Chapter 13 : Silent Cries

The village of Yuelian was tranquil beneath the moonlight, the river glistening like a line of silver as it wound through the scenery. Cherry blossoms swayed in the gentle night breeze, their light pink petals softly falling to the ground. Meng Yu strolled along the curving path that led to the riverbank, sensing the serene beauty of the night penetrate into his soul. It was a harmonious evening, the type where time seemed to stand still, and the world appeared happy to merely be. He breathed in deeply, absorbing the delicate floral scent of the cherry blossoms mixing with the refreshing night air.

However, as he inhaled again, another scent drew his attention. The air, previously soft and tranquil, now bore a sharp, intoxicating aroma—omega pheromones.

His chest constricted, a wave of warmth coursing through him, and his senses heightened instinctively. The aroma was overwhelming, not his own, but clearly someone else's—a girl's. A surge of panic washed over him, and his heartbeat sped up. The pheromones resonated like a silent cry, filled with agony and dread. His stomach churned at the idea of another omega, someone experiencing the same torment he recognized all too well.

Without a moment's hesitation, he trailed the scent, his feet tripping over the bumpy path as his body moved on its own, lured to the distress he found impossible to overlook. His heart thudded in his chest with urgency. There was a part of him that refused to accept this—he needed to assist her. He had to.

But when he turned the corner near the clearing by the river, the sight that met his eyes paralyzed him.

The girl lay on the ground, her clothes torn and stained, her form curled in a desperate attempt to protect herself from the Alpha towering over her. He was tall, formidable—his noble status evident in his confident demeanor, his presence like a storm. His hand gripped the girl's arm with cruel strength, and she quivered beneath him, her face twisted in pain. Her sobs were soft but filled with sorrow that tugged at Meng Yu's heart.

Meng Yu's breath caught, his chest heavy with the burden of what he was witnessing. He yearned to act, to rush to her aid, but his legs felt like they were made of lead, his body immobilized by the suffocating pheromones saturating the air. This Alpha—a member of the nobility—emanated power and authority. The very atmosphere surrounding him seemed electrified with that power, pressing down on Meng Yu, suffocating him.

The girl's cries resonated in his consciousness, but he remained motionless, his body betraying him, paralyzed by the potency of the pheromones. He was unable to move, unable to take action. The girl's suffering persisted, her pleas unheard, submerged beneath the overwhelming weight of the Alpha's dominance.

The noble Alpha shifted his focus toward Meng Yu, yet it was a momentary glance—barely lasting a second before he directed his gaze back to the girl, his grip intensifying. With a forceful yank, he yanked her roughly to her feet, pulling her away. The girl was powerless, her shoulders sagging under the strain, her expression one of silent agony as she was led away from the clearing.

Meng Yu felt a constriction in his chest, and a surge of hopelessness overwhelmed him. He sensed the girl's absence in the spot where she had fallen, a void that reverberated deeply within him. She was gone, taken, her destiny determined by the Alpha.

A shudder passed through Meng Yu as the realization dawned on him—there was nothing he could do. She had vanished, and he was helpless. He hadn't been able to assist her, just as he couldn't save himself.

The noble Alpha had seized her, and with her, her liberty had been taken away. Meng Yu fell to his knees, the burden of the world crashing onto him. His hands hovered over the ground where she had lain, where the faint traces of her anguish still hung in the atmosphere. He couldn't touch it—couldn't confront the reality of what had just transpired.

His thoughts spiraled out of control. What if she becomes like Lin Xiao? The words slipped from his lips, a whisper in the night air, but the inquiry was heavy, embedding itself deep in his spirit. Lin Xiao. . . his companion, his sacrifice. Meng Yu had been unable to rescue him, just as he was powerless now. He had witnessed Lin Xiao being taken, and now he had seen another omega endure the same fate.

Tears clouded his vision as he pondered Lin Xiao, the girl, and himself. What future lay ahead for any of them? What future was there for him? Was this all there was? Was this his existence—perpetually fleeing, perpetually hiding, perpetually being claimed? He shut his eyes tightly, his breath coming in sharp intakes.

The girl's cries still echoed in his ears, and the pain of her tears was intolerable. He yearned to scream, to shout into the night. Yet there was nothing he could do. His heart ached in ways that words could not express. He gazed up at the stars overhead, cold and unfeeling, their shimmering light akin to a distant mockery. Is this what my life will forever be? He wondered. A life of awaiting someone to take me, to claim me?

His gaze fell back to the ground, the void where the girl had once stood. The cherry blossoms drifted around him like a gentle, heartbreaking rain, the petals brushing against his skin with a tender sorrow. It felt as though the world itself lamented what had just occurred.

"I'm sorry," he murmured to the wind, even though the girl was long gone, her cries whisked away by the breeze. His voice trembled, and in that instant, his heart broke. His apology was not solely for her—it encompassed everyone who had ever experienced loss like this, himself included.

He permitted the tears to escape, powerless to halt them. His chest rose and fell as he experienced the full burden of his helplessness, his inability to do anything but observe. For a brief moment, he let himself mourn—to acknowledge the pain, the grief, the crushing sadness.

He could not rescue her. And that recognition was nearly unbearable.