"Writing again?"

A woman murmured sleepily as she entered a dimly lit living room, putting on a night robe to combat the night's cold air. She approached the couch where she saw her son sitting with his knees close to his chest, a notepad resting on it and a pencil in hand. A little boy with a fluffy head of white hair––which had signs of obvious bedhead that would evoke a chuckle out of anyone––and silver eyes glanced over to the woman. With a short nod of his head, he replied,

"Yes."

"That's fine and all..." A yawn left the woman, her words slowing down a little towards the end. "Except for the fact that it's three in the morning, not a time for kids to be awake. Especially a growing boy, Shen."

Shen frowned. "But I was curious."

"Too curious to sleep?"

The child's attention slowly melted away from his mother as he went back to writing. "Mhm."

"And he's back to his little research." The woman chuckled, taking a seat on the sofa next to him. "What are you writing about?"

"I was curious about how animals and insects become apparitions."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

There was a little sparkle in the child's eye. His gaze didn't leave the paper, but he sat a little straighter. "We know that apparitions come from someone's strong will to survive, so much so that it goes past the typical norms of life and death."

When it came to Shen's research topics, the child could speak more eloquently than any adult.

"That means animals, especially wild ones, should show this the most. Based on that, I was thinking how the world would..." He paused for a moment, trying to find the right words. "Operate if it wasn't a city––like a jungle or something."

The mother's features softened adoringly and she ruffled her son's hair. "Look at you working your brain."

"I feel like you're teasing me..."

"I can assure you that I'm not." She laughed at Shen's doubtful pout. "Do you want to be a researcher when you grow up?"

This scene took place half a century ago. It was a time when the AEI didn't exist, but a research facility that ran tests on apparitions did. Exorcism responsibilities fell onto law enforcement, such as police officers and firefighters.

"I do." The child's eager actions betrayed his calm expression as he flipped a page before showing his mother his notepad. "Look, I drew diagrams and pictures."

"Oh!" The woman struggled to find the right words. "Those are... nice."

The child huffed quietly. "I'll improve."

Little spoiler here, but he never did.

"There are so many things I want to know, like if it's possible to work with apparitions or even survive several possessions," Shen rambled. "I don't like how people hate investigating questions around apparitions. There has to be a reason behind their existence and I want to understand it."

Shen's mother nodded, smiling supportively. However, her fingers did begin tapping against her thigh in worry. "Shen, I don't want to discourage you, but—"

"I know. I shouldn't say this to others, Dad makes it very clear." The child fiddled with his pencil, a frown on his lips. "But there has to be someone who thinks like me, or someone who can work with apparitions."

The woman smiled. "I'm sure you'll meet that someone."

"They should also like books," he added, a serious expression on his face. "Because I like books."

Despite the fact that Shen could hold adult conversations at a young age, he was still a kid at heart.

The woman laughed, her silver eyes crinkling in adoration. "I'm sure they'll like books as well."

The child returned the smile. "I'd like to meet someone like that. We can be friends and even work together."



===



A sharp pain struck Shen's abdomen due to James' leg, propelling the silver apparition backward. With his lack of hand-to-hand combat experience, he had no knowledge of how to land efficiently or utilise his weight to minimise the force. Instinctively, Shen utilised his ice abilities to break the momentum.

Upon regaining his footing, Shen's eyes vigilantly searched the space.

(Y/n), where's (Y/n)?

You were nowhere to be found. Gone. Ah, that's right... You had left with Amias. Your expression panicked upon checking your device, leading you to leave in a rush. What could be so important? More important than remaining here with Shen?

"Hey, don't get distracted now."

It was Caleb's voice. He was walking over to Shen with a bounce in his step, hands in his pockets, and a smile on his features; a demeanour too casual for the current tense atmosphere.

"Or are you not taking this seriously? That hurts, you know. But you shouldn't treat this lightly." Caleb's voice dipped to a menacing tone, yet his smile remained. "Or you might lose your head."

James rejoined Caleb, standing beside him. "Has your personality gotten worse over the past few years?"

Caleb shrugged, his nonchalant behaviour contrasting the affection in his eyes when he glanced at James. Vise versa; James's features would relax around Caleb. Shen knew that James cared for Caleb despite his conflicts. The silver apparition was unfamiliar with brotherly relations, but he was familiar with what it was like to care for someone. He had you to thank for that.

"Dunno, we can always catch up after this. You still need to explain why you had a sudden change of heart. But for now..." Caleb's gaze drifted to Shen. "Let's focus on that guy."

