Chapter Text
The silence was as dense as ice. Jihoon, the small feral Omega, stood at the entrance of his home, dark eyes fixed on the two giant Alphas. His hand was still gripping the silver coin.
— What… do you want? — Jihoon’s question came out again, once more with difficulty in pronunciation, yet unmistakable in intent.
Hansol and Mingyu remained motionless, perplexity carved across their faces. The Omega’s presence was a blow to the head, a biological contradiction in a world of curses and superstitions.
— By Mother Earth… — Hansol murmured, unable to tear his gaze from Jihoon’s black hair and pale skin. — He really is…
Mingyu finished, his voice a rough whisper: — An Omega. I can feel it. The scent’s faint, but it’s… pure rain.
They were in territory where Omegas were supposed to die. And yet this one wasn’t just alive — he seemed to have thrived.
Mingyu, the taller and more impulsive of the two, took a step forward, curiosity overpowering protocol. He wanted to see up close, confirm it was real, but the moment Mingyu’s foot touched the snow, Jihoon reacted.
A low, guttural sound escaped the Omega’s throat. It wasn’t a scream, but a pure, terrifying growl — utterly unexpected coming from such a small and delicate creature. It was the instinctive reaction of a wild animal defending its nest.
The growl froze Mingyu mid-step.
Hansol let out a slow but audible breath.
— By the Moon and Stars, I didn’t know Omegas could growl… — Hansol sounded more fascinated than frightened.
Mingyu stepped back, hands raised in peace.
— Okay. Okay. Sorry.
Jihoon, sensing the growl had worked, straightened his posture. He repeated the question, in a more demanding tone.
— Here… why? You.
The Alphas took a moment to process the disordered speech. The way the Omega articulated words was so strange it felt like a riddle.
Hansol, being the more intellectual, managed to decipher the intent.
— Ah, he wants to know why we’re here. — Hansol gestured to himself and Mingyu. He tried to simplify as much as possible. — We came… to see. Look. What is here.
— Yes. Curiosity. — Mingyu added, using equally simple words.
Hansol bowed slightly, trying to show good intentions.
— My name is Hansol. — He pointed to himself. — And this is my… traveling companion. Mingyu.
Mingyu looked at Hansol with a mix of boredom and offense. Traveling companion? He was the Prince’s loyal subordinate, one of the greatest warriors in the Kingdom, and Hansol introduced him as a road buddy?
Hansol merely rolled his eyes at his friend’s reaction, focused on the Omega.
Jihoon watched the exchange of looks and the complex words that made no sense. He understood the naming gestures.
He pointed to his own chest.
— Jihoon. — The word came out clean and clear.
Then he pointed to the cave entrance, then outside, and finally to the two Alphas. His eyes narrowed in disapproval.
— My house. Out! Stinky!
Silence returned. This time, shocked.
Mingyu blinked. — Did he… did he just call us smelly?
Hansol suppressed a smile, though the surprise lingered.
— Well… I think so. An alpha’s scent must be too strong for him. But let’s not contradict an Omega, you know how they are.
— Actually, I don’t. — Mingyu replied dryly. — I’ve never been anywhere near one. Remember, they die in our Kingdom.
— Exactly! — Hansol whispered, shaking his head impatiently. — If you’d paid attention in the Kingdom’s biology classes… they’re sensitive! And usually temperamental and… also territorial, apparently.
Jihoon wasn’t waiting for the conversation to unfold. He kept watching them, impatience rising. His lips parted, and he let out a sharp, irritated hiss, like an annoyed cat. He pointed repeatedly to the outside of the cave, pale fingers trembling.
— Out! Now!
The two Alphas had no choice but to surrender to the unexpected authority of the small Omega. Instinct urged them to soothe the creature who was, after all, the most precious being in the Kingdom.
Hansol shrugged at Mingyu.
— Alright. Tactical retreat.
They backed away slowly, heavy steps crunching in the snow, keeping their eyes on Jihoon, who continued growling and hissing until they were out of his safety perimeter.
When the Alphas reached the horses, Hansol looked at Mingyu, urgency replacing his earlier shock.
— We need to inform His Highness, urgently.
— I know. — Mingyu mounted his horse, glancing back at the Omega’s cave, now hidden behind a few branches Jihoon was rearranging. — We can’t lose this Omega.
— Not at all. — Hansol mounted as well, hand tightening on the reins.
They turned and galloped back north, toward where the Prince was fruitlessly searching for a flower that resembled the person his soldiers had just offended. The time for searching was over. They had to bring the Prince back before the Omega — the salvation of their Kingdom — decided to flee once more into the frozen desert.
