It was a regular morning, but a very exciting one nonetheless. A small child with tousled black hair and bright gold eyes woke up and stretched his arms over his head. After yawning and rubbing the drowsiness off his eyes, he jumped off and quickly made his bed. The child glanced over to the plushies and chirpily greeted them with great enthusiasm.

"Good morning!"

He ran to the bathroom, splashed water in his face, and sighed contently at the refreshing coolness. On his tiptoes to see his reflection, he brushed his teeth; a lovable and innocent face was what many would say. It was the face of the person who would grow and become the protagonist of this world.

After getting dressed, the child entered the living room and went to the kitchen. The space that the he lived in resembled a small apartment. It seemed normal enough. Well, aside from the large floating holographic screen that was in front of the door. The yellow screen had one word imprinted in yellow, which was:

[ Loading ]

The small child, the little protagonist, lived in a unique space. It was disconnected from the world. He was provided with basic information for those who grew up with a normal life. The meaning of friends and family, what is considered to be wrong––you get the point. Yet, he was never able to experience any of the things he knew, the small apartment kept him away from society. The door was always locked and the window wasn't an option since he was several floors above.

But! Not to fret, because today was the day he was going to finally leave. The child made it a habit every day to check if the door had unlocked. Lo and behold, last night it was. He was tempted to leave right then and there, but he knew of the dangers of wandering alone at night. Thankfully, though it was the next day, the door was still unlocked.

In terms of how the little protagonist came into this world, he had no clue. One day, he woke up in this apartment and the instructions of what he needed to do were already embedded in his head. Eat, sleep, maintain hygiene, study; the basic needs for a human to survive. Whatever time he had left he was left to his own devices.

There were bookshelves where new material would appear everyday. One day he'd learn the concept of family, the next he'd learn what a city was. It was what he looked forward to everyday. Not to mention, as the days progress the loading bar on the holographic screen would fill up a little, albeit very subtly. You'd have to wait at least a week to clearly see progress.

Today, the loading bar showed that it was almost a quarter way to being filled. The child was slowly losing patience. It had been several years and it wasn't even close to being done. Now that he had the opportunity to explore outside, how could he pass it up? The little protagonist was starving to leave these confined walls, to meet people, to experience rather than just read through the pages of a book.

The child cooked a simple breakfast. It took some time to learn how to, but he was proud of his current skills. When he first came into this world he had to rely on pre packaged food. The fridge was always stocked and he didn't need to worry about matters such as bills. Though, he still had to clean the place and wash the dishes. And like any child would, he dreaded doing those things.

The little protagonist lived his day to day life in solitary. At first, he didn't mind at all because it was all he ever knew. However, as he learned more about the outside world, his lifestyle soon became more lonely. There was a feeling of longing, for there to be more purpose to his life. The child always wondered why he was different from everyone else, but there was never an explanation.

"Well, it's okay now!" He nodded to himself, determined. "I'll be going outside today."

He always dreamt of the day he'd go outside, and now it was finally happening! Will he finally meet other people? Just what did the world outside feel like? These questions swam around the child's mind as he happily ate breakfast. Once he was done, he cleaned up, crossed off the previous date on his calendar, then prepared to leave.

"Ready to go." The little protagonist opened the door and smiled cheerfully. Though there was no one in the apartment but him, he sometimes liked to pretend there was. "I'll be back soon!"

The moment he stepped out a screen flashed in front of him.

[ Would you like to teleport to the city? ]

With a curious tilt of his head, he pressed 'yes' and the world immediately melted into a luminous light. It wasn't long before the bustling sound of a city cluttered the air. The child took in everything and spent a few minutes standing still. The tall city buildings towered over his small frame and he almost fell backwards looking all the way up. Though the skies were grey, his energy was like a bright sunrise as he happily skipped along the sidewalk. There were so many people and so many buildings! And not to mention all this space!

"Hello!" He cheerfully greeted a random passerby.

They walked right past him, ignoring his presence. The little protagonist took no offence. In fact, just being able to speak to someone other than himself and the dolls and plushies in his house left him grinning from ear to ear. There were puddles on the pathway and the child would giggle at his rippled reflection. The child went around applying his knowledge practically. It was safe to say that it was the most fun he had.

