Sirens blared throughout the city, warning everyone of the catastrophe that was taking place. TV channels were replaced with warnings and emergency broadcasts, and megaphones positioned at key intersections blared instructions. Apparitions like never before were infesting the space, the typical regular-sized white silhouette everyone was used to was now a rare right. Some apparitions were murky and disfigured—almost resembling the ones from the SF trials—others were bigger in size and far more capable.

Shops, schools, homes—everything of the sort were overrun by apparitions. AEI members were dispatched to take care of it, working alongside some emergency responders. However, the damage was most prevalent to anything within the AEI building's vicinity.

Namely, there was an academy that was within a decent walking distance. As it was after school hours most students weren't there. However, there were a few staff members and teachers. Furthermore, there were some high achievers who remained after school to train, aspiring to be the next members of the speciality force.

"I've got an injured student over here!"

"We've got a possession!"

Both offence and defence team members were scrambling to aid students, teachers, and staff. The apparitions were thickening the air, making breathing more arduous than usual. The sudden increase in strength from the apparitions threw many people off. Some were even able to possess students who had profound exorcism abilities. Battling a possessed student skilled in combat without harming them was not an easy task.

"Shoot, if things continue at this rate, we might have to injure him to exorcise the apparition."

"We need to get rid of the surrounding apparition first. I'll––"

A sharp clap echoed throughout the building and most of the apparitions were swiftly exorcised. A brunette with pink eyes stepped into the scene, apparent confidence in each strife. She offered a reassuring smile to the AEI members, it was exactly what everyone needed at the moment.

"Sara!"

"Oh, thank god. I thought we were done for."

The brunette nodded with a smile in acknowledgement, attention focused on the task at hand. She swiftly exorcised the apparition out of the boy. It looked like mere child's play because of how efficient she was. The student had lost consciousness after the exorcism and Sara caught him before he fell. Turning to the AEI members, she asked,

"Can you guys get him to safety?"

"Of course!"

Sara then proceeded to instruct AEI members on what to do and also directed lingering students to a support member to get patched up. Everyone followed her orders swiftly without any question.

There was one student who remained.

"What's wrong?" Sara asked.

"U-uhm, is it okay if you tell Elias that I'm a big fan of his?"

She laughed. "Aw, not me?"

"Oh!" The student panicked a little. "I like you a lot as well! It's just that he saved me that one time..."

"I was just playing around." Sara displayed a reassuring smile. "I'll relay the message."

An AEI member asked, "Will you be okay? We're leaving you alone to deal with all of the apparitions."

"Of course! This is nothing. Just focus on getting everyone to safety."

"Okay, you have our thanks!"

To be honest, she wasn't okay. Sara had accidentally broken a nail prior to this. Broken bones? Okay, it might elicit a wince. But broken nails hurt like a bitch. She would honestly double over in pain over one.

And I just got them done with (Y/n) as well... And she was even matching with you! This was terrible!

"My hair's getting all frizzy too. Cecil's gonna make fun of me again."

Speaking of Cecil, where was he? Sara managed to contact everyone else and grasped a general idea of their location, Cecil was the outlier.

Think about it later. Let's get rid of these apparitions.

Sara worked hard to clear the apparitions. It wasn't anything too difficult, but it was a little draining. She disliked using her special ability due to its repercussions, so it took a little longer to get the job done.

Suddenly, Sara received an incoming call from Finn. When she accepted the call, Finn was the first to speak,

"How are things going on your end?"

"Things are slowly getting under control. You?"

"Same here. Though, I have to say that the apparitions are a lot stronger than usual."

"No kidding," Sara replied. "Oh, question. Have you seen Cecil anywhere?"

"I was going to ask you that, actually."

"Huh." She frowned. "I hope he's alright."

"... I think I might know where he is."

"Really? Do you need me to come with you?"

"No, it's fine. We can't have too many SF members off the scene," Finn replied. "Thank you, though."

For some reason, Sara felt something was off. Or at least, something she was missing. If only she could see Finn's expression.

He's your childhood friend, don't doubt him.

"Alright, I'll see you once this is all done. Can't wait to soak in a warm bath."

"Ahh, don't make me crave that on the job."

Sara chuckled and ended the call. Since she had cleared the building, she went outside to check up on the rest of the school.

Well, Sara didn't expect to leap for joy when she stepped out, but gosh––the city was in terrible condition. Because of how dense the air was and how much wind there was due to the abundance of apparitions, some buildings were even beginning to collapse. It was insanity. Sure, there were bad apparition disasters here and there in the past, but it was never like this. Was it because of the silver apparition?

