There was this strange child.

The way their posture was slightly hunched over made it clear that they hadn't grown accustomed to their abnormal growth spurt. Their sunken eyes, that had an eerie concentric circle pattern, peered out from beneath a curtain of long, unruly pink hair.

Now, I want you to picture a kitchen. Add in a few details. Dust hung heavy in the air, clinging to every surface. The walls were withered and grey. Every step you'd take, the floorboards would creak and groan as if pleading to finally snap and be discarded. In this kitchen a scene was about to unfold. Some light entertainment, nothing too unique. Just a man and a child.

Thick and powerful arms latched onto the child by their hair, gripping it with no mercy. The child didn't make so much a squeak or display any signs of discomfort. You'd wonder if they were dead with their blank stare and expressionless face.

"Since when did men have long hair?"

No response from the child. The man scoffed and dragged them further into the kitchen. He grabbed a pair of scissors and sloppily cut off a huge heap of the child's hair. Oh dear, it looked incredibly choppy. As the severed locks fell to the ground, so did the man's grip on the child.

"Fuck. This house is even messier now. Aren't you a woman? Clean."

Sometimes the child was the man of the house, sometimes they were a woman. It didn't matter what they actually were. With a final scoff, the man left the kitchen. The child remained motionless, eyes remained dull and unblinking for a moment.

However, they soon perked up. Their expression was unfazed, as if they simply tripped. Oh! There was some life to their eyes now. Were they a robot? Did you need to hit it a few times for it to work?

The child cleaned up the hair on the floor. Tattered and dirty hands grasped the fallen strands of hair. They stared at it and thought: How funny would it be if you actually felt pain when you had your hair cut? Would they have screamed? Begged for the man to stop?

The child shrugged and finished cleaning up. Soon after, they heard the door open.

"Oh... you're here."

A woman was at the door, a woman who bore similar features to the child. Though her lips curved upwards in a semblance of a smile, her eyes betrayed her true feelings––disgust. She hated looking at the child. The thing was a reflection of all the parts she hated about herself.

"Go outside and play with the other kids," she said.

Without a word, the child walked past the woman.

Outside wasn't any better, but at least there was some air. Lack of vegetation, lack of colour––did someone put a monochrome filter on this? Nope. No one did. It simply looked that depressing. The space always looked slightly blurry—not bad enough to impede your vision, but if you weren't born here you'd find yourself constantly rubbing your eyes wondering if your vision was off.

This was a town away from the main city. It was a town where everyone was powerless, so they hungrily sought every means to feel powerful no matter how petty and pathetic the tactics were. A place discarded, yet mysteriously managed to hold onto the last thread of survival. Things rarely made sense here, but logic hardly mattered. No one cared about that. All they cared about was seeing another day.

The child glanced around. Something sharp hit the side of their head. Oh. A rock.

"Hey! Get out of here!"

"Ugh, don't look this way. You're creepier than an apparition."

"What's up with that hair?"

A group of children. Their noises scrunched in distaste and they looked at the child in disgust. Unbeknownst to the child, this group of children was fearful of them. Hence, they worked in large numbers.

This was an issue. How could the child play with the other kids if they didn't want them here? They hoped the woman wouldn't be too mad about this. The child walked away, unaffected by the taunts and jeers of the other children. Where were they going? Well, there was a spot this child liked. This tree that stood alone. Too tall for kids to climb, too fragile for adults to sit on the branches. The child would climb the tree, sit down, and look over the town.

The child clasped their hands before slowly parting them. Red strings appeared; a bold colour in this monochromatic world. At that, a small smile graced their lips as the red illumination gave life to their eyes. These strings were the reason why they are so hated. Yet, they never once detested their abilities. They had to be different for a reason, right? But if that reason was to be hated, then they'd be a little disappointed. What would it feel like to be needed? To be praised for something?

The child dismissed the strings. With a tilt of their head, they fixated on the hazy outlines of distant buildings. There was a city beyond here. The woman who lived under the same house as the child would always mumble to herself about it. What was that place? Was it more colourful? Did it have as many apparitions? Did people like them exist? Someone whose abilities held a connection with apparition?

