Eve...

It's really Eve?!

Your neck almost snapped by how fast you turned around. Subsequently, you accidentally bumped into the table behind you. Whatever pain you were supposed to feel was ignored. You stared at Eve with wide eyes, unbelieving of the sight in front of you.

The first thing that caught your attention was that they were abnormally tall. You thought you've grown used to looking up because of people like Jade, Finn, and Lyle. But Eve? They were at least a head taller than Finn. What did this person eat when they were a child?

"Oh, did I surprise you?" Eve asked, their eyes half lidded, adding an air of casual ease to their expression. "I had a few last minute errands and didn't know when I'd be done, so I sent you in early to have a look around. Do you like the lighting? Or do you prefer a cooler colour scheme? Are my tastes in furniture similar to yours? Maybe I should put up some paintings... Do you have any recommendations? A particular artist you like?"

Th-that's a lot of questions.

"U-uhm..."

Eve was right in front of you and all of your words were lodged in your throat. Great.

Eve tilted their head, long locks of pink hair gently shifting to one side and falling behind their shoulder. Their hair was styled in a half up half down style with messy twin buns. It looked so soft, your hands itched to braid it. You thought Kein had long hair, but Eve won that trophy. Maybe it was because of their height advantage, there was more room for hair to grow before reaching an impractical length.

Your attention was drawn to the clipboard they held. Before you could wonder what contents were behind it, they took a step closer to you and smiled. There was an uncanny yet endearing charm in how their smile reached their eyes; a sincere yet very eager expression.

"Are you nervous? Is it because of my height? Are my pupils too odd? Or is it because you're someone who gets nervous around new people?"

Holy hell did Eve like to ask questions.

"Well, it's because it's you."

Eve looked confused for a moment before suddenly laughing. "What does that mean? I'm afraid you're going to have to be more specific. Again, is it because of my unusual appearance? Or—"

"It's because you're super famous in the AEI!" You had to quickly cut them off before they went on another tangent. "I mean, everyone in the AEI knows your name, but that's all. Of course I'm nervous!"

"Ahhhh." Eve giggled. "I am a pretty big deal."

No kidding. Eve was in charge of designing and producing basically all of the AEI's inventions. They also played a critical role in how the first and recent SF trials were ran, and they also had a critical involvement in... certain experiments. They were the foundation of the AEI, the reason why it was so advanced. Every time something inventive is introduced? Probably Eve. Every time a new way to subdue apparitions was discovered? Probably Eve. You can't even begin to fathom how creative and intelligent they are.

Someone with so much contribution, yet with little to no actual information on them.

"Well!" Even clapped their hands. "Would you like a drink? Come with me."

You followed behind Eve as they opened the fridge. Oh, wow. It was filled.

"I wasn't sure what kinds of drinks you'd like. Soda, juice, energy drinks, coffee, alcohol... So! I decided the best thing to do was buy everything." Eve turned over to you with an excited smile. "Take your pick."

"Thank you..." You trailed off for a moment. "Is it alright if I call you Eve?"

They giggled. "That is my name."

You returned Eve's enthusiasm with a smile before grabbing the first drink that caught your attention. Once Eve closed the refrigerator door, their eyes flickered to their clipboard as they took out a pen from their pocket with a skilful twirl of their finger. After crossing something out, they nodded in satisfaction.

"Alright! Next up is... Ah!" Eve looked at you. "I prepared some fruit for us. Feel free to sit on the couch while I bring it out."

With a gentle push, Eve ushered you out of the kitchen. Their energetic personality kind of resembled Caleb's.

Speaking of personality. Your expectations of how Eve would behave was thrown out of the window. Drawing from your experience playing the game, you definitely expected Eve to be more stern. Even Cecil's words supported your assumption!

Cecil uncrossed his arms and tapped his finger against the armrest in contemplation. "I said that you were a personal interest of mine, so this works out in my favour too. If it ends up backfiring on me, I'll figure a way out. Do you know an individual who goes by the name Eve?"

"They're the head of the technology design division, right? That's all I know about them. Not even their gender and age."

"I personally talk to the head of the data analysis division all the time. I've never directly talked to Eve before, I exchanged information through their assistant."

"What do you usually talk about?"

"Only when something substantial like a vengeful apparition occurs. Before issuing the report, I would have to inform them first. I honestly feel like I'm talking to an AI at times with how short and straight to the point Eve's responses are."

