Chapter Text
It had been a trying day. And nothing sounded better in that moment than collapsing into their new bed. Quotations on the “new”. The layer of dust covering just about everything in this ramshackled building threatened to summon a second coming of allergies Yuu thought they had gotten over in high school. And with no money or possessions but the clothes on their back to their name, Yuu’s confidence in procuring a box of Claritin was abysmally low. And it was likely going to take several weeks of herculean efforts to turn this place into something even remotely habitable.
Thankfully, the ghosts were kind enough to finally tell them where the spare bedsheets and pillow cases were (after they had been fully satisfied and amused by Grim’s fire of course). Yuu could only hope that they took pity on them and left them alone for the rest of the evening. There hadn’t even been a single moment all day for them to gather their thoughts together on being transported to and stranded in a forigen dimension. Let alone acknowledging that yes, magic was real.
Yuu sighed and plopped down onto the bed. The bed frame creaked and a layer of dust shook loose from bottom, but at least the rest of it was clean. Grim was already asleep in a little nest he had made for himself at the foot of the bed, occasionally talking to himself in his sleep. Yuu had always wanted a pet cat but somehow didn’t imagine this was how it would look like. At least not with the flickering blue flames and the forked tail or the… Ability to speak.
Yuu tugged off their jacket and set it beneath the pillow, not trusting to place it anywhere else in the dusty room. Then, gingerly, they pulled their collar down so their right shoulder was reveled, flinching as the fabric pulled against the suppressant pad that had been on way too long. It wasn’t meant to be worn for more than 24 hours but Yuu had no way of knowing how long they had been sleeping in that coffin for.
They stood up and made their way over to the fireplace and wiped away the film of dust that covered the mirror hanging there. Even in the low light they could see that the skin around the square white patch was red and irritated. Taking a deep breath they peeled the patch off trying their best to suppress the cry of pain they desperately wanted to let out, lest they wake Grim.
It was as Yuu thought. The skin was still intact thankfully, but surely another day or two and it would’ve started bleeding. The chemicals they put in omega pads weren’t meant to sit and stew for an extended period of time. While they worked wonders for suppressing the scent of an omega (and thus allowing omegas to lead more stable, independent, and safe lives), the reaction with the scent gland they covered became abrasive after 24 hours. Yuu had even heard of omegas needing to be sent to the emergency room for wearing them for too long.
They sighed again as they rubbed a hand over the inflamed scent gland. It stung at the skin but helped to relieve the cramping of the muscles beneath. They would have to let it sit and breathe tonight. Hopefully the scent build up wouldn’t be too terribly noticeable. And hopefully there was a working shower in the dilapidated dorm. They just had to get up before Grim did and replace the bedsheets. That’s if the cat creature could even pick up on human omegan scent, but Yuu wasn’t going to take that risk.
They folded the old suppressant pad and placed it into the drawer next to the bed. Then they pulled their jacket out from under the pillow again and pulled open one of several inner pockets. Anxiously, they began to count how many spare pads they had on them.
No omega would dare go out without several spares, but Yuu had gotten into a habit of bringing even more just in case they ran across anyone who needed but didn’t have one. Having been caught off guard by an early heat in public once had been enough to teach Yuu that lesson. More was better and it was better to be safe than sorry.
Without knowing how long it would be until they could find a way home, Yuu calculated that they had roughly a week of suppressants. Maybe more if they stretched the usage of each past it’s recommended time. The stinging of their left shoulder seemed to protest the idea though. They also had no idea of what kind of medicine there was in this world and if they’d be equipped to handle an omega suffering from suppressant toxic shock.
It seemed their best bet was just to keep using it and hope that they either found a way home or found another solution to hide their scent. Yuu had definitely smelled alphas and betas during orientation so it wasn’t too out there to assume there were omegas as well in this world. And while suppressants were a rather new invention in their own world, perhaps someone came up with a magical solution here.
Not that Yuu could use magic of course.
