A New Beginning in a Familiar World

David stared out the window, watching the late afternoon sunlight stretch across the sky. The golden hues painted the horizon, a fleeting moment of serenity before dusk settled in. It gave him a brief moment—time to gather his thoughts, to adjust to this new world and unfamiliar body.

Or rather, Asahin's body.

The weight of it, the unfamiliarity of moving within someone else's skin, was disorienting. His limbs felt weaker than he was used to, and there was a heaviness in his chest—not just from fatigue, but something deeper, something ingrained. Still, there was no time to dwell on that. He needed to get his bearings first.

David took a deep breath and forced himself to recall everything he knew about his sister's novel. He hadn't read it cover to cover, but he remembered the major events well enough.

The story began with Kaylen Morrison, the protagonist, manifesting as a first-class alpha at the age of seventeen. It had happened during one of the prestigious Valmoor parties on a Sunday evening with Darrien having been the one who stumbled upon his unconscious body in the library. From that moment, fate seemed to tie them together. Kaylen was sent abroad to study shortly after, quickly followed by Darrien. Three years later Darrien, too, manifested—albeit much later than expected—at the age of twenty. Darrien's manifestation as a first-class omega had been much celebrated by both families, heralded as destiny aligning itself.

After all, the Morrison and Valmoor families had been deeply intertwined for generations—business partners, allies, even friends. Their grandparents had once entertained the idea of uniting their bloodlines through marriage, should fate decree it. And fate had done just that.

The novel revolved around Kaylen and Darrien's growing bond, their journey from friendship to love, and the inevitable trials that sought to strengthen their relationship. And as with any romance, there had to be obstacles—antagonists to challenge their path, villains to sharpen the contrast of their love.

That role had been handed to Asahin Valmoor.

The infamous half-brother. The unwanted son. The villain.

Asahin, born two years after Darrien to his father's beta wife, had been everything a perfect antagonist should be—obsessed with Kaylen, bitterly envious of his older brother, erratic in behavior, cruel in his plotting, and wholly unreasonable. According to the novel, Asahin's obsession had begun abruptly, upon Kaylen and Darrien's return from abroad, just a year after Darrien's manifestation. He had started stalking Kaylen, stealing his belongings, finding any excuse to be near him. But things became particularly volatile whenever he saw Kaylen and Darrien together. He would spiral into violent outbursts, sometimes to the point of collapsing from the sheer intensity of his emotions.

His condition was explained by an accident.

At fifteen, Asahin had fallen from a tree, hitting his head and severely damaging his not-yet developed pheromone glands at the nape of his neck. The injury had put him in a coma for nearly a year, during which his omega manifestation had occurred—a rare and unfortunate circumstance. With his glands permanently damaged, Asahin had been left unable to secrete or perceive pheromones, an affliction that rendered him defective in the rigid hierarchy of their society. It was said that this loss made him unstable, irritable, prone to sudden fits of rage.

From the moment his obsession with Kaylen began to the moment he took his own life in prison, a little over a year and a half had passed.

A tragic villain, his downfall seemingly inevitable.

But something wasn't adding up.

David closed his eyes, sifting through the scattered remnants of Asahin's memories that had bled into his own upon waking. The person in those memories… wasn't the one described in the novel.

Yes, Asahin had his outbursts—episodes of irritation, moments of intense discomfort, an aversion to crowded spaces. But he wasn't the erratic, obsessive monster the novel painted him as. If anything, he was withdrawn. Quiet. Isolated. He barely interacted with others, avoided social gatherings whenever possible, and carried a loneliness so deep it felt woven into his very existence.

He had suffered, that much was clear. But it wasn't the suffering of a villain clawing for something he couldn't have. It was the suffering of someone who had been cast aside, misunderstood, and left to navigate a world that had already decided his worth for him.

And if that was the case… then what else had the novel gotten wrong?

David exhaled slowly, his mind settling on the most pressing issue at hand.

In six months, Asahin would be accused of attempting to poison Darrien and would be thrown into prison. There, he would meet his supposed end.

That couldn't happen.

If David was truly inhabiting this body—if he had somehow been given a second chance at life in this world—then he refused to let it end in the same tragic cycle. He needed to rewrite Asahin's fate, starting now.

First, he had to distance himself from the image of the obsessed, unhinged omega.

Second, he had to find a way to break free from his family's grip.

Third, he had to secure a future for himself—one that didn't involve becoming a footnote in someone else's love story.

Six months. That was all the time he had.

The upcoming Valmoor party would be his first step.

Tonight, he would meet Kaylen Morrison for the first time since waking up in this world - along with Darrien, the supposed love of Kaylen's life. And he would begin laying the groundwork to free himself from the chains of this narrative.

Asahin turned toward the mirror, studying his reflection. Pale skin, dark circles beneath his eyes, a frail frame that hinted at years of neglect rather than malice. He looked nothing like the villain they all believed him to be.

That was good.

He would use that to his advantage.

With renewed determination, Asahin began preparing for the evening ahead.

---