The Anomalous community had various interpretations. If only they knew what you knew... The entire fandom would blow up into flames, Eve's popularity would sky rocket, new merch, fanfics––maybe it was for the best Eve was never properly introduced.

Lost in your thoughts, you walked towards the living room and sat on the dark red couch.

You looked around and drank in more of the details of the living room. It was a pretty odd arrangement. There was a lot of decor, but there was no certain aesthetic. For example, the walls had various types of artworks ranging from simple landscapes to bold abstract paintings. Even the frames were inconsistent in style––heck, the pillows strewn across the sofa each had a different colour and pattern. There was also the fact that the space looked very brand new, untouched even. No dust, no signs of wear or age.

The faint clatter of a plate settling down on a coffee table captured your attention. You looked down to see a very colourful plate of fruit. Some, such as the watermelons, had cute shapes like stars and hearts.

Eve sat on the sofa across from you.

"It took a few tries, but I think I did a good job." They giggled. "I heard things tasted better when they looked good. Help yourself to some."

"Woah... Thanks." You took a bite of a piece of fruit. "I'm not sure if thanks is enough. I really do appreciate your hospitality."

Eve shrugged. "You've come all the way here straight after an operation. This is the least I can do."

They're so nice???

"By the way..." You glanced around. "You have a lot of decor."

"That I do. Just a week ago this living room was near empty. I don't invite people to my space, you see," Eve explained. "A lot of these were last minute. I didn't have a lot of time to research how to decorate, so I ordered whatever looked good to me."

The idea of Eve frantically buying a bunch of decor because they knew you were coming to visit was pretty funny.

"Honesty, there's a charm to it. Not everything needs to stick to an aesthetic."

Eve smiled, happy at the praise. "I also have a few posters of games and books you like, though I wanted to wait for your opinion before putting it up."

"Games I like? How do you know?"

Sure you were vocal about your interests (you liked to dump your brain rot on either Amias or your previous support team), but not enough for it to reach Eve's ear.

"I did a quick scan of your search history on the library's computers."

"I... Huh?"

The fact that Eve was acting like a wonderful host almost made you overlook that pretty alarming discovery.

"Oh, did that make you uncomfortable?" Eve pressed the clipboard against their thigh and began writing something down. "Don't worry, I didn't dig further than that. It was a simple curiosity."

"Okay...? Uh, did you access anything else to find information on me?"

"Remember the desk from before? That's all the information I compiled on you," Eve said. "I can show you later. I didn't access your personal devices and such, if that's what you're concerned about."

You nodded at Eve's words. Did you trust them? You had no idea. But the fact of the matter is that it shouldn't be a surprise that Eve had access to a lot of information regarding you.

"Right! I didn't get to ask you this yet. How was the operation? It's all over the news."

You didn't even get a chance to finish processing the last conversation and Eve was already moving on.

"Hm... I haven't checked the media yet. It's going to be pretty overwhelming, so I'll wait until I've rested up." You looked at Eve's clipboard. "What's that for?"

"This?" Eve lifted their clipboard from their lap. "Notes on effective social interactions. I don't often talk to others, especially without the chairman guiding me in what to say. This is a new experience for me and I want to make sure things go well."

'Especially without the chairman guiding me'? Maybe that was why Eve gave off a stern and stoic impression when they talked to Amias––was the chairman telling them what to say and how to act?

Eve eagerly leaned forward. "Hey, do you have any tips? You have a lot of friends, so you must have good advice."

Hold on, the person you should be asking is Finn or something.

"Well..." Come on, (Y/n). You can't be this socially inept. "When you want to make small talk, avoid questions like 'what's your favourite colour?' or 'good weather, huh?' The conversation ends and becomes awkward really fast––"

There was a loud and drawn out tearing sound.

You stared at Eve. "Did you just rip out ten pages at once—"

Eve shoved a crumpled up paper in the pocket of their lab coat. "I don't know what you're talking about." They smiled. "Moving on! Tell me about yourself. Why did you join the AEI?"

Interacting with Eve was truly a spectacle.

"You're always asking questions about me."

"According to several internet articles, I gathered that being eager to learn about the other person is a good thing." Eve paused, their head tilted to the side in thought. "Unless... That's wrong?"

"No, no. Getting the other person to talk and open up is miles better than only talking about yourself," you said. "But I want to learn about you as well."

Eve's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Oh, you have NO idea how curious I am about you.

"Oh, dear. Where should I start with myself? I've only prepared for cases where you responded."

