"Eun-Seong what did you do to her?" Eun-Ji cackles. The laugher raw and teasing. "Ah-Reum must have gotten tired of playing the Alpha after all these years."
"I…" Eun-Seong frowns. "Damn."
Eun-Seong's eyes dart all around.
Surely, everyone is looking at him. Like it is his fault once again.
Her being bullied wasn't his fault, her exes weren't his fault. His family wanting to kill hers wasn't his fault either.
Yet the faces all felt he was responsible.
These are the hands that have and will destroy others, that will lead misfortune your way by association.
Eun-Seong fiddles uselessly with his hands.
"I…"
Eun-Seong shakes his head and puts some distance between him and his elder sister.
Eun-Ji smiles at this.
"The golden child loses everything." She grins looking around the room excitably showcasing him with a hand gesture. "Boyfriend, betrothal, pride, our family's trust, friend, and now your girlfriend." She snorts.
"And here I thought that I was the only family disappointment. The only scapegoat so that you learn how to keep your place. Someone to feel like you are better than someone. Oh my god, this is just so refreshing to see you in the dumps." Eun-Ji smirks.
"I didn't know you were so engrossed in seeing people suffer." Eun-Seong says hoarsely.
He stares in Eun-Ji's general direction, but his gaze unfocused the background framing her body and blurring her out.
"Same could be said about yourself. You don't know what it is even like to not even be wanted by your family to not be useful or loved. You were born male, you never had to suffer as much as me because you were."
"I just did what I was told. Is that so wrong?" Eun-Seong frowns, his eyes gloss over with the glistening of tears.
"You want to know something Eun-Seong?" Eun-Ji chirps asking excitedly.
Her gaze darkens the shimmer of glee in her eyes masked over by the tepid frown that flows over her expression. Wiping away all warmth from her voice leaving it sickly, cold and oily.
"You don't know how to defend someone, and if you do, you only do it for yourself. You are so selfish that you could rival me. At least I have a reason for living and doing things only for my own interest."
Nervousness and aggression fill the halls pheromones are layered in thickness, so thick that the stagnant air could be cut with a knife.
The silence stops when two pairs of footsteps approach the group but the atmosphere— so dense and thick with angst— defined each step with a booming reverberation.
"You should shut the hell up." Minhyun rolls his eyes before folding his arms. "I knew you were a problem since the beginning. Women. Tch."
"Ignore him, but he is right, you are doing too much." Dohyun sighs dragging his twin to his side.
Eun-Seong's eyes widen.
"Look, I think he gets it." Eun-Ji claps sarcastically.
In primary school. He let them talk bad about Ah-Reum. He never fully tried to listen to his boyfriend's wants or clarify his feelings. He hasn't taken the steps to understand why Ah-Reum is still so guarded even if they feel close. He wasn't too interested about observing the signs. Blinded by his wants.
Only wanting answers and to be given what he desires without putting in the work.
He was selfish then.
In the end, he really wasn't as good as he thought he was.
Just another painful rendition of his elder sister. Modeled to fit the mold, but the filling material wasn't made properly and can only be a shell of what the inside is supposed to be.
Being raised to fit in with what age good omega should be, pretty, desiring an alpha, being submissive and talented to marry into a good family to bring his family honor and aid his family's influence.
But inside he is hollow. Not caring, not expressive and not defensive. All traits which are the opposite of an alpha's offensiveness, stoicism, and power.
His observational skills be damned.
Alpha's wouldn't know how to raise a sensible omega. Alpha teachers, teachings that sentimentality is a flaw. It wouldn't be wrong to say that society screwed him over from the beginning.
But how could Charlie fit the mold? How could Charlie feel such a need to care and foster. What was he doing right?
None of it made sense to Eun-Seong. But Charlie while this fight was happening most likely snuck off, definitely to find Ah-Reum.
"I can't just let this stay. How could I let myself let you go, Ah-Reum?" He mutters wrapping his arms around himself. "I will not try on purpose to let what others say or feel make my love feel like it has never existed. But in order to fix this I need to say it to your face."
Eun-Seong smiles wide letting out an amused breath.
