"Shen," you whispered, pulling him closer by tugging the sleeve of his lab coat.

Shen's gaze softened at your touch. As an apparition, feeling physical objects was a sensation foreign to him. Shen was glad that it was you out of all people who he could feel the warmth of. Relaxation enveloped the apparition; however, his eyes were quick to widen in surprise at your next words.

"What do you think about possessing me?"

Shen sometimes wondered what it'd be like to experience your headspace, it would allow him to be closer to you and he could discover a side of you no one else had. The sense of exclusivity was appealing. However, at this moment, Shen was against it.

Would doing that hurt you?

That was what Shen would've asked if he could speak.

As if you could read his thoughts, you said, "It should work. Apparitions usually find hosts when they are on the brink of being exorcised, sometimes they heal minor injuries of their host" you mumbled. "So maybe it'll be beneficial for both of us? When you possess me, your natural apparition instincts would be to try and repair the host's body?"

Shen gently shook his head. Yes, your hypothesis was plausible. But you weren't an experiment to him, he didn't want to test it out and risk failure. Shen would be fine if he was at risk, but this was you. It was strange, really. That line of linking went against everything Shen stood for as an apparition. He was supposed to value his own safety over everything else. Yet, when it came to you, you were always his top priority.

Shen supposed the thought of hurting you was worse than dying.

"Please," your voice was barely above a whisper, carrying a vulnerability that could easily make Shen drop everything for you in a heartbeat. "I want to try. I don't want you to leave."

... You wanted him to stay?

Shen knew of happiness. Your presence brought that to him, but this feeling of warmth... this feeling of delight was almost indescribable. He wanted to tenderly hold onto it and never let it disappear.

Shen closed his eyes and thought about it. He knew of his fate. Unless he is somehow able to leave the area unscathed and hide for a long period of time, he would not be able to restore into his former state. Chances of that succeeding were extremely low. Shen didn't want to die yet. He still wanted to talk to you, see you, experience more of you.

After coming to a decision, Shen opened his eyes. You observed his expression and Shen wanted to delay his answer so your eyes could continue to stay on him. When Shen nodded, you sighed in relief.

"Well, then." With a chuckle that lightened the tension, you said, "Let's hope you don't find any embarrassing memories."

As painless and swift as possible, those were two main goals Shen had. Shen had never possessed anyone before, but his apparition instincts guided him.

Thank you, (Y/n).

Shen was able to possess you without any issues. His vision was blurry and his senses were confused for a moment. It didn't take long for those two things to clear up. Slowly, Shen raised a hand to his cheek before flexing his fingers a little, testing his movements––or rather, your movements.

"(Y/n)..."

He could speak again, but the voice did catch him off guard. This was really your body, wasn't it? Your body had healed and Shen felt like his abilities had recovered. It worked. Immediately, several hypotheses ran through Shen's mind as to why it could've worked. Perhaps––

A whirlwind of information from your memories swarmed Shen, interrupting his thoughts. Shen had to make a conscious effort to block them out. If he didn't, he'd become too overwhelmed. As much as he loved learning more about you, it was too much. In contrary to some belief, it wasn't like an apparition could snap their fingers and suddenly know everything about their hosts. They needed to seek certain information.

Shen couldn't help it, the first thing he wanted to know was what you thought of him. There were a lot of things associated with him and Shen had to sift through relevant information.

"Ah..."

Shen's eyes widened and his face heated up. Heated up? Right. He was in a physical body with blood flowing through his veins, of course he'd have reactions such as that.

You cared for Shen more than he anticipated. You had an interest in him, you enjoyed his company, you respected his values––Shen chuckled to himself upon finding out that you found him insanely attractive. He never thought much about his looks, but perhaps he should thank his parents for their genetics.

There was also a strong sense of understanding and attachment. Yes, you two have known each other for some time now, but Shen felt like there was more to it. Interestingly enough, when Shen tried to access further information, a static interference clouded the information. The more he pushed through it, the denser it became, and a mild headache started to creep in. He stopped there. This was still your body, the last thing he wanted to do was harm it.

