Children blessed with the gift of exorcism led dangerous lives.

Train at an early age, understand one's abilities through education, then use your abilities to protect others. It was a process many were familiar with. Finn was one of the many. However, unlike most children, he did not receive formal education and guidance. Instead, he was raised in an environment where life or death situations were as normal as one's morning coffee.

A town located outside of the main city, a town that survived off desperation and betrayal.

Indeed, children blessed with the gift of exorcism led dangerous lives. A blessing labeled by the public.

It meant that, from the moment you were born, you were meant to protect others. Finn didn't mind that. He liked being relied on; he liked being surrounded by smiling faces. He was happy to keep others safe. He was happy that the reason why he was a rare child with both parents was because he was capable of protecting them. But, of course, that came with consequences. Understanding the repercussions of exerting one's abilities? Understanding the biology behind exorcism and the body's physiological changes? That information was never provided to him.

It was a miracle Finn was blessed with a durable body. However, it merely delayed the consequences, not prevented.

Today was like any other—though it was hard to tell if it was early morning or afternoon due to the gloomy skies and mist. Finn was lingering near a group of younger kids, joining their laughter as they played with whatever debris they could grab their hands on. A figure caught Finn's eye. A tall kid with unevenly chopped pink hair and dull eyes. Finn was tall for a child, but they seemed taller. They towered in a way that made them look awkward rather than confident.

"Oh!" One of the kids beside Finn sneered, nudging him. "It's them again."

Mocking eyes turned towards the tall kid. Finn's lips were pressed in a thin line as he watched the kids around him, glancing from one face to the next, taking in their sneers with an impartial gaze.

Then, Finn smiled softly. "Hey, why don't we play over by that big tree? There are some leaves I can light up."

The suggestion instantly caught their attention and the kids eagerly rushed over. Finn cast one last glance back at the pink-haired child, wondering if he should approach them.

"..."

Finn turned away and followed the other children. Though, suddenly, the air thickened, and a dense chill sunk into his skin. An apparition attack. Finn' s body recognized it before his mind did, and his instincts flared like a strike of a match. The children huddled close to him, their wide, fearful eyes looking up to him for protection. Without a word, Finn stepped forward, and in one practised motion, he exorcised the apparitions. However, that wasn't the end. This apparition infestation was far more serious. Finn glanced back at the town in the direction of his home.

"Where are you going?" one of the children asked, voice trembling.

"I need to check if my parents are okay," he replied, already moving. "The apparitions are moving in their direction."

"What?" The child's voice wavered. "What about us?"

Finn stopped and tilted his head. "What about you?"

"We'll die without your help!" Her voice was shrill. "Don't leave us, you're the only one who can protect us!"

That was true. And it would be bad if the children fell victim to the apparitions.

But as Finn looked at their fearful faces, he recalled that these were the same ones that had twisted with sneers and smug grins just moments earlier, taunting the pink-haired kid with nothing to feel a sense of power in a town where everyone felt small.

Finn closed his eyes for a moment, humming in thought. Then, he lightly tapped a fist on his palm. "I don't feel happy protecting you guys anymore."

With a cruel, gentle smile, he said, "Goodbye."

The next day crept in ambiguously. Finn walked down the hallway, stopping just outside the living room. Through the crack in the door, he saw his parents lounging on the sagging couch, each holding a cigarette between their fingers. His mother caught sight of him, barely lifting her head as she gave a lazy wave to come closer. The thick haze of tobacco suffocated the room, but the child was now used to it. He could inhale the smoke without coughing.

His father noticed his steady breathing, raising an eyebrow with a crooked grin. "Look who has adapted. Wanna give the real thing a try now?"

Finn's eyes lit up and he nodded as his hands held the cigarette in an awkward manner. The moment he inhaled, a harsh, scratchy burn filled his throat. Seconds later, he burst into a fit of coughing,

Finn's mother laughed. "Still not used to it, huh?"

The child wiped away the tears in the corner of his eyes. "I—I can practise."

His mother took another drag of her cigarette and gave him a non-committable hum. "Go play with the other kids now."

