Eden sat in the sterile room, her body swaying side to side as she moved the stool she was sitting on, deep in thought.
Her mind had been preoccupied over the last few hours as she couldn't get a particular anchor out of her head. Curiosity took the better of her, and she reached for her datapad, looking over the scores that had been recalibrated since the test they'd conducted in class.
Her suspicions were confirmed as she checked the graft, which indicated in great detail the varying results the anchor had gotten with all the Strikers he'd tested with. This wasn't the kind of results you would get from a low-class anchor. Then again, this was Toleran academy and anchors could only be admitted if they passed the minimum required class, C.
Since she couldn't be certain, she decided to take a peek at his chart. "Elena, could you do me a favour and get the chart for Kenneth Grey from the administrative office?"
Elena raised a brow. "Why do you need another student's chart? Did you see something concerning their scores?"
She shook her head, waving her off. "No, nothing like that, I just had a theory and wanted to see if it would pan out."
The administrative assistant gave her a suspicious look but conceded. She knew sitting here arguing with the anchor would only give her trouble she didn't need right now. She left the room and came back a few minutes later with a file in hand.
Eden grabbed the file before she could say anything else, and shooed her away.
"Unbelievable," Elena muttered under her breath before leaving the room.
Eden didn't waste a single second as she opened the file and viewed Kenneth's chart. Her eyes widened. "Just as I'd suspected. He's a high-class anchor," she muttered under her breath.
"Elena!" She called again. "Get me Lucien Saint-James' file as well!"
"Hey! I'm not your personal assistant, Anchor Greene! If you want to get his file, please get it yourself."
Eden rolled her eyes. "You're an administrative assistant, meaning you're the assistant to everyone, and that includes me. Please do your job, Miss James."
"God, you are insufferable," she grumbled under her breath, but went to fetch the files in the filing room. Eden smiled.
She always complains, but does what I ask anyway.
With Lucien's file in hand, she compared his scores with Kenneth's. Lucien was a rare gem at the academy. Not only was he an S-Class Striker, but he was one with potential—meaning, he had the ability to keep growing as long as he was fueling his Striker body and needs.
The problem was that Lucien was doing the exact opposite of that. He barely took care of himself and avoided anchoring at all costs. This was not only detrimental to his physical and mental health but also to his growth as an enhanced human. Eden sighed.
"Such a difficult man," she muttered to herself.
Her eyes then moved to Kenneth, and she noticed something interesting. "Looks like he isn't the only monster we have here."
She glanced at the bottom of his file and saw the assessor who administered his test during the registration process: Xander White.
Her lips stretched into a rare, genuine smile. She walked out of the room and peeked into the one next door. "Elena, I'm leaving for a bit. Please let Ms Harding know."
"You should let her know yourself," she muttered under her breath, but threw Eden a kind, business smile.
The anchor couldn't help chuckling as she made her way towards the instructor's lounge, where she knew Xander would be taking his break right about now. She left the anchoring Centre with a brisk stride, her mind still half on the datapad tucked under her arm.
The late afternoon sun cast long streaks of gold along the walkways of the Toleran campus, and the hum of training drones and students making their way back from their classes filled the air alongside the sound of her boots clanking against the polished floors.
Eden dug her free hand inside the pockets of her black jumpsuit as she kept her gaze forward. The Instructor's Pavilion, an angular, glass and steel structure that gleamed like a polished blade, stood on the far side of the compound. Unlike the standard classrooms, the pavilion was strictly off-limits to students, but could be accessible to those in charge of clubs or centres in the school.
Inside, the floors were matte white, the walls paneled with faintly glowing circuits that pulsed softly when someone with a registered badge entered.
Eden reached down to her left leg, where her student badge wrapped around her strong limb. It was black in colour, with the letter a written in big bold letters at the centre. She scanned it against the sleek terminal beside the door.