Eve began flipping through papers. While they were doing that, you were happily snacking on the fruit.

"Let's see, let's see. I have responses prepared in case you turned out to be a serial killer, one for when you're a narcissist, one if you had an insatiable thirst for power, one for it you threatened to expose my identity..."

You almost choked on your food. "Just how bad of an impression did you have of me??"

Eve laughed, taking a slice of apple from the plate of fruits. "These were only extreme cases. I have a good grasp of the kind of person you are since I've been watching you very carefully. With a unique ability like yours, why wouldn't I? It's like... Watching a story unfold!" They pointed their fork at you. "One with you as the main character."

That part caught you off guard for a moment.

"Can you elaborate?"

"I'm usually alone in my room. If I'm not designing and experimenting, I'm observing exorcists through a screen to compile data and ideas on how to improve the state of the AEI. I'm surrounded by screens and I hardly step into the outside world, that's why I sometimes feel like the world outside is not reality, more like fiction."

For a moment there, memories of your life back in your original world surfaced. Sure you didn't observe people to obtain data, but you understood being alone and engaged in a screen. After a long day of work or university, you'd come home and remain engaged in your screen––a nice escape from the frustrations and stresses of reality. You vicariously fulfilled your desire for adventure, for something more, through the characters.

"I get that."

"Hm? Which part?"

Whoops, you didn't mean to say that out loud.

"I mean, up until a few months ago, I was pretty reclusive," you said. "I didn't interact much with this world. I kind of relate to the lonely part, I guess."

"That does line up. A few months ago I had no idea who you were. I'm curious to hear your story one day." Eve sighed. "Unfortunately, time is short for today. Let's move onto why you're here in the first place. You've made a request for new gloves right?"

"Oh, right!" You had forgotten about that. "Is it possible? Do we need to run any experiments?"

"Nope!" Eve winked. "I already designed them in the past."

Your eyes widened in interest. "Did someone have the same abilities as mine? Or at least, something similar?"

"There was." They looked straight into your eyes. "You're looking at them right now."

First you were shocked, next you went 'oh wait, that makes a lot of sense, actually.' Eve has been hinted to be able to trap apparitions and control them to some extent during the first phase of the SF trial. And if Eve was involved in those experiments, they must have an ability relating to apparitions.

Are we more alike than I think? Ugh, you wanted to barrage them with questions so badly.

"I have them right here." Eve took out a pair of gloves from their pockets and slid them on. You found that act very hot. "It shouldn't take too long to make a few pairs in your size. I'll text you when they're ready."

"I can have your number?!"

Eve laughed at your shock. "Of course. In fact, the chairman said this meeting wasn't necessary, but I just had to meet you in person. And I'm glad I did."

You smiled at that. "It was great meeting you as well."

Eve provided you their phone number and you saved them under your contacts.

"Am I allowed to tell the others about this?"

"Limit it to a small group of people you trust," Eve answered. "I don't think the chairman would appreciate it if people began fussing over how I finally showed my face to someone."

"Ahh, makes sense. So uh... I can text you whenever I want?"

"I can't guarantee that I am a fast replier, especially for the next few weeks since I'll be very busy. But yes, feel free to text me whenever you want." Eve hummed happily. "I look forward to it."

Right, the weapon announcement arc was approaching. Considering the nature of it, it made sense for Eve to be swamped with work.

"I'm excited," Eve said. "This has been a long term project. If it goes well, I'll be able to make even greater use of my abilities."

You wanted to so badly ask 'what is your ability anyway?' However, you held back. There will be another time. Eve probably had a million questions about you, but they opted to get to know you as a person instead.

"Well, make sure to take care of your health."

"Of course, I stick to a pretty healthy diet and I get moderate exercise," Eve said. "Bad health is detrimental to my work."

Eve would get along with Lyle.

"Oh, right! You can drop by here whenever you want. The code should still work. Ah, but please text me beforehand. It'll be a shame if you came all the way here and I'm too busy to talk to you."

"Seriously?!"

Eve laughed. You liked their laugh, it was on the higher end and was filled with pure amusement, dancing on the edge of a giggle.

"(Y/n), I'm not that exclusive."

"Uh, yeah you are."

Eve chuckled. "Alright, alright." They checked the time on their device and their expression fell. "I need to get back to work. Do you want to take the fruit back to your room? You don't need to return the plate."

"Can I?"

"Of course! Give me a moment, I'll get something to wrap it."