With their mind swirling anxiously, Yuu finally forced themself to lay down and try to sleep. The old building creaked ominously around them and every noise made them fear that the ghosts were back again to cause mischief.
But eventually, but fitfully, they fell into the dark embrace of sleep.
~*~
Another chestnut went flying and Yuu paused again in their scrounging to sigh. It hadn’t even been 10 minutes and already Grim and Ace were at it again, chucking chestnuts at one another and arguing. Except this time Deuce had been somehow drawn into the fray. Oh, and now Grim’s chestnuts were lit with blue flames. Wonderful.
How nice it was to be so carefree. Yuu would’ve thought after the whole debacle with the chandelier and magestone and whatever that terrifying ink monster had been that they’d be over the petty squabbling. Or at least, be able to work together well enough to do something as simple as gather chestnuts. A task, Yuu reminded themself, that was being done in favor for Ace who had somehow already gotten on the bad side of his dorm leader and was now freeloading at Ramshackle.
Not that Yuu didn’t like the hot headed Heartslabyul alpha, but it was already hard enough trying to keep their designation a secret around Grim and the ghosts. That’s on top of the fact that Yuu should be in the library right now researching ways to either get home or find a replacement for their quickly diminishing supply of suppression pads, but was instead roped into trying to clean up another one of Ace’s problems.
Yuu liked their new friends. They really did. But their chaotic energy was sometimes just too much to handle.
“Guys, can we please focus so we can get back to Trey and finish the damn tart?” Yuu finally snapped when a flaming blue chestnut flew past their face. The other three froze, not expecting the normally calm and level headed human to lose their temper. “Please? Ace, didn’t you desperately want that collar off?”
“Yeesh, Yuu,” Grim drawled. “What’s up with you today- OOF!” He glared up at Deuce who elbowed the cat meaningfully..
“Sorry, Yuu. You’re right,” Deuce said.
Ace too looked guilty. “Sorry, Yuu. Yeah I do want this collar off. Thanks for helping me with this. I do appreciate it.”
Yuu sighed. “Alright. And I’m sorry for losing my temper. I’ve just got…” They thought about their suppressant problem. “... A lot on my mind.”
If the other three were curious about what they meant, they didn’t let it show. Soon they were back on task and efficiently gathering chestnuts together as a group. It took a whole 20 minutes this time for another fight to break out between Grim and Ace but Yuu could only sigh and smile. After all, they wouldn’t be them if they behaved any differently and it wasn’t as if Yuu couldn’t see them trying. And at the end of the day, that’s all they could ask of their friends.
A few minutes later Yuu noticed that Deuce had stopped collecting chestnuts. When he noticed them staring he motioned to their large pile of nuts and said, “I think we’re gonna need something a bit bigger than what we brought to carry all this.”
“They are pretty sharp to hold. Maybe we should take a break and look around for a basket,” Yuu suggested. “They’ve got to have something in the greenhouse.” They pointed at the glass building just past the apple orchard.
“Hey, what are you guys talking about?” Ace shouted at them from a dozen yards away. He ducked a (thankfully flame-less this time) chestnut. Grim cackled and quickly ran to hide behind a tree, his forked tail still in view and waving in unconcealed glee. Yuu shook their head fondly.
“We need something to carry this all in,” Deuce replied, waving a hand at their stockpile.
“I’m gonna check the greenhouse,” Yuu said, starting to walk away. After spending nearly an hour constantly bending over to pick up prickly little nuts, being able to stretch their legs left good. And the breeze was nice too. They were still feeling anxious about their suppressant problem, but they were starting to feel better about being outdoors today. It was a nice day.
The inside of the greenhouse was just as nice. Whoever cared for the garden clearly had much love for their craft, and likely magic at their disposal. The scent was soothing though Yuu couldn’t recognize even half of the plants in here. The apples outside were familiar, but in here there were fruits that Yuu never would have conceived of existing. It went beyond exotic. Like everything else in this world, the botanical garden was magical.
“Gh- ow!”
