Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The world had always been divided into three wonderful castes, ALPHAS, BETAS and OMEGAS, the triad of the evolution of the primitive world in its greatest splendor.T his had not changed yet when the mysterious doors, portals or whatever you want to call them began to appear, however, there was a strange belief that ONLY or mostly ALPHAS were those who managed to awaken as hunters regardless of rank, except for some betas, It was a stupid belief since there really wasn't much difference in status between the three castes. Absurd favoritism? Obviously, could you blame them? Not really, many hidden Omegas preferred to pass as simple Betas than be harassed for the line of work they proudly carried out.

However, this changed revolutionizing the world suddenly when before the cameras, at the age of twenty-four, due to an oversight not even his own, the recently recognized world-renowned hunter, Sung Jin-Woo, was revealed as an Omega on world TV after having been forced to support the intervention on JeJu Island.

There, in front of the best hunters in the world, in front of hundreds of spectators in the middle of what could be called the largest movement in Asia, Korea's best kept secret had been exposed with a simple tug of clothes.

The jacket that he had carried so suspiciously to the world had fallen, giving a better opportunity to get a good look at the features of Korea's best hunter, the hood had been blown off with a quick movement, allowing the spectators to observe the fine almost feminine features being the boy's beauty, the lack of thick protection had given way to the best image of the body, long but plump legs, slim but curvy torso, a perfect rounded butt stuffed with meat, rising a little more, a firm chest but lacking in muscle like the rest of the body despite the extraordinary strength he possessed, and finally, with the white shirt in tatters, the presence of the tattoo that marked the black-haired man as Omega along with a choker tied around the neck in perfect bluish leather made it more than clear that that superior being was nothing more than an Omega in every sense of the word.

The audience erupted with doubts, praise and scorn.

What would come next?

Chapter Text

That day had simply started like any other, well, we do take into account the almost complete mobilization of Asia in search of stopping something that had caused as many if not more problems than before with the appearance of Kamish.

Sung Jin-Woo woke up comfortably in his room, tangled in the blankets that he knew so well after having fallen prey to Morpheus the night before after having ended up dead with his almost obsessive rounds of cleaning portals now that most high-ranking hunters were far from the country.

He stretched out like a cat, feeling the crunch of his bones after having been in the same position for too long while sleeping, the blankets clinging to his body warmly as he tried in every way to clear himself of the sleep that was still consuming him, lazily he took a seat. , allowing the soft pillows to support him as he fought the remains of his night's relaxing sleep.

From among his shadows, some of his loyal followers sent him good morning greetings through the shared connection, while others like Igris and Tank came out of the shadow that made up the bed where their king rested.

The first, the knight in shining armor with bluish flashes stood like a soldier next to the bed, waiting for orders to help him start the day, while the beast that now maintained a "pocket" size if we consider that it measures Like a bear cub, settled placidly in the arms of his beloved master, trying to convince him to sleep a little more.

Sadly for the bear, Jin-Woo knows his shennanigans, the way he molds himself to his arms with that fur made of shadows with a strange fluffy and filmy texture, as if you touched the dry ice smoke used at parties, He knew those tricks to force him to take breaks when his invocations wanted to pamper him after hard days, as the last week had honestly been.

The black-haired man took his little beast, squeezing the creature in his arms, inhaling the "aroma" of forest and berries that the bears he had caught shared, he relaxed, feeling a pleasant bath of an indecipherable "something" and lost himself for a few seconds. , with his face hidden from the world in his fluffy mane. Satisfied, he turned his face away, receiving an annoyed growl from the beast, as if to imply that he was unhappy that his plan had not worked, obtaining in response a caress on his ears and a sweet kiss on the small, cool nose on his snout. .

Jin-Woo knew perfectly how to dominate each of his shadows, he knew how pampered they could be as they grew with the help of his power and how much they all hoped to be of use to him.

Calmly, he called Iron from his shadow, handing him the bear cub that looked more like a hyper-realistic stuffed animal in the arms of his childish summons, he felt a smile and laughter bubbling in his chest and asked them to go and see if his mother and sister were awake yet. so that they would assist them in whatever way they could.

Both invocations, one more hyperactive than the other, came out and a few seconds later he was alone with Igris in the room. He shifted in bed, noticing that once again someone had taken out his clothes to allow him to sleep more peacefully,

He really should begin to be more grateful and so he did, sending through the line that united them a warm and loving gratitude, in response, Igris' presence was constant and overflowing with happiness contained in a show of service to his lord, something that The black-haired man really didn't swallow as such.

The rest of the bedding was slowly stripped away from the mess it was when he slept, and Igris reached out to help him stand up, not that he needed it, but he understood that it was something his summons liked to do, taking a helpful attitude because "it was their responsibility" to take care of him.

Pure rubbish.

Honestly, he didn't hate it, it was just strange, because the only one who had cared for him like that had left them so long ago that sometimes he almost forgot what he really is and that he needs that care.

Sometimes he forgets how inside he's still a childe.

He returned to reality when he felt Igris mentally asking him to get ready to take a bath while he went out to prepare the bathtub. If there was something that his beloved shadows would never cross, it was the thin line that he had drawn at a certain point with respect to his body. They had rules. Of what they were and were not allowed to do, one of them was to undress him completely, reasons of his that no one needs to know.

He calmly took his time to look for his cell phone and tell Jin-Ho that they would see him later, it was around 8:15 and the raid on the rest of the doors wouldn't be until noon if everything went well.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

During the bath, Jin-Woo couldn't help but wonder if his exclusion from the help for the JeJu Island raid was really the best decision to make.

On one hand, the experience would be wonderful, fruitful and would leave great progress in the constantly growing formation of its shadows, he would obtain more soldiers and perhaps one or another increase from the system if he was in good shape and on the other, he didn't really had any reasons to help or go, although, thanks to the help of President Go Gun-Hee and Woo Jin-Chul, he had been able to keep his person a secret beyond discreetly appearing in some photographs to prove that he was real, He was already paying his request by taking charge of the entire country due to the lack of hunters due to the tremendous movement and last hope, so really if he thought about it, it was more of a waste to go and get involved in the whole disaster, because that was also a disadvantage, He would be trapped among too many proud men and women who wanted to corner him with their gazes, discover his secrets and he was not so sure that he would feel comfortable with that, although, there was no one in the world who would ask to scare him after having risen to such a level. ,He did not leave aside that in his nature there was a disadvantage brought about by his caste, for obvious reasons he declined the offer and well, no one could complain to him, he had enough with the overflowing S class that boast of participating and what did it matter if he was present there? really? Although he was known, no one really knew who he was, no one could point him out and he could fully and fearlessly justify his decisions with "I haven't been an S rank for long, it wouldn't be appropriate to bother"

Was it foolish on his part? Yes, would it help calm the masses if someone complains? Of course he did and he knew that one way or another, the man he saw as a grandfather or father would have everything under control.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

There were relatively few minutes left before the raid that would define whether the island was lost like the world or if a divine light at the end of the tunnel would finally open for them, would begin.

As usual, when big things regarding her brother or the world of doors were presented, her little sister Jin-Ah had turned on the television and was half leaning against her mother while they both anxiously watched what would be live and direct. the events of what would change the entire world.

On the other hand, Jin-Woo didn't really feel interested, although he liked to watch the others while they fought and polished their skills, there was no point in him watching from a television, knowing that at any moment if he felt like it, he could use the shadow exchange and enjoy everything in first person.

From the kitchen, he managed to hear how the order that would start everything was given and he couldn't help but ask whatever god existed in the world that they could return home.

