Ethan stirred restlessly in his sleep. Dim sunlight from the window hit his face and his eyes fluttered hazily at the blinding light. His gaze darted to the rising sunlight outside, trying to slowly adapt to the light as he keep blinking.
Groaning in exasperation, he grudgingly sat up cross-legged on the bed. Though he was still fighting the urge to go back to sleep, rubbing his eyes to make it go away.
The phone on his bedside table rang, causing him jolt awake at the sudden loud noise that filled the room, causing his exhaustion to immediate vanish.
The sharp movement of him turning his head toward the phone almost gave him a whiplash. His neck strained in protest, making him let out a pathetic wince.
"I must have slept in the wrong position..." he grumbled as his neck strained in discomfort once again.
He grabbed the still-ringing phone. Not even taking his time to read the name. When he picked up, a rather booming, angry voice made him jerk away from the device.
"Where are you, Hunter?! I called you multiple times already and you haven't answered!!" The angry man's words made Ethan wince.
Ethan took a deep shaky breath before slowly closing the phone to his ear again with a trembling hand. Already dreading his boss' scolding.
"Sorry, boss...I guess I woke up late?" He tried to keep a lighthearted tone, as if unbothered by the man's anger. But the way his voice crack at the last sentence gave away his nervousness. Damnit, he cursed internally.
The sharp exhale from the other end of the phone made Ethan's shoulder stiffen. He knew he was going to be about to face the music when his boss is currently mad at him.
"Forget it, it's useless getting mad at you," the boss huffed, the sound sharp even through the speaker. "I can't fire you, not when you're the most valuable exorcist."
Ethan's shoulders tensed. That single word—exorcist—always tasted like ash in his mouth.
"Listen," the boss stated, his voice now flat and serious.
"There's a strange phenomenon going on in a village on a mountain known as Graven Ridge. Occult ritual. Unknown cultist."
Ethan's grip tightened on the phone. "How much of a trace?"
"The village is empty, Hunter. All of them are gone. We're too late." His voice was heavy with failure.
"We can't breach it. The phenomenon is too strong—a distorted barrier is locking us out." A sharp, frustrated sigh was his only pause. "They managed to conceal it from our radar until the ritual was complete."
"An entire village..." Ethan murmured, the last of his grogginess evaporating, replaced by a cold dread. This wasn't a minor haunting. This was a crisis. "We need you, Hunter." The boss's tone was a hard plea. "Only you can bypass an eldritch-level barrier. Everyone is counting on you."
Ethan closed his eyes, his head dropping back against the pillow. He hated being an exception. He hated being "valuable." He just wanted to sleep.
"Give me the coordinates," he sighed, his voice completely devoid of any lightheartedness now. "And tell the Corps to keep their distance. If it's eldritch, they'll only get themselves killed."
He listened to his boss relay the location, then hung up and pushed himself to his feet. Standing at the window, he didn't see the outside world; he saw the image of the man the Hunterman Corps relied on.
Ethan was tired, but Huntermen needed him. He crossed the room and unlocked a steel-reinforced cabinet, pulling out a coil of silver chains and a black, leather-bound journal. The items felt heavy and familiar in his hands.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror, but he didn't see himself at all today. All he sees is the prodigy with too much expectation on his shoulder.