Gabriel Laurent sat in his room at Rosewood Elementary School, staring out of the window at the rustling trees. Having just finished his homework, he was looking forward to a peaceful evening. His parents were away on a long mission with his aunt and uncle, leaving him alone at the school. 

His parents, respectively an Esper and a Guide, were away on a long mission with his aunt and uncle, leaving him alone at the school. Although he was used to staying overnight when his parents were away, he still missed them terribly. Gabriel had always been fascinated by their abilities, but since he was a scaredy-cat, the idea of going on a mission terrified him.

As he sat there lost in thought, there was a sudden knock on the door. Gabriel was surprised, as it was unusual for anyone to come to his room at this hour. He wondered if his parents had returned early to pick him up.

"Come in." he called out, a little excitedly.

The door opened, and Gabriel's cousin Natalia walked in. Her expression was somber, and Gabriel felt a pang of worry in his chest.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rising from his desk.

Natalia took a deep breath and sat down on the bed. Gabriel could see that she was struggling to find the right words, and he felt a knot form in his stomach.

"Gabriel, I have bad news." she said finally, her voice soft but steady. "You know how our parents were on a mission? Unfortunately, they didn't make it."

Gabriel felt as if the world had stopped turning. He tried to listen to his cousin's words, but his mind was racing, and he couldn't focus.

"What?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. He saw Natalia move her lips, but he couldn't hear her anymore. His breathing became rapid, and he felt like he was suffocating. Suddenly, everything went black.

 

When Gabriel came to, he found himself lying on the floor with his legs raised and a hand in his hair. His heart was pounding, and his head was spinning. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

Natalia was kneeling beside Gabriel, her expression full of concern. "Gabriel, are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Gabriel nodded slowly, still feeling disoriented. "I'm... thirsty." he said, his voice shaking.

Natalia helped him sit up and handed him a glass of water. "It's okay, Gabriel. It's a lot to take in. But you're not alone. We'll get through this together, and I'll do everything I can to help you through this. You can come live with me, and I can take care of you."

Gabriel felt a surge of emotion. He didn't know what he would do without Natalia. With a pang, he realized that she was the only family he had left.

"Thank you." he said, his voice shaking.

Natalia hugged him tightly, and Gabriel felt a sense of comfort in her embrace. He knew that he could count on her to be there for him, no matter what.

Gabriel sat alone in his room, staring out of the window at the rain pouring down outside. He was only ten years old, but he felt like he had already lived a lifetime. It had been two weeks since his parents died, and he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that they were gone.

Everything had happened so quickly. The funerals of practically his entire family, and then the move to his cousin's house. Gabriel was scared and uncertain about what the future held for him.

He overheard some people commenting on the fact that at 20 years old, Natalia was too young to take care of him, and that since she had just graduated from the Academy as an A-class Esper, Gabriel would only hold her back. This shook him to the core, and he felt like he was a burden to his cousin, but Natalia came and made everyone shut down rather quickly.

Afterward, he moved in with Natalia, who was living in a complex apartment for families of her guild, Arcane Alliance. She shared the apartment with Henry Lefebvre, a fellow A-class Esper who was also her boyfriend, and Natalia's S-class Guide, Sasha Gallagher.

His grumbling stomach interrupted his musings, so he went to the kitchen. There, he saw Natalia and Sasha kissing, which surprised him. He had never thought his cousin could cheat. But, seeing Henry at the kitchen table, Gabriel felt confused about who was in a relationship with whom.

He made a noise that caught everyone's attention. Seeing the shock on Gabriel's face, Natalia and Sasha quickly explained that they were in a polygamous relationship, accepted in society because Sasha was a hermaphrodite. They elaborated that Espers and Guides often had relationships based on compatibility, regardless of sex.

Sasha preferred to dress in masculine outfits, so he used the masculine version of the pronouns. However, he would not get offended if someone mistakenly used the feminine version of the pronoun.