After a few minutes, less than ten, he came out with trays in hand, being helped by Igris who was wearing a flowered apron in lilac and blue tones while he left a tray with lemonade on the center table. Jin-Woo stopped for a moment at the kitchen door and watched his mother, relaxing on the couch, unconsciously patting her sister's hair, and he couldn't help but think about how much this scene reminded him of the past.

Oh... The past.

One so distant and at the same time close that it left a bad taste in his mouth, he couldn't help but think about how much his little sister reminded him of the character of his beloved father, of the fact that she also shared not only that but also something more important, a strong caste and his passionate eyes. His beloved sister had inherited her father's Alpha genes and reminded him so much of him that it pained him to know that even if he didn't want to, he had to bend down seeking her help to keep two unstable omegas without a leader of their little pack, he honestly hated having to do it, being forced to ask his little sister for a little pheromones from time to time to stay sane with so many things happening in this world and now, he had to ask the same for his mother, that although she did not seem to complain, he knew that she felt the same way as him or perhaps worse, because not only had she lost the stability of his other half of the bond, but she had also lost the love of her life for so many years, that he didn't even want to think about how much she suffered and still was.

He snorted discreetly and scolded himself for thinking things he shouldn't, he had had a change and although he now depended a little on his sister's alpha side, he had to accept that she did it because she loved him and above all, now he had extra protection, his invocations strangely seemed to give off the same type of pheromone as an alpha and helped enormously with the ravages of all the weight on his body when taking care of the family, the traumas after having to become strong and the abandonment he felt since the loss of his father, he denied almost violently and instead headed back to the small room of the apartment, he arranged the molds with potatoes, fried foods and some chopped fruits in front of the women and kissed both their foreheads before taking his own place on a small single sofa.

With his attention on the television, he noticed the time on the small stopwatch that was taking the duration of the program. No more than twenty-some minutes had passed, they had been doing well for a while, from what it seemed, they had already managed to clean almost half of the island.

Clueless, the black man took the small bear that had sneaked out of his shadow and had been captured by Igris in his arms again, he ran his long fingers delicately over the smoky fur and relaxed incredibly in the presence of his loved ones, no, beloveds, maybe he should really cancel his plans for today with Jin-Ho.

Sadly, no more than ten more minutes passed and he noticed how everything was going down the drain, the first thing he saw was the dark figure of a being appearing in the camera, how it seemed to move at enormous speeds and then the death of the only healer of the attack group.

Jin-Woo didn't need more to know that they couldn't handle it, he didn't need to feel the stress sent through their shadows spread among the hunters to know that they needed him.

He looked at the image on the screen and then at his mother, he noticed the way her heart was squeezed knowing that her beloved son would go to a war that he cannot avoid fighting, and calmly, he got up from the couch to hand over Tank to his sister, he knelt in front of his mother and like every puppy would do, he put his forehead together with his mother's, now wanting to show that he would be fine, that nothing would happen and she would see him shine like the great star that he is, he would protect them and would return home.

The poor woman had no choice but to accept it, because she knew that her son was not lying, she knew that it was his duty as one of the strongest and because despite all, the child she had raised with so much love could not let something like that happen in the world if he could do something to change it.

Park Kyun-Hye squeezed her boy in a hug, bathing him with her own scent to menacingly superimpose it on his clothes, letting her daughter do the same despite knowing that her boy would not be discovered by the amounts of inhibitors, that he took as well as his treatments, She caressed his face with a determined and less conflictive look and before he left, as if having a horrible premonition, from among the bags of the cream cardigan she was wearing, she took out a small carved wooden box, placed it in his hands and With new feelings involved she spoke.

-My child, this is for you, it was... A special gift that your father and I had planned to give you as soon as you went out into the world, and now is my time to do it instead, if things become known, don't be afraid, You are my wonderful hero despite what the world says and don't be sorry for your second gender, we are more than just that-

With those words, the little box was opened allowing the boy to see a beautiful dark blue leather necklace, almost metallic and of the latest generation. He wanted to ask her where and how his mother had gotten it, but he avoided it, knowing that it was time to leave, he kissed her cheek as he placed the garment that he felt belonged perfectly on his neck, raised his hood and prepared to fight.

-Exchange-

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄──

As soon as he had appeared, he used his daggers to avoid the attack that was aimed directly at him. Everyone's gasps of surprise were present in the room and he was quickly declared a miracle, a last hope for this world.

An exaggeration in his eyes.

He quickly deployed his shadows to take care of the extra bugs, the leftover ants while he took care of the remaining mutation ordering some others to search for the rest of the units.

Behind him he could feel the stunned and grateful looks of each and every one of the hunters present, seeing himself as the object of the camera that reproduced his exploits to the world and here he was grateful for keeping his cover perfect, they did not need to know him, he did not need those looks of worship.

The fight quickly escalated to such a degree that he had to make some adjustments with the remaining points in the system, raising his stats and finally changing things from a complicated brawl to a simple win.

However, he did not count on the fact that the famous S-rank hunter, Cha He-In, would try to warn him of a "surprise" attack by the enemy, causing a momentary stoppage in his system as it had been the command voice used to alert him.

As a result, his movements were clumsy for milliseconds, earning him a diagonal cut from the top of his left shoulder to the hip on the right side and almost centimeters away from getting his brain pierced by the blow of those claws aimed directly at his head, with this, the hood had fallen, The long jacket had been left halfway up his arms, having slipped from his shoulders and allowing the world to see, first of all, finally his face and then his secret.

Before the camera, before the world, a thin line of blood trickled down his abdomen, small threads of blood falling that landed on his black imitation denim pants, outlining below the line of the tattoo that undoubtedly captured the Omega symbol on his skin, such a deep black and outlined with a deep blue gradient line, perfectly placed in an area that for many would be sexy, The pants outlined the pelvis perfectly, revealing the mark on the slightly tanned skin and as if that were not enough, on his neck, the necklace that his mother had just given him, protecting his most sensitive area, seemed to strut. for the shine that the leather bathed in a little sweat from the fight gave off.

Silence fell in the cave, just as it seemed that even the bug had been taken by surprise by its caste, its second gender, and this could not help but cause panic and terrible stress in the now discovered Omega, his body reacted on its own. alone, immediately ordering his shadows to end everything that was a threat and return right there with his king along with the survivors.

The next thing that happens is that the fight comes to an end after having ignored each and every word of the super-developed ant and finally stabs one of his daggers into his chest where the ant's heart should be.

Everything was over and in the blink of an eye his men were back, for the good luck of the world, only two hunters had died, one of them a Japanese that the black-haired man honestly didn't like since the first time he saw him and the poor healer.

Jin-Woo, still a sea of nerves, no longer caring about knowing that everything he does would be seen in the world, shouted an order.

-ARISE!-

And immediately the dead resurfaced from the rubble, the hundreds of piles of ants joined his troops, as well as the one that was special and most advanced, he discarded the "soul" of the queen and between tremors he headed to the "soul" " from the healer who looked at him with anguish as he momentarily felt the intense connection of the shadows.

Jin-Woo pointed at him and in a low voice, nervous on the verge of a breakdown, ordered him.

-Take care of them, don't let even one more die and then rest, disappear because I'm not going to claim your shadow for myself, you don't deserve this fate-

The shadow of that man nodded, happy to obtain a request from his lord.

-As you wish my King-

Unfortunately, by this point Jin-Woo was already too far gone, the pheromones in his body were beginning to explode with multiple strange feelings, anger, fear, panic, terror, sadness, anxiety, everything swirled in the center of his stomach, and when he least thinks about it, he feels it, the fall of his trembling body against the ground, his knees hitting the pavement hard, causing some damage to his physique, small scrapes and the occasional bruise that would go away in a few hours.

