Chapter 1: First case

Good Spirited

Private Henry Johnsson and Captain Thomas  Dirk were approaching the target location. 

They were informed by the headquarters that this one would be just a regular cakewalk.

An average threat level, nothing out of the ordinary. 

They were both feeling groovy about their first assingment in a long time. 

The taxi was taking them towards the Cluckston street where the supposed Arcane would be.

-A Demon, they are born from people’s negative emotions and grow until they can break free. When that happens, that’s when we come in. Fortunately this one hasn’t manifested yet, just a regular ”Ghostroom”. 

Said Captain Dirk

-A ”Ghost..” what? 

Private Johnnson responded.

Thomas looked at the newbie with a perpelexed gaze.

-What do you mean ”what”? You’re supposed to know this stuff. And you’re supposed to call me ”Sir”.

-Yeah yeah I’m not good with terminology... Sir.

After a brief pause and a slightly dissapointed sigh, Thomas continued his explanation.

-A Demon is the amalgamation of negative emotions. Hatred or sorrow strong enough can give birth to one of them. At first they’ll only reside in the persons subconciusness, but they will try to lure and corrupt the person to feed them.

-Feed them what?

Herny asked.

-Souls.

Thomas responded with no hesitation.

-Fortunately even when the demon gets fed and becomes strong enough to break free from their creator, they usually can’t manifest physically.

Only the strongest, most dangerous ones can.

-And this one is not one of those ”manifesters” or whatever? Because I was told that this would be an easy job.

-Yes it’s just a ”Ghostroom”.

Henry looked confused and Thomas sighed yet again, but continued either way.

-Even though the demons can’t manifest yet they can still affect reality from their own plane. They usually create their own pocket dimensions where they try to lure in people to feed on.

Those pocket dimensions are called ”Ghostrooms”.

Thomas was speaking with an annoyed and somewhat condesending tone.

Henry then let out something that made Thomas dislike his new partner even more.

-Yeah I know, I was just messing with you. Although your reaction was quite underwhelming.

He smirked and Thomas then scoffed at him.

After their pleasent exchange as new partners they arrived to the scene. They thanked the driver and got out of the car.

-So this is the place huh? 

Henry stepped out of the car and Thomas came after him.

-Hey... Sir?

-Yes, Private Johnsson. 

Thomas said to Henry with an irrotated tone.

-Was it really ok for us to discuss all this... kind of confidential stuff infront of the cabbie dude?

-”Cabbie dude” Seriously? 

Thomas said

Henry looked unapologetic about his lingo and he raised his eyebrows to show that he was still wating for an answer.

-The driver was one of our own secret personnel, we have lots of people in different professions secretly working for us.

-Ahh I see.

Henry nodded and continued walking.

Their target was a completely average apartment building in downtown Vista Santos. 

They approached the building like it was no big deal.

Henry was dying for a cigarette, but Thomas made him hurry up since he was unusually hungry.

Neither of them really expected anything about the mission, just business as usual.

-So the file says that it’s just some greedy collector spirit. Born from a jealous brother etc.. 

Henry said as he looked at the info papers.

-How do we deal with it?

He continued.

-When were inside we trick that thing to show itself and then exorcise it. It’s a textbook case.

The entrance was supposed to be right next to the door  under the building nameplate.

Usually people need an invitation to enter a ghostroom, but they weren’t normal people, they were specialists.

They set their hands below the nameplate and Thomas started to focus in opening the barrier.

Usually Ghost rooms will lure people in, but they will also close the gates if they sense a dangerous presense.

Specialists like Thomas and Henry who are results of countless experiments and training since birth, have the ability to mask their presence. 

-Okay I’m ready. How about you Private Johnsson.

-Yep, It’s go time Sir!

As soon as they said that, they both disappeared from the street they had just been standing on.

It was a long wooden corridor and there appeared to be no end in sight. 

There wasn’t any lights in there somehow they could still easily see infront of them, almost as if there were dozens of invisible lightbulbs hanging in the air.

While they could see infront of them, they could not see the end of that corridor. The visible part only lasted few meters infront of them, and then the hall was enveloped by darkness again.

They walked and walked, but that darkness didn’t change.

The corridor was extremely thin, they couldn’t even walk side by side.

Thomas was leading the way as the senior Operator and Henry was right behind him.

They had no reason to that everythinh was out of the ordinary.

-How long do you think this corridor thingy will last?

Henry said.

-I imagine that we need to break thru it somehow, otherwise it might go on forever. 

They continued walking along trying to come up with a solution.

-Hmm.. how exactly is this endless hallway supposed to reflect our target spirit? 

Henry asked again.

-Yes, I’ve been wondering that myself.

Thomas answered.

-Maybe the empty walls have some meaning behind them?

-What do you mean?

-It says that it’s an ”envious brother”.

-Yes?

-I don’t know I just get the feeling that a wooden corridor like this should have some paintings or something extravaggabt on the walls, but here... nothing. They are completely barren.

-Feels like you’re kinda reaching with that one.

-Perhaps. Do you have an idea of our own then?

