Since that night when Amara visits her home out of the blue, Sara never sees Amara again, which is thankfully how she hoped things would go. She doesn’t want to be acquainted with Espers closely if she can. 

If Sara is about to tell from a glance about Amara, she’s making it clear that she wants to return the favor not because she wants to save face or pretend to be nice. 

Perhaps it is also one contributing to her mixed feelings that she has right now.

It’s not like she doesn’t believe that Espers, or some who dissed her to an extent, can actually be nice. Or maybe it’s simply because she doesn’t want to get used to it. She had done believing in the good of others and then getting turned down after getting her hopes up.

This is how things should be , Sara says to herself often.

It’s another day in Guide Center, another mundanity of Guiding duty and doing her reports, while the situation that’s happening around the Capital sounds quite worrisome, albeit under control.

Defensive skirmishes happen regularly for about twice a week, then they wrap up with having extermination and scouting by the end of that week. Most of the things happen near Malkuth, but also a few instances in Netzach, so Sara rarely sees Penelope in the Center as it seems that she’s quite active as a Guide for the on-field Netzach team.

Sara is about to do a shift change when an alarm blares through from the speaker by the Guiding room she’s in.

‘Attention. To all stationed Guides on duty. Attention. An influx of on-field agents returned from Monolith 7889 will be your priority for Guiding. Code ORANGE-RED. Please come to the Onboarding Area to enlist your service. I repeat—’

Sara holds her breath upon hearing the announcement. Monolith 7889 , she can’t help but to think back of that day where she helps Amara.

From the result that Mrs. Isabella Angelo shared that her compatibility with Amara exceeds 90%, Sara also learned that Amara couldn’t be Guided by anyone below that level of compatibility.

Sara swallows, pushing the thought of horrors away, and focusing on fulfilling her current responsibilities.

Onboarding Area, a large hall located on the backside of the building, is acting as a reception to on-field agents returned recently from their mission. 

Unlike the front area where it is more spacious with automated screens and machines for visiting Espers and Guides on duty alike, the Onboarding Area is left to be accommodating the wounded with numerous long benches and sofas, also it is close to the Medical Ward in case any emergency Guiding went wrong.

Any Espers returning from on-field mission should check in within the Onboarding Area even though they’re not in a dire need of Guiding for safety measures.

Guides on duty begin lining up near the service counter, and the Espers pick anyone who’s free.

“May I ask for your service, Miss Guide?”

She has seen the petite senior Esper before, he’d usually be inseparable from his wife. The man has a youthful appearance despite already being in his thirties. Sara saw him once when Mrs. Isabella Angelo evaluated her reports. Just to make sure, Sara looks around, accessing that the man is indeed addressing her and not anyone else.

“You’re... Mr. Mortimer Angelo?” His eyes, which already show a sign of golden gleam, looks up to Sara. The man with pale green hair nods when Sara repeats his name. “But aren’t you already Paired?”

“The Sentinel we battled has an affinity of Sight. My wife has sight affinity, I don’t want to expose her to it outright.” He shows his ID card. “Unless you’re, too, having Sight affinity?”

“Ah, no, I’m more to scent,” Sara takes up her terminal, letting Mr. Mortimer to tap his ID card there.

“Then good.” he relaxes.

He gingerly offers his hand after Sara’s terminal beeps, confirming both side’s consent to the emergency Guiding. It’s the procedure in this Onboarding Area. Every work of Guiding is documented to a T and has to go through a process of mutual assent. Then again, a worse-case scenario may take place and thorough steps like this couldn’t happen, so each Guide’s terminal is equipped with a sensor to still record any Guiding activity. If the National Guild finds out that any of their Guides violate the rules will have their license revoked and their powers restricted.

—Well, it’s not like Sara didn’t know that out there ‘illegal’ Guiding happens. Even the street scanner can’t really catch those people who find pleasure in Guiding, especially in Phase 4.

“You said earlier, the Sentinel has Sight affinity?” Sara asks again.

“Yes, though we’re able to defeat it before it can release anything like Acceleration Waves or Spikes.” he frowns.

Espers and Guides have heightened senses apart from their superpowers by default. Some have it more prominent than others, like two or three senses, though most people only have one sense enhanced.

“Ahh, better. Now I can see my wife without her breathing down on my neck.”

As Mr. Mortimer Angelo is a B-Class, it doesn’t take too long for Sara to Guide him to an adequate level. His eye color returned to normal, and some of his scars faded.

“I don’t think it is wise to make your wife worry.” Sara makes an off-remark comment.

“Well, desperate times call for desperate measures,” the man shrugs, unbothered. “We never really know when the worst can happen, and here we thought we’re cleaning up, to find effing B-rank as our opponent while we’re moving in a small recon group.”

Sara grimaces to hear the status update. Again with the sudden sighting of Sentinel near the area , she thought, and a B-rank, nonetheless . She tries to school her expression, but it seems that Mr. Angelo realizes her distress as they’re connected by Guiding, so he puts a hand around Sara’s shoulder to pat it lightly. It feels more like an older figure trying to comfort his subordinate, and Sara somehow appreciates his gesture.

“Don’t worry, we got it under control. It’s just we’re not strong enough to go back home unscathed!” he beams. “Thanks again, Miss Guide. I’ll tell my wife to give you a bonus.”

“There’s no need to do that, Mr. Angelo.”

He’s obviously still trying to comfort Sara, and Sara smiles wide as the man departs.

Sara then tends to the line near her, moving through one Esper to another, until it is emptied again, with most people avoiding having to be Guided by her like usual. There seem to be a lot from when she started, but it gradually thinned out, perhaps she could pull back soon.