A flash of orange directed the child's attention elsewhere. There was a boy with orange eyes and orange flames. He was with the other kids; they were smiling and laughing with him, singing praises.The child was well-loved because of his talents. He had a bright smile, kind eyes, and always lent a helping hand. However, behind those eyes it seemed like he was always searching for something beyond here.

Suddenly, there was a chill in the air. It was a sharp, biting cold. The town held its breath for a moment. Every resident's sixth sense was prompted. In their minds, everyone desperately pleaded that today they would be spared from another incident.

Today was one of those days where those prayers weren't received.

A dense wave of apparitions were quickly approaching. In a frenzied flurry of motion, everyone sought the fragile safety of their home. Parents ushered their kids, some abandoned them––actually, most did.

Amidst all the chaos where selfishness puppeteered everyone's actions, the child with orange eyes stood his ground. There was an unspoken expectation that he would stay and protect everyone since he was one of the very few who had exorcism abilities.

If he didn't act selfless, everyone would probably hate him.

However, a single child would not be able to protect the entire town. Possessions occurred relentlessly and choked screams of anguish would follow suit. Buildings collapsed due to the heavy winds the apparitions brought and the temperature dropped dangerously low.

The child climbed down the tree. As they entered the town, they walked casually. Amongst the screams of fear and desperation, their eyes widened in wonder as they observed every minute detail. For a moment, they walked by the boy with orange eyes. He was busy dealing with apparitions, so he didn't notice them.

The child approached their house. Their steps gradually slowed down when they realised what had happened. It had collapsed. In the middle of all the rubble, there laid a man. Blood pooled under him and his gaze was blank.

He was dead.

The child crouched down. Their home was gone and the man who lived in the same home was gone. Their hands reached out to the man, the beginnings of red strings appearing on the tips of their fingers.

"Eve!"

The child paused. Not because they recognised the name, but because they recognised the voice. They stood up and turned around. Sure enough, the voice belonged to the woman who lived in the same house as them. She always had a tired expression, but now her eyes were wide and a smile strained her lips. Around her, a dense swarm of apparitions gathered.

"Eve, darling. Come over here, okay?"

The child pointed to themself with a tilt of their head. "Eve?"

She nodded frantically. "You know how to stop them, right? The apparitions?"

Did they? The child was always told to never use their abilities. They vividly remember the woman hitting their child-sized hands with a large pan at one point.

"Don't give me that stupid blank look––" The woman cleared her throat. "Eve dear, try to remember! You don't want your mother to get hurt, right?"

Mother? When was she their mother?

The child blinked slowly, confused. It was then the woman's patience snapped as she shrieked,

"You USELESS––"

Strangled chokes interupted the sentence as the apparitions began to possess her. The child walked closer to the woman and watched, eyes focused intently. Unblinking. As her hands trembled, she reached out to the child. However, they made no move to help.

The woman dropped to the floor.

The child crouched down with a curious tilt of their head. On instinct, they summoned their red strings and wrapped it around the corpse before lifting it off the ground. Suddenly, a strong rush of energy surged through them. The child flinched.

It was an unexpected feeling, but not a bad one. It was primal, powerful; it made them feel so incredibly alive.

The strings detached from the corpse and the woman fell limp to the floor, but the child couldn't care less. There was something far more interesting in front of them. An apparition, one that came out of the woman's body. The child looked at the blurry silhouette of white in awe.

It was a shame this apparition form wasn't maintained for long. After all, the child was still just a novice at this point in time.

The child glanced over to the lifeless body of the woman. With a flick of their fingers, they wrapped strings around the corpse and drew the woman closer to them. Tenderly, they leaned forward, pressing their forehead against the woman's.

"Mother..." They giggled, a soft smile on their lips. "I had a mother all this time."

And what was it... Oh! She called them Eve, didn't she?

Eve dropped the corpse with a smile. There was more to be done, they couldn't waste time.

