Chapter 7: Nobody’s Omega

I walked until the Holloway estate was gone. Only then did I let myself breathe.

The night air was freezing, but I didn’t mind. The cold was honest; it didn’t pretend to love me before throwing me away.

“Where are we going?” Ciel whispered.

“I don’t know.” That was the first honest answer I’d given all day.

Eventually, I reached Luminara Central Station. The platforms were bright and crowded with people who had homes and families waiting for them. I had none of that anymore.

A sign flashed the next departure to the human world: Greystone City.

My heart tightened. Greystone University. My dorm was already paid for—the one thing Alpha Holloway couldn’t take from me overnight. If I could just get to campus and find a part-time job, I could finish my degree and start over.

The future looked terrifying, but at least it still existed.

“See? We’re going to Greystone,” I murmured.

Ciel wasn’t convinced. “We don’t belong anywhere.”

“We will,” I said, forcing a smile neither of us believed.

I checked my wallet. I had just enough for the cheapest ticket, one sandwich, and a chance to survive until tomorrow. Tomorrow felt like a luxury.

After buying the ticket, I sat alone on the platform and hugged my backpack to my chest. Inside was everything I owned: my student ID, acceptance letter, phone, and a little bit of cash.

The announcement echoed: “Train 304 to Greystone City is now boarding.”

I climbed aboard with a crowd of exhausted travelers. No one looked at me. For the first time in my life, being invisible felt comforting.

I must have fallen asleep. The rocking of the train carried me into darkness, and when I woke up, the carriage was filled with gray morning light. Most people had already gotten off.

For one peaceful second, I forgot everything. Then I reached for my bag.

My hand touched empty fabric. My heart stopped.

“No…”

I searched under the seat. Nothing. I checked the overhead bin. Nothing.

My breathing grew shallow. My backpack was gone. My wallet, phone, ID, and acceptance letter were all gone. Even the bracelet my mother gave me for my eighteenth birthday was gone.

“No…” I whispered.

A middle-aged woman watched me for a second and then looked away. A businessman stepped around me without slowing down. No one helped. No one asked if I was okay.

I stepped off the train and just stood there for a second, totally lost. In one night, everything I had going for me had basically evaporated.

No ID meant no room at the dorms. No cash meant no food. And without a phone, I was completely cut off—not that I really expected anyone to be looking for me.

The morning wind cut through Xavier’s oversized sweater. My stomach growled.

“We need food,” Ciel said.

“I know.”

“We need money.”

“I know.”

“We need help.”

I laughed bitterly. “There isn’t anyone left.”

I walked to the information desk. The woman behind the counter didn’t even look up.

“I was robbed,” I explained. “I need to report it.”

She sighed. “Railway police are downstairs.”

“I also lost my student ID.”

“Contact your university.”

“My phone was stolen, too.”

She finally looked at me. “I’m sorry,” she said, though she didn’t sound sorry. “Next.”

—

Outside, a vending machine had a forgotten bottle of water in the dispenser. I stared at it.

Take it, Ciel whispered.

“No.”

Nobody would notice.

“No.”

You’re hungry.

“I said no,” I whispered, looking away.

A man in a construction jacket stood by the machine, counting coins.

The smell of fresh bread drifted from a nearby store, and my stomach cramped violently. I had never been truly hungry before; the Holloway estate had chefs and endless food. Now, I was wondering if stealing a stranger’s breakfast would keep me alive.

Before I could move, a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

“You’ve been wandering this station for half an hour,” a security officer frowned at me. “Who are you waiting for?”

“No one.”

“Where’s your luggage?”

“It… it was stolen.”

His eyes narrowed. “Ticket? Identification?”

“I lost them.”

He folded his arms. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen.”

“Where are your parents?”

The question caught me completely off guard. “I don’t have parents.”

“So you’re a runaway,” he decided.

“No, I’m not.”

“Come with me.” He reached for my arm. I stepped back instinctively.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“You can explain inside.”

“I was robbed!”

His patience ran out. “Move.”

He grabbed my wrist, and pain shot through my arm. “Please, I just need help!”

“I said move.”

Panic flooded my chest. I twisted violently, trying to break free. The guard didn’t budge.

“Let go!”

People watched, but no one helped. Remembering a self-defense video, I drove my elbow back into his ribs. It was a weak hit. He didn’t even flinch, but his grip tightened.

“Now you’re resisting.”

Run! Ciel screamed.

I tore my arm free and sprinted across the platform. Cold concrete tore at my bare feet, and my lungs burned.

“There! Stop her!”

I barely got a few meters before two more officers slammed into me. The hit knocked the wind right out of me, and I felt my cheek scrape raw against the grit of the ground.

They yanked my arms behind my back and snapped the cuffs shut.

“No!” I sobbed. “I didn’t steal anything! I was just scared!”

Nobody listened. They hauled me upright while passengers watched with curiosity or annoyance.

As they dragged me toward the security office, a sharp pain exploded in my chest. I gasped. It wasn’t from the fall or the handcuffs.

The pain hit me again, and I just screamed. It wasn’t even because of the guards or the handcuffs. For a second, the station just… disappeared.

Suddenly, I was seeing this black office, a broken fountain pen, and a guy who’d stood up so fast his chair knocked over. He had violet eyes.

His lips moved, and even though I couldn’t actually hear him, I knew what he was saying: “Find her.”

Then the vision was gone, and I hit the floor.

Ciel whispered three words: “He felt us.”