"A speciality force trial?"

Caleb tilted his head, eyeing the letter on the table before glancing up at the individual in front of him. A man with the AEI's uniform where the dominant colour of the jacket was white and the designs imprinted were black. Ah, this was someone from the operation design division.

"Please read the contents inside the letter," the man said.

With that one bland sentence, the man left the cafeteria. Caleb needed some water at how dry the exchange was. He settled down his utensils and picked up the letter.

"Wow. No hello, how are you doing, how's life––some people are just too serious."

When Caleb opened the letter, he planned to briefly skim the contents before throwing the paper aside and continuing with his breakfast. However, the more Caleb read, the more his interests were piqued.

"A separate team for certain talents..." he mumbled. "Hey, that sounds familiar."

"But having a specialised team sounds good, doesn't it?" Finn asked. "Even if we're busy with our own things, having that makes me still feel close with you guys."

"Aw, like a special bond," Caleb gushed.

James smiled brightly and grabbed a water bottle, raising it dramatically in the air. "Shall we make a toast as a promise for all of us to be in a team together?"

"Now, this I can get behind." Caleb stood up, forgetting his breakfast and hunger. He glanced around the cafeteria and noticed only selected individuals received a letter. "I wonder if––"

"Caleb! Did you get a letter?"

Well, speak of the devil. The exact person he was looking for had already come to him. Just the sight of his older brother was enough to fill him with energy and excitement. Caler proudly showed off the letter to James with a grin.

"Obviously. Not gonna lie, I was digging my Christmas aesthetic." Caleb tugged his jacket, one that represented the offence force. "You know, with the red in my uniform and my green eyes and all. But who can say no to a new uniform?"

"Oh? Already so confident that you'll pass?" James laughed. "Anyways, it looks like that promise we made back in school will be fulfilled. How cool is that? Who should be the leader of our team? Clearly, it should be the most responsible." He placed both hands on his hips. "Me."

"Pft." Caleb rolled his eyes. "Now's not the time to joke."

James gasped dramatically. As he was about to respond, someone suddenly placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Elias! You scared me." James turned around, a hand on his chest. "Stop using your ability to sneak up on people."

"It was instinctive." Though it was subtle, Elias was holding back an amused smile. "And what are you two doing here? You're supposed to go to the hall as soon as you finish reading the letter."

"We were?" James asked.

Caleb spoke right after, "No one told us."

"It says at the bottom of the letter."

James and Caleb checked. They both raised their eyebrows and let out an 'ohhh'. Elias held back a comment on how in sync they were.

"Can you hurry it up?"

Oh, that wasn't Elias's voice. With how annoyed the individual sounded, that question came off more as a demand. A female with the uniform of the offence team entered the cafeteria. The red highlights on the jacket made her rose gold hair and eyes more intimidating than usual. The bold and vivid colours that complimented the way she carried herself––with confidence and pride.

"Rose, they just got their letter. No need to rush them."

That voice belonged to Sara. She was wearing the uniform of the defence force, the sight made Caleb recall a memory where she spent nights agonising how the offence force's uniform would have suited her appearance better. Though, it was good that she joined the defence force in the end. Her skills were better suited for it.

"Whatever." Rose grabbed Sara's arm and pulled her away. "Let's ditch 'em."

Kein walked in the moment Rose and Sara walked out. He had his defence force jacket tied around his waist. It was on the verge of slipping off. Caleb decided to not tell him.

"Wait, I thought the gathering was in the hall." Kein furrowed his eyebrows. "What's everyone doing here? Was there a change of plans last minute?"

Elias pointed at Caleb and James. "I came to pick them up."

"Ohhh, so are we done with that yet or...?"

"I'm not sure." The brunet glared at the brothers. "Are we?"

James raised a hand up. "How much can we delay it?"

"Depends on my patience."

"And I'm assuming it's not a lot?" Now it was Finn's turn to make an appearance. "Come on, let's head to the hall so that we can get front row seats."

"Hm, but I can't zone out if it's front row seats," James said. "I'm heading to the back. You guys can have fun being focused."



===



Ain't this a depressing sight.

Caleb whistled out of intrigue when he stepped out of the bus and shivered at the drastic drop in temperature. His eyes scanned the area. An abandoned city, huh? The sight was still as if he was walking into a portrait. And the buildings––well, some were more like pieces of buildings––looked so run down Caleb thought that it'd all collapse with someone's dying breath.

Wonder how loud my voice would be if I screamed right now.

"Don't."

Caleb blinked at Elias. "How did you––"

"Just don't."

Murmurs and whispers cluttered the air as SF candidates made their own comments on the abandoned city. No one knew where to go or what to do, so they were all just awkwardly standing in the middle of nowhere. Debris scattered the area and some chunks of stone were big enough to sit on. Caleb and James unapologetically sat down whilst everyone else remained standing.

Then, after a few minutes, a certain authority figure showed up.

