Once, there was a known city-state by the edge of a river, a prosperous metropolis that thrives from mining and advancement of technology around them. Yet, even as buildings rise and knowledge travels far, the people never forget about the river. 

The people still remain with their custom to give thanks through the river, making sure the water is clean, as though modern pollutants never reach any drops of it. It later becomes a wonder of nature, to know that such a prosperous metropolis still remembers to nurture their lands like the old days, and give back to nature, as much as their people are very amicable.

However, even the untouchable utopia braces their fall, as the increasing activity born from human’s greed closes in on them. The rivers dried up; the people grew mad; their settlements, villages, parks, razed to the ground by the presence of mechanical monsters that rose as Aether level peaks.

It was the last day where paradise stands—the day that young lady of the last bloodline of said promised land had embedded inside her mind. 

The lush nature shall never return, so is the golden sand and its bountiful oases. But, this human body shall survive nonetheless.

Amara Angkara Khurana vows, if she’s not able to protect her land, protect its smile, then she still strives to be useful somewhere— anywhere.

Amara wakes up with a dull pain to her left side, the one that she remembered getting ‘marked’ by Aether shrapnel.

Aether mines and byproducts are no stranger to Amara, with her old city-state once reaped from it. Its crude ore is one of the most volatile, said to be a concentration of packed energy, and shall not be touched with bare hands. No one also should inhale it, or be in an underground mine where the concentration of Aether is dense, as they would be ‘sick’.

It is once what Amara believed as a daughter of one of the miners, and continued to believe, that even as they’re continuing to mine the ore, gearing oneself is important. If they can adhere to it, the city-state will continue to prosper as always, and there is no change to their daily lives as Aether energy and technology enters their lives.

Until later she sees for herself how Aether ‘erupts’ and the city-state joins one of many long lists of Remote Towns.

Amara sucks in harsh breath as the sharp pain rises on her shoulder. She is garbed in pastel green patient robe, bandages peeking from her open front sticking out like a sore thumb. She favors her left side until the pain ebbs away, and she finally finds her voice as she looks around the hospital room she is in.

It’s the regular hospital room that feels small and cramped as it somehow houses a lot of monitoring screens when either Espers and Guides are bedridden, leaving only the left side of the room, the one near the door, as a space for anyone to sit or stand.

A figure in snow white hair with scar on her right eye, Livia Valendorf is sitting on a full loop chair beside the bed, but absorbed in her terminal that she fails to notice right away that Amara is waking up.

“Finally.” Livia’s shoulder slumps when she sees Amara. Amara tips her head back to the pillow, seeking comfort. Livia taps something fast on her terminal, likely informing someone else—perhaps the upper echelon or Guide Center.

Amara struggles to recall in detail anything that happened after or before her consciousness faded. If there’s something noteworthy, it was like she was in a long, long dream. A dream where she is in that mining city-state. A dream where she can still see that pristine river.

Then she doesn’t feel that she has lost that place, as warmth envelops her. A warmth that she doesn't mind to get used to.

“Are you … the one who Guides me, Miss Valendorf?” the situation was grave, she was hit by a shrapnel, she must likely be Guided as soon as it happened.

“Sadly, neither I nor Mrs. Angelo was able to help you,” there’s a disappointment in Livia’s tone. “It seems the shrapnel really affects you. They said that it resonates with your accumulating stress level.”

Amara tries to touch around her shoulder again, the wound seemingly happening below her clavicle, avoiding her heart by a narrow margin. She remembers the piercing sensation, likely it is similar to having Aether injected to your bloodstream, the stress might be too much for her body to handle back then, with her having used her Aerokinesis for vanguard duty.

She feels the area a few more times, she doesn’t seem to feel any scars.

“... How long have I been out?”

“Just a good two days,” Livia explains, stretching on her chair. Her expression is her usual permanent scowl, just as Amara always knows whenever she sees her around Fiona. The Pair is quite inseparable, after all, especially when they’re together for on-field missions. 

“Mrs. Angelo and I were tasked to monitor your condition. She is needed in the Guide Center so here I am on her stead.”

Livia stands up, approaching Amara’s side. She caresses Amara’s back hand that’s not hooked by IV, as if checking on something. Amara feels the energy flowing briefly, though it is nothing so noticeable as it is abrupt. The S-Class Guide has a moment of knowing look before she retracts her hand.

“It’s undeniable at this point that that Guide is the one who saves you.”

That Guide —so it explains the lack of her scar. It was a Physician Guide that ‘saves’ her. Amara can only think of a name.

Amara tries to sit up, the numbness she felt when she woke up is gone. Livia watches her, clearly as astonished as her to see Amara is recovering at a rapid pace.

“I was surprised to know from Fiona that someone tries to Guide you, and to know they’re really able to do it …” Livia shakes her head. “Considering the resulting compatibility test, though, I guess that’s given.”

Amara’s eyes widens, “You ran me through a compatibility check with Miss Khalida?”

“Well, the data collection is there because of Mrs. Angelo’s request, so …” Livia shows her terminal for the evidence. “Here, you can see the gist of it.”

With her being an outsider to the Capital and her managing to get by with medication even during Operation Athena , Amara never feels the need to rely on Guide Center and Guides in general, until she is finally trusted to handle vanguard duties just recently. Sara is, technically, a Guide who doesn’t mind approaching her and it was Amara’s first contact with an actual Guide. Aside from that, Amara never really thinks of having her compatibility with Miss Khalida checked, either.

So when she sees the number in bold, she squints.

Esper and Guide compatibility result— 96%

“That’s—” Amara holds her breath. “Higher than you and Fiona, Miss Valendorf.”

“To think that Mrs. Angelo who’s in 70% with you is unable to Guide you at all,” Livia concludes. “This can mean that you’ll only be able to be Guided by anyone with compatibility above 80%.”

Anyone in National Guild knows how Mrs. Isabella Angelo is a decent, if not the greatest Guide that they have, but then somehow Amara is one of those Espers who are difficult to be Guided.

She never knew such a case could happen, not to mention that she’s not Paired.

“I don’t want Miss Khalida to be … dragged into this,” Amara confides. “We, as the ones who were tasked in core operations, are exposed to constant dangers. I can still rely on medicines, just like during Operation Athena .”

“... Amara, you …”

Amara can understand Livia’s worry. No matter how advanced the medicine can replace Guiding effects, Guides are indispensable to Espers. Rapid effects, almost no repercussions, and it can easily relieve any symptoms from overusing Espers powers.

With the core team from Operation Athena continually having to be in front lines for both defensive and offensive operation, it is advised that they are always on-call, ready for anything that may take place around the Capital.

“We have our duty—our obligations as both Espers and Guides,” the redhead looks at Livia straight. “But I don’t want to let someone be in harm's way just because she’s the only one who’s known to be able to Guide me.”

Livia pinches the bridge of her nose, clearly exasperated by Amara’s own reasoning and decision. But she said nothing else to persuade her.

“Alright, alright. I won’t force your hand,” she says. “though, know that Fiona won’t likely live this one down. She’s been a constant ball of distress—ah, she’s busy for a few days, so maybe you can only see her later.”

“She’ll understand.” Amara beams. Livia gives her a face, but she ends up snickering.

“Yeah, I bet she’ll holler and I won’t hear the end of it.”

Amara averts her gaze to the window by her right side. The afternoon sun warms through the room. Faint noises from outside traffic and people passing by the commercial district can be heard. Her mind travels far, deep in wonder; about her current condition, about what she should do after this, and about the Guide who had helped her twice.

There must be a way to at least appreciate her better - personally.