The last thing Elior remembered was the scent of burning wood… and blood.

His own.

Lying on the cold marble floor of the estate he once called home, Elior’s eyes stayed fixed on the man who stood above him—unmoved, unspeaking. Damien Valen. The Alpha who had sworn to protect him, to love him, to never let him fall.

And yet, here he was, watching Elior die without even a flicker of remorse.

Betrayed. Poisoned. Framed. Silenced.

The flames swallowed his body, but it wasn’t the fire that hurt most—it was Damien’s silence.

And then... nothing.

Only darkness.

Until—

A sharp gasp tore through his lungs, and Elior jolted upright.

His heart thundered. Sweat clung to his skin. His hands trembled, yet the world around him was eerily familiar.

His childhood bedroom.

The same pale blue walls. The same antique desk. The same faint scent of lavender soap his old nanny used to place in his drawers.

It wasn’t possible.

He stumbled out of bed and rushed to the mirror. A younger version of himself stared back—fifteen, maybe sixteen at most. His skin unmarked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He touched his cheek slowly, as if testing reality. “No… this… I died.”

But the mirror didn’t lie.

Somehow, he had been sent back—reborn into his own body, five years before everything had gone to hell.

His lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.

“Fate gave me a second chance,” he whispered, eyes glittering with cold fire. “Good. This time, I won’t be a fool.”

---

Three days later, Elior walked into the grand Caelum estate’s main hall, where nobles and Alphas mingled, laughing over wine and whispered deals. His eyes swept over them all—not with the innocent awe of his past self, but with the quiet calculation of a predator.

He wore a high-collared, sapphire coat that framed his slender form and made his icy gray eyes even sharper. He wasn’t here to be admired. He was here to remember names, alliances, and enemies.

Especially one name.

Damien Valen.

A powerful Alpha from one of the three great houses. The man who had pretended to love him. Who had abandoned him to die.

Elior hadn’t seen him yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here, little Caelum.”

The smooth voice made his spine stiffen.

Speak of the devil.

He turned slowly. And there he was.

Damien Valen. Taller than most. Dark hair, sharp jaw, eyes like a thunderstorm just before lightning strikes. His aura screamed Alpha, and others unconsciously stepped aside as he walked.

But Elior didn’t move.

Not this time.

He smiled politely, tilting his head just enough to be elegant but not submissive. “Lord Valen. Still haunting social events like a bored wolf?”

Damien’s brows lifted slightly, amused by the sharp retort. In the past, Elior would’ve blushed and looked away.

Now?

He stood tall, unbothered, letting the silence stretch between them like a drawn blade.

“You’ve grown sharper,” Damien said finally, stepping closer. “I like it.”

Elior’s smile thinned. You liked watching me die, too.

“I suppose near-death experiences do that to people,” he replied coolly.

Damien’s eyes narrowed. Just for a second.

Had he sensed something?

The Alpha leaned down, close enough for his breath to brush Elior’s ear. “You smell different, Elior. Not like before.”

Elior’s blood chilled—but he didn’t flinch.

His scent suppressors were flawless. He had made sure of it. In this world, Omega scent was a weapon, a vulnerability, a way for Alphas to control and track. He wasn’t letting that happen again.

“Perhaps your nose is broken,” Elior said, stepping back. “Or perhaps I’m not as easy to read as I once was.”

Damien stared at him for a moment too long.

Then, his lips curled into a smile—a dark, unreadable smile.

“We’ll see.”

---

Later that night, Elior stood by the balcony, watching the moonlight paint silver across the stone floor. The party still raged behind him, laughter and clinking glasses echoing like ghosts.

He wasn’t celebrating.

He was planning.

One by one, the people who ruined his life would pay. His half-brother. The family elders who turned a blind eye. And Damien.

But something gnawed at him.

The way Damien had looked at him… it wasn’t the same as before. That version of Damien had always worn a mask of warmth, hiding his indifference. But this Damien... there was something intense in his eyes. Focused. Controlled. Dangerous.

And that line—"You smell different."

It wasn’t casual. It was suspicious.

Could he know? Could Damien have…

No. He couldn’t have been reborn too. That would be—

A loud knock broke the thought.