"The chairman showed up in person?" James mumbled. "That's when you know something's serious."

Even without a fancy stage and lights, the chairman swept everyone's attention in the blink of an eye. Well, his height did stand out (literally since he was standing lol). Caleb wondered if the old man could spare a few extra centimetres for him.

The chairman began explaining the nature of the SF trial. The instructions were simple enough. You'd be partnered up with someone and you'd need to exorcise apparitions alongside them. The judging criteria? No one knows. Any time limits? Never mentioned. Certain actions that constitute a foul? Nothing mentioned. The only concrete information was to survive.

It was simple, too simple. It brought more people on edge than provided reassurance.

"A colour would be displayed on your device. Please partner up with the individual with the same one as you."

Caleb checked his device. Green. Hey, it was his favourite colour. James and Caleb glanced at each other.

"Oh~ What's this?" James ruffled Caleb's hair. "Looks like not even a super important trial can separate us."

"You guys are paired up together?" Sara raised a hand at Caleb. "High-five, I was also paired up with my older brother."

Caleb returned the gesture. "Seriously?"

Sara and Elias. Finn and Kein. Huh.

With the same idea in mind, the ground observed the other SF candidates. Best friends, lovers, siblings; those with strong emotional ties to each other were paired together.

James blinked. "Is it me or..."

"People are paired up with those they're close to?" Caleb snickered. "Oh, no wonder Rose wasn't paired up with any of us. Didn't you match with a total stranger?"

Rose scowled. "I'm this close to becoming your paralysis demon." Her fingers were touching. "And to answer your last question, no. She's a fan of mine."

The chairman instructed everyone to follow him. It wasn't long before they arrived at an area with a tall fence that encompassed a space too large to the point where Caleb stopped paying attention to its exact size. It was most likely made by the technology design division. The data analysis design probably helped out as well.

The more stuff I see from them, the greater the urge to break into their lab to see how the hell they make these things.

There was an unsettling feeling that festered behind the fence. If he observed with his full attention (very rare), he could see apparitions hidden behind some fallen buildings. Odd... Were they hiding?

There wasn't much time to think about it (and Caleb lacked the willpower to use his brain cells any further at the moment) because the trial was starting. First up were two defence members Caleb had never seen in his entire life. Or maybe he has but just didn't remember. Finn seemed to remember them well. Apparently, the man and women are in a relationship.

"So we're taking turns. Do we just stare at this fence until they're done?" Caleb asked.

"Well, spectating isn't so bad," Finn responded.

"Yeah, but you can barely see the action from here." Caleb looked around before pointing to a building. "Wait! If we climb up there, we can watch from above."

"Ohh, good idea!" James exclaimed. "You guys coming?"

"I need to go over my scripts," Rose said. "Go on without me."

James frowned. "Do that while we're up there."

"No. It'll be distracting."

"Oh, c'mon. We all know you can rehearse under any circumstances."

"No means no."

Sara tapped Rose on the shoulder. "I saved a good spot for you over there, you can rehearse in peace."

"Wait, you're going with them?"

"Yup. I think the air will be nicer on top of the building."

For some reason, Rose looked offended. "I'm coming with."

James threw the brunette a thumbs up and a clumsy wink. "Nice one, Sara."

That comment earned him a smack on the head from Rose. It was then decided that the whole group would be spectating from above. Many other SF candidates considered doing the same thing, but the thought of climbing such dilapidated buildings was a turn off.

Finally, the trial started. At the chairman's hand gesture, apparitions flooded the fenced area. How was that even possible? Were they contained at some point? What kind of technology would allow that?

The easiest answer would be it's all thanks to Eve. Yeah, good enough.

And the appearances of the apparitions––Caleb could hardly believe what he was seeing. He almost fell off the edge of the building with how much he was leaning forward, strung by immense curiosity.

These apparitions seemed... unnatural? Artificial? Their size was nothing to sneeze at. Some of them even almost stretched past the fence's height. Their dark and murky colour was unpleasant to the eye, but fitted the monochrome abandoned city eerily well. Every now and then some of them would let out an ear piercing screech. It wasn't terrible, but can leave you dizzy if you hear it too often and too closely.

The two defence force members worked well together. Unfortunately, the woman stumbled a bit and ended up hurting her legs at one point. The man reached out for her, but then suddenly took his hand away. Everyone watched in surprise when he simply walked past her and continued to exorcise the apparitions. Not to protect her, but himself. He left his injured lover to fend for herself.

"Hey now..." James mumbled. "What was that? Why is the trial continuing like nothing happened?"

"If you think about it, there was never a rule against betrayal," Rose stated nonchalantly, her eyes on her script. Her dedication to her acting career was something else. "Or something like teamwork. You exorcise apparitions alongside your partner, you don't have to work with them."

Caleb let out a bitter chuckle. "How nasty."

James's frown deepened. "That's so... but why? Why would he do that?"

"Who knows why," Elias said. "For selfish reasons? Understandable ones? We'll never know. We don't need to."