I hope Caleb, Amias and (Y/n) are okay.

You three were facing the silver apparition, after all. What if... Sara stopped herself from thinking any further. Positive thoughts! Plus, you were there. Things always turn out fine with you around.

She mumbled, "Let's get this done quickly so we can help them out."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Holy sh—" Sara cleared her throat. "I mean. Hi, Elias."

"We're not kids anymore. I won't scold you for swearing." Elias glanced at the school. "It's been a while since I've stepped foot here."

"Brings back memories from our school days," Sara reminisced. "Oh, right! Finn said he was looking for Cecil. No one could get in contact with him."

Elias nodded. "I was worried about him. But knowing Finn is looking for Cecil puts me at ease."

"Yeah––"

Sara's head snapped around. Something had moved in the corner of her eye—something rose gold.

"Sara?"

Elias's words were ignored as she frantically searched the area, trying to find the individual. A soft whisper then parted her lips,

"Was that..."

Rose?

"Sara."

The brunette snapped back to reality. "Sorry, I just thought I saw..." She shook her head. "Never mind. I must be feeling sentimental considering her birthday is coming up."

Elias instantly knew who she was talking about. The famous actress who died due to reasons no one could remember, a famous actress and a well-known speciality force member, a famous actress and a well-known speciality member and also Sara's dearest friend.

"Do you want to talk about it later?" Elias asked.

Sara smiled appreciatively. "Well, let's do our job first."

The two worked swiftly and evacuated everyone out of the school. Apparitions were slowly clearing up, the lighter air was indicative of that. What Sara noticed all too well was that whenever the two would encounter a group of people, expressions of relief she had once received when she worked solo were now directed at Elias. Sara was acknowledged, but never first.

"Elias is here!"

"Ah, we're saved."

"Oh! Sara is here as well. We're in good hands."

People expected a lot from Sara, but no one expected the best. Elias had already taken up that role. She was his sister, a lesser version of what he had. Of course, Sara was in no way saying Elias had it better than her. The expectations and responsibilities were a lot to shoulder. Elias had a terrible habit of overworking himself.

And that was why she always felt insecure. She could never hope to match Elias's abilities in managing paperwork and other related errands, but she wanted to at least be able to protect him and their younger sisters.

"I've managed to come in contact with a nearby defence dispatch," Elias said. "Sara, could you see if you can contact any support members?"

While I was feeling sorry for myself, he had taken action.

Sara nodded at her brother's words. "You got it."

As Elias and her were getting people to safety, an unsuspecting apparition appeared and went straight for them. Elias was about to exorcise it. However, temporarily affected by her emotions, Sara snapped her fingers and unnecessarily used her ability to wipe out the apparitions. A horrible screech from the apparition echoed in her head, engraving itself like hot iron. Sara winced but managed to suppress a pained groan. God. She hated that noise so much.

"Sara?"

Sara responded to Elias's concerned gaze with a thumbs up. "I'm good."

She was fine, she had to be.

"(Y/n), will this work?"

"Are you worried about the repercussions of your abilities?" you asked.

"I... Well..." Sara shook her head. "It's true that I prefer to not use it, but that does not mean I won't. I'm an SF member, a little pain won't stop me. However..."

"My plan is pretty extreme, isn't it?" You showed a reassuring smile. "Sara, do you trust me?"

Sara's eyes widened in surprise, but her expression was quick to soften. "Weird." She laughed. "I have complete faith in you."

You smiled. "Perfect."

Sara wondered why that memory resurfaced now, but she was glad. That day when she fought off the silver apparition with you and the others, she felt... Reliable. When you told her your plan, your expression, eyes, body language––all of it screamed that she was an integral role in the plan. Not because Elias wasn't here and that she was the next best thing––it was her you needed.

The thought made her feel a little more hopeful.

I want to become better.



===



As Amias ran, he caught a glimpse outside the window.

Fear and panic had a tenacious grip on the city. Apparitions themselves won't enact physical damage due to their translucent bodies, but the wind accumulated due to their sheer abundance does. Roads were in disarray, signs and billboards were torn down, trees were getting uprooted––Amias couldn't help but watch in horror. This was much more serious than he initially anticipated. The gravity of the situation served as a motivator to work hard.