With each step lighter than the last, Eve skipped through the town. They were impervious to the several attempts of possession from most apparitions. The stronger apparitions were exorcised by them. Well, they didn't know it was an exorcism. They were simply enthusiastic about their abilities and used them without a thought.

They then stopped. There was a boy hunched over two corpses. Oh! It was the one with orange eyes. The one who always smiled. However, he looked a little different this time. His orange eyes that lit up like lively flames were dull, and a smile was absent from his expression.

Eve slowly approached the boy, eyeing the bodies curiously. The boy with orange eyes noticed their shadow and turned around. His eyes were glassy. Was he crying? Eve had cried a lot in the past. It was a strange feeling. One of relief, but the cause of it was always terrible. Not like they remembered any of it anymore.

"Ah..." The boy quickly wiped his eyes. He then smiled. It looked tired. "It's dangerous here, you should go somewhere safe––"

"Are your parents dead?"

The boy blinked, caught off guard. Normally, anyone would've shouted at how insensitive the question was. But the boy simply responded,

"... Yes."

The boy glanced over to a box of cigarettes. He opened it and sighed.

"Empty," he mumbled.

"Were you going to smoke? Why? Is it fun?"

"It's not fun. I cough a lot when I smoke."

"Then why?"

He weakly chuckled. "It makes me feel closer to my parents."

"Oh! I get that! It happened with my mum! I felt the closest I have ever felt with her today."

The boy nodded slowly. "Are your parents also...?"

"Parents? I only have a mother." They laughed. "Anyways! I can bring your parents back as apparitions if you want. That's what I did to my mum."

The boy stared at Eve for a moment. "Would it hurt them?"

"Dunno! That's why I need to experiment!"

Orange eyes glanced over the two lifeless bodies. "... Would they still be considered my family?"

"Hm? I don't get stuff like that. But I found out that woman was my mother when I made her an apparition––so probably?" Eve sighed dreamily. "It was a wonderful experience. I want to relive it again."

The boy's face didn't display any judgement or distaste. Eve was expecting him to tell them to stop talking, to throw a glare or two. However, he seemed to be genuinely listening to them.

"Okay," he finally said. "You can bring them back. But can I ask a question?"

"What?"

"Do your abilities work on live humans?"

They grinned. "I never thought of that! What an interesting idea? Why did you ask that? Do you want to be part of my experiment?"

The boy chuckled softly, "If it can help others, I don't mind."

Eve walked to the two bodies. With a snap of their fingers, a cascade of crimson strings burst into the air. The boy watched in silence, mesmerised by the bold colour of red. However, before Eve could continue, a tall shadow loomed over them from behind.

Eve turned around, and the boy was quick to step in front of Eve, an arm out to shield them. Eve was slightly taller than the boy, so they could see the mysterious new figure. A man with a smile creased deeply by years of experience. He was tall—toweringly so. He was the tallest adult Eve had ever seen. He wore a clean suit and a classic fedora.

The man removed his hat and held it to his chest. "Pardon me. I was just passing by."

"The town is filled with apparitions, but you look fine," the boy said. "You weren't just passing by, were you?"

That response deepened the man's smile. "A sharp intuition for a child."

Eve really didn't care for the conversation or tension, they were simply annoyed their experiment got interrupted.

"I see your frown." The man laughed. "Why are you so upset? Did I do something wrong?"

"I was in the middle of something," Eve replied.

"What was it?"

"I was gonna bring his parents back as apparitions."

That caused the man to raise an eyebrow. "May I see?"

Eve shrugged. "I don't really care."

Eve proceeded, and they were successful. Two apparitions manifested, blurry silhouettes of unrecognisable people. It didn't bear the same intense feeling as before, but Eve still felt a rush of energy. It was nice, but it wasn't what they were looking for.

The boy's eyes widened and he slowly approached the apparitions. Before he could say anything, the apparitions disappeared.

"Oh!" Eve clasped their hands together. "That was fifteen seconds longer than last time!"

A flicker of interest was in the man's eyes.

