The Scent of Ashes

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.

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