In the small village of Emille, two hooded men arrived, carrying incense and several religious tools. The village buzzed with rumors of a child possessed by Phantasm, causing widespread alarm.

The followers of Lord Jingo, a small sect of a religious order from the eastern continent, had arrived. They were known for their exorcists who followed the eastern rites, distinct from the doctrines in the Doman region.

The child spoke in an unknown tongue, even foreign to the eastern language. His blood vessels had turned a dark blue, visible beneath his pale skin, and his eyeballs had become red.

One of the hooded men looked at the child's father and asked, “When did the signs of possession start?”

“I DON’T KNOW!” shouted the devastated father. The mother of the child apologized, “Please, forgive my husband. He hasn’t slept and is deeply worried about our child. Please, save our son!”

“I apologize for your suffering, madam,” the hooded man replied, then called to his companion, “Pateel, I need your help.”

Pateel, the other hooded man, nodded and removed his hood. He glanced at the parents and said, “I will make a medicine to ease your child’s pain,” he continued, “Maureej will watch over him.”

Maureej nodded as Pateel listed the herbs and items needed for the medicine. Eastern symbols and runes adorned the room, their purpose to contain the Phantasm’s anger and unpredictability, keeping the child confined within the room.

“We will need the assistance of an exorcist from your domain,” Maureej said to the mother.

”What do you mean!?” the father asked.

“We can contain the Phantasm for a while, but we cannot assure how long we can keep your child from succumbing to it,” Maureej explained.

The mother cried on her husband’s shoulder. As the child began to convulse on the bed, Maureej placed a paper talisman before the bed and knelt to pray.

“Lord Jingo, save the soul of this child!” Maureej prayed, then recited the sutra.

Meanwhile, Mitchell and his group were heading to Emille for his first mission. Major Galahad had assigned Sergeant Erick Schmidt to lead them. The sergeant was a no-nonsense man who got his job done. Along with Mitchell, Gary Towers, Lucia Marche, and seventeen other mercenaries were present.

Their mission was to respond to sightings of a paranormal phenomenon and the possession of a child by a Phantasm. On his first mission, Mitchell felt excited, hoping to make his fortune. He noticed everyone was well-mannered, including Gary, whose usual demeanor was absent. However, the sight of Sergeant Erick made Mitchell freeze in fear, knowing the sergeant could intimidate with just a look. Mitchell kept quiet during the trip, staring out the vehicle window.

The vehicle stopped in the town of Gelyndrine. Sergeant Erick ordered his men out to meet the mayor. Despite its distance from the city, the town was bustling with life. The busy streets and numerous people made it feel like a small city. Before Mitchell could think about exploring, Sergeant Erick cleared his throat, “I know you want to see the city, but I won’t permit it! Everyone, assemble at the town hall ASAP!”

Everyone, including Mitchell, replied, “Aye, sir!”

“Follow me!” Sergeant Erick commanded, leading them to the town hall.

The architecture of the town hall looked impressive, surprising Mitchell. It reminded him of the old Midwestern buildings he had seen in books. It appeared that they had taken good care of the building.

The sergeant ordered Mitchell and the others to form up. “Everyone, keep in formation until I return!” he reminded them before he left.

“What about me? I am a civilian personnel?” Mitchell thought, protesting silently about standing in front of the Town Hall.

Mitchell could do nothing as the sergeant went ahead. All he could do was wait, similar to what Gary and the others did under the heat of the sun. They waited for nearly an hour before they saw the sergeant exiting the town hall with the mayor.

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“I see you brought fine men here, sergeant. However, we need someone with expertise in dealing with the phenomenon,” the mayor said to the sergeant.

“At ease, gentlemen!” the sergeant barked his order, which everyone in the group, including Mitchell, complied with.

“I see you need exorcists? We have one!” the sergeant said to the mayor.

The mayor didn’t look convinced and glanced at the mercenaries. “We need exorcists, not soldiers! There’s no war in the village of Emille!” the mayor reiterated.

“Mitchell, boy! To the center!” the sergeant barked his order, and Mitchell marched in front.

Seeing Mitchell, the mayor was not pleased. “What about this kid? What is his specialty? His papers and his qualifications?”

The sergeant placed his left palm on his face in frustration at the mayor’s demands. “Look, mayor, if you are not convinced, we will leave!”

