for that cafe going? I think––"

Shut up.

Caleb ripped off his gloves and sent a powerful projectile. Parts of the ground cracked open and a boom thundered, causing the ravens to fly away. The apparition managed to avoid the attack, but it was clear that dodging wasn't as easy as before.

"Woah~ That's powerful, as expected of my little brother." The apparition smiled and Caleb's breath grew uneven. Don't talk in his voice like that, not in his tone, not with his face. "I'm so proud!"

"Do you ever stop talking?" It was meant to be a snappy remark with a note of levity, but it came out fragile.

The apparition hummed in intrigue. "Caleb, you know better than anyone that I never stop talking. But don't you always listen to me no matter how much I ramble? That's what I liked about you so much, such a patient younger brother."

Stop, stop referring to me as that. James was supposed to be dead––Caleb had felt his cold––his dead––cold body on his back as he desperately tried to bring him to first aid. Caleb remembered that was unable to do anything but watch as his older brother's life slipped through his grasps.

Since he wants to hurt me now as an apparition, were these his true thoughts when he was alive?

Caleb's breath hitched. Don't think like that. A distraction––he needed a distraction. But there was no one here besides the apparition. Where were you? Were you okay? Should he ditch the apparition to find you? He needed someone else to talk to, he didn't want to be alone right now.

If you weren't so stupidly oblivious to the people around you and only focused on yourself back then, things would've been different.

"Please, someone," he whispered, voice barely audible. "Get rid of these thoughts."

Even if it meant taking a knife and digging it into his brain.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Ravens circled around Caleb and the apparition motioned for them to settle down. "Anyways, I didn't expect you to immediately attack me. I thought maybe you'd go in for a hug, even though it's not possible since I am an apparition, but the effort would be heartwarming. Ahh, maybe it's because you still can't accept that I am your older brother. How should I get you to believe me? C'mon, you can ask me to do anything just this once––"

Another explosion clamoured the air. The apparition laughed and effortlessly dodged and counter-attacked. Focused, Caleb swiftly avoided the attack and almost managed to land a blow. Just don't think about who it is you are fighting. He kept telling himself that, but all reasoning was slipping through his grasp like sand. He wasn't sure how long he could last.

It'll be okay, I'll be okay. Where did your cheerful persona go? Are you that incompetent to not even be able to maintain a smile? Miss Support could be in danger and here I am dwelling on my emotions. Get rid of the apparition and get out. Just focus on that.

"Ohhh, I get it!" The apparition snapped its fingers. "You feel guilty!"

Caleb paused. Hah... He managed to put everything in the past for so long, yet everything was falling apart just like that. The apparition could say the simplest things and it'd have a profound effect on Caleb. The wall he created to protect himself was quickly crumbling and disintegrating into insignificant dust whilst he desperately scrambled to pick up the pieces and salvage what couldn't be fixed, what was doomed to collapse.

The apparition sighed. "Getting sloppy now, are we?"

Caleb had to agree. All the apparition was doing was manipulating the air and sending bullet-like wind towards him. He was sure that wasn't even close to the extent of the apparition's true strength.

Caleb dodged another incoming attack, his breathing growing tighter. His balance was unstable for a moment and the apparition wasted no time to take advantage of that moment of weakness. A torrent of wind slammed him against a wall, creating cracks as Caleb was brought down on his knees.

Pain coursed through his body. I need to get up.

But he couldn't. Was it because he was physically unable to? No, that was stupid. A simple attack like that wasn't nearly enough to render him imobile.

Then, was it because he was struggling to find the will to fight back?

Just smile, make some sort of sarcastic comment. Why can't you even do that? Are you going back to the past again? Did nothing change? Seriously?

The apparition knelt down in front of him and smiled warmly. Caleb's breath hitched. Don't smile like that with his face.

"I..."

His voice broke off, it was weak. It was vulnerable.

Silence suffocated the air. No one spoke a word and Caleb was left to drown in his thoughts. Something streamed down his cheeks and droplets stained the ground. Blood? No, it wasn't red.

Oh.

He was crying.

The apparition tilted his head, green eyes glowing in amusement. There was no pat on the head, no words of comfort, no overly worried expression, just an amused smile; one Caleb felt helpless under. It hurt for everything he suppressed for so long to come rushing back to him. Self deprecating thoughts began to clutter his mind. Tears kept dripping and he silently tried wiping them. He felt like a child again, he felt helpless just like back then.

"I just..." Again, he couldn't even form a sentence.

The apparition...No. James grinned.

"Hey, I have a proposal! Struggle a little more, okay? Then, come back as an apparition," he cheerfully suggested. "Who knows? Maybe that way we can be brothers again."





A/n: Okay, I'm very nervous about publishing this chapter because I'm not sure if I conveyed Caleb's character well. But I hope it's at least decent! It will be difficult, but I'm excited to delve deeper into his and James's backstory :D