The brothers nodded at each other. Caleb assumed the lead whilst James focused on support, James's ability to manipulate wind clashed with Shen's ability to manipulate blizzards and snow. The two fought for control over the environment.

Shen doubted James would remain in the background. As James was an apparition as well, his attacks would physically land on Shen. Hand-to-hand combat was a weak point of Shen's that would surely be exploited. They were likely waiting for the right moment to utilise that card.

"Where are you looking?"

Caleb had closed the gap and directed an explosive force towards Shen, the power reminiscing a powerful projectile. Shen managed to conjure a defensive wall of ice to counter it, which shattered upon impact.

Caleb's way of combat was unpredictable and loose, a stark contrast to Shen's methodically structured moves. Whilst Shen's techniques could be seen as predictable, his overwhelming strength ensured that even if opponents anticipated his attacks, it still didn't make things easy for them. However, Shen had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Caleb adapted. The apparition supposed he should begin changing things up.

He's fast.

Keeping track of Caleb's movements was difficult, Shen's eyes were constantly darting around. Caleb displayed remarkable flexibility and dynamism in his actions; akin to ink smoothly flowing across paper. From his footwork to his exorcism techniques, each was executed with fluidity. James would often conjure a wind-like shield to defend Caleb's blind spots, leaving Caleb to focus on offence.

Using the icy terrain to aid his movements, Caleb skillfully slid down the glaciers and launched an attack from above. Shen swiftly directed the explosion away, the idea that the attack served as a distraction crossed his mind, so he refused to leave his eyes off Caleb.

To Shen's surprise, Caleb didn't continue his attacks. Instead, he created a barrier around the two. As Caleb landed, he raised his arms in a gesture of surrender, a display that contradicted his confident smile.

"I know you can sneeze a little and break this barrier, but hold back for a bit, yeah? I wanted to talk. You seem like the kind of guy who likes business meetings, so this should be up your alley," Caleb said. "It's about Miss Support, my favourite person."

Shen's eyes narrowed at the warmth in Caleb's tone as he addressed you. The exorcist held up ten fingers and asked, "On a scale of one to ten, how much do you like her?"

Shen was quick to respond. "I don't have to disclose that information to you."

"Aww, don't be like that. I bet you weren't fun in school, like a certain coffee addict I know."

Shen sighed. He wanted to cut the conversation short and continue the fight, but there was a chance he could learn something about you from this, learn more about your relationship with Caleb.

"Now, you see, this is a little bit of a rough situation." Caleb clasped his hands. Shen noticed that he was very animated with them. "I care for her a lot, you know? The last thing I want is to see her sad. She could smile once and I'd be in the kitchen making her favourite dishes."

Shen felt something unpleasant at the imagery of you and Caleb being close, going about your daily lives, him being able to see you several times a day––it was a feeling he wished to grab a knife and carve out. Yet, he also couldn't stop thinking about sharing a normal life with you himself. Shen would love to see other sides of you. When you've just woken up, what you look like when you eat, when you're sleepy, or when you're engrossed in a book in the library.

Library...

It would be nice to read a book with you someday.

"... Which is why I wanna know how much you mean to her." Oh, Caleb was still talking. "I know you're an apparition and human emotions are novel to you, but murdering someone that the person you like cares for is a pretty bad move."

"You're acting under the assumption that you can hurt me," Shen replied. Though, he couldn't deny the fact that he felt happy at the idea of you caring for him. "You shouldn't get ahead of yourself."

"A confident one, are we? Well, I guess you deserve it. Even with all the people you've fought, you're still alive and kicking––is alive an insensitive term? Is there an urban dictionary for terms that are offensive to apparitions?"

Shen simply shot Caleb a tired look. For a moment there, the silver apparition felt bad for everyone who had to deal with Caleb on a daily basis.

"I would be quite disappointed if my body was weak despite being cultivated for years in a lab."

Going in and out of consciousness, trying to discern what was happening to his body, unfamiliar shackles that restricted his autonomy, being the one researched on when he was once the researcher––it was a time when Shen felt nothing, yet that monotonous feeling of numbness felt worse than death.

"Fair enough. I would pry and ask more about that, but I have a feeling you won't tell me," Caleb said. "Ahhh, how complicated. Now I'm at a loss for what to do. Thing is..." With a slight tilt of his head, the exorcist tapped his temple. "If I lose Miss Support, I might lose a bit of this. Can't risk anyone hurting her."

Shen's gaze grew sharp. "You think I'd hurt her?"

