Chapter song: Snap Out Of It - Arctic Monkeys
Taking a compatibility test with another Striker, and that Striker just happened to be Lucien.
Kenneth didn't know why, but the thought of seeing his smug mug made him want to punch a wall…and maybe that was why he needed to take this test. So he could stop feeling this way.
He sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. White, completely blank, what he wished his mind was like right now. He could feel Fae's soft, delicate hands grasping his own. They brought him back to reality as he looked back at the expectant anchor, who looked like she was on the verge of exploding if he didn't give her an answer soon.
"How long do these effects last?" He finally asked.
His question seemed to tame the wild look in her brownish-pink eyes. "Well, it varies from person to person, but usually a few days. The glowing eyes and aura around you will fade, but it won't go away, not completely. Anchors usually go through three phases: projecting, your instinctive reaction to resonance, imprinting, the subconscious acceptance of the Striker, and finally convergence," she said, her tone softening.
Kenneth blinked. "Convergence?"
Eden nodded slowly. "It's the final stage of the bond between an anchor and a Striker. When it happens, both sides reach complete synchronization. Emotionally, mentally, and energetically. It's not something you can force or even train for. It's rare, and it only happens when there's trust. Real trust."
Her gaze dropped to her datapad as she continued. "Most anchors never reach that point with their Strikers. Projection is instinct, imprinting is acceptance… but convergence is a choice. It's when both of you stop fighting the pull and start moving in rhythm with it. You stop trying to separate what's yours and what's theirs."
Kenneth frowned slightly. "That sounds… dangerous."
"It can be," she admitted. "Because when you resonate with someone, you open yourself up completely. Their emotions, their pain, even their fears. You'll feel them as if they were your own. It's powerful, but it's also fragile. One misstep, one break in trust, and the resonance collapses."
She looked up, meeting his eyes again. "That's why they say resonance isn't about compatibility. It's about vulnerability. You can't reach it unless you're willing to be seen, really seen, by the other person."
Kenneth sat in silence, his mind spinning with what she'd said.
Vulnerability. Trust. They were words he was familiar with, but wasn't sure he'd ever actually put into practice. Of course, he'd trusted his unit members; he'd trusted them with his life. and he cared for them more than his own family. But that was the extent of his bond and connection to them. At least, that's what he'd thought until they'd died right in front of him. Amir, Darren, Nina, and Elias.
It was hard for him to put himself in a position like that. Where he'd have to give part of himself to another person. It was terrifying, more terrifying than standing in an open field with machine guns pointed at him, ready to blow his brains out.
"So," he said finally, a quiet laugh escaping him, "you're telling me this could get worse before it gets better?"
Eden smiled faintly. "That depends on how honest you're willing to be with yourself… and with him."
Kenneth's expression faltered. "How do you know it's a him?"
His voice suddenly got tight, and his eyes hardened. The entire group stared at each other before Eden's eyes settled back on Kenneth.
"We…I was able to compare your scores and guessed that Lucien might be the Striker you were talking about."
Kenneth's brows lifted. "All from a score?"
The anchor gave her a sheepish look. "Yeah, numbers are kind of a big deal around here." She hesitated for a moment before asking the question she'd been dying to know. "Will you take the test with him?"
The man was quiet for a moment, contemplating the pros and cons. "…I'll agree to taking the tests but under one condition. Lucien can never know who I am."
Xander and Eden looked taken aback, but Kenneth continued. "If we happen to have a high score, I won't form a pair with him."
"What—"
He lifted a hand. "We can form some kind of agreement, but I won't be his official pair. He will be blindfolded during our sessions."
"That's…a nasty caveat you got there," Eden said after a while.
Xander, who'd been quiet during their exchange, finally spoke up. "Is there a reason you don't want Lucien to know or don't want to form a pair with him?"
His question was a valid one. Not once since Lucien had become a student here had anyone wished not form a pair with him. He was a big deal in the academy, almost a celebrity.
People would kill to become his pair, especially his exclusive anchor. He was handsome, talented, and came from a wealthy family. Xander was aware Kenneth was known to the school, but surely he must've known about his influence even outside of the academy, right?
Kenneth shook his head. "I have my reasons." He said simply.
Eden didn't look convinced, but there was nothing else she could do. If he wasn't comfortable revealing his identity, then so be it. Privacy was of utmost importance in Toleran. Either way, they were both getting what they wanted, and Eden felt a flutter of excitement in the pit of her stomach.
"Alright then. We will adhere to your demands. When are you free tomorrow?"
~*~
"What did you just say?" Lucien asked as Eden came barging into their training session with a wild, almost evil look in her eyes.
