This letter belonged to who now?

With a baffled expression, you stared at Elias and waited for the chance that the male would correct himself. But you knew you were just trying to rationalise the situation. This was Elias, an individual with perfect articulation and flawless work ethic. What you heard the first time was definitely right. Reluctantly, you acquiesced and took the letter and a fury of thoughts crowded your mind. You? Participate in the SF (speciality force) trial? That was a clean cut no. Just the idea of it was enough to make you feel nauseous.

Okay, let's think this through.

In the game, the protagonist was chosen as a last minute decision because the chairman saw potential in his teleportation abilities. So, if you were applying the same logic here, what was it about you that landed you an invitation? Was it because you survived the possessions from the vengeful apparition? Was that really it? Sure, you being able to survive a vengeful apparition twice while sustaining little to none repercussions was great and all, but it was most definitely not enough for you to survive the SF trial.

"Elias, what is this?"

You swore you heard a menacing growl underneath Lyle's words. At that, you instinctively backed away from him. Now you weren't sure where to direct your concerns, Lyle or the letter. Elias, however, was impervious to the male's animosity.

"The chairman saw potential in her, that is all," Elias said.

"Potential? You mean how useless she was during the last operation?"

"I personally believe she can be a very useful addition to the team."

Lyle scoffed. "What? As bait? She'd probably fail at that too."

You've never wanted to sock someone in the face and show them a nod of approval at the same time; you didn't want to attend the SF trial so you were thankful for Lyle's protest, but you still didn't appreciate his comments towards you.

Elias was silent for a moment, a contemplative expression on his picturesque features. "Well, it does take courage to willingly allow a vengeful apparition to possess you to buy time," he said. "She also handled the possessions relatively well and suffered minimal repercussions."

Everyone had surprised looks on their faces and many eyes were fixated on you. Your heart plummeted to your stomach. God dammit, Elias. Didn't he say that if he revealed the information your name wouldn't be mentioned?

"That doesn't mean during the possession was a walk in the park," you said, anger prominent in your tone at his revelation. You didn't bother denying Elias's words, there was no way anyone would doubt them anyway.

Elias nodded. "My apologies, that must've come off as insensitive. I simply wanted to commend you for your strength."

You managed to hold back another snappy comment. You saw what he was doing, he was creating an inescapable cage that disallowed you from rejecting the invitation. You were an AEI member, you were supposed to sacrifice yourself for the public. Being given an opportunity such as the SF trial to put forth your life and benefit the citizens was supposed to be honorable.

Refusing to participate in the trial was equivalent to a middle finger to society. Your excuse of 'oh, I'm just a regular support member' won't hold any merit if Elias revealed your potential. Though it was only to a small crowd right now, word goes around fast. Soon the entire AEI would know, then members of the public, then your face will be matched to the information. Unless you wanted to face a lifetime of social ridicule and isolation, you had to attend the SF trial. Well, attending it also meant death, so both options were really unattractive.

You were too lost in your thoughts to pay close attention to Elias proceeding to expose the protagonist's abilities as well. From the little moments where you did pay some attention, you noted that things unfolded just like how it did in the game only that the environment and audience were different.

"The assembly will take place shortly, I suggest that those with the invitations make their way over to the hall," Elias said, walking over to the exit. "Important details will be shared." With that, he left.

As people began exiting the cafeteria, you were still lost in your thoughts. It wasn't until you felt a harsh bump on your shoulder, nearly knocking you over, to realised that people were departing. You looked over to the side and realised that it was Lyle who bumped into you.

"What a joke." He scowled.

"I––"

"Save it. Don't think because you can handle a few possessions suddenly makes you competent enough to be a SF member. It's useless in a real fight and it's the end of the road for you whether you chose to reject or accept the invitation. That's what happens when you overstep your boundaries."

Lyle then looked over to the protagonist and narrowed his eyes, but he didn't say anything and left the cafeteria. No one spoke for a solid minute and, slowly, you faced your dispatch. You glanced over to Amias and your heart twisted in guilt at his concerned expression.

You sighed. "I...no. We have a lot of explaining to do, don't we?"

===

A saturated dark blue hue dominated the area, honoring the monochromatic aesthetics of the AEI's interior. Rows of black seats faced a grandiose stage and when you looked up to the ceiling, it looked like it stretched on forever. To be here again, it was nostalgic of your early gameplay.

Soft murmurs drifted in the air from eager candidates. Their excitement made sense, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity––considering that you die if you don't make it in. But if you do pass the trial, you get to be a part of the same ranks of the most highly respected individuals in the city, you'll be the most significant figure in the public eye.

