The world of Arlan is much like our own: Its people have the marvels of modern technology like cellphones and high-speed internet, they have countries governed by democratic governments, they get from place to place in cars, planes and trains, they attend schools to learn and sit at tables to eat every day like you and I. The hustle and bustle of their world matches ours step for step barring one key difference:

An excess of paranormal entities and events occur around the people of Arlan every day without most of them ever noticing.

Take for example Class 1B of the 10th grade of Hoshi High, a high school worthy of note in the city of Hoshi, the capital of the country of Starland. This particular class would have been of next to no note compared to all the other classes in the impressive school were it not for the presence of two paranormal entities sitting amongst the otherwise average students.

At the front of the class was Matt, affectionately called Matt the Gnat by the rest of the student body. It hadn’t started out as an affectionate nickname but over the last four weeks of his attendance just about any and all attention directed to him had gradually turned positive. His grades improved in spite of paltry effort on his part, the most popular kids in school clung onto him like glue and he was even given an award for ‘Most Popular Student’ by the principal himself. How the nasally-voiced, bespectacled, tiny, raven-haired teen and his bowlcut had managed to achieve such accolades was a mystery to all but the esper found at the back of their last class of the day.

The purple-haired powerhouse named Cleo sat lazily, head resting on her hand while crossing her legs and detesting the dark blue of her blazer and the light grey of her skirt. They made her feel so drab and dull. She detested them almost as much as she detested the literal goblin in a human suit that she’d been shadowing for the last two weeks of her life. Cleo had finally been given the chance to live amongst her peers and pretend to be normal only for conversations with new friends to go from favorite movies and how unfair their homework loads were to Matt.

Matt. Matt, Matt, Matt! It was all anyone wanted to talk about anymore. But then she couldn’t blame them, not when the little turd had figured out how to put out a continuous psychic wave that made you beholden to his every whim. There was no change with just a few moments of exposure but getting soaked in it day after day had a mounting effect. Anyone could see where this was going: Soon he’d have a giant cult that would obey his every whim and want.

Yet, Cleo still couldn’t act. Protected from Matt’s popularity-inducing abilities, Cleo had been commanded to simply watch him and only intervene if and when the goblin moved to harm others. So long as all he was doing was enjoying himself at others’ expense there was no real need to get involved and that it was better to spend resources on bigger targets. Her commander had even said it might end up being a bit of a vacation for her.

The first few days were, at least.

The last bell of the day rang out and the students rose from their desks, Cleo mentally chiding herself for not paying attention in class. She’d spent the whole hour bemoaning her situation and had barely even glanced at the chalkboard. She was definitely going to fail the next day’s test.

‘Maybe I can get Matt to have Mrs. Waterson give me an A…’ The girl thought to herself before shrugging off the idea with a head shake. ‘No, that’s too mean. These poor saps don’t even know what they’re doing whenever that lil jerk’s around. Best I just try and knuckle down tonight, I guess.’

Coming to the hallway, Cleo stopped suddenly when she found a number of people shouting and threatening each other with a few students even going so far as to grab one another by the collar. A fight was brewing but over what she couldn’t tell exactly until she got closer. In between girls pleading, “Me! Me! Pick me!” and boys demanding, “You think he’d pick you over me, really?!” Cleo managed to snag a look at what all the commotion was over.

Matt had stopped in front of a poster advertising the upcoming Summer Dance, Cleo putting together that everyone had quickly gone ballistic over the chance to be Matt’s lucky pick for a date. She further put together that the goblin was taking his time considering the poster before him as the student body got closer and closer to exchanging blows.

‘That lil creep… if this goes on much longer, they’re gonna tear each other apart!’ Cleo thought, indignation creeping through her body as she reached for the pen in her blazer pocket. She stopped herself before pulling it out, however, when Matt ripped the poster off the wall to inspect it more carefully. The threats and yelling came to a dead stop as everyone turned back to him eagerly. Matt’s decision was close at hand and once he made it, Cleo wouldn’t need to get violent and cut her school life short.