"A cafe!"

The little protagonist always wanted to try sweets and pastries, know what it was like to talk with a friend over some coffee, or get lost in a conversation with a close friend.

"Oh, that's a library!"

He had a few books back at home, but they were mostly for educational purposes. Comics, fairy tales, books about romance, thriller, and the sorts; he read about them, but had never actually consumed the content. What would it be like to read a book quietly with a friend? To accidentally speak a little too loud and get hushed by a librarian? To laugh or cry about a story and its characters?

"Where else should I go..." He looked to his left and tried to see past the cars that flooded the road. "Oh! There are more things over there." The child was about to cross the road, but recalled something he had read. "Right! I'm supposed to find a crossing."

It didn't take long for him to find one. As he waited for the light to go green, he remembered that road accidents were quite common. It made him a little nervous, so he turned to the closest person and asked, "Excuse me... Can you help me cross?"

The man didn't spare a glance. At the failed attempt, the child went around asking different people, but received no response from anyone. Huh... why wasn't anyone talking to him? The light turned green and everyone began walking. Guess he'll have to do this on his own.

The crossing was filled with people and they bumped into his small frame. One person pushed him rather roughly and he ended up falling. The little protagonist winced at the stinging sensation that sharply struck his palms. Ah, they were bleeding. His knees hurt as well. While the child was struggling to get up, he didn't notice that the light had turned red and an incoming vehicle was rushing towards him. When he looked up, it was too late.

The world went black. The child wasn't sure what happened. He couldn't hear or feel, but he was still alive. At least, that's what he thought.

"H...Hello?"

A lonely voice echoed. The little protagonist couldn't see anything except for a yellow holographic screen that displayed.

[ RESET ]

Hesitant, he only stared at the words before glancing around again. There was nothing around him, the only source of light coming from the screen. With no other choice, the child pressed the reset button. At that, the darkness around him dissolved and a flash of light blinded him.

The child jolted awake, breathing heavy. He clutched his chest and coughed, frantically trying to calm down as tears spilled. The pain of getting hit by a car finally caught up to him. It was only for a brief moment, but he definitely felt it. He threw off his blankets and checked his state; no wounds. The child had read about car accidents, he read of immense pain––but this was the first time he has experienced it.

After who knows how long, he had finally calmed down. The little protagonist glanced around the room. It was his bedroom in its usual state. Peaceful and quiet as ever, like nothing had changed.

What... What just happened to him? He checked the clock and the time was the same as when he woke up this morning. The child cautiously left his bed, entered the living room, and checked the calendar. His eyes widened. May 27th, that was the date yesterday. He was sure that he crossed it off already, but the marker on the calendar was gone now.

Reset... Did the day reset?

The child froze. So, was he killed and then brought back here?

"I died? But then..." He felt his heart, it was beating. "How am I still here?

Humans only have one life, so this didn't make any sense. But it wasn't like there was anyone to answer his question, so he just accepted what happened. The little protagonist glanced at the door. The loading screen was there as usual and the door remained unlocked. Though he had his reservations, he was determined to try again. He probably got unlucky, the second trip will be better.

Stay positive, don't lose hope.

As the little protagonist was about to open the door, he paused. "Oh, wait. That means I need to brush my teeth again."

After quickly getting ready, he entered the city. Again, he was welcomed with crowded people and open space. To be safe, he'd avoid crossing any roads. The child attempted to interact with other people, but every time failed. It was as if he wasn't even there. Admittedly, that made him feel dejected.

"It's okay!" he reassured himself. "There's still a lot of other things to do."

There was a bus station and the child's eyes sparkled in curiosity. He pushed aside his apprehension of the road and focused on the positives. Where would the bus take him? The thought prompted an excited smile to grace his lips as he boarded the vehicle and sat on a window seat. The child swung his legs back and forth and giggled when the bus began to move.

However, that sense of peace didn't last long. First, a screech. Then, screams followed. After that, there was a crash.

The little protagonist blacked out for a moment. When his eyes were opened, he was on the ground. Through his blurry vision, he faintly discerned broken windows and... were those flames? I should get up, it's dangerous. But he couldn't move and crimson began to cloud his sight. Unbeknownst to the child, he had suffered a dangerous head wound.