Yuu squeaked in surprise as their foot sank into something soft and pliant. They jumped back and saw that they had stepped on a hose of some sort. A furry hose…
“You’ve got some nerve stepping on someone’s tail without saying anything,” a deep voice drawled. Suddenly a young man sat up from where he’d been lying, hidden behind a large plant with flourishing turquoise leaves. Yuu was struck by vivid green eyes that felt as if they could pierce right through the soul.
And then they noticed the ears. Round and furry lion ears that twitch in the same way Grim’s did when the feline was annoyed.
“Well?” The beastman asked.
“I-I’m sorry,” Yuu stuttered, not quite knowing why they felt so unsettled.
“Hm?” He continued and suddenly the beastman was in Yuu’s space, nose twitching as he took several curious sniffs. “Aren’t you that herbivore that made a ruckus at the entrance ceremony? You have an interesting scent.”
Yuu felt themself freeze in terror, going as still as prey before a dangerous predator.
“... I really can’t smell a single spec of magic on you. Hah, how interesting,” the beastman mused to himself. “But there’s something else too-”
“A basket!” Yuu shouted suddenly, cutting him off.
“Hah? What’s this herbivor going on about now?”
Yuu paled, “I uh… I was looking for a basket to hold uh… Chestnuts in when I uh… Accidentally stepped on your tail- Which I’m really sorry about!”
The beastman looked utterly unamused by this explanation, right ear twitching irritably. “You first step on the great Leona Kingscholar’s tail and then dare to make a demand? And to think I was having such a lovely nap as well…”
“I- '' Yuu gulped, “I really am sorry about that. Also I wasn’t demanding. I just wanted to know if you had seen-”
“Another word out of you, Beta,” Leona suddenly snapped, voice low and dangerous, “and you’d better be prepared to leave a tooth behind.”
Yuu’s jaw clicked shut. The terror from before returned in full force. At least the alpha (and Yuu could clearly smell that this man was an alpha now that he was close enough) was convinced they were a regular beta. But now their bigger worry was getting out of this situation with a grumpy beastman unscathed. Those claws didn’t look like they were just for decoration and it felt like any sudden movement could set the man off. The scent of a domineering alpha filled the air, drowning out the spring scent of the garden around them. Hot and muted, like shifting grains of sands in a desert threatening to rise up in a storm.
“Leeoonaa~”
And just like that Yuu watched as Leona’s nose wrinkled in distaste and all the tension of the situation suddenly dissipated and the alpha scent with it. The man let out a noise of annoyance and flopped back onto the ground (where Yuu could now see there was a blanket laid out). Behind them an unfamiliar person appeared, skipping surprisingly merrily over to the two.
The newcomer likewise was a beastman, but his ears were larger than Leona’s. Yuu couldn’t quite place what animal he was supposed to be (a dingo? a coyote?) but he definitely wasn’t a lion like the beastman laying on the ground was. He too was wearing a yellow armband that signified a member of Savanclaw.
“You’re late for your remedial classes again, Leona,” the newcomer grinned down at the lion. He glanced over at Yuu with a conspiratorial look as if they were in on a particularly funny secret or joke despite Yuu not even knowing the beastman’s name. “If you keep on failing, you’ll end up being in the same classes as me.” He let out a particularly hiss-like chuckle.
“There seem to be a lot of annoying pests in the greenhouse today,” Leona grunted. “Perhaps it’s time I find a new place to lounge.”
“Now now, Leona,” the newcomer chastised. “No need to be that way. I’m just trying to make sure my leader passes his class.”
“I don’t need to listen to you nagging, Ruggie,” Leona snapped, though it was without heat.
“And I wouldn’t have to nag if you’d just apply yourself a little bit,” Ruggie grinned mischievously. He once again glanced over at Yuu who really didn’t know what to do with themself in this situation. “Everyone knows you’re smart enough. And it’s not as if I enjoy lecturing you, ya know. Common, let’s go.”
