Chapter 14 : The Dark Figure

The room was softly illuminated, the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the wooden shutters, creating faint shadows on the walls. The quiet of the night surrounded the space, and for a brief instant, it felt almost as if time itself had come to a halt. Meng Yu perched on the edge of the bed, his legs pulled up to his chest, his arms tightly secured around them. He gazed into the emptiness of the room, his mind distant, lost in reflections that he couldn't seem to break free from.

The vision of the girl by the river tormented him. Her face, streaked with tears, the fear evident in her eyes as the noble Alpha claimed her—everything about that moment replayed in his mind like a relentless cycle. He couldn't stop ruminating on her. He had never encountered her, never spoken to her, yet her suffering felt like his own, so visceral, so profound. It was as if their destinies had been merged in an unspoken manner, connected by the same cruel fate.

The mark on her neck had sealed her fate. When her parents laid eyes on it, the terror reflected in their expressions had pierced through Meng Yu's heart. Their wails had been unlike any sorrow he had ever witnessed, the sound of their anguish resonating in the air like a sorrowful tune. The powerlessness, the disbelief, and the heartbreaking realization that their daughter had been marked—bound to a life of subservience—had caused Meng Yu's chest to constrict with a sorrow he couldn't quite articulate. His own heart had shattered for them, for her, for the entire tragic ordeal. It seemed so unjust. So exceedingly unjust.

Tears began to form in his eyes, their sting blurring his sight. He struggled to keep them at bay, but they came regardless, streaming down his cheeks in heated, silent flows. His breath caught as the sorrow he had concealed deep within surged forth. He could no longer suppress it.

The burden of everything—the helplessness, the grief, the anguish of witnessing the girl's shattered family—was too overwhelming. His whole body shook with the intensity of his feelings, and he buried his face in his knees, unable to halt the sobs that convulsed through him.

It wasn't solely about the girl. It wasn't just her devastating fate that had taken his breath away. It encompassed everything. His existence. His prospects. The unavoidable reality that he, too, would some day be claimed, marked, and bound to someone who would perceive him as nothing more than a tool to be used and discarded.

The thought triggered a sharp wave of dread in his chest, causing his heart to race in terror. What if the same fate awaited him? What if, someday, he would merely be another face in a crowd of forgotten omegas, discarded and overlooked once he had served his purpose?

The notion of being restrained in such a manner—without a voice in the decision, without the power to determine his own destiny—caused his stomach to churn. He couldn't rid himself of the vision of Lin Xiao, his companion, sacrificing himself so that Meng Yu could survive.

It had ripped at Meng Yu's spirit to witness it, to see the torment in Lin Xiao's eyes as he had made his decision, realizing that he was relinquishing his own opportunity for happiness for another. It had felt like a betrayal in some respects, and yet Meng Yu comprehended.

He grasped the necessity to defend, to battle for someone you cherished. But now, with the burden of his own future weighing on him, he couldn't help but ponder—would he, too, someday face a sacrifice? Would anyone stand up for him? Or would he merely be taken, like the girl by the river?

His breath came in uneven gasps, and he shook his head as though to dispel the thoughts swirling in his head. His heart was heavy, his chest constricted with the weight of the uncertainty that lay ahead. The solitude that had been gnawing at him for such an extended period felt insufferable now. His yearning for something—someone—increased with each passing moment, until it became a palpable ache within him. He desired to be embraced. He wanted someone to enfold him in their arms and assure him that everything would be alright. To alleviate the pain, even for just a moment.

But he was aware enough not to crave such things. Comfort, security, love—they were indulgences he couldn't afford. As an omega, he was destined to be claimed, to be utilized, and then cast aside when he was no longer required. The concept of someone genuinely caring for him felt like an unattainable fantasy. No one would desire someone like him. No one would choose someone who was fated to be nothing more than a tool in the hands of others.

His chest constricted further as the yearning intensified within him. It was sharp, stinging, a hunger that he couldn't suppress. He yearned for the sensation of being cared for, of being desired for something beyond just his physical form. He wanted someone to notice him, to embrace him, to make him feel like he was significant.

But the understanding that such a reality would never arrive—could never arrive—left him feeling empty inside. He was an omega. That was all he would ever be. And that truth weighed heavily on his heart.

Meng Yu cleaned his face with shaking hands, attempting to regain his composure. However, the emptiness in the room was suffocating. The silence was overwhelming, and the stillness weighed down on him, intensifying the solitude he experienced. He felt diminished, unimportant, like merely another shattered spirit adrift in a world that was indifferent. Another omega condemned to the same destiny as countless others before him. His eyes roamed around the space, absorbing the dim glow, the shadows that appeared to stretch longer as the night progressed. It all felt so distant from the warmth and solace he yearned for.

And yet, there was something more. An unusual feeling, a sense of connection, that he couldn't disregard. The vision of the dark silhouette, the one who had emerged so unexpectedly in the forest, flashed back to him once more. He had only caught a glimpse of the figure for an instant, but something in that instant had felt distinct. The attraction he had sensed when their gazes had locked—like a thread linking him to that being—had lingered with him since. It was delicate, like a murmur in his consciousness, a feeling that persisted in the recesses of his mind.

Who could he be? Why did he continue to reappear in his thoughts? Meng Yu had no answers, yet the notion of him stirred something profound within. An odd yearning, a curiosity, combined with a sense of tranquility that he found hard to articulate. The figure had evoked something in him, something he hadn't experienced in a long while. Not merely fear or sadness, but something else—something that resembled a flicker of hope, however dim.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this figure possessed the answers he sought. Perhaps there was someone out there capable of comprehending the void he felt, someone who could bridge the gap that appeared so unfillable. The idea was momentary, but it was sufficient to keep him clinging to the slightest hint of hope. Even if it was just a fleeting notion, he couldn't dismiss the sense that the figure might be the unlocking mechanism for something he had yearned for—something beyond the suffering and isolation.

But for the time being, all he could do was remain in the still darkness, immersed in his reflections, as the longing remained with him, unanswered, a subtle pain in his spirit. He was uncertain about what the future might bring, but the figure was present, lingering in his thoughts, presenting the prospect of something he couldn't fully understand. And perhaps, just perhaps, that was enough to prevent him from surrendering completely.