Amias managed to get in contact with Jade. After some back-and-forth communication with her, Amias was updated on their current situation and general location. They needed a pair of extra hands. It appeared that the nearer they were to the AEI building, the more potent the apparitions became.

Amias mumbled. "They could be attracted to the silver apparition's power..."

After all, an apparition's foundation is self-preservation. You'd stick with someone stronger to secure your survival.

Just as Amias was about to speed things up with teleportation, there was a clamorous crash from above. Someone had crashed through the ceiling, and Amias winced at how heavy the fall sounded. The sight of familiar red eyes and distinctive purple hair allowed Amias to identify the individual immediately.

"Lyle?! Are you okay?"

Amias's concerns fell upon deaf ears. Lyle was up on his feet in no time, ignoring the wound bleeding from his arm as if it were an insignificant bruise. Dust collected on his clothes and scratches littered his face. Despite all that, Lyle's sharp gaze was focused.

When Lyle's eyes met Amias's, he rushed over and grabbed onto his shoulder. A hand extended to the broken ceiling, Lyle said, "Teleport us up there."

Amias would've liked more time to collect his thoughts, but he immediately did as Lyle asked anyway. The taller male nodded in approval.

"Good. You're quick." Lyle patted Amias' shoulder. Amias supposed it was his own way of saying thanks. "There was a lingering apparition here I caught a glimpse of."

"Where––"

Bullets of exorcism plasma zipped right past Amias and directed itself towards a corner and a loud explosion followed suit. There was silence. Amias couldn't detect any more apparitions nearby.

"That takes care of that," Lyle concluded simply.

"Before you do anything else, let me stop the bleeding."

"What bleeding––oh." Lyle ripped a piece of fabric off his clothes. "I can do it myself."

Coming from experience, Amias knew there was no point in arguing with Lyle, especially when it came to taking care of himself. Instead, Amias asked,

"What's the situation?"

Lyle's response was sharp and to the point. "Clusters."

Clusters. In simple terms, several apparitions morphing together to become one formidable enemy. The concept wasn't out of the ordinary for Amias. However...

"Is that all?"

... Was that enough for Lyle and Jade to struggle?

"There are a few of them and they're more of a hassle than the ones I've encountered in the past." Lyle made a motion with his injured arm to test its movement. "And there are also liabilities."

Amias's confused gaze prompted Lyle to continue.

"Support members. Jade and I got stuck with some real dead weight," he explained. "Take us to the rooftop."

"Rooftop?"

"That's where I fell from."

It was then Amias noticed the several holes in the ceiling. Did Lyle crash through several floors?

"A-are you okay?"

Lyle scoffed. "What? You think I do all that training because I look forward to destroying my muscles? It pays off. Tell (Y/n) that as well. I know she's been avoiding our early morning sessions."

"I think it was because you made her do push-ups with you on her back..."

Lyle looked like he saw absolutely nothing wrong with it. "She managed, didn't she?"

"... Hold onto me, I'll take us to the rooftop."

As soon as Amias teleported to the rooftop, he didn't have a moment to spare for a quick survey of his surroundings. Amias's instincts kicked in and he teleported out of the apparition's way. Lyle only needed to leap thanks to his stronger legs and superior athletic ability.

Amias readied himself to take action. Before he could, a flash of dark blue stepped in front of him. An ethereal blade manifested from her hand and she swiftly defended against the apparition attack. However, it wasn't enough to exorcise it.

Jade turned back to Amias. "Are you alright?"

"I am, thank you."

Amias got a better look at the apparitions. Their sizes towered over all three of them and the temperature was bitingly cold near it. Amias could imagine frost creeping up his skin. He also noticed there were some support members nearby. None of which he recognised. There were five people, two were too injured to walk.

I wonder if Lilly, Ness and Lucas are doing okay.

"I'll take them back to safety," Amias said.

However, he wouldn't be able to directly teleport them somewhere safe.

"All of them by yourself?" Lyle asked. "You're better off helping us get rid of the apparitions first."

Lyle had a point. As much as Amias didn't want to put these people in harm's way, it was unrealistic for him to manage five people to safety.

"I'll focus on keeping the support members safe and help from the sidelines."

"I'll take defence," Jade said.

Lyle flexed his fingers. "That leaves me at offence."

With practised efficiency, Amias created a barrier to protect the support members. There were other apparitions aside from the clusters. Not as big of a threat, but can be if left ignored. Amias conjured a wave of electricity, exorcising them; a beautiful golden glow momentarily bathed the scene.