Eve sat up and took the plate of fruit to the kitchen, leaving you to marinate in your thoughts.

An anonymous figure up until now, the individual who held the key for many mysteries in Anomalous. As curious as you were about Eve and how this interaction would open up so many possibilities in you changing aspect of Anomalous's plot, you were genuinely interested in a friendship. Sure they were a little eccentric at times, but they didn't seem like a bad person.

Your expression fell. Though... You couldn't forget the line of evidence of horrible deeds that pointed to Eve's name.

One of them being turning dead exorcists into weapons.



===



It was early in the morning. Or, as Caleb liked to call it, the prime time to sleep in.

The city was alive with bustling activity; men and women adorned in business attire heading off to work, doors of cafes and shops swinging open for a long and busy day of work, and you even saw a handful of people handing out fliers. Someone gave you one advertising for cosmetic surgery and you weren't sure how to feel about that.

Towering and colourful billboards displayed advertisements. You saw Cecil in one of them and took a quick picture to send to him later. Was he advertising makeup? You wondered if he got any free samples.

"Hey, slow down!"

"You're the one who needs to hurry up!"

You quickly stepped to the side as a group of teenagers rushed past you on roller skates.

The cafe should be right around the corner...

This morning, you were grabbing breakfast. Hey, a high paying job meant that you could eat out without your wallet crying. Plus, you wanted to go for a little walk. Walking whilst you let your mind wander and daydream was always an enjoyable pastime. Though, you were occasionally interpreted by citizens who wanted to talk to you. Sometimes you forget that you were basically a celebrity in the Anomalous world.

"It's always fun to walk at night," you mumbled. "The city never seems to sleep."

Don't ask how many late night fast food runs you had with Caleb and Amias.

"Caleb, it's almost two in the morning. Why are you knocking on my door?"

"But you're awake."

"Yes. I was reading very safe for work books."

Caleb laughed. "Can you eat?"

"Yes?"

"Let's wake up Amias. Food's on me and I'll drive. Let's go."

One time Lyle caught you three sneaking back into the AEI with junk food. Yeah, he gave a huge lecture about the importance of taking your health seriously. The next day, you three made a huge show of eating a healthy breakfast in front of Lyle's face. It didn't really impress him.

You chuckled at the memory as you entered a cafe. The smell of coffee, the warmth of the cafe, the sight of university students studying with their order––it was all so familiar to your previous world. In moments such as these, you'd forget you were in the world of Anomalous

A few people in the cafe happily greeted you, thanking you for your efforts to protect the city. After placing your order, you stepped to the side to wait. During that, you saw someone wearing a pink scarf that matched their eyes; it was Elias.

"Morning, Elias." You approached him. "Nice scarf."

"Good morning. And thank you, Sara bought it for me."

You couldn't say you were surprised to see Elias here. In the game, certain characters have their signature spots where you could find them; interacting provided some fun dialogue. For example, you'd often find Jade near a pet store or in a training area. For Elias, you either found him in his office, this particular cafe, or in the AEI building making coffee. The dialogue would differ depending on which point in the game you decide to interact with the characters.

"I haven't seen you here before," Elias said.

"Yeah, I usually go to cafes that aren't as crowded. That way I can hog a table while reading a book without feeling guilty," you replied, digging your hands in your pockets. "Ugh, it's such a cold morning. The warmth here is much appreciated."

"It is getting colder, isn't it?" Elias sighed. "The increase in apparition activity is becoming more serious."

Dang, you just wanted to throw in a random observation, but Elias managed to relate it back to work.

"I doubt hundreds of people in this city are dying everyday and for every single one of them to become an apparition. Meaning, more apparition from outside these city walls are slipping in. Things are only going to get tougher."

"A good observation. I feel as if this is the calm before the storm."

Well, Elias was right about that.

You shuddered. "I don't wanna think about the possessions I'll probably encounter."

Elias was silent for a moment. You thought that he didn't feel like talking anymore, so you decided to stare at the pastries and wondered if you should buy some for Caleb. However, you were surprised when Elias suddenly leaned closer to you.

"Speaking of possessions..." The faint chatter of the cafe acted as a perfect cover for the brunette's hushed voice. "During the first phase of the SF trial, the vengeful apparition said that you saw me as a sadist."

"..."

Alastor, why did you have to open your mouth like that?!

"Can I deny this accusation?"

"Would you want to lie to me?"

"Uh... I can explain?"

"Please do."

