LOGINSomething inside my chest cracks, a sharp, painful break. A dam I didn't even know was there, holding back a tide of emotion, bursts. For one brief moment... I forget I'm standing in Kei's body. I forget the gathering. Forget the incoming battle with Kei father. Forget everything. All I can see is this boy, this brave, stupid, wonderful boy, who sees the world not as it is, but as it should be.A smile spreads across my face before I even realize it, a real, genuine smile that feels foreign on my face. Then... I laugh. A genuine laugh, loud and clear, the first one in what feels like forever. It's a raw, slightly unhinged sound, but it's mine.Before anyone can react— I step forward and pull Elias into a hug. The poor boy freezes, his entire body going rigid, a statue carved from shock and confusion. "...Alpha?" his voice squeaks, a high, strained sound.I squeeze him once, a quick, hard hug, before stepping back, my hands on his shoulders. "You." I smile, a real, genuine smile that f
The moment the words leave my mouth, a ripple of movement goes through the crowd. Not one, not two, but ten warriors step forward, their chests puffed out, their chins raised. Some are much older warriors with scars carved across their faces like ugly maps of past battles. Some are commanders who have served under Kei for years, their eyes holding a glint of arrogant certainty. One by one, they stand shoulder to shoulder beside Elias, forming a wall of hardened muscle and experience.The young warrior suddenly looks impossibly small among them, a sapling surrounded by ancient, gnarled oaks.Several older warriors glance at him with smug, condescending smiles, clearly convinced this will be over quickly, that this boy will be humiliated and sent back to the ranks where he belongs.I fold my arms behind my back and let my eyes travel across every single one of them. "Listen carefully." The murmuring dies immediately. "I'm only going to ask this once."I pause, letting the silence settl
The gathering ground is overflowing by the time I arrive. Far more people than I expected. Hundreds, maybe more.Warriors line both sides of the courtyard in full armor, their faces grim. Elders wrapped in ceremonial robes stand together, whispering anxiously. Women clutch frightened children, their eyes wide with fear. The entire atmosphere feels suffocating, thick with the stench of terror.No one smiles anymore. Everyone is talking, everyone whispering urgently among themselves, a frantic, buzzing hive of anxiety that sets my teeth on edge."...Did you hear?""The Beta really betrayed us...""That's why the Alpha burned his body...""...the Ex-Alpha had also beheaded his own son...""...the Moon Goddess is punishing Ashen Vale...""...the former Luna has been taken by the former Alpha...""Do you think she's still alive?""...what if he attacks tonight..."Fear has become contagious. It spreads faster than any disease, faster than fire, a poison seeping into the very soul of this
Two days later...I don't sleep.Not even for a second.Every time my eyes threaten to close, I force them open again, the burning sensation a welcome distraction from the gnawing dread in my gut.Kei lies on the bed in my body, motionless beneath the blanket, his chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths that are the only proof he's not a corpse. The doctor assured me he was alive. That my body was simply exhausted, pushed beyond its limits.But exhausted bodies wake up.Dead ones don't.My fingers tighten around the edge of the chair I've occupied for two days straight, the wood groaning under the pressure. "Wake up, damn you..." I whisper, rubbing my burning eyes, but it does nothing to erase the image of his still face. "You don't get to choose now of all times to sleep. You don't get to take the easy way out."No answer. I stand and pace to the bedside again, my movements restless and caged. For what feels like the thousandth time, I brush loose strands of hair away from
"Fuck."The curse is torn from my throat before I can stop it. It's not just irritation; it's a white-hot fury that sears through me as I stare down at my own unconscious body lying crumpled on the floor, a heap of useless limbs and stubborn pride in a form that is now his."Are you kidding me?" The words are a low growl, vibrating in this borrowed chest. "Now? Of all the cowardly, idiotic, *infuriating* times to collapse—you choose *now*?" My voice is a throaty rasp, a frustrated sound that barely contains the storm brewing inside.I crouch beside him, my fingers, clumsy and foreign, press against the side of my own neck, searching for a pulse.It's there. Strong. Steady. A stubborn, maddening rhythm that matches the man himself, even trapped in my fragile form.I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding, the air leaving my lungs in a shaky, defeated rush. My shoulders sag for the briefest of seconds before the frustration comes crashing back in."So close," I grit out, the wo
Commander Holt screams. "No!" He tries crawling backward. "I'll talk! I'll tell you every contact! I'll—"The second strike is just as swift.Silence.Blood slowly spreads across the stone floor. The remaining warriors stare in horror. Ravelle wipes the blade clean on Holt's uniform before handing it back without a tremor. Her voice is quiet, but it carries the weight of a death sentence."If anyone else serves another master..." She slowly surveys every face. "...leave now. Because the next execution... will be slower."Nobody moves. Nobody even breathes too loudly. All I can see is absolute obedience. Not born from fear alone, but from certainty. She meant every word. And somehow... I understand why people would follow her. Not because she's powerful, but because when she makes a decision... she doesn't hesitate. She bears its weight herself. She doesn't look away. I hate admitting it. But... this... this is what leadership looks like.The hallway slowly empties as warriors rush to
I pull out the omega uniform from under my bed—plain brown cloth, shapeless, loose, ugly, and absolutely perfect for hiding the red dress beneath it. No one looks twice at omegas. Not in a palace that employs hundreds.I braid my hair up, tuck it beneath a dull omega scarf, then close my eyes to co
The Lunar Virtue Conclave is unbearable even before the gossip begins—or the class itself.The hall hums the way it always does: too many voices layered on top of one another, laughter sharpened with envy, silk skirts whispering across polished stone floors.I sit near the back, posture perfect, ex
Revulsion claws up my throat the moment I see him.Of all the men in this cursed kingdom, he is the one who walks like the world should kneel simply because he was born male. Always lingering too close, always wearing that smirk I’ve been tempted far too many times to wipe clean off his face. He ac
The throne room smells like power and old lies.Stone walls rise high and cold, carved with victories that were never won by women. The air hums with deep male voices—officials, elders, and war strategists—gathered for the morning assembly. My father sits on the obsidian throne at the far end, crow