Okay. Amias took a deep breath. Things are going well—

A sudden deafening clamour weighed heavily on his body, reminiscent of a turbulent rush of wind in the midst of a storm. Amias's muscles tensed and his senses were on high alert. He immediately thickened the barrier in hopes of muffling the sound for the support members. The sound wasn't as bad as the shrieks of the apparitions from the SF trial, but it still made him a little disoriented for a moment.

More apparitions flooded the area, some of them even had developed ice-like characteristics.

Amias mumbled, "The silver apparition..."

Lyle scoffed. "Sounds like he's getting desperate. By the way, are Caleb and (Y/n) the only ones fighting him?"

"(Y/n) and I left together."

"The hell? So it's just Caleb alone?"

Amias shook his head. "He's with... James."

"What?" Lyle furrowed his eyebrows. "Explain that to me later."

This was Amias's first time working with Jade, so a part of him was keen to observe how she was in action. Jade was able to break apart any ice that came towards them whilst also covering for Lyle's blind spots.

For the ice to reach here as well... I wonder what's the situation with the silver apparition.

Jade's weapon was an extension of her exorcism ability, allowing her to manipulate it to her will whether it'd be splitting her sword into two, enlarging the weapon, or shrinking it for precision. Changing the form to adapt to the situation seemed as natural as breathing to her. The constant manipulation required intense focus, precision, and practice.

I understand why (Y/n) looks up to her so much.

"I'll handle the smaller apparitions," Jade said. "You two focus on the main apparitions."

Jade distanced herself from Lyle and Amias. At that Lyle, turned over to Amias.

"Put up a barrier and move out of the way, make sure it's your strongest," he instructed. "No need to do anything else, just focus on maintaining the barrier."

"Huh? Why should I move out of the way––"

"Just listen to me." Lyle's voice was stern and commanding, a clear indicator of his days as an offence team leader. "I can finish this off in a few minutes."

Time was of the essence and Amias had a feeling asking questions would do more harm than good.

Caleb's barrier is much studier than mine, but this should do.

Amias hesitantly stepped off to the side and the support members' eyes widened in panic. All Amias could do was offer the most reassuring smile he could. Lyle stepped in front of the shielded support members and waited for the apparitions to come to them. When the apparitions did, rather than attempting to exorcise them, Lyle stepped out of the way.

The support members screamed when the apparitions crashed against the barrier. Amias's first instinct was to rush over and protect them.

"Don't. Stay right there."

Lyle's command was faster than Amias's movements. Amias shot him a concerned expression as a million thoughts ran through his mind. Maybe he could exorcise them from afar? But Lyle's tone suggested that Amias stayed where he was and did not interfere.

I guess the best thing to do is make sure the barrier doesn't break.

Lyle's red eyes illuminated and he began engraving target marks on the apparitions. Fixated on the support members, the apparitions remained oblivious. Normally, Lyle would've fired the bullets by now. However, he was still harnessing more power, adding more target marks on the apparition. The apparition kept furiously thrashing against the shield, electric sparks were flying and the support members' shouts of panic grew louder.

"Lyle! Hurry up!"

"We'll die at this rate!"

"Shut up..." Lyle mumbled. "Well, the noise acts as a good distraction for the apparitions..."

Finally, a barrage of bullets relentlessly fired at the apparitions. Amias had to squint his eyes a little from the rapid succession of flashes. After what seemed to be no more than a few seconds, things calmed down and Amias couldn't feel the presence of the apparition anymore.

Amias glanced around. "They're all gone."

Lyle sighed. "Finally. Couldn't do this before because there was no way in hell Jade would follow along this plan."

Amias frowned at that. "So it's fine if it's with me?"

"You're not stubborn like anyone else. It's a good thing, sometimes."

Amias pouted. "I'm going to be more stubborn then."

Lyle laughed. "Feel free."

Jade had just finished exorcising the apparitions on her end. With how flashy Lyle's attack was, there was no way she didn't notice what happened.

"Lyle, that was reckless!" With a frown of disapproval on her face, she approached the two men. "The apparition could have hurt them before you managed to exorcise it."

"I needed time to accumulate power and I needed to be sure this was going to take it out in one hit." Lyle showed his hands. "Anymore without rest and I'd risk paralysing my hands. Dragging it out and playing it safe was a stupid idea considering we have more fights after this." Lyle glanced over to the support members. "At least these deadweights were good for distraction."

Jade's lips pressed into a tight line. "Don't say that."