Immediately at his side, Igris seeks to calm him down, Tank protects him from the curious looks of the Alphas and Betas among the hunters he has rescued and Iron draws a line of defense for those who want to get closer, unfortunately they are missing Tusk who was left at home taking care of the two women.

The monarch does not respond and Igris knows what is happening, Iron knows what is happening and the hunters assume what has been caused.

The poor hunter, the one who had just freed the world from an incredibly high-ranking threat beyond a single S, was having a fall, a tremendous imbalance in his Omega side because of the horrible situation.

The poor brunette seemed to have finally entered a trance of instinct, his hands went up his neck, caressing the garment that protected his precious neck as he relaxed momentarily, he looked up observing at his side someone that he recognized as safe, his main shadow , that knight who would take care of him tooth and nail, giving his own life.

From his throat a gurgle, more like a high-pitched but silent screech, immediately called out, drawing the attention of the Alphas in that room, but before anyone could approach, dominated by the instinct to protect and provide, the growl of the territorial bear that had returned to almost its original size and the guttural call of Iron had stopped them, taken as threats against the only Omega of the shadow pack.

Everyone stopped, everyone stopped when from between the bear's paws, they watched the body of the Omega in the room being lifted, like a precious something in the knight's arms, looking small compared to the musculature of the armor and the fact that he will shrink in on himself, upset.

With a silent order, Igris commanded the troops to retreat, the priority was his liege, his king and master, although he denied the latter because he loved them.

They all returned to the shadows without question, protecting their master's safety from within. Igris allowed the newly conquered ant to stay, he would help clear the path of the remains of his former people and called with suspicion before Kaisel's curious eyes, the wyvern stood proudly in the shadows of the general who came to command as second in command. if their king was missing and he took the precious cargo on his back, Igris called Iron again and allowed him to be the one who would carry the king, they settled down, Iron with his back to the wind that would blow when flying to create a safe area for his lord, he took him in his arms making sure to provide calming and protective "pheromones" , of belonging, which more than anything were his own essence of shadow that was recognized as such by the connection and before disappearing in search of safety, Igris asked the new one, who did not yet carry a name, to make an announcement to the humans.

The creature, that ant nodded, knowing that it had to obey the hierarchy within the reign of its new master, followed the order and pointed to the humans.

-What has happened here should never have happened and you should die for having brought my lord to such a state, however, I am benevolent and I warn the world itself that the monarch may be faithful to you, but we are only faithful to him , whoever dares to raise his stupid prejudice against my lord will pay, don't do anything stupid-

With that, the wyvern took flight, quickly heading towards the exit of that enormous anthill while shortly behind that ant was in charge of cleaning up the remains of what was once its people.

The world had been shocked that afternoon, the strongest in the world had turned out to be an Omega, the lowest house in terms of the hierarchy and had also proven to be... human as very few believed him, the internet erupted in debates about whether Had it been correct to take an Omega as an S class, one of the strongest or if people simply did not feel ashamed for having made an Omega look so pitiful.

The world that night did not rest from the new topic, the talk of the news and the new attraction of the world of the Hunters.

Chapter Text

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

The world from the beginning has always been chaos, stupid wars, misdirected businesses, corrupt politicians and corrupt people, nothing really new, the disaster itself always created by the mere hand of man, right?Well, no, apparently, there was something new, different and threatening, the people had risen up, not in arms but in strikes, demanding an explanation, an announcement to the world of the truth of what they had witnessed with that raid on JeJu Island, they wanted answers.

And again the world had split into three, first those who supported, those who simply complained about the bad treatment that poor Omega was receiving, defending his privacy to the world, why should he appear before everyone? Wasn't it enough for them to see themselves saved? Hypocrites, what right would they have over him? Why did everyone think he owed them respect? A world of hypocrites

.Then there were the neutral ones, those who simply gave thanks and were uncomfortable talking about the topic too much, they had no need, that boy was human and that was enough.

Finally, the conservatives, those full of hatred for one or two reasons, the rotten part of the world's society called him a prostitute, an ordinary Omega without any measure presenting himself before so many ALPHAS, mere non-human garbage, what did it matter if he was strong and had saved them? Honestly, for all of them, nothing, they demanded that the brat be presented to the world and forced to declare himself an Omega, they wanted to see him prostrate himself as what he was, a humble being and above all, an Omega.

For the world almost in general, the only thing that existed was an Omega. Where was the human side?

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

Go Gun Hee felt exasperation rise in his stomach once again when he saw the new letter that had arrived, the government was beginning to lose patience and strongly threaten him to force him to resolve the disaster as soon as possible.The tense shoulders of his back, the force with which his jaw unconsciously clenched, all of it was too much stress for his already elderly body.

He left the papers on the mahogany table, loosened his always presentable tie a little and stood up, took his coat and went up to the small private elevator in the building, the only one that connected directly to his office and only a few had access to or knew about.Then he waited.Two minutes later, he went down to enter what seemed like a small corridor that spanned the width of the top floor, with the difference that instead of construction, walls of colorful glass and white iron stood blocking the way, as well as a strong restriction.

Magic that would make anyone else tremble.He walked safely a few steps until he crossed the beginning of the colorful glass and white iron construction, entering the threatening thickness of that dangerous magic, he took the handle of the glass door and slowly opened it.

Inside, the hit of magic left him numb for a few seconds, floating in his thoughts as if he had been welcomed to a perfectly safe place meant to protect.

And so it was, but not for him.

Gun Hee closed the door, allowing the sound of some birds inside to fill his heart with calm, the sweet aroma of the flowers relaxed him and mixed with something beyond, which was what he was looking for.

He headed inside, passing a small arch of white and pink flowers after getting lost among some paths surrounded by flowers and beautiful trees that hid the center of the place from the world, he continued without problems, passing the glances of the two shadows that guarded the small entrance , he greeted them calmly, handing them both the things he was carrying.

Satisfied, the shadows of knight soldiers let him pass, inside, in the circle that seemed to be a small clearing, a small room surrounded by even more flowers awaited him, something like a picnic place inspired by England, he took out his shoes because the floor was covered with clovers and some flowers, a few steps and he reached the furniture, a comfortable antique-style sofa carved in wood, like from a princess's room and then a similar table with some desserts and food, another pair of small armchairs and the picnic like place was over.

Right there, the figure of a woman sitting and drinking tea welcomed him, she greeted him politely as she did almost every day, and he sat in front of her.

-Good morning Mrs. Park-

The woman, with loose hair and a calm face, responds immediately after putting down the cup that her trembling hands were holding.

-Good morning, Jin Woo woke up-

The news catches the man's attention and he smiles from the heart, he is happy and the woman knows it, she feels the same and cannot prevent her own pheromones from dancing in the air seeking to send protection and happiness.

The adult man does not stop her, he understands her, but he is aware that his pheromones will not be welcomed in the same way, he is an Alpha and the shadows could take him as a threat.

They stay like that for a few minutes, enjoying the happiness of knowing that the youngest is back.

Gun Hee then gets up, says goodbye to the woman and smiles at her calmly, everything will be fine, they both know it, she lets him go because she trusts him.

If you look a little closer to the center, a "construction" looms in the very center, thin iron ropes holding something covered by thin but dark fabrics.

He ends up arriving a few minutes later, calmly, he moves aside some fabrics, allowing the dim light of the evening to pass through the openings, inside, a spongy bed is hidden from the world, sheltered from curious and ill-intentioned glances behind the doors of that " cage" of crystals in fine colors.