The woman ended up being possessed, to none's surprise. The sudden betrayal left her mental state in a disarray and her physical condition was less than ideal. However, what did surprise people was what happened after the possession. The woman's limbs twisted grotesquely, her fingers cracked and bent in inhumane manners, her veins became concerningly prominent and bulged out of her skin, and her jaw was open wide. Far too wide.

Her fingers twitched. Then, with a flick of a wrist, a strong blast stormed the ground. The earth shook and the floor split open. The pressure was headed towards the fence, but some spectators weren't alarmed. They assumed the fence would be able to withstand such power.

Well, that was neither confirmed or denied because the gate suddenly opened.

A deafening boom! penetrated the air.

What happened next was hard for Caleb to discern because of how much dust there was. Once it was all cleared up, he wasted no time peering down. There were no casualties from the looks of it. Some suffered minor injuries and others serious. There were no paramedics or support members on standby to tend to the wounded.

Guess this trial's a bust for them. Is it possible to forfeit?

The possessed woman craned her neck up and made direct eye contact with Caleb. For a moment, he froze at how hollow her gaze was. Caleb's instincts screamed at him to put up a barrier to protect himself, and so he raised a hand to do so. However, his older brother acted faster than him.

In the blink of an eye, James encompassed the entire group in a barrier and blocked the possessed woman's attack. A clamorous explosion shook the building. Thankfully, it didn't collapse.

It wasn't like everyone else couldn't defend against the attack, it was just that James was the fastest to act.

"Seems like we're not entirely safe as spectators," Elias speculated. "Good reflexes, James."

James nodded. "Thanks."

Caleb was able to detect James's subtle change in mood instantly. "What's up?"

"It's just... the people down there are––"

"They shouldn't have let their guard down," Elias answered. "The chairman never said that you'd be safe when it wasn't your turn. If something like this catches you off guard, you're not fit to be an SF member."

There wasn't a speck of sympathy to be heard, but everyone knew better that Elias did care. The brunet naturally came off as stern sometimes. Due to his position, he had to.

James's shoulders dropped, but he nodded in understanding. "I guess so."

"Don't worry, medical assistance will likely arrive. They'll just need to bear the pain for a little longer." Elias's eyes narrowed. "Though, they'll probably need to forfeit the trial if they want to be treated."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm the chairman's grandson." Elias shrugged. "I suppose you can say that I'm familiar with his nature."

To sum up what happened after the woman attacked the spectators, the man was able to exorcise the apparition out of her. And, unfortunately, she died right after. Her lifeless corpse with her limbs distorted and her face contorted in pain––it wasn't a pretty sight to see.

As for the man? He looked to be on the verge of passing out due to exhaustion, but he seemed relieved to see that the area was cleared of apparitions.

"So does that mean he passed?" James asked.

Sara shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that."

Kein tilted his head in confusion. "But there are no more apparitions."

Right as the blond said that, the chairman made an announcement of a second phase. Shocked murmurs came from the spectators. Meanwhile, the man became extremely pale. Unless the second phase was walking from point A to point B with no apparition interruptions, Caleb doubted the man would make it.

"Your old man is full of surprises, hm?" Caleb mused.

Elias sighed. "You can imagine my childhood."

"Story time?"

"Is now really the time for that?"

A singular apparition emerged from who knows where. For a moment, the man's shoulders dropped in relief. One apparition shouldn't be a big deal.

But, clearly, this one was stronger than the rest.

Caleb's first thought was 'what the hell is that'. The apparition crawled like a spider, but had four limbs like a human. Its size stood out as it was about four times larger than the man, yet its colours camouflage well with the dreary environment. You'd hardly notice its presence if you weren't paying attention.

Caleb nudged Elias. "Dude, do you have any clue on what that is?"

"Only speculations." There was a string of frustration tied to Elias's words. "My grandfather has many secrets––secrets that I've definitely tried to uncover, only to come out unsuccessful."

An unsatisfying answer, but it was an expected one.

So, how did the second phase go? The man ended up dying by the hands of the apparition. He pleaded and begged to be let out, for the gate to open, but it never happened. The apparition ended up possessing him and...

Even Caleb looked away from that.

The atmosphere grew heavy when it was all over. Some people from the technology design division came over to... dispose of the corpse. Caleb wasn't given a chance to collect his thoughts, let alone voice it to his friends. His device flashed and stated that it was his turn.

"We're up!" James stood up with enthusiasm. Though James showed Caleb a reassuring smile, Caleb knew how uneasy his brother was feeling. "Let's kick some apparition ass."

Caleb nodded. "You got it!"

The first phase wasn't anything of note in terms of difficulty for Caleb and James. The two brothers worked perfectly together. No matter how many explosions Caleb produced and how violent the torrent of wind came from James's hands, they never accidentally hurt each other.

"Nice work!" James raised a hand for a high five and Caleb enthusiastically returned the gesture. "You've improved so much!"