"What a strange ability," he said.

"I know," Eve said. "It's a terrible one, right?"

"Terrible? Far from it."

That caused Eve to flutter their eyes in confusion. "That's not what other people say."

"Well, I don't agree with them."

Huh. This was the first time something positive about their ability was said. Eve wasn't sure how to feel.

"Would you like to leave this town?" The man looked over to the boy. "The offer extends to you as well. There's nothing for you here. The city has far more opportunities for you two. I have grandkids you two will get along with as well. Elias and Sara, they're good kids."

The boy frowned. "What about the people here?"

"I'll give you the opportunity to make a difference so you can help the people here. As of right now, what power do you have?"

He didn't respond immediately, his expression shifting to one of deep thought as his gaze wandered to the ground.

"Can I experiment more there?" Eve asked.

"There will be plenty of experiments for you to conduct."

Eve smiled widely. "Okay! I'll go."

"A quick decision." The man chuckled, the sound deep and warm. It was a sound Eve had never heard before. "What is your name?"

"Eve. My mum called me Eve."

"I see." The man looked over to the boy with orange eyes. "Well? What is your decision?"

The man's voice was slow and patient, but there was an unspoken pressure for the boy to quickly give a response.

"I'll go," the boy replied.

"Excellent. And what may your name be?"

The boy took a moment to respond. Was he hesitant? Did he forget his name? Did he not have one? Who knows.

"Finn," he said. "You can call me Finn."



===



A loud boom resonated throughout the space. Eve watched through the glass as you slammed your foot against the ground, causing it to break under the heavy impact.

"I already said no. Either continue to run the experiment on me or I'm done here."

All the other researchers had collective expressions of disbelief and irritation. If it weren't for Eve, they would've thrown you out. Eve, on the other hand, had to dig their nails into the palm of their hands to quell their excitement.

To care so much for your apparition companions––to have such strong feelings towards apparitions in general...

"(Y/n)..." They mumbled. "You simply are the best."

"Eve," one of the researchers said. "She's being incredibly disrespectful, we should––"

Eve promptly ignored the woman. They scanned the keycard and entered the space you were at. Everyone watched intently, including you.

"I hope it doesn't cost too much to fix this," you said sheepishly. "Sorry about that, but I needed to get my point across––"

Eve suddenly cupped your cheeks. You blinked in surprise when they gently pressed their forehead against yours. Eve closed their eyes, a soft hum leaving their lips. It was a strangely similar feeling of happiness they experienced when they did the same gesture to their mother. However, this feeling was more tamed, more comforting than the surge of excitement.

Though it was different, Eve didn't hate it at all. What was this feeling? The mystery of it made Eve grow even more curious and attached to you.

"... Eve?"

Your voice snapped them out of their reverie. Eve quickly let go of you. "Sorry about that! I got carried away. Did I make you uncomfortable?"

You touched your forehead. "Uh––uhm. I was just caught off guard, that's all."

Eve was silent. You looked a little bashful, and the sight made them happy. What was the word... ah! Cute! Eve thought you looked cute at that moment. Before they could voice their thoughts, their phone rang in their pocket. Eve already knew who it was without needing to check. Only two people knew their personal phone number, after all. One of them being you, the other was––

Eve answered the call. "Chairman! Good to hear from you. Need anything? Progress update? Weapon maintenance? I'm busy conducting an experiment at the moment, so I can't get to it quickly."

Eve remained silent as the chairman spoke. Unbeknownst to them, everyone held their breaths. The tension was significantly higher now that the chairman was involved. All of the researchers would treasure the memory like a rare jewel if the chairman even glanced their way, they'd give up so much just to even hear a few words exchanged between the chairman and Eve.

Of course, Eve hardly cared about them. They looked at you and smiled. You were confused, but smiled back. Cute.

"Here." Eve extended their phone to you. "Take it."

You blinked slowly. "Huh?"

Eve giggled. "The chairman wants to speak to you."





A/n: omg eve backstory; a good chunk is meant to be vague and left for interpretation, so have fun with that!