Something inside the ''nest'' stirs, stretches and slowly comes out from under the blankets, removing the fluffy cushions and pushing aside the fabrics.-Good morning -

The older man says happily and almost in a whisper, meeting light violet eyes, a lavender almost dissolved in the fieryness of being still semi-lost in himself, however, it seems that they recognize him, Jin woo smiles and invites him inside.

A slightly tanned hand approaches and asks him to come in, Gun-Hee does so, with slow movements, trained to be precise, he enters the makeshift nest upon being accepted, settles in a corner, not too far away, but not too close to the owner of the place, the hand takes his and a soft purr spreads through the hidden place, Gun-Hee smiles and caresses that hand calmly, with love and care.

It is an intimate moment between a "parent" and his pup, this is what it feels like, this is what it looks like, and it is what it is, nothing more.

Some strips of light still come in, they seem not to bother the youngest and allow us to see him better, he looks calm and although still overwhelmed and lost, it seems that he is returning slowly.

Jin-Woo or really, the Omega in his body, still reacts instinctively, seeking the protection of that warm hand, takes it and moves it to his head, silently asking for caresses and pampering.

Obviously he gets them.

And gurgles like purrs, happy to be caressed, to be pampered and to be able to relax, he needed it, why... did he need it?

He prefers not to think about it, he can't think about it and he doesn't want to think about it.

Gun-Hee smiles, happy to see himself needed and appreciated, he really loves seeing how he is a figure of security for the little boy who he has loved so much, he feels useful and wishes he could keep him hidden from the world for a long time to come, although he knows that he won't. It's not possible.

He stirs a little and that catches the attention of the raven man in the bed, he looks at him with doe eyes waiting for any movement, he is not alert, just curious and expectant, as if wanting something or looking for something.

Gun-Hee notices him and opens his arms, in an instant the raven man is already resting sitting on his lap, he moves a little looking to cover himself in the other's pheromones, wanting to be marked in a paternal way and to be able to feel safe, the shadows move In the darkness of the bed, a silent permission that leaves the man stunned, he hears a deep voice in his ear.

-Do it, you have permission-

He doesn't need more words, something to make clear to him that what he does is not bad, he lets go, he lets himself be done and releases his own aroma, polished wood with orange undertones and a touch of whiskey, perfect, the powerful aroma of an Alpha, security, protection, home.

Jin-Woo immediately relaxes, it's okay, he's home.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

Chapter Text

Notice, updates will be suspended indefinitely until December 22nd, at the momento o don't count with a computer and I have fallen behind with my university work and other things, this doesn't mean I've forgotten about this work, no, on the contrary I'm really mad for not being able to keep writing, it's just that it's hard to work with only my phone , probably by the end of December I will have a new computer, sorry for the inconvenience and thank you very much for being here.

Chapter Text

The next time Jin-Woo opens his eyes, he is lying like a puppy on someone, he is back, still in the clouds from the care necessary after having suffered a fall of such a degree, his lips taste like medicine and water, in his arm the traces of an intravenous give him an idea of what has happened.

He blinks a couple of times, the aroma that surrounds him is familiar, relaxing and the heat of the body next to him gives him the same sensation, a man, an Alpha and it's not scary, it doesn't frighten him or make him uncomfortable, rather. .. He looks for it, he likes it and he needs it.

He takes his sweet time to shake off the desire to sleep a little more and gets up in bed, falls into a sitting position between the blankets, lifting the upper half of his body with his back to what he imagines are the feet of the bed.

He notices his clothes, a pajama that consists of baggy pants and a long shirt about three sizes too loose, the sleeves almost completely cover his hands and even though it is too big, the fabric covers his shoulders and allows his neck to breathe. .

His neck...

He panics, touches his neck and notices that he still has it, the precious necklace gift from his mother is still intact, he feels a rush of security surround him and he relaxes.

A hand strokes his hair, seeking to get his attention, and Jin-Woo obliges.

He turns his gaze slightly and meets dark, wise eyes, a silver tone darkened by the shadows of his comfortable nest.

Jin-Woo smiles relaxed, showing dry but stable lips without tremors or small squeaks of fear.

The older one settles in better, allowing the other to see that he was not a threat, that he was left inside at the request of his Omega instincts and relaxes, his pheromones are light, small doses that only seek to keep him safe.

-Good morning sir-

Gun-Hee tries not to laugh, although his eyes show that he finds the formal greeting ironic after seeing himself in that situation, he avoids the smile that wants to plant on his lips and simply responds with an agreement.

-How do you feel? Does something hurt? -

The black haired one thinks about it, beyond a slight headache and the fatigue of his body after ¨that¨, there is nothing more that hurts.

He denies and settles himself better, unconsciously taking one of the older man's hands while he loses himself for a few minutes in his thoughts, he doesn't remember much, just a battle, giving orders and then... Nothing.

-What happened?-

He feels embarrassed asking like that, not being aware of the last maybe twenty-four hours.

He expects an answer and gets it, clearly and directly, it is the best and he knows it.

-You fainted, you fainted and you lost yourself in instinct, you got here with the help of those soldiers of yours, you were nothing more than an Omega at that moment, you had a fall-

The air gets stuck in his lungs, it hurts and he is calmed by the hand that runs from his back to his chest, followed by another Igris appears from the shadows, taking care of him like a beautiful glass doll and he is grateful because he has no head to make sure he won't panic or fall again if he's left alone.

Igris takes him in his arms and places him closer, he sits him looking small on the knight's lap and relaxes, he feels both presences and both aromas, the woody one of who he sees as a father and the mysterious aroma of battle and grapes of his shadow.

He takes a couple of deep breaths and closes his eyes to calm down, he feels his pheromones free and he gets scared.

Gun-Hee notices this and immediately assures him.

-We had to remove the emergency suppressors and inhibitors, you needed to let it out, it's cute, it fits you perfectly, don't be scared-

Cute, he didn't know if it really was cute, it was a bitter aroma, a mixture of a strange Alpha and Omega aroma, it has always been like that.

Grapes almost on the verge of sweet wine, honeyed with a touch of lemon and mint, it was strange, it made him feel strange.

It was not a sweet and cloying aroma in a good way like that of any other Omega and even less was it an imposing and strong one like that of an Alpha.

It was just a strange mix.

He shakily let out air, feeling the stirring of his lungs fighting to let him breathe slowly.

He nodded at his elder's words, deciding to take it as good and not strange, if he said it, he should believe it, he wouldn't lie to him.

It took him a few more minutes to relax, releasing his body from the stress caused minutes before and everything else, he noticed that he was clean despite everything and looked at his shadow restlessly.

Igris denied trying to calm him down, it was not what he thought, he caught the man's attention and he noticed the concern.

-Your mother was here, she has been taking care of you all this time, if you haven't noticed her it must be because of me, I recently marked you as my puppy, I'm sorry-

The raven man felt surprised, but he denied his displeasure, he was happy and the heat in his chest gave him away.

-Thank you, I really needed it-

The way Gun-Hee smiled at him showed that it was okay, that everything would be okay and he finally felt okay.

In the midst of everything, the growling of his stomach revealed to him that he really was fine now, he supposed that, despite his condition, they had not really been able to force him to eat anything and from the way his arm was, he imagined that several Sometimes they had to change the serums they administered.

A small deep laugh escaped from the older man's hoarse chest and he smiled at him.