Just that simple line was enough to restore any lost energy into Caleb.

The announcement of a second phase was made. Caleb stretched his arms and legs, readying himself. Was he nervous? Not as much as he should be. After all, James was here. His presence instilled confidence in Caleb. Besides, he observed how the mutant apparition fought. Albeit, it was only for a short moment, but there was some valuable insight.

Though, he was caught off at what he saw.

"Four of them?"

"Just means that the chairman acknowledges our strength. Chin up!" James grinned. "We can put on a good show to brag to the others later."

Caleb smiled. How does he always know the right things to say?

There was only enough time for that brief exchange as the four apparitions bolted towards Caleb and James. The brothers split off. Two decided to follow Caleb and the other two followed James. These apparitions never touched Caleb physically, but just the pressure from their cold presence was as shape as a blade. The apparitions also never gave the brothers a chance to reconvene after splitting up. This limited their teamwork.

Well, it's not like I'm incompetent without my brother.

Caleb managed to exorcise one of the mutant apparitions after a long and grueling fight. He was getting tired, but his mind was sharper than ever.

The second apparition launched itself at him. Caleb made a move to dodge, but he was a second too late. With no other choice, Caleb recklessly threw an attack at the apparition and it caused him to lose his footing. At that moment, a piece of a building came flying at him and he just managed to send an explosion to avoid its impact. Some debris scratched his face, but that was fine.

My mind knew what to do, but my body...

Caleb shook off the thought. If his body couldn't catch up with his thoughts, he'd need to take that into account whenever he acted. It was a minor mistake. No big deal. Caleb was quick to get back up and ready for action. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle.

"Sprained, huh?" Caleb laughed wearily. "This could be bad."

Well, it wasn't like he never got out of bad situations before. And, for some reason, the apparition began charging towards the gate. That worked in his favour. He could use the time to think of a––

Caleb froze when he saw James going after the apparition. Instinctively, Caleb went after him and had forgotten about his sprained ankle. He almost fell for a second time and he scowled at his injury.

This isn't enough to stop me.

Utilising his exorcism abilities, Caleb was able to sprint without straining his injured ankle. It felt foreign at first, but he adapted quickly. Unfortunately, though, this little setback made him unable to reach James in time. All he could do was shout as loud as he could.

"What are you doing?!"

"The gate might open!" James shouted back. "Some of the spectators can't defend themselves because they got hurt earlier today and refused to forfeit!"

James was worried about the spectators in this situation?! James's uniform was tattered, he had accumulated several bruises cuts, and his breathing was unsteady. There didn't seem to be any severe injuries, but James did not have the energy to spare to protect others.

Just as James predicted, the gate did open. He formed a barrier as a barrage of ice cold wind tried to blast through it. The moment the attack died down, James went on the offence. However, his attacks weren't doing much.

James already took down the other two apparitions, I should be taking responsibility for this one.

Caleb rushed over to James's side and assisted him. At least now they could work together. They should be able to exorcise the apparition soon enough.

At least, that was what should've happened.

Was Caleb straining himself too much? His energy was slipping away faster than sand through fingers, his footwork and movements began to grow clumsy because of his injured ankle, and the jarring contrast of heat on his arms and palms to the cold biting his skin confused his senses.

Caleb ended up getting a few deep cuts and there wasn't a chance for him to stop the bleeding. He may collapse from blood loss at this rate.

Am I that weak?

Caleb shook off his doubts. It'll be fine. He just needed to push a little harder so James could finish the apparition off.

However, unbeknownst to Caleb, James had other plans. James was a caring older brother, one who wanted to be relied on. So, how could someone like him stand by and watch his younger brother suffer through his injuries? How could James continue to let him fight when there's a chance he could get severely hurt? Or worse...

"Caleb, you can relax for a bit," James said. "I'll take care of it."

"What––"

"Sorry in advance for this, but we don't have time to argue."

James pushed Caleb back and snapped his fingers, encasing Caleb in a barrier. Caleb immediately tried breaking out of it and the impact of his fists made James wince.

"What are you doing?!"

James didn't pay attention to Caleb as a bright light illuminated from his hand, Caleb could feel the heat from his older brother's ability. Ah, he was creating a barrier––a special kind. One designed to trap for several years, but will deteriorate with time. Normally, this would've been within James's capabilities. It was something only he knew how to do. He was a prodigy in exorcism, after all.

However, he was worn out. James was going to overexert himself. He was going to risk his arms being paralysed.

I need to stop him.

Caleb placed his palm onto the ground to push himself up. Then, his heart dropped. His arms were trembling tremendously. When Caleb balled his hands into a fist, he could feel how hot they were. At this rate... will his arms also be paralysed?

No, that doesn't matter. I need to help him.

But then again, how would he even help James? Wouldn't he hinder him? James was the kind of person to go through with something once his mind was decided. Unless Caleb had the strength to exorcise the apparition, James would create the barrier no matter what.