Finn pouted. His parents would smoke for hours, basking in each other's presence. The smoke tied them together in a way simple conversations wouldn't. One day. Finn would one day join them. For now, he'd do as his mother instructed. The child exited the house. It was easy to find kids to play with. Everyone wanted to be around him because he guaranteed their safety. With him around, the apparitions kept their distance.

Oh, they're here again.

The child with pink hair. They were bleeding from the forehead, but they didn't appear alarmed at the injury. Finn's gaze lingered on them for a little longer before walking in the opposite direction.

"Oh! It's Finn!"

"Perfect, we have an even amount of people."

"We're playing exorcists and apparitions. Join my team!"

"What? No, Finn's on my team!"

A new group of children. Their faces were bright, eager, oblivious to the fact that the company Finn had just the other day had likely passed away. However, people would hardly blink at such news. Death, or the threats that came with it, had long become a dull hum in the background of their lives.

The game was lively. The children dashed around, pretending to exorcist apparitions with sticks and made-up incantations. They asked Finn questions so they could make things more accurate, but he refrained from saying too much as it was a little charming seeing what their imaginations came up with.

Then, all at once, the temperature dropped steeply.

Again?

In a frigid, unforgiving wave, the apparitions swept through the air. Silhouettes of people who had once been alive sought to pull others to their side; their cold, desperate hunger to survive, to self preserve, suffocated the living. The children turned to Finn with pleading eyes. But Finn's gaze flicked past them, barely registering their faces. Without a word, the brunet ran in the direction of his home. Around him, voices of others begged for help, screamed in agony. However, the child did not slow down or even spare a pitiful glance.

When the child had arrived at his home, his heart dropped at the sight. The roof had collapsed, walls were caved in and pieces of wood debris scattered everywhere. Finn didn't dwell on it for too long as his gaze scanned the rubble, frantic for any glimpse of his parents. Apparitions closed in. Panicked and frustrated, the child burned them with his exorcism powers. Flames crackled, the orange and yellow glow a warning to any others. In the distance, he saw a familiar woman.

"Mum!"

The woman knelt, clutching her throat. Finn felt a surge of panic mixed with relief as he dropped down to meet her gaze. She was still alive. It was alright. He simply needed to exorcise the apparition. This wasn't the first time! He was strong. He could protect his family. The woman's sunken eyes met her child's. Her body clung to life, yet her gaze hinted at surrender. However, Finn refused to believe his mother would give up on life. The child showed his mother a reassuring smile.

"It'll be alright, Mum." Finn reached a hand toward her. "I just need to—"

But as he summoned his abilities, a sharp pain shot through his arms, paralysing them.

What?

He froze, just for a moment. But in that instant, his mother's body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Finn had seen death before; he knew what he was looking at. No matter how much his naive heart wanted to deny what had happened, he couldn't. No tears fell. There was an unexplained emptiness in his heart. However, Finn didn't give himself time to grieve. His dad. He needed to save him. Finn stood up and continued his search. The conflict between processing his mother's death and the urgency to find his father clouded his mind in a dense fog.

He found his father trapped under debris. Finn rushed over and, with his abilities, managed to move aside the wreckage enough to free the man. Although, the child's efforts were useless. Blood—blood that also ran through the child's own veins—spilled everywhere, painting the ground in a hauntingly vivid crimson that brought colour to this monochrome town. Finn could hardly tell where the man's limbs started and ended.

Oh. The man was dying.

Again, no tears fell. No desperation. Only cold acceptance.

"Now what?" The child was surprised at how much his voice trembled. "Who am I supposed to protect now?"

Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder. Finn's eyes widened in shock. His father, broken and bleeding, had somehow managed to lift himself just enough to reach the child. The man sat up slightly, face pale and strained,

"You're alive? Wait, don't move! The blood—"

The child was cut off by an exhausted chuckle. "What are you still doing here?"

"Huh...?"

"I never got to tell you this but..." The man took a slow breath. "You don't belong here. Even if you are my child, I never thought you belonged here."

The next time Finn blinked, his vision became blurry. Then, finally, tears fell. The child was finally sobbing—Finn finally resembled a kid crying for his parents.

"What do you mean by that?"