"They were supposed to be protecting the citizens but decided to try and make a break for it without even bothering to treat the injured. Hell, they couldn't even run properly and waltzed in while we were busy." Lyle scoffed. "Can't believe I fell through several ceilings because of them."

One of the support members spoke up, a middle-aged man. "Just because we don't have exorcism powers like you, doesn't mean we're useless."

A younger woman followed his words, "We're not meat shields!"

"Being an SF member doesn't give you a pass to be a d––"

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Lyle snapped. The confidence in the support members went out like a light. "I've seen support members half your age show better initiative. Quit victimising yourself. The point isn't because you're a support member, it's because you're AEI members yet showed no desire to perform your job. You signed up knowing you'd be in danger. Yet, you cower at the sight of it. Seems to me you only got this job to reap its benefits, not because you care about protecting citizens. Why should I respect someone like that?"

That was a flaw in the AEI system you mentioned in passing where people who desired the benefits that the AEI provided became support members and did the bare minimum for the job. Amias always wondered why the chairman hadn't implemented some sort of rule that prevented this from happening.

Jade was quiet for a moment. "You have every right to be frustrated," she told Lyle, her voice controlled and empathetic. "But I don't want you to play a role in someone's death. Even if they're someone you dislike, the heavy burden of that will be difficult to shoulder."

Lyle narrowed his eyes. "Think about the lives lost because of incompetent people like them in the AEI."

"I..." She glanced over to the support members. "My point is––"

"I agree with Lyle."

Amias's attention was drawn towards the rooftop's entrance at the sound of a new voice. When the individual revealed herself and entered the rooftop, Amias realised it was Brynn. Immediately, he frowned.

"So you do know how to frown at someone," Lyle commented, a hint of amusement in his tone. However, that amusement quickly dropped when he turned to Brynn. "Don't suddenly insert yourself into our conversation. Did you think I'd appreciate your comment or something?"

"I'm not saying it for your approval. I simply think Jade's way of thinking is naive." Brynn glanced over to Amias. "Like (Y/n)."

Amias furrowed his eyebrows at her comment.

"Brynn, cut it out. You're acting like a child. It's embarrassing," Lyle said. "Be useful and take these support members somewhere where they can't be a hassle."

"Why should I? I have better things to do––"

"I'll come with you," Amias said. "It'll be good to clear the path on the way and look for any other injured."

Brynn narrowed her eyes at Amias, but he met her gaze without faltering. Even Lyle's glare when he was utterly exhausted held more authority than hers.

"Fine," she muttered. "Whatever."

Amias nodded before looking over Jade and Lyle.

"I'll be heading off now. Good luck."

Jade smiled. "Yes, thank you for your help."

"See ya," Lyle said. "And tell (Y/n) I better not see her half-dead by the end of this."

A teasing smile was on Amias's lips. "Are you worried?"

"..."

Amias laughed softly to himself before exiting the rooftop. Perhaps Caleb and Cecil's playful nature had influenced him.

Thanks to his ability to teleport, it didn't take long for him and Brynn to bring the support members to safety. There was a shelter within the AEI building specifically for emergencies. Inside was a mix of important guests from the announcement assembly and citizens who were nearby the building that needed immediate treatment. The area was busy and was filled with support members; skilled doctors and nurses tending to the injured and calming patients down.

Amias came across your previous support team on the way. They seemed to be doing well, treating the injured and keeping things under control.

"How is (Y/n) doing?" Lily asked, she was able to skillfully tend to a severe wound while holding a conversation.

"We split up a while ago, unfortunately," Amias replied. "But she was in good health the last time I saw her."

Lilly frowned at that. "I see..."

"She'll be fine!" Ness chirped in. She offered the patient Lilly was tending to a water bottle. "It's (Y/n) we're talking about. I bet she's doing everything with a confident smile."

Lucas added, "If anything, I feel bad for whatever she's up against."

Amias smiled at them. Seeing the three made him miss his earlier days being the support team.

"I'll get going now," Amias said. "Keep up the good work."

"Good luck!" Ness cheered. "Those apparitions got nothing on you."

"Tell (Y/n) she owes me lunch for losing the bet!" Lucas yelled.

Lilly followed Lucas's words with, "Please tell her that she must come here to treat her injuries!"

Amias laughed and waved at the trio. Amias checked around the shelter, offering instructions for some AEI members when needed. He forgot for a moment that, as an SF member, he had the highest authority there and was someone who people turned to for guidance. He also found out that the operation design division was updating everyone on different areas and their danger levels, essentially giving a heads-up on the kinds of apparitions that were occupying each space.