Though Elias appeared confronting, there was a hint of lightheartedness in his tone. He wasn't actually upset.

"Look, you were the one who decided to amplify the screams of the apparitions at the start of the SF trial," you said. "And made it some sort of show."

Like Sara, Elias also faced repercussions from his abilities. However, unlike his sister, Elias found it stress relieving. Probably because he found solace through the screams of others since he himself was stressed 24/7. Yeah, it was some instinctive psychological thing. It wasn't like he actively sought to hear said screams, but he never found it a hindrance.

But, as any good fandom does, players of Anomalous liked to exaggerate this fact and slapped the label of a sadist onto Elias. There were so many headcanons of him being an absolute top in fanfics you've read most of them.

"Fair enough," Elias said. "But I can assure you, I don't find pleasure in hurting others."

"Right."

"I don't appreciate that doubtful tone."

To avoid responsibility (or at least create the illusion of it), you shifted your attention to the front of the cafe. At that moment, three girls entered, their eyes darting around in search of someone. Like Elias and Sara, they had distinctive pink eyes; however, their hair was jet black as opposed to brown. Among them, one girl glanced over your way and her eyebrows raised in recognition.

It didn't take you long to realise who they were. Elias had four siblings. He was the oldest, Sara was the second oldest, and there were triplets aged sixteen. They dressed pretty distinctively, so it wasn't hard to tell them apart by style despite their identical faces. You already memorised who was who thanks to encountering them in the game; their names were Isabella, Mia and Alisa.

Isabella's style reflected Sara's the most, opting for pastel colours accompanied with chic accessories. Mia's clothes had earthy tones such as soft greys and muted blues, her clothes were simple, but very cute. Alisa's style had resemblance to Elias, warm hues of beige and brown with a style that reflected business casual attire.

"Was it too cold outside?" Elias asked. "You can wait inside one of the shops and I'll bring the drinks there."

"Nah, we're good," Mia said. "We came here because Isabella's hair got undone. Can you help?"

"For something as simple as that?"

"But the way you style my hair is the best!" Isabella protested.

Elias sighed. "Pass me the hair tie."

While that was happening, one of the triplets looked over to you. Namely, Alisa. "Oh! You're (Y/n), right? We saw you in the news yesterday."

Oh god, the media.

Yesterday, after your visit with Eve, you finally checked the internet. You were in the SF's living room at the time, so Cecil also joined in. He even brought snacks to eat whilst sifting through all the internet buzz. From what you gathered, the media didn't get any footage of the several intimate moments you and Shen had. There was one low quality video of you throwing him across the roof. That was great. Oh, and of course, the mini concert you and the girls held was trending.

"You five should come to my bar," Cecil said.

You raised an eyebrow. "You want us to play heavy metal in your bar?"

"Hey, it'll garner attention."

You gave Alisa a friendly smile. "Yeah, that's me. Obvious question, but you're Elias's sisters?"

"Mhm! I'm Alisa." She gestured to her sisters. "Isabella and Mia."

"It's nice to meet you three."

"Likewise," Alisa replied with a smile. "Elias talks about you from time to time."

You could imagine Elias ranting about the troubles you get in or fervently telling his sisters to not be like you during the SF trials (you know, jumping off buildings and throwing yourself into possessions).

"I'm hoping good things?"

Isabella smiled cheekily. "Guess you'll have to ask him yourself."

You laughed. "Where are you three off to?"

"We're going shopping!" Isabella exclaimed. "Sis gave us a ton of coupons and a list of stores that had sales."

Alisa sighed. "I honestly only tagged along because I was promised to be left alone after this."

Mia shrugged. "I like saving money."

You could see a mix of Elias and Sara in the three of them.

"Do you have enough money?" Elias asked, already reaching out for his wallet.

"Of course! We have part time jobs, you know," Isabella said. "Just so you know, I took on extra shifts for this moment."

Elias frowned. "I told you many times that you don't need to work. Just come to Sara or I if you want something. Focus on your studies."

"We don't want to bother you," Mia said.

"It won't be a bother if you do your best in school." Elias looked over to Isabella. "Or at the very least not sleep during class."

Isabella avoided eye contact. "I think I inherited my dreadful sleep schedule from you."

"..."

Before Elias could lecture the poor girl, his order was called. He handed the drinks to his siblings, saying things such as 'it's hot, be careful' or 'don't drink it all in one go and get sick like last time'.

"Thanks for the drinks, this is why you're my favourite older brother," Alisa said.

