A confident smile adorned your lips and a wave of determination flickered in your eyes, akin to a flame ready to set ablaze to his ice; the sight ensnared Shen's attention like a tightly woven rope. That look of yours, a look that always fixed on the present and the future––he took pride knowing that his presence played a significant role in fueling that resolve of yours at this moment.

It was almost enough for Shen to forget the fact that you literally threw him. The silver apparition was baffled by your move. Surely there was a more... elegant way to get him across?

"Let's begin the concert."

A concert?

Shen snapped out of his reverie, refocusing his gaze on the surroundings. There were four others present. Jade, Sara, Ness, and Lily. Their names were easy to recall. After all, he had meticulously researched all there was to know about the AEI, and that included the people that were close to you.

It only took a snap of a finger for Shen to draw upon his sea of knowledge and piece together what was going on before him. Sara's unique exorcism ability drew upon sound. It became apparent to Shen that the arrangement was set to amplify her abilities.

Lily's fingers plucked the first note of the guitar string, following that was a quick test of the microphone from Sara. Shen didn't waste a moment to command a frigid embrace to envelop the equipment. Jade was successful in cutting down his ice with an ethereal blade derived from her exorcism abilities.

Nevertheless, the diversion granted Shen time to create a frozen cage, encasing the five of you. It was a temporary solution, but one that would buy him precious time. A direct attack was too risky given that you and Jade could counter his offence, distracting him to give Ness, Sara and Lily time to use the speakers.

Just before the last bit of ice sealed you off, Shen saw your self-assured smile as you glanced at your friends. As he left the scene, that image persisted in his mind. He didn't mind it at all.

In another life, if I was the one working alongside you, would you look at me that way?

Shen dismissed the thought and descended from the rooftop. The moment he did, he heard the ice barrier he created shatter; it unleashed a powerful tidal wave of music. The piercing vibration of an electric guitar, each note expertly manipulated, sliced through the atmosphere. Accompanying that was a visceral scream that even sent chills down Shen's cold body. Was that Sara?

Those are some impressive vocal cords.

Most apparitions in the area were swiftly wiped away. Shen felt his body weaken for a moment, his mind and physical being trembled. He needed to get away in a manner that wouldn't draw too much attention to him. Sure a colossal wall of ice would be impressive at securing his safety, but other SF members would easily locate him.

Then the best thing to do is...

It took a subtle snap of Shen's fingers to summon a snowstorm. It should mitigate the impact of the music and serve as cover for his movements. Though, it won't do much to save weaker apparitions.

There were exorcists at the scene, several blue and red jackets scattered around. Some had their attention on Shen and wasted no time to target him. The silver apparition sighed, seeing the exorcists as annoyance as opposed to threats. He effortlessly defended himself against their assaults and managed to get out unscathed.

If he were to get exorcised, he'd like you to be the one to do so. Not some insignificant AEI members.

Eventually, Shen successfully sealed himself away in a hidden space between two buildings. He veiled his presence by layering his surroundings with ice and snow; it seamlessly blended with the wintry environment, as if created by nature itself.

"I'm still here..." He breathed out, relieved. It wasn't often he felt a sense of urgency for his safety.

Shen's body felt weak. He was still able to defend himself sufficiently, but he was sure to face precarious moments if he were to face any more than three SF members at the same time. It was his loss. He should retreat and recover.

The music was still powerful; however, it was much fainter under the protection. An instinctive feeling told Shen that you were the main reason Sara was able to draw her ability in such an impressive manner. The ability to manipulate sound is versatile in many ways. If possible, he'd love to study it. How much did you know about it?

However, this trick wouldn't work twice. Shen had grasped the feel of the intensity of Sara's abilities and how they faired against his. He'll be able to defend against it the next time. Trial and error, learn from past mistakes, test new hypothesise––that was what a researcher does.

A researcher... He smoothed down his lab coat at the thought.

It was around another minute before the music finally stopped. Shen had to admit, it was a pretty good performance. If it weren't for the fact that it's purpose was to exorcise him, he would've loved to hear it again even if rock was not typically the genre he'd listen to.

At that, Shen swiftly commanded for the ice and snow to disappear before making his presence invisible not only to the normal human eye, but an exorcist as well. He glanced around. The once endless stream of apparition had now been reduced to a mere handful.

