She asked the question everyone had been wondering. The senior blinked for à moment before the corner of his lips curved into a smile. "These kinds of things shouldn't be rushed. For the first two months of your time here, you will be tasked with getting acclimated to the school as well as getting to know what it means to be an Anchor and aStriker first. Anchors will learn how to do what they do best—anchor and Strikers will learn how to control their powers. It would be a pointless waste of time to get yourselves paired up when you don't even know how to use your abilities yet."
The young woman's face coloured as she realized what he said made sense. The man's smile deepened. "Don't worry. It will come in due time."
With that, the tour came to an end, and the senior advised them to enjoy a meal at the dining hall. "They have some of the best food. Trust me."
Lennon turned to look at Kenneth, a knowing look on his face. He already knew what the young man would ask without having to say anything.
The two followed the crowd to the dining hall that was not too far from the Syrus Building.
Entering the dining hall was akin to entering a war zone. Piles of students lined up the serving area, while another scrambled to find a table free enough to sit on and enjoy their meal. It was chaos but an orderly chaos that left Kenneth feeling unsettled. Though the large hall looked like a herd of cattle on the verge of causing a stampede, it was thanks to the cyborgs and droids stationed at each corner that they were able to enter the room and not worry about getting trampled in the process.
Still, when you took the time to take everything in, you would notice the austere majesty that was the hall. Unlike the rest of the building's favourite linoleum and glass, the Dining Hall had an old charm to it. It gave the air of an institution in the upper echelons of society with polished wood, stations divided in different types of meat, non-dairy options, Italian if that was what you fancied, and Korean for those who had a spicier palate. There wasn't a single human doing the serving. Everything was done by machines that scanned the person in line and served them with their correct portions from muscle mass, weight, and height.
There was something here for everyone, even those who didn't have large appetites. Whatever dietary restrictions you had, they had something for you. It was incredible and even as Lennon and Kenneth lined up, they both couldn't help feeling overwhelmed.
"…This is…" Lennon started, but couldn't find the words to finish.
Kenneth nodded in agreement. "Yeah."
The line went quicker than he'd originally anticipated. No more than five minutes later, they were ready to be served.
"Any preferences, allergies or dietary needs?" The machine asked him.
He was about to shake his head when his eyes landed on the station for food from the southern Americas. He hadn't had any since his trip to the Hagar and had the sudden urge for red rice and seasoned meat.
"Rice bowl please."
"Is there anything else? Drinks? Water, protein shake, energy drink, herbal elixir, supplemental juice?" The machine asked.
Kenneth blinked. What in god's name was supplemental juice?
Just as he was about to ask, he watched as Lennon ordered the mysterious drink. The bottle was made of clear glass with a steel lid and had an orangy-red liquid inside of it. When Lennon opened the cap, the faint smell of orange, cherry and mango wafted through the air with a hint of medicine. He frowned.
Though it looked and smelled good, Kenneth decided to play it save and get some regular water instead. Once they'd been served, now came the tricker part. Finding someplace to sit.
The Dining Hall was large enough to accommodate hundreds of not thousands of students. The tables were lined up in rows, each polished wood featuring a bench large enough to seat five people. This normally wouldn't have been a problem, but since classes hadn't begun and their schedules weren't stacked yet, you had an entire hoard of people filling the room, and fast.
"Where the hell are we going to sit?" Lennon wondered, his eyes darting around anxiously.
That was the million dollar question.
Kenneth's senses activated as his eyes darted across the room, taking in its layout, the number of tables and calculating how many seats were available to them. His gaze sharpened as he scanned the hall. For a brief moment, the noise around him, the chatter, the clinking of utensils, the faint hum of machines, faded in the background.
The chaos took shape in his mind, just like a blueprint. He began mapping everything out; the rows of tables aligned neatly into grids, the doors marked as exits, and the stations that became nodes of movement and flow. He mentally traced the routes students were taking, calculating which paths were congested and which remained clear.
The hall had three main exits: the one they'd entered through, a maintenance corridor toward the right side, and another at the far back—half concealed behind a support column. From that door, the view of the entire dining area was obstructed. Perfect for observing, and more importantly, for a quick exit if anything went wrong.
Lennon was still scanning the crowd when Kenneth's focus zeroed in on a nearly empty table tucked near that back exit. Three seats were already taken, but there was room for two more. From there, they could see everything—the serving lines, the instructor's table near the front, even the hall's security bots rotating through programmed patrols.
"Found one," he murmured. Before Lennon could respond, Kenneth grabbed his arm and began weaving through the throng of students, navigating cleanly between moving trays and chairs without spilling a drop of his drink.
"Wait—did you find an empty spot?" Lennon asked, nearly stumbling as Kenneth tugged him along.
Kenneth only hummed in response, his eyes locked on the target table like a predator stalking a mark.