Elior turned. “Come in.”

His personal attendant stepped in, wide-eyed. “My Lord. There’s a… gift.”

Elior frowned. “A gift?”

The servant stepped aside, revealing a small velvet box. Inside was a single item.

A silver cuff with a delicate blood-red gemstone embedded in it.

Omega bonding jewelry.

Unmarked. Unclaimed.

But the card tucked beneath it read only one word:

Mine.

No signature.

But Elior didn’t need one.

Only one Alpha was that bold.

His fingers gripped the box tightly as a slow, mocking laugh escaped his lips.

“So the game begins,” he whispered.

“And you want to play possessive, Damien?” His eyes flashed.

“Then let’s see who ends up owned.”

\*CHARACTER INTRODUCTION\*

Main Character (MC)

Name: Elior Caelum

Gender: Male

Secondary Gender: Omega

Age (after rebirth): 16

Appearance: Silver-gray eyes, silky black hair, lean and elegant frame. Graceful and alluring, with an air of quiet danger.

Traits: Intelligent, manipulative, emotionally guarded, strategic, resilient, bold, fiercely independent

Background:

Once a naïve and kind-hearted Omega from a noble bloodline, Elior was used as a pawn in a political marriage and betrayed by those closest to him. In his first life, he loved deeply—and died brutally for it. But fate gave him a second chance.

Reborn with all his memories, Elior is no longer the gentle, trusting boy he used to be. He hides his true scent and identity, moves in silence, and begins building power under the surface. He refuses to belong to any Alpha, and he will never fall in love again… especially not with the man who let him die.

But revenge has a price—and so does awakening a bond that never truly broke.

Male Lead (ML)

Name: Damien Valen

Gender: Male

Secondary Gender: Alpha

Age: 21

Appearance: Tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing dark eyes, tousled black hair, and a dangerous aura. Dominance clings to him like a second skin.

Traits: Possessive, obsessive, calculating, authoritative, cold to others but protective toward Elior, emotionally repressed, unpredictable

Background:

A powerful Alpha from one of the three ruling houses, Damien is feared in political and social circles. In his past life, he kept his emotions under control, watching Elior’s downfall without lifting a hand. His own death followed soon after—poisoned, alone.

But Damien, too, was reborn. Now back with full memories of the life he wasted, he has one goal: never let Elior go again. This time, he’s not asking for permission.

He doesn’t care if Elior resents him. He doesn’t care if Elior runs. He’ll chain him, protect him, and fight the world for him.

Because Elior is his.

And this time, he’ll make sure Elior knows it.

Elior turned the silver cuff over in his palm, the blood-red gemstone catching the light like a drop of frozen fire.

Mine.

Just one word—but it hit harder than a thousand.

The jewelry wasn’t just a gift.

It was a warning. A claim. A leash disguised as luxury.

And worst of all, it was elegant. Expensive. Exactly his style. Damien knew him too well—even in this timeline.

Elior exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing. “You remember, don’t you?”

He wasn’t certain—yet. But the way Damien looked at him, the scent comment, the timing of the cuff…

If Damien had memories of the past life too, that changed the game entirely.

And Elior hated games he couldn’t fully control.

He snapped the box shut.

“I’m not yours,” he whispered, voice cold as winter. “Not this time.”

---

The next morning, Elior entered the academy grounds with the poise of a crowned prince.

The Royal Academy of Noble Bloods wasn’t just an elite school—it was a political battlefield wrapped in marble columns and gold trim. He'd wasted his past life here chasing empty friendships and trying to impress Alphas who only wanted to dominate him.

This time? He walked these halls like a silent blade—beautiful, polished, and dangerous.

Students turned to stare. Some whispered.

“He’s the Caelum Omega, right?”

“Too pretty to be real.”

“But no Alpha has marked him?”

“Think he’s hiding something?”

Let them gossip. He wanted eyes on him—it made it easier to feed lies.

As he passed through the central courtyard, a figure detached from the shadows, falling into step beside him.

“Morning, little moon.”

Elior didn’t need to look to recognize the voice.

“Valen,” he replied smoothly, not slowing his pace. “Stalking already? It's not even noon.”