When the coast was clear, Shen got to higher ground. If he was going to think positively here, a benefit of being weakened was that his presence would be harder to detect. He observed from above as support members ran around helping the citizens. Defense members brought back the injured and offense members remained vigilant in case of any lingering apparitions.

Since it was safer, reporters and camera crews flooded the space. Shen narrowed his eyes in distaste at that. How obnoxious.

Well, I suppose if my presence spreads through the media it'll do me good.

Shen mumbled to himself, "Will I be considered as a celebrity?"

As he was about to leave, the sound of your laughter caused him to pause. Of course, since it was you, Shen immediately searched for the sound of your voice. When his eyes landed on you, he saw you joyfully chatting away to your friends. Though he was a cold apparition with no blood running through his veins, seeing you happy kindled a warm feeling within him.

If I met you as a human, it would've been hard to hide my blush around you.

Ah, what should he do? Shen loved seeing your lively face and nature around your friends, but he hated that he wasn't your only focus.

When I win...

When Shen accomplishes his goal, he'll be able to keep you all to himself.

You'd have to admit defeat to him, but you wouldn't give up entirely. You'd tackle things from another perspective, figure out another way to accomplish your objective, even if it meant cooperating with his ideology. Shen would ensure that he'd be an ally in your new plan––preferably your only ally––and the one you trusted the most.

He won't get rid of your friends since you'd detest him, but he could make you stray further away from them. You'd have no reason to look at others when he would give you all his attention.

The apparition smiled, a darker look in his eyes. The idea of you being in his grasp excited him oh so very much.

One last look at (Y/n) before I leave.

When Shen's eyes found you again, he was taken back. You were in the middle of an argument with an older woman. He was too far to hear what words were exchanged. Though, he couldn't lie, he was tempted to step in and defend you even if he wasn't aware of the context.

At one point, the woman grabbed your collar.

Shen's eyes widened and a sharp, bitter feeling spurred his next move like an electric shock. Before he had any chance to process his actions, think things through like he always did, he commanded a lingering apparition nearby to possess the woman. It didn't take long for Shen to snap out of his momentary state of hostility. However, Shen didn't release the woman.

A cold and angered look was in his eyes, contrasting his indifferent expression. Seeing the woman struggle and gasp for air felt right. She dared to lay her filthy hands on you?

It wasn't long before Amias exorcised the apparition. Shen scoffed under his breath.

I should've finished that woman off sooner.

Shen saw your appreciative smile towards Amias and a tinge of envy tugged his heart. You've never shown that kind of face towards him before.

Amias...

Shen harboured many curiosities about Amias, he would love to have a proper conversation with him someday and learn more about his abilities. And also why and how he was so close to you.

Shen sighed. I should get going.

After all, if he wanted you all for himself, he needed to win this little war you two have going on.

I'll see you soon, (Y/n)



===



"Sara, that was insane!" You exclaimed. "You're—wait, are you okay!?"

Sara wiped the blood off her nose with the back of her hand. Jade hurried over and gave her a handkerchief. The brunette thanked Jade before looking over to you.

"Never been better, that felt amazing! Better than therapy."

Ness laughed and patted Sara on the back. "Your vocals were crazy. If the AEI didn't exist, I can totally see you being some super famous singer."

Jade nodded. "Lily's guitar was very good as well."

Lily was in the middle of putting the guitar away before jumping in surprise at Jade's compliment. With a shy and bashful smile, she said, "Th-thank you."

"Pft, you guys are too nice," Sara said. "By the way, (Y/n), how'd you know this setup wouldn't give me my usual side effects?"

You were 1000% sure the look of 'oh fuck' was written all over your face. Welp, here comes the hard part. Explaining yourself.

In the original game, Sara did a similar thing during this point in time. Amias suggested the idea of using instruments, oblivious to the condition attached to Sara and Elias. It wasn't until after the battle with Shen that the player learned more about Sara's abilities.

"O-oh, I didn't know," Amias said. "I'm sorry, I could've put you in danger."

Sara laughed. "Nah, when it comes to tough battles, I need to be ready to tank injuries. It was a pleasant surprise to feel no repercussions, though! I should tell Elias about this." She grinned. "Maybe we can force him to sing."