-I don’t know, but at this rate I’ll have plenty of time to figure it out.

After a while they strated to notice that the corridor was starting to get more and more narrow.

-Okay wait!

Henry said suddenly.

-I thought that this was supposed to be a routine case, nothing out of the ordinary... Is this really how it always is cause I’m starting to get a little... anxios up in here

-How many missions have you been to be precise? 

Thomas asked.

-Two. 

-And how did they handle it back then?

-I don’t know the seniors mostly just gave me orders and it was over pretty quickly...

-But you still figured it out as you went ahead didn’t you?

-Well yes but...

-That’s how we handle these things. That’s how we have to handle these. Even though we have a lot of intell to go on every case is different and we ultimately always end up improvising.. more or less.

Thomas took a short pause and them continued.

-Yes we try to plan these things as much as we can, but the nature of the job requires some flexibility and nerves. Is that something that you can handle? Because you sure seemed confident in the car..

Henry was still breathing frantically and looking at the ground. After a few deeo breaths he pulled himslef together.

-Yes.. I think so yes.. Sir..

-We are going to have to work on that in the future, but it’ll do for now.

They stopped walking as it didn’t seem like it would lead them anywhere.

After a while of examining the walls around them They both notoced something odd.

They hadn’t even thought sboit how to get out of there.

It’s always on the agenda, and yet they somehow completely forgot about it.

The corridor seemed to be endless in both directions.

-Let’s go that way for now.

Thomas said with slight conscerns in his voice.

They started walking back where they came from.

And sudeenly the entire place started to shake violently.

Seemingly out of nowhere a golwing neon sign appeared infront of them. It appered to be somekind of emergency exit sign, but instaed of pointing them to the exit it simply read ”There is no exit”.

They frantically looked around excepeting something to happen, as one might reasonably assume that the sign they saw was a declaration od war, or maybe execution announcement wouod be more fitting.

-Is this supposed to happen?

Henry asked.

-I..I told you already it’s a case by case basis... I have no idea.

Thomas replied with a stern voice.

-Art thou prepared to lose the all hope in the depths of my ravine? Only death and depravity reigns here..

-What was that?!

Henry yelled with obvious anguish in his voice.

Thomas was still trying to retain his composure as he was afraid that losing his calm would make Henry even more nervous. 

-”The great Malice” does not tolerate any unnecsessary delays. I’ll take thine souls with the affinity of of my own.

-”The great.. what”?What is that thing about 

Henry looked at Thomas in panic.

But Thomas seemed just as confused ad he was albeit he was trying his best to hide it.

Suddenly in the middle of everything Henry started to recall a memory from his childhood. He was in his family home. He was playinh with his older brother in the backyard.

They had just received a brand new archery set as a christmas present.

Their parents weren’t exactly financially stable, but they always tried their best to provide Henry and his brother Jack with the best they could. 

Henry and Jack were in the backyard playin witg their new Bow-set. 

-Can you stop hogging it? 

Henry cried to his brother.

-It’s still my turn!

He responded

-When is my turn?

Henry demanded.

-Soon..

His brother said with exasperated voice.

Jack managed to hit the bullseye of the tarhet board for the second time in a row now.

Their dad walked in while thwy were playing.

-Wow Jack that’s some pretty impressive shooting!

He said and the boys turned to look at him. They hadn’t even noticed him.

-Well I can do even better just look!

Jack said proudly.

-Hah I’m sure you can son.

-I can shoot too... Jack let me show dad..

Henry cried for his turn.

-Not yet it’s still my turn!

Jack said sternly.

-Boys don’t fight, and Jack remember to share with your brother. 

Their dad said.

-Oh, I have to go take care of something now. You boys be nice Ok?

He said as he looked at his watch.

-Yeah dad! 

Jack said happily while Henry was staring at ground silently.

-Where did that come from? Henry thought to himself, as he awakened from his flashback.

-What are you doing? Stop spacing oit the enemy can attack us at any moment!

Thomas yelled at Henry.

They were both in complete dissorray. The mysterious being they had encoutered was nowhere to be seen, yet the overwhelmingly ominous presence was still looming everywhere around them and they could not let their guard down for even a second.

-Thomas are you there? Helloo? Earth to Thomas?

Thomas suddenly awakened in an empty grassfield. He saw a beautiful woman smiling down at him.

He soon realised that the woman looked very familiar. 

Then it hit him. 

It was his own mother. 

Infact... the entire scene seemed all too familiar to him. He had definetly been there before. And there was something else... he had... been turned into a child again. 

-What in the..? What is going on? Private Johnsson? Henry?!

-Who are you talking to honey? 

His mother asked.

She was completely oblivious to everything that Thomas had been saying.

Thomas looked at his mother in disbelief if what had happened to him.

His mother, Allison Dirk was the nicest person he had ever met. She was so compassionate and understanding, she mever failed to calm Thomas down, but right now not even she could help him.

Thomas had immadietly realised that the Demon was behind this, but he didn’t know what it was after yet. 

Unlike Henry who was almost a complete newbie Thomas had years of experience in dealing with Demons and them trying to mess with the operators head was nothing new to him. 

