The university's annual festival was in full swing. Stalls lined the quad, bright banners swaying in the autumn breeze, music and laughter mingling in the air. Yu Zhen walked through the crowd, silver hair glinting under the sunlight, feeling the familiar tug in his chest—the pull of the Alpha somewhere nearby.
[SYSTEM ALERT: HIGH-POTENTIAL INTERACTION DETECTED]
[ALPHA PRESENCE: 93%]
[SOUL FRAGMENT 2: PARTIAL ACTIVATION — INCREASING]
[AFFINITY LEVEL: 55/100]
His destination was clear: the music stage, set up outside the main hall, where he would perform. It was a high-pressure event; students from every department would watch, their whispers and speculations sharp as knives. But he had survived palace intrigue—this would be nothing compared to that.
Lian Xuan appeared at the edge of the crowd, effortlessly drawing attention without trying. Golden eyes scanned the festival, finally locking onto Yu Zhen with that same suffocating intensity. Even through the throngs of students, his possessiveness radiated like a living thing.
Yu Zhen's heart stuttered, chest tightening. The faint thread of the soul fragment pulsed stronger now, responding to the Alpha's proximity. He moved toward the stage, every step measured, confident, but acutely aware of the heat that followed him—the unrelenting presence of Lian Xuan behind him.
[ALPHA POSSESSIVENESS: MAXIMUM]
[USER EMOTIONAL STATUS: ALERT]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 2: ACTIVATING]
On stage, Yu Zhen faced the grand piano. The sun glinted off the polished keys, and for a moment, he imagined the Crimson Palace courtyard—the battles, the strategies, the Alpha who had claimed him. The memory fueled him.
Lian Xuan followed, slipping through the crowd with impossible ease, until he stood at the side of the stage, unblinking. His aura radiated command: invisible yet suffocating. No student dared approach Yu Zhen without feeling the prickling heat of Lian Xuan's possessiveness.
Yu Zhen exhaled slowly and began to play. The music flowed, a mixture of delicate melodies and commanding chords. Each note resonated with his soul-thread, responding to the Alpha's presence. Lian Xuan's gaze never wavered; golden eyes absorbing every movement, every subtle shift in Yu Zhen's posture.
Some students tried to get closer, eager to glimpse the prodigy, but instinctively, they paused when they felt the Alpha's presence. Lian Xuan didn't move; he didn't need to. The dominance was absolute.
Yu Zhen's fingers danced over the keys, the music becoming an unspoken conversation between him and Lian Xuan—a dialogue of recognition, claim, and connection. Every note was a thread, weaving their bond stronger, awakening the memory fragment within him.
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 2: 60% COMPLETE]
[AFFINITY LEVEL: 70/100]
[ALPHA-OMEGA SYNC: INCREASING]
As the final note lingered in the autumn air, the crowd erupted in applause. But Yu Zhen barely noticed. His focus was on the Alpha at the side of the stage, whose posture had softened ever so slightly, just enough to hint at approval. Yet the possessiveness remained, simmering beneath the surface, a silent warning to the world: this Omega belonged to him.
Lian Xuan stepped closer, brushing past students without touching Yu Zhen, his golden eyes scanning every face nearby. His voice, low and deliberate, reached only Yu Zhen:
"You are mine. And no one will forget it."
Yu Zhen's lips curved into a faint smile. The bond pulsed stronger now, the soul-thread vibrating with newfound intensity. Across worlds, across lifetimes, it seemed nothing could sever the connection.
After the festival, as the crowd dispersed, Lian Xuan finally approached Yu Zhen, close enough that the faintest warmth brushed against him. The System chimed softly:
[ALERT: SOUL FRAGMENT 2 — NEAR COMPLETION] [AFFINITY LEVEL: 80/100] [PROTECTIVE SYNC: MAXIMUM]
"Next time," Lian Xuan murmured, voice low, possessive, "don't make me wait through the crowd. I want you… only you."
Yu Zhen's pulse quickened. He knew instinctively that the Alpha was not joking. Possessiveness, protection, claim—it was all there, a constant reminder that their bond was alive, growing stronger with every encounter.
He nodded, calm yet aware of the electricity between them. "I'll remember," he replied softly.
And with that, the festival faded around them, leaving only the two of them—a golden-eyed Alpha and a silver-haired Omega—threads of fate entwined across worlds, growing ever stronger.