Elias's POV:
The hall of the Vale estate gleamed like a frozen cathedral. Chandeliers hung like frozen stars, their light scattering across polished marble floors. Candles flickered in crystal sconces, illuminating gilded walls, red carpets, and nobles in ceremonial attire that glittered with gold and silver embroidery. Elias Han felt utterly out of place.
He stood at the far end of the hall, back rigid, hands folded neatly in front of him. His plain gray servant's uniform, modest and unadorned, marked him as less than the rest, an Omega among a sea of Alphas and Betas who towered over him, their postures impeccable, their gazes sharp and calculating. A subtle scent of cedar, musk, and perfume mingled in the air—a rich tapestry that both entranced and sickened him. He swallowed hard, forcing down the fluttering panic in his chest.
"Stay still, Elias," he whispered to himself. His own voice sounded foreign in the cavernous room, soft and timid. He'd been trained in humility all his life, but tonight, even that training felt insufficient.
The servants glided past him, offering silver platters with fruits, wine, and morsels of spiced meats. One tray caught his attention: a goblet of deep crimson wine, its surface reflecting the chandelier above like a blood-red moon. The cup was placed before him with such ceremony that Elias froze, hands trembling. He had learned to distrust attention. Too often, it was a precursor to humiliation, scorn, or worse.
A sharp breeze of musk rolled past him, followed by the faint scent of something darker, something that made his heart hammer. He didn't know why, only that the instinct in his chest screamed a warning. He glanced up. There, standing near the dais, was Ronan Vale.
Ronan's presence was magnetic and oppressive. Every inch of his tall, broad frame, the disciplined set of his shoulders, the gleam in his storm-gray eyes—it all screamed Alpha dominance. Elias had known Ronan all his life, from whispered scoldings in the hallways to cold glances across the estate gardens. He had always feared and respected him in equal measure.
Tonight, though, something new stirred. The air seemed to thicken, pressing down on Elias as Ronan's gaze slid toward him, almost imperceptibly. A primal pull rippled beneath his ribs, something instinctive, undeniable, that made his knees weaken.
But Elias was trained to suppress it. Suppress the instincts, suppress the scent, suppress the heat that might betray him. It was what had kept him alive until now.
Yet tonight, nothing seemed sufficient.
The goblet of wine trembled slightly in his hand, though he had not touched it yet. A murmur floated through the hall, low enough that Elias could barely hear. He stiffened as the first pangs of nausea crept up, unfamiliar, insidious. A chill ran down his spine.
Something was wrong.
Elias's vision blurred. The edges of the hall wavered like water. The chandeliers stretched and bent, light scattering in fragmented prisms. His body shook despite every effort to stay still. The Omega Ascension System interface had not yet appeared; this was purely instinct, fear clawing at his senses. He staggered slightly, clutching at the edge of the table for support.
Ronan's eyes narrowed. The Alpha's face twisted in confusion, then something darker—a flicker of something he had never allowed himself to feel. Repulsion? Alarm? A rush of dominance threatened to spill over, yet he restrained it.
Elias didn't see the hand that had moved toward the goblet, the subtle shift of a noble's fingers pressing poison into the wine. He only knew his vision darkened, his stomach churned violently, and a cold fire spread through his veins.
"No…" he whispered, though the sound was barely audible, swallowed by the hall's murmurs and clinking silverware.
The poison spread like a creeping frost, each heartbeat magnifying the ache in his chest. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor with a clatter that silenced conversations around him. Gasps erupted, a ripple of alarm threading through the noble assembly.
Ronan's steps were quick, precise, but his expression—so sharply carved from years of pride and training—remained unreadable. As he reached Elias, the Omega's scent slammed into him fully, a tidal wave of warmth and sweetness that defied everything he had been taught to desire. His chest constricted.
The pull was undeniable, primal. His instincts screamed at him to claim the Omega, to protect, to mark. But… disgust. Pride. Anger. Everything fought against the recognition of his mate.
And in a moment of unbearable clarity, Ronan rejected it. He stepped back, drawing the ceremonial sword with practiced ease, not to strike, but as a barrier—between himself and the Omega who now lay dying on the cold marble floor.
Elias's vision narrowed to a pinprick. Every breath burned. Every second stretched into an eternity. His mind clung desperately to fragments of memory, fragments of life lived fully elsewhere, life that had ended far too soon.
