LOGINRONAN'S POVSix months passed faster than I expected.We graduated in May. Spent summer resting. Traveling. Building our life together. Then September came and we started advocacy work with the Omega Rights Coalition.It was hard. Harder than I anticipated. Long hours. Difficult conversations. Constant travel. Speaking at universities. Meeting with lawmakers. Testifying at hearings.But it was also meaningful. Every policy we helped change. Every student we helped protect. Every conversation that shifted someone's perspective. It all mattered.December now. Six months into the work. Six months into our new life.Elias and I lived in a small apartment downtown. Nothing fancy. One bedroom. Tiny kitchen. But it was ours. First place that belonged to us. First home we chose together.Adrian lived two blocks away. Close enough to visit. Far enough for independence. He was doing better. Therapy twice a week. Classes at community college. Slowly healing. Slowly building a life.This morning,
ELIAS'S POV Graduation day arrived too fast. I woke up early. Couldn't sleep anyway. Nerves eating at me. The speech. The ceremony. Everything feeling too big. Too important. Ronan was already awake. Sitting by the window. Looking out at campus. "You ready?" he asked. "No. But I'm doing it anyway." "That's all anyone can ask." We dressed in formal uniforms. Black and gold. Academy colors. Last time wearing them. Last time being students here. My mother arrived early. Brought flowers. Cried when she saw me. "I'm so proud. So incredibly proud." "I haven't done anything yet." "You survived. You fought. You won. That's everything." Ronan's family came too. His mother. His father. Adrian. Several cousins. Extended family. All of them greeting me warmly. Accepting me as family. It felt surreal. The ceremony started at ten AM. Outside on the main lawn. Hundreds of chairs. Families everywhere. Media cameras positioned around the perimeter. We sat in the front row. Graduating stu
RONAN'S POVGraduation was in two weeks. Final exams are over. Grades posted. Rankings finalized.Elias graduated rank two. I graduated rank one. Same as always. Same as when we started.But everything else was different.The graduation committee asked Elias to speak. Give a speech representing the graduating class. First time an Omega would speak at Academy graduation. First time most things, actually.He was terrified."I can't do this," he said for the tenth time that week. We sat in my room. Speech drafts scattered everywhere. Nothing felt right."You can. You already spoke at the assembly. In front of everyone. This is the same thing.""No it's not. The assembly was an emergency. Survival. This is planned. Official. Representing everyone. What if I mess up?""You won't.""What if I say the wrong thing? Offend people? Make things worse?""You're overthinking.""I'm thinking exactly the right amount. This speech matters. It'll be recorded. Remembered. Used as example for future Om
ELIAS'S POVThree weeks passed after the court hearing. Three weeks of changes happening fast.The Academy looked different now. New signs posted everywhere. Anti-discrimination policies. Omega protection guidelines. Resources for students needing support.Hale moved quickly. Implemented reforms before resistance could organize. Before people who voted against us could block progress.First change: curriculum. New mandatory class for all students. Dynamics Education. Teaching about Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. Biology. History. Rights. Breaking down prejudices with information.Some students hated it. Complained it was propaganda. Indoctrination. But attendance was required. Fail the class, fail the semester.Second change: support systems. Counselors trained in Omega issues. Medical staff educated on suppressant management and heat protocols. Safe spaces for students who needed them.Third change: consequences. Three students were expelled for harassment. Caught threatening Omega stude
RONAN'S POVThe court hearing was scheduled for Friday morning. Three days after the vote. Three days to prepare our defense.My father hired the best lawyers money could buy. A team of five. All specialists in family law and Omega rights. They worked around the clock building our case.Thursday night, we met with them in a conference room off campus. Too many reporters at the Academy. Too much attention. We needed privacy."Marcus Caelum's argument is simple," the lead lawyer explained. Her name was Director Chen. No relation to our Chen. "He claims parental rights. Blood connection. Says you were taken from him illegally as an infant. That he never gave up custody. That he has legal claim to you now.""But I'm eighteen," I said. "An adult. He can't claim me like property.""Normally no. But Omega law is complicated. In some jurisdictions, unbonded Omegas can be claimed by blood family until age twenty-one. He's arguing that your bond was formed under duress. That it should be dissol
ELIAS'S POVTwenty-four hours felt like forever.We spent the day hiding. Not literally. But staying in Ronan's room. Away from hostile students. Away from cameras. Away from everything.My phone kept buzzing. Messages from people I didn't know. Some are supportive. Some hateful. I stopped reading them.Ronan checked the vote count every hour. The Academy posted real-time updates. Anonymous but public.By noon: 48% yes. 52% no.We were losing."It's still early," Ronan said. "People are still voting. Could change.""Or it could get worse.""Don't think like that."But I couldn't help it. Half the Academy wanted us gone. More than half. How were we supposed to stay somewhere we weren't wanted?At three PM, my mother arrived. Security let her in this time. Special permission from Hale.She hugged me the moment she saw me. Held on tight. "I'm so proud of you. What you said yesterday. How you stood up. I'm so proud.""Thanks, Mom.""Are you okay? Really okay?""I don't know. The vote isn
Elias's POVHours passed in the vault.I lost track of time. There were no windows. No clocks. Just the dim green glow of Hale's computer screen and the steady hum of old machines.Vale had found a corner and was trying to clean the blood off his collar. Hale was still at the computer, typing occas
Elias’s POVI did not sleep that night. Not even for a minute.I stayed on Ronan’s bed, back against the wall, knees pulled up. The room was dark except for the small lamp we kept on. I could not stand the idea of turning it off. I needed the light. I needed something to push the shadows away.Rona
Elias's POVThe shadow moved wrong.Everything about it was wrong. The way it bent around corners. The way it didn't make sound when it should have. The way my brain couldn't quite process what I was seeing."Move!" Hale's voice cracked through my frozen thoughts.Gunfire erupted. The muzzle flashe
Elias’s POVI kept feeling the same thing. Like someone’s eyes were always on the back of my neck.Even inside Training Hall Three, with only Ronan and Vale, my nerves stayed tight. My hands were cold. My mind kept jumping to dark corners and empty hallways. It felt wrong. All of it.Vale was talki