-Let's go eat something, everything is ready-

Jin-Woo was taken in Igris' arms while Gun-Hee separated the sheets that hid them, the light outside was bright, it hurt the eyes a little but it wasn't too much, Jin-Woo admired everything he could and couldn't help but choke. What was all that?

To better describe the place, we could call it a glass palace, something similar to a greenhouse, except it was more like a metal cage.

You could easily notice that it used all the space on the top floor of the building, the walls were made of colorful glass, like meaningless mosaics that reflected rainbows wherever the sun touched, the roof was a pair of domes connected in the middle to a smaller one. , which was exactly where they were standing, if you kept looking you would notice that the bed was "suspended" in the air, which was the effect it gave of being so high off the ground with the bed canopy carrying the dark blankets around the bed.

Around, something similar to what people would call a labyrinth was formed, which was really just the walls of roses and plants that fit perfectly, hiding the stone wall, giving an effect of natural privacy surrounding the clearing, under his feet, he noticed the ground soft with the thousands upon hundreds of clovers and flowers on the ground, everything looked wonderful.

On the way to what looked like a picnic table, he noticed outside the maze shelter some trees and other tall plants, the sound of some birds and the distant sound of a running stream, he wondered if he could go out and explore.

And as if he knew their thoughts, as soon as they arrived at the table with appetizers, the oldest answered their questions.

-After you eat something-
The effusive way in which Jin-Woo nodded was like nothing as Igris left him settled on one of the sofas, the spongy texture of the backrest and seat immediately relaxed him and the sensation of the clovers under his feet liberated him, that feeling... Wow.

Gun-Hee took a seat in front of him, pointing to the small sandwiches and other things like fruit and pancakes, he took a cup and poured himself coffee while waiting for the youngest to follow his example.

So he did, Jin-Woo took a plate and served himself some pancakes, meanwhile biting into a piece of cheese sandwich and almost drooling as he felt the creaminess of the melted cheese on his lips and palate.

Almost wanting to moan with pleasure at how good it felt to eat after so long.

He finished serving his plate and looked for something to drink, a jug of orange juice was waiting for him and he took a long glass to serve it, he looked at his masterpiece satisfied.

A slightly deep white plate with baby blue edges, prepared with three pancakes, a portion of chopped fruit, strawberries, banana and raspberry, a little honey spread on all sides and some thin strips of honey, accompanied by the remains of its sandwich and a sweet orange juice.

Amused, he felt proud of his breakfast and began.

The silence was pleasant between them, something necessary, it felt right.

However, in the middle of breakfast, the oldest had no choice but to interrupt him.

-Jin-Woo, son, I need to tell you something-

The way the words sounded harsh sent a shiver down his spine, the gray eyes were molten gold, brilliant, the thing was serious.

He set his plate aside and drank half the juice, wiped his lips and waited.

-The world now knows what you are, your second gender and even though it is not a bad thing, it worries me, this world is cruel, you know, that is why we try so hard to hide something that would cause problems, however, the cat got out from the bag-

Jin-Woo nodded, he remembered well now why he had panicked, why he had ended up falling like that, he silently asked him to continue.

-What follows is not to my liking, the government demands answers and I cannot deny them, as much as I would like you to stay here, you know that there are things that are not in my hands-

-Yes, I understand. What do you need me to do?-

The way he responded was calm, hiding his nerves and the need to run away, scream, cry, and beg the world to leave him alone.

Gun-Hee felt fed up, upset and angry. Why force his little one to go through all this?

He hated everything and he hated the world more for having to let him go.

-I prepared an interview, in three days we will give a conference to the world explaining some things, you can refuse, but then it will be difficult to move forward-

Three days, Jin-Woo had three days to calm down and show the world who he was, three days and he would be free to be himself without being afraid again.

-I will do it, I will give the conference, my only condition is that you be there-

The reaffirming smile that the man gave him was all he needed to know that it would be like this, he would accompany him and be by his side, he no longer had anything to fear.

The rest of the day passed with a small physical and mental checkup inside the safe place.

Now all that was left was to wait.

Chapter Text

Hello! First things first, I wanted to apologize, a lot of things happened and I was absolutely gonna erase everything but I thought better about it, would you want me to continue this series?

I have a lot of ideas and perhaps even gonna write another different story after I'm done with this one and the other one, would you like that?

ALSO!

IM GONNA BE WRITING SMALL ONE-SHOTS AS WARM UPS, SO PLEASE GIVE ME A SCENARIO AND A SHIP OR A CHARACTER!!! LOVE YOU ALLL

Chapter Text

Complaints, drama, drama, and just plain drama everywhere.

Sometimes I wonder if society is really as rotten as it seems simply because things don't go as certain factions expect.

The famous Jin-Woo's simple and confident statement had once again broken the internet, the entire world, and the interview participants themselves worldwide—well, not really everyone.

On set, some murmurs seemed to want to break the silence that had formed; some others seemed satisfied with the answer, and the rest were furious, angry at such an aberration existing in the world.

This was a complete disgrace.

In the center, the kind host, Barbara, ended the interview after noticing the boy's dissatisfaction with all the attention, the murmurs he surely heard as if they were spoken right next to his ears, and the stress of having to publicly come out of the closet he had hidden behind for just and obvious reasons.

With a few words of thanks, the woman closed the interview, saying goodbye to the dark-haired man on camera, then immediately apologized for making him uncomfortable and for the stupid behavior of his coworkers.

"Young Sung, I'm so sorry about this. I know you don't deserve this treatment, and I apologize in advance if my colleagues are being annoying about it. I'm glad you agreed to this talk with me, and I hope we can work together again in a calmer future."

Despite everything, the dark-haired man was calm, unfazed, knowing what awaited him just by openly existing in this cruel world. In the distance, he saw Gun-Hee waiting for him, and that gave him a little more energy to keep going. He felt that concern on her part and was infinitely grateful for it.

Avoiding the appearance of trembling, he reached out with his right hand to shake the presenter's and continued with a grateful bow.

"No, on the contrary, you made the interview enjoyable and the best for me, thank you for everything"

The woman's genuine smile, the way she held his hand in both of her own, and the sense of camaraderie made it clear that they had helped each other through this situation, and she wished him strength for what was to come.

However, far from the bubble of friendship and calm they shared, the few alphas in the production murmured cruelly among themselves about how an OMEGA of his kind could act so familiarly and elegantly in front of them, what right did he have to come face to face with them if he was nothing more than trash that should be weak and submissive.

One murmur in particular broke the silence, a short but hurtful word.

"Freak"

Ah...

The room fell into an eerie silence, everyone staring at the black-haired boy with piercing, deep eyes, most of them disgusted at witnessing an aberration of nature, a strong omega, a freak.

The discomfort was palpable; his lavender eyes shone, glazed with a thin layer of tears he wouldn't let go. Before anyone else could say anything, a deep, guttural growl stopped the world.

From among the crowd, Go Gun-Hee emerged triumphant, strong and with a completely elegant bearing. His gaze was serious, and his pheromones betrayed "DANGER," for he was a troubled Alpha.

Slowly, he made his way to his cub, lovingly taking his hand and giving him a fatherly hug, wrapping both arms around his shoulders to protect him from the world.

In response, with one hand released from Tank's grasp, he clung to him for dear life, wanting to cry from the stress but remaining strong because he had promised his mother and himself that.

Gun-Hee, now calmer, assumed a more rude, threatening pose and, without pointing at anyone, began to speak.

"You were the ones who forced this child to show his face, and now you hide to spout hurtful words? You wanted the truth. Don't give me that nonsense about talking behind people's backs. Be "Alphas" if you boast so much about being one and get hurt over a little creature who hasn't done any wrong."