Not now. Not here. I cannot die…
A silvery light fractured his vision. A voice, ancient and melodic, threaded through the chaos.
"Do not fear, Elias Han."
The hall seemed to tilt, the walls stretching into infinite darkness. Chandeliers became moons, the polished floors rippled like water, and a figure cloaked in light descended from above. Moonlight wrapped around her like a living garment.
"I am Luna," the voice said, reverberating both in his ears and within his mind. "Your time is not yet over. Pain will not claim you. Death will not bind you."
Elias tried to speak, to plead, but his voice was weak, the poison singing through his veins with icy cruelty.
"You have been chosen," Luna continued, her form shifting and shimmering, impossibly vast, impossibly close. "The Omega Ascension System awakens within you. Your path will not be simple. It will not be gentle. But it is yours."
A warmth blossomed at the center of his forehead. Elias cried out, half in pain, half in awe, as a sigil carved itself into his skin. Numbers, bars, and glowing icons flashed in the void around him—his interface, alive and pulsing with potential.
"Your bond with the Alphas will change fate," Luna whispered. "Three threads are woven for you, Elias. Trust in yourself, not in those who falter before their own instincts."
Elias's consciousness faded, the hall dissolving into darkness. And yet, he felt… power. Control. Knowledge. A way forward that had never existed before.
When he awoke, it was to cold marble beneath him, whispers of noble panic echoing in the hall. The goblet was shattered, the wine spilt, but Elias… he was whole. His eyes fluttered open, the interface of the Omega Ascension System hovering faintly before him. He could see his stats, his potential, his path. And most importantly, he could see the threads connecting him to others—threads invisible to the human eye but luminous in the mind of the Ascended Omega.
Ronan was gone, leaving only the ghost of the Alpha's rejection in the air. And Elias, trembling, knew the first lesson of his rebirth: power without control was nothing, and survival alone was never enough.
A shadow flickered in the corner of the hall. Lucien Hale, poised and unreadable, watched. His eyes held questions Elias could not yet answer. Another, hidden further in the crowd, observed silently—a third Alpha, mysterious, patient, his intent unreadable.
Luna's final words echoed in the recesses of Elias's mind:
"Three threads, Elias. You will not walk alone. But they will test every part of your soul."
And as the hall's chaos swirled around him, Elias Han took his first step as the Ascended Omega, no longer the timid servant, no longer the frightened boy who had once prayed for mercy. His heart pounded, not in fear, but in determination.
The Ascension had begun.
The world spun, collapsing in on itself, the edges of the Vale estate melting into an impossible darkness. Elias's body felt weightless, yet every nerve screamed as if stretched taut. His mind, sharpened by decades of memories, whirled faster than his racing heartbeat. Faces, names, regrets, all of them—folded into a single moment of awakening.
And then: silence.
Elias opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. The morning light fell softly across his childhood room—subtle, golden, unremarkable. A fan turned lazily above, humming. Books stacked unevenly on shelves. The scent of old pages, and—he realized with a gasp—no sign of the Vale estate, no noble masks, no poisoned wine.
He was back.
Every memory, every moment of humiliation, every death, every lesson burned vividly in his mind. The poison, the rejection, the hall's freezing grandeur—they were all past. And yet, he remembered everything. He was eighteen again. His body had reset, but his mind remained the man who had lived thirty-eight years.
A soft glow filled the room. Elias squinted, and there she was: Luna, radiant as ever, her silver robes flowing like liquid moonlight, eyes like twin moons burning with serene authority.
"You have returned," she said, voice threading through the quiet like a living melody. "Your time is your own to reclaim. You carry your memories, your pain, your victories. And you will act differently this time."
Elias swallowed hard. "I… I remember everything," he whispered, his voice trembling. "The poison. Ronan. Everything."
"Yes," Luna confirmed. "And now, you have the choice. The Omega Ascension System is yours to wield, your bonds to forge. The first bond will be yours to claim—and it will reshape the course of the future. But be mindful: one Omega. Three threads. You will be tested by desire, by loyalty, and by destiny itself."
Before Elias could respond, a silver sigil appeared on his forehead—the same luminous mark that had first burned when the poison coursed through his veins. He could feel it pulsing, alive, and the interface of the Omega Ascension System shimmered in the air before him. Stats, skills, bars, and threads radiated in his mind: strength, endurance, empathy, influence, survival. And then—three faint, glowing threads stretching into the void. One closer than the others. One far, hidden in shadow. One in between.