A weak voice cried out, "It... It hurts."

Then, the holographic screen appeared in front of him. Just barely, he shakily lifted his small arm to press:

[ RESET ]

The child woke up in the same bed again. This time, it took much longer to regain his composure. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, hands desperately gripping onto the bedsheets in search for reassurance. Once he recovered, he took in a final deep breath and exhaled loudly. The little protagonist's spirit wasn't broken yet; a determined look still kindled in his eyes, a small yet persistent flame.

"Again."

He'll try again.

This time, the child ran through the crowd, dodging each person and avoiding the road entirely. Then, he entered a cafe. Well, it was more so bursted into the cafe. But no one paid any mind to him. He wanted to stop and admire the atmosphere of the cafe, take in the faint smell of coffee, and appreciate the warmth hues––however, the little protagonist came here with a purpose.

If people ignored him, what would happen if he caused a significant ruckus? Granted, there won't be good consequences. But at least it meant people would pay attention to him. There was a couple seated close by and had ordered tall glasses of drinks. Whispering a quiet 'sorry!', the little protagonist swung his arm to knock it over.

His hand dissolved into pixels and phased right through the drink.

... What?

The child panicked as he thought he had lost a limb. Snatching his hand back and pulling it close to his chest, he stumbled back and would've bumped into a waiter if it weren't for the fact that his entire body also dissolved into pixels and the waiter walked right through him.

[ Loading incomplete: Character has yet to be registered. Cannot prompt event ]

"Just what..." The child swallowed, eyebrows furrowing in profound confusion at the unfamiliar terms presented to him. "What's going on?"

He looked down at his hands and squeezed them tightly. The pixels, everyone ignoring him, being able to die and come back alive... He was human just like everyone else, right? He had to be. Yes, his situation may be a little odd, but isn't that alright? If he wasn't human, then what was he?

"Can..." He took a deep breath. "Can anyone hear me?!"

Everyone continued on as normal. No glances his way, no scoffs at his obnoxious nature, no one to tell him to be quiet. Why won't people look his way? Why can't he be part of this world?

Was there nothing he could do...? Everyone was living their life, chatting, laughing in each other's company. The child could listen to the kinds of conversations held, he could hear what topics people liked to discuss, he could witness the kinds of drinks and snacks people ordered; but all he could do was observe.

It was incredibly lonely.

Dejected, the little protagonist left the cafe. Before the tears could catch up to him, he forced a smile; one that looked more bitter than cheerful.

"It's fine. I'll just go back home."

Instinctively, he summoned the holographic screen and pressed:

[ RESET ]

Again, he woke up in the same bed. Dressed in his pyjamas again, hair tousled again, and the day was may 27th again. The reset button had now grown familiar. The child clutched his blanket and he sat in silence.

First, it was one droplet that fell onto his blanket. Then, it was two. And before the little protagonist knew it, tears had uncontrollably fell. He was surprised, he didn't think he'd cry again. Slowly, his hand reached to wipe away his tears, but they kept spilling.

"It'll be okay... Don't worry."

There was nobody to comfort him, no one to wipe away his tears. So, he would do it himself. The child sniffed quietly and hugged one of the plushies close to his chest and muffled his sobs.

"Everything..." His voice was quiet, weak, vulnerable. "Everything will be fine... Don't cry."

He recalled the phrase 'loading incomplete'. It probably had to do with the loading screen on the door. Perhaps waiting for the loading screen fill to completion was his best bet. It had to be. It was his only hope. The little protagonist just needed to be a little more patient.

For now, he'll remain diligent in living out his lonely life. He could go outside and explore on his own, but the knowledge that no one in the world acknowledged him would only make him sad. He'll wait until the day he could laugh with friends and truly experience what everyone else does.

"Just be patient and have hope..." he whispered to himself, clasping his hands together. "And everything will be okay."



===



"...(Y/n)?"

Your name was the first word Amias spoke when he woke up.

Groggily, he pushed himself off the ground and stood up. His head was a little clouded, but it didn't take long to recover from the fatigue. While Amias brushed off the dirt on his suit from lying on the ground he collected his thoughts.