"It must be so hard to try to fit into a world that wants to work against you. But that is where you are wrong. Hating one another who is doing only slightly better isn't going to fix anything until we fix the underlying issues. But in reality we all make our own lives and those who live by the book get rewarded and those who don't don't. But in this world, you can live by the book all your life, and still no one will reward you. It isn't my fault for being rewarded or accepting what I could get as it never would have hurt you."
"I would say that it is the faults of those giving the rewards and treating it like something we need to fight the winner over. I am not the one who helps rewarding either."
Eun-Seong turns and walks out of the room. Once outside his shoes melt into the sounds of the downpour fluttering over the ground in a rhythmic fashion as if he is running on water like someone spiritually in tune.
The rain is loud.
Collapsing to his knees. He looks up to the sky.
"My socks are wet." Eun-Seong groans pushing his wet bangs out of his eyes.
The rain falls slower.
The brightness of the sun peaks through and shines down light spilling onto his face. Features awash with a gold glow.
Deep brown eyes well up with yellow golden sparkles.
When he blinks in front of him floating ten centimeters into the air is a man with blue crystal colored horns protruding from his head. His dark blue hair tied into a bun under his golden and black silk crown which is held with a tasseled gold pin with the same blue green color of dragons. His golden robes depict white clouds and azure dragons.
Cradled in the elbow of his sleeve sits a large clear orb seemingly made of pearlescent glass twinkles with a warm buttery yellow and highlighting with a stunning cyan.
His face looked like Eun-Seong's but, slightly older, chiseled by time yet timeless. Lacking the roundness of his cheek. The mans features are polished and sharpened like a cut gemstone.
"Something so small carries the weight of my blood." The man stares down at him, eyes searching his face.
"Your family still goes by the last name Kim, right?"
"Yes. Who are you? What do you know about my family?"
"Does it matter?" The mysterious man frowns.
"What are you?" Eun-Seong rephrases.
"What do you think I am? As for who, I am your family's ancestor. Does all your kind do is ask foolish questions?" Annoyance flashes on his face as he turns around to face the sun, arms folded as his tail swishes under his clothes.
As the sky grows darker with clouds the sun does not fade.
"The Tiger has perfected his lineage, so will I." Pivoting, the man grasps Eun-Seong by his shoulder and lifts him up into the air next to him. "You will guide me to it."
"There is much to do." He smirks showing off pearly white fangs.
_____
It took a while to make it to where he needed to go. The soft voice of the man he has met keeps trying to instruct him, yelling and screaming.
"Shut up." He hisses.
The Beta House, once Eun-Seong's prison, now revealed as the secret home of the Seol family while they assess their damages and recuperate their losses.
The home of the Tiger. It was right there in front of him all this time and so brazen that one would not think to assume, and now it is time for a decent confrontation.
Entering through the large doors, the beta's inside stare confused perhaps.
Inside of the building off the side, becomes a new area.
Voices carry down the hall.
"Well, how do we stop them?" A man's voice.
"Wait are we missing someone?" A woman's voice asks, "Someone is coming down the hall. Are we having guests?"
Eerie silence fills the halls. All signs of warmth and residual life is sucked out of the place.
So quiet you can hear a pin drop.
The dinning hall's doors are open, its lights out. The sky has considerably darkened, moonlight embracing the Earth after the sun's hiding when the clouds have finally gone. The moon reflects what has been missed.
And the light shines bright, no matter if it is only a reflection of the original.
"I know you are watching me." He rolls his eyes.
The little voice argues with him once more.
"You don't even know what you are doing? What are you planning to do with this information?"
He chuckles.
"I have been lied to and I don't like that."
"HELLO?! I don't have time for you playing hide and seek. What, you want me to find you? Because I totally can~"
A footstep in the darkness steps into the moonlight.
White hair with two black long tufts at the temple that end at their waist, cat-like, pale, icy blue eyes glare back. The challenger's dusky dark grey tiger stripes appear from out of the darkness a stark contrast from his pale skin tone. White hands with black palms and long cold white nails, that same annoying smile he could see in his dreams.
"Quite annoying you show up everywhere. Surprising enough that you couldn't just leave things alone, Charlie."
"D—"
"No one asked you to go searching for her. Shut the hell up, okay? Touching something that is mine, I might as well destroy every part of you that touched her soft skin."
"There you go again Eun-Seong talking about having something that you threw away. Let me remind you that I was the one picking up the pieces, and when you suddenly decided she isn't actually something you can throw away, you can just run to her and keep her. I may have met her after, but I have been after her for longer."