"Have you lost your ability to hear? I said we've found a potential pair for you."
Lucien blinked before glancing at Alcione to see if he'd heard correctly. The man looked just as surprised.
"…Who?" He asked after recovering.
"I am not at liberty to say."
The young man was taken aback. "Not at liberty to say? What the hell does that mean?"
The wild look in her eyes extended to her lips as she smiled mischievously. "Because your potential pair doesn't want to be paired with you."
The silence that followed her words was so deafening that for a moment, neither man knew what to say, how to react. It was only after a long five seconds had gone by that Alcione reacted.
It snorted with a light chuckle, but quickly exploded into an uproarious laugh that made even Eden laugh.
Lucien stood there, his eyes wide, Eden's words ringing inside his head like a shrill and obnoxious alarm.
"Are you fucking with me, Greene?" His tone had gone cold, almost glacial, making the two clucking hens cease their noise.
She cleared her throat before looking at him properly. "Yes, I'm serious. They'd rather not be involved with you."
Lucien blinked once more before snorting coldly. "Me? as in Lucien Saint-James? Do they even realize who I am? Why wouldn't they want to be paired with me?"
Eden looked at him like she was staring at an image she could no longer bear to see. "I can't even begin to imagine why."
"So what? Because they don't want to pair with me, I'm expected to just accept this? Who is this person?"
"As I said, I cannot disclose that information for the sake of privacy. But I imagine it's someone you're quite familiar with, given they were able to pro—" she quickly stopped herself.
Lucien and Alcione gave her a look. "Pro what?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. Anyway, keep tomorrow morning free. We're expecting you at the Anchoring Centre."
With those last words, she left.
Lucien stood there, his face stoic. "…What…the hell just happened?"
Alcione pursed his lips, trying desperately not to react.
Alcione's eyes always sparkled with a touch of amusement, as if he found everything about the world funny. And right now, he found this particular moment hilarious. Had he been sitting down, he would've laughed himself off the chair.
He was a smart person, too. He knew saying anything right now while Lucien was like this could set him off, so he stayed quiet, waiting for the man to come to terms with the fact that there was someone out there who didn't want to be his pair.
Alcione had to stifle a laugh.
"I'm sorry, is something amusing to you?" Lucien asked, his steely eyes moving to him.
The young man fixed his face, looking at his friend with mild sympathy. "You're right, there's nothing amusing about this situation."
His sarcastic comment made Lucien frown.
*He will wonder who wouldn't want him and suddenly a look of realization will appear on his face. "…No, it can't be. Yeah, there's no way."
"What?"
Lucien shook his head. "Nothing."
"Well, isn't this a good thing? You'll finally have someone who'll be able to handle your vampire ass."
The Striker grimaced. "Why is that the comparison you've chosen for me?"
"It's accurate, isn't it? You suck the life force out of anchors, leaving them drained. Using your charms to reel them in…need I say more?"
Lucien scoffed. "If I'm a vampire, then what are you, a ghoul?"
Alcione placed a hand on his chest in mock offense. "Excuse me, I have class. Ghouls are messy eaters."
Lucien gave him a flat look. "You're insufferable."
"And yet you keep me around," Alcione shot back with a smirk.
He exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what, I'm not even going to dignify those words with a response," he said as he ran a finger through his hair.
Alcione shot him a radiant smile, which he ignored. He turned on his heel and strode back toward the weapon room. The faint hum of power in his stride was unmistakable; irritation sharpened his aura, making the air around him prickle. Alcione followed him with his eyes, still smirking, as the Striker selected a longsword from the rack. Its silver edge caught the light as he gave it a quick test swing, the motion fluid, practiced, almost graceful.
Without another word, Lucien entered the simulation chamber and pressed the activation panel. The sterile white walls shimmered and dissolved into a new landscape, a wide, cracked field beneath a blood-orange sky. A massive gate loomed ahead, glowing with unstable energy.
With a deep, guttural sound, the rift split open, and four beasts came charging out, their bodies a blur of sinew and shadow. Rank C and B, easily, but Lucien didn't hesitate. His aura flared, deep blue streaking the air like wildfire. He moved before they could even land their first strike, his sword a blur of light and motion.
One down. Then two. Three. Four.
When the last beast hit the ground, Lucien stood in the middle of the carnage, blade dripping with simulated ichor, chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths.
Outside, Alcione leaned against the glass wall, watching with an expression that hovered somewhere between admiration and unease.
"Terrifying," he muttered to himself. "Whoever ends up paired with him…they're either going to break or become something just as monstrous."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at Lucien's figure inside the simulation. "Either way," he added quietly, "they're going to have their work cut out for them."