No response. His father drew one final, shallow breath before his body went limp, falling to the side. Finn wasn't sure how long he had cried for. He wasn't sure if he was loud. He wasn't sure if more died around him because he was too busy grieving to help. When the tears finally stopped, he then noticed his father's cigarette pack lying nearby. Finn picked it up.

Ah... he never got to have a proper conversation with his parents after all.

Finn carefully moved his mother's body to rest beside his father's. They'd always been together, smoking in the living room. They should be together here as well.

His eyes dimmed as he looked off toward the distant horizon, where he'd heard rumours of a city.

Would I find a family there?



===



"..."

Finn's vision blurred for a moment as he sat up in bed. He rubbed his shoulder, letting out a tired sigh. Checking his phone, he glanced at the time and weather—it was a cold, early morning. The brunet sat up and grabbed the nearest sweater, pulling it over his shirtless torso as he went to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Finn wondered if everyone else was keeping warm. Elias often forgot to take care of himself due to work. Sara, on the other hand, would sometimes compromise warmth for fashion. You'd have to force Caleb to wear a scarf sometimes. Lyle and Jade could handle the cold, and Cecil would make a flirtatious remark about Finn 'helping' warm him up. With Amias? All Finn needed to do was slip in (Y/n) and he'd bundle up in a heartbeat. For (Y/n), she had her apparition companions to remind her already.

When Finn left his room—a new room he moved to after his betrayal—he walked along one of the main hallways of the AEI building.

"Finn!" An AEI member called out. "Good work on yesterday's operation! I don't think you remember me, but I was on the defence team."

Finn smiled kindly. "You did well, Amelia."

The woman blushed. "You remember my name?"

"I told you!" Her friend grinned. "Finn is the friendliest SF member. He knows everyone!"

After a few minutes of conversation, Finn bid the two women farewell.

The friendliest...

Finn was friendly. However, he believed he was the most selfish person alive. If he reached out a helping hand, it was for his own sake. It made him feel better, chase out any negative emotions he felt—a way to lessen the weight of regret or guilt he harboured as a child. When Finn met Elias and Caleb as children, friends were the last thing on his mind. He saw them as candidates for being the centre of his protection—people he could call family.

The group of people who he considered family steadily grew into the SF. Whenever he thought of them, he'd feel a sense of solace. So, he'd protect his family. Nothing else mattered.

Ah...

Reflecting on the SF made Finn miss them. Almost like a child seeking warmth, Finn always sought to be in the presence of those he considered family. Really, he was a young man who didn't know how to handle his love for his friends. Testing out new recipes with Caleb, quietly handling paperwork with Elias, searching for shopping deals with Sara, helping out at animal shelters with Jade, meal preparation with Lyle, learning how to knit from Amias, drinking with Cecil, and...

(Y/n)...

One memory that stayed with him was when he found her asleep beside a pile of books. Gently, he draped a blanket over her, and she woke up.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?"

(Y/n) blinked. "... Finn, do you have time to spare?"

She grinned and pulled out a chair next to her. "Sit down. I need to yap about this story to someone."

Finn stepped out onto an empty balcony. He leaned over the railing, gazing out at the city below. He took out a cigarette and lit it. The sharp, bitter taste filled his mouth. The taste was vivid and reminded him of his parents.

Finn understood he was a selfish person. He didn't yearn for salvation nor wished to be saved.

He only wished for his family's protection.



===



"What are you thinking about?"

Amias' voice pulled you back to the present, the sounds of the coffee shop filling your senses again. Oh, you zoned out. At least this time you managed to eat most of your food before doing so.

"I was worried about Sara's situation. You know, with Rose and all."

You took a sip of a drink, one that was recommended by Caleb. The guy demanded you to write a paragraph with your review after you've tried it. You planned to look up fifty synonyms for sweet when you write said review.

"Always worrying about others." Amias chuckled before turning away and mumbling, "But I'm also right here."

"What?"

"Hm?"

"You said something about you being here?" You raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you getting lonely?"

Amias flinched and a faint bit of red dusted his cheeks. "I didn't say that."

"Then were you thinking of it?"

Amias didn't respond. You blinked, a smile tugging at your lips, and he noticed instantly.

"Stop." He pouted. "You were going to tease me, weren't you?"

"... I didn't say anything."

"But you were thinking of it."

You laughed. "You got me."

