Fated to the Triplet Alphas-Chapter 15: Strategy

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Chapter 15

~Jade’s POV~

Every whisper in the room died the moment he moved.

Xavier stepped fully into the classroom, the door closing behind him with a soft click that somehow sounded louder than it should have.

The air shifted instantly, that same subtle pressure I had felt in the hallway earlier rolling through the room. Students straightened in their seats, attention snapping forward like it was instinctive.

He placed his hands on the desk in front of him and surveyed the class calmly before speaking.

"My name is Professor Xavier Zevran," he said evenly. "I’ll be taking you for Advanced Strategy."

A ripple of quiet excitement passed through the room.

"For those of you who resumed earlier," he continued, "we began this course two weeks ago. However, we have four students joining us late due to administrative delays and personal circumstances."

Saying that, his gaze lifted, landing directly on me. "I would love for those students to please stand up for recognition. Some of whom are new students.

"Jade Snow."

My stomach flipped, and my heart beat faster exponentially. I slowly pushed my chair back and stood.

"Silver Blaze."

A tall boy with ash-blond hair stood two rows ahead.

"Adrian Phoenix."

A boy I didn’t recognise stood up beside Silver, offering the class an easy grin.

"And Ziva Dominic."

A sharp-eyed girl with dark braids rose last, her posture confident.

Xavier nodded once. "Introduce yourselves."

"I’m Jade Snow," I said, keeping my voice steady. "And you all know me."

"Silver Blaze. Happy to enjoy this year with you all."

"Adrian Phoenix. Transfer student from Lumia Arcane Academy," Adrian added cheerfully.

"Ziva Dominic. Also a transfer from Estrellian Institute," she said coolly.

"Good," Xavier replied. "Take your seats. We’re already behind."

The class settled quickly. I barely had time to breathe before he launched straight into the lesson.

"Strategy," Xavier began, turning toward the board, "is not about brute force. It’s about anticipation. About knowing what your opponent will do before they do it."

He turned suddenly, eyes sharp. "Miss Snow. If your pack is outnumbered two to one and cornered against a mountain ridge, what do you do?"

I blinked, surprised at the sudden question, then straightened. "Split the group. Use the terrain to funnel their forces and reduce their numerical advantage."

A murmur followed. In the past, I was known for my brains, but I mostly tried staying to myself and not really answering questions.

However, after being drilled by Lady Ember, answering questions and promptly became second nature.

"Reasonable," Xavier said. "Efficient, low environmental risk, command-target prioritization, force multiplication, controlled sacrifice, and flexibility should the conditions change. Solid but still risky."

Then he turned to the class. "Blaze?"

Silver straightened in his seat. "Umm, I would work with feign retreat." Murmuring ensued until Xavier lifted his hand, and every sound ceased. "I’ll lure them into a narrow pass in the mountain, and collapse it."

Xavier was quiet for a moment. "Risk assessment?" he asked.

Silver hesitated, clearly not expecting that question.

"High," Xavier finished for him. "Your strategy requires perfect intelligence. You need exact knowledge of enemy pursuit speed, precise terrain weak points, and guaranteed escape routes, cause one miscalculation equals burying your own troops."

Silver nodded slowly. Though his solution was great, his risk level was high.

"Simply put, you have no fallback plan. Once the terrain collapses, your own escape options are permanently reduced. Therefore, environmental warfare is uncontrollable. Panic spreads faster than rock."

The room went still.

He turned back to me after a few seconds.

Xavier, however, did not let up.

"Snow again. What if retreat isn’t an option?"

I inhaled. "Create a diversion. Sacrifice one unit to draw their strongest fighters away, then strike their command."

A pause followed.

Xavier’s lips twitched. "Cold, brutal even but effective."

Just when I thought he was done with me, Xavier challenged me again. "Snow. Counter Blaze’s plan."

I swallowed as my brain immediately went to work, analysing both of our plans and seeing where he, as an enemy, flopped and what I’d have done in his shoes.

"Use controlled choke points instead of collapse. Controlled ambush zones. No irreversible terrain damage."

Xavier’s gaze sharpened.

"Exactly," he said. "Never choose a strategy you cannot reverse." He faced the class. "The best option combines both answers, but removes the gamble."

He tapped the board once. "Feigned weakness. Controlled funnelling. Surgical decapitation of command. You win without rolling dice with your own lives."

The class remained silent, everyone probably reviewing his strategy while some simply oogled him, like Emily Liam seated at the far end of the centre row.

Then... "That," Isadora whispered beside me, "was terrifyingly hot."

The class slowly turned into a battle of minds. Xavier threw question after question, sometimes at me, sometimes at Silver, sometimes at Ziva, and at other students. Adrian even jumped in once or twice with surprisingly sharp observations.

By the time the bell rang, my head was spinning.

"Homework," Xavier said calmly as groans filled the room. "Read Chapters three through five. Prepare a counter-strategy for urban warfare."

I sagged back in my seat as students began packing up.

"That," Isadora whispered, eyes shining, "was one of the best classes I’ve ever attended."

I let out a tired laugh. "It wouldn’t have been fun if you were the one answering."

She snorted, though she knew I was right. Strategy wasn’t Isadora’s biggest suit, but chemistry, biology, and physics were.

"Come, let’s head to our next class," I beckoned to her. "What are we having next again?"

"English."

As we stood, picking up our bags, I noticed Adrian walking over. He stopped two steps away from me and offered me his hand. "I’m Adrian Phoenix. I like smart people, especially girls. To hit the nail on the head, I want to be friends."

I hesitated for half a second. First, I loved how straightforward he was... but just as I contemplated accepting, I felt a strong, heated gaze on me.

I swallowed, already wondering which insufferable soul was hating on me right now.

I glanced toward the door and found Xavier standing there with an unreadable expression, gaze fixed squarely on me. My heart skipped a beat.

I turned back quickly. Adrian’s brow arched, waiting for my response. Inhaling, I shook Adrian’s hand. "I think so. I’m Jade."

"Nice to meet you officially, Jade. See you later."

I beamed and accompanied Adrian with my eyes, but to my surprise, Xavier wasn’t there anymore. As soon as Adrian was out of earshot, Isadora leaned in, whispering, "Oooh... I smell trouble, Jade."

We didn’t get far before the stares returned.

Whispers followed me everywhere now. Some curious. Some resentful. Some were openly jealous.

Javelin shifted restlessly inside me. As we turned a corner, a familiar presence brushed against my senses. I looked up instinctively.

Xavier stood down the hall, speaking quietly to another lecturer. His gaze lifted, finding mine immediately.

For a brief moment, the noise faded, then he looked away. My chest tightened as Isadora muttered beside me. "Yep, definitely trouble."

"I wonder what you did to him to make Xavier that angry."

I spun on my heel, my senses catching whiff of his scent, mint, sanderwood and a hint of lavender. I swallowed. "X-Xander."

"Professor," Isadora immediately straightened before bowing her head.

Xander eyed her, then flickered his gaze at me. Without waiting for permission, she scurried off, leaving me to my fate. "You said...?"

"The mindlink..." he cut in. Xander studied me for a long moment, eyes unreadable. "Whatever you did," he said quietly, "it was enough to get Xavier’s attention."

My stomach dropped.

"And that," he added, "is never accidental."