Damien chuckled under his breath. “You wound me. I simply came to walk with my future mate.”

Elior halted so fast Damien nearly collided with him.

He turned, smile venomous.

“Future mate?” he echoed, voice sweet like poisoned honey. “You sent me a collar like I’m some pampered pet, and now you call me your mate?”

Damien stepped closer, voice dropping to a low growl. “Because you are. You just haven’t accepted it yet.”

“I never will.”

Elior’s words hit like a slap, but Damien didn’t even flinch. His eyes locked with Elior’s, stormy and unreadable.

“You did once.”

There it was.

The confirmation.

Elior’s breath caught—but only for a second. He covered it with a scoff.

“You remember.”

Damien said nothing. But the glint in his eyes spoke volumes.

Elior’s fingers curled into fists at his sides. So he wasn’t the only one granted a second life. Fate really did have a cruel sense of humor.

“I loved you once,” Elior said softly. “You let me die.”

“I didn’t—”

“You watched,” he cut in sharply. “You chose to let it happen.”

Silence.

Damien’s jaw clenched. “I couldn’t protect you then. But I will now. Even if I have to chain you to me.”

There it was. The truth. The threat.

Possessive. Brutal. Honest.

Elior stepped even closer, lifting his chin, close enough to smell Damien’s scent—warm, stormy, laced with control.

“Then I’ll break every chain you put on me, Damien,” he whispered, voice like a razor.

And he meant it.

---

Later that evening, Elior met with someone far more useful than his obsessive Alpha.

Callen Reiss—a Beta, older, cunning, and someone who owed Elior’s father more than a few favors. In his past life, Callen had been a quiet advisor to the court. But Elior knew now that Callen was far more than that.

“I need resources,” Elior said, voice low.

Callen raised a brow. “That’s quite the opening line.”

“I don’t have time for pleasantries.”

Callen studied him. “You’re different.”

“I should be,” Elior said smoothly. “Being left for dead changes a person.”

Callen didn’t ask what he meant. He wasn’t a fool.

“What kind of resources?”

“Information. Surveillance. Private security. And someone to dig into Damien Valen’s current power structure.”

Callen let out a low whistle. “You're not just planning defense.”

“No,” Elior said with a cold smile. “I’m planning war.”

---

That night, back in the Caelum estate, Elior stood at the window, watching the moon.

He didn’t wear the cuff Damien sent him.

He hadn’t thrown it away either.

It sat in a locked drawer—one reminder of who he used to be, and what he refused to become again.

A knock sounded at the door.

He didn’t answer.

A beat later, the door creaked open anyway.

Only one person would dare.

“Invading my space now?” Elior asked without turning around.

Damien’s voice was soft, but no less intense. “You’ve always belonged in my space.”

Elior turned to face him.

“No. I belonged to myself. And I still do.”

Damien’s eyes flickered to the drawer—the one holding the cuff. Then back to Elior.

“You kept it.”

Elior shrugged. “I also keep knives. Doesn’t mean I plan to use them.”

A long silence.

Then Damien said quietly, “I won’t let you go, Elior.”

Elior stepped forward, face inches from his.

“Then try and hold me,” he said coldly. “And I promise, Damien—you’ll bleed for it.”

Elior didn’t expect peace—but he expected quiet.

That expectation shattered the moment he walked into Combat Strategy class and found Kian Drex, heir of the Eastern Alpha Syndicate, smirking at him from across the room.

Kian was everything he hated in an Alpha: arrogant, loud, territorial. In the past life, he’d been one of the first to treat Elior like a trophy to win—a conquest, not a companion.

Elior took a seat three rows back from the front. As usual, whispers followed him like shadows.

“That’s the Caelum heir, right?”

“Heard he rejected three Alpha proposals this week alone.”

“Maybe he’s just too broken to bond.”

Elior let the gossip roll off him like water. But Kian’s loud voice cut through the noise.

“So you’re still playing the untouchable card, huh?” Kian drawled, eyes locked on him. “Don’t think that act will save you for long.”

Elior raised a brow, voice silky. “You’re right. I don’t need to act. I am untouchable.”