"Ohhh, so that's the look!" Sara laughed, snapping you out of your daydream. "So this is what Elias meant about you doing suspicious, but helpful things. Glad to experience it personally for myself."

"You're not thrown off by the lack of answers?"

"Why would I be? I'm sure you have a good reason, I trust you," she said. "Plus, it's what makes you—well, you."

"Is that my defining character trait now or something?"

"I think it's cute." Sara giggled.

Your face warmed up at that and you playfully nudged Sara. The brunette laughed it off.

"Should we put these back?" Ness asked, gesturing to the speakers. "Frankly, I'm not bothered."

"We should let Sara and (Y/n) rest, they worked the hardest," Jade said. "We'll put these away."

Lily nodded. "I'm fine with that!"

Ness groaned. "Y'all are making me feel bad for being good people."

You and Sara headed down first. As expected, the media was flooding the place and it wasn't long before you got separated from Sara due to the crowd.

Questions about the silver apparition buzzed around. To keep up public appearances, you did your best to accommodate the media. But your head was starting to grow dizzy from exhaustion; after that draining fight with Shen and now having an onslaught of people shoving cameras and microphones in you––yeah, that didn't exactly do wonders for your tired state.

Just as you were about to give up and just push through the crowd, a large figure stood in front of you. You almost thought it was Lyle for a moment, but you were proven wrong upon seeing orange eyes that reflected a mother-like warmth.

"Keep close to me, I'll keep the cameras out of the way." Finn patted your back reassuringly. "I am a big guy, after all."

Finn dealt with the media in your stead. A friendly smile and a professional attitude, the guy was a natural. He was able to quell most of the media's curiosity whilst not giving too much away, be extremely likeable, and lead you away from the crowd.

Finn led you to a space away from the media. There were a few citizens here and there and mainly support members in the space. You sat down on a nearby bench.

"Here." Finn handed you a water bottle. "You're going to need a lot of rest after all that. I can cook something for you if you like. It won't be as good as Caleb's though."

You stared at him. "Are you an angel?"

"I'd like to be," Finn joked. "I have to say, I didn't expect a song in the middle of a fight."

"Yeah. It was pretty cool, huh? Sara and Lily should hold concerts."

"I can already see Cecil making profit off them."

"I hate how right you are."

Finn chuckled. "How'd you think of that anyway?"

"We walked past a music store during our shopping trip and the idea kind of marinated in the back of my mind. Didn't expect to have to put it into action so soon."

"I see." Finn then asked. "Did you know about the side effects of her ability?"

"Yeah."

"...And you still suggested it?"

Okay, hold on. You needed to clarify quickly before you looked like some cold-hearted rat that had no regard for her friends' wellbeing.

"I knew the plan wouldn't hurt her," you quickly said. "I can't tell you how I know, but—"

"Woah, no need to panic," Finn responded with an easy smile. "Sorry if I came off accusatory, I didn't mean to make it look like I'm pinning you as the bad guy."

You sighed in relief. "Yeah, whoops. Thanks for trusting me, though."

"I wonder what goes inside that head of yours to come up with such ideas."

"Become a vengeful apparition and possess me if you're so curious."

"Noted."

"Wait, no. Don't die."

Finn laughed. "I don't plan to."

"(Y/n)! I finally found you."

Ah, you were starting to wonder where Amias was.

"Your biggest fan is here," Finn teased. "I'll go check up on the others."

As you waved goodbye to Finn, Amias rushed up to you with a puppy-like concern on his face.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Do you need me to carry you?"

"Amias, I'm fine."

He seemed far from convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," you responded. "You can check up on the citizens."

Amias frowned.

"I'll come with you."

His face lit up.

"Okay!"

Amias held out his hand and helped you get up. It was unnecessary, but it made him happy so you didn't say anything.

You and Amias were previously in the support unit, so helping out came off as second nature. Seamlessly, you both checked on citizens and tended to injuries. Your previous support team was even here and you exchanged warm greetings with them. They fretted over your well-being as always—it was something they had in common with Amias. You even brought Mochi for added moral support. It would've been nice to summon all of your apparition friends, but you should watch your stamina.

Though, despite your cautions, at one point you suddenly grew dizzy and stumbled on your feet a little. Amias caught your arm before you actually fell.

