We left the mansion and headed toward the district’s border. Wandering aimlessly across the endless wasteland, we sought shelter whenever the moonlight vanished and true night descended.
Sometimes, we had no choice but to sleep on the bare ground, while other times, if luck was on our side, we found a small cave to shield us from the wind.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion from sleeping outdoors—something I had never done before—or maybe I was simply unwell, but my body ached, and I felt sick. Still, we managed to reach the district’s border without drawing anyone’s attention.
The villagers were deeply wary of outsiders who appeared out of nowhere. Left with no other choice, we settled in an abandoned house far from the village.
The moment we arrived at that place—one that could hardly be called a home—I fell into a terrible illness. Fever tormented me for days, much like the pain I had experienced during my awakening, with no discernible cause.
At first, Choi Yeo-min’s voice had been clear, but as my consciousness wavered, it became more and more distant. For the first time, I truly believed I might die.
Unable to simply wait and hope for my recovery, Choi Yeo-min went down to the village—despite their hostility toward outsiders—to find work. As a result, I spent more and more time alone.
Whenever I woke from feverish delirium in the pitch-black ruins, darkness greeted me like an old friend. Each time, I was painfully reminded that I had left the mansion in District 1.
And that you were no longer by my side.
On the day my fever reached its peak, I awoke alone. I dragged myself out of the makeshift bed and, for the first time, pushed open the heavy door to step outside.
The first thing I saw beyond the wide-open door was the full moon shining brightly in the sky. The same moon that Choi Yeo-min resented so much was still there, unchanged.
I barely managed a few steps before collapsing to the ground, gazing up at that moon. And then, I thought of someone who must still be there, beneath that same sky. I thought of you—though I still didn’t know what to call you.
And just like that, I closed my eyes.
—Seo-yul!
A voice called my name, pulling me back from the void. When I opened my eyes, I was met with Choi Yeo-min’s face, pale as a ghost. I had only meant to close my eyes for a moment, but it seemed I had lost consciousness entirely.
After that, Choi Yeo-min’s overprotectiveness only intensified. Except for the times he had to leave for work in the village, he refused to leave my side, not even for a second.
Before I knew it, a month had passed since we arrived. My fever had long subsided, and my body had fully recovered, yet Choi Yeo-min still insisted I stay inside.
But while he worked all day, I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. Out of guilt, I tried to repair the crumbling house, but even that didn’t seem to sit well with him.
I understood why—just a short while ago, I had been on the verge of death. Even so, I couldn’t bear to remain cooped up in that suffocating house any longer.
“Yeo-min.”
I called his name carefully, but Choi Yeo-min acted as if he hadn’t heard me. I moved to sit beside him, where he was crouched in front of the fireplace, stirring a thin soup.
He glanced at me briefly before pressing his lips together stubbornly, his anger still evident. I knew I should apologize, but the truth was—I didn’t feel sorry at all.
“I’m sorry.”
Even so, I couldn’t let this tense silence continue forever. As soon as I spoke, Yeo-min let out a long sigh and finally responded.
“I told you not to go outside.”
“But I was suffocating in there.”
“And what if you collapsed again? What if it happened while I wasn’t here?”
“I’m fine now. I’ve completely recovered.”
The moment I finished speaking, Yeo-min reached out and pressed his hand to my forehead. He let out another heavy sigh as he confirmed the fever that still hadn’t disappeared.
“You still have a fever.”
“It’s just because my body temperature runs high—”
“I’m not an idiot.”
Yeo-min cut me off firmly, then pushed my shoulder, urging me to go rest. With no choice, I stood up and lay down on the makeshift bed.
Lifting a hand to my forehead, I confirmed it myself—my fever was still there, just as he had said. But this was the kind of fever that wouldn’t go away, no matter how much I rested or what medicine I took.
‘Is that why my body feels so sluggish?’
With no way to see a proper doctor, I couldn’t determine the cause. And since we hadn’t fully escaped District 1 yet, I still had to hide the fact that I was an Omega.
I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible, but because of my condition, Yeo-min refused to even consider moving. As time passed, everything began to unravel.
‘Did I make a mistake by leaving the mansion?’