Leona growled but seemed to finally relent to the logic. He stood up as graceful as a cat and stretched out, then turned and looked at Yuu again. His green eyes narrowed dangerously. “Watch yourself, herbivor. You won’t be let off so easily next time.” And he walked away, not even bothering to gather up the blanket on the ground.
Ruggie laughed and gave Yuu one final wink before turning to follow the other beastman. And Yuu was left alone at last at a loss for words.
It took a few moments to gather themself but finally Yuu remembered why they had come to the botanical garden in the first place and set off to find those baskets. Which they did eventually discover in an unlocked shed. Hopefully the groundskeeper wouldn’t be too troubled until Yuu could return it. When they returned to the orchard it seemed that they were the only one with any luck finding a basket but thankfully no one asked why they looked so pale and skittish despite the concerned glances Deuce kept shooting their way.
The trip back to the kitchens was only slightly less chaotic now that they were back amongst protected school property under the supervision of a nosy headmaster who seemed capable of materializing from thinair whenever trouble brewed. It helped that Yuu kept Grim occupied with mindless chatter which also doubled as a way for them to keep their mind off the terrifying encounter with those two Savanaclaw students.
Trey was delighted to see all the chestnuts they had gathered and the entire group quickly got to work on the tart.
Yuu had passable experience in the kitchen, favoring cooking to baking, but was somewhat familiar with tarts. They especially liked making pastry and crusts and left the filling to the other boys to deal with. Trey watched over the entire group with a critical eye the whole time and came over when Yuu started adding the butter to the flour mixture.
“You have a good hand,” he commented. “You bake at home?”
Yuu hummed. “Occasionally. My favorite bakery closed a few years ago and I really wanted their signature apple pie so I tried my hand at making my own. The first time wasn’t great but I got pretty good at making pie crusts- not that I think pie crusts are anything like tart crusts,” they quickly assured the tall beta. “I never did get to the level of my favorite bakery but I like to think I can make a pretty mean apple pie.”
“My family owns a bakery, you know,” Trey commented. “I’d also like to think my baking skills aren’t anything to scoff at, and from what I can see you seem fairly reliable in the kitchen.” Yuu felt themself flush at the praise. “The college leaves the kitchens open to students for a reason. If you’d like, you can assist me in baking once in a while. And maybe we can see about leveling up that pie baking skill of yours.” He smiled down at them with a charming grin, “Maybe I can even bake you a pie and see how it compares one day.”
With how chaotic their welcoming to this forigen world has been so far, Yuu felt particularly touched by the gesture. They smiled brightly up at the tall beta and nodded, “Thanks, Trey. I think I’ll take you up on that offer. I’d love to try one of your pies.”
He laughed. It was a full and hearty laugh. “Good to know.”
There was a clang from across the kitchen and the sound of something igniting. Ace and Grim’s voices rose up in heated argument and Trey sighed.
“I’d better go check up on that,” he said, shaking his head.
Yuu chuckled in sympathy, “Yeah, probably.”
~*~
Strangely enough, Yuu was having a hard time finding much information on omegas at all in the library. Oh they existed for sure, the term omega showing up in a sentence here or a little blurb over there, but there was nothing more substantial than that.
They had stopped by the library after they’d finished the tart with Trey’s oversight. Alone it had tasted marvelous but with Trey’s signature spell it had tasted just like the apple pie from Yuu’s memories. After thanking Trey for all his help, Yuu said goodbye to their other friends (and after extracting a promise from Grim not to cause trouble) and rushed to the library before it closed for the evening. They’d managed to pick up three books on secondary gender before the librarian had kicked them out and they rushed back to Ramshackle for the night.
Grim and Ace were likely still at the cafeteria when Yuu made it back and immediately set off to reading, the last three suppressant pads in their pocket acting as an effective motivator. They were still reading when Grim and Ace returned to the dorm, the latter bearing a take-out tray of lukewarm pasta.