Ah, I remember. After drinking the wine, he had blacked out.

"Now... where am I?"

Amias glanced around the vast space crawling with apparitions and sighed warily. Well, wherever he was it was certainly not the city. None of the apparitions tried attacking him and he felt no signs of possession; his training must've paid off and he was able to remain safe even when unconscious.

"The more you develop your exorcism abilities, the less prone you'd be to possession and apparition attack."

That was what Elias told him.

Amias wondered if you'd be okay. You didn't have exorcism abilities, none that Amias knew of.

"She probably has a plan already," he mumbled. "I'm worrying for nothing."

Amias always felt a sense of reassurance with you. One of the qualities he admired about you was––how would he put this... How certain you were? After all, he has been in a few occasions where you'd give instructions or suggest a plan without hesitation, without stutter. It wasn't demanding or tyrannical, it was more akin to a respectable leader.

Thinking about you placed a small smile on his face. Hopefully, he'd run into you. The chances seemed unfortunately slim, but the thought was uplifting. Amias summoned the holographic screen and selected the map feature. As expected, he had unlocked a new area and was shown the details of the space. This will make navigation a lot simpler.

"So we are outside the city."

After a few minutes, he figured a path back. I feel bad for having such a huge advantage over others. Amias told himself that if he encountered anyone, he'll do his best to help them get back to the city.

He assumed the SF trial was still ongoing and this was just a second phase or something similar. Amias did suspect that the trial wasn't over back at the abandoned city, but he didn't expect for the wine to be drugged and for the second phase of the trial to be commenced so soon. It was a little cruel, taking advantage of the relief from finishing a life or death trial. Many had their guards down. People were tired, people were scared, and that was exploited.

Hopefully, his friends were doing okay. Amias didn't doubt their capabilities, he had faith they'd make it back alive. The worries were simple, such as 'it's colder out here, hopefully their suits are warm so they're not uncomfortable' or 'wow, Elias hasn't had coffee for a while now.'

However, there was also the other side of the spectrum of his worries. Those who didn't anticipate a second phase of the SF trial and weren't prepared. Amias didn't want to think about that.

"Oh, right! My gloves, I should put them on."

They were important to prevent the risk of exorcists paralysing their hands and arms from overheating. You didn't need it. If anything, your hands were often cold. Amias knew how to knit, it was one of his many hobbies since he was a child. Should he try knitting for you? What colour would you like? Do you even want gloves in the first place?

I'll think about that later, I should get going.

Amias would pay close attention to his surroundings and exorcise apparitions when necessary. Every time he did so, his 'level' would go up. He kept walking, the space swam in silence if you factored out the faint ghastly groans of apparitions. The fact that he was alone in an unfamiliar space made him uncomfortable––not being able to speak to anyone reminded him of when he was a child; someone left with nothing but himself.

Amias reprimanded himself. Don't think like that. It was different now.

Back then, as soon as the loading screen had filled to completion Amias received a teleport feature. Confused on how to use it, he ended up teleporting somewhere he did not expect. A school. You were the first person he encountered. Honestly, he couldn't believe he was finally interacting with someone. A part of him thought it was a cruel dream to raise his hopes up. But it wasn't.

Meeting Caleb, Elias, Sara, Finn, Cecil; everyone––finally interacting with people who spoke back to him was incredible. He was able to talk over a sweet treat in a cafe with Caleb, quietly read books with you in the library, experience the loud and lively atmosphere of a bar with Cecil, and so much more. Even if Amias was put in dangerous situations, the fact that he could finally be part of this world was all he ever asked for.

However––he felt guilty for admitting it since he knew he should be appreciative of the company––there was still a feeling of distance from everyone. Yes, they talked to him. Yes, they acknowledged his presence. But none of them truly understood where he came from. The circumstances he grew up in were incredibly foreign followed along with his abilities. It was difficult to confide in anyone.

Though, that wasn't entirely the case. This was when you came into the picture.

"Okay, I promise times three million I will explain everything to you later. You can ask as many questions as you want," you said frantically. "Can you please do as I say for the time being? The situation is urgent."

Amias nodded, though he was a little nervous by your hurried tone. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

You took a deep breath. "Can you summon uh, a holographic screen? It's a pale yellow colour, right?"