"(Y/n)..."

"I know, I know," you said. "I'll take a break."

"Okay! I'll take you somewhere safe—"

Amias's sentence was cut off when he heard a disdainful scoff. You turned your attention to the source to realise that it came from the woman you met earlier, the one that had a disagreement with Jade.

"Is she really an SF member?" The woman mumbled. You had a feeling she wanted you to hear her. "Pathetic."

You didn't have the energy to argue with some NPC, so you didn't bother saying anything. Amias, however, stopped walking. With a small frown, he said,

"She's a very hard worker."

Amias, baby boy, you don't need to defend me.

The woman rolled her eyes. "You don't need to defend her."

Nevermind, defend me.

She then approached you. "She can speak for herself. You're a grown adult, aren't you?"

"Right back at you. Why are you picking fights like a kid?"

That shut her up so quickly you almost openly patted yourself on the back.

"I'm expressing my concerns. Why on earth should there be an SF member with no exorcism abilities?"

"First of all, that came out of nowhere. Second of all, that doesn't make me any less valuable," you said. "I still—"

"Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if you were working for the other side."

Ohhh, she was one of those people.

Public image was pretty important for SF members. They're almost like celebrities, in a sense.

Caleb was especially popular amongst teens for his carefree nature. Sure there were a few critiques here and there from other age groups, but the public saw him as reliable. Sara and Elias were the chairman's grandchildren, so everyone had huge expectations and respected them, most prominent amongst older individuals. Finn was just impossible to hate, especially since he'd do volunteer work outside of his AEI responsibilities. Jade was in a similar position as Finn, though you noticed that she was very well-liked by children.

Lyle was seen as someone who was strict, but got things done. Hard to approach, but not hated. The older generation favoured him well. Amias was a loveable individual, new to the scene but had a lot of potential; he captured the heart of many young men and women. Cecil was already well-known, being the owner of a popular bar and all, so being an SF member just spiked his popularity even further. A few rumours floated about allegations of his past, but nothing critical. People were charmed by him and he has many fans.

Now... You? Needless to say, you were the most controversial SF member.

Many people expressed concerns about your relation to apparitions. Anxieties rests on the apparitions, they are the city's enemy. Why would they want an SF member to work with them? Others trusted the chairman's judgement and agreed how your unique abilities were useful. But for those with a narrow mind and were not open to change, they would view you unfavourably no matter what.

The amount of video analysis on me and debates online is outstanding. Cecil and I even brought popcorn to read the drama in the comments section at one point.

"I'm doing my best to protect this city," you said. "My abilities are versatile and my connection to apparitions has helped operations run smoothly."

That couldn't be any more true. All the planning, lives you were anxious about saving, stress about the chairman's next move—it was all to make this city a better place as well. You wanted to give the world of Anomalous a better fate than what the game ended off on.

The woman sneered. "Keep telling yourself that. All you've done is run around and reap the benefits of the SF title."

She was the type to listen to argue, not to understand. Talking to a brick wall would be easier.

"You know what." You began to turn around. "I don't need to please you."

The woman looked so offended by your remark. Suddenly, she grabbed you by the collar. "You should respect your elders."

You rolled your eyes. If she wasn't a citizen, you would've ripped her hand off you. Yeah you were tired, but you were confident that you could beat her in a fist fight with your eyes closed. Amias looked more than ready to jump in and help, but you raised a hand and shook your head. He didn't seem happy about that, but he stayed put.

"Look, I understand your apprehension about me," you said. "Any questions you have, let's discuss it in a civilised manner, hm?"

Yeah, this was your nature. You understood where she was coming from, albeit she was very extremely unreasonable with her approach and was taking out her anxieties on you during an inappropriate moment. Whatever. Your stupidly sympathetic nature will give her a chance.

"You—"

The woman froze and her skin emanated a sharp chill. It barely took you a second to figure out what was going on. Possession. She let go of you and her hands went to her throat. Choked gasps left her and colour was draining from her face. You stepped back a little in shock. A sudden possession? How? You didn't even feel the presence of a hostile apparition nearby.

Wait, there's no time to be standing around!

"Amias!"

"I'm on it!"

Amias exorcised the apparition and the woman fainted in his arms. He caught her, but he was very quick to hand her over to a nearby defence member. It was almost comical.