When they reached it, three pairs of eyes turned toward them. One belonged to a girl with big, curly hair that framed her soft, doe-like features. Her uniform was pressed to perfection, and the energy around her was warm and inviting. Sitting beside her was a blond guy with near shoulder-length hair and pale eyes that gleamed with quiet amusement. Across from them, a dark-haired boy with neatly parted hair across the middle and careful, watchful eyes sat with his arms crossed, his food long discarded.
Kenneth stopped at the edge of the table. "Hey," he said, his voice measured and composed, carrying a strained politeness. "Do you guys mind if we sit here?"
The girl looked up, her eyes widening slightly as she took them in; Kenneth with his serious expression, and Lennon standing beside him, smiling sheepishly as if to make up for it. She glanced at her tablemates, then back at them.
"Uh… is it alright if they sit?" she asked, voice soft but hesitant.
The dark-haired guy didn't say anything, his gaze flicking from Kenneth to Lennon, measuring them. The blond, however, leaned back with a faint grin.
"Why not?" he said smoothly, his accent faint but distinct. "It's not like they have anywhere else to sit."
The girl smiled then, a small, genuine gesture that softened her features. That was all the confirmation Kenneth needed.
"Thanks," he said simply.
He slid onto the bench, choosing the seat that gave him the clearest view of the hall. Lennon followed, sitting beside him with an awkward smile, as if unsure whether to laugh or stay quiet.
As they settled in, the conversation at the table picked up again, quiet, murmured exchanges about orientation and schedules, but Kenneth's mind was elsewhere. His eyes flicked toward the back exit, the security cameras, and the crowd's movement patterns.
Beside him, Lennon unwrapped his utensils, shooting him a sideways glance. "I saw you eyeing my drink earlier, wanna try it?"
Kenneth glanced at the orange-red liquid suspiciously making Lennon raise a brow. "…What flavour is that?" He asked after a while.
"It's tropical cherry-mango," he replied.
Kenneth nodded. Though he was unfamiliar with the supplemental drink, it did intrigue him so he accepted his offer and took a sip.
The smooth liquid entered his mouth, providing a rich cherry and mango flavour with a subtle touch of orange. It wasn't overly sweet and was quite pleasant.
"It's supposed to be a healthier alternative to energy drinks. Instead of caffeine though, they are packed with vitamins and minerals to keep you energized and hydrated," he explained.
Kenneth nodded once more, his eyes flickering across the table when he noticed a similar bottle next to the girl with curly hair except hers was green.
"Green apple melon," she said, lifting her own bottle.
The young man gave her a slight smile.
"So, judging from your white jumpsuits, you guys are First Division too," she started, her eyes moving from Lennon to Kenneth.
"Is it that obvious?" Lennon joked, making the girl smile.
"I'm Fae Martin, this is Andrei Ivanov and So Yoosung." She nodded to the two other guys who nodded back in response.
"I'm Lennon Addams, this is Kenneth Grey, my roommate. It's nice to meet you guys."
"Nice to meet you too," Andrei smiled, his downturned eyes crinkling at the corner.
"Do you mind if I ask what type you guys are?"
Since they weren't required to wear their bands, it was hard to tell who was who. Looking at Fae, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and seemed like Andrei and Yoosung shared the same look, though Yoosung was a little more subdued.
"Well, I'm aStriker," Lennon said with à smile. He then looked at Kenneth who'd been busy devouring his seafood pancake like it was the first meal he'd had in days.
Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he was forced to put down his food and answer the quesifon. He didn't know why it was such a big deal and so he said with an air of indifference, "Anchor."
Brows shot up and eyes widened with surprise all across the table. Kenneth blinked. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Lennon was the first to react. "No, n-not at all I just didn't expect that. You give major Striker vibes."
Kenneth threw him a strange look. Major striker vibes? What the hell was that supposed to mean?
"Uh..I'm an Anchor too," Fae added, bringing the attention back to her.
The others nodded their heads like they'd expected that answer. That made Kenneth frown. Was there something he was missing?
The others at the table declared themselves Strikers. It looked like only he and Fae were the Anchors here.
Looking between Andrei, Yoosung, and Lennon, he tried to find a common denominator. They were all tall, with strong builds. And the sharpness around them was unmistakable. They looked like people who knew how to fight. He then glanced at Fae. It was like night and day. Though she wasn't short by any means, she was on the smaller side. There was a softness to her that contrasted greatly with the others. She was a relaxing presence and carried a soothing aura hidden beneath a layer of control. She was by no means meek, that much he could tell seeing how she looked at him with practiced measure.
So what was the difference? Was it physical? That couldn't be it since the way Kenneth was right now, he couldn't compare to the others. He was leaner, slimmer. There wasn't much muscles on his body to begin with. He was tall, but not towering.
So was it a matter of aura? Of presence after all?