In the distance, Amias caught a glimpse of Brynn leaving the area. At that, he teleported next to her. The woman flinched at his sudden presence. Amias forgot only SF members were used to his abrupt teleportation.

"What do you want?"

"We should stick together. It's dangerous to go alone."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't underestimate me."

"I'm just being cautious."

Brynn and Amias stuck together but worked separately. Amias had dealt with difficult AEI members before, but Brynn was a lot more complicated to work with given that she seemed to have a personal vendetta against you. The two entered the room, in which Amias quickly recognised was the same one where the SF teams were announced. There were a few apparitions around and he took care of them.

Brynn sighed. "What am I doing here?"

"Sorry?"

"I should be doing more important tasks, like fighting the silver apparition" she replied. "Just get (Y/n) to stuff like this."

Again. Could she go a few hours without bringing you up in a negative light? "What are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing."

"No," Amias snapped. He was surprised by how firm his voice was. "Elaborate."

Brynn noticed his shift in demeanour. "So you do get angry. Here I was thinking you were someone who would apologise for exorcising an apparition."

Brynn walked up the stairs towards the stage. She stood in front of the podium, which was chipped away and scratched due to all the commotion.

"From the moment I was born I worked hard to climb the ladder and who shows up and takes my place? Some random girl who decided to put in some effort a few months ago." Brynn laughed bitterly. "Are you kidding me?"

"(Y/n) has worked hard as well. You don't know what she's been through," Amias replied.

"Sure she might've done some work, but a whole lot of it was luck. She started off as a support member, which had the easiest test to get into the AEI. And now because she can work with some apparitions and withstand a few possessions she gets to be an SF member?"

With every word she spoke, Amias felt his patience thin out. He was usually a wonderful listener, a mediator to many arguments. However, this time Amias need to dig his fingers into his palms to not interrupt Brynn. Amias would love to list how much hard work you put in, showing up to early morning training, constantly keeping track of what was going on in the AEI, and how you were extremely knowledgeable and could adapt to any situation. But he had a feeling Brynn wouldn't care.

"You're making a lot of assumptions," he said. "I think your judgement is clouded because you're jealous of (Y/n)."

That struck a nerve and Brynn glared at Amias. "Don't you dare deem all of this as just a child's envy."

"Well, you weren't selected," Amias said. "Please accept that and move on. I think you're doing very well in your current position––"

"It's not right. That position as an SF should've been mine, I fulfil all the qualifications. If the chairman wanted to keep an apparition-possessing freak around, he could dump her elsewhere. Why the hell would he keep an anomaly in such a well-regarded position? I should just..." She sighed. "Whatever."

Amias felt something sharp prick his conscience and an ugly sensation gnawed at his chest––it wasn't overwhelming, but escalated the more seconds elapsed. It was a horrible feeling, one he couldn't quite grasp but recognised very well. He felt it back then when the woman grabbed you by the collar.

Calm down, deescalate the feeling.

Amias kept repeating that in his mind, his breathing growing a little quicker and uneven.

"I'm leaving," Brynn said. "You can play knight and guard the emergency shelter if you want. The silver apparition won't exorcise itself."

Before Brynn could take a step, Amias teleported in front of her, blocking her way. The woman scoffed at him.

"What?"

"I noticed something," Amias said. "You've forgotten our positions here. I'm an SF member and you're a division leader. (Y/n) is also an SF member. This kind of disrespect shouldn't be tolerated, right?"

"Oh?" Brynn folded her arms. "Playing the authority card now?"

It wasn't like Amias to be confrontational, but this was necessary, especially if it related to you. Knowing you, you'd try to empathise with Brynn and figure out the root cause of her behaviour. Amias would've thought the same on normal occasions.

He didn't want to even bother with that this time.

"Yes," Amias said. "I hope you understand the repercussions behind your words."

Brynn scoffed. "This is a waste of time—"

A sudden rumble resonated from the ceiling, and it took no longer than a few seconds for it to come crashing down. On reflex, Amias teleported out of the way, leaving Brynn to barely dodge the heavy debris. Normally, his instincts would yell at him to protect the nearest person. Amias could've easily grabbed Brynn and teleported her with him.

However, he didn't.

With an annoyed grunt, Brynn ripped off a part of her clothes to wrap around her leg.