Elias gasped. He could see the Alphas destined for him.
And instinctively, his heart skipped. One thread burned brighter, closer, impossibly warm. The scent of cedar and iron pressed into his consciousness—Ronan Vale.
The pull was immediate. A deep, physical tug in his chest, in his stomach, in his bones. His body shivered in anticipation and memory. He remembered Ronan's rejection, the bitter taste of refusal when he had most needed protection. And yet… instinctively, impossibly, the bond called to him.
Luna's voice intervened, calm and commanding:
"Do not fear the pull, Elias. The bond may awaken before choice, but you are the Ascended Omega. You will guide it. You will claim it. You are stronger than your fears."
Elias's chest heaved. Memories of fear, of servitude, of death, collided with the raw, visceral sensation of his Omega nature asserting itself. He could feel the heat rising within him—not just from the bond with Ronan, but from the threads he had not yet explored. The second and third Alphas, veiled in shadow, stirred beneath the surface of his perception.
He drew a deep, steadying breath, focusing on Ronan's thread first. He could sense it, feel its hesitation, its pride, its suppressed desire. Ronan had rejected him once—out of disgust, out of fear, out of pride—but the thread pulsed insistently, demanding recognition, testing boundaries.
Elias's hand rose, trembling. He touched the sigil on his forehead, and the interface responded instantly:
[Mate Bond: Pending]
[Thread Detected: Alpha – Ronan Vale | Distance: 10m | Affinity: 93%]
The system's words felt like a lifeline. It was not fate anymore—it was choice backed by power. Elias's pulse synchronized with the thread. The warmth surged, spreading to every extremity, igniting the quiet courage that had been buried deep in his past self.
"Now," he whispered, almost to himself. "Now I choose."
The first thread flared brilliantly, connecting him to Ronan in a blaze of silver and crimson. Instinct shattered Ronan's reserve, breaking through the wall of pride and disbelief. From across the city, Ronan's eyes went wide. His breath caught as the invisible tug of the bond slashed through his senses, relentless and intimate.
Ronan's steps faltered. The Alpha's mind reeled with instinctual recognition, the scent, the pull—the Omega who had always been meant for him. Yet pride and fear still fought in him, and for a heartbeat, he wavered. Elias felt the hesitancy, the pushback, the unresolved tension of years of servitude and rejection.
But the system pulsed within him, strong and unyielding, guiding him, giving him clarity:
[Bond Initiation: Ronan Vale – 100%]
[Bond Effects: Emotional synchronization, pheromone resonance, partial instinct override]
Elias exhaled and stepped toward the threshold of the bond. His mind cleared of hesitation. He would not be rejected this time. His hands rose as if reaching through the veil of time and past pain, and the threads—all three of them—responded.
A low growl vibrated in the air. Elias did not look; he felt it. The second thread pulsed—the mysterious Alpha, far off, veiled in shadow but undeniably powerful. The third thread followed, steady, patient. They were not yet revealed, but the interface displayed their potential.
[Mate Threads Detected: 2 additional Alphas – Status: Dormant | Affinity: 87%, 80%]
Elias understood instinctively: he was to bond with three. Ronan first. The others… in time.
He let the energy flow through him. The warmth of Ronan's thread, the first to be claimed, mingled with his own rising heat. A deep, magnetic force tugged at him, and with it, he felt a surge of authority, power, and clarity that had been impossible in his previous life.
The moment broke when a soft knock echoed in his chamber. A small note slipped beneath the door. Elias, still trembling, picked it up. The words were simple, elegant, and precise:
"The past is gone. The present is yours. Choose wisely."
Luna's presence faded into a gentle shimmer, leaving only the rising light of the sun in his room. Elias's mind raced. He had a second chance. He had three threads, and the first—the one most impossible, most dangerous—was finally his to claim.
The Omega Ascension had begun. And this time, he would not fail.
Ronan Vale would learn—too late, perhaps, or perhaps not—that rejection was impossible. That pride could not overcome destiny. That the Omega who had once begged, prayed, and faltered would now rise, armed not with fear, but with memory, power, and choice.