"Maybe not intentionally." Caleb hummed, a finger resting against his lips as his green eyes immersed in thought. "Look, I took one psychology elective, so I'm not that bad at social cues. You were far more... let's say hostile when you saw how close Miss Support and I were. That's jealously spelt out in bold words. I'm very curious about what went behind the scenes between you two. But! I won't dig, I'll respect the privacy. And the mystery is pretty thrilling as well."

Caleb... Talked a lot. Fighting him was less tiring than holding a conversation.

He mentioned jealously. Jealous... Envy––was that what it was? Caleb's words prompted a memory of an early conversation Shen had with you.

"Uh, Shen. Are you jealous?"

Shen's usual indifferent expression morphed into a rare look of surprise.

"That couldn't..." He paused and thought about it for a moment, a troubled look on his face. "Could I be...?"

"Clearly, you're dangerous." Caleb sighed. "And the last thing I need is to lose Miss Support to a snowman."

Well, that caught Shen's attention. "A... what?"

"Or a snowball? Dude with long eyelashes? Dunno, still working on it."

"Are we done here?"

"Yeah, made no progress. Reminds me of my group projects in high school. Fun times." Caleb grinned. "Let's get back to where we were, shall we?"

With an enthusiastic clap of his hands, Caleb dispersed the barrier. In an instant, James was behind Shen. The silver apparition expected as much and managed to swiftly dodge his attack. It was like time had paused before and had now resumed with the sudden surge in intensity.

Against his better judgment, Shen began to dwell on Caleb's words. A danger to you... Shen had no plans to endanger you. You were the last person he wanted to hurt. Yet, you two were still considered as enemies. You two would face more fights with each other than ordinary times. The thought made him feel a little sad.

Don't waver. Keep your resolve.

An equal world, a world where apparitions served a purpose, a world where all research was welcomed, a world where no information was oppressed or shunned. That was what Shen wanted when he was alive. This time, he had the ability to change things, to make that a reality. And he would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit of spite for being a test subject for so many decades.

Before my mind slips away and I give into my apparition instincts, I need to take action.

It was a constant fight between his normal self and his apparition instincts. At times he'd have thoughts that were out of character for him. Even now whispers crawled into his mind when his eyes set on Caleb.

Kill him. He's a threat to you and your connection to the one you care about most. Get rid of him.

Shen didn't want to lose himself like that. Not when he finally found the someone he had been searching for all this time, the someone he dreamed of meeting ever since he was a child. When he saw you again, he wanted to express his feelings properly.

"My chest feels light when my thoughts wander to you. For the past few months, you're often on my mind. And the idea of you remaining by my side pleases me," he said. "So? What is it that I'm feeling?"

"Question, if it were between you and me and one of us had to die, who would you save?"

"Myself. Why?"

"... Not even a second thought about me?"

"Why should I? It's logical to prioritise myself." The apparition tilted his head. "Though, I supposed it would be a shame if you died."

Shen's feelings have drastically changed since then. It wouldn't just be a 'shame' if you died, Shen would be devastated. And when it came to it, Shen had a strong feeling that, against his better judgment for survival as an apparition, he would put himself in danger to save you.

"I suppose..." Shen mumbled, taking a step back as he watched Caleb defend against an avalanche of snow. "... I do love you."

If Shen ever lost to his primal apparition instincts, he hoped you could be the one to exorcise him––he would gladly offer his body to you to experiment on, pick him apart and use him to further knowledge on apparitions. But for now, Shen couldn't relinquish any sort of control yet. Yes, working with you always came up in his mind. However, as much as he admired and respected you, your methods were vague and would take too long.

"Wow, you've been lost in thought this entire time." Caleb laughed. "What are you thinkin' so hard about?"

As soon as Caleb's words were delivered, a sharp force rushed past Shen, stinging his cheek. It was James, he managed to land a hit that was reminiscent of a blade made from wind. Apparitions couldn't bleed, so what happened instead was that there was a small gap in Shen's cheek before it was regenerated.

Shen felt his cheek. Not as effective as an exorcist I believe. Fascinating.

Shen wondered if apparitions could exorcist one another. It was certainly an anomalous thought, considering that the very idea challenged many aspects of what an apparition should be. The silver apparition had the urge to grab a pen and notepad to jot down his thoughts and hypotheses.

A boom clamoured from behind Shen, and he quickly discerned that Caleb had broken the wall. The apparition could see the city's roads and buildings. Next, James commanded a torrent of wind to propel Shen back. It was far stronger than usual, the relentless wind felt like a metal door was pushing against Shen. Fighting against it was an inefficient use of his energy, so Shen went outside the AEI building on his own accord.