He smiles.
"I am not here for games. Give her to me."
Charlie blinks bewilderedly.
"What are you going to do with her?"
"Why would I tell you?" He steps over to Charlie. "Are you going to make me tear this entire building down for her? Where is she?"
"You should be careful with yourself." The voice says annoyed.
Charlie keeps silent.
"Is it just me or do you look a little different today?" Charlie suddenly asks.
He flinches before regaining composure.
"Don't try to change the topic. Now—"
"No." Charlie cuts him off. "You aren't Eun-Seong aren't you?"
"Boy~ Aren't you smart?" He purrs.
"Then who are you? Eun-Seong's twin brother that I didn't know about?" Charlie asks as the imposter smiles wider and wider with each word.
"Charlie move away at once!" A red and white haired woman says pulling Charlie away.
"Awe, I almost gutted him, you're no fun." The imposter pouts.
"Well, well, well~ look at what we have here. I am surprised you are still around." Chae-Yin folds her arms her eyes verdant jade colored with gold flecks.
"I never looked into her eyes before."
"Holding on to your last breath? You should have been dead a long time ago. Chae-Yin." He smirks shooing the voice aside.
"Same to you, Cheon-Yong." Chae-Yin growls. "What do you want my descendant for?"
"The plan would be to create a being that will hold the balance between us well."
Chae-Yin snorts.
"Historically both of our kind have been at odds with each other, you're going to have to be more specific."
"Of course. Before bonghwang or well. . . Jujak took its place, the balance was held by dragons and tigers. Tigers representing Yin the dark half and vermillion color and dragons representing Yang and the azure color. The balance of the Heavens and Earth the respective rulers of both. We need each other whether we want to or not." Cheon-Yong licks his lips.
"I don't know what you are getting at." Chae-Yin says bored.
"Of course not, Chae-Yin. You see, when humans appeased me to leave Heaven and help fix their problems. They gave me a woman, very beautiful and tender. We had many children and from there the Kim family regarded me as their greatest elder for over five hundred years. My descendants ushered in the future and the standard became marrying male omegas hoping it would keep them producing alpha sons from two Yang qualities to make sons more often. The chosen heir would hold my power."
"But like all things, change happens. Humans successfully produced ties with other beings and plans to boost allies and each other into powers according to rank to make their own kind of Heaven, but this one is on Earth where they control the humans who don't have ties to lineages. An idea I wholeheartedly rejected. I can see why you didn't want anything to do with them. Same with Jujak going with the betas in rebellion." Cheon-Yong laughs with bitter amusement.
"They locked me away the moment I openly rejected. For one-hundred and four years locked away my power drained and given to my descendants my physical body trapped in Heaven. I swore to curse them for years. It all came to when I made it so that they produced an Omega daughter. They tried again and I had an even funnier joke for them, an Omega son. Only one child for each generation was what I allowed and if I was properly appeased I would give them the Alpha son they wanted."
"They can't produce anymore descendants without my permission. But then again to take the meaning of a contract so lightly, they don't deserve it anyway."
Chae-Yin frowns.
"Are you done talking?" She folds her arms.
"Maybe." Cheon-Yong grins.
Chae-Yin presses her hand against her nose bridge.
"So you want revenge against your descendants, by mixing with your rival?"
"It would be quite funny wouldn't it?"
"No." Chae-Yin says. "Let go of the boy."
"You're no fun. I don't plan on doing so until I get what I want. She will bear my son to destroy the bloodline."
"She is already pregnant."
"What?"
_______
"What you mean to say is that that got her pregnant." Cheon-Yong frowns.
"I don't appreciate you calling my great-grandson in such a tone, but yes, that is the truth."
"I can get rid of it."
"No! Please!" Charlie pleads grabbing his arm. "Don't get rid of it. Let her have my kid."
Cheon-Yong's eyes widen. "You shouldn't have had her in the first place you know that right?"that is what you got wrong. You can't want what should have never been yours. But I can help you."
"You." He turns to Ah-Reum who sits quietly in the corner. "Do you want to keep it to full term?"
"I… I don't know."
He plunges his hand into her belly pulling out a pink orb.
The entire room looks on in astonishment.
"Don't look so horrified, it isn't like I hurt you." Cheon-Yong rolls his eyes.
