The Omega Who Should Not Exist
The morning sun struggled to reach the inner courtyard of the Crimson Palace. Light slid over black stone and red pillars, but the courtyard remained wrapped in its own heavy atmosphere. Servants moved quickly along the walkways, heads bowed, arms full of ceremonial incense, scrolls and trays of tea for the nobles who watched everything.
In the centre of it all, Yu Zhen sat on a low bench.
His back was straight. His hands folded neatly in his lap. His silver hair fell in a smooth curtain past his shoulders, catching what little sunlight broke through and turning it into a soft, cold shine. His features were calm, eyes lowered, and breath steady.
He looked like a porcelain statue placed in the middle of a battlefield.
Inside his mind, the System hummed quietly.
[ALERT][WORLD 1 ACTIVE ABO EMPIRE][USER IDENTITY RARE OMEGA UNCLAIMED][PHEROMONE TIER S CLASS][THREAT LEVEL EXTREME][AFFINITY TARGET LIAN XUAN ALPHA COMMANDER LOCATED NEARBY]
Yu Zhen exhaled slowly.
He knew what this gathering meant. Rare Omegas were not simply admired. They were currency. A rare Omega who could control his scent as well as he could was something even worse.
He was temptation.
He was a prize.
Today the empire would decide whether he lived as a protected consort.
Or as a possession.
The doors of the ceremonial hall opened with a heavy sound that echoed across the courtyard.
Boots clicked against stone. Not light like a courtier. Heavy. Balanced. A warrior's steps.
Every conversation died.
Yu Zhen lifted his gaze.
A man in a black imperial uniform walked into the courtyard. No ornamental cloak, no unnecessary jewellery. Only a crimson sash beneath the dark armour and a single insignia at his collar marked him as much more than a soldier.
The Imperial General.
Lian Xuan.
His hair was black, tied low. His face was sharply cut, jaw firm, and mouth unsmiling. What struck Yu Zhen most were his eyes. Gold. Bright even in shadow. Calm, but with a heat hidden far beneath.
He did not scan the room.
He looked directly at Yu Zhen and did not look away.
Yu Zhen felt it almost before his system spoke.
The air thickened.
His instincts woke.
The scent of an Alpha touched his skin like heat moving under the surface.
[SYSTEM WARNING][ALPHA INSTINCTS ACTIVATED][TARGET LIAN XUAN][INITIAL POSSESSIVENESS HIGH][RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN COMPOSURE; AVOID SHOWING FEAR]
Lian Xuan stopped in front of him.
The world shrank to a single point.
The servants disappeared from his awareness. The watching officers became nothing. Ruby banners, incense smoke, flickering light pillars the palace had carved from stone centuries ago – all slipped away.
There was only the Alpha and the Omega.
"You."
His voice was low and controlled. A simple word, but it hit like a physical touch.
Yu Zhen bowed his head. "Cadet Yu Zhen, General."
Lian Xuan's gaze moved slowly over him. Not vulgar. Not rushed. Analytical, as if confirming that Yu Zhen truly existed and was not some trick of light.
Then the General leaned forward slightly.
Yu Zhen barely had time to breathe before warm air brushed his neck.
Lian Xuan inhaled.
The closeness sent a shock through Yu Zhen's body. Not because of fear, but because every Omega instinct inside him recognised something.
The Alpha's scent was restrained. Clean. Metallic and cedar. Beneath it, there was something older. An echo of battlefield smoke and night air.
And beneath even that, something his mind could not name but his soul did.
Home.
Lian Xuan's lashes lowered.
"…Moonlight."
The word was a murmur, but Yu Zhen heard it.
His throat tightened.
[SYSTEM ALERT][SCENT RESONANCE DETECTED][COMPATIBILITY RATING: NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT][SOUL THREAD WEAK SIGNAL LOCATED][USER SAFETY POTENTIAL OBSESSION RISK EXTREME]
Lian Xuan straightened slowly.
Every officer watched him, afraid to even shift their weight. The Emperor's envoys remained perfectly still. The entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath.
The general's eyes never left Yu Zhen's face.
"You are mine."
No hesitation. No emotion wasted.
Just a fact.
A low ripple moved through the assembly.
Yu Zhen's heart slammed against his ribs. The declaration should have frightened him. It should have made him feel trapped. Instead, something inside him relaxed.
He did not sense cruelty in that claim.
He sensed a wall raised between him and everyone else.
Possessive, yes.
But protective.
His system chimed softly in his mind.
[AFFINITY PATH ESTABLISHED][AFFINITY TARGET LIAN XUAN][INITIAL THREAD CONNECTION ACTIVE][SOUL THREAD STATUS INITIATED]
There was no safe response to such a claim, but safety had never guided Yu Zhen's choices.
He lifted his eyes and answered quietly.
"Yes, General."
The words were soft, but they settled over the courtyard like a seal.
The tension snapped. Whispering exploded among the nobles. Someone hissed an insult and shut their mouth when Lian Xuan's gaze swept once in that direction.
The Emperor's envoys exchanged sharp glances.
Yet none of them dared speak against the General.
From that moment, the Omega who should not exist belonged to the most dangerous Alpha in the empire.
And Yu Zhen knew with a strange, steady certainty. The world, the Emperor, and the noble factions could plot whatever they wished.
So long as Lian Xuan stood between him and them, he would not break.
And quietly, in a place deeper than reason, he promised himself something in return.
He would not let them take Lian Xuan away either.