The camp was a spectacle of order and discipline, even in the midst of the cold desolation. Around ten men — strong Alphas and a few sturdy Betas — had set up a temporary post in an area slightly more sheltered from the wind. Seungcheol, the Crown Prince, was hunched over a rough map, frustration evident on his noble features. At his side stood Wonwoo, his Beta advisor and right hand, a calm and observant figure.
Suddenly, the order shattered.
Two silhouettes covered in snow appeared on the horizon, mounted on horses that seemed to be galloping at a life-or-death pace. It was Hansol and Mingyu.
They dismounted with clumsy haste, nearly falling into the snow. Mingyu, the quicker of the two, was breathless, his face red and sweaty from the effort.
Seungcheol lifted his head, confused by the lack of composure from his soldiers. He didn’t have time to ask anything.
— Your Highness! Your Highness, we… we found it! — Mingyu panted, words stumbling. — We found… an Omega!
The Prince blinked slowly, processing the information. His lips curved into a forced smile, his patience worn thin by the fruitless search.
— Listen, Mingyu. I know you love your terrible jokes and that the weather affects your mood. But this is not the right moment, please. We’re days away from home, with no sign of any flower and limited supplies. I’m not in the mood for jokes.
— But… Your Highness, it’s not a joke! — Mingyu insisted, almost crying from exhaustion and desperation to be believed. The scent of his nervousness was palpable. Before Seungcheol could refute him, Hansol — who had recovered a bit more breath — intervened with his usual sobriety.
— Your Highness, Mingyu is telling the truth. We really found an Omega. A living one. I… I don’t know how he managed to survive here. Honestly, it’s a biological anomaly, but he’s there.
Seungcheol was stunned. Hansol’s firmness was hard to ignore. Hansol was not one to joke. The Prince’s face grew pale beneath his winter furs.
— Where? Where did you see him?
— Not far from here. In fact, you must have passed by when you came this way. — Hansol gestured vaguely to the south. — Maybe half a day’s travel. If we leave now, we reach the… the cave where he is before sunset!
Wonwoo, who had been silently observing, finally broke his stillness. His voice was low, filled with a professional incredulity.
— Cave? He lives in a cave?
The word “Omega” was a ghostly echo in the Kingdom. Its mere mention was a reminder of the curse. The fact that one had been found — feral, living in a cave in the Ice Territory — was worthy of an insane fairy tale.
Seungcheol needed no further convincing. The possibility, however remote, of having found an Omega — a potential key to his people’s survival — ignited a spark of hope he had not felt in years.
He moved quickly, his leader’s posture returning with explosive force. He shouted orders that echoed throughout the camp.
— Tear down the camp! Quickly! Repack the supplies. Leave only what’s necessary for the journey. Prepare to leave in five minutes! Ready our horses!
He darted through the camp, issuing orders and inspecting his men’s movements, the scent of Pine and Snow now laden with urgency. The Prince was in hunting mode.
Wonwoo stayed beside Hansol, processing.
— Answer my question, Lieutenant. He’s living in a cave? He was alone?
— Yes, Your Excellency. A cave, alone — Hansol rubbed the back of his neck, still nervous. — And… he does not speak our language well. He says a few words. “House. Out. Stinky.” We understood the basics, but most of it is… sounds. He seems harmless.
Wonwoo sighed, his expression exhausted. — Unbelievable.
Mingyu, who had returned to grab his horse’s reins, jumped in again, an idea born in the cave now blooming in his mind.
— Wonwoo, what if the flower we’re looking for is actually him? — Mingyu paused, gesturing dramatically. — You know how those oracles love riddles. The Oracle only said that the cure blooms black and white in the deepest snow.
Hansol nodded, already mounted. — Exactly. The Omega… he has white skin and long black hair. He was there, where the ice is coldest. He’s practically a living painting, Wonwoo. The Wild Lotus is him.
Wonwoo closed his eyes for a moment, the idea as absurd as it was perfectly logical, given the nature of the prophecy. The flower was a human being.
— Well. — Wonwoo sighed, opening his eyes. His face was grave. — If that’s the case, we’ll have our work cut out for us… A feral Omega…
The Kingdom stood on the brink of a radical shift. Salvation was not a withered plant, but an Omega with the air of a wild deity. The expedition, once a search mission, had turned into a treasure hunt — and the treasure was priceless and temperamentally questionable.
Seungcheol reappeared, urging them on.
— Let’s go! We have no time to lose. Hansol, you lead. Mingyu, take the rear. Wonwoo, you ride with me.
The Alphas and the Beta set off, leaving behind the trail of their haste. The Crown was on its way to the Wild Lotus.