Alpha POV
I still remember it vividly, the day everything changed. The day I first showed signs of becoming one of the possessed.
At first, it didn't even feel real. Just a faint burning inside, a strange pulse running beneath my skin. But when Father saw it, the look on his face told me everything: shock, fear, and something deeper, despair.
He had always been strong, my father. A former adventurer who taught me how to fight, how to live, and how to stand tall. He used to tell me stories about Mother, who I never got to meet since she died giving birth to me. He tried to stay calm, but I could see the truth in his eyes. He knew exactly what was happening. And so did I.
Still, we pretended. He smiled, said it was fine, said we'd find a way. But rumours spread faster than hope ever could. The villagers began to whisper. The kids who used to play with me no longer came near. The adults averted their eyes, their faces twisting in disgust whenever they saw me.
Before long, I wasn't allowed to leave the house. Even then, I didn't hate them. I just couldn't understand. But things got worse quickly.
One night, the village chief brought in mercenaries. I overheard them talking; they were here to "purify" me. Father argued with them, shouted until his voice broke. Then steel clashed, and the next thing I knew, he was gone. He died protecting me.
I thought I'd be next. But instead of killing me, they tied me up. I heard them laughing, talking about selling me to the Church. Apparently, people like me fetched a good price. They said it was mercy.
We travelled for days. I stopped feeling hunger, or fear, or anything. Just emptiness. The corruption spread fast. My vision blurred. My body felt heavy. Before long, I couldn't even see anymore, just darkness swallowing everything.
And then, she appeared.
A voice reached me through the void, calm and steady, yet filled with warmth. When I opened my eyes, she stood there. She didn't flinch. She didn't look at me like I was a monster just a twelve year old girl.
In that instant, I knew she was the one who had saved me. The one who had cut down those who murdered my father. The one who freed me from the curse consuming my soul. The moment I saw her, I could feel it, my body, my spirit, everything, becoming whole again.
I didn't know her name then, but I will never forget that feeling. Gratitude. Relief. That day, my life ended, and a new one began. The one I chose.
She told me to leave after saving me. Her tone wasn't cold, but it was distant. She only asked one thing of me: not to tell anyone about her. At first, I didn't understand. Then she explained quietly that if people found out about her, she'd be hunted. I understood immediately.
So I asked her one question. "If you knew I was dangerous… why didn't you kill me?" She paused for a long time before answering. "I don't know," she said at last. That was all.
Father once told me that when the time comes, when life and death stand side by side, I must never show mercy to those who could threaten me. "That's the rule of survival," he said. But when the time came, he didn't follow that rule. He chose me instead.
And now, she had done the same.
In that instant, something inside me shifted. I didn't just want to follow her out of gratitude. I needed to. If I couldn't repay her, then I'd protect her. If I couldn't protect her, then at least I'd stand beside her. Even if she didn't want me to.
She refused at first, of course. Told me to stay behind, to live freely. But I'm, well, known to be a little persistent. And little by little, she stopped arguing.
I could tell she didn't trust me, not completely at least. It was natural. After all, I'm a Majin now. Father once told me Majins were dangerous beings, monsters in human skin. He used to say that if I ever met one, I should run and never look back.
And yet, here I am, standing being one. If what he said was true, then that means I'm dangerous too now. Maybe even powerful. Maybe even someone she could rely on.
From then on, I decided I'd do everything she asked of me. Not that she gives many orders. Most of the time, she just tells me to train. That's all I can do anyway, since I can't go outside the house she rented.
She said anyone with mana perception or a similar skill would notice what I am right away, that my magicules, my very presence, would give me away. If that happened, I'd be in danger. But more than that, she would be too. Because by hiding me, she's sheltering what the world calls an enemy of humanity.
That thought alone makes my chest tighten. The risk she's taking for me, a monster. It only deepens my gratitude.
She calls me "Alpha." At first, I thought she was changing my name. It made me a bit nervous; Mother gave me my name, after all. But she quickly denied it, saying it wasn't a new name, just a title. Then she explained I shouldn't speak about naming so carelessly, because as a magical being, I can be named or renamed.
There are many things that changed after I became a Majin. I no longer need to eat or drink, yet I still do. I like the taste of food.
That day, she stood, ready to leave. "Okay, Alpha. I'm heading out," she said, tightening her cloak. "Remember, I don't know when I'll return. But at late a month. If I don't come back by then, it means I'm already dead."
Her words were calm, but each one hit me like a blade. I couldn't help it. I stepped forward, clutching her sleeve before I realised it. "Please… take me with you," I pleaded again.
Her expression didn't change. "We've already talked about this." The firmness in her tone made my heart sink. She wasn't usually this strict, not with training, not with chores, not even with mistakes. Only this. Only this topic made her draw a line I couldn't cross.
It could only mean one thing. The place she was going was dangerous. Too dangerous.
"Is it really necessary?" I asked again, even though she'd explained it so many times before. She didn't answer right away. Her gaze drifted toward the window, her eyes distant. Finally, she spoke softly. "It's something I have to do, Alpha. For the future."
That's all she ever said. Every time I asked, the same answer. For the future. But whose future? Hers? Mine?
"Now go back to your room," she said. Her voice was calm but distant, final. She didn't want me to see her leave. I wanted to argue, but I didn't. I never do. So I turned and walked back to my room, just as she ordered.
There wasn't much inside, just a simple bed, a small drawer filled with clothes, and the wooden sword I used for training. It was quiet. Too quiet. I sat down and closed my eyes, activating the mana perception technique she'd taught me. I still couldn't see magicules like she could, but I could feel them, like faint ripples in the air. Through those ripples, I could always sense her presence.
"Huh?"
For a split second, the presence flickered, gone, as if she'd vanished. I blinked, shaking my head. No, it must've been my imagination. She wouldn't just disappear like that.
"Alpha!"
Her voice echoed through the hall. I jumped to my feet and ran straight to her room. She was standing there, but different. Her clothes weren't the same, she must have used magic to change them.
She glanced at me, then frowned a little. "How much time has passed?"
"Eh?" I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"After I told you to go back to your room," she clarified. "How long has it been?"
"Uh… a minute or two?"
She muttered something under her breath right after, fast and quiet, but I caught a few words. "Time dilation, synchronised offset, dimensional travel."
There she goes again, using words I don't understand. Things like Eminence in Shadow, Tensura, and other strange terms that sound more like names than magic.
Finally, I asked softly, "Shadow, aren't you going?"
She paused, blinking at me. "Oh, that? Don't worry, Alpha. I'm not leaving again, not for a while."
Her answer made me blink. Not leaving again? When did she leave the first time? I didn't understand completely, but that's fine.
Because right now, she's here. She cancelled whatever dangerous plan she had.
And for me, that's enough.
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So how was the story till now? I tried to show alpha perspective, she is mature mentally but it's normal considering the type of world she lives in. Just leave a review to share your thoughts.