The first step of his rebirth was taken. The threads awaited, each Alpha a storm of desire, challenge, and destiny. And Elias Han—timid survivor, reluctant strategist, Ascended Omega—would walk boldly into a future he had once only dared to dream of.
Elias felt the room shift around him, though nothing had physically changed. The light from the moon through the tall Vale estate windows glinted off the polished marble floors, reflecting in shards like stars scattered across the ground. But what Elias noticed most was the pulse of the bond, threading through the air, invisible yet undeniable. It wrapped around him, and every heartbeat resonated with the pull of Ronan Vale, insisting that nothing—not fear, not pride, not hesitation—could break it.
The Omega Ascension System flickered, projecting a detailed readout of Ronan's current emotional and physical state:
[Ronan Vale – Bond Status: 65% Resisting / 35% Accepting]
[Physiological Response: Accelerated heartbeat, pheromone release high, minor tremors]
Elias's breath caught. He could sense Ronan's conflict radiating like heat from a forge. Pride versus instinct. Alpha dominance versus inevitable connection. And somewhere beneath all that, a raw, unfiltered desire that mirrored his own rising anticipation.
The interface pulsed again:
[Skill Opportunity – Bond Stabilization: Initiate?]
Elias's fingers hovered, unsure. The system allowed him to act in subtle ways—he could reinforce Ronan's acceptance, amplify the bond's pull, or even temper the intensity to avoid overwhelming him. He had survived his past life by learning patience. Here, the choice was the same.
Gently, he focused, imagining the bond as a bridge of silver light connecting his mind and heart to Ronan's. Slowly, carefully, he extended the connection, letting Ronan feel safety and clarity rather than coercion. The system registered his action instantly:
[Bond Stabilization Successful – Emotional Synchronization +15%, Alpha resistance lowered]
A low growl rumbled in Ronan's chest—half frustration, half acknowledgment. Elias could feel it resonate against his own pulse. His lips curved in a small, almost imperceptible smile. He had not forced the Alpha. He had guided him.
The room was quiet except for the soft ticking of the clock and the sound of their synchronized breathing, each inhalation and exhalation a silent negotiation. Elias could feel the shadows of the other latent threads—the hidden Alphas waiting, patient, calculating. One flickered like a distant storm on the horizon, tense with curiosity and barely contained dominance. The other shimmered faintly, almost like a predator observing its prey with measured interest. Both would come. Both would test him. But for now, Ronan's presence was immediate, undeniable, and urgent.
Elias's gaze drifted toward the balcony doors, where moonlight painted the stone in silver hues. He could almost feel the goddess Luna watching, her blessing lingering in the faint warmth on his skin, whispering through the interface: "This is your moment. Do not squander it."
He allowed himself a brief exhale, a grounding gesture. Every instinct, every memory, every ounce of knowledge from his previous life told him to wait, observe, and act with precision. But for the first time, he felt a thrill that had nothing to do with fear. He felt power. Clarity. Choice.
The bond thread pulsed brighter, and Ronan's voice—a low, rough whisper that barely escaped his lips—broke the silence.
"You… you're mine, aren't you?"
Elias's pulse quickened. The interface highlighted Ronan's emotional spike:
[Alpha Confession Detected – Emotional Synchronization +40%]
"Yes," Elias replied softly, letting the word carry the weight of his memories, his survival, and his new strength. "But not just yours. Not yet. You have to earn it."
Ronan's brows furrowed, chest heaving. Elias could feel the tremor of suppressed frustration—the pride that wanted to deny, the instinct that wanted to claim, and the confusion that came from feeling more than he should. The system highlighted the complex interplay of their emotions, tagging it as a unique scenario:
[Scenario: Mate Bond Conflict – High Complexity]
Elias turned his attention inward, examining his own rising adrenaline, the pheromone resonance, the subtle pull in his chest. This was different from the faint, naive attraction he had experienced in his past life. This was raw. Immediate. Instinctual. Strategic. And it was only the beginning.
A soft chime alerted him to another system update:
[Skill Unlocked – Alpha Insight: Level 1]
This allowed Elias to perceive the Alpha's emotional state beyond simple instincts—to read hesitation, fear, desire, and intent as clearly as a map. Ronan's chest tightened, jaw clenched, eyes glimmering with conflicted dominance. Elias traced the invisible threads, noting where his influence could stabilize, where he could guide, and where he needed to retreat.