As he sat down at the table, Gabriel realized that it didn't bother him so much since he liked Sasha, who was rapidly becoming like a mother and a father to him. He realized that he had found a new family in Natalia, Henry, and Sasha, and he was grateful for their love and support.

He knew that he still had a long way to go in terms of healing from the loss of his parents, but he also knew that he had a family that loved him and would always be there for him. And that was enough to give him hope for the future.

The years passed and Gabriel was raised almost like he was their child, and Natalia, Henry, and Sasha made sure that when they had to go on a mission, one of them would always stay at home with him.

As he grew up, Gabriel didn't change much. He was still a calm person who loved to stay at home and read books while listening to his favorite music. He always closed his eyes during movie night with his family when it was Henry's turn to choose a film, as he was scared to watch horror or thriller movies.

Gabriel didn't see himself as an Esper, as he knew that they were often violent and action-oriented, which was the opposite of his personality.

Natalia often playfully teased him, telling him that he didn't have what it takes to be an Esper, that with his luck, he would be a Guide, and all the Espers that would be compatible with him would be hyperactive, foolish, and cocky, who would regularly give him heart attacks. Gabriel felt a foreboding sensation, like his cousin had just cursed his luck.

When it was time for Gabriel to take the test to determine if he had any powers, he was relieved to find out that he wasn't an Esper, but unfortunately, he also wasn't a civilian. For the next four years, he attended Rosewood Academy for Guides, as his test showed that he was an A-Class Guide, where he learned how to use his skills and become a good Guide.

Finally, the day of graduation arrived, and Gabriel's heart was racing as he stood at the podium, looking out at the crowd of graduates, faculty members and guests. As someone who disliked speaking in public, he felt nervous about delivering his valedictorian speech. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice shaking slightly.

Towards the end of his speech, the crowd erupted into applause, and Gabriel felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He finished his speech, thanking the faculty and staff for their dedication and hard work in helping the students achieve their goals.

Gabriel walked off the stage, diploma in hand, and made his way over to Natalia, Sasha, and Henry. "Congratulations, Gabriel." Natalia said, giving him a hug. "You did great."

After the graduation ceremony, Gabriel, Natalia, Sasha, and Henry went to a restaurant to celebrate Gabriel's achievement. They laughed and reminisced about their own school experiences, and Gabriel felt grateful to have such supportive friends and family.

During the meal, Gabriel realized how much he had grown and changed since his first day at Rosewood Academy. He had become more confident and self-assured, and he felt proud of his achievements.

After finishing their dinner, they headed back home, and while walking back, Gabriel received a message from the guild that he had signed a contract with, Arcane Alliance.

He had received many job offers after the Academy anonymously sent his exam results to potential employers. Gabriel had chosen Arcane Alliance because it was one of the best guilds in the country, and it was where his family worked.

The message informed him that he had been assigned to Team S&A, one of the three elite teams of Arcane Alliance, and that he would participate in his first mission in just one week. He was excited and nervous about the upcoming mission, and he showed the message to his family.

Natalia hugged him tightly. "I never thought that you would be assigned to our Team, but I'm so proud of you. We were also assigned to the same mission." she said, surprising Gabriel.

Gabriel couldn't help but feel a sense of doubt. "Don't tell me that I was assigned to this team only because you are my cousin?!" he said, feeling horrible at the thought that it wasn't thanks to his achievements that he was chosen but only because of connections.

"Actually, they assigned you based on your exam results and they took your Guide test to determine with which Espers you are compatible. You had probably a high compatibility with more Espers from our team than any others." Natalia explained, reassuring Gabriel.

Gabriel felt a sense of relief knowing that it wasn't thanks to his family that he was in the team, and he knew that he could trust them and that they would have his back during the mission.

In just two days, Gabriel would need to stay at the headquarters to receive quick training, his uniform, and supplies before the mission began in a week. He spent them preparing his luggage with Sasha.

The day arrived for Gabriel to go to the headquarters, and he was accompanied by Natalia and Sasha, traveling by train.