The light blinked blue, and the entrance hissed open with a muted chime. The air inside was cooler and quieter. The faint scent of roasted coffee and disinfectant lingered together, a mix she found oddly comforting. She stepped into the lounge, wide and clean, and minimally furnished with white tables, cushioned seating, and a panoramic window overlooking the training fields below.
Just as she expected, Xander White was there. He sat at one of the tables near the window, long legs crossed, a half-empty cup of coffee steaming beside him. His platinum hair caught the light like spun glass and cast a beautiful shadow over his brown skin. His attention was fixed entirely on his datapad.
Eden tilted her head, admiring the striking Instructor before peering over, curious about what he was reading. "Reading while you're on your break, how typical of you," her voice light and teasing.
"Hmm." He didn't look up from his pad, the corner of his mouth twitching in faint amusement. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Eden Greene?"
The anchor frowned, leaning one shoulder against the table. "You're impossible to sneak up on."
That earned her a soft chuckle. Xander finally glanced up, his eyes a cool shade of pale grey that could turn sharp in an instant. "Hard to get the drop on a Hunter-class Striker. I wouldn't be able to hold my head up high otherwise. Besides, I could sense your presence from miles away."
"That's an extremely convenient skill to have," Eden muttered, taking the seat next to him. "You could avoid having to deal with the annoying flies in this place."
"I suppose it has its benefits," he said, taking a sip from his cup.
She exhaled through her nose, then slid the file across the table. "I need your opinion on something, Instructor White."
Xander raised an eyebrow at her sudden formal tone, setting the datapad down. He flipped the file open, scanning the name printed neatly at the top. "Kenneth Grey." His expression shifted slightly, one brow arching higher. "Why are you looking into him?"
"You were his assessor, right?"
"That's what it says here." He tapped the bottom of the file with a finger. "A-Class anchor, strong instincts, and excellent control, especially emotional. His readings were borderline S-Class, but not quite stable enough to make the cut. He's got potential, though, especially if properly matched."
Eden leaned forward, her tone lowering a fraction. "That's exactly why I'm here. I think testing him with Lucien would be…beneficial. For both of them."
Xander went very still. For a long moment, he said nothing, just looked at her. His gaze sharpened, and Eden suddenly felt it: a subtle pressure, like invisible static crawling across her skin. It wasn't painful, but it was undeniably powerful. She clenched her jaw, refusing to avert her eyes.
She'd forget sometimes that Xander White was a powerful Striker himself, and beneath his kind and benevolent smile lay a monster who could show its claws whenever he wanted. He just chose not to.
Finally, he eased off, exhaling quietly as the pressure faded. He brushed a hand through his platinum hair, the movement slow and deliberate. "You think he could be a potential pair for him?" he said flatly.
Eden swallowed hard, her face pale, but nodded.
"I can see why you would think that, but this is Lucien we are talking about. Not just anyone can pair off with him. Even if he's a high-class anchor, it doesn't mean he will be compatible with him. Just take yourself as an example. Even you feel drained whenever you have your sessions with him, and you are one of the best anchors we have."
Eden grimaced at this. She knew very well how terrible it was anchoring with Lucien. He was like a mosquito draining her of every ounce of blood she had. It was a shitty feeling, but she knew Lucien was suffering even more than she was.
Before she could say anything else, she heard a buzz coming from her datapad. They both glanced down, and Xander smiled faintly. "Looks like there's someone here to see you."
Eden took her datapad and sighed. It was a direct message from Elena, which meant it was urgent.
They both left the lounge and headed to the centre, where they found Kenneth standing there alongside Fae. Eden shared a glance with Xander, whose lips folded into a thin line. She immediately noticed the change in his eyes. They glowed, the colour of jasper, and there was a faint aura around him. She sighed.
This is worse than I thought.
Eden quickened her pace, the echo of her boots against the tile underscoring the tension that suddenly filled the air. The sharp, sterile lighting of the anchoring Centre reflected off the polished floors as she and Xander stepped through the glass doors.