Thanks to his prior experience hehad managed to retain his sense of selve and memory even after being forced to relive a past event. 

It was like a lucid dream to him, except he had no controll over it. 

-But why here? Why this day?

He kept thinking to himself

-What is about this memory that..?

His thought was intereupted by a scream of terror.

-huh?!

He immadietly started running to the ditection where the sream had came from.

When Thomas saw what had happened he was dumbfounded by it.

-Oh hi Thomas! You wanna play with us?

It was the neighbours kid and his classmate Lucienne. 

They were to same age and had known each other for a long time.

She had screamed because his brother Tanner had been tickling her.

Thomas was still standing silent, his own initial reaction had left him speechless. (Mostly out of embarassment.)

-Are you okay Thomas? You seem weird.

Lucienne had walked up to him while he was deep in though and was now touchinh his forehead. 

-Wh-What?! 

Thomas got out as he pulled back his face, now completely red.

-I was just checking too see if your fine silly. 

She giggled at Thomas’s bashfullnes wich made him blush even more.

-Thomas are you allright bro?

Tanner joined the conversation with a smug grin.

He was two years older than Thomas and pretty big foe his age.

Tanner was sporty and sociable, he never had trouble makkng friends and was pretty popular among his peers.

He had also always been well liked by the opposite gender. 

-Uhm n-nothing.. I just heard some screaming and I guess I thought that somebody...

-You thought that a girl was in danger and so you rushed in to ”save” her?

Tanner asked mockingly.

-No I mean.. I uhm..

Thomas was not conversatiolist his brother was and was at a loss for words in the uncomofortable situation. That was exactly what he had been doing.

-Stop teasing him Tanner! He did the right thing.

Lucienne said to defend Thomas, but not in the way he had hoped. It was only pity. She didn’t see him, not in the way that he had hoped.

-Are you talking back to me? Maybe it’s tiem for another punishment game. 

Tanneer said jockingly to Lucienne and started chasing her around. 

-Stop it Tanner, you know how ticklish I am.

She giggled with pure joy.. and they immadietly forgot about Thomas.

-Wha.. the hell..?

Thomas finally came thru.

Even though he had retained his memories he was still onlu viewving an old memory and had no controll over what was displayed at him.

The spirit seemed to be gone. They were both still frightened after what had happened.

-Is it gone? Do you think it will come back? Herny asked.

-I don’t ...know

Thomas’s uncertainty was obvious and he couldn’t hide it from Henry.

Normally spirits will try to affect their targets thoughts and emotions by talking to them after they are trapped inside the room. 

Because of that gathering souls is usually very slow and ineffective. Most demons have very little power to affect our reality.

A demon that can directly affect the mind of it’s target is incredibly rare. 

They are, after all creations born from our own evil thoughts. Rude words will hurt us, but they won’t bruise us..

A demon who is so far above the regular is not a good sign.

The only thing rarer is a demon who can become physical, although many consider them to be just rumors. 

Suddenly they sensed something above them.

-Henry look up! 

Thomas yelled. 

The ominous presence had resurfaced.

This would bet their final chache to fight it and get out.

Thomas and Henry were both special operators, but there was a reason WHY they were they were special. 

Similarly to how a demon can be born from a human, it was also possible to train and forge the human psyche into a dangerous weapon. 

That is what they Henry and Thomas both were. 

Espers, Psychics... they go by many names. 

The subconcius ability to affect the reality around you honed to it’s absolute limit and beyond. 

The operators worked in pairs and the paors were always chosen to compliment each others strengths.

The presence started tp rapidly approach Thomas and Henry. 

It was the most dangerous demon either one of them had ever met. 

If the other ones were minor inconvieniemces at best, perhaps occasianally snatching a soul or two by luring already depressed people in to suicide, this was nothing like that. One more mental attack could be enough to make both of them self-destruct. 

They were obviouslt well equipped to deal with attacks on all levels. 

Their outfits were made out of special fiber wich could stop bullets from lighter guns, their minds had been trained to withstand attacks to the soul, they were Psychics after all..

But they had never encountered anything like that..

Now duck!!

The demon missed them by a hairs breath when Thomas managed to predict where it would strike

-To think that all that came from a person... Henry said quitle.

He had managed to regain his fighting spirit. 

He had already accepted the fact that this was a  fight-or-die kind of scenario.

The presence of the spirit appeared out of nowhere again. 
Thomas specialised in take-downs, Henry was good with barriers.

-Get readt to block it's attack and I'll try to find a weak spot! Thomas whispered.

The presence started moving in their direction again.

-Brace yourself! Thomas said..

..but suddenly the looming threat they had been feeling, the indicator of their enemy, had completely stopped.

-Wh -what happened? Henry asked with fear creeping back to his voice.

-Oh... Yes I see, I see.. Why waste such fine potential after all. What lat before me is not ready to be harvested, it would simply be a waste to do so now... Indeed there liest great potential within thine both..

I hope we will see each other again..

perhaps in a very different setting...

After that a bright light appeared in the cracks of their current reality and then everything went dark.