Fuck. What's up with these thoughts? Why am I overthinking this? I just need to get out and do whatever it takes––

Unfortunately for Caleb, those few seconds of doubt and hesitation made it too late for him to act. James was already finished. Caleb watched in horror as a copious amount of smoke drifted from the tips of James's fingers, it was as if something had been burnt.

"Chairman, you know the kind of barrier this is, right?" James said, fanning his hands. He should've been in immense pain, but his expression betrayed nothing. "The apparition is essentially defeated."

Silence. Caleb swallowed. If there was going to be a third round... What would they do?

Then, the gates opened. James sighed in relief and snapped his fingers. Caleb was released from James's barrier. Setting aside any frustrations or anger for trapping him, Caleb rushed to check the state of his brother's hands. Immediately upon contact, Caleb almost took his hands away at how hot James's hands felt.

"They're scalding! What were you thinking?! We could've defeated the apparition together!" Caleb furrowed his eyebrows, guilt swarming his conscience. "I might've been one leg down and a little tired, but that's better than letting you handle everything yourself! Don't we always work together?!"

There was a period of silence. The brothers were far away enough for the spectators to not hear their conversations, but Caleb's pained expression could be seen from a mile away.

"Sorry... I saw that you were injured and I panicked." James smiled and ruffled Caleb's hair. Caleb could feel his older brother's hand trembling. "See? It's already cooling down. C'mon, let's go rejoin the others."



===



[Several months later]

"Where did that indecisive brother of mine go?" Caleb glanced around the SF's living room. "I was gonna ask him which bird in the photo was cuter."

Elias was currently making some tea in the kitchen, and Caleb heard his distant voice saying, "He's off on an operation."

"Aw, damn."

Caleb threw himself onto the sofa and continued to sift through his photo album. When Elias exited the kitchen, he couldn't help but sigh at Caleb's way of lying down. Both his legs were on the head of the sofa.

"I wanna make friends with a Support member," Caleb hummed.

Elias sat down on a table and took a sip of his tea. "That was abrupt. Why?"

"Isn't the nickname Mr Support or Miss Support cute? I wanna use it on someone." Caleb sat up from the couch and grabbed the remote. "Anyway, let's see what's on. The silence is killing me."

A news channel was on. Caleb was going to switch it to watch cartoons, however his fingers paused at what was on the news.

"A sudden appearance of a vengeful apparition..." Caleb mumbled. "Is that the location of James's operation?"

"It is," Elias replied. "Well, I trust that he can handle it. He wasn't chosen to be an SF member for nothing. We've trained for scenarios such as this."

"Right..."

But his hands...

Caleb wasn't surprised by Elias's response. James never mentioned to anyone that he overexerted his hands during the SF trial. Caleb was the only one who knew. There were many reasons why Caleb didn't tell the others; however, the main one was because James pleaded with him to keep it a secret.

"I know that look," Elias said. "You're not thinking of going over there, right? You can't act on your own and enter an operation that isn't yours––"

"Turn a blind eye to this, thanks!"

Caleb dashed out of the living room before Elias could get another word in. The brunet decided to not go after Caleb. He understood well when it came to worrying for a sibling.

And for some reason, he had a bad feeling.

Elias settled down his tea. "Perhaps I should also—"

The device on his wrist beeped. It was a message from his grandfather. Seems like he'll be preoccupied for a few hours. Elias took a final glance at the TV before turning it off.

"I hope that I'm just worrying for nothing."



===



The sickly stench of blood dulled his senses and crimson thickly coated his hands to the point where it was more of a surprise to see his fair skin than blood. James tried to use the back of his hand to wipe off the blood on his forehead, but it wouldn't move. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't seem to gain control of any of his arms.

Oh dear...

"So this is how it feels for your arms to be paralysed."

James should've sounded distressed, but his voice came out more indifferent than he expected. What he felt wasn't panic. It wasn't anger either. James believed it all tied down to 'oh, so it finally happened.'

I was hoping that the technology design division would've finished making the gloves before this happened.

Having paralysed arms due to an overexertion of one's abilities wasn't common, but it has happened to a few people. It's supposed to be irreversible unless treatment was immediate. Immediate as in, within a ten minutes. James could run to the AEI and take his chances if it weren't for the fact that his arms weren't his only injury.

James wasn't sure what damages his body suffered, but it was definitely to the point where running was out of the picture. Even sitting down against a wall was proving to be difficult.

A sudden appearance of a powerful vengeful apparition. James was startled like anyone would be, but he quickly composed himself and led his team. However, the issue was that some people on the support team backed out due to fear. That meant some of the citizens were left without support and were prone to possession. Some offence and defence members ran after them in anger, which limited manpower even further.

James wasn't the best leader. He always thought that stuff was better suited for Elias. So during that moment of disorganisation, James faltered. And even a second of wasted time was crucial in a life threatening operation. He sustained a few injuries because of that. Most of the damages were internal.