She looks around for the last time. She happens to take a glimpse of familiar red and purple hair. Amara supports the bespectacled Esper with her shoulder, though the latter, while beaten up, is all grinning and smiling as they only arrived in the Onboarding Area.

“Any Guide can—oh.” their eyes meet. Amara lumbers her way to Sara. “Miss Khalida, can you help me?”

If Sara remembered correctly, Fiona is a S-Class.

“Well, Via is tending to someone else, so … you can just give me enough to get by~”

“Is Miss Valendorf your Pair?” Sara asks.

“Oh! How do you know? I never knew she’d brag about it to anyone.”

Amara laughs, “Anyone can hazard a guess when you mention her name longingly.”

Fiona glowers, “I didn’t, okay!?”

As Amara says though, it really is easy to guess, just from Fiona speaking of Livia’s name alone. Though Sara can surmise that, just like Mr. and Mrs. Angelo do, both Fiona and Livia are also behaving professionally in terms of pairing. Oftentimes Sara knows those who are very selective after Pairing or someone getting overly jealous from giving Guides to others. Not everyone adhered to the old manners of Imprinting or Pairing as Guides are indispensable with this tumultuous situation.

“If you don’t mind being Guided by me, then, Miss Hamelin,” Sara makes sure to highlight their Class differences.

“Not at all!” Fiona nods.

They step aside from the crowded Onboarding Area to the side of the hall. Sara takes Fiona to sit with her on the sofa, side-by-side, as she’s about to begin Guiding.

Fiona pulls out her ID card and taps it to Sara’s terminal. Once the information is updated on Sara’s screen, a notice that both of them accept the emergency Guide measure, Sara takes Fiona’s hand to begin Guiding.

Though, as Sara expected, Guiding S-Class is no trifle. Once the link between her Guiding powers and Fiona connects, she can already feel Fiona’s stress level to gnaw on her nerves. As if she is sucking the energy out of Sara, and it is given that Sara has her difficulties with their Class difference.

Sara breathes in deeply, re-centering herself, concentrating to do what she can.

“How about you, Miss Angkara?” Sara turns to the redhead who stays beside Fiona. She doesn’t seem to be as worn as Mr. Angelo, but Sara can pick up a scent of smoke clinging to her shirt, and a faint hint of blood and sand from other Esper’s powers.

“Me? I already had my fill,” Amara shows a half-emptied bottle of Restoration Potion. “Fiona is more important, she can’t just go berserk or suddenly immobile-”

“Stop talking about me as though I’m not here, and I’m still far from Mental Out!” Fiona quips. “Just that B-rank Sentinel makes me have to reinforce the ice wall twice! Not to mention it is Sight type!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting you to your Guide soon after this~” Amara laughs as she squeezes gently on Fiona’s shoulders. “Sorry about this, Miss Khalida.”

“Oh no, no. It’s alright.”

Talking makes her loosen up slightly and how friendly Fiona is somehow puts Sara at ease. Now as she looks at Amara closely, however, she notices a sign of fatigue. Likely from prolonged battle versus the B-rank Sentinel.

The crowd around the area suddenly disperses when someone walks among them, a Guide bearing their materialized spirit animal, a manifestation of mental ‘thread’.

“Wow, is that—?”

“As expected from S-Class! It looks so majestic!”

“Is she the one doing mass Phase 2 earlier? The power …!”

Usually, A-Class and S-Class Guides can materialize their spirit animal at will. Though the duration may vary, materializing can make you perform Phase 2 Guiding better with larger area at once. Mentalist Guides can easily pull that one out than other types of Guides.

Sara can’t help but also look at the snow-haired woman in awe as she approaches with her spirit animal, which likely is a mature stag.

“There you are, Fiona, Amara.” she then turns her sharp gaze to Sara. Sara thought that maybe she would be yelled at for Guiding her Pair, but instead, Livia lowers her head, “Thank you for performing a first aid on this idiot, Miss Khalida.”

“Who’s an idiot!? Via, you meanie!”

“Hmm? Who’s an idiot throwing herself on front lines to reinforce ice walls while the enemy is having affinity to Sight ?” Livia doesn’t mince words as she points an accusatory finger toward Fiona. “Any Sight -prevalent Esper should know that they will accumulate more stress if that happens, unless that Esper is an idiot?”

“Oh, come on!”

And as they erupt to a full-scale quibble, Sara blinks owlishly. She tries to seek Amara, though clearly, Amara seems to already be used to their antics.

“Now, now, you two,” Amara quickly gets between them and tries to mediate. They both clam up, albeit Livia still glaring daggers on Fiona and Fiona tries to keep her plasticky smile. “Again, I’m sorry for this, Miss Khalida, they’re … pretty unique, you see.”

Sara snorts. It’s rather cute to watch their bickering, still.

“Miss Valendorf, you must be worried about Fiona, so why don't you give her Guiding right away? The first aid may work, but I bet Fiona will be elated to have you Guiding her more in private~”

“ A-Amara! ” Fiona’s cheeks blossom in deep red. Sara fights an urge to not laugh. Oh, how to be put on a spot.

Livia groans, but she quickly pulls Fiona by the arm and takes her away anyway, the materialized deer follows dutifully behind them.

“They’re … pretty unique, indeed.”

“Told you so.” Amara nods in agreement. “Well, then. I must return to the Guild for my reporting. I bid you a good day, Miss Khalida.”

Sara watches as Amara leaves, thinking that she might’ve thought the worst—when she shouldn’t.

However, the nagging feeling she had never truly left.