In the hallways after class, students gathered in small groups, discussing the latest team assignments.
September was still in the throes of an Indian summer, the air hot and stifling. Most people were still in short sleeves, but one person stood out, dressed in long sleeves and pants, slumped over their desk.
"Zoe, I heard you were assigned to Miles Sherman's team. Why haven't you gone over yet?"
The girl who spoke patted the one on the desk, her eyes fixed on her.
Zoe Pierce lifted her head, revealing a pale, frail face. Meeting the other girl's probing, curious gaze, she pressed her lips together. "I'll go right away."
"You've got it made now. With Miles and his team, you're guaranteed to get full credit on the joint exam." 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 most outstanding in the entire Federal Military Academy. All its members had S-Class spiritual power, which made capturing Xenobeasts incredibly simple and easy.
When Alphas overused their spiritual power, it would cause turbulence in their spirit sea, which required an Omega's spiritual power to be soothed. That was why almost every Alpha squad was paired with an Omega.
And in Michelle Young's eyes, Zoe Pierce was undoubtedly the lucky one.
She had been matched with the school's strongest team and could easily get a perfect score on the practical portion of the joint exam.
Zoe Pierce sat up straight, the movement immediately highlighting her small, frail frame.
A flicker of pity crossed Michelle Young's eyes. If Zoe hadn't had that accident over the break, this really would have been a golden opportunity for her.
But now, her parents were dead, her memory was damaged, and she'd forgotten most of what she had learned. If her family hadn't pulled some strings, she would've likely had to withdraw from her studies.
Zoe Pierce's lips parted, but she said nothing. Her eyes looked distant and still.
'Even with her amnesia, she knew that while Miles Sherman's squad was formidable, they were also notoriously ill-tempered. The few temporary Omegas they'd worked with before had been yelled at until they cried, and a couple hadn't even made it to the end before quitting on their own.'
'In terms of both family background and ability, they were Alphas at the very top of the pyramid.'
Zoe Pierce pushed herself up, grabbing her bag. "I'm heading over now, Shelly," she said to Michelle Young.
She activated her Intelligent Brain and found the group chat she had been added to that day. Only one person had messaged, posting a study hall number and a time.
'Everyone else in the squad already knew each other.'
'It was obvious who that message was for.'
The moment she stepped out of the classroom, sunlight flooded the hallway. The warm, yellow light carried a lingering heat that made her skin feel flushed and hot.
Zoe Pierce walked toward her destination. The path to the study hall grew quieter, and her shadow stretched longer and longer behind her.
With a blink of her lashes, she found herself at the study hall door. It had taken less than ten minutes. The door was closed, and her fingers reached for the handle.
An image flashed through her mind: Damien Pierce, grabbing her arm, his expression slightly unhinged.
"Zoe, I'm counting on you."
"After Mom and Dad died, our family's assets were all but carved up and taken. I'm not capable enough; I only managed to hold on to a tiny fraction."
"But I heard you got assigned to Miles's team, right? You have to get on their good side. If you can just get one of them to support you, we can get back everything our family lost."
"Zoe, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm begging you. For them, it's as simple as saying a few words..."
"After all, Mom and Dad died protecting you..."
The cold metal of the doorknob yanked her back to reality. Zoe stood there in a daze for a moment.
'The man who had played the part of a loving older brother ever since she'd regained consciousness had finally bared his fangs yesterday.'
She opened the door and peered inside, her eyes clear and bright.
A tall, well-built figure was lying quietly, slumped over a desk at the very front of the room.
From behind, she could only see his broad back. She didn't recognize him.
Zoe Pierce paused for a moment. Not wanting to disturb him, she quietly chose a corner seat, sat down, and opened a book.
The knowledge of this interstellar era was completely new to her. As a result, she had fallen far behind in her studies since returning to class. Even if she aced the joint exam, it would be useless if she failed her general education courses.
Time flew by as she studied. It wasn't until she heard a noise at the door that Zoe suddenly remembered why she had come.
The door was flung open, and a clear, youthful male voice called out, "Chase, are you sleeping in here again?"
A spherical machine zipped past her ear, the wind from its high-speed rotation lifting strands of her hair. Zoe's back went rigid, and her face paled at the perceived danger.
"You're going to scare someone doing that." Erin Xavier snatched the mechanical sphere out of the air. He offered an apology, but his face wore an ambiguous smile.
"Piss off." The guy at the front pushed himself up, stretching his tall frame. He turned around, revealing tan skin and a pair of beast-like eyes. His brow was furrowed, his pupils narrowed to slits. "So damn loud."
Erin Xavier just chuckled, completely ignoring him.
He pulled out the chair in front of Zoe and sat down facing her, straddling it backwards. He rested his arms on the chair back, his fingers tapping an idle rhythm. His round, innocent-looking, deer-like eyes scanned her from head to toe. "Hey, you're Zoe Pierce, right?"
Zoe recognized Erin Xavier almost instantly. He had a natural baby face, with light-brown pupils the color of the setting sun. His round, deer-like eyes gave off an air of innocence, but right now, they were filled with scrutiny. "I heard something's wrong with your pheromones. True or not?"
He sniffed the air. Even an Omega or Alpha wearing a suppression patch would give off at least a faint scent, but he couldn't smell a single thing on Zoe.
It was almost...
...as if she were a Beta, completely devoid of pheromones.
Erin grabbed the back of his chair and pulled himself closer, until they were only an arm's length apart.
Zoe's lips pressed into a thin line. He was too close. Uncomfortably close.
She leaned back slightly and gave a pale-faced nod, her way of answering his question.
'He was right. As an Omega, the accident had cost her her pheromones, leaving her functionally disabled. But as her pheromones vanished, her spiritual power had suddenly surged.'
'Her spiritual power, which should have been set at birth and never changed, had climbed from C-level all the way to A-level.'
'This meant her ability to soothe an Alpha's spirit sea had gone from average straight to excellent.'
"Erin Xavier!" a low, cold voice barked from the doorway. "Sit properly."
"Is that how you treat an Omega?" the voice reprimanded sharply. The words made Erin pause. He shrugged and pulled away from Zoe's desk.
He looked put-upon, glancing at the newcomer. "It's not like that, Miles," he explained. "I was just really curious about whether she actually has no pheromones."