The vengeful apparition was exorcised in the end, but James needed to lead it to an isolated area in order to get rid of it. After all, it was like an explosion and would hurt others around him. Normally, it would've been left with little repercussions. He's done it a few times during his high school years. Though, ever since the SF trial, his arms and hands have been more fragile.

James was very self-sacrificial and cared too little about his well being. And here he was paying the consequences.

Ah, his device was on his wrist––he could call someone. Why didn't James call someone before? It never once crossed his mind to call for help, he was too focused on protecting those around him.

Ah, wait. I can't move my arms.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. It was all he could do, huh? They should have implemented a voice detector. But then again, that could be problematic when working against apparitions.

Speaking of apparitions, many were gathering around him. James was the perfect host for possession with how injured he was, after all. James hoped he'd bleed out before they got a chance to.

Bleed out...

I'm going to die.

The reality sunk into James. His eyelids grew heavier and his breathing became quieter. There was a single thought on his mind.

I didn't get to see Caleb today.

James closed his eyes, the heavy weight of apparitions trying to fight for possession suffocated him. Though it seemed futile, James still struggled against it. It was the only means of fighting back he could do.

Then, his chest suddenly became lighter and it wasn't so hard to breathe anymore. Did someone exorcise the apparitions? James fluttered his eyes open and his vision was blurry for a moment. Despite that, he recognised the person standing in front of him immediately. It was his younger brother.

"I knew you'd pull something like this off." Caleb kneeled down to James's level. "I'll save the talking for later, the bleeding needs to be taken care of. I called for help, but the area is full of apparitions so the ambulance can't reach here. I'll need to carry you."

With how serious Caleb's tone was, James almost thought Elias was talking. When Caleb carried James onto his back, James could hear how uneven his breathing was. Without a word, Caleb began walking steadily. How badly was James injured to where Caleb was this cautious in carrying him?

"... I'm losing a lot of blood, aren't I?" James asked.

Caleb's breath hitched, but he managed to swallow the emotion in his voice. "You'll be fine."

"You rushed here without thinking, right?" James asked. "There's no ambulance nearby. This place is extremely isolated."

"They'll be here by the time we get out. Hang in there for a little longer." His next words came out as a desperate plea. "Please."

James's heart hurt at how vulnerable Caleb sounded. Where were his jokes? His cheerful laughter?

I shouldn't have made him worry about me like this––he shouldn't have to see me in this state.

"Hey... Can you move your arms?"

Caleb sounded like he already knew the answer. There was no point in lying, as much as James wanted to. He always had a tendency to say things that wouldn't make others feel concerned for him.

"No."

"Th-that's okay. If we get treatment fast enough, you can move your arms again. Don't worry."

James smiled. "Mhm."

"You don't believe that, do you?"

James chuckled weakly. It hurt his throat. "Nothing gets past you..."

Honestly, the more he thought about his condition, the more melancholy he felt. In this state... how would he ever hope to protect anyone? How would he ever hope to smile alongside his friends and support them?

I'm pretty sure ten minutes have passed by now, if not close to.

"In this state, even if I get treatment, my abilities will be significantly reduced. I'll have to withdraw from the SF––no, from the AEI itself."

"So what? You don't have to be an exorcist. Oh! You can finally open a cafe! Wasn't that a dream of yours when we were younger? To run a cafe alongside being an exorcist?"

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."

James smiled at the memory. "Hah... And I'm supposed to be the one to cheer you up and pick you up when you're hurt. I am the older brother, after all––"

"You did! You always have been!" Caleb shouted, choking back a sob towards the end. James was startled. For how long was Caleb trying to hold back his tears? "That's why you got hurt in the first place!"

Is he still feeling bad for what happened at the SF trial?

James felt his body grow weaker and his consciousness leaving his grasp. Just barely was he keeping his eyes open. It's not your fault, I chose to protect you: James had so much he wanted to say. But he knew his time was running out.

"... Caleb, I don't want to die."

"What... What are you saying?"

"I wanted to see you grow up, I wanted to spend more time with everyone, I wanted to protect more people. That's why I joined the AEI. It's so I can help make this city a place where everyone can laugh and have fun––where we can go on our days with a little more relief." James was quiet for a moment. "And we both could open up a cafe after that. That was always my dream."

"And you still can! You've done so much for this city already! Do you know how many lives you saved, hopes you've restored, and futures you've secured? Who else cares for others so much that they neglect everything about themselves? You did good, you've done enough." Caleb blinked away his tears. "Rest up and I'll protect this city in your stead."

James was silent, surprised by the resolve in Caleb's voice towards the end. His grip around Caleb tightened for a moment. It was meant to be an act of affection, and it was also all he could muster with his fading strength.

"... Thanks." Though James's body was freezing, his younger brother's words suffused his body with warmth. A small smile graced his lips. James was immensely grateful that someone like him could have Caleb as a younger brother. "I'm glad you think of me that way."