"I'm your only older brother."

Isabella waved cheerfully. "See you, Elias!"

"Have a safe day at work," Mia called out.

Despite trying to hide it, Elias's gentle expression when he interacted with his sisters was clear as day to you. You smiled to yourself at that.

"Order for (Y/n)!"

"Oh, shoot. That's me."

"I'll get it for you."

"Thanks?"

"Why do you look fearful?"

"You're showing kindness."

"..."

With a roll of his eyes Elias grabbed your order for you and returned with your drink.

"Thanks. Where are you heading off to now?"

"I have a few errands I need to run before heading back to the AEI. You?"

"Probably grab some groceries before I'm due to work. They said I'll begin to get scheduled for operations around ten."

"A few hours, huh?" Elias took a sip of his coffee. "I also need to get some groceries. Would you like to go together?"

Oh? A proper one on one hang out with Elias? This was long overdue.

"Sounds good to me."



===



"Th-that's a lot of caffeine."

"There's some variety."

"Coffee flavoured biscuits do not count."

"I don't appreciate this judgement."

Yeah, so you and Elias were in a grocery store. The moment you grabbed a trolly, you weren't surprised to see Elias head straight for the instant coffee section.

"Caleb just texted me to grab some groceries for him," Elias said, his eyebrows furrowing at his phone. "... It's quite a long list."

You looked over. "Y'know, it amazes me how many dishes Caleb knows how to cook."

"When we were young, he'd often drag me around to help buy groceries. And by help, I mean help pay for it," Elias said. "Well, not like I minded. He was the one doing all the cooking. It was a fascinating experience, really. He'd select the perfect fruits and vegetables whilst rambling on about whatever topic crossed his mind."

... No wonder the Anomalous community shipped these two so much.

"Speaking of fruits and vegetables, I should make something healthy for Caleb tonight. I doubt he's fuelling himself well," Elias mumbled. "He's been busy these days."

"Aw, you care so much for him."

Elias sighed. "As annoying as he is, he's one of my closest friends."

Caleb and Elias's close friendship only made the angst hit harder during Caleb's death. Caleb was so involved in Elias's life and for him to not be there anymore... That hurt you and the entire Anomalous community. Especially when Elias would sometimes call out to Caleb by habit only to realise he was gone.

In the game, Elias loses even more sleep and becomes emotionally distant. Though, during this character development arc, he eventually learns to cope; however, he was never really the same. In fact, he became so overprotective to where it was almost overbearing.

He simply didn't want to lose anyone else.

You remembered a scene during the weapon announcement arc.

"That's too risky," Elias said, each syllable laced with disapproval. "You'll be found out. The security is tight and Eve has eyes everywhere."

Amias shook his head. "Of course it's risky! No safe plan would work. I have to try––"

Elias tightly grasped the sides of Amias's arms. Voice desperate and strained, he implored, "Just listen to me!"

Amias's eyes widened at the raised tone, catching the weariness in it.

For a moment, Elias was surprised at himself. With an apologetic expression, he lowered his voice. "... Please, just listen. There has to be a safer way for you."

"Do you have someone like that?"

You were thankful Elias snapped you out of your thoughts. If you delved into them any longer, your eyes would've gone glassy.

"Oh, uh..." You laughed nervously. "I don't really have any close friends. It wasn't like I never socialised, I just never found someone I fully trusted."

The thought made you a little sad. Yeah, you had a few friends here and there, but you never truly found a group of people where you belonged. It was always socialisation for the sake of keeping face, socialisation for the sake of not being seen as lonely.

Elias placed a hand on your shoulder. "I hope that has changed now."

You smiled in response. "Obviously. We're a family, as you said in the past."

"I like to believe I'm a decent judge of character. After the couple of months we've known each other, I do believe you're someone with good intentions," Elias said. "I consider everyone in the specialty force as family, which includes you as well. I don't need to know everything about you in order to place my trust in you. And if you end up having bad intentions in the end, then I'll live with the consequences."

At that, a small smile of his own appeared on Elias's face. "Yes, we are."

Your heart swelled in warmth at that. A place where you felt like you belonged. Sure, you needed to keep some secrets and others had their own fair share of secrets, but it was true that everyone genuinely cared for each other.

"I'm not sure if a grocery store is the best place to say this, but I feel like a burden has been lifted ever since knowing you," Elias said.

"A burden?"

