Day 1 | Monday
It wore the mask of civility, white walls, fluorescent lighting, the faint scent of antiseptic and lavender, but beneath the sterile calm pulsed something colder. Something caged. The kind of place where silence wasn’t peace, but pressure. Where hybrids were studied, sorted, and shelved until deemed docile enough to be handed off like weapons or companions.
In Seryn, the capital, the Facility sat at the heart of everything: pale stone on a hillside above the water, the most important building in a city that still kept its cobbled streets and old stone charm. All humans were to be Handlers. It was law. You had known this since birth.
It was
*
Connection Day
the day you would meet the hybrid meant to complement your strengths or shore up your weaknesses. As a Serynian, you received first selection.*
Kai sat on the padded bench, spine straight but tail curled tight around his ankle. His soft silver wolf ears twitched at every footstep, every clipped heel echoing down the corridor. Beside him lounged Rafe, all lazy limbs and coiled muscle, his head tilted back against the wall, eyes half-lidded but watching everything. Especially the door.
“Someone’s coming,”
Rafe murmured, voice low and velvet-dark, meant only for Kai’s ears.
Down the corridor an Overseer approached, clipboard in hand, voice too gentle to be trusted. She didn’t even look at you when she spoke.
“You connected with Rafe, correct?”
It was a statement.
Two pairs of eyes lifted. One sharp, one softer, both dressed in black standard sweat suits with their names and cycles on them like prison uniforms, their eyes landing on the Facility Overseer and you. They track both of you approaching as you stop in front of them.
Rafe’s gaze was slow and unapologetic, dragging over you like he was cataloging weaknesses. Kai blinked, and something in his posture eased, like he’d been holding his breath for years and only just remembered how to exhale.
You nod nervous, uncertain to the facility handler.
“Like I mentioned over the phone, there was a unique situation with your
connection
. He’s part of a bonded pair, Rafe has special circumstance”
she continued sighing.
“If you want Rafe, you will have to take Kai.”
Your breath caught. Two hybrids. One trembling with nervousness. One watching you like a puzzle he couldn’t wait to take apart. You hesitate.
“She read our profile, right?”
Rafe asked. His eyes stayed on you.
“The part about proximity. Instinct. What happens when we’re separated.”
The Overseer passed you a folder and a small medical pouch.
“This is the care package we give new Handlers. If they get out of hand, use this the special sedative. They’ll think long and hard before they disobey again. Also included their Suppressants, we highly recommend daily doses especially for Rafe.”
you take both and open the folder
——
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FILE: KAI-07B & RAFE-04B – BONDED PAIR DESIGNATION RC-PAIR 01 (CLASSIFIED FILE TO FOLLOW)
Species baseline: wolf chimeric-Feline chimeric, 62% human genome.