But you'll also be the AEI's biggest sacrifice.

Death was a trivial topic for most exorcists. Why? Because they were taught to think that way. The city in Anomalous almost feels like a dystopian world with how much the public relied on the AEI and how most exorcists are conditioned to respect and blindly follow the AEI that they might as well be puppets tugged along on a string.

You pushed your thoughts aside and checked the invitation to see where your seat was before walking further into the hall. The yellow in your uniform stood out amongst the dark blue and reds, because of that you garnered some stares from the other AEI members. Thankfully, your seat was in the corner. Not the best view, but away from people. Perfect.

After taking a seat, you patiently waited for the assembly to start.

"Ah! Finally, I was getting tired of seeing a bunch of rowdy offence and defence members."

An individual with a distinctly different uniform from yours sat down right next to you. Captivatingly unique eyes looked straight into your own; there were two seperate colours in them, a vivid green apple at the top half and a bright yellow at the bottom half. There was also faint green eyeshadow on the ends of his eyes.

You recognised him immediately.

"Pleasure meeting such a lovely lady," he said, tone playful and flirtatious.

"Hi...?"

A charismatic chuckle left him. "A shy one, are we?"

You shook your head. "Not a shy one, a confused one."

He hummed in amusement, his voice naturally had an alluring and bewitching quality. You swear this man has accidentally seduced people just by talking.

"Confused? Maybe because of my uniform?"

"Well you don't expect a member of the research team to be here."

Cecil, that was his name. And he was a member of the research team. Unlike the other roles in the AEI, the research team work off field behind the scenes during operations. Similarly to how the other roles have dispatches, they have divisions; operation design division, data analysis division, and technology design division.

Cecil was the head of the operation design division. They're responsible for issuing out the reports and establishing operations whether issues as simple as a harmless apparition inside a house to something as dangerous as a vengeful apparition arises.

There are people in the research team who have exorcism abilities. However they use their exorcism abilities in a different manner such as doing research or conducting experiments. Their uniforms were the same colour scheme as the ones from the speciality force, only that the black and white palette are switched so that the uniform is predominately white.

Cecil was a character you encountered often in the game, especially since he was a very prominent figure in the protagonist's development in his exorcism abilities. A flirtatious and magnetic individual, he was definitely popular in the fanbase. You cannot deny the fact that there were several moments you too fell for his charms.

"Getting lost in thought already? Am I that attractive?"

As a matter of fact. Yes.

"This selection process is kind of weird, huh?" the male wondered aloud, tilting his head a little to the side in contemplation, making his jade green hair shift to the side. It was right above his shoulders in length. "They went out of their way to invite members from roles unsuited for the SF."

"True. SF members are known for their proficiency in exorcism," you said. "As you can see, I'm a support. And supports are known for having no exorcism abilities."

You already had an idea of what the chairman wanted. As apparitions continue to grow and evolve each day, the exorcists in the AEI needed to do the same. Whether it'll bear sacrifices or not, the chairman required the SF to be made up of individuals with different skill sets. In short, this was an attempt at expanding the skill variety. Even if things go south and you end up dying, it really didn't matter to him.

"And I'm the one issuing the reports, not carrying them out. Oh, I never introduced myself, did I?" The male smiled and extended his hand. "Cecil. A pleasure to meet you."

You took his hand and shook it. "(Y/n). Nice to meet you too."

The lights dimmed, darkness swept across the hall, and silence stilled the room. Then, multiple spotlights turned on and illuminated the empty stage. The assembly was starting and you could feel the intense focus in the room. No one wanted to miss a single detail for the world.

A figure walked up to the podium, a figure that you recognize all too well from the game. The chairman. Oh man, seeing him here brings back some memories. Just the echo of his footsteps alone was enough to build an ungodly amount of tension. Clean and professional suit, posture straight and authoritative, expression stern and strict, side parted grey hair, a classic full beard, and dark brown eyes; you had to admit, the man looked really healthy for his age.

"I'm sure everyone present in this room is aware of what this assembly will entail and what receiving an invitation implies. I am going to firmly establish this, rejection is an option. However, if your reasoning is something as foolish as the fear of death, then I would not only suggest that you tear the invitation to shreds, but also quit the AEI immediately."

You personally felt kind of called out on that one.

"The current issue is that four individuals are not enough to maintain the stability of the AEI. Apparitions are constantly evolving and becoming more formidable. Operations that require more than one SF member are becoming concerningly common. The public is uneasy and some even raised ideas that the newly selected SF members may be unreliable."

