The music room was quiet except for the faint hum of the air conditioner. Sunlight filtered through tall windows, casting thin golden stripes across the polished floor. Yu Zhen adjusted his backpack, his silver hair glinting in the light, and stepped closer to the grand piano at the center of the room.
He was not alone. Lian Xuan leaned casually against the piano, but every inch of him radiated an alpha presence that made the air feel heavy, suffocating, yet impossible to ignore. Golden eyes lifted to meet his, calm yet impossibly sharp, like sunlight cutting through mist.
[SYSTEM ALERT: ALPHA PRESENCE DETECTED]
[SCENT RESONANCE: 95%]
[SOUL FRAGMENT 2: PARTIAL ACTIVATION]
[ALPHA POSSESSIVENESS: HIGH]
Yu Zhen swallowed, feeling the familiar pulse of instinct—protective, possessive, magnetic. Even in this modern, mundane world, the Alpha's dominance was the same: suffocating, relentless, consuming.
"You're late," Lian Xuan said, voice low, controlled, but with an undercurrent of warning that made Yu Zhen's heart skip. "Do you always test me?"
Yu Zhen raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Or perhaps I'm testing you," he replied softly. The words were casual, but every movement, every glance, measured. He already knew—this Alpha would notice the smallest nuance, read it as instinctively as a predator tracking prey.
Lian Xuan's jaw tightened slightly. He stepped closer, the faintest scrape of his shoe against the floor echoing through the room. "I don't like games," he said, tone sharp, possessive. "Especially not with someone I've claimed."
The words sent a shiver down Yu Zhen's spine. He could feel the raw, instinctive pull in his chest, the way the Alpha's dominance brushed against him like a living thing. It was the same sensation as in the Crimson Palace, yet refined, hidden beneath layers of modern etiquette and subtle power.
Yu Zhen set his fingers lightly on the piano keys, feeling the smooth ivory beneath his touch. The music room became their private world, a silent battlefield where strategy, instinct, and possession intertwined.
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 2: PARTIAL AWAKENING]
[AFFINITY LEVEL: 42/100]
[PROTECTIVE SYNC: 60%]
"Play," Lian Xuan commanded softly, moving to the adjacent bench. "And do not stop until I say. No interruptions. No mistakes."
Yu Zhen blinked, surprised by the intensity, but nodded. His fingers traced the keys, and music filled the room. Each note carried unspoken meaning—power, recognition, and an echo of the thread connecting them across worlds.
Lian Xuan's gaze never wavered. Every student who entered the room, who dared glance toward Yu Zhen, felt the subtle threat radiating from the Alpha. He didn't need to speak; his dominance was absolute.
As the music swelled, Yu Zhen felt a warmth spread through his chest. This was more than instinct—it was a connection. Every note, every pause, resonated with Lian Xuan's presence.
Finally, as the last note lingered in the air, Lian Xuan leaned closer, golden eyes intense. "You are mine," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper, yet every word struck like fire.
Yu Zhen's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. He knew instinctively: in this world, too, the Alpha would claim him. Protect him. Possess him. And he would allow it, not out of fear, but because the bond demanded it.
[SYSTEM ALERT: MEMORY FRAGMENT 2 INCREASING]
[AFFINITY LEVEL: 50/100]
[ALPHA POSSESSIVENESS: MAXIMUM]
The two of them remained like that for a long moment—silent, connected, a subtle world of dominance and calm intelligence, a private battlefield in the midst of a modern university.
Yu Zhen's System whispered a reminder:
[USER TASK: MAINTAIN STEALTH AND OBSERVATION]
[AFFINITY RESONANCE: INCREASING]
[PREDICTIVE ALERT: NEXT SOUL FRAGMENT ACTIVATION LIKELY]
He knew the path ahead would not be simple. Students, social rules, professors—this world had its own dangers. But as long as Lian Xuan was near, as long as the golden gaze watched him, Yu Zhen felt invincible.
Because even in this mundane, modern world, they were not just Alpha and Omega. They were threads of the same soul, destined to find each other across worlds, no matter what stood in their way.