"Are you okay?" Amias asked.

"Uh, well. Compared to her, I'm doing pretty well."

"Good... Good."

You looked at him in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah.. l Just..."

"Hey, hey." You gave Amias a reassuring look. "If you don't want to say it, don't force yourself."

"No, I'll tell you. I want to be honest around you." Amias took a deep breath. "When the woman was possessed, I hesitated to help her out."

"Hesitated?"

I didn't notice. But now that I'm looking back on it, Amias should've been able to exorcise the apparition way before I called out his name.

Amias nervously bit the bottom of his lip. "Sorry that's not the right word. A part of me... didn't want to help her out," he said, voice tinged with uncertainty. "Of course, I didn't want her to get severely injured! I just... didn't jump straight into action to help like I normally would."

That surprised you. Amias fell into the 'kind natured and forgiving protagonist' category. Sometimes, as a player, you'd feel like a complete jerk when you wanted to upper cut an NPC yet Amias remained friendly and professional.

Huh. Maybe I don't know him as well as I thought I did.

"Am I a bad person for that?"

Amias looked genuinely conflicted and distraught, you felt bad for him. A gentle hand on his shoulder, you said,

"It's natural to feel angry, don't feel like you've committed some grave crime," you said with a light tone to keep his spirits up. "Hm... it's best to remain neutral to people like her. Don't bother wasting your energy by being angry. Because it's our job, we have to protect everyone regardless of our feelings. However, that doesn't mean we're forced to like them."

Amias's distressed expression softened at your touch. With a smile, he said, "Okay. I was worried you'd hate me."

"Hate you? Amias, it'll take a lot more than that to get me to hate you."

Amias's smile only grew fonder. "I'm glad."

The two of you parted ways after that (much to Amias's dissatisfaction of leaving by your side) since you planned to go back and rest while Amias helped around a little more. A ride was called for you and you hopped in the car. Walking would've been fine, but you didn't want to be swarmed with people curious about the silver apparition at the moment.

While you were staring out the window, a ringtone buzzed from your device. It sounded different from usual, but it was very distinguishable to your ears. Your eyes widened. Hold on...

You lazily bid goodbye to Cecil as he left the library. A yawn escaped your lips as you stretched your arms over your head. Welp, you were getting a little groggily anyway. Might as well head to bed. Plus, if you stayed up too late, you will most likely get an earful from Amias.

But before that, you guess it was time to make an attempt to get in contact with the chairman.

People in the AEI have gloves that help balance the onslaught of heat from their abilities, you were going to need the reverse. Someone was going to have to design gloves specially for you.

You smiled to yourself. "It'll be great if I can meet Eve face to face through that."

Your eyes darted to your device and a smile graced your lips upon reading the text.

Eve has requested a meeting with you.



===



To say that you were nervous was an understatement.

Amias had received the same message once, but the player was robbed of an Eve reveal because all the game did was show a computer screen with a distorted voice. It was mainly Eve interrogating Amias's past and his ability since his strength was growing at such a rapid rate.

From that short exchange, Eve honestly gave off the impression of another Elias. Straight to the point and professional. Though, it was hard to distinguish any personality since an AI altered their voice.

Your case was different from Amias, though. You needed a whole new invention. Sure gloves were warm by default, but they needed to make one that would regulate your temperature accordingly. Maybe Eve will actually show up out of curiosity? Maybe they needed to run some tests on you?

You sighed. "Who am I kidding, the chances of seeing Eve face to face are slim."

After you got the text, your exhaustion simply evaporated and you immediately went to go see Eve. Amias would not be happy to find that out, but you'll deal with that later. You grabbed something quick to eat on the way so you didn't die of hunger, and you switched to a cleaner jacket to look at least somewhat presentable.

Finding the location sent to you was easy since you've already done so through Amias's eyes. You stood in front of two intimidating double doors in an isolated area of the AEI building.

Yup, this is the place where Amias was sent to.

You were emailed a temporary digital pass to enter the room. The door slid open the moment you scanned it, revealing a dark and empty room. Wow. So welcoming. There were a few monitors that dimly illuminated the space; it looked like some abandoned room, but it was still clean.

To the right, there was another door that was closed off. It required a code to get through. You tried the one you were previously emailed, but it didn't work. You sighed. Of course.