It made sense that the public is a little hesitant at the idea of a newly formed force. Five years ago, the SF trial was held. However, the individuals chosen to participate in the trial were trained from an early age, shaped to become someone superior in terms of power and exorcism proficiency. This time, the doors were opened wider. More people had a chance of making it in.

"To counter this issue, the SF trial will be aired on television. I'm sure everyone is bright enough to figure out the reasons why. And keep in mind that the four current SF members would also need to retake the test alongside everyone else."

At his words, you could tell that everyone wanted to break into surprised murmurs at the idea of the SF trial being aired on TV. However, no one dared to talk over the chairman.

"The difficulty of the trial will not be compromised simply because the public eye can view it live. You'll be granted one week to accept or reject the invitation and a preparation time of two months. No further information will be disclosed regarding what the trial will entail. Adaptation is a key component in a competent member. Revealing details would partially defeat the trial's purpose. Unless you reject the invitation, you will be granted access to the same spaces as SF members. Your new key cards should already be inside the letter."

The chairman continued to briefly outline other details of the SF trial, things such as the mode of transportation, what time to show up, what you can and can't tell people outside of the SF trial, and so on.

"Anyone who wishes to raise any questions can do so with the current SF members. That concludes the assembly, you may all leave."

Without any good luck or last word of advice, the chairman left the stage. There was a slight hesitation amongst the audience to start leaving. Eventually, after a few minutes, people began departing the hall. About to follow the crowd, you stopped when Cecil tapped you on the shoulder

"Care to spend some time with me?" he asked.

You mentally high-fived yourself. Hell yeah, spending some time with the pretty boy. "Where to?"

"Are you keen on checking any places out?"

You thought about it for a moment and your expression lit up. "The training grounds."

"I was thinking of something more romantic, but this is a start. Which training ground––"

"Follow me, I want to check out this specific one."

It was a given that you were in love with the game's world building. So, why wouldn't you go to one of the coolest parts of the building? Hey, you were forced into partaking in a trial where you mostly likely are going to die. Might as well make the most of what you have.

"You seem to know your stuff, are you sure you're in the support unit?" Cecil asked.

"There's a map of the entire building that anyone can access. I studied it incase an emergency operation happens. Getting lost would suck during a crisis."

"Fair enough."

Excitement kindled within you upon approaching a familiar door––well, it wasn't just a door. With how huge it was, a truck could drive through it without any issues. Automatic, it slid open for you and Cecil to enter. Suppressing the look of awe on your expression was asking for the impossible. You've seen this space countless times in the game, but as always, seeing it in person was so much more fulfilling. You had almost forgotten the impending ticket to the afterlife called the SF trial as you basked in the sight.

First off, the room was of spectacular opulence. If expensive had a picture associated with it, this was it. There were also stairs that led up to different levels, the area felt like a vast stadium with how spacious it is. It had the typical things that all the other training rooms had; the gym equipment, open space to practice movements, and various grey blue holographic screens that people typically used to record said movements. Those screens came with devices that had an artificial intelligence that could analyse and provide data and assessments on your recorded activity.

However, what made this area different––aside from the fact that it looked a million times more superior––was the machine that ran simulations of apparitions. It was sectioned off towards the back of the area, not yet available. It was unlockable after the SF trial.

"The technology design and data analysis division are pretty talented, huh?" Cecil commented. "Researching and programming apparition movements. It takes a lot of time and dedication."

You looked over to him. "Why do you sound like you know more than you lead on, though?"

Cecil laughed. "Though I'm the head of the operation design division, I often communicate with the other heads," he explained. "Actually, for the past few days I have been doing a lot more work lately. Like the two recent operations regarding the vengeful apparition. I appointed the teams and gathered all the information myself."

With Cecil in the picture, it made sense why the operation design team managed to issue out a report on the second sighting of the vengeful apparition in such a short amount of time. Well, it wasn't like you didn't know that already.

"I was surprised to find out that you didn't take a temporary leave despite being possessed by a vengeful apparition. I purposefully appointed your team to the next operation. And the results, well..." A smile graced his lips. "They were interesting."

Man, at this point, you should just give up on trying to not look suspicious.

Cecil noticed your conflicted expression and chuckled. "Don't worry, I didn't tell you this to worry you. I just wanted to spill my thoughts," he explained, tone lighthearted accompanied with a casual shrug of his shoulders. "The report I received back from Caleb was that you survived the possession with your sanity intact and all that. Because it's Caleb, I suspected that there were missing pieces in the story. Can't blame me for being curious, right?"

