Mu Chen's new transfer badge still smelled like fresh plastic. He clipped it onto his shirt and glanced at his picture. The camera had caught him at a weird moment, making his eyes look too calm, almost empty, like he had nothing to worry about. But that wasn't true at all. It was just better to look that way.
The hallway lights were bright and cold, never flickering. This place was designed to look and feel sterile, to make you forget you were stuck. At the end of the hall, a door scanner blinked a patient, strict red light. Mu Chen placed his thumb on the glass. The machine scanned his skin, his warmth, his fingerprint. It took a beat too long, like it was actually thinking about him. He kept his face neutral. Showing nerves in places like this got you noticed. Getting noticed meant getting evaluated. Getting evaluated too much meant getting owned.
The light turned green. The door clicked open.
The air on the other side felt different. The base always had the same smell, but this floor had something extra. Not a scent or a sound, more like a pressure, like the space was holding its breath. Mu Chen stepped through and let the door slide shut behind him.
A ready room appeared ahead. Couches, lockers, a large table with built-in screens, a kettle in the corner. A few people in uniform looked up as he entered. Their eyes swept over him quickly.
"Guide," Mu Chen thought. That's what they saw first, always. Most people hid it, but he could see it in their expressions. A guide meant help, but also risk. A guide was a weakness to be protected and a tool to be managed.
A woman in uniform stood near the table. She had short hair, a sharp posture, and eyes that missed nothing. She walked towards him.
"Lieutenant Mu Chen?" she asked.
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'm Colonel Luo Wei. Welcome." Her voice was smooth, her face calm. That was the most intimidating kind of calm – it meant she held power and didn't need to flaunt it.
Mu Chen gave a small nod. "Thank you, ma'am."
Luo Wei glanced at his badge, then back at him. "You're here as guide support. Temporary transfer." The word "temporary" hung in the air.
Mu Chen kept his expression steady. "Understood."
Luo Wei turned slightly so everyone could hear. "Listen up. This is Mu Chen. Guide. He'll be working with us until further notice." A few people offered quick greetings, polite but not warm.
A man with sharp eyes leaned back. He appraised Mu Chen like he was inspecting new equipment. "Late awakening, right?" he said.
Mu Chen's smile didn't falter. "Yes."
Someone else chuckled softly. "Late awakening and a C-rating? They must have been desperate."
Mu Chen let that slide too. It was better if they thought he was weak, if they expected nothing from him. Luo Wei's gaze swept the room, and the laughter died down.
"We don't waste time," Luo Wei stated. "We have a briefing in ten. Mu Chen, you'll observe for now. Don't link without permission."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good."
Mu Chen went to the locker with his name on it. It was empty except for a headset and a standard med kit. No personal items, no welcome note. This wasn't a place that welcomed you. He put his duffel on the floor, opened it, and took out the few things he was allowed: a toothbrush, a small towel, socks, and a plain notebook. Nothing that told a story.
He felt eyes on him again, but these were different. Sentinel eyes. They didn't look remarkable, but Mu Chen could feel their senses probing, like invisible hands testing the air. He remained still. A skilled guide could subtly affect a room's atmosphere without touching anything. A high-level guide could do it unintentionally. Mu Chen made sure that didn't happen, keeping his power contained, still and silent, like a frozen lake.
The door to the room opened again. The sound wasn't loud, but the room reacted. Shoulders straightened, voices quieted, someone shifted their weight unconsciously. Mu Chen turned his head.
A man walked in. He was tall and powerfully built, like he belonged in combat and knew it. His uniform looked well-worn in all the right places. His hair was slightly damp at the temples, as if he'd just washed up and come straight here. His face was calm, but not a gentle calm. It was controlled. Mu Chen felt it immediately – the air around the man was sharp, like metal left out in the winter cold, not by design, but because his senses were always a little too exposed.
This was Ye Fan. Mu Chen knew it without being told. The name carried weight, evident in the subtle shifts in the room. Luo Wei looked at him. "You're late."
Ye Fan's eyes remained impassive. "Training ran long." Some people looked away, as if they'd seen this scene before. Ye Fan's gaze swept the room, fast and sharp like a scan. Then it stopped on Mu Chen.
Mu Chen's polite, small smile didn't waver. He met Ye Fan's eyes without looking away, without challenging, just holding still. Ye Fan didn't blink. For a moment, Mu Chen wondered if Ye Fan could hear his heartbeat. He breathed deeply anyway.
Luo Wei spoke again. "Major Ye Fan. This is Lieutenant Mu Chen. New guide." Ye Fan's eyes flicked to Mu Chen's badge, then back to his face.
"C-rating?" Ye Fan asked.
Mu Chen nodded. "Yes."
