In the hallways after class, students gathered in twos and threes, discussing the new group assignments.
September was still sweltering with the last of the summer's heat. The air was thick and stifling, and while most people were still in short sleeves, one person stood out, dressed in long sleeves and pants, slumped over their desk.
"Zoe, I heard you were assigned to Miles Sherman's group. Why haven't you gone over yet?"
The speaker patted the girl who was slumped over the desk, her eyes fixed on her as she spoke.
Zoe Pierce lifted her head, revealing a pale, delicate face. She looked at the girl's probing, curious eyes and pressed her lips together. "I'm going right now."
"You're so lucky. With Miles Sherman's group, you're guaranteed to get full credit on the joint assessment." She looked at Zoe Pierce with a mixture of envy and pity. "So many people are dying of jealousy."
After all, Miles Sherman's squad was the best in the entire Federal Military Academy. Its members all had S-Class spiritual power, making the capture of Xenobeasts seem almost effortless.
When Alphas overuse their spiritual power, their spirit seas can become volatile. They need an Omega's spiritual power to soothe the turmoil, which is why almost every Alpha team is paired with an Omega.
And clearly, in Michelle Young's view, Zoe Pierce was the lucky one.
She'd been matched with the school's top team and could easily score full marks on the practical portion of the joint assessment.
Zoe Pierce sat up straight. The movement only emphasized how frail and small her frame was.
A flicker of pity crossed Michelle Young's eyes. If Zoe Pierce hadn't had that accident over the break, this really would have been a golden opportunity for her.
Unfortunately, not only had her parents passed away, but her memory was also damaged. She'd forgotten most of what she'd learned. If her family hadn't pulled some strings, she probably would have had to take a leave of absence.
Zoe Pierce's lips parted, but no sound came out. Her eyes held a quiet depth.
'Even with her amnesia, she knew that while Miles Sherman's team was formidable, their tempers were notoriously foul. They had worked with a few Omegas on a temporary basis before, and several had been berated to tears. Some hadn't even lasted until the end of the assignment, quitting on their own.'
'Whether in terms of family background or personal ability, they were Alphas at the very top of the food chain.'
Zoe Pierce pushed herself up and grabbed her bag. "I'm heading over now, Shelly."
She turned on her Intelligent Brain and saw the group chat she'd been added to today. Only one person had sent a message: the number of a study room and a time.
'Everyone on the team already knew each other. Except for her.'
'It was obvious who that message was for.'
The moment she stepped out of the classroom, sunlight flooded the hallway. The warm, yellow light still held the day's heat, making her skin feel hot to the touch.
Zoe Pierce headed for her destination. The closer she got to the study room, the fewer people there were, and the longer her shadow stretched behind her.
Blinking, she found herself at the study room door in just ten minutes. The door was shut tight. Her fingers reached out and touched the handle.
An image flashed through her mind: Damien Pierce gripping her arm, his expression wild.
"Zoe, I'm counting on you."
"With Mom and Dad gone, our family's assets have been all but carved up. I wasn't skilled enough... I could only secure this little bit."
"But I heard you were assigned to Miles Sherman's team, right? You need to get on their good side. If you can just win over one of them, we can get everything our family lost back."
"Zoe, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm begging you. For them, it's just a matter of saying a few words..."
"After all, Mom and Dad died protecting you..."
The cold metal of the handle shocked her back to the present. Zoe was momentarily dazed.
'The man who had played the part of the perfect older brother since she'd woken up had finally bared his fangs at her yesterday.'
She opened the door, her clear eyes scanning the room.
A tall, well-built figure was slumped silently over a desk at the very front.
From behind, all she could see was his broad back. She didn't recognize him.
Zoe Pierce hesitated for a moment. Not wanting to disturb him, she quietly chose a seat in the corner, sat down, and opened her book.
'All this knowledge about Interstellar Space was completely new to her. Having just returned to her classes, Zoe Pierce had fallen far behind in her schoolwork. Even if she aced the joint assessment, it would be useless if she failed her general studies courses.'
Time flew by as she studied. It wasn't until a noise at the door broke the silence that Zoe Pierce was jolted back to the present, remembering why she was here.
The door flew open with a WHOOSH, and a clear, youthful male voice called out, "Chase, are you sleeping again?"
A spherical machine whizzed past her ear. The high-speed rotation lifted strands of her hair. Zoe Pierce's back went rigid, and her face paled as her Perception flared with a sense of danger.
"You're going to scare someone doing that." Aaron Xavier snatched the mechanical sphere out of the air. He murmured an apology, but an unreadable smile played on his lips.
"Get lost." The guy at the front pushed himself up, his tall frame stretching to its full height. He turned his head, revealing tanned skin and a pair of beast-like eyes. His brow was furrowed, pupils narrowed. "You're too damn loud."
Aaron Xavier just chuckled, completely unfazed by the comment.
He pulled out the chair in front of Zoe Pierce and sat down facing her, draping his arms over the chair's back. His fingers tapped an irregular rhythm as his wide, innocent, doe-like eyes scanned her from head to toe. "Hey, you're Zoe Pierce, right?"
Zoe Pierce recognized Aaron Xavier almost immediately. He had a natural baby face, with light-brown pupils nearly the color of the setting sun. His round, doe-like eyes gave him an air of innocence, but right now, they were filled with scrutiny. "Heard there's something wrong with your pheromones. Is it true?"
He took a small sniff. Even an Omega or Alpha wearing a suppression patch would still give off a faint scent, but he couldn't detect anything at all from Zoe Pierce.
It was almost...
...as if she were a Beta, with no pheromones at all.
Aaron Xavier grabbed the back of his chair and pulled himself closer, until they were only an arm's length apart.
Zoe Pierce's lips pressed into a thin line. 'This is too close, uncomfortably close.'
She leaned back slightly, her face pale as she gave a small nod.
It was her only response to Aaron Xavier's question.
'That's right. She was an Omega, but the accident had taken her pheromones, leaving her half-crippled in a sense. But as her pheromones vanished, her spiritual power had skyrocketed.'
'Spiritual power was supposed to be fixed at birth, never to increase, yet hers had climbed from C-level all the way to A-level.'
'It meant her soothing ability, the power to calm an Alpha's spirit sea, had gone from merely average to exceptional.'
"Aaron Xavier!" a deep, cold voice boomed from the doorway. "Sit up straight."
"Is that how you treat an Omega?" the voice reprimanded sharply. The rebuke made Aaron Xavier pause. He shrugged and backed away from Zoe Pierce's desk.
He looked utterly innocent as his gaze shifted to the newcomer. "It's not like that, Miles," he explained. "I was just really curious if it's true she doesn't have any pheromones."