“We didn’t see you at dinner,” the alpha explained with reddened cheeks. “Figured you’d be holed up at the library again doing… Whatever it is you’re always doing there.” He’d thrust the tray into their arms before they could protest or thank him. “Don’t forget to take care of yourself too, Yuu.” And with that he’d hurried off into the room they’d spent the last-minute preparing for him.
Feeling warmed by both the gesture and the meal in their belly Yuu immediately set off to read again, eyes scanning and devouring pages with a ferocity they hadn’t felt in ages. Yet page after page yielded little to no information on either of their predicaments. Despite all three books being dedicated to the topic of secondary genders, each only focused on alphas and betas almost exclusively. Information on omegas seemingly nowhere to be found…
… Except for the very last chapter of the third book.
It was well after midnight when Yuu had finally gotten to it, the final chapter titled “Magical Precaution”. Something in the first paragraph immediately jumped out at them.
“ … the disappearance of omegas is not well documented.”
Yuu shook their head and reread the paragraph. And again. And again.
Somehow and sometime in history, when magic was just becoming more widely known and used (Yuu was surprised to find out that magic hadn’t always been the norm in this universe) had correlated almost directly with the disappearance of omegas from all facets of societies. Omegas did still exist, but their existence was highly guarded and coveted and information on them tightly controlled for their protection. No one knows why or how the omegan population had declined so fast (though from what Yuu could glean, the author seemed to believe the truth of their decline was purposefully kept redacted by governing parties), but many suspected it had to do with the rise in magical usage (and a term “overblot” which Yuu couldn’t find a referencing definition for).
Whatever the reason may be, magic did not have any worse adverse effects on alpha and betas whose populations grew to fill the void the omegas left. But the author cautioned readers to still be on the lookout for any change in the way magic reacted to secondary genders, stating that magic was still highly unpredictable despite its many uses and boons to society.
Yuu finished the last page and closed the book in shock. Their fingers trembling as they ran them over the soft leather cover of the book. So that’s why they could never find anything useful on omegas and why the librarian gave them a particularly scathing glare the first (and last) time they had asked about the topic. Three things occurred to them then:
One, the library wasn’t going to be of any help in finding a solution to keeping their designation a secret.
Two, the stakes of hiding their designation just got a whole lot higher.
And three… There must be a way to hide omegas in this world if they still existed but were kept under guard.
Unless of course, the government literally kept any omegas born locked up their entire lives which was horrible and dystopian to even consider. And likely improbable due to how many different ruling bodies with conflicting ideals there were in this strange new land.
The only question now was… How was Yuu going to figure this out with a three day deadline?
~*~
The question plagued Yuu the entire fitful night in which sleep came at infrequent and easily disrupted intervals. Between that and flashes of a strange dream about cards and roses and a terrifying Queen, Yuu woke up feeling like there was an invisible hand pulling down on their entire face and their eyes were dry and sore. Grim had even commented in both a shocked and concerned tone when he’d woken up and saw them. Ace was thankfully more tactful than that and merely gave them a smile that was probably meant to look encouraging but didn’t.
Deuce knocked on their door not long after that and brought breakfast for everyone with him. Yuu smiled gratefully at him when he handed them a styrofoam cup filled with coffee and packets of sugar, touched that he remembered that they preferred it to the tea everyone else enjoyed.
Ace, Deuce, and Grim all wolfed down their breakfast like the uncultured ravenous beasts they were while Yuu picked at their food not feeling particularly encouraged. Between the unbirthday party in a few hours and their biological looming deadline and the lack of restful sleep, their anxiety and rolling stomach hardly wanted anything to do with the plate of thick cut sausages and fluffy pancakes drenched in syrup. The folks in Heartslabyul sure liked their sweets.
Still, Yuu forced themselves to eat not wanting to waste any food nor Deuce’s thoughtfulness. It was rare enough when any of their three friends did something nice for selfless reasons and Yuu wanted to make sure they all knew that they were appreciated. Plus, Yuu also knew that they would need the energy to get through the day.