Kenneth turned at the sound of their arrival, his posture rigid but his expression calm—or trying to be. The faint glow around him was unmistakable now that she was closer, shimmering faintly along the edges of his silhouette like heat waves on metal. Fae stood beside him, her face pale with worry, her hand still resting lightly on his arm as if anchoring him to the present.
Eden drew in a quiet breath and offered a professional smile. "Kenneth Grey, I presume?"
He nodded. "Yes." His voice was steady, though there was a rasp beneath it, the kind that came from strain rather than nerves. "I'm sorry for the sudden summons. Fae said it was important that I get checked."
Before Eden could respond, Kenneth's gaze shifted, and his eyes widened just slightly. "Wait… you're Xander White."
Xander, who'd been a silent presence at Eden's side, smiled faintly, that familiar knowing curve of his lips softening his sharp features. "In the flesh. Good to see you again, Kenneth. You held your ground well during your assessment. Didn't expect to see you quite this soon, though."
Kenneth rubbed the back of his neck, clearly unsure whether to take that as a compliment or a warning. "Yeah… things have been a little strange lately."
Eden gestured toward the nearest examination table. "Why don't you take a seat and tell us exactly what's been happening?"
He nodded and sat down. Fae remained close, folding her arms but never straying far. The hum of the diagnostic equipment in the room filled the silence as Kenneth began to speak.
His words came slow at first, but soon they poured out—how the agitation started as a faint warmth, how it escalated into something nearly unbearable whenever Lucien was nearby, how his body reacted without his consent, light bleeding through his skin like it was trying to escape. He described the energy that coiled inside him, volatile and restless, and the way his pulse would spike until he thought his chest might burst.
Eden listened intently, her brow furrowed, eyes flickering between her datapad and the man sitting before her. Xander's expression gradually darkened, the faint humour he'd worn earlier dissolving into quiet concern.
When Kenneth faltered, Fae reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. His jaw tightened as he finished recounting everything he'd been through over the last two weeks.
When he finally stopped, the silence in the room was heavy.
Eden and Xander exchanged a look. It wasn't just a look of concern—it was one of recognition. Something in Kenneth's account confirmed what they had both already begun to suspect. Xander's gaze hardened briefly, and Eden gave the slightest nod in return. A decision had been made without a single word spoken.
Kenneth frowned. "What?" he asked, sensing the unspoken exchange.
"Your results for the comparability test you took in class are up," Eden started in a measured tone. "You've managed to stay in the green with every Striker you anchored with. I'm certain Instructor Barnes has told you that this is quite rare. However, it's not a surprising feat when it's done by a high-class Striker."
Her brownish-pink eyes moved to Xander. The man gave Kenneth a faint smile before speaking. "You were tested as an A-Class anchor if you remember correctly."
The young man nodded. "So these results are to be expected. But what you're feeling now is an entirely different story. You managed to project towards another Striker so quickly, and I'm willing to bet they were a high-class one themselves."
Kenneth had to fight the urge to grimace.
"Do you know this Striker's identity?" Eden couldn't help but ask. Her question was brusque, almost forceful, surprising the two anchors as this was not the kind of attitude they'd come to expect from her.
Eden leaned back, her face turning red as she realised she'd acted in a manner unbefitting of an anchor of her rank and station. "Sorry, I got a little too excited."
Kenneth studied her for a moment before shaking his head. "It's fine."
Xander threw her a pointed look before turning back to Kenneth. "Though Anchor Greene has acted out of turn, she does pose a fair question. Do you know who this Striker might be?"
Kenneth found himself unable—or more unwilling to answer. It was fine when it was Fae since she was someone he'd come to see as a trusted partner, but it was another story for these two. Xander noticed his discomfort and nodded.
"Well, we happen to have a rough idea of who this mystery Striker might be. For the sake of your safety and well-being, as well as the well-being of this Striker, we would like to perform a test to measure your compatibility.
We will keep their name hidden for the sake of anonymity, but Anchor Grey, this isn't something you can keep hidden or ignore."
What a tremendous pain, Kenneth thought to himself.