“Hmm… who to pick, who to pick…” Matt teased, the boys and girls volunteering themselves once again with some making promises of paying him exorbitant amounts of money while others decreed that they were simply the obvious choice as the most beautiful and/or popular person in school.

Besides Matt, of course.

Going from worried to annoyed now that the mob was no longer at a fever pitch, Cleo rolled her eyes and sighed as she removed her hand from her blazer and started toward the exit.

“You, Cleo von Stripe. I pick you to accompany me to next week’s dance,” the goblin declared just as the esper turned her back, a shiver running up and down her spine as she suppressed the urge to vomit.

There was a moment of silence from the student body as momentary confusion took hold.

“Way to go Cleo!” One boy yelled.

“Aww, they’re so cute!” A girl cooed.

“If that’s what Matt wants, that’s what he gets!”

“Matt and Cleo! Matt and Cleo! Matt and Cleo!”

The hallway was filled with cheers as the girl turned around to find a gaggle of happy faces and cheers awaiting her, all of them framing Matt’s evil grin as he stared her down. The barely five foot student reached extended a hand toward the esper, smugly beckoning her over to take hold of it as he questioned, “Don’t you feel lucky?”

‘Does he know? Is this a test?!’ Cleo thought to herself in a panic,the last thing she wanted to do was take the imp’s hand but if he found out that she wasn’t under his spell and that he was being watched, who knew what he’d have everyone in his thrall do.

But also she really, really, REALLY didn’t want to go out with him.

Feigning a smile, the girl went on to fake a cough as she replied, “I-I’d love to but- Ehe! Ehe! I’ve got this cold I’d hate to give you and next week I’ve already made plans so I’ll have to politely de-”

The mood took a harsh, frigid turn as Cleo came to realize just about everyone in the school and most definitely everyone from her grade was staring her down furiously. Jealousy and fury burned brightly behind the mob’s eyes as she lost her footing, Cleo taking an awkward step back only to find a hand placed firmly on her shoulder.

She looked up from the massive, calloused digits to find the Principal Nova and his thick, grey-brown moustache. The man loomed over her, his eyes dark as the hallway took on a frighteningly quiet tone, so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

“Miss von Stripe… I trust you weren’t about to turn down such an incredibly kind invitation. An invitation young Matthew could have extended to anyone… anyone… but singled you out. To turn down such an opportunity wouldn’t strike me as someone up to Hoshi High’s caliber…”

Cleo tried to respond, “W-well I was just going to say that… I-”

Sounds of shuffling caught her notice, Cleo looking forward to find the student body moving toward her like a group of zombies with some of them brandishing sports equipment and others coming at her with scissors. Matt stood in the middle of his thrall, hand still stretched out expectantly, smile wide and knowing.

“If I came across someone like that…” The principal continued, his grip growing harsh enough to make Cleo flinch. “I’d have to see them removed from school grounds. Posthaste.”

Cleo gulped, having the power to take on the whole school but if she did it’d only hurt innocents but if she did nothing they were likely to tear her limb from limb. It was beyond unfair but she had no choice, the girl clenching her fists and closing her eyes as she yelled out, “A-alright fine! I mean, I’d love to go with y-”

“Scuze me, comin’ through, make some room!” A voice demanded and Cleo watched as the crowd was pushed to one side and another by an unseen figure until the new arrival finally made it to the front of the mob’s circle around her. Not to say that there was much to see of said figure, Ryu having the distinction of being the only boy in the whole school shorter than Matt at 4’10 though his spikey, long brown hair helped cover this up some. What no haircut could cover up, however, was the 9th grader’s annoying attitude or his keen brown eyes.

“There ya are, Gnatt!” Ryu declared, putting an arm around the goblin’s shoulder and tugging him in close, Matt caught off-guard by the sudden move as were those in his thrall. “I’ve been looking all over for ya, c’mon I wanted to show you something really cool!”

With an annoyed expression the goblin replied, “Not right now, Ryu… I’m in the middle of something. Why don’t you run along and-”

The monster in disguise wasn’t allowed a proper argument, however, as Ryu dragged Matt along with an arm around his neck, preventing the goblin from pressing any further denial with onlookers too confused to react while Cleo was, for once, grateful to the little motormouth.