Looks like she scraped her leg pretty badly.

A part of him was thinking of ways to aid her and the other part simply wanted to glance over her state. In fact, Amias's first words would usually be 'are you okay?' or his first actions would be to rush over to check up on Brynn. However, his current thoughts were 'she'll be fine' and his first action was to scout the area for apparitions.

Streams of apparitions flowed in and the temperature drastically dropped.

Time to get to work.

Amias exorcised the apparitions as usual. This time, however, a pale yellow holographic screen flashed in front of him.

[ LEVEL UP! ]

[CURRENT LEVEL: 30 ]

[ New skill unlocked! ]

A new skill?

If you were around, Amias would immediately ask for your assistance. Well, he could always do so later.

"I guess I can test it out now..."

Learning the ability only required him to manually select it on the screen. The skill was embedded into his nerves and written instructions on how to use it were engraved in his mind.

Due to his minute of inaction, apparitions began densely surrounding Amias. He didn't even realise they were trying to possess him. With gold eyes illuminating a beautiful radiance, Amias outstretched a hand and engulfed the apparitions in a tornado-like surge of electric light.

His eyes widened in disbelief at his own power as he gazed at his hands. Amias was never one to flaunt his strength or dwell on how strong he was compared to everyone else. However, at this moment, he was distinctly aware of how powerful he was.

"Something like an AOE attack, as (Y/n) would say," Amias mumbled.

"Do you mind?!"

Oh, right. Brynn was still in the room. Amias returned her annoyed yell with an absentminded 'I'll be more careful' before continuing to exorcise the rest of the apparitions. The more he did so, the stronger he became.

The better of a weapon he could be for you.

You grabbed onto Amias's hand. Sparks of electricity flickered around him and you waited for him to teleport. But he never did. He couldn't. When Amias tried to, a wave of fatigue would crash into him.

Amias winced and stumbled back. With trembling fingers and a pale face, he raised a hand to his head. "What just... My vision..."

Whilst Amias was trying to gather his thoughts he felt a harsh shove to his chest.

"(Y/n)––?"

The next thing he saw was a building crashing right into you.

Because of his incompetence during the SF trial, you got hurt. Because he wasn't good enough, you had to deal with an irregular apparition possessing you. When you needed his help, he failed to deliver.

He was never going to let that happen ever again.

Barely a few minutes passed once Amias was done. Using the reflection of his device as a mirror, Amias wiped some dust off his cheeks. From an outsider's perspective, his expression looked far too calm and innocent for someone who had just mercilessly exorcised waves upon waves of apparitions.

Amias straightened his tie and flexed his fingers. As he glanced down, he noticed his hair had been undone. Thankfully, he had a spare hair tie and used it to style his hair in a high ponytail. Once that was done, Amias finally searched around for Brynn. A part of him expected her to leave the scene, so he was surprised that she was still present.

Brynn was on the stage floor, it seemed like she had sprained her ankle and had hurt her arm. Preoccupied with stopping the bleeding, she didn't notice what was going on above her.

The lights were dangling precariously. It looked like all it needed was someone to breathe a little heavily in its direction and it would collapse. Amias could easily teleport and push Brynn out of the way, he could warn her and it would be enough for her to narrowly dodge it.

However, Amias simply stood there. Watching.

Unsurprisingly, a loud crash resonated followed by a pained scream. Guilt, panic—anything. Amias expected to feel a rush of negative emotions.

Yet, he didn't.

Instead, there was a subtle sense of satisfaction. Amias casually walked onto the stage. He glanced around the debris as if merely observing an abandoned sight.

"You..." Brynn's voice was strained. Her body was flat against the ground as she lifted her head up to meet Amias's eyes. "You just watched, didn't you?"

"You failed to recognise the danger."

"You're unbelievable," she spat out. "Behind that friendly mask, you're actually sick, aren't you?"

That was his image, wasn't it? A harmless but comportment member of the SF, one who would save anyone, one who was always impartial and kind. That still felt like who he was. However...

It was okay to get mad from time to time, right?

... Was it wrong? The feeling didn't settle right with his morals, with who he was; yet it was the answer that kept persisting in his mind. It felt both wrong and right.

However, with Brynn gone, you had one less thing to worry about. Who knows what she would pull due to her hostility towards you? Yes. What he did was a good thing. Being useful when you need him was not enough. He needed to also take independent action that would help you.

I doubt she would approve. (Y/n) is too nice.

