The morning fog lingered over Heilong Dominion Academy, curling around the polished stone paths and reflecting in the glass windows of the towering main building. Lin Yuexin adjusted her uniform carefully, smoothing the sharp lines of the blazer over her shoulders. Her fingers lingered over the fabric as if the act of straightening it could anchor her in this world—a world of Alphas, dominance, and unspoken power.
She inhaled, tasting the faint metallic scent of rain lingering on the air, and forced herself to move forward. Every step she took echoed softly against the wet stone. Students turned to glance at her—some with curiosity, some with amusement, some with disdain. And Yuexin knew instinctively that the group at the far end of the courtyard, led by Xu Meilin, were already observing her with calculated malice.
Meilin's crimson Phoenix mark gleamed faintly as she sauntered forward, her heels clicking against the stone like a warning. The smaller group of tjej-alphas flanking her whispered to each other, sharp, practiced tones, their eyes flicking toward Yuexin every few seconds.
"Well, look who's awake early," Meilin purred, her voice soft but cutting, the words meant to slice beneath the surface. She leaned in just slightly, enough for Yuexin to feel the brush of her presence without making contact. "The little human. You've been surviving the halls so far… impressive, I suppose. For now."
Yuexin's lips pressed together, forcing her face into neutrality. "Good morning," she replied softly, her tone even and calm. Every word, every breath, was carefully measured.
Meilin's smirk sharpened, and she tilted her head, the gesture almost predatory. "We'll see how long that lasts," she whispered, turning to her clique. "Watch her. She's… interesting."
The whispers followed Yuexin as she walked toward the classroom. Every glance, every chuckle, was a test, a subtle probe into her reactions. She felt the suppressant humming faintly beneath her skin, keeping her human scent masked, but she could still sense the currents of attention swirling around her, thick and charged.
The first class of the day was Strategy and Social Hierarchy, a subject that tested both intellect and subtle dominance. Yuexin slipped into the back of the room, eyes scanning carefully. The other students were already seated, their marks glowing faintly—Red Phoenix, Silver Wolf, White Tiger, Black Dragon—symbols of power and lineage.
Xu Meilin took her seat not far from Yuexin, her gaze never straying. Every movement Meilin made seemed designed to dominate the space: the slow tilt of her head, the deliberate adjustment of her hair, the way she leaned back with a perfect curve of posture. Her followers echoed the performance, a synchronized display of subtle intimidation.
Yuexin kept her head down, notebook open, pretending to review yesterday's notes. Observation, patience, calculation—these were her only weapons. One slip, one misstep, and she could be exposed as a human, unmarked, vulnerable.
Halfway through the lesson, Yuexin felt the first brush of public scrutiny—Meilin's chosen tactic. One of her followers, a tall girl with piercing green eyes, subtly nudged Yuexin's shoulder with her own, brushing lightly as if by accident. The touch was almost imperceptible, but Yuexin's heart jumped, and she forced herself to remain composed.
"Careful," the girl whispered under her breath, the tone both warning and teasing. "They'll notice if you falter."
Yuexin's pulse quickened, and for a moment, the suppressant flickered faintly. She gritted her teeth, focusing on steady breathing, willing her muscles to obey, her face to remain neutral. No reaction. Survival first.
Across the room, Yichen leaned lazily against the wall, smirking at the scene. His eyes glinted with amusement, catching every subtle tremor in her posture. He didn't approach yet, but Yuexin felt the magnetic pull of his presence, teasing, challenging, almost daring her to break composure.
At the front, Zhenyu's gaze was precise and measured. He did not speak, did not intervene, but the quiet intensity of his observation pressed on her subtly, a tether keeping her grounded amidst the predatory attention. She sensed his protective awareness, careful and quiet, a contrast to Yichen's teasing dominance.
The lesson ended with a group exercise. Yuexin was paired unwillingly with Meilin's clique. Her stomach twisted at the thought of performing in front of the entire group.
