Not a soul remembered Casey.
Not the nuns who once whispered prayers beside her. Not the children who clung to her like a second mother. Not even Father Axel, who knew every name, face, and confession in the church.
Only Rin remembered. And that made him dangerous.
They told him it was just a dream. A child's grief twisted into fantasy. That he'd invented Casey to cope with his injuries, the blood, and the trauma. But as the years passed and everyone else forgot, the memory only grew sharper for him.
Eventually, the whispers behind his back weren't sympathy—they were accusations.
Delusional. Starved for attention. Unfit.
Rin stopped bringing up Casey. But he never forgot.
⸻
10:38 a.m. — Dining Hall, St. Verdell's Church
"Father Axel!" Rin said, half-standing from his seat at the table. "Since I'm of age now, can I—"
"Rin," Axel cut him off without looking up from his plate, "don't talk with your mouth full. You're spitting toast on the table."
Rin swallowed hard, coughed once, and reached for his water. "Right, sorry! I just… I wanted to ask if I can join the next extermination squad."
Axel finally looked up. The lines on his face were carved deep from age, but his eyes still held that sharp edge that said he missed nothing.
"You've been waiting to ask that for a while, haven't you?"
"Kind of, yeah."
Axel leaned back in his chair, fork still in hand. "It's a dangerous job. You know that."
"I do," Rin said. "But it's the greatest honor someone like me could get, right? I want to earn my place. Pay you back for everything you've done."
Axel scoffed and shook his head. "The church doesn't raise kids expecting repayment, Rin. That's not how this works."
"I know, but… I just want to do something that matters. Something real."
The priest set down his fork. "You've got potential. Holy magic flows through you, no doubt. But your Echo hasn't awakened. That matters more than anything out there."
"What if this is what wakes it up?" Rin said. "Maybe I need that kind of pressure."
Axel didn't answer right away. He just stared at Rin, studying him like he was trying to see something beyond the surface.
"I'll think about it."
⸻
7:22 p.m. — Church Courtyard, Departure Ceremony
The whole church had gathered in front of the chapel steps. Nuns held candles. The younger kids sat on the stone ledges, bundled in shawls. It wasn't a celebration. It never was. A demon extermination might be holy, but it was also a gamble. And the house always took its share.
Rin stood stiffly near the rear as the five-member squad prepared to leave. He still wasn't sure if he was going—Father Axel hadn't said anything more since breakfast.
Then the old priest stepped forward, holding a silver-edged cross in his weathered hands.
"Rin," he called.
"Yes, Father!" Rin responded quickly, moving to meet him.
Axel eyed him for a long second. "Have you thought about what this means?"
Rin nodded.
"I'm not asking if you're ready to leave. I'm asking if you're ready to die."
Rin hesitated for a breath, but only one.
"If that's what it takes… then yeah. I'm ready."
Axel pressed the cross into Rin's palm. It pulsed with warmth—subtle, but real. "This was mine. Old relic. Treated me well. Don't lose it."
"I won't. I swear."
Axel turned to the group. "Maxeel's still recovering from his injuries. Rin will take his place."
The moment those words landed, three of the other exorcists turned to look at Rin like he'd stepped on holy ground with muddy boots.
A silver-haired woman frowned. "With all due respect, Father Axel… we're going after a Class C. This is his first time. He could get us killed."
"If he dies, he dies," Axel said simply. "You all knew the risks when you took this path."
No one dared argue.
Just before they set off, one of the children ran up and tugged at Rin's sleeve.
"You'll come back, right?"
Rin knelt down and offered a small smile. "Yeah. I promise."
⸻
Day One — The Road East
The sun had barely dipped past the horizon when they left the church grounds. The road that wound through the forest was old and narrow, mostly dirt and dried leaves. Trees leaned overhead, whispering with every breeze.
Rin walked at the back of the line.
Not by assignment. It just happened.
The rest of the group kept their distance, and it didn't take long for someone to break the silence.
"You know," Lilith said casually, "Father Axel's been going soft. Letting someone like you tag along?"
Rin glanced at her, brows raised. "Someone like me?"
"Yeah," she said without turning. "Eighteen and already chasing death. You're not even Echo-bonded. It's like a suicide note in motion."
Another woman snorted. "Seriously, who thought this was a good idea? He's going to freeze up the second we see blood."
"I can handle myself," Rin muttered.
Lilith slowed her pace until she was beside him. "Look, just don't get in the way, okay? We've done this before. You haven't."
"I've trained—"
"Training's not the same as fighting," she said, cutting him off. "Trust me. Just hang back and let the adults work."
He grit his teeth but kept walking.
⸻
Campfire — Night One
The group made camp in a clearing just off the trail. Firewood was scarce, so the flame was small, but it was enough to chase the cold from their hands.
Lilith sat sharpening her dagger, eyes catching the light like embers. The silver-haired woman—her name was Sera, Rin remembered—cooked something simple in a pan over the fire.
Rin sat a little ways off, chewing a piece of dried meat he'd packed himself. No one had offered to share food.
"You got any actual field training?" Sera asked suddenly, stirring the pan.
Rin swallowed. "Yeah. Some."
"Like… actual fights? Demonic contact?"
"Well, not contact, but I've studied rites, purification patterns, sealing—"
"Cool," she said, not sounding impressed. "We'll try to keep you from dying then."
Lilith smirked. "Remember when we took that Class D down near Rivenshore? The thing bled black fire and screamed for thirty minutes straight. Bet you'd love to see that, huh, zombie boy?"
"Would you stop calling me that?" Rin snapped.
"Why?" she shrugged. "You're the one who made up a story about a zombie nun to scare the other kids."
"I didn't make it up."
Sera laughed. "Sure, sure. You just happened to wander into the forest, get hurt, and hallucinate a ghost nun named Casey who no one else remembers."
"That's not what happened," Rin said sharply.
Lilith turned her gaze toward the fire. "Drop it. Doesn't matter now."
The silence that followed was heavy.
⸻
Day Two — Midday
The group was quieter the second day.
They passed a half-collapsed shrine, its statue long since weathered into a formless lump. At some point, the trail forked, and they veered onto a narrower path choked with roots.
"Keep your ears open," Sera said. "These woods are clean, but sometimes lower-class demons use old roads as hideouts."
Lilith nodded. "Two more days, give or take. Maybe less if we push."
Rin noticed a strange marking on one of the trees—an old symbol he couldn't recognize—but when he pointed it out, no one paid it much attention.
"We're not here to sightsee," Sera said. "Eyes on the path."
By nightfall, they camped near a stream. The group was starting to feel the weight of the journey—muscles sore, tempers short.
That night, no one talked much. Except for Rin, who kept thinking about the cross around his neck and wondering what would happen if his Echo never woke up.