Silence returned, and only a few had the decency to look away and leave the pair alone. While the rest, angry at being spoiled, preferred to challenge the taller one with their eyes.

Fury boiled inside Gun-Hee. How dare they want to go against him and his cub? He would make them pay, tear off their arms, and then throw them to some orc to eat before his eyes.

While holding their gaze, cold and strong, in that sunny yellow tone that made him so proud, Jin-Woo watched, silently enjoying having someone who cared about him, who gave him the affection he'd sought from his mother so many years ago.

He loved this, feeling protected.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

After that incredible outburst of fatherly display, Jin-Woo was escorted out of the facility with the help of some of his shadows to hide from those waiting outside for interviews and sneaky photographs.

They climbed into an armored van with tinted windows and headed back to the place Jin-Woo had made his permanent home while the whole thing was sorted out.

Gun-Hee sighed in frustration and calmly took Jin-Woo's hand, which was smaller than his own, caressing the palm like a father contemplating his life decisions, before finally squeezing it gently.

"Son... Things are going to get ugly from now on. I apologize for not being able to protect your identity as it should be."

The sincere, honest words, the soft grip on his hand that warmed his heart, and the subtle paternal pheromones that sought to demonstrate all the man's pent-up regret were more than enough to bring him to tears as he vehemently denied it and repeated over and over again that it wasn't his fault.

Jin-Woo knew things would end like this at any moment. He knew things wouldn't always be a bed of roses. He knew he would have to face up to it, and at the very least... At least until now, he was grateful for the help he'd received, for now having a father or a paternal figure he could lean on and feel small, and that he couldn't even hold the world in his hands.

Once again, he refused, and breaking his rules about physical contact, he clung to the neck of the man who smelled of home and protection. Rubbing his cheek against his, he let himself be like a lost child who'd just found his way to his parents in a mall.

The rest of the time in the car was the same, both clinging to each other, seeking comfort and loving care.

Arriving at their destination, the photographers who were waiting were dispatched by the shadows, and with the help of the system, a thick, dark layer, as dark as the night itself, covered the body of the now-famous omega.

Finally, the night would end: a quiet dinner, a bit of entertainment playing with his shadows, and a carefree sleep, just one night, just a little more peace.

Finally!

But it wasn't like that.

At the elevator entrance, on the floor corresponding to Gun-Hee's office, Woo Jin-Chul was waiting with a red envelope with SUNG JIN-WOO's full name emblazoned in gold letters.

An envelope marked with the address of the President of Korea and the country's governing board.

An envelope bearing the worst of the night's news.

Chapter Text

A letter...

A silly letter was what had reached the little omega's hands.

But wait, let's recap a bit.

The night before, an envelope had arrived addressed to Gun-He from the government. It was a simple note that read as follows:

"You've done well, it's our turn."

No one understood a thing, not even Gun-He himself, who read and read that sentence constantly and exasperatedly.

Frustrated, the night continued as normal. Jin-Woo returned to his diamond "cage," as he liked to call it, feeling like one of those fairy tale princesses he used to read to his sister when they were younger.

They then had a pleasant dinner, the weight off everyone's shoulders gradually lifted, and the dark-haired man's chest no longer felt constricted. He had people who accepted him without a doubt; the rest of the world was just that, the rest of the world.

Later, they said their goodbyes, leaving the omega in bed, well covered and with a bit of his now father's pheromones, overcome with exhaustion until the next day.

The next day, things happened in a strange and annoying way.

A strange noise had woken the dark-haired man.

He had lazily gotten out of bed, carefree about life, not feeling anything strange, much less anyone in his new territory.

He came out barefoot, wearing the pajamas he liked: a dark gray T-shirt with warm long sleeves, a crew neck, about two sizes too big, and red plaid pants that trailed slightly, very American pajamas, but comfortable.

He moved his face from side to side, scanning the enormous room to find out what was causing the enormous noise he'd heard. He ended up walking until he found nothing but a simple note on the floor in front of the cage door—a letter, more accurately—and then he thought that clearly someone had tried to enter his little palace and had been immediately rejected. This alarmed him greatly.

Without opening the door, he chose to dial his father's number, hoping he could help because somehow, he felt that if he opened that door himself, he would never see him again.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

Now, in the present.

Jin-Woo held the letter addressed to him, staring at the paper as if it were about to spawn a monster and devour him in less than two seconds.

He sighed slowly, trying to calm the unease in his stomach that threatened to make him throw up last night's dinner out of nerves.

He mentally prepared himself and then opened it.

It was a beautifully handwritten letter, completely odorless.

He began to read.

"Good morning. This letter is formally and officially addressed to the omega and S-Class Hunter, Sung Jin-Woo.

We hereby request your attendance at the conference to be held this afternoon, where we will decide your future for the grave offense you have committed by deceiving your superiors by hiding something as important as your second gender. We kindly ask that you do not attempt to flee, or you will be treated criminally. Your family will be placed under surveillance. If you violate a direct order from the governor, your superior, the Hunter Association is allowed to go against Go Gun-He for the way he handled the matter and the refusals he gave to solutions given by his superiors.

We also request a proper presentation of an omega. We have sent a package to the office. Please wear the attire we provided and be sure not to be late.

Sincerely, The Korean Government Office"

Behind that, two small invitations came in the package, containing the time and place. It was more than obvious they expected Jin-Woo and Gun-Hee to be forced to attend.

And while they were both annoyed by this, Jin-Chul arrived carrying a somewhat strange package. It was like a gift, a box large enough to contain life itself, wrapped in glossy paper of a shifting shade of purple and a satiny black bow.

The package was placed on the table before the three men, and Jin-Chul addressed his superior.

"Sir, I received a letter inviting me to a meeting this afternoon. Just like the package, both are from the government."

Now things were really stressful.

Unanimously, they decided to leave the box for later. First, they needed a good breakfast to regain their sugar levels. It was almost ten in the morning, and they still hadn't eaten anything.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

After breakfast, with clearer minds and less stress, they decided it was time to open that package.

Slowly, Jin-Woo untied the ribbon, pulling out another small note with a heart and no letters.

Inside was a beautiful, slightly low-cut dress. Upon taking it out of the box, it was clear to see the fabric was black suede, perfectly spongy to the touch. Jin-Woo was surprised by this and asked Gun-He to stretch it in the air. It was perfectly visible how it fit Jin-Woo's figure. Not a complete hourglass, but close enough. It seemed to be a full dress, sure, but if you looked closely, a slit revealed her left thigh. Continuing with the box, a lace silk glove complemented the design, followed by a set of butterfly-themed earrings and a necklace.

The earrings were simple, small silver butterflies with tiny strips of stones dangling from them, and the necklace was... Wow, it served the purpose of a projector necklace and was also beautiful. It was ring upon ring all the way to the center of the neck, where a butterfly rested, beautiful and shiny, all lined with small stones and a silver design.

Finally, in the background, white sandals with slightly high heels waited to join the final ensemble.

To say everyone's mouths were open was an understatement. Gun-He was furious, annoyed, and fed up, almost ready to roll the heads of any idiot who dared to look at his cub like that. Jin-Woo was embarrassed, nervous, and confused. Why should she wear a dress? Yes, he knew it was normal for omegas to look cute and flirtatious, but... He didn't want to be one of those, and finally, Jin-Chul was... Amazed, in love, and happy, although deep down, he was upset that he hadn't been the one to give the dark-haired man such a garment.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

Things were calmer now. The day had passed peacefully, with the occasional errand needed to attend the strange conference, such as finding a matching suit for Gun-he and a similar one for Jin-chul, even though this would have bothered Gun-he at the thought of his employee matching his little one.