Amias remained silent and he was sure that his surprise was clear as day on his face. But more than anything, excitement and relief overcame him. Amias was tempted to bombard you with questions, spill everything about his life right then and there, but refrained from doing so. You were in a hurry, he didn't want to burden you.

He summoned the holographic screen and immediately looked over to you. Could you see it? His question was immediately answered when your gaze fell upon the screen and tested if you could use it. Unlike with Amias, your hand went through it. But the fact that you could see it, unlike anyone else, was enough for him.

"You can really see it..." Amias mumbled.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

He shook his head. "No, don't worry."

"Okay, Amias. Can you tap over there, then enter here––oh careful, it's sometimes easy to confuse those two parts––select that, then zoom in on this section?"

His movements were a little clumsy, but every time he made a mistake you'd repeat the instruction firmly and with no frustration. It was as if you had done this for years.

That sense of alienation was dimmed just by the possibility that someone could understand who he was. In fact, Amias had a feeling you probably knew more about his abilities than him. Did you grow up under the same circumstances? He was brimming with curiosity, he wanted to ask so many questions. But at the same time, he didn't want to ask anything

What if he came off too forward and you distanced yourself from him? Amias was content knowing that there was someone out there who knew of his abilities, someone out there who made him less lonely––he won't take it for granted. So, if you end up never wanting to tell him anything, he won't complain. All he asked for was to stick by your side.

Amias was so deep in thought that he hadn't realised that he was approaching an area with buildings. Granted, the space was devoid of people and there were still many apparitions, but the change in scenery interested him. He heard the caws of ravens here and there, but there was nothing too dangerous.

"Hey, look who's here!"

A familiar bright and cheerful voice. Amias turned around. "Caleb?"

The young man grinned and slung an arm over Amias's shoulder, causing him to stumble forward a little. "The one and only."

Amias smiled, happy at the company. "Are you the only one here?"

"Nope, she should be here any moment~"

"Caleb––I said that I didn't want to race! Just how much stamina do you have?? All you eat are sweets!"

Another familiar face appeared and Amias's eyes lit up. "(Y/n)!"

Through your exhaustion, you managed a smile and small wave. Then, you leaned against the closest wall you could find to catch your breath. "Hey, Amias."

Amias glanced at you and Caleb. "Are you two okay? Your clothes are a little..."

"We had to deal with an inconvenience. Thankfully, Miss Support was there to help get rid of it faster."

You tried brushing the dirt off your suit, but eventually gave up with a sigh. "I also tripped while trying to run after Caleb, so there was that."

"It's fine, it's fine. You managed to catch yourself." Caleb gave you a thumbs up. "Great work!"

"Thanks, I feel miles better now on top of being exhausted from running."

Amias laughed softly while you and Caleb continued to bicker back and forth. Though, he couldn't ignore the weird feeling in his chest after knowing that Caleb encountered you before he did.

"Should we get going now?" Amias asked. "(Y/n), if you're still tired I can carry you."

You blinked in surprise. Amias almost believed you'd accept his offer. "Nah, don't worry. I can walk."

While the three of you left the area, Amias debated on whether to question what the 'inconvenience' Caleb was referring to. Upon seeing how you and Caleb were talking idly about light hearted topics, he decided against it. It might ruin the mood.

Oh, right! I have a map. Does (Y/n) need it?

Amias joined the conversation and talked to Caleb. Whilst that was happening, he summoned the holographic screen in front of you, showing the map of outside the city. Your expression lit up in excitement and you did your best to subtly examine the map. There were instances where Caleb would turn to talk to you so you'd flinch in surprise and awkwardly look away from the screen. Amias held back a chuckle, he thought you were cute.

"You two don't really know this area, right?" Caleb asked. "Just follow me, you'll get there in no time."

"If we get lost, I'm putting all the blame on you," you replied. "But lead the way."

Oh. Then, was the map Amias had not necessary? His shoulders slumped a little. What else could he do for you?

"Amias? You okay?" you asked.

Caleb laughed. "Daydreaming at a time like this? That's bold of you, I like that."

Flustered, Amias sheepishly chuckled. "Sorry, I was just thinking about some things."