Shen landed and glanced around his surroundings. An open space, presumably for training and exercise. There were a few AEI members around. Did James bring him outside so that reinforcements could reach him faster?

"Well, do your best..." Shen mumbled, snapping his fingers and immediately overwhelming the stray AEI members with his abilities. His gaze grew cold at their screams and panicked shouts. "Bring as much help as you need."

Not long after, Caleb landed on the ground with precise footwork.

"Ah, man. I haven't felt like this in a while." He took a deep breath, as if relishing the moment. "I've been growing soft lately. Maybe it's because Miss Support is so nice; her influence might be rubbing off on me."

The nearby AEI members groggily stood up, still recovering from Shen's previous attack. Seeing their state reminded Shen of the minimal effort he needed to put in to render most people unable to fight. The AEI members looked to Caleb, awaiting his orders. Caleb looked over at them with a sigh, he didn't spend more than a few seconds acknowledging who they were.

"Don't stick around here, you'll slow me down." With a dismissive hand gesture, he urged them away; for such a casual motion, it carried a prominent air of authority. "Go and take care of other things."

Immediately, they left the scene.

"This is kind of giving me deja vu..." Caleb mumbled. "Oh, right! When I first met Miss Support. She was the only one who stayed to watch me exorcise the vengeful apparition. Ah, good times––"

Shen snapped his fingers and a surge of ice rushed towards Caleb. The exorcist dodged the attack with an amused whistle.

"Woah, eager for a fight, are we? No complaints." Caleb crackled his knuckles. "Letting loose like this is cheaper than therapy."

"Considering how much you get paid," James said, approaching Caleb. "I don't think you should be complaining about money."

"I'm saving up."

"For?"

"My wedding with Miss Support––"

"You still have the strength to mess around," Shen snapped. His tone was indifferent, yet harsh.

"You're too serious. Lighten up a bit!" A green glow illuminated from Caleb's palm. "I can help you with that."

"I don't need your assistance." Frost began circulating around Shen's fingertips. "However, I would like to see you try."

This time, James led the attack. Shen couldn't deny that James displayed a superiority in utilising his abilities in unique and creative manners; something that power alone cannot overcome. It was a key reminder that, although an apparition now, James was a seasoned SF member who had garnered years of valuable battle experience whilst Shen was shackled away in a lab, struggling to even form coherent thoughts.

"To think this where our plan led to," Shen said.

James smiled. It looked a lot different from usual, more authentic. "No hard feelings, right?"

"Of course not."

"Then let's do our best."

From behind James, potent waves of light green energy surged towards Shen. Each one dodging James and zeroing in on Shen with unwavering intent. Every survival instinct in his body puppeteered Shen's movements as he defended against the attack. Directing the attacks away with a strong gust of wind, conjuring ice walls––he did everything, and James made sure Shen didn't have an easy time defending either.

The attacks were vicious and powerful. Shen doubted Caleb would maintain such intensity for long. With that in mind, he maneuvered past James and focused on Caleb. Used to his attacks either not landing or not doing detrimental damage––and even if it did, Caleb would brush off the pain with a wide smile and energetic laugh––Shen didn't expect what had happened next.

An unsuspecting ice shard pierced through Caleb's stomach.

The exorcist coughed up blood, and a heavy silence settled in the air. With a trembling hand, Caleb grasped onto the protruding ice, his head hung low, leaving Shen unable to discern his expression.

Then a whisper left him, "Gotcha."

... Gotcha?

Shen's gaze fell to his arm, eyes widening with surprise at the sight of red target marks. Before he could react, a thunderous detonation echoed through the air, accompanied by a searing pain in Shen's right side. No pained shouts or grunts left Shen, but he did inhale sharply.

"Tch." An unfamiliar voice scoffed. "I was hoping to exorcise him entirely."

Speechless, Shen raised his left arm to feel the state of his right arm. When he tried gripping it, only air was in his grasp.

Oh. His arm was gone.

"I was worried you were going to leave me to die before showing up." Caleb chuckled, ripping apart his shirt and using the fabric to stop the bleeding. "Cool entrance, though."

An individual with sharp red eyes and purple hair entered the scene and stood beside Caleb. It took a moment, but Shen recalled his name to be Lyle. It was safe to assume he was the cause of Shen's missing arm.

James seems to be gone as well.

"Honestly, I was tempted," Lyle said. "Can you keep going in that condition?"