"Late awakening?"
"Yes." Ye Fan's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly, as if he disliked both answers. Mu Chen remained calm. "I'll follow orders." Ye Fan stared at him a moment longer, then looked away, as if he'd decided Mu Chen wasn't worth his time. But Mu Chen didn't feel safe. Not with a sentinel like that. Sentinels were built for danger, able to sense deception not always through words, but through instinct, through senses that didn't need proof.
Ye Fan moved to his locker and began checking his gear with precise, clean movements. Mu Chen watched him from the corner of his eye, careful not to stare. A man stepped closer to Mu Chen and spoke quietly, as if not wanting Ye Fan to overhear. "I'm Zhou Xiao," he said. "Don't take it personally. Ye Fan hates surprises."
Mu Chen nodded. "Understood." Zhou Xiao's gaze flicked to Mu Chen's hands. "You're really a C?" Mu Chen gave a small laugh, as if the question were amusing. "Yes." Zhou Xiao didn't look convinced but didn't press.
Across the room, another person walked by carrying a tablet. Lin Lan, with her slim build, focused expression, and sharp eyes. Lin Lan glanced at Mu Chen once, then looked away, as if saving the data for later. Mu Chen recognized that look. Not trust, not hate. Interest.
Luo Wei clapped her hands once. It wasn't loud, but it cut through the room. "Briefing," she announced. Everyone moved towards the table. Mu Chen took a spot at the edge again. That was his role for now: quiet, observing, useful only when directed.
The screen lit up, displaying a map with a few red markers. Luo Wei spoke in a clear, even voice. "We've lost contact in the old warehouse sector. Drone feed went black. Thermal picked up movement. No civilian clearance."
Zhou Xiao leaned forward. "Anomaly?"
"Likely," Luo Wei replied. "We go in, confirm, clean, and return." The room grew quieter. Mu Chen watched the faces. Even trained individuals changed when they heard that word. Anomaly. It meant unknown variables, fear that couldn't be shot.
Ye Fan stood with his arms crossed, looking bored. But Mu Chen could feel the tension coiled beneath that facade, like a wire stretched too tight. Mu Chen's instincts stirred. He could smooth it out, calm Ye Fan without anyone noticing, just a gentle nudge at the edge of his senses, enough to lower the pressure. But Mu Chen did nothing. Not yet.
Luo Wei tapped the screen. "Ye Fan, you're lead. Zhou Xiao, Lin Lan, with him. Support in the rear. Mu Chen, you observe. You do not link without permission."
Ye Fan's eyes drifted to Mu Chen again. "Observe," Ye Fan repeated, as if the word tasted wrong. Mu Chen met his gaze this time, calm, mild, easy. "Yes," Mu Chen said. "Observe." Ye Fan's eyes narrowed slightly, a subtle reaction Mu Chen caught. It was as if Ye Fan were trying to figure out what kind of guide Mu Chen was. Mu Chen remained silent.
The briefing ended quickly. Luo Wei gave brief orders, and the team began to move. People checked weapons, packed gear, tested comms. The base felt like a machine powering up – smooth, practiced, cold. Mu Chen clipped on his headset and tested the mic. A small beep confirmed it worked. He could feel the base watching him, cameras in the corners, sensors in the ceiling, systems tracking heat, movement, and probably more. The institute wasn't in the room, but its shadow was.
As Mu Chen stepped away from the table, Ye Fan passed close behind him. Too close. Mu Chen's skin prickled, not with fear, but with awareness. Ye Fan stopped. Mu Chen stopped too.
Ye Fan's voice was low. "Stay out of my head."
Mu Chen turned his head slightly, slow and calm. "I wasn't in it."
Ye Fan stared at him. Mu Chen didn't move. Behind Ye Fan's eyes, there was something restless, something tired, as if Ye Fan lived every moment on the edge of a storm. Most guides might feel pity. Mu Chen felt danger.
Ye Fan leaned in just a fraction, close enough that Mu Chen could feel his heat. "If you try anything," Ye Fan said, "I'll know."
Mu Chen's polite, small smile returned. "Yes, Major." Ye Fan's eyes sharpened at the word "Major," as if he relished the reminder of distance. Then Ye Fan walked away. Mu Chen let himself breathe again, slow and quiet. He placed a hand on his wrist for a second, like checking his pulse. Control, he told himself. Be small. Be normal. Be C. Because if anyone here discovered what he truly was, they wouldn't let him remain a person. They'd turn him into a resource. Mu Chen looked at the door leading to the hallway, the elevators, the mission. He followed the team. His steps were steady. His face was calm. And inside, beneath all that composure, his power remained silent and deep, like an ocean that had learned to pretend it was just a cup of water.