Halfway through breakfast there was another knock on the door which was reveled to be Cater who was there to fetch them for the party. Or rather, fetched them to help set up for the party as was his usual M.O. Thankfully, the food and coffee had brought some life and feeling back into their body and Yuu was looking and feeling more normal. Another reason to thank Deuce. No doubt Cater would’ve taken the chance to snap up a photo of them looking absolutely terrible and sleep deprived, the menace.
They’d rushed over as a group to pick up the chestnut tart, which was just as pretty and yummy looking as yesterday. Maybe even more so now that it’s had an entire night to chill and firm up. The smell was certainly divine made obvious by how many times Yuu had to gently slap Grim’s grubby paws away as they made their way over to the Heartslabyul dormitory.
Yuu nearly dropped the tart (which would’ve been a certifiable disaster) when a second Cater greeted them at the dorm and a third threw his arm around their shoulder in greeting. Thankfully, one of the several Caters now revealed to be running around quickly liberated the tart from Yuu’s arms to be placed in a nearby fridge for safekeeping until the party.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Cater number 3 chuckled from where he still had his arm slung around Yuu’s shoulders. “Cat got your tongue?” He guffawed his own joke and at the way Grim heatedly protested at how he was not a cat. Then the four of them were ushered by another Cater in a tracksuit towards the rose hedges again as the beta explained his signature spell “Split Card” to them.
The flower painting process went a lot smoother this time around and soon each and every rose was shining in a glistening rich red. The good job finished was commemorated by Cater snapping a selfie group photo of all of them and posting it immediately to whatever this world’s equivalent of instagram was. Yuu wouldn’t know. They couldn’t afford a phone yet.
And then the unbirthday party began.
Yuu hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting the infamous Heartslabyul dormleader yet and hadn’t quite expected someone so… Well… Omegan. With his soft omegan features, large cute eyes, slender frame, and short stature, him being an omega would be anyone’s first visual impression. That is, until they got a whiff of his scent.
Overwhelmingly alpha. That was the scent of an alpha meant to lead. Yuu had only met a handful of alphas who exerted such a presence and scent in their lifetime. The last had been back at the botanical garden with that Savanaclaw beastman named Leona, but even his had been more muted and laidback compared to this. It was like comparing the calm but steady scent of a warm desert -deadly but sedated for the moment- to the burning intensity of the sun above.
Yuu fought to keep from covering their nose as Riddle Rosehearts greeted his dorm residents. They felt like they were watching a procession of a king greeting his peasants. Or perhaps a queen would be more fitting considering the context. Regardless, it took all of Yuu’s willpower not to turn away to get away from the scent, their inner omega preening to come out and greet such a powerful alpha.
“Yuu? Are you okay?” Grim asked, tugging at their pants.
They just nodded at the little feline, not daring to speak at that moment. Meanwhile Cater was explaining the Queen of Heart’s decree of formal wear while Ace and Deuce admired their new duds. Trey and Riddle were discussing the party in the distance, admiring the various decorations that met expected standards. Something about jam on a doormouse's nose? Yuu couldn’t say because their brain was still swirling at the sudden introduction of Riddle’s overwhelming scent.
Riddle must’ve been putting out the scent purposefully and Yuu slowly realized why. The only people who would be adversely affected by an alpha displaying their dominance through scent was omegas. And as far as any of them were concerned, everyone here was an alpha or a beta. Considering omegas haven’t been common in their society for centuries now, they likely didn’t have the same decorum of keeping your alpha scent contained like they did in Yuu’s world. No alpha there would dare go around in public flaunting their scent like Riddle was currently doing. And it was making Yuu dizzy.
“I think I need to sit down,” they managed to choke out.
Grim made a noise of concern but followed them to a table anyways. As much as the fiery feline liked to profuse that he was independent and powerful and that Yuu was his servant, he was actually quite dependent on Yuu’s presence. Likely finding some subconscious comfort in Yuu’s suppressed omegan scent. Yuu suspected that the cat was far younger than he let on too. Likely still a child by human standards.