Hearing this, the mayor protested, “It’s not like we are rejecting your offer. I hear the Legion is composed of able-bodied men with different qualifications. However, this is not war we are facing.”

“You’ve said that many times, mayor. However, this is all we can send to you. My men will help keep the peace, while my boy here, Mitchell, our main exorcist, will deal with the rest!” the sergeant vouched for Mitchell.

“He’s too young… I do not believe he’s experienced or has the qualifications for the job!” the mayor said, worried.

“Trust me, mayor, when the Legion sends its men, they are qualified for the job. You’ll just have to trust me!” the sergeant continued.

The mayor, finally convinced, looked at the sergeant and said, “Sergeant Erick, I hope that your men are as capable as you’ve advertised them to be. It is not only I who will face consequences for any failures!”

“You have my word, mayor!” the sergeant reassured him.

“Good!” the mayor replied, finalizing the agreement between him and the sergeant.

After the agreement, the mayor returned to the town hall, and the sergeant relieved his men, saying, “I believe that you all have stood long enough. You are free to relax and have your breaks. However, meet me here at 1100 hours. We have much to talk about!”

Mitchell and the others dispersed and went their ways. Gary went with Mitchell as they headed to the toilet.

“It seems like you’re the star of the show, Mitch!” Gary said after he and Mitchell came out of the washroom.

“What do you mean?” Mitchell asked.

“For the sergeant to vouch for you, it rarely happens!” Gary said.

“Really?” Mitchell asked.

“Of course!” Gary replied.

Mitchell thought otherwise, but finishing the mission was on his mind.

Meanwhile, inside a café, Lucia went for a cup of coffee. She had been stressed for several days because of her responsibilities in the infirmary. Being out of the HQ meant she could stretch her legs a bit.

While she was drinking her coffee, she felt something touch her back. She placed her cup on the table and clenched her fists, ready to hit anyone who dared harass or prank her.

To her surprise, as she stood up, no one was around. Looking around, she only saw people peacefully enjoying their coffee and snacks. “What could it be?” Lucia asked herself.

Thinking it might have been her imagination, Lucia continued to enjoy her coffee. She sat down again and sipped her cup. Finding the coffee too bitter, she added two more sugar cubes to make it sweeter.

Mitchell, while heading back to the vehicle with Gary, noticed something was amiss. He stopped walking and observed his surroundings. Someone was following them.

Gary, who noticed Mitchell’s behavior, asked him, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Something feels strange,” Mitchell replied.

Mitchell felt a cold sensation deep inside, warning him of impending danger. Looking around, he saw a shadow resembling a silhouette of a person.

When Gary looked toward where Mitchell was looking, the silhouette disappeared. Mitchell was sweating cold and coughing.

“Are you alright, Mitch?” Gary was worried.

“I’m fine…” Mitchell replied as he recovered.

“I just felt... something not normal,” Mitchell said to Gary.

“What could it be?” Gary asked.

“I don’t know... But I feel it’s been watching me,” Mitchell said, looking at his watch. “It started several minutes ago.”

Lucia suddenly arrived at the scene. A spill of coffee stained her apron with the red cross. She looked at Gary, and asked, “Have you seen the sergeant?”

Gary shook his head and replied, “No, why?”

“There’s something I need to say to him!” Lucia said.

Meanwhile, the sergeant and three corporals were inside a bar. They were smoking and playing poker. They decided to spend their time rather than waiting in the vehicle.

The sergeant was winning the game on a streak. The corporals were at the losing end, with their bets having them to pay for their drinks. While the four were having fun, unknown figures were watching them from the outside.

Leon, the corporal, noticed something weird when the hair of his body started to stand. A cold and weird sensation, plus the feeling of dread, overcame his senses. The sergeant, who noticed, looked at the windows outside.

There was no one in the windows. He glanced at Leon again and asked, “Something wrong, lad?”

“It’s… nothing, sir!” Leon replied.

“You sure?” Sergeant Erick asked.

“Yes, sir!” Leon continued.

Seeing that this may be a sign of an omen, the sergeant ended the game. He stood up and approached the counter. “Drinks on me!”

“But Sarge, I thought I had to pay for…” Alex asked Sergeant Erick.

Seeing the Sergeant’s face, Alex rescinded and kept his mouth shut. The merrymaking of the four men ended when the Sergeant ordered the three corporals to exit the bar. The four hurried in the vehicle in silence.