Odd... Do apparitions have limitations on what information they can access?

He'd debate that another time. Slowly, Shen stood up and assessed your physical condition.

"Good. She's mostly healed."

It wasn't perfect, but there were no major injuries. Though, regardless of the state of your body, Shen planned to treat it with utmost care anyway. There was one mild concern, however. Whilst this dress looked stunning on you, some parts of it were torn. There was a particularly concerning long slit on the side. Thankfully, you had short underneath, but Shen still wondered if there was anything to cover you.

A chilling cold hung in the air, but all of Shen's snow had disappeared at this point, traces of him as prevalent as a feather in the wind. A naive person could even assume that Shen had been exorcised. It was peaceful, but Shen was already missing your voice.

There were several approaching figures in the distance. Elias, Lyle Sara, and Jade. Fragments of insight regarding your feelings towards them registered in Shen's mind. You cared for them immensely, you especially had a fondness for the times spent with Sara and Jade. A sense of trust that only those two knew of.

Even Elias was someone who had opened his heart to you at some point. You and Lyle had a lot of complicated history, too much for Shen to go through at the moment. Though, from what he gathered, you respected him and liked his company.Shen knew that you had others in your life, yet he was still jealous that he was not the only one in your heart.

Eventually, his gaze landed on Finn. Seeing the brunet prompted an immediate memory, akin to a prompt snap of one's fingers. It provided Shen the needed context as to why you were hurt in the first place. Now, Shen didn't have any vendetta against Finn for nearly exorcising him. After all, they were enemies. It was natural.

However, Finn had hurt you.

Despite that, there was an absence of ill intent or anger towards Finn. There was a sense of understanding. While acknowledging the likelihood of missing context, Shen wouldn't be surprised if you didn't hate Finn simply because you were a good person at heart. It was an admirable trait, but one that could hold you back.

Your feelings weren't enough to calm the hostility Shen felt. Surely, a suitable punishment needed to be in place.

"(Y/n)!" Sara was the first to notice you. "Are you..."

Sara's voice trailed off, her sprint easing into cautious steps the moment Shen met her eyes. Shen didn't respond. Instead, he wondered if there was even a need to fight. With Shen's abilities recovered, he could easily escape. Running off... He'd find a secluded spot and return your body to you. He'd be able to you all to himself, even if it was temporary.

"I'm assuming the silver apparition has possessed (Y/n)."

Elias had arrived at the scene along with everyone else.

"So she's in danger," Jade commented.

Lyle folded his arms. "Knowing (Y/n), she probably let him."

Finn didn't say anything. If Shen didn't know any better, he would have thought nothing of it. However, Finn's silence spoke volumes about his guilt.

"Yes. She has allowed me to take control of her body." Hearing your voice in his tone and manner of speaking was strange. "It was in hopes of repairing her injuries. As you can tell from her stomach, it was quite dire."

Shen gestured to his––well, your abdomen. There was dried blood, the wound was no longer profusely bleeding. At Shen's response, Lyle subtly furrowed his eyebrows. Oh, was he aware of your vengeful apparition companion? If so, Shen's half-lie would appear odd to him.

"Not like the reason matters right now." Lyle narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to return her to us? She has already healed, hasn't she?"

Lyle likely thought nothing of it, but his words carried an implication that you belonged to them. That annoyed Shen a little. After all, he wanted you to be his and his only. Ah... his possessiveness was kicking in.

Shen replied, "I'm not."

Not yet, anyway.

Lyle scoffed. "Least you're honest."

"What are you going to do?" Jade asked

The woman's body language demonstrated that she'd be ready to strike at Shen the moment he displayed any signs of harm towards you. Though he disliked the SF because of how close they were to you, Shen had to respect Jade's protective nature.