"Sometimes I feel like... you're looking into the best possible future. Not just for the AEI, but for this city." Elias looked over to you. "Is that a weird thought?"

You were speechless at that. "What gave you that impression?"

"That's for me to keep to myself."

"What––you can't just do that."

"You called me a sadist."

"Are you holding a petty grudge against me?!"

Elias smirked at that. Wait, he smirked? As in, showing a sense of playfulness? In this economy?

You were so caught off guard that you didn't realise that Elias managed to successfully get away with avoiding the question.

Ugh, I'll let it slide this time.

"I'll take the trolly," Elias said.

"Oh thank god you said something, it was getting heavy."

You snickered at Elias's unamused expression as you left him in charge of pushing the trolly.

"You're adopting some of Caleb's habits."

"Happens to the best of us."

The two of you continued to grocery shop. Elias's company was peaceful and you felt more like a responsible adult than usual. At times, you'd catch Elias's attention gravitating towards sales (as per Sara's influence).

As you perused the cosmetics aisle (thanks to Caleb, Cecil knew that you and Elias were shopping and he texted you to get him some facemasks), a thought crossed your mind.

"Hey, Elias. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

You were a little hesitant in asking something personal, but Elias seemed to be more open to you today. It didn't hurt to try. You wanted to get closer to the brunet.

"I know it's a running gag that you drink a concerning amount of coffee, but I do actually worry about it," you said. "You need to get proper sleep, Elias. I'll be terrified if you collapsed one day."

"I know," he responded. "However––"

"There's too much work?"

He nodded. "I have a lot of responsibilities. Neglecting them would only make things worse."

"I feel like you take on more things than you should. I'm assuming it has to do with you being the oldest sibling?"

"...Has anyone ever told you that you read people very well?" Elias glanced around. The grocery shop was busy, but no one was paying attention to the conversation the two of you were sharing. "It started off at a young age. The more responsibilities I took, the more independent I was, the less I could rely on my parents."

You couldn't hide your surprise. You had a feeling Elias was growing more comfortable with you, but you didn't expect him to talk about his parents with you.

"Do you have a bad relationship with them?"

"They were the type to expect everything back for raising you."

"Ah, gotcha," you said. "I understand it if a parent seeks respect or for their child to be a good person, but expecting your child to repay everything you gave them isn't something I agree with. Food and shelter is the bare minimum of being a parent."

"My thoughts are the same. My parents wanted Sara and I to be ideal exorcists in order to earn the chairman's, my mother's father, favour. The chairman was never close with my parents, so they wanted to use their children to close that gap." Elias's expression grew a little bitter. "They said, 'we gave you a good home and education, the least you can do is listen to us'."

My god, gaslighting at its finest. Imagine guilt tripping your kid into fulfilling your own wishes? Getting your kid to follow rules is one thing, but using them to further your own agenda was simply selfish.

"The less I relied on them, the better. I didn't want them to control me or Sara. Though, that wasn't easy when you're a dependent child. I needed a roof over my head, I needed food on my plate. If I disobeyed, that would be taken away from me and Sara."

Elias's grip on the trolley's handle grew tighter. His next words were spoken with a composed tone and controlled expression, yet there was an undeniable undertone of anger.

"They used my own sister against me. They would threaten the wellbeing of their own child."

"That's..." You couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. "That's messed up. That literally can't be legal."

"My parents were influential and their actions could be justified as discipline to an outsider. As a kid, it was difficult to go against them. So I followed the path they wanted," Elias said. "When they had my three younger sisters, I was determined to not let them face the same fate. I took on the role of a parent for them. I worked to provide as much as I could and I worked hard to fulfil what my parents wanted from me. That way, my parents had no leverage against them, they didn't need to be guilted into doing something they didn't want. My siblings are my family, just because I chose to support them does not mean they owe me anything."

Elias looked over to you. "That goes for our SF team as well."

The sincerity in his words and expression rendered you speechless. Sure, you knew of his backstory already, but that was through a series of flashbacks and a few dialogue lines when he talked to Amias. Elias never ended up opening up to anyone after Caleb's death. Hearing his conviction, his emotions straight from his heart––it touched you.

"They're very lucky to have you as an older brother."

"I try to be," Elias said, his next words almost a whisper. "I have to be."

"But that doesn't mean you need to exhaust yourself to the point of sleep deprivation. As Sara said, self-care is important."

"I... I know."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Elias drummed his fingers against the trolly handle, his eyes thoughtful.