The fact that you actually believed him was reassuring. Unlike Elias who wore a mask of duplicity, Cecil didn't bother with things such as that. Underneath all the flirtatious comments, he could be surprisingly very genuine. Well, most of the time, that is. When it came to other means, he could be just as deceitful. For example, when it comes to business and when money gets involved.

"There are missing pieces. Honestly, I'm confused myself. So, if you're hoping to receive answers, that'll be an issue."

"That sounds fair." Cecil rolled down his sleeve to check his watch, showing off a fraction of his black snake tattoo. "Looks like it's time to ditch this job." With a silvery hum, the male swiftly took out a card from his pocket before handing it to you. "Feel free to drop by if you're looking to kill time. I always welcome new customers. I'll even throw in a discount if I'm feeling generous, just try to catch me in a good mood."

You took the card and did a quick read of it. Just as expected, it was a business card for a bar.

"Isn't balancing a part time job difficult?" you asked.

The male waved his hand dismissively. "Not if you're the owner. I sometimes stop by and act as the bartender for fun. The conversations I have with intoxicated customers are never dull."

"Uh, what if I don't drink?"

"Then, I'll be happy to offer other services." He winked. "It can be more personal, if you'd like. I'm quite adventurous."

"You what."

Cecil laughed. "I'm kidding. Well, probably. Whatever brings in more profit I'll gladly consider."

"Did you befriend me just to get another potential customer?"

"Oh, no. One person isn't nearly enough for the effort I put in. You're...a personal interest. That sounds about right."

You shuddered at how smoothly the words rolled off his tongue. You acknowledged that he was charming, but sometimes he was too much for you. "Great. Thanks." You pocketed the card. "I'm guessing this will be the last time we meet before the SF trial?"

"Well, if you miss me too much just stop by the bar and drink away your worries."

You sighed. "I'll keep that in mind."

With that, you two parted ways and you let out a huge sigh of relief.

Cecil wasn't as spontaneous as Caleb, as duplicitous as Elias, as mysterious as Amias, or as confronting as Lyle, but he had his own quality that made him a prominent figure in the story. What was that quality? You supposed you can say it was how motivated he was. The male didn't own a business whilst also being the head of the operation design division by doing nothing.

How he got selected into the speciality trial was interesting. What happened was, one night he had received word that apparitions had invaded his bar. Usually, he'd let the regular AEI teams handle the situation––but this was his bar we were talking about. Before a report could be issued, he ended up exorcising all the apparitions himself.

It was the first time he had used his exorcism abilities in an offensive manner and its unique execution caught the chairman's eyes. If you had to describe his ability––let's just say that the snake tattoo on his arm was a part of the aesthetics.

You walked past a hallway that looked way too suspicious and ominous for you to not stop and take a look. You recognised what it was, it led towards a sector of the building that wasn't accessible to the majority of the people in the AEI. The only people with access were the technology design division and the chairman, not even SF members were allowed there.

Unbeknownst to you, your expression darkened. The technology design division, what goes on behind their doors contributed a significant portion to the reason why Amias massacred everyone in the AEI. It was still early in the game, so you didn't need to deal with the complexity that comes with them just yet. Well, that was assuming you survived the SF trial.

Stress crept in your mind and you quickly tried to dismiss it. You'll figure out a way. Probably. Hopefully.

Who were you kidding? Even if you knew exactly what goes on during the SF trial, what's the point of knowing it's dangers when you didn't have the capability to avoid it? Should you just reject the invitation? Though you'll face social ridicule, eventually get fired from the AEI, have a much harder time finding another job and place to stay, at least figuring out a place safe and away from all the drama was easier than surviving the SF trial.

It was a mediocre path, but a safe one.

Interrupting your thoughts, sirens suddenly blared. The sound shook the ground and its echoes obnoxiously bounced off the walls. The lights flickered to a dark crimson and painted the hallway red as a singular announcement repeatedly reverberated through the speakers.

"An emergency operation has arised. Refer to your devices for instructions. Do not by any means act out of what you're told to do."

Your heart rate quadrupled at the sudden shift in tension. Placing a hand over your chest, you attempted to calm yourself down. Emergency operations consisted of incoming apparitions that somehow breached the AEI's first layer of security and were making their way towards the building. Usually, they were dealt with before the apparitions even had a chance to touch the final layer of security. So, you should technically be safe.

Well, that would've been the case if plot development wasn't a thing. You recognised this scene from the game. Apparitions weren't making their way inside the building, they were already inside and were trying to break out. Remember the hallway that led to the sector of the building strictly only for the technology design division? That had everything to do with it.

And guess who just walked by it?

You took in a sharp breath.

"I might be completely and utterly screwed."