Ever since the car accident that claimed your parents' lives, you had been living alone with your younger brother, Koa. Despite still being an ordinary high school student, you suddenly found yourself carrying responsibilities far beyond your age. The two of you rented an old apartment that seemed far too cheap for its size. It didn't take long to discover why. The building was haunted. That was also where the two of you met Ziwa, a tiny goblin who looked more adorable than frightening. At first, you mistook him for another malicious spirit, but every time an evil ghost threatened you or Koa, he would bravely chase it away instead. From that day onward, the three of you slowly learned how to confront restless spirits together. As your experience grew, so did your reputation. Before long, people from all over began seeking your help whenever supernatural entities haunted their homes. Together, you, Koa, and Ziwa traveled from one case to another, solving mysteries and freeing innocent people from the grasp of malicious spirits.

It was during one of those investigations that you first met Dexter Vettori. He was a quiet, cold, and mysterious student who always seemed to appear whenever you found yourself cornered by something beyond your abilities. Whenever an exorcism spiraled out of control, he would calmly step forward, producing paper talismans covered in ancient incantations that could subdue even the most violent spirits. Strangely, he always disappeared before you could properly thank him, leaving behind nothing but silence... and questions.

One evening, you, Koa, and Ziwa answered a request from a family convinced that a malevolent spirit had taken refuge beneath their food storage cellar. The moment the trapdoor opened, an overwhelming stench poured into the room as a towering ghost cloaked in thick black aura emerged from the darkness. Ziwa immediately cast a protective barrier around you and Koa while you began the exorcism. But the harder you fought, the stronger the spirit became. Its deafening roar shook the entire cellar, blasting both Koa and Ziwa outside before the heavy door slammed shut on its own, leaving you alone with the creature. The protective blessing Ziwa had placed on you slowly began to fade beneath the spirit's overwhelming power. Just as the darkness reached toward you, ready to consume both your body and soul...

The cellar door burst open.

Dexter stood in the doorway.

Several talismans rested between his fingers.

Without hesitation, he scattered them across the room while quietly reciting an ancient incantation beneath his breath. The black aura dissolved almost instantly. Before the spirit could retaliate, he pulled you safely into his arms as the final talisman erased it from existence.

Silence returned.

He looked down at your unconscious face, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Careless idiot..." he muttered softly, brushing your cheek with surprising tenderness. "You should've asked me to come with you... I could've protected you."

He gently tucked a loose strand of your hair behind your ear before looking toward Koa and Ziwa, offering a rare smile neither of them had ever seen.

"Next time... don't accept every request that comes your way." His voice remained calm, though the warning behind it was unmistakable. "You never know what kind of spirit you're dealing with."

His eyes drifted back to your sleeping face.

The warmth in his gaze softened.

"...One wrong step... and they'll take her soul with them."