The Thorn Beneath the Rose

Character Introduction:

Name: Vajanic Ryne(in chapter 4)

Gender: Male

Secondary Gender: Alpha

Role: Elite Enforcer of the Central Intelligence Guard (CIG) and an informant working under a hidden faction

Personality: Cold, tactical, and highly professional. Vajanic is calculating and rarely shows emotion. He’s known for his brutal interrogation methods and his unwavering loyalty to his secret benefactors.

Background: Vajanic once served under the Alpha Council's elite guard but vanished under mysterious circumstances after a classified mission. His reappearance indicates he’s no longer working for official law enforcement—he’s working for someone else.

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Elior wasn’t surprised when the council summoned him the next morning.

The attack from the night before had stirred more than just personal memories—it had disturbed the delicate balance between the territories. And when an Omega is at the center of the chaos, everyone wants a piece of the narrative.

He dressed in black, sleek and understated, with a crimson pin on his collar—Caelum’s house sigil. A symbol of quiet defiance.

Callen waited for him outside the estate gates, eyes tight with concern. “You sure you want to walk into the viper’s den alone?”

Elior’s lips curled. “I walked into worse and came out breathing.”

Callen snorted. “Barely.”

But he followed without protest, loyal as ever.

---

The council chamber was all marble and manipulation.

Five High Houses. Five representatives. A circle of polished deceit.

At the head sat Lord Zephyr Drex, Kian’s father, calm and composed, but his eyes flicked toward Elior with veiled hostility.

Beside him was Lady Veyla Thorne, the Omega representative—gilded in silk, eyes like ice. She had never liked Elior. Too sharp. Too loud. Too unwilling to bow.

Damien stood already at the center of the room, arms folded, face an impassive mask. His presence wasn’t questioned. He didn’t need permission to be anywhere.

Elior stepped into the circle, ignoring the assessing stares.

“Lord Caelum,” Veyla began, her tone smooth. “It’s been a while since your last council appearance. How unfortunate that your return is under such... dramatic circumstances.”

Elior inclined his head. “Attack attempts tend to demand attention.”

Zephyr leaned forward, steepling his fingers. “And yet you walked into the alley alone. Without guards. Almost as if you expected it.”

A hum of agreement spread through the council.

Elior smiled faintly. “Perhaps I’m simply less afraid of shadows than others.”

Zephyr’s jaw ticked. “And the mark found on the weapon?” he asked, lifting a document. “The Raven Crest is outlawed. It was dissolved ten years ago.”

Elior stepped closer. “Then perhaps your family should stop arming ghosts.”

Gasps echoed. Even Veyla blinked.

Zephyr’s mask cracked for a moment.

“You tread dangerously,” he said coldly.

Elior met his eyes, voice like frost. “So do those who underestimate me.”

Before the tension could break into violence, Damien moved.

He stepped between them, voice low and firm. “The weapon was found. The threat is real. Elior should be protected, not interrogated.”

Zephyr sneered. “And you volunteer to be his shield?”

“No,” Damien said, staring straight at him. “I demand it.”

---

Back in the corridor, Elior walked with tight shoulders, jaw clenched.

“You didn’t have to speak for me,” he said sharply.

Damien didn’t flinch. “You’re not invincible, Elior.”

“I’m not yours to protect,” Elior hissed.

“You’re wrong.”

Elior turned, fury burning in his eyes. “No. I’m not the weak Omega you failed to save in our last life. I’m not the boy who cried for you in chains. I’m not—”

“I know.”

That stopped him.

Damien’s voice was quiet. “You’re stronger. Colder. Sharper. I see that. But I also see how you flinch at the name ‘Raven’. I see how your hands shake when no one’s watching.”

Elior froze.

“And I remember,” Damien continued, stepping closer, “what they did to you. I remember every scream I was too late to stop.”

Elior’s breath caught.

He wanted to snap back. To tell Damien to go to hell.

But instead, he looked away.

“You remember everything?” he asked quietly.

“Yes.”

The silence stretched between them.

“I still hate you,” Elior said.

Damien smiled, almost sad. “That’s fine. You can hate me. Just don’t push me away when the storm hits.”

---

That night, Elior returned to the Caelum estate to find Callen waiting in his study, a file spread open.

“I found something,” Callen said. “Or rather, someone.”

Elior stepped forward.

“A man named Laziel—Beta, former associate of the Void. Disappeared five years ago. Rumor is, he’s resurfaced. And guess where he’s been spotted?”

Elior’s eyes narrowed. “Where?”

Callen flipped the file.

North Sector. Virex territory.

Elior’s stomach dropped.

“No,” he whispered.

If that man was tied to Damien…

Then the nightmare might not just be from the past.

It might be coming from the one person Elior couldn’t bring himself to walk away from.

---

New Character Introduction:

Name: Laziel

Gender: Male

Role: Former Beta of the disbanded Raven faction

Personality: Elusive, manipulative, and resourceful. He’s known for his strategic mind and his brutal efficiency.

Background: Once believed to be dead or in hiding, Laziel was a key enforcer for the Raven faction that targeted and exploited Omegas. His sudden resurfacing poses a serious threat, especially since his loyalties and motives are unclear.

Status: Allegedly sighted in Virex territory, which raises questions about his possible ties to Damien or the Virex family.

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