Well, it wasn't like you needed to know about this. This was going to be his little secret that even you wouldn't know of.

"Ah!" A realisation struck Amias. "You might report me. People know (Y/n) and I are close, if I get in trouble, it'll cause trouble for her as well. That's an issue."

Brynn gritted her teeth. "Is she all you fucking think about?"

"Yes," Amias responded plainly. "My life is based around her."

Amias hummed. It looked like he was thinking about what colour yarn he should use to make a scarf, not covering up incriminating evidence. Let's see... security cameras were likely destroyed due to his excessive use of electricity. In any case, he doubted anyone would have a reason to investigate them unless a problem arose.

Amias kneeled down, his head tilting to the side. His innocuous gaze had become half-lidded, a look of indifference overtaking them. His voice, though soft, carried a threatening undertone, reminiscent of a subtle touch of the sharp edge of a blade.

"Do I make sure you're unable to speak?"

A choked gasp left Brynn. Even her messy red hair that fell over her eyes couldn't hide the look of fear in them. Finally, her arrogance was diminishing.

"It's not like I want to do this," Amias gently said, like a mother persuading their child that taking a bitter medicine was for their own good. "But I really don't want you to bother (Y/n) anymore."

Amias was in thought for a moment. Ah! He removed Brynn's gloves and chucked them away. Brynn's eyes darted to the tossed-out gloves then back to Amias in panic.

"You're confident that the position of an SF member should be yours..." Amias stood up. His usual warm gold eyes looked at her coldly. "Then you can take care of yourself."

"W-wait—"

Amias pulled up the holographic screen and teleported out of the room. In a blink of an eye, he found himself inside a library. Apparitions noticed his presence and came straight for him, but he utilised his new skill and cleared the area in less than a few seconds.

Shouldn't overdo it. After all, you might need his help. He should conserve his stamina.

Amias took a deep breath and calmed himself down. The library made him feel at peace, it reminded him of you. With a quiet space and only himself as a company, Amias began to reflect a little.

"That was wrong of me," he mumbled. "But... I don't feel bad."

What would the others think? Jade would definitely disapprove. Lyle would hate the fact that Amias intentionally put someone in harm's way when he didn't need to—No. He did need to. Amias did it so she would not get in your way anymore. If he had let her continue, who knows what trouble she might've caused.

"It was the right thing to do," Amias assured himself. "Let's not dwell on it anymore."

Amias used to feel so useless. He had abilities he could use, yet couldn't prove to be useful to you. He would follow you to the ends of the earth, but if he wanted to be truly worthy to stand beside you, he needed to take some independent action.

"Then, the most obvious thing that will stand in (Y/n)'s way is..."

The system. An entity Amias had little knowledge of and likely had little power against. How would he even begin to tackle that problem?

[ Are you thinking of rebelling against me? ]

Amias's eyes widened when a flash of yellow manifested in front of him.

"Rebelling?"

Amias's voice almost came out as desperate. The system rarely communicated to him. This was a rare opportunity to gather information.

[ I'm not the problem, if that's what you're thinking ]

Amias frowned. "I find it hard to trust your words."

[ I'll put the truth out simply, then. A world needs someone to have control to maintain order, regulate its issues and ensure the best possible outcome ]

[ You are that person. I've said it once in the past and I'll say it again. You have control, why do you refuse to use it to your advantage? ]

Because he hated the feeling of having control, especially when he had no idea how to use it. That's why you brought so much comfort to him, it was because you offered a sense of reassurance.

[ I didn't bring that anomaly to this world. Someone else did ]

[ I don't have control over her presence in this world ]

Amias bit back a remark at how the system associated you with a negative connotation.

[ Someone else wanted to change this world's fate through a different means. That person brought her here. You two are our pawns, essentially ]

[ But you could easily win ]

[ (Y/n) has no control over you resetting ]

[ She is uncertain, you have certainty ]

This world? Just what was this world? What was this city to Amias and what was this city to you?

"But why?" Amias asked. "Why are there two competing entities?"

[ ... ]

Seems like he won't be getting any more answers.

But I did learn something new.

If the system was telling the truth, then there was another similar entity that was likely communicating with you. That entity had a goal in mind for you. It was complicated. However, there was one thing Amias was certain of.

"So, you're against (Y/n)," Amias said. "In that case, that makes you my enemy."





A/n: Amias yandere arc BEGINS

Also Sara perspective !! And some Lyle development !! he doesn't hate ALL support members anymore horray.