Finally, the time came, and Jin-woo appeared, showing off the beautiful dress he had been given.

The atmosphere turned sweet then. Between Jin-woo's gaze, his slightly red cheeks, the little natural makeup that made him look ethereal, and Jin-chul's gaze, almost drooling over how handsome the man who had begun to catch his eye looked, everything was a dreamlike bubble, as if they were both teenagers going to a college dance or something silly.

However, the bubble was short-lived, as it was burst by the clearing of the throat of the eldest of the three. He looked at the two, already knowing what they were up to and hoping things would go well between them, despite feeling torn between his alpha side, which was demanding his cub, and his father side, which hoped for the best for his little one.

The time to leave arrived quickly. They grabbed some things and went down to the first floor, where they would be picked up.

During the process, the three received indecent and astonished glances, making the youngest uncomfortable, who sought to hide even more between those two handsome men who made him feel safe.

And finally, there it was: the small limousine that would take them to the meeting.

The nervousness disappeared, giving way to a professional demeanor from the three, and it seemed that, at least on the outside, the old Jin-Woo had returned.

Chapter Text

"Given the unanimous decision to seek a definitive solution to the problem of the lack of S-rank Hunters, as punishment for Hunter Sung Jin-Woo, we declare the Monarch Project initiated as a sanction."

The sound of the jury's gavel slamming made the little dark-haired boy's blood run cold. The incredulous look he shared with his father figure caused a huge queasy feeling in his stomach, and the way everyone seemed pleased with his misfortune, even though he could hear the congratulations of some of the others in the room, made him feel like he was underwater.

How had it come to this?

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

The limousine had arrived calmly, and the three men immediately got in, beginning one of the shortest and longest trips of their lives. It took them no more than thirty minutes of silence to reach the enormous mansion-like building. They got out and immediately noticed more than one acquaintance in sight. Several other high-ranking Hunters were staring at them.

To name a few, the newly recovered Gyoto Ruji, Chae Hae-In, Liu Zhigang, among others, admired the trio as they presented themselves as if nothing had happened.

The looks ranged from curious to intrigued, from perverted to hungry, depending on which of the three men they fixed their gaze on.

And yet, no one approached them, luckily for the dark-haired man, who felt like he was dying of nerves having so many alphas in one place watching him like some kind of free food sample, a precious bird in a vulture's cage.

For better or worse, a man in a suit approached the small group to introduce himself.

"Good afternoon, my name is Ming. On behalf of our president, I welcome you and ask you to follow me this way. We have a special room prepared for you two, for Hunter Jin-Chul. We ask that you follow the rest of the hunters to the meeting room."

With a serious look, he didn't wait for a word from the three and began to take a separate path after entering the building.

Silently, Jin-Woo and Gun-He decided to follow him without objection. They didn't know exactly what was happening or what would happen from now on. They could only be sure that, at least for now, they would be fine together.

Jin-Woo felt protected and Gun-He falsely felt that he was still in control of the situation.

The walk was quite long, passing through several rooms and long hallways alike until they found a curious room. The door was made of a material similar to the iron used for doors. Upon entering, a screen on the right side, almost the size of the wall, awaited them. In front of them, a glass wall faced the wall and was covered with runes. The air emanating from that place felt strange and at the same time similar, almost... as if it were a small version of a door.

The man previously introduced as Ming asked them to make themselves comfortable and wait a few minutes, and they did so while the representative left and the doors closed behind him.

Jin-Woo sat down in front of the glass wall, curiously observing everything around him with his arms crossed. He felt uneasy, and his shadows supported him by releasing some "pheromones" to keep him safe.

On the other hand, Gun-He looked around the room from head to toe, he didn't know why he had the feeling that they had entered the lion's den by their own hand and the runes that surrounded them kept giving him an indecipherable feeling of suffocation.

A few minutes later, the screen lit up, revealing what was considered Korea's governing council, a group of "wise" men and old politicians headed by the current president.

The attention of both men in the room immediately focused on the screen, and if they hadn't been expecting everything, they would have been taken aback by what followed.

The curtains that kept the room dark opened, revealing a congress made up of all the potential S-rank Hunters in the world, along with a few other A-rank Hunters who barely made it to S.

They realized they were in a small "dome" in the middle of what they might call a "stadium."

The cries of the Hunters demanding justice in their respective languages ​​and the confused conversations of some others were all that caught their attention. A few reporters could be seen in the front rows, with cameras pointed directly at them and the congress of representatives in that unfair trial.

Out of nowhere, silence fell, and a man appeared from among the Korean representatives. The president raised both hands, calling for attention, and pulled out a gavel similar to the one used by judges to deliver jury verdicts.

"Silence. This afternoon we are here to begin the trial against the Korean omega, S-rank Hunter, Sung Jin-Woo, for disregarding the Hunter rules after concealing his second gender and causing a stir during the Jeju Island mission."

The words fell like cold water on Jin-Woo's ears as he watched each and every one of the Hunters stare at him with disdain, though some were more curious and pitiful.

However, before he could say a word, a shock coursed through his body from his neck where the beautiful butterfly necklace rested, glittering, revealing a few strands of electricity ignited at the command of some mage watching from the sidelines.

"Now, without further distractions, let us begin the trial."

Slowly, one by one, the reasons why the young dark-haired man was being tried were presented, ranging from lying on official papers and withholding information to contempt of court after hiding and refusing to speak officially with the country's leadership.

Some were absurd accusations, while others were serious but violated the little omega's right to privacy.

Slowly, a list appeared on the screen, giving the boy no right to refuse or explain his reasons for doing such things.

After a few minutes, the list finally stopped growing, and the smiles of the men in the courtroom became apparent as one of them raised his hand to propose a punishment.

"As a member of the jury, I propose that the defendant be punished under the mating law. Given that the victim is over the age of majority and has no known partner, it is stipulated that he must submit to the project to find an alpha to serve."

The shouts of those present were full of complaints and acceptance, however, what stood out most was the uncertainty about whether it was fair to allow only one alpha to obtain a jewel like Sung Jin-Woo.

The gavel was struck three times, silencing the mouths of everyone present and causing absolute silence.

"The jury has made its decision. Given that the defendant, Sung Jin-Woo, is a Rank S Hunter and an Omega, the unanimous decision to create the Monarch Project has been made. From now on, the selected Alphas will be part of a healthy competition to impregnate Omega Sung Jin-Woo. They will be known as the last hope in search of the intention of a new generation of Hunters of ranks never before seen. The session is adjourned."

And Jin-Woo stopped breathing.

Chapter Text

"Can I Kill myself?"

The words left his lips almost immediately as he stared at the white ceiling, his eyes hollow as he rested on a bed that felt icy to the touch. The room smelled new and disinfectant-like, plastic-like, and not at all like home.

Tank was in his arms, the small, fluffy, shadow-furred bear, sad as he tried to let out small purrs to try and somehow keep his master's mind calm. He knew he was on the verge of collapse from the way his almost lavender eyes seemed lifeless, and the dagger that had been pointed at his neck just seconds ago was now guarded in terror by a worried Igris, who couldn't believe his master, his beloved king, was in such a state.

Why?

WHY?

WHY?

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

"The jury has made its decision. Given that the defendant, Sung Jin-Woo, is a Rank S Hunter and an Omega, the unanimous decision to create the Monarch Project has been made. From now on, the selected Alphas will participate in a healthy competition to impregnate Omega Sung Jin-Woo, known as the last hope, in search of the intention of a new generation of Hunters of ranks never before seen. The session is adjourned."

