Chapter 1

The morning rays of light shined through the curtains, symbolizing that it is time to wake. Birds were singing their morning song as the cool autumn breeze was flowing through the windows that were half opened. The light contacted the walls, enhancing their color to bright colored beige. On the bed lay a young woman who pulled the covers up, not ready to get up and face another day of work. Her job as a government agent was all tiring, tough and most of all, dangerous at times, but that is not the reason for her hold up.

Over the course of the days of her life at work, she has yet to truly figure that importance of her job. Her role as a guard to protect and save the vulnerable people is important of course, but other things…

She has yet to decide of having a compatible and trust-worthy partner to work with.

Every agent must be assigned with a partner in order to work in the field, much to her disagreeing with that rule. For the past years when she started her training at the age of seventeen in the military academy, she have been assisted with numbers of agents in training to become the best of the best, but none of them were considered an interest to her. Now with her graduated at the top of her class and with everything that has occurred years after, she has yet to devote herself to partnership with another agent.

She is also allowed the assist with one of the investigators in the field, guarding them from any threat as they gather and collect evidences from the crime scene. But overall, she doesn't see herself working in that kind of particular option as well.

She always kept this kind of situation in mind, knowing that if she choose a partner soon, her boss will definitely put her up with someone random person to work with for possibly who knows how long.

The pink haired soldier felt it's finally time to face reality.

She got up, dressed in her uniform, and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She made herself a mug of black coffee and finally made her way to the door. Her phone rang.

"Lightning!"

"Serah, what's up?"

"I wanted to let you know that there is a new investigator that recently joined our team today. I heard it is a guy."

Serah Farron, the sister of Lightning as well as one of the teammates in her team. Serah's job in the field is to give agents, such as Lightning, the background information of victims, their appearances and their history that might have caused their fate. Serah is considered to be very gifted in reconstructed the victims' skull on a technological computer, giving them a face. She is quite talented in solving codes, unlocking secret files, and finding classified information that have not been mentioned by the victims' family members or friends. Other than that, she is Lightning's dear angel.

"So this new scientist... Who is he?"

"Well, all I know is that his name is Dr. Hope Esthiem and he specializes in examining bones of the victim…"

"So he is Forensic anthropologist? I thought that our intuition needed more pathologists to help examine body organs and flesh or whatever else they do."

"Well yes, but Ro accepted Estheim with seemingly great joy and eagerness to work with us in the institution.

Dr. Rosalie Lynn, the Head of the Eden Institute as well as a skillful pathologist. She is a tall and slender young woman, about in her late thirties, early forties, and has long and gorgeous golden wavy hair. Dr. Lynn possesses a great inner ability to understand a person's situation; she is kind-hearted and full of spirit, but despite that, she is quite strict when it comes to work. She holds the whole place together; making sure everything is organized and run properly. Everyone has a liking to her, including Lightning who rarely likes anyone.

"Great, Rosalie giving opportunities to someone that doesn't have a great importance to us at the moment, despite the fact that she was the one who stated that its important to get another pathologist in the first place. Is she losing sight of our objective?"

"Don't downgrade Ro's evaluations of hiring members, Sis. You know as well as me that Ro will never hiring anyone that wouldn't be any use to the intuition. When she hired Estheim, she probably senses a potential in him being a great use for us and yes, we still need a pathologist. She'll get us one. She even said it herself just now."

"Wait is Ro listening in on this right now?"

"Hello, Agent Lightning, how's your morning? Are you on your way over here right now?"

Crap! Out of all the conversations…

"Yes… I'll be there in like five minutes…" Over the time with her conversation with Serah, Lightning already had been driving quite a great distance to the intuition.

"Good, I have a new case for you. Plus, we have that partnership we need to settle for you…"

"Yeah, yeah, I am close okay,"

"See you in a jiff,"

Lightning could hear Ro's footsteps making way to the exit in a light evenly tapping sound, fading away each tap that is taken.

"Serah, why did you put me on speaker?"

"Lightning, I didn't know she was going to walk in on me at the time and I put you on speaker because it's easier to work not having to hold my phone between my shoulder and ear while my two only hands are full. Don't worry; I don't think Ro got offended by your comment there."

"Yeah, but still…" Lightning sighed. She finally arrived in the parking zone and made her way to the entrance.


"Lightning, I am going to partner you up with Dr. Hope Esthiem for this particular case." Rosalie said quickly and urgently as she handed Lightning the file filled with the given information of the contents.