"You are to bed with me until you are pregnant. I will put this back in once you are. I will respect your wants only once Charlie if you leave my business the fvck alone." The pink orb turns to mist and is sucked into his crystal orb.
"Prepare yourself little tiger." He says looking into her fearful eyes.
________
"Well, well, well. Just like I wanted."
"Is this what Eun-Seong wanted? You use his face." Ah-Reum glares at Cheon-Yong.
He snorts.
"He looks like me. All of the Kims look like me. Eun-Seong is just a very good reflection of me. A reflection that cannot fully capture the original image. You don't know what it is like to be trapped in two places at once. I am just lessening my burden."
He pulls off Ah-Reum's dress the gossamer dress opaque over her uncovered privates.
"You only got what you wanted because you beat the hell out of my great-grandmother with your damn pearl."
"You may be right." He smiles to himself leaning over her pressing her against the bed and pressing himself against her as well.
He kisses her then thrusts into her.
"Perfect." He moans. "Feel that Eun-Seong? I am taking your woman."
"Get off of her!"
The air becomes warm and moist after a few minutes.
"It keeps trying to push me out, but it gets wetter the more it does."
"Just hurry up. We could have done this the other way."
"The other way means no chance of producing a son."
"Why does it matter that it is a son?" Ah-Reum grumbles.
"Only men have the Y chromosome to make sons."
"We don't have to have one."
"I am doing Eun-Seong a favor and stepping up here. He would never have a son with you, he doesn't top." Cheon-Yong smirks thrusting deeper into Ah-Reum.
She screams loudly each outburst fading into excited moan.
"I… I never thought about that." Eun-Seong mutters.
"That isn't the full story is it?" Catching her breath from her ecstasy.
"It isn't, but you aren't in the position to know anyway. Just be receptive." He growls biting her neck listening to her whines.
When he pulls out the room is oddly warm and cold and slightly misty, fluids leaking from her entrance as she lies down on her back in a daze.
"See she enjoys it both ways Eun-Seong. Ever seen that before?"
"I heard of two Alpha's being together, but it never lasts long most of the time because of fighting for dominance. That or the weaker Alpha takes the submissive spot."
"Charlie b!tched out your Alpha. She seems pleased."
"He ruined her." Eun-Seong stares blankly.
"Did he?" Cheon-Yong looks on curiously.
"I wouldn't say that." He smiles. "What kind of Alpha would let an Omega do anything they want? It is a blessing she didn't try to control you. She could have very easily overpowered you and took what she wanted. But she doesn't. She is a better Alpha then any of those a$$holes that claim to be one. Attentive and observant. Protective and can take initiative or be responsive. Strong, beautiful and best of all doesn't act like a wild animal. Rational and tender."
"But she is submissive." Eun-Seong says crossing his arms.
"But you act like you haven't been dominant the entire time." Cheon-Yong says.
Eun-Seong furrows his brow.
"But I haven't—"
"Oh but you have. She followed your whims and responded to your activeness. Typical Yang behavior. Doesn't matter who is on top or bottom."
"So if she is pregnant, then this is your child, she is going to give birth to my ancestor or something of the like?" Eun-Seong says changing the subject.
"I used your genetics to make her pregnant as I am only merely possessing your body. I don't have a body on this Earth anymore."
"Why a son?" Eun-Seong looks at Ah-Reum who sleeps soundly on the bed.
"To take the position of True Pure Yang. The dragon represents Yang, but the tiger can also represent it as well. I let Charlie keep his sprout for that reason as well. His child will be True Pure Yin she will embody the tiger and jujak even more than her mother as Yin is recessive and she has the jujak genes that went dormant in her family which also represent Yin."
"For balance?"
"Yes, balance. I will not say more so don't ask me."
"… —"
"I see your mouth opening. I will ask that you shut it." Cheon-Yong says sitting down on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.
"It didn't take yet. But it will soon." Cheon-Yong says watching lovingly over her. "You should enjoy it. Fatherhood is a different thing than Dadhood."
"How so?" Eun-Seong's spirit sits down next to Cheon-Yong.
"When you are a Father you gave someone else a child. When you are a Dad, you received a child."
"Then I will do my best then." Eun-Seong says his eyes staring feeling warmth enter his chest.
[Season 1 End]