"I mean, it didn't hit any vitals and I did brace myself. But I'm gonna tap out for a bit to freshen up. Felt like I've done enough work to slack off for the rest of the year."

"With how you were going, I didn't expect such a responsible answer."

"I still have some senses. Maybe. Dunno. I was slightly tempted to disregard self-preservation because I was so in the zone." Caleb laughed at Lyle's glare. "But! I don't want Miss Support or anyone else to worry, so I'll be a good person and take care of myself." He looked at Shen and smiled. "Thanks for the thrill, you have my respect. I'll be back to finish this off!"

Lyle rolled his eyes and mumbled. "I'll be done by the time you come back."

Shen narrowed his eyes. "You're underestimating me."

"Trust me, underestimating others is the last thing I'd do." Lyle folded his arms. "But with an arm lost and after fighting other exorcists for hours, do you think you can win against four SF members?"

At Lyle's words, Shen scanned his surroundings and saw three others enter the scene.

"Did Caleb call you as well?" Sara asked.

Elias sighed. "I'm pretty sure he sent a text to everyone and hoped one of us would show up."

"Ah."

"Has everyone finished things on their end?" Jade asked.

Elias nodded. "The other AEI members are taking care of the remaining apparitions. So that just means..."

Lyle finished off Elias's sentence as he looked at Shen. "He's the last one."

Shen managed to hold back a bitter chuckle. It was strange, really. Once a respected researcher who held the city's hope, and now the city's antagonist.

If that was the case...

Shen would've liked to face you off as the protagonist rather than these people.

"I'm not going to die here..." he mumbled, his resolve only growing more resolute. Shen's eyes illuminated, a threatening yet captivating beauty.

Yet before either Shen or the SF members could make a move, Lyle's device flashed and emitted a piercing, urgent beep. Shen's eyes widened as a glimpse of your name flashed across the screen. With a raised eyebrow, Lyle swiftly answered the call, only to be met with an unsettling silence.

There was no response.

Anticipation thickly coated the air. Just when Lyle was about to speak, a cacophony of loud, static-like sounds violently tore through the air. There were muffled words, none with discernable messages. Everyone winced in discomfort, Shen included. There was an unfamiliar feeling of discomfort, a gnawing pit in his stomach.

Were you in danger?

Like a flip of a switch, Shen's priorities changed. He needed to go and check up on you. With vigour, he raised his arm and brought down a tumultuous snowstorm, using it as cover to head inside the AEI building. Shen didn't want to think of the worse. You were strong, you were knowledgeable—it was logical to say that he was simply overreacting.

...

But why... why couldn't Shen find a single spec of confidence in his rationale––?

A sudden blaze of searing hot yellow and orange momentarily blinded Shen, cutting his thoughts short. It seemed like the world had paused just for that moment, providing him a cruel opportunity to savour every moment of the pain.

When his eyes finally readjusted, a disconcerting realization set in—there was something incredibly off with his vision. No, it wasn't just his vision. He was also unable to speak no matter how hard he tried to move his lips. A quick glimpse of his reflection in the ice was all he needed to confirm his state.

Oh.

Half of Shen's body had been exorcised. In regards to his face, his entire jaw was gone. The only reason why he was standing as of right now was because he could float as an apparition.

Slowly, Shen turned around and met warm orange eyes––eyes filled with a sense of gentleness that almost made Shen doubtful if the man was a threat. Before him stood a tall brunet, his friendly smile contrasting sharply with the fierce flames that enveloped him. It took little thought to determine that he was the cause of the fire and Shen's near-exorcism.

The silver apparition's eyes... eye trailed to the man's arms. Blood coated them, yet he appeared unharmed.

"Finn, you're back." Elias had caught up to the two of them. "Where were you?"

"... I needed to take care of a few things," Finn mumbled. There was a dim look in his eyes, but he was quick to hide it. "But now I'm here. Do you guys need any help?"



A/n: Everyone's dying smh. Who would do such a thing :( Finn's here tho. Hmmmmmm. Wonder what happened to yn and everyone else then 🤔 🤔

ANYWAYS! I'VE BEEN GNAWING AT THE BARS OF MY IRON CAGE TO WRITE THIS. I was kicking my feet and giggling when I thought up the whole Shen and Finn scene heheheheh

Love writing Anomalous sm aaaa. Also lowkey, if Shen were an SF member, he'd be besties with Elias. Also ALSO, I lowkey missed writing Caleb and his chaotic self lmao. I re-read chapter 2 for reference and mans was a menace at the start of the story dang