Grim only grumbled a little when Yuu plucked him up from beneath his arms and pulled the feline into their lap, burying their face into his soft warm fur. The cat also had that comforting unpresented scent that all children had beneath that cat smell of his. Like the scent of warm milk. It had an immediately calming effect. A balm to the agitation Riddle’s pheromones was causing.
It was when they finally felt like they were feeling normal again that Riddle’s enraged voice suddenly cut through the entire crowd.
“Rule number 562 as decreed by her highness The Queen of Hearts herself,” Riddle shouted. “One must never bring a chestnut tart to an Unbirthday Party. You dare insult me to my face in such a manner and ruin a perfectly good unbirthday party?”
Yuu glanced up to see Ace’s shocked but slowly growing enraged face
“Excuse me-” Ace sputtered indignantly. “I’m trying to apologize here. How is that even a real rule-”
Riddle scoffed. “As expected of a blatant rule breaker. There are exactly 810 decrees by The Queen and as head of Heartslabyul I have them all memorized by heart and hold all others of this dorm to the same standard. Anything less would be offensive and impermissible.” He clapped his hands together and two upperclassmen quickly rushed to his side. “Dispose of this insulting tart and have the rule breakers thrown out.”
“Whoa whoa whoa!” Grim protested from Yuu’s lap. “If you’re just gonna toss it, let me eat it!”
Ace looked just about to explode when Trey stepped in front of him, holding an arm out to tell him to stand back. “My apologies, Dorm Leader.” He began, “it was my fault. It was I who suggested making a chestnut tart. I’ll take full responsibility-”
Riddle waved him off impatiently, face scrunched up in anger. “It doesn’t matter who made the tart. What matters is that it was brought here today! Right now! That’s the issue!”
Ace, Deuce, and Grim all began loudly protesting when the two upperclassmen started to take the tart away. Yuu watched the entire scene unfold with disbelief. They thought of how much time they had spent the day before making that tart… Time that Yuu couldn’t spare but did so anyway for their friends sake because some asshole alpha couldn’t handle any perceived slight to his authority.
Fury clawed up Yuu’s throat and quelled the preening omega within them. They stood up abruptly, still careful to deposit Grim safely onto the chair as they did so, and faced Riddle with a glare. “How can you prioritize such a stupid rule over all the effort they put into making that tart for you!”
For the first time that morning, the powerful alpha’s attention was turned solely onto them.
“Stupid…?” Came the slow and dangerous reply.
Yuu heard Cater bemoaning the response and begging them to just step down but refused to break eye contact with Riddle.
“Yes, stupid. ” Yuu emphasized, undeterred. Without Grim’s soft milk scent to calm them, Riddle’s overwhelming alpha was starting to make them dizzy again but their anger helped to keep their mind clear. “Do you have any idea how long everyone worked to make that tart yesterday? All so Ace could give you a proper apology! Yet all you can do is scold him for some asinine rule that no one here but you even knows, much less cares about!”
“A beta has no right to talk to me like that,” Riddle sneered. “Have-”
“They’re right though!” Ace cut in. “Throwing away a whole tart just because of one stupid rule is literally insane.”
“As much as I hate to agree with Ace, he’s right,” Deuce said, crossing his arms. “I agree that we need to follow rules but aren’t rules meant to… Help people? I don’t see how this rule helps anyone.”
Riddle rolled his eyes. “Faulty logic of lawless fools. Rules and structure are necessary for order and peace. If even one rule is broken or allowed an exception, it all goes down the drain. Chaos is a ladder and rule breaking begets rule breaking, no matter how ‘asinine’ you personally consider the rule.”
There was nervous and halfhearted agreement from everyone else at the party, though it was clearly more motivated by fear than any real belief in the sentiment. Clear to everyone but Riddle that is.
“You see?” Riddle asked with a haughty sneer. “It is only you four who seem unable to grasp the crux of the situation.”
