The carriage rocked gently over the mist-veiled path that wound through the Neutral Dominion. Pale morning light slanted through the windows, painting faint halos across Auren's cheekbones. He sat quietly beside Eiran, chin resting on his gloved hand, eyes fixed on the drifting horizon. The world outside looked washed in green and gray, the kind of colorless beauty that belonged to a land where nothing but grass bloomed.
It suited his mood too well at this moment.
Eiran had dozed off halfway through the ride, his head leaning against the cushioned wall, soft violet hair framing a serene expression. Auren should've envied him for having that peace. Instead, he found himself staring at his terminal every few minutes, waiting for a message that refused to come.
Zevaros hadn't replied. It's been about 2 weeks since Zevaros' last message. [Is he disinterested in me?] The thought tasted bitter in Auren's heart, like frost on the tongue. The last thing he had done before leaving the town with Eiran was send a quiet message to Zevaros,
"I turned seventeen today." No grand declaration, no expectation for a reply. Yet somehow, he'd wanted one. Just a word, even a brief sentence to show that he received the message. But the silence persisted.
The Neutral Dominion where the Nexus Academy has its roots, was a place of neutrality in name only. It was a stretch of endless fields that devoured scent and sound alike. Flowers didn't grow here, nor did the wind carry fragrance or warmth. Even the sky seemed hesitant to shine, holding its breath above the green-gray plains. It was where emotions felt muted, subdued.
A perfect reflection of Auren's current state.
By the time the dark walls of Nexus Academy rose in the distance, veiled in glimmering wards and faint primis light, Auren had convinced himself not to care.
[He must be busy], he thought. [Or he forgot, Or he simply didn't want to answer.]
Auren's mind spun and each possibility stung more than the last. A palm fell over his heart, as he tried to crush the pain within, [He doesn't even like me, why do I like him so much?]
When the carriage halted before the academy gates, Eiran woke up and stretched gently. When he saw the faint shimmer of tears in Auren's eyes, he took his terminal to call that fucking lion. Auren didn't even look at Eiran and got of the carriage. Eiran quickly followed. The guards bowed lightly at the entrance, the moment Auren's boots touched the paved courtyard, he froze.
The air was wrong. Very very wrong.
Eiran noticed it too, blinking in confusion. "…Why does it smell like spring?"
It did. Sweet, warm, heavy. The kind of fragrance that made you remember life.
Auren looked ahead, and slightly 5 meters away from where he stood by the school gates, the sight stole his breath.
A carpet of flowers unfurled across the entire entrance path. Not just any flowers, but his favorites. Starfall Lilies from Bloom Dominion's northern marshes, Moonveil Orchids from the Seer Dominion , that shimmered faintly blue, even delicate silver Arum flowers from the Veydra Dominion that hadn't bloomed in decades. Each petal glowed faintly under the morning light, forming a trail that stretched deep into the academy gardens.
Eiran exhaled slowly, amusement breaking through his shock. "Someone's trying to give you a heart attack."
Auren swallowed hard. His fingers twitched at his side, trembling slightly. These flowers… shouldn't exist here. The Neutral Dominion was incapable of nurturing flora. Even his garden had to be reinforced with nurturing primis wards just to keep his plants healthy. Yet here they were, fresh, vivid, and breathing fragrance like they'd never known decay.
The path called to him.
Without a word, Auren followed it. The trail wound through the familiar marble outer corridors of Nexus Academy, past startled students waking up for their morning drills and hushed whispers of awe, past the library, until it led him toward the Eternal Glass Garden, his sanctuary.
When he arrived, Auren pushed the door open and inside, crystalline vines shimmered faintly around him. Light refracted through the translucent leaves, scattering rainbows across the polished floor. And at the very center, where Auren usually sat to meditate, stood a massive box wrapped in black and violet cloth.
The presence it exuded was unmistakable.
Zevaros.
Auren approached slowly. Every step made his heart thud louder. He crouched before the box, fingertips brushing the ribbon. It pulsed faintly, alive with Primis energy. Whoever had delivered this had used teleportation and high-level concealment runes to bypass his security wards, things only someone like Zevaros could deploy without detection.
Eiran, who had followed quietly until now, crossed his arms. "That's definitely from him. What was that kitty thinking leaving you out in the edge then pulling off this stunt?." He complained still texting nefarious words to Zevaros.