Caleb let out a strained laugh. James's voice was weak and was barely above a whisper in volume. It made Caleb nervous.

"Who doesn't? You're my older brother that everyone loves."

James smiled. And unbeknownst to Caleb, he began closing his eyes. "And you're my younger brother who I treasure deeply."

All of a sudden, Caleb felt his older brother's body grow limp. James's soft breathing ceased and his body became even colder. Caleb's eyes widened, denial flooding his brain.

"... James?"



===



"Just stop talking and let me speak." You glared at James, holding your ground under his amused gaze. "I have a lot of things I'd like to say."

When you finished your sentence, you received a message on your device. The message stated that reinforcements were going to arrive any minute now. You quickly sent out a reply to let you and Caleb handle the vengeful apparition, which was James. Alright, that gave you some peace of mind.

"A lot of things to say, hm?" James took a step closer and his eyes looked down on you. "Enlighten me."

"Well, I'll start off with the basics first." You felt like a teacher at the moment giving some sort of lecture on apparitions 101. "The foundation of an apparition is self preservation. It's how people become apparitions, it manifests from their desire to continue living."

You were surprised James was actually giving you time to talk. You'd thought he'd try to punch your guts out to get you to shut up.

"So, naturally, an apparition would want to get rid of anything unnecessary to their survival." You pointed to him. "In your case, it's emotions. The feelings of love for Caleb as his older brother would 'weaken' you. So it's suppressed. Or, even worse, you feel the urge to get rid of it. Hence, you want to kill Caleb."

James most likely came back as an apparition because he wanted to continue protecting Caleb and his friends. There is one question, though. Why did he make an appearance as an apparition years later? You knew the answer, it tied to the chairman and Eve.

"James, really think about it," your voice was almost pleading at this point. "Why do you want to hurt Caleb?"

Seeing Caleb's surprised look and hearing James's silence made you realise that you really should've said something like this sooner.

"Quite the talker," James eventually said. "So you think that you've got me figured out? Is that what it is?"

"No." You were able to reply quickly and confidently thanks to the lesson with the irregular apparition. "I just want to state what's on my mind. Were you even listening to me? Literally consider it for three seconds!"

Without realising it, you took several steps forward as the scene of James's death burned in your mind. Your next words weren't said with the intent to deliver information or the intent to elicit a particular reaction. You were simply driven by emotions.

"You care for your team, you care for Caleb––heck, you care too much sometimes! You end up doing so much for those around you to where you neglect yourself! There's no way all of that disappeared even if you became an apparition. It frustrates me to see someone like you act like this!"

When you were done, you were out of breath. After a second of registering what you just said, you winced and covered your mouth. Ah... I said too much. Considering the fact that you were supposed to have zero ties to James, your words were awfully emotional.

Then, out of nowhere, James laughed. It wasn't condescending or anything. James was laughing out of pure amusement, a wide smile brightening his features. You were reminded of his original self for a moment.

"How can you, an outsider, say something like that so earnestly? Did we personally know each other or something?" James shrugged. "Weirdly enough, your words didn't get on my nerves. Thanks for thinking so highly of me, but it doesn't change much. I don't feel any different."

Well, it wasn't like your ultimate goal was to convince James. It was to, hopefully, get Caleb to realise a thing or two.

You turned to Caleb. "Do you really want to exorcise James?"

"I..." After a moment of contemplation, he sighed. "I... don't. But is there any other choice? Miss Support, I'm doing this to protect everyone. Your talk with James earlier made me reflect a little, but it doesn't change the fact that James is now an apparition who––"

"Caleb!" You grabbed his hands. "Stop. Stop right there. First of all, you've shifted from running away from your past to trying to terminate it all together."

Caleb didn't seem surprised by your words. So he was aware, huh?

"Second of all! Stop trying to shoulder all of this alone. I'm here, aren't I? Rely on me. We're friends for a reason!"

Caleb's eyes widened, his lips parted and his expression was heavy with emotions. Yet, all he could say was, "but..."

Caleb was likely reluctant to receive help because James had protected him in the past, which led to his injuries.

"Caleb, I can't say I know exactly what you're feeling. But you need to know this destructive behaviour isn't going to help anyone. I said this before. If you get hurt, everyone would be sad. If something severe were to happen to you..."

You remembered Elias's expression in the game when he fought James; his calm composure collapsed, his eyes were glossy with tears, and his gaze hardened with hatred towards James for killing Caleb. You remembered the melancholy atmosphere of the funeral, you remembered how quiet the game felt when Caleb was no longer a part of it, and you remember his picture turning grey in the character menu.

"Everyone would be... so sad." Ah, damn. You were going to cry. "So... Caleb, do you want me to help you?"

"Help..." Caleb chuckled bitterly. "What if something happens to you because you helped me?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but you can't let that hold you back from relying on others." You squeezed his hands. "We're friends, we're members of the SF force, we're a team. And we have each other's backs. Bad things may happen, but hesitating because of that will never get you anywhere. Things happen in life, and we need to learn how to move past the bad. Caleb, don't be afraid for me. I can handle myself. Trust me, trust your friends. And I will also trust you."