He was no longer a timid Omega. He was a strategist, a survivor, an Ascended Omega capable of shaping the flow of Alpha desire rather than being crushed beneath it. And yet… the threads of the other Alphas shimmered faintly in the distance, reminding him that this was only the first step of a much larger game.
Elias straightened his spine and whispered a silent vow, barely audible over the moonlight:
"I will survive. I will choose. I will claim my life… and my bonds."
The silver glow of the system flared once more, bathing him in the light of possibilities. Outside, the Vale estate slept under a blanket of stars, unaware that within its walls, the tides of destiny had begun to shift—and that the timid Omega who had once fled life and death was now fully awake.
And as the first threads of future challenges stirred, Elias felt a thrill ripple through him. He was ready. The world would soon understand the Omega Ascension System, and more importantly, the Omega who refused to be weak.
Elias's fingers flexed as the light from the system danced across his vision, each flicker a reminder that he was no longer passive. The Omega Ascension System was not merely a tool; it was a lens, a second sense that allowed him to perceive danger, loyalty, and desire intertwined in ways his previous life could never have imagined. The subtle twinge in Ronan's pulse, the faint quiver in his stance, even the almost imperceptible sway of his shoulders—all spoke volumes. Elias could read it as clearly as if the Alpha had spoken aloud.
His breath came in measured rhythm, yet the rapid thrum of excitement under his ribs betrayed him. The bond was alive, quivering like a wire stretched taut between two hearts, one reluctant, one desperate to survive. The air itself seemed charged, the silver glow of moonlight mingling with the shimmer of the system as it mapped every heartbeat, every chemical response. Elias had never imagined such precision—the chance to literally feel another's inner struggle while maintaining his own control.
And control was everything now. The memories of his previous life, the fear of betrayal, the sting of humiliation—each flickered at the edge of his mind, a warning of what had come before. He could not afford to fail, not this time. Not with Ronan Vale, whose dominance and arrogance could either crush him or protect him, depending on the choices he made in these delicate first moments.
The threads of the other Alphas tugged faintly at the edges of his perception. Their presence was almost imperceptible, a subtle vibration that whispered of power, precision, and patience. One shimmered coolly, calculating, as though measuring Elias's responses and predicting outcomes before they happened. The other pulsed faintly with raw instinct, waiting for the right moment to step forward, to assert its claim. Both would be drawn into the bond eventually, Elias knew, but for now, he needed to stabilize what he had already ignited.
A quiet exhale escaped him as he raised his head to meet Ronan's gaze. The Alpha's amber eyes, darkened with conflict and burning desire, seemed almost to sear through the tension. A low growl, half frustration and half longing, vibrated through the room. Elias sensed every microflinch of resistance, every heartbeat of need, and he realized that this moment—this silent, suspended negotiation—was the true test of the bond.
"Do you feel it?" Elias whispered softly, almost to himself, almost to the system. "The thread… the connection?"
Ronan's eyes narrowed, but the response came as a subtle pulse against Elias's chest, a tactile acknowledgement that no words could convey. The system highlighted the alignment:
[Bond Alignment: 70% Stabilized – Emotional Synchronization +25%]
It was progress, yet Elias could feel the lingering resistance. Pride, habit, the weight of centuries of noble expectation—all clung to Ronan like armor, shielding him from fully surrendering to the pull. Elias understood the delicacy required; one misstep could fracture the bond entirely.
He allowed himself a fraction of a smile, tempered with caution. He was no longer the timid boy who had once served quietly in shadows, fearful of reprisal. The Omega Ascension System had awakened more than skills—it had awakened the will to assert, to survive, and to command the flow of fate itself.
Outside, the moon rose higher, casting long silver streaks across the Vale estate. Within, the room remained suspended in the quiet hum of anticipation, the bond stretching taut between two hearts, one struggling, one guiding, both irrevocably changed. Elias whispered another silent vow, steadying his resolve:
"I will survive. I will command my destiny. I will choose my mates, and I will not falter."
The system pulsed warmly, as if affirming his determination. Outside, the first hints of dawn painted the horizon in muted gold, a quiet herald of trials yet to come. Elias Han, the Omega reborn with memories, skills, and the blessing of the Moon Goddess, had taken the first true step into a world where nothing would ever be the same. And though Ronan's resistance still lingered, Elias knew—with absolute certainty—that he had already changed the course of fate.