You've tried to get through this door many times when you played the game. Hours, weeks, days––solve puzzles, gather the tiniest hints that would form some sort of numerical clue; you and the Anomalous community worked tirelessly to go through that damned door, yet to no avail. It was a mutual frustration the community shared.

I'm guessing another text is gonna be sent telling me to sit in front of one of the monitors.

You heard that familiar ringtone. Yup, as expected—

Go through the door.

[ Attachment ]

You were sent a barcode to scan.

Huh.

You looked up. That door?

Wait.

You stopped yourself before you could get your hopes up.

BUT STILL. You're telling me the code I worked so hard to get back in my world is here? In my hands?? Right now??

You withheld the urge to jump in excitement. The best thing about being transmigrated into the game is that you could unlock new content without game restrictions holding you back.

Taking in a nervous breath, with shaky hands you scanned the barcode and the door slid open. It actually opened. Maybe... Maybe you'll encounter Eve? Who were they? A man? Woman? A kid? A kid who is actually a thousand years old? An old man that could kick your ass?

You paused. I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Upon entering the room, a nice warm air enveloped you. You felt tempted to take off your jacket for a moment. What's it going to be? Some secret lab? Hidden weapons? Even more monitors?

You eagerly looked around.

"A living room?"

Yeah, a living room. Small kitchen at the corner, a set up for couches, and a nice carpeted floor. The room was bathed in a captivating blend of warm hues—subtle tones of orange, red, and pink.

Talk about subverting expectations.

Since you've never seen this area of the game before, you had the primal video gamer instinct to interact and explore everything.

It looks so normal, I feel like I'm invading someone's home.

Maybe you should just stand still until further instructions. Didn't want to accidentally sentence yourself to death. You crossed your arms and your eyes continued to wander around, taking in the normalcy of everything. Then your sights stopped on something.

You saw a desk that stood out because of how messy it was. The surface was strewn with a haphazard arrangement of papers.

...

Oh, c'mon I HAVE to check that out.

You approached the desk and took a peek at the papers. Truthfully, it was just going to be just a peek until you realised that the contents of the paper related to you. It was your information. Uh, okay. What the hell.

I... I guess it kinda makes sense?

The AEI has detailed information on all the SF members. But having it out in the open like this? Suspicious.

You picked the papers up and flipped through them. Let's see... your birthday, blood type, age, etc. A picture of you in your uniform looking dead inside because you needed a mandatory ID picture—pretty basic stuff.

When you flipped the page again, your eyes widened. Oh my god, there was a whole analysis on your observed abilities. You almost felt like a video game character and someone was trying to analyse whether you were worth gacha pulling for.

Let's see what else is there...

Family: [ UNKNOWN ]

History: [ UNKNOWN ]

Huh. That totally wasn't ominous.

Damn, I was curious what information this world had on me about my family.

They weren't able to find information about your background? Was it because you were an outsider?

For now, let's not think about that.

But seriously... What was this place? Eve's hideout? A random living room the chairman installed because why not?

Your questions were put to a halt when you heard the door behind you open. You froze. Could it be—?

"Ahhh, you found those! I worked hard to gather as much information on you as possible, are you impressed?"

A voice that wasn't distinctly feminine or masculine, but clearly carried an air of casualness. The words delivered were in a cheerful manner and their voice sounded pretty young as well. Possibly around your age? A little older? A little younger?

Before you had the chance to turn around, a hand from above picked the paper off your hands. Holy sh—how tall was this person? You could feel their presence behind you and saw their shadow loom over your frame.

"I have a lot of photos of you if you'd like to see. Well? How about it? You can even give me pointers on which ones you like and dislike."

When you looked up, you made eye contact with an androgynous looking individual with odd looking pink eyes and the most gorgeous bottom lashes you've ever seen in history. Within their pupils, there was a series of concentric circles. Woah... What a cool pattern. Their long, flowing pink hair cascaded down, playfully brushing against your cheeks.

The lab coat they wore emphasised their slender physique. Beneath it was a white dress shirt paired with a dark red tie. Dangling from their neck was an ID revealing the same and face of the individual you've been worrying over for the past hour:

Eve.





A/n: EVE REVEAL. And some yandere development ohohoho Shen Amias wyd huh