And Jin-Woo stopped breathing.

He gasped for air, and everything had happened too fast. Men armed with strange electric guns entered through the same door he and Gun-He had come through, both aiming not at the Omega, but at the Alpha. Knowing that Jin-Woo was too powerful to be handled, they opted for the next best thing.

"Sung Jin-Woo, step out the door and hand over all your weapons. You will be escorted and directed to the ARK base to begin Project Monarch."

The voice was clear, strong, and from the very man who had guided them. Ming stood in front of them both, arms behind his back as he watched with a disinterested attitude as the omega grew stressed and confused, fearful even as those men pointed those weapons at his... HIS father and demanded his weapons.

From his shadow, Igris seemed to glow with anger, the shadow bubbling strongly as the young Korean's stress and anxiety grew more and more. However, a warning, loud, clear, and demanding, broke the din of trying to come out of the shadows.

"If the S-Class Hunter, Sung Jin-Woo, attempts to attack any part of the committee, his "shadows" or anyone else in his name tru so as well, the use of physical force on those under the hunter's projection will be taken into custody and used as a containment measure."

To clarify, as Igris's shadow began to materialize, an electric shock ran through Jin-Woo's body thanks to the necklace he was wearing and had been forced to wear that matched his dress. Likewise, one of the strange-looking weapons fired at Gun-He. The shock made him fall to his knees and growl like a wounded animal, causing the world to stop. From then on, he only remembers everything in slow motion: their still shadows, Gun-He's shouting in the distance, telling him not to obey, not to worry about him, and at one point, he even thinks he remembers Jin-Chul calling him, but everything is blurry, and it hurts his head to try to remember it all.

At some point, the dress was exchanged for simpler clothes, but made for omegas: black office pants, elegant shoes, a tight-fitting black shirt, and nothing else... The butterfly necklace still around his neck, instead of the beautiful leather collar his mother had given him, his weapons "confiscated" when he'd really only handed over the most basic ones, locked in a strange room in a new place, surrounded by Alphas wanting to mark him.

Yes... He definitely wanted to die.

⫦──༄ ‧₊˚───── ─── ─── ─────°₊ ‧༄ ──⫦

Jin-Woo blinked slowly, his eyes still glued to the white ceiling as the wound that had barely scratched his neck while attempting suicide slowly began to heal.

The air felt heavy, the shadows frightened and afraid of leaving their master alone or without knowing what to do. There was no comforting citrus and woody scent of Go Gun-He, no fresh and harmonious scent of his mother, much less the strong, reliable yet protective scent of his sister. Only the scent of smoke and grapes, the distinctive scent of something protective, but not enough of his shadows around him.

Igris looks dismayed, although he has no face. The armor looks strangely sad, worried, and even upset as he holds the dagger as if trying to make it disappear with his gaze. Tank is still purring, with the small whimpers of a baby bear that try to call Jin-Woo as his caretaker. Tusk is guarding the perimeter, completing a spell barrier inside the room so that no one enters to disturb his beloved king. And finally, Iron, unusually calm and still within the shadows, not wanting to disturb his beloved king with his presence, not now, not knowing that he simply won't be able to do anything to cheer him up with his nonsense and hyperactivity and... Ah... The new one... That super-gifted, interesting-looking ant, the one who has joined their ranks but still doesn't have a name.

"My liege, please... Don't say that."

Of course, he's the one speaking, the only one capable of doing so as he holds a damp handkerchief near Jin-Woo's finally healed neck and wipes the remaining drops of blood from the wound.

"I implore you, my lord, think of us, of the princess, of the queen, of..."

He doesn't finish speaking because Jin-Woo finally stops staring at the ceiling to look at him, his lavender eyes crystalline, a sign that the young monarch is on the verge of tears at the mention of his mother, his sister... his family.

The shadows feel their nonexistent hearts clench at the pained and desolate gaze of their master. They know he can't return home, they know he can't see his people, his pack. And everyone will probably think, Why doesn't he just make a trade?

Oh~ Poor fools, humans can be cruel creatures, especially to their own.

Jin-Woo stifles a sob as he desperately tugs at the precious butterfly necklace around his neck, a reminder that if he steps even one foot off the island he's on, without supervision or permission, his little sister and mother back home, even his new father, will be killed.

It's a cruel reality that burns in his chest, a painful shackle that binds him to stay in that place until whatever happens happens.

The ant stirs sadly, knowing he's the cause of his beloved king's sadness, and lowers his antennae, striking a perfect pose of submission as he speaks.

"My liege, I apologize for reminding you of something so painful. I don't deserve your forgiveness."

But Jin-Woo can't blame him. He knows his shadows would never hurt him for wanting to, and he just laughs in a wet, stifled way as he brings both hands to his face so he can scream and release the stress of the moment.

After the moment, he wipes his face, the tears disappearing as he slowly sits back in a comfortable position, sitting cross-legged on the bed, Tank on his lap, stroking the bear's furry head as he looks back at the ant.

"What's your name? I don't remember you."

And he doesn't. The fight and what happened on Jeju Island are a blur to some extent, beyond the memory of a few things. He knows he called the shadow and knows it's a part of him, but... What's its name again?

"My liege, I don't have a name."

The answer takes him by surprise. A glitch in the system? Possibly a trap card gifted by the system due to the situation he was in at the time. Since when was the system so kind to him? Best not to think about it.

Jin-Woo takes a moment, admiring the ant before nodding and closing his eyes.

"I understand. I'm sorry I didn't give you a name sooner, but from now on, you are Beru. Take your name as a sign that you serve me now and you will be with me no matter what."

The ant... No. Beru, she smiles, her antennae twitching contentedly as she gives a slight bow, hand on her chest, face slightly hidden as she speaks.

"It will be a pleasure to serve you, my liege."

And Jin-Woo finally feels that things don't seem as bad as they really are, one more ally, a shadow to call family, ally, and pack.

But not everything is rosy; by now, we should know that, right?

A knock on the door and Igris already has sword in hand while Beru leans forward to open it. Jin-Chul stands there, his face displeased as he admires the shadows, raising his hands in peace and keeping his distance from the door itself.

"I've come for Jin-Woo."

Ah, that's right, at some point they both started calling each other by name, now is feels ironic about the situation.

"It's... It's necessary for me to meet the other participants... I know they hate him and it's horrible, but..."

He doesn't say anything else; he knows that everyone inside knows the consequences of refusing, of trying to go against the government, the stupid project, and everything that entails.

Jin-Woo doesn't say anything; he's standing and putting on a jacket that Igris managed to steal, or hide, or who knows, at some point.

"Let's go."

It's all that comes out of his lips. He doesn't dare call Jin-Chul anything familiar, not even Hyung. He can't, not when he'd begun to feel something special for him, and now they're forced to play this absurd game where he must be impregnated by any alpha who manages to do so on that damned island.

He passes by his lady without looking him in the eyes, walking slowly but steadily toward the living room of that mansion-like place. He knows that as soon as he crosses the doors into the living room, things will change definitively. Jin-Woo sighs, doesn't look back to where Jin-Chul stares with sadness and anger at not being able to do anything for someone who has feelings for him, and the living room door opens...

Chapter Text

Just got an actual functioning computer, I had to delete my Wattpad account, I set up a few posts before that, I'm gonna be back to posting regularly by the end of the week, I got super sick because I broke up with my boyfriend, I got drenched, ite been cold, I was so overwhelmed I had a panick attack and now the flu thinks it's funny to fuck me up, life is good, please be patient with me, in trying hahaha