"I won't hurt her if that's what you're worried about," Shen replied. "I'll be the last person to—"

Taking everyone by surprise, a crackle of thunder erupted, its reverberations loud across the sky as if someone were trying to break the gates of heaven itself. The sky transformed into a canvas of fiery red and grey clouds loomed over. The temperature also drastically dropped. Shen was impervious to the cold as an apparition; however, sensing it through your skin made him more conscious of how you must've felt in his presence. Hm... While Shen knew you've grown accustomed to the cold due to your profession, the silver apparition told himself that he would be more mindful of the temperature around you from now on.

A streak of crimson lightning tore through the sky and struck down at Finn's location. The brunet dodged it with astounding reflexes, but it was clear that it caught him off guard. A disappointed scoff followed suit, one that would've been unfamiliar to Shen if he wasn't in possession of your body. Alastor, that was the name that came to Shen's mind.

"Missed." Alastor shrugged, landing on the ground and standing just a few metres behind Shen. "Well, whatever, if I had killed you too soon, they wouldn't be able to vent their anger."

It would be normal to be confused in this situation, to ask various questions that would likely go unanswered. However, the SF members were quietly deliberating to themselves the danger Alastor posed, discerning his words, and preparing for action. Shen had to admit, they were efficient.

"Alright." With a loud and satisfying clap of his hands, Alastor whispered, "Let him have it."

A shadowy claw shot forth from the ground, a form reminiscing one of a beast––a wolf to be specific. From your pool of knowledge, the name Copper, one of the apparition children, came to Shen's mind. The colossal silhouette hovered for a few moments before lunging at Finn, narrowly missing and causing the earth to shake. Fleeting flashes of gold cut through the air like a sharp and precise blade, heading towards Finn faster than a blink of an eye––the apparition twins. Oddly enough, a sense of familiarity stirred inside Shen at the presence of the apparition children.

Everyone was quick to split into two groups. Elias and Sara joined Finn whilst Lyle and Jade remained where they were to take care of Shen.

"Why are they after Finn?" Sara was hesitant to go on the offence. She looked over to Alastor. "They're (Y/n)'s allies, aren't they?"

Nonchalant, Alastor replied, "You should ask him if he comes out alive."

"You won't tell them?" Shen asked, carefully analysing the battle unfolding only a few metres away from them.

"It'll make things complicated and I do not want to deal with that. I'll dump that stuff onto (Y/n)."

"That's a fair assessment," Shen said. "We've never formally introduced ourselves."

"Ugh, let's skip the boring stuff. You have control over her, you should know who I am. I already know about you as well––"

Almost fighting for dominance of the field, a burst of vibrant yellow lightning flashed, interrupting the current atmosphere. Something stirred in Shen's heart. Or rather, your heart at that. It hadn't even been a second and your mind instantly knew who it was

Amias.

Shen's mood soured. Your feelings for Amias were stronger than your feelings for Shen. There was a sense of warmth and safety you felt around Amias, it was as if you've known Amias throughout childhood. No... That wasn't it. There was something else. You've only known him for half a year, right? Why were your feelings so powerful?

Shen tried to pry into that information; however, the same wall of static prevented him from doing so. He scoffed under his breath. What was so important that it was also hidden from him? Shen hovered a hand over your heart and gently gripped the fabric there. If only he could rip these feelings out. Frustrating. This was so incredibly frustrating.

"Amias!" Jade called out. "Good timing, can you focus on the silver apparition? The situation is pretty complicated at the moment, I'll tell you what I can for now."

Amias acknowledged Jade with an absentminded nod, unlikely to have properly registered her words as he was too distracted by you. Well, Shen to be more specific. At first, Amias' eyes lit up in delight, a smile on his lips as he was ready to run up to you like some lost puppy. However, he was quick to stop. A small frown on his lips, he said,

"You're not (Y/n)."

Shen was almost disappointed how quickly Amias came to that conclusion. "You're quick."

"(Y/n)'s gaze is much kinder."

Shen's emotions were getting the better of him. Could you blame him? Brief but vivid flashes of moments shared between you and Amias relentlessly surfaced in his mind. Shen knew you two were close, the memories established the fact that your relationship with Amias was on a level Shen couldn't even begin to compete with.