"Wait! Hold on a sec, I thought that we were going to-"

Rosalie already left through the door, rushing out of the laboratory. "Sorry Lightning, I don't have time to discuss your partnership with someone at the moment. A body has been sighted in the east side of the Sunleth Waterscape just now and they need me to examine the body ASAP! Please just introduce yourself to Esthiem and work with him in this one case. He's in his office, 132"

Great… so much for her letting me choose a partner…


Lightning look at the glass door in front of her, titled Dr. Esthiem. She already saw through the glass that he is reading over some papers, probably the case.

He looks like a man in his early to mid-twenties, probably somewhere at the same age as her. He has short hair with a color Lightning doesn't normally see in many people. Silver? That a new one. I didn't know that hair color existed. Well, of course in elders and all, but him? Guess its natural, unless he is one of those weird people that dye their hair to an unnatural color.

Who is she judging about hair color? Wasn't her natural pink hair one would describe a weird color as well? She remembered that the pink hair is what got her and Serah to standout in grade school since it's considered a rare hair color as well.

Lightning can see that he has green eyes, light and somehow quite radiant as well. It's kind of a great combination to go with the silver hair as well.

Deciding to not waste any more time, Lightning knocked on the door.

He looked up from the papers, noticing her. "Come in."

Lightning walked in, stepping to his office. The walls were in a light green color and there was a brown colored sofa on the left side of the door. Lightning could see his diplomas that show him completing his course of studies. Let's see… He majored in Chemistry, Biology, Anthropology… and even in Psychology? Wait that is his minor. Lightning said to herself as she noticed it. Now I see why Ro hired him. The guy has three majors and a minor. He's a genius. Great psychology… he's probably going to analyze me or something… I thought psychology was considered an insult to science… University of Eden, what you know…

Lightning walked to his desk and took out her hand. "Hello, my name is Agent Lightning Farron. I'll be your temporary partner for this case."

"A pleasure to be assisted by you," Hope shakes her hand. "I am-

"Dr. Hope Estheim, forensic anthropologist, you are new, you studied at one of the best colleges in the country, and you over-majored. I got it."

"I see that you already know my basic information."

"Well, our boss already mentioned your name and that you just started working for us. And you are quite proud of showing your diplomas."

"You are very observant."

"I have to be, it's part of being an agent."

"I am telling you, I am quite modest with my achievements. I don't want you to think that I am one of those scientists who think that he's all superior due to his parchments."

"I didn't say you weren't modest."

"No, but I already know you were assuming."

"You're evaluating me already?"

Hope smiled as he began preparing the supplies that he needed to examine the body that was waiting for him. "Not evaluating, more like ensuring that you don't get the wrong idea."

"Let's just get this over with," Lightning exasperated as she began heading out. "And by the way, I don't know what you need to ensure me of. I didn't confirm you to be an arrogant scientist." Lightning walked out, leaving Hope to follow.

Hope caught up with her and went in front of her. "I am sorry that I unintentionally evaluated you. I want to start over."

"No need when you are going to do it again soon."

"And look who is assuming to real."

Lightning just looked at him directly, eye to eye. "We just have one case that's all. This isn't permanent. Nothing about this is official. We don't need to get along. And you don't have to apologize." Lightning moved and walked passed him to the exit.

Hope just looked at her as she walked and he as did before, began to follow her. "I mean to say that I want to be a peace with you and settle this minor conflict that is already rising between us. The first ten minutes and look at us. You and I already have a dislike to one other. I just want us to get along and communicate professionally, even though this might be the only case we will ever be assigned together. And yes, I do need to apologize. I shouldn't have assumed who you are before I got to know you, I shouldn't have to make you put your barriers up, feeling that you are going to be dealing with an idiot that you-

"I am sorry,"

"What?"

"I am sorry,"

"Elaborate?"

"For someone who majored everything, you aren't really that smart. I am sorry that I ruin your introduction when you were introducing yourself to me. I should have let you introduce yourself just with the same amount of respect you gave me when I was introducing myself to you."

Hope just stared at her, dumbfounded. He never met someone so… uncooperative, but at the same time, solicitous enough to express her own minor faults. She is like a person that can be describe with both opposite behaviors? No, that is kind of contradicting.

"Let's just start work, okay?" Lightning said gently, probably her way of asking forgiveness.

"Okay," Hope answered, assuring both of them that their matters are resolved.

Both got into the SUV and Lightning started driving as Hope is reviewing the information of the case that Lightning handed him.