Your gaze was still pinned on the holographic screen and he sighed in relief at that. It was useful after all. As Amias kept talking to Caleb so you could peacefully examine the map, he noticed you furrow your eyebrows in conflict before tensing up. Amias wanted to place a reassuring hand on your shoulder, but decided against it. It'd look odd to Caleb.

"Other than the city we live in, are there any areas that are populated?" Amias asked.

Back then, he was provided information on the basics of––well, life in general. But anything to do with exorcists and apparitions were either very little, vague, or none at all.

"There is, but it's not like the city we live in," Caleb answered.

"It's more so a town than a city," you chimed in. "Let's just say..."

"Survival of the fittest, that sums up the attitude," Caleb finished off. "So, prepare yourself. Even if you see someone pleading for help, remain on guard. They're probably waiting for the opportunity to throw you to the apparitions. Or maybe they do need help, but there's really nothing we can do other than give false hope."

Amias was silent at that.

Caleb showed an understanding look. "Cruel, I know. But hey, I don't need you dying here. You're too fun to tease."

"Damn, is that all Amias is to you? What a horrible friend," you joked.

"Ah! But he's also great for when I accidentally forget something. Teleporting is very convenient."

"Dude."

You and Caleb looked at each other in silence before laughing amongst yourselves. Amias smiled; it was nice seeing you two get along well and he was eager to join in the conversation.

"(Y/n)."

You looked over to Amias. "Yes?"

"Uhm..." He had called out to you without a thought. An embarrassed blush lightly tinted his cheeks. "Your laughter sounds nice."

You blinked, speechless as Caleb whistled in amusement.

"Woah, pulling the moves here?" He laughed. "Your face is innocent, but are you secretly another playboy?"

Amias's face warmed up. He just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. I should change the topic.

"Uhm..." He cleared his throat and sheepishly avoided your eyes. "By the way, are there any other places populated with people?"

"Tsk, tsk. Changing the topic like that." Caleb dramatically sighed. "But I'll let it slide since I'm so nice."

You playfully rolled your eyes at Caleb. "To answer your question, none we know of. The city we come from is the best place to live in. There are people from the town who try to reach the city, but..."

"They die trying," Caleb finished off. "There are plenty more details, but we need to cut the explanation short. We're almost here."

The first thing the three of you met was a silent street and a dangerously ethereal town. The mist masqueraded the danger, coating it with a grey-white blanket.

You glanced around warily and quietly said, "It really feels like the entire town is nothing but a figment of my imagination."

The clouds pitifully glanced down, offering broken fragments of light. It was all fleeting; the space was like an uncomfortable dream one could not quite recall after waking up, but left a feeling of apprehension that would quietly persist in one's mind. The wind was subtle and hummed a foggy tune, one that made Amias uncomfortable. As if someone was gently singing him to sleep, telling him to let his guard down.

And what surprised Amias the most was the fact that there were people here. There was scrutinising gazes, eyes of contempt, quiet whispers, dried mumbles, weak pleads for help, feeble cries. There were buildings, granted very rundown, but there was some semblance of a functioning society. Amias wondered, how did the society here run?

"How do people not get possessed?" he asked. "Or... how do people without exorcism abilities survive?"

"Well, that's the mysterious thing about this place," Caleb said. "It's kind of like a ghost town. Reality works a little differently. Not even I know much of the details."

"I'm sure there are people with exorcism abilities, but there are no established institutions like the AEI. Those with power use it to protect themselves and themselves only. A lot of the apparitions here are heading to the city, stronger and more developed," you added. "But concrete details are... Well, there are no proper records on them."

"To put it simply, this is an incredibly dangerous place," Caleb said. "Trust me, I would know."

"Make sure to be careful. Later, you're going to experience something... odd. My advice is to keep a clear mind, keep moving forward, and don't give into any negative thoughts." You laughed softly at Amias's confused expression. "It'll make sense later on."

Caleb patted your head. "Well informed as always, Miss Support. How did you find that information?"

"I have my sources. You need to step up your game."

"Hm~ But I like hearing you talk."

"Dumping all the work on me I see."

"Caught me."