You can offer your help, but you don't need to fix everything yourself. Caleb was an adult who is capable of handling himself. If something messes up? If he ends up discarding his gloves again? You can't blame yourself for it. You also need to learn how to not shoulder too many things on your own.

Caleb blinked slowly, letting your words sink in. "Trust my friends... huh. I want to, I really do. And I'll try. But, I still feel guilty––"

"Can you stop being so pessimistic?"

You and Caleb were both shocked to hear James suddenly speak up.

"So what if I'm gone? Grieve or whatever, but remember that you still have a ton of people that love and support you. And why should you feel guilty? It's not like you intended for me to die. I made my own decisions and this is what happened. Don't take all the blame yourself. It's also on me for being too reckless."

You gaped. "Did you just..."

James sighed. "Whatever."

He snapped his fingers and crows began circling the sky. The wind began to pick up and you felt the pressure of apparitions crowding the area. Just as you were about to summon Mochi, Caleb rushed towards James and blasted an explosion right at him.

James blinked in surprise as he dodged the attack. He even stumbled a little. You were just as startled. Heck, you even pinched your cheek to check if you weren't knocked unconscious and began dreaming.

"You attacked me," James began. "But it's different this time."

James was right. Before Caleb attacked James with the intent to finally get rid of his past. Now? His expression seemed a little lighter.

Caleb smiled. "Good reflexes as always, brother."

"I'm not––"

Interrupting James, a purple mist snaked sinuously around the area and a sweet scent coaxed your mind into relaxation. You instantly recognised what was happening and your breath hitched with alarm. Kein's ability?! But since when did he show up here?! That wasn't in the original game!

"Caleb, hold your breath!"

Did reinforcements also get affected? No wonder I didn't receive any additional messages!

At this point, Caleb was struggling to remain standing whilst you had already fallen onto your knees. His green eyes looked at you with worry. If it weren't for the fact that you were vigorously shaking your head, he would've tried to help you.

James was, of course, unaffected. His expression lit up with realisation as he raised a hand to touch the mist.

"Don't worry, it's not poisonous." James looked at you. "For some reason, I think you already know that despite this being the ability of the seventh SF member. The one everyone forgot about."

Caleb's eyes widened and he managed to hold back his questions. James slowly walked up to Caleb, his eyes dull.

"I won't be trying to hurt you anymore." James sighed. "I realised that it won't solve anything. But one thing's for sure..."

James made a move to punch Caleb, but his fist simply phased through his chest.

"Don't think of me as your brother anymore. Sorry, but the older brother you loved is gone. I'm just an apparition with his memories now." He smiled. It looked a little bitter. "It's best if you live with that."

"No," Caleb said, to James's surprise. There was a strong sense of resolve in his eyes that made you feel reassured. "You don't get to decide that."

Speaking left Caleb with no choice but to inhale the mist. As Caleb's footing grew precarious, you tried to rush to catch him. But your body was so weak that your movements became too sluggish to make it there in time.

When Caleb fell, a gust of wind gathered around and caught his body before gently settling him down. You looked at James in surprise. He didn't say a word and his expression was conflicted.

The urge to breathe was finally hitting you. When this is over, you'll be training your lungs a ton more. You wondered if Lyle had any good ideas.

Then, a familiar blond entered the picture. Your eyes widened. Seeing how the purple mist complimented his amethyst eyes––that had you on your knees. Oh wait, you already were.

Kein smiled at James before kneeling down in front of you.

"Hello, there (Y/n). Do you remember me?"

Hell yeah I remember your beautiful existence. You nodded.

James shot you a doubtful look. "She could be lying."

You furrowed your eyebrows. If you talked, you'd pass out shortly afterwards.

Well, struggling isn't going to help. I'm going to pass out eventually anyways.

With a smile, you said. "Kein, I won the challenge."

His eyes widened. "And so you did!"

God, he's so cute.

"I'll be looking forward to that fav... our."

Kein caught you before you fell.

"Of course. Don't worry, no harm will come your way." He laid you down gently and brushed a stray hair strand out of your face. "Sleep tight."

With your last string of consciousness, you saw Kein and James leaving the area together. Huh. You've never seen the two of them interact outside of flashbacks since James was supposed to be exorcised today following Caleb's death.

Ah... I can barely think anymore.

You just hoped that you'd wake up in your bed.



A/n: Elias tells James 'good reflexes' as a compliment often when they were in the SF together. Now, imagine in the og game where Elias fights James alongside Amias. He blocks James's attack and says 'good reflexes'. Same words, different meanings.

Anyways, Caleb needs to believe in the power of friendship more. The flashback took place five years ago, so he was about 19. He was around my age and he suffered sm. Damn. Sorry, Caleb.