As they arrived at the headquarters, Gabriel took a deep breath, and Natalia reminded him not to worry. She reassured him that he was chosen for his skills. She also reminded him that he would be working with a team of skilled Guides, and that Sasha was the Guide leader who he could trust to have his back.

He had always known Sasha as his cousin's boyfriend and someone who helped raise him upon his parents death, but he had never realized that he was going to be his boss.

Natalia gave Gabriel a big hug before going to her office, and soon Gabriel and Sasha were joined by two new recruits, the twins Lily and Emily.

Gabriel felt a sense of excitement and nervousness as he met the new recruits. He knew that they would be working closely together during the mission, and he hoped that they would get along well.

He took a deep breath and followed Sasha and the other two recruits to visit the headquarters and to drop off their luggage in their rooms that had been assigned to them for training.

As they toured the headquarters, Gabriel was impressed by the level of technology and resources available to them.

They entered the training room, and Gabriel felt his nerves kick in. He knew that he had to focus if he wanted to succeed.

The training began with a debriefing on the mission objectives, the area they would be crossing, the stations they would be visiting, and any potential threats they may face. Gabriel listened intently, taking notes and asking questions when necessary.

They learned that the most secure way to cross the area was by train. Even though they would stop at several stations along the way, the only station big enough for everyone to stay overnight was the Central Station. Otherwise, they would sleep comfortably on the train, which was like a dormitory with rooms and other amenities.

Sasha then handed out equipments, including weapons for self-defense, communication devices, a tablet were they will receive guiding requests from compatible Espers and any specialized equipment needed for the mission.

Gabriel felt nervous as he received his equipment. He knew that the mission would be dangerous, but he hoped that he would not need to use his weapons.

Sasha took them for their uniform fitting and explained how the different classes were distinguished by their uniforms. S-class wore midnight blue, A-class wore white, B-class wore black, and C-class wore grey. Espers wore a red tie, while Guides wore a blue one. Gabriel felt a mix of excitement and nervousness as he tried on his uniform, realizing that he was no longer a child but an adult entering the world of work. The uniform fit him well, and he felt comfortable in it.

In the following days, Sasha put them through simulation training to prepare them for the mission. They practiced various emergency scenarios, including virtual reality simulations and physical training exercises in challenging environments. Although missions for Guides were generally peaceful, Sasha wanted them to be prepared for any situation that might arise.

As time passed, the training became more intense, but Gabriel appreciated Sasha's attention to detail and his focus on safety. He also got to know Lily and Emily better and was impressed by their dedication and skill. He learned that they had both worked for the Centre, a public facility where every Esper could receive guidance, before being recruited by Arcane Alliance.

As the training progressed, Gabriel began to feel more confident in his abilities. Sasha was an excellent teacher, patient and thorough, and Gabriel found himself learning quickly.

However, as the day of the mission approached, Gabriel realized that he still had a problem that troubled him. Due to a traumatic experience in his teenage years, he found it difficult to trust Espers and their powers scared him. He could only trust his cousin Natalia, Henry, and his two Esper professors, but only because they were good friends of Henry and Sasha.

Every month, they had practical lessons where they met with students from the Rosewood Academy for Espers. However, due to his trauma, he only guided Espers who didn't have mental powers. This was common, as Guides with traumas related to certain types of Espers would never work with them.

The day of the mission had finally arrived, and Gabriel felt a sense of anticipation and excitement. He was ready to put his training to the test and prove himself as a capable Guide. He hoped that gaining experience would help him overcome his fear of Espers.

Gabriel arrived at the station, which was situated in the headquarters, a privilege of the best guild, with the twins and went to the carriage reserved for Guides. They were each assigned a little cabin and decided to meet in the carriage lounge after leaving their luggage there.

Once in his cabin, Gabriel quickly checked the room before heading to the carriage lounge. As he entered, he scanned the room to see if he could spot Sasha, but before he could do so, he felt hands wrap around his waist, forcing him to sit down.