Snickers followed, but Kian’s smirk only deepened.

“You sure about that?” he asked. “Because the way Damien’s been breathing down your neck, it looks like you’re already collared.”

The entire room fell into a tense silence.

Elior smiled slowly—dangerously.

“Oh? Are you jealous?” he said sweetly. “Or just disappointed that no matter how loud you bark, you’ll always be the Beta’s shadow in an Alpha’s skin?”

Kian stood up, rage flashing in his eyes.

Before he could speak, a voice sharper than a blade rang through the room.

“That’s enough.”

Everyone turned. Damien had entered the classroom without a sound, his presence immediately suffocating.

He didn’t look at Kian.

He only looked at Elior.

And that alone made the temperature drop ten degrees.

---

After class, Elior didn’t wait. He stormed out, knowing Damien would follow—and not caring.

He made it to the back garden before he stopped and turned.

“You can’t keep doing that,” he snapped. “I don’t need you to defend me.”

Damien folded his arms. “Kian overstepped.”

“I handled it. I always do.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

Elior’s laugh was bitter. “And who decided that? You? The same Alpha who watched me burn?”

Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t flinch.

“I didn’t come to fight,” he said quietly. “I came to give you this.”

He held out a file.

Elior hesitated, then took it. Inside were surveillance photos. Of the Drex family. Kian’s father. A closed-door meeting with black-market traders.

“Why give this to me?” Elior asked warily.

“Because you’re not the only one gathering weapons,” Damien said. “And I’d rather you have your eyes open.”

There was something else beneath the words. A warning. A plea.

“I don’t want you dead again,” Damien added softly.

Elior stared at him, heart pounding.

Again.

The word hit harder than it should.

“Then stay out of my way,” Elior whispered. “Because I don’t need protection. I need space. Power. And if you really remember… you know why.”

Damien took a step forward. “And if I said I can’t let you go?”

Elior stepped back. “Then you’ll be just another chain I’ll break.”

---

Later that evening, Elior met Callen in a hidden café below the academy’s old records wing. A secret few knew existed.

“You’ve stirred a lot of water,” Callen commented over a steaming cup of tea.

“I prefer storms,” Elior replied coolly.

Callen slid over a sealed envelope.

“Your request. Names of Kian’s allies. Teachers who owe favors to the Drex family. Even one Royal Council informant.”

Elior’s eyes scanned the list.

Perfect.

He could begin unraveling their influence from the inside.

“Also,” Callen added, “there’s chatter. Someone’s targeting unbonded Omegas. They’re vanishing.”

Elior’s expression sharpened. “You think I’m next?”

“You’re not exactly low-profile.”

“I’m not prey either,” Elior said with a grim smile. “Let them come.”

Callen raised a brow. “Even if Damien steps in?”

Elior’s eyes darkened. “If he interferes, I’ll make him regret it.”

---

That night, Elior returned to the Caelum estate’s west wing—his private quarters, untouched by anyone else.

Except tonight… someone had entered.

He knew the moment he stepped through the threshold. The air had shifted.

Subtle. Dominant. Familiar.

Damien.

Elior found a note on his bed.

In Damien’s sharp handwriting:

“They’re watching. Be careful who you trust. And stop walking home alone.”

Underneath the note sat a small blade. Slim. Concealed. Deadly.

A gift.

Elior picked it up, rolling the handle between his fingers.

Stupid Alpha.

He should’ve thrown it away.

But instead… he strapped it to his thigh.

Just in case.

---

\* CHARACTER INTRODUCTION\*

for side characters:

Kian Drex

Type: Alpha

Personality: Arrogant, aggressive, attention-seeking. Obsessed with dominating others to prove himself. Sees Elior as a challenge.

Background: Heir to the Eastern Alpha Syndicate. Comes from a powerful family with criminal ties and deep political roots.

Conflict: Rival to Damien and despised by Elior.

Callen Myre

Type: Beta

Personality: Sharp, loyal, and pragmatic. The only person Elior currently trusts.

Background: Son of a neutral noble family. Works as an information broker and has access to underground networks.

Role: Elior’s confidant and informant, helping him gather intelligence and execute strategic plans.