"Try not to embarrass yourself," Meilin whispered in Yuexin's ear, just enough for her to hear. The faint brush of her hair against Yuexin's shoulder sent an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Yuexin nodded politely, keeping her face neutral. "I'll do my best," she replied softly, careful not to betray her racing pulse.
The exercise began, and Meilin's group wasted no time in asserting dominance. Whispered comments, subtle smirks, deliberate misdirection—it was a social chess match, and Yuexin was the pawn. She moved carefully, following the plan in her mind, keeping her responses neutral, yet effective enough to avoid obvious failure.
One of the girls, noticing Yuexin's hesitation, leaned closer. "You're human, right?" she hissed. "You don't belong here. You can't match us."
Yuexin forced a calm smile. "I can learn," she said, voice steady, though her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the papers on the table. The subtle tremor went unnoticed by the others, but she felt it—proof that her body was still human, fragile, unmarked.
By midday, whispers had spread through the school. Yuexin's presence had not gone unnoticed, and the invisible currents of attention from Alphas pulsed through the corridors. Meilin's smile had grown sharper, more calculating, as she whispered to her clique.
"She's hiding something," Meilin said under her breath, eyes narrowing. "I can smell it. Something's… off about her. Watch closely."
The words reached Yuexin like a faint vibration, and her pulse spiked. Every step now felt heavier, each glance more dangerous. She understood: suspicion was as deadly as open hostility.
During lunch, Yuexin sought a quiet corner under the shade of a tree in the courtyard. She tried to eat quickly, quietly, but even here she was not safe. Yichen appeared again, sliding onto the bench across from her, casual, teasing.
"Eating alone, human?" he asked, voice low, playful. "Scared of the world already?"
Yuexin kept her head down, voice flat. "I prefer quiet."
He leaned closer, just enough for her to feel the warmth of his body. "Quiet, huh? Interesting. I wonder how long that will last here…" His smirk lingered, teasing, dominant, as if testing her limits without touching.
From the edge of the courtyard, Zhenyu's presence was unmistakable, though silent. Every Alpha seemed to respect the invisible boundary he created. Yuexin felt a strange sense of comfort mixed with fear. She could survive, for now, with his quiet watchfulness looming nearby.
The afternoon brought the first public humiliation. Yuexin had been called to answer a question in front of the class, a seemingly simple request that quickly turned into a test of her composure.
"Tell us, transfer student," Meilin said sweetly, her crimson mark blazing faintly, "what makes you think you can survive among us?"
All eyes turned to Yuexin. The weight of dozens of gazes pressed against her, each one judging, testing, probing. Her pulse quickened, the suppressant struggling faintly beneath her skin, warning of potential exposure. She inhaled deeply, forcing her voice to remain calm.
"I… I can adapt," she said softly, tone even, eyes forward, refusing to flinch or give them satisfaction.
A few students snickered, others whispered, but she held her ground. Meilin's smirk widened, not at defeat, but at the challenge. Yuexin understood immediately: she had survived, but the war for observation, for dominance, was only beginning.
By the time classes ended, Yuexin was mentally exhausted. Every glance, every whisper, every subtle brush or comment had been a test, and she had navigated them all. Yet the sensation of being watched, assessed, and manipulated lingered like a shadow.
Walking back to her dormitory, she sensed Yichen trailing just a few steps behind, silent but palpably present. Zhenyu remained a shadow at the edge of her awareness, quiet, protective, and dominant.
Alone in her room, Yuexin finally allowed herself to relax slightly. Her reflection stared back, pale, human, unmarked—but unbroken. She had survived the day, endured her first public humiliation, and had remained standing.
And yet, the tension remained, whispering that her struggles were only beginning. Meilin's suspicion, the tjej-alphas' malice, and the relentless, silent claims of the two brothers would not relent. Yuexin understood one undeniable truth: in Heilong Dominion Academy, being human was a weapon, a weakness, and a challenge all at once.
And she had only just begun to learn how to wield it.