"You're right, it is," Shen replied. "It's a shame you won't be seeing it."

How childish, Shen.

If Amias was phased by the comment, he did a good job not showing it on his expression. He asked, "Did you possess (Y/n) unwillingly?"

"No, (Y/n) had asked me to," Shen replied. "But she never specified when I should return her body."

Finally, Shen saw a genuinely displeased look on Amias' face.

"He's strong," Alastor spoke up. "I mean, I could take him down easily, but I'm not exactly an exorcist. So there's only so much I can do."

Shen sighed. "We were becoming so well acquainted. We're already fighting?"

"God––seeing (Y/n)'s face and hearing her voice like sound that feels so wrong. Anyways, you're not giving (Y/n) back, so obviously we're enemies," Alastor replied before turning over to Amias. "I'm an ally. Don't waste your breath trying to exorcist me in the process."

"I have a lot of questions about you, but let's work together for now." Amias looked over to Shen. "(Y/n) is not leaving my side, we're getting her back."



===



"Huh. Surprised no one came after me."

James had slipped away from the scene to secluded part of the AEI building. It wasn't because he wanted to, really. At this moment, being around people was the worst thing he could do given how shaken up his emotions were. With a shaky exhale, James tried to calm down the storm of emotions he was feeling. If he wasn't an apparition and could physically touch objects, he'd be leaning against the wall in some dramatic fashion.

Apparitions. The manifestation of self preservation. Fickle things like emotions or, god forbid caring for others and being self sacrificial, should be absent. It had been absent in James for a long period of time. However, slowly, he began to feel a little more human again.

James didn't know why or how, but he wasn't the type to dwell on those things. This change of heart allowed him to fight alongside his younger brother again without having the horrible urge to get rid of him. However, James felt that humanity slipping away. Hence, he needed to leave the scene and take a moment to himself.

It was... nice seeing everyone again.

The speciality force... It was bittersweet seeing them, especially as there were new members now. Everyone seemed to have moved forward whilst James was left behind here, stuck in an apparition state. A heavy sigh escaped him. He supposed he should be grateful for another chance at life, even if it resulted in many complications and even led him to try and kill his own younger brother.

What was even his existence? He was an apparition, but he wasn't the typical ones you'd encounter on a regular basis. James didn't quite feel like a vengeful apparition as well. All of these questions made it difficult to discern his ever changing emotions.

Despite his internal conflict, there was one thing James was sure of––he needed to be exorcised soon. He was dangerous. There was no telling when he'd revert back to his previous state. He didn't want to hurt others, especially those he cared about.

"In your case, it's emotions. The feelings of love for Caleb as his older brother would 'weaken' you. So it's suppressed. Or, even worse, you feel the urge to get rid of it. Hence, you want to kill Caleb," you said. "James, really think about it. Why do you want to hurt Caleb?"

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

"No. I just wanted to state what's on my mind. Were you even listening to me? Literally consider it for three seconds! You care for your team, you care for Caleb––heck, you care too much sometimes! You end up doing so much for those around you to where you neglect yourself! There's no way all of that disappeared even if you became an apparition. It frustrates me to see someone like you act like this!"

Weird that the conversation with you replayed in his mind now. It must've had more of an impact on James than he'd like to admit. You seemed to have understood him more than he did himself. Were you like that with everyone?

(Y/n), huh?

James wondered... Could things have turned out differently if someone like you had entered their lives earlier? If you had made yourself known in the AEI earlier––or even had attended the same academy as them when they were simple teenagers?

"Hm... What do we have here?"

A playful and androgynous voice echoed throughout the hallway. Emerging from the shadows of the hallway was a tall and lanky figure. Hands in the pocket of their lab coat, the individual's long pink hair would sway ever so slightly with each step they took. A quick glance at the individual's name tag told James all he needed to know.

"You're not a regular apparition." Eve moved their hands up to their neck, fixing up their red tie. "I can tell my inventions were used on you."