Auren didn't answer. He tugged at the ribbon, carefully unwrapping each layer. The cloth melted into smoke as it loosened, revealing the contents inside.
A soft gasp escaped him.
Inside lay an ensemble of exquisite design, garments woven in midnight silk threaded with faint veins of amethyst light. The coat bore delicate embroidery of silver sigils that formed a lion's mane across the shoulders, and the inner tunic shimmered faintly with enchantments that adjusted to the wearer's temperature.
Next to it lay a pair of black boots, polished to a mirrored sheen, and jewelry crafted of darkened star-gold and pale moonstone. They weren't just accessories. They were specific sets of jewellery every Therion knows about, it's Omega jewelry, meant to declare who one belonged to before a formal bonding ceremony between the Alpha and Omega take place.
Eiran peered over his shoulder and clicked his tongue softly. "Tch. The toxic lion actually knows how to love."
Auren felt heat creep up his neck. "Shut up, it could be a friendly gift."
But his protest lacked bite and Eiran scoffing while rolling his eyes proved so. Auren's hand hovered above the last item in the box, a smooth black token engraved with a roaring lion whose wings spread wide. The insignia pulsed faintly with golden light. Auren frowned, lifting it gently.
"What is this…?" he murmured.
Before Eiran could answer, the token glowed, and a familiar voice spilled into the air.
"If you're hearing this," came Zevaros' low tone, calm and deep as thunder through smoke, "then it means you've found my gift, little wolf."
Auren froze.
"I couldn't come in person," Zevaros continued, "but I thought it fitting that the first year you celebrate as seventeen with me in your life, be marked by something you'll remember. Each bloom you saw is real. Drawn from your garden's memory and made alive again through Primis. Even where life refuses to take root, I will give you spring."
Eiran's eyes widened faintly, then he quietly stepped back, murmuring under his breath, "I'm going to be sick."
Zevaros' voice continued, the tone softening in a way that made Auren's chest tighten.
"The clothes are crafted from void based silk, woven in the forges of my clan, the Death Pride. The token bears our sigil. You'll wear it during the Inter-Academy Games. It's not a mark of ownership, Auren. It's a declaration. That I see you as my equal, my bond, and my storm."
Auren's breath hitched. His throat tightened painfully, tears fell from his eyes full of relief and an affirmation of his feelings.
"Until we meet again. Three weeks. Don't keep me waiting."
The pre redo message ended with the faint echo of Zevaros' chuckle deep, rich, and filled with promise. The silence that followed was deafening.
Auren stared at the token in his palm. The insignia shimmered faintly as if alive, reacting to his pulse. His reflection in its dark surface was soft, trembling. For a long moment, he didn't move. Then, slowly, he smiled.
"I'll wear it," he whispered.
Eiran groaned, rubbing his temple. "I'm leaving before I start gagging."
Auren didn't even hear him go. He sat amid the petals, gazing at the gifts spread before him. The flowers seemed to glow brighter, responding to his quiet happiness. When he finally stood, the jewelry caught the light, gold bleeding into violet.
Somehow, it looked perfect on him. Not submissive. Not ornamental. But rather complimentary. When he left the Eternal Glass Garden that night, Auren carried the token with him. He tucked it close to his heart, and for the first time in days, he slept without tossing.
Back in Genesis Academy, in his room, Zevaros stood before a circular projection table. Images flickered above its surface, Nexus Academy, the flowers, Auren's garden, and finally, the faint shimmer of Auren's smile.
The corners of Zevaros' lips curved upward.
"Report?" he asked without turning. His subordinate, a tall Therion with obsidian skin and crimson eyes, knelt. "The Queen received the delivery as intended, my lord. His emotional signature stabilized afterward."
Zevaros hummed. The sound rumbled low in his chest, almost pleased. "And his reaction?"
The Therion hesitated. "He… cried, my lord. And then smiled, a genuine one."
Silence. Then a faint exhale, the sound of restrained satisfaction.
"Good," Zevaros murmured. He traced a finger along the projection, over Auren's image. "He still shines. As he should."
His golden eyes darkened, the gleam in them sharp and hungry.
"Three weeks," he whispered to himself, the air around him pulsing faintly with Primis energy. "Three weeks, and I'll finally tell him who he belongs to."
Back in Nexus Academy, it was night and Auren stirred in his sleep, the faintest warmth brushing the jewellery resting upon his neck, as if someone's hand had just traced his throat in promise.