Ryu was something of an anomaly to the charade Matt had set up, the small boy having declared himself Matt’s best friend and had made a habit of pulling him away to try and spend time alone with the 10th grader regardless of Matt’s disinterest. Oddly, Matt had never outright denied any of Ryu’s comradery or affection which Cleo had theorized was a quirk of his popularity-granting ability: He could demand affection but never deny it lest it sow doubt in those under his thrall. Ryu was thus an unavoidable hiccup in Matt’s plan, though Cleo wasn’t exactly a fan of the shorty either. 

Stuck monitoring the goblin even after school she’d been subject to hours and hours of the long-haired teen’s prattling about everything under the sun. Even with the sudden save, Cleo wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t try to find the chance to tape the annoying boy’s mouth shut if the chance presented itself.

The weight on Cleo’s shoulder lightened, finding Principal Nova and the others’ cold fury turn to confusion as some started heading for the door while others stood a moment longer holding their heads in an attempt to right their thought processes. The broad, moustached man behind Cleo was in the latter camp as Matt’s mental effect faded the further he got from the student body and faculty alike with the man questioning, “Um, right what was I saying?” As he removed his hand from Cleo’s pained shoulder.

“You were just wishing me a safe trip home!” The esper offered with a smile as she spun around and gave the man a quick bow.

Principal Nova continued his confused stare a moment longer, his brown suit waving about in the small wind of the AC unit before he gave a friendly smile and waved the girl off, declaring, “Ah right! Be sure to go safe, Ms. von Stripe! Give my best to your parents!”

Cleo nodded and turned back around, the hallway finally empty enough for her to dash after where she’d seen Ryu pull Matt away to. She ignored her principal’s calls for no running in the halls as she pulled out her silver cellphone and called her commander, the girl’s pink eyes flashing with determination as the dial tone went off twice before he answered.

“Steel here.”

“Sir, I’m asking for permission to act on the goblin at Hoshi High. I barely avoided a fight with an army of civilians and I’m pretty sure my cover’s blown.”

“Riiight… the goblin problem. It’s funny, I was just about to call you regarding that. I actually found a more important case for you to deal with in the area.” The man’s raspy answer almost had Cleo stop dead in her tracks, confusion about in both her face and voice.

“Wh-what? There’s something worse than that little monster here?”

“Potentially. Don’t worry though, not gonna make you pull another ‘watch and follow’ mission. You’re free to handle the goblin at your leisure but Cleveland’s picked up something with a Source Volume that’s off the charts and the fact that you haven’t noticed it must mean it’s someone damn good at hiding. Soon as you get a beat on our mystery target, I want you to bring ‘em in. Got me?”

A trace of fear ran down Cleo’s spine, wondering what kind of monster could have been hiding under her nose this whole time. Part of her hoped that it was just equipment malfunctioning but Cleveland had never been wrong before while her powers were very much still a work in progress. It didn’t sound like it was gonna be easy but she pressed on with determination. The sooner this mystery monster was found, the sooner her new friends at school would be safe and she could get back to base and back to pursuing her real goal.

“Yes sir. I’ll take down Matt and then I’ll capture this new threat!”

“Now hold on, I didn’t mean-”

Cleo didn’t catch the last of her commander’s words as the world around her flashed to a dark green with yellow highlights, time frozen all around her. 

“Crap…” Cleo declared, pocketing her phone and looking around for whoever could have triggered the shift into a timezone, something that only happened  when The Line between the paranormal and humanity was at risk of falling apart. If Cleo ran far enough from the source she’d re-enter normal time and be able to finish her call with her commander that wouldn’t help her all that much in dealing with the mysterious new threat. It also would’ve meant she’d have missed the sounds of a scuffle coming from the supply closet to her right.

Steeling herself, the esper pulled out a purple pen from her inside blazer pocket and grabbed hold of the doorhandle, twisting it slowly as she prepared to face down whatever danger was waiting inside.