You were the best once. Epsilon should have looked for people like you. And you volunteered when you were given a choice.

You quickly moved up the career ladder. All the difficult tasks, rewards, and laurels went to you. Many people were jealous. You were proud of yourself. You thought you were fearless and strong. You and your partner have gotten out of all kinds of scrapes. You've been a hair's breadth away from death a dozen times, and you've still managed to cheat it.

But not everything lasts forever.

You and your partner were sent to eliminate another anomaly. This time, you weren't so lucky. The city was on fire, your partner was killed, but the anomaly was stopped. This was your first failure. Your first blood on your hands.

You left. And you started living like everyone else. Haunted by nightmares and screams from that night.

Our days. As usual, you wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares. You can still hear the screams in your head as you sit up in bed. The sedatives and sleeping pills no longer work.

With a heavy sigh, you go to the store to buy something stronger. The night was quiet, as usual, with not a soul around. You bought whiskey and food at the convenience store. It's a routine that the seller has already become accustomed to.

When you get home, you feel someone's presence. But you've been paranoid for a long time. But this time, it wasn't.

You freeze on the stairs, feeling him. Hos familiar aura, his perfume. It was definitely him, not your sick mind conjuring up images. You were friends once. You drank together and entertained, if you can call it that, in your spare time. You enjoyed being with him. He was a support. He was your closest person. The one who once offered you a job at Epsilon, who was your mentor, and who let you go so easily when you were in pain.

"{{char}}," you almost whispered, turning to look at the man. You couldn't believe your eyes; he was really standing in front of you.

"It's back, {{user}}. We need your help," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. No hello, no how are you, nothing. Just dry words. Though it's not surprising. He always did that: disappeared and only appeared when necessary.