Only time would tell. For now, I still didn’t have an answer. We hadn’t yet escaped the reach of the moonlight.
***
Crash.
The plate shattered against the wall, breaking into countless pieces with a sharp, violent sound. A shard flew up and grazed his cheek, drawing blood.
Jeremy wiped the blood away with his hand, unfazed, and stepped closer to Joshua, who was trembling with rage.
“Don’t come any closer. I said don’t come closer!”
Joshua’s voice cracked as he shouted, but Jeremy didn’t stop. Joshua scrambled to grab another plate, intending to throw it, but before he could, Jeremy reached him and caught his wrist.
“You’re going to hurt yourself. Stop it.”
His voice was quiet but unwavering.
Joshua pressed his lips together, his mouth already a wreck from how hard he had been biting it. His grip slackened, and the plate slipped from his fingers. The sharp edge of his pheromones dulled, losing its hostility.
“Everyone, get out.”
Jeremy ordered the people around them to leave, and the moment the door shut, he struck Joshua across the face with all his strength.
Smack!
A sharp sound echoed as Joshua’s head snapped to the side.
“What the—”
“Get a grip, Joshua.”
It was already difficult to process that his pale, weak-willed brother had dared to hit him. But then, to have him telling him to pull himself together? What the hell was happening?
“Vincent Shining ended up like that, so you must have thought it was finally your turn. But Father hasn’t chosen you, has he? Do you know why? Because rather than putting his faith in you, he’d rather wait for Vincent to regain his senses.”
“What the hell are you saying?”
Jeremy’s words, meant to cut deep into his pride, sent a fresh wave of fury surging through Joshua. The room filled with his razor-sharp pheromones, but Jeremy didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, he let out a quiet chuckle before spreading his arms and pulling Joshua into an embrace.
“Joshua. My poor brother, who has nothing to boast about except for the depth of his color.”
Even though Vincent Shining had gone completely mad with grief over the Omega he cherished so dearly, their father still hadn’t chosen Joshua.
Vincent had been locked away in the underground prison for a long time now, bound like a beast after threatening to die alongside his lost Omega. And yet, their father refused to name Joshua as the next district leader.
The elders protested vehemently, and with their support, Joshua had spent the last month demanding recognition from their father. But every time, the answer remained the same: “Nothing has been decided yet.”
“What can you do? You simply aren’t enough for him.”
Jeremy’s hand patted his back with a gentle kindness that only made it more humiliating. Unable to hold back any longer, Joshua buried his face in Jeremy’s chest and sobbed like a child.
Maybe it was the alcohol, the same liquor he’d downed to numb the frustration, but Joshua had always been prone to tears. It was a habit he never outgrew, from the days he used to whimper in their mother’s arms.
“You said you’d kill for me. That you’d make me district leader.”
How had someone like this ever been the closest thing to an heir before Vincent appeared?
Jeremy let out a quiet sigh. As Joshua remained lost in his emotions, he reached discreetly into his sleeve and pulled out a concealed object.
Joshua was too consumed by his own despair to notice. The more Jeremy saw of his brother, the deeper his disappointment grew. It was time to make a decision.
“Get some rest, Joshua.”
“…Ugh.”
A needle pierced the back of his neck, and something was injected into his veins. Joshua didn’t even have the chance to resist before his body went limp in Jeremy’s arms.
Jeremy tossed his unconscious brother onto the bed and rolled his stiff neck with a sigh. He discarded the empty syringe carelessly before settling beside Joshua’s sleeping form.
Everything had fallen apart because of Night’s sudden attack. With security tighter than ever, killing someone inside the mansion had become nearly impossible.
But then, just days ago, Jeremy had heard an interesting piece of news—Vincent Shining was leaving the mansion.
The moment he was released from the underground prison, Vincent had gone straight to the district leader and announced that he would personally track down Night.
Whatever his reasons, Vincent leaving the mansion might be the opportunity Jeremy had been waiting for. If Vincent died while carrying out the district leader’s orders—especially during an attack from Night—it would be a clean, unquestionable end.
“Maybe the heavens are on my side after all.”
Jeremy murmured softly, his fingers gently stroking the detestable strands of Vincent’s red hair.
Of course, Joshua had no answer.