Adorably, Amias would become more pouty if you hadn't spent time with him in a while. You were dense at times, but you weren't that dense. It was clear that Amias liked you a lot compared to the others. Whether his feelings were romantic or not was a bit tricky. Although, romantic or not...

His dependence and loyalty to me is extreme.

"I'll go and pay," Amias said, standing up.

"It's my turn to pay this time, isn't it?"

"No..." Amias frowned and sat down. "Yes..."

He could never lie to you, not even over the smallest things. He'd sooner shoot himself in the foot than tell you the time a minute off. You'd think that would make it easy to get honest opinions on things—like clothes. However, Amias would genuinely believe you were the most gorgeous being on earth even if you were wearing a trash bag.

"You also knew it was my turn and ordered a cheaper dish, didn't you?"

Amias glanced away, and you playfully rolled your eyes. When you and Amias went out to eat, he'd always insisted on paying. You insisted on at least splitting the bill, but Amias would promptly ignore your suggestion and pay first. He would even teleport in front of the counter if he had to.

Once, you pulled the old "look behind you!" trick to distract Amias so you could pay. It actually worked. It'd probably work again, but you felt bad that Amias believed you so easily. Hence, you stopped and made a deal with him that the two of you would take turns covering the bill.

After paying for lunch and exiting the cafe, you and Amias patrolled the city. You two engaged in small talk, interacted with the citizens, and took care of small scale apparition incidents. As you were preoccupied, you almost missed the faint floral scent in the air.

"(Y/n)? Did something happen?"

You had stopped walking and Amias was looking at you, confused.

"Rose."

It was finally time for that arc of Anomalous, the final arc. Rose and Shen played a significant role in it. Even so, she was making her move extremely early. Of course, you were prepared for events to occur at different times, but this was a whole month early.

In the original game, Rose managed to command apparitions from outside the city walls and inside. Her charisma, ambition, and strong vengeance were delicious to follow. Rose's honeyed words also convinced some of the the living to join in on her endeavours (it also helped that she was insanely hot). She wanted to bring the city down, and she definitely made an impact before she was exorcised.

Before Amias could ask you anything further, a message came through from Elias from your device. As if on cue with the little ding! of the message, the wind around you began to intensify. Keeping you momentarily distracted, rose petals fell from above. Citizens murmured, confused. It was a beautiful sight, but you needed to focus.

You opened the message. Elias had outlined where everyone needed to be—just as you'd discussed beforehand so you guys could get to Rose before the chairman did. You, Sara, and Elias would position yourselves close to where Rose was. In true (Y/n) fashion, you told everyone where she would most likely be and no one questioned how you knew that information.

You and Amias both finished reading the message. He frowned and you had an idea as to why.

"I know you don't want to split up, but your teleportation skills are really useful for evacuating people."

Amias didn't seem happy. "Be safe, okay?"

"Well, no promises, but you can trust I won't throw myself in the face of death at the first chance I get."

Just as Amias was about to leave, he paused, looking at you for a moment before pulling you into a quick, tight hug. He whispered, "Call me right away if you're in trouble. I'll drop everything to get to you."

Before you could respond, he gave you a gentle smile before teleporting off somewhere. You then rushed to meet with Elias and Sara. On the way, you helped out citizens. It was a struggle as more apparitions began to show up, strong ones as well. You were thinking of summoning Mochi to help, but Alastor showed up on his own and provided his assistance.

"Thanks."

Alastor scoffed. "Obviously."

Without wasting a second, you two cooperated and sprang into action. With a flick of his wrist, Alastor could command the wind, using it to hold collapsing buildings for people to escape and to ward apparitions off. He made sure not to manipulate the weather too much to not alarm citizens.

Alastor noticed your gaze on him. He narrowed his red eyes. "What?"

"Just thought you looked reliable."

He rolled his eyes. "... Shut up."

There was a nearby school impacted by apparitions. AEI members were on sight as children and staff were being escorted out. It seemed to be under control, so you didn't think too much of it. However, just as you were about to leave, a certain child caught your attention. Wait, wait, wait. Wasn't that the child you saw with Alastor's parents?

You turned quickly to Alastor. His normally sharp, indifferent eyes were now slightly wide with shock.