Eve was smiling widely, the gesture reaching their eyes, eyes that seemed to be analysing every movement of James' to something as unimportant as a twitch of a finger. James ignored feelings of sentiment in his heart as he focused on Eve.

"Really now?" James smiled, trying to match Eve's casual demeanour. "Great. Can I ask questions about what you did to me?"

Eve tilted their head. It was pretty unnerving seeing such a slow movement with a smile plastered on their face.

"I don't mind! But I can't really guarantee I'll be able to answer—not because I'm secretive or anything––well, I am secretive, but not purposefully! It's because I don't remember what I did to you." Eve lifted a hand to their chin, contemplative. "Is that offensive? I hope not, I don't mean any harm by it. If it makes you feel better, I hardly remember anyone by their faces. Numbers always worked better."

Eve snapped their fingers.

"But besides that! I'm gonna guess something's been injected and you got away before we could capture you—I personally would never let that happen, so I suppose it was someone else's mess up while I was busy with something else. Who knows? Isn't it a fun mystery?"

James needed a moment to digest all of Eve's words. It was honestly amazing how much they talked, even more so when Sara rambled about different coupons and sales she had encountered, or when Caleb listed out all of his favourite sweets to annoy Elias.

"Oh, how about this as compensation? Are you interested in knowing about my abilities?" Eve took a step closer, James could feel excitement radiating off them. "Just so you know, no one has lived after hearing about it. Pretty ominous, huh? I promise it's not because of me, it's just how things seem to go."

James folded his arms. "Let's hear it."

They clapped their hands together, prompting James to raise a curious eyebrow. Then, Eve parted their hands, revealing crimson strings delicately connected to their skin.

"Think of a sponge, my ability absorbs the essence of an apparition."

"Interesting." If only James could record this conversation for the others to hear. "Do they just magically turn into weapons or substances that you can inject into others?"

"Nope! I need to learn how to incorporate it myself. It's actually a very complicated process. How can I come up with such ingenious designs? I suppose I'm just a prodigy."

"Congrats," James replied. "You're competent."

Eve seemed to have missed the sarcasm.

"How nice of you! Though the way you worded the compliment was kind of weird." Eve shrugged and moved on. "What a strange ability I have, right? Everyone has the ability to get rid of apparitions."

"Doesn't yours indirectly do that?"

"Yes, but I also feel a weird sense of connection to apparitions. But I guess it also helped me understand how to better create weapons. You know, the chairman helped me with that. When I was younger, all I did was extract an apparition's essence in a pitiful attempt to exorcise them." Eve sighed. "What an anomaly I am! But I'm not the only anomaly, (Y/n) is one as well! Isn't it amazing? She's one of the few faces I remember and––"

Saving James from Eve's tsunami of words, a strong gust of snowy wind crashed against a nearby window. Snow? Had Shen recovered?

"That apparition... " Eve mumbled, walking closer towards the window. "I need to turn him into a weapon, I wonder what kind of creation he could bring. I've had fun experimenting on him in the past."

"You knew him?"

"The silver apparition worked with the chairman way before I was born. I heard he was the head researcher—I think I basically stole his position. He's the first apparition I experimented on as a child." Eve turned their attention back to James. "If I had been there from the start with my adult skills and knowledge, he would have never broken out."

James was surprised that, given how secretive Eve was until now, that they were so willing to share important information.

"Why do you do all this?" James asked. "Working for the chairman, making weapons... What motivates you?"

It took little time for Eve to answer.

"What else am I supposed to do? It's the only thing I'm good at." They laughed with a carefree wave of their hand, treating the question as if it were as insignificant as asking for one's favourite colour "Anyways! As nice as it was talking to you, I didn't come here just for chatter. I won't be answering anything else now so don't even bother."

James was on guard. "Gonna capture me for your experiments?"

"Yes! Glad we're on the same page. This is lovely." Eve clasped their hands together, the shade of pink in their eyes growing closer to one of red as strings began manifesting between their fingers again. "Let's be quick. I like to be efficient in my work."



A/n: Not Eve's dialogue being whole paragraphs LOL