Quiet conversations were held amongst you three. Amias was appreciative of the distraction, but there would be a lingering ghost of discomfort that'd drift in the back of his mind. That gradually snowballed into his thoughts wandering deeper and deeper. It led to him withdrawing from the conversation completely. Amias's chest felt heavy and an uncomfortable feeling crept behind him.

Every step he took, the wind would blow a little harder, the mist would become a little thicker; as if wrapping around his being. It posed as restraints in the form of thin strings. They were restraints he could break out easily, but hesitate to do so. What... Just what was this? It was curiously foreign yet dreadfully familiar at the same time.

Don't think negative thoughts. Amias remembered your words and snapped out of it. He hoped to continue talking to you and Caleb to distract himself. Yet, when he turned around, no one was there. Amias abruptly stopped walking; he was so focused on his emotions that he hadn't realised that his environment had changed.

An empty space shrouded in mist. Amias couldn't see anything at beside his own hands. Where did the town go? Where did you and Caleb go?

"(Y/n)?" he whispered.

No response.

Amias searched for you and Caleb, sending a frantic glance wherever he could. Each step he took showed no progression, each turn he took showed no new sights, and each time he called out for someone showed no signs of life. Amias was left completely alone, walking a path that took him nowhere.

He didn't know how much time had passed. Amias felt disconnected from the outside world, he felt isolated just like back then. The thought struck panic within him and he took a deep breath.

"Calm down..."

It's not as bad as you make it out to be. Just keep a clear mind, just like (Y/n) said.

With a nod to himself, he pressed forward. But as soon as he gathered that conviction, something appeared in front of him.

[ RESET ]

The holographic screen was there without him summoning it and displayed a word he hadn't seen in over a decade, but remembered all too well.

Resetting in the past meant resetting the day. But... What if it meant having to go back to square one? To the day where he first received the reset button? Would he need to wait for years and years again? He didn't want to go back there, there was no way he was going back there.

Also, what would happen to everyone if he reset? Would they just relive their life without knowing someone out there had turned back time?

The idea made him feel nauseously lonely.

[ You have control, why do you refuse to use it to your advantage? ]

A line of text appeared on the screen.

"... Control?"

What––who was talking to him?

Before he had the chance to question anything, the text disappeared. It was so fleeting Amias almost believed that it was his imagination. More unfamiliar things, more questions, more things to worry about. His existence was confusing. So confusing.

"Ignore it," he told himself. "Let's keep going––"

He stopped, legs paralysed to the ground.

A dead body. His dead body.

But more specifically, the dead body of when he was a child. The memory was so distant, and yet at this moment Amias could almost breathe and experience the very moment again. It was his first death, the one where he died in a car crash. Amias covered his lips with his hands, fatigue building up in his stomach and breathing growing thin.

When he turned away from the sight, it took only a few steps until he encountered another one. The one from the bus crash. Glass shards lacerated his younger self's skin, blood dripped from his forehead, fire surrounded him, vacant eyes wide open. Before Amias could see anything else, he closed his eyes and walked past the gruesome sight. He didn't want to see what would happen once the fire reached the corpse of his past self.

"Don't look, don't think about it," Amias whispered. "It's because of the town, it must be what (Y/n) was talking about."

(Y/n)... I want to see her. Any company at the moment Amias would accept it gratefully. But you were the person he wanted to see the most.

Again, the screen summoned itself.

[ RESET ]

His words came out weak, "Why...?"

[ You can go back and avoid this town, then you won't have to go through it again ]

[ If you make a mistake, just try again. You have that control ]

Amias chuckled bitterly. "I don't want that control."

Resetting was associated with horrible feelings, a feeling of giving up, a feeling of hopelessness.

Yet, was this the best option?

"I don't know what to do..." What if he made a mistake? "I..."

He felt hopeless, pathetic. Amias knew he should be capable of getting out of this mess, yet so many emotions came rushing towards him that he didn't know how to handle.

"Please, I... I'd do anything," he whispered. "So...just this once, can someone tell me what I'm supposed to do?"







A/n: Amias backstory! Hopefully, this wasn't too confusing. His situation is kinda hard to explain, so hopefully it'll be clarified better in future chapters. Super excited to write more of his character, I have many interesting scenes prepared ;) God I wanna write them already djfidownqufj