"Just keep doing what you're doing now."

You were confused. "I'm gonna need a powerpoint presentation."

The brunet rolled his eyes at the joke. "I'm confident that whatever changes you're trying to enact are good ones. The thought has lessened my anxieties about the future. In fact, ever since the new SF team was formed, I've been feeling better," Elias explained. "Don't worry too much about me. I'm not perfect, but I'm learning to take better care of myself. Everyone's helping me indirectly without even knowing."

Elias was an adult. This wasn't a case where you said a few life changing words or did something that would spike his character development. He didn't need that, he was more than capable of accepting assistance and learning on his own. You were glad that you were able to play a positive role in his life. It was the same with Caleb. Whilst you did help prevent his death, it was his own initiative to self improve.

"I'm glad, but I'll totally snitch on you to Sara if you end up overworking yourself."

"How malicious."

Elias seemed a lot more at ease. With each independent hangout with the brunet, you felt closer to him on a personal level. It was a nice feeling, yet unexpected as well.

"(Y/n)?"

"Yeah?"

"I hope you can tell me more about yourself someday."

You pointed to yourself with a laugh. "Me? My story is pretty boring."

"Boring or not, I still would like to hear it."

Telling someone all about me, huh?

A soft smile graced your lips at that. "Okay."

You weren't sure if you'd ever tell anyone about your entire story––not like you could at the moment with the system censoring your words. But if given the chance to tell your friends everything, would you? How would they react?

Not much you could do about it for now. You'll overthink that another time.

You and Elias finished up groceries and paid for everything. It ended up being way more than you both anticipated since, somehow, everyone in the SF found out that you and Elias were shopping. Every other minute one of you would receive a text asking to pick something up for them.

There was so way you two could carry everything back, so Elias called someone to pick up the groceries and drive it back to the AEI.

"I should get going now." You glanced at your watch. Roughly an hour before you needed to work. "I'll see you soon."

Elias nodded. "I hope your operations run smoothly."

You parted ways with Elias. He was going to run a few more errands whilst you were heading back to the AEI. As per usual, you zoned out when you were walking. Which was why you were surprised when you felt someone bump into your leg.

A kid?

Dark brown eyes looked up at you. He looked to be around the same age as your apparition children (yeah, you were calling them your children now).

"Sorry about that!"

You looked up and saw a woman approach you. She gently held, in which you assume, her child's hand. Oddly enough, her features seemed very familiar. A polite smile on her face, she said to her child,

"Apologise to the nice lady now."

"S-sorry." The child bowed. "I wasn't paying attention."

You smiled. "That's fine. Are you hurt?"

He shook his head.

"You're (Y/n), right?" The woman asked. "From the speciality force?"

"Yup, that's me."

"I didn't expect to run into a SF member here. You have my thanks for protecting the city."

"Of course!" Oh thank god it wasn't someone who hated you. "Your child is adorable. What's his name?"

The woman was silent for a moment. A fond motherly look in her eyes, she replied, "Alastor."

Alastor?

Without warning, a sharp, intense pain surged through your head. Your mind was overwhelmed, a rush of thoughts that weren't your own crowding it; it was almost like the initial stages of being possessed by a vengeful apparition.

The woman looked at you in concern. "Miss, are you okay?"

"A-ah, yeah." To the normal eye of a civilian, it just looked like you blanked out for a moment. "Just a little rusty from the operation yesterday."

"That makes sense! I shouldn't hold you up any longer. Have a safe and lovely day."

You strained a smile. "You as well."

The moment the mother and child were out of sight, you darted to the nearest isolated spot. You were able to find one quickly, a hidden alleyway. Knowing the Anomalous map always worked in your favour. Summoning Mochi, you asked him to keep watch for anyone. The wolf nodded and nuzzled his face against your cheek before leaving.

"Alastor," you whispered. "That was you, right? Are you okay?"

No response.

"Alastor, you can come out. Mochi is keeping a lookout and rarely anyone comes to this spot."

...

Minutes stretched before he finally revealed himself. His dark brown bangs fell over his eyes, obscuring his signature red eyes. It was hard to read his expression, but it was easy to tell that he wasn't himself.

"Alastor..." you whispered. "Hey, are you okay?"

"That woman..." He whispered, voice vulnerable. "She was my mother."

Your eyes widened. That made sense, you thought her features resemble Alastor's.

"And the child?"

There was a long pause. "I don't know who he is."







A/n: A lot happened this chapter huh.