It all went downhill from there. Yuu stewed silently in anger but quickly realized that arguing with the arrogant alpha wasn't going to accomplish anything. Their companions on the other hand were somewhat less perceptive than that. Especially Ace who launched into an angry torrent of arguments with Grim’s occasional quip to back him up. It was only when the tart was being actively thrown into the trash can that all three got right up into the Housewarden’s face. Yuu watched as Riddle’s complexion took on a fire engine red hue.
“OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!”
There was a flash of light and the scent of roses and strawberries and when Yuu looked again Deuce and Grim were sporting identical collars to the one around Ace’s neck. More loud protesting erupted from the pack as other dorm members moved in to escort their group out.
A large warm hand fell onto Yuu’s shoulder in a firm but gentle grasp.
“I’m truly sorry about this, Yuu,” Trey said with a sigh as he began gently pushing them towards the exit of the maze garden. “I’m sure Riddle will calm down in a few days. We can try again then.”
Despite his reassurance and genuine regretful tone, Yuu still glared up at the Vice housewarden. “You need to talk to him. This isn’t right. It’s your job.”
Trey’s expression tightened and his eyes seemed to flinch away from the accusation. But he only sighed again and shook his head. “I really am sorry. But I can’t go against Riddle’s word. I wish I could.”
Exasperated, Yuu pulled themself free from Trey’s hold and turned on the beta furiously. “You can! You just won’t!”
“Trey’s right, sweetheart,” Cater’s voice came from their right. He held a squirming Grim under one arm. “He’s our Housewarden. You’re asking the impossible of us.”
Yuu took Grim from him, the feline immediately calming upon being in Yuu’s hold again. Yuu rubbed his back soothingly as they glared at the two cowardly betas. Both of them had identical guilty expressions but neither made any move to rectify the situation or say anything more. Neither could even meet their eyes directly. So with a disappointed scoff, Yuu turned on their heel and marched out to join up with Ace and Deuce who were waiting at the entrance with sour expressions.
Yuu sighed when they finally reached the two, all the anger draining out of their body and leaving them feeling tired. The last several days had just been stress upon stress upon stress. But the day wasn’t over yet.
They’d better rush back home to prepare a spare room now that it seemed they would be hosting yet another Hearstlabyul student.
~*~
Embarrassed at the collars around their necks, dinner was had in the Ramshackle common room. Yuu agreed to pick up everyone’s dinner from the cafeteria if the boys did their part by dusting and straightening out the lounge. There was some expected grumbling but they all eventually agreed and Yuu set out for their dinner. If they had to pick their favorite thing about NRC it would’ve been the cafeteria which was always serving a shockingly diverse spread of choices. And everything was always delicious.
When they’d returned with three boxes of chips and hot pastrami sandwiches (and a can of premium tuna from Sam’s) Yuu was pleasantly surprised to find that the boys had done a fairly decent job. The table was clean and the chairs and couches free of dust and the fireplace was even lit with a homely crackling fire. Looking at Ramshackle like this, Yuu could actually see the future potential of the dorm and it helped lift their spirits somewhat.
As they ate together (and after playing a few rounds of Old Maid to Ace’s insistence) they discussed how they should proceed from there. Especially considering that strange visit from that cat beastman earlier that afternoon. Chenya was their name if Yuu remembered correctly.
“It seems obvious to me that we should be tracking down Trey and asking him about this,” Deuce said. He tugged at the magic-inhibiting collar around his neck, “I cannot go through the entire school year like this.”
“I just don’t see how knowing what made Riddle such an uptight tyrant is going to help us,” Ace groused. “I bet the stupid alpha has had his entire life handed to him on a silver platter. I know the exact kind. They think they’re better than everyone else because they were biologically born to lead.”
Yuu was surprised that the familiar sentiment was coming from the mouth of another alpha. They themself had many similar thoughts over the years as they came across bold and arrogant alphas. It was more common to deal with those types when you were an omega too. Not that Yuu didn’t think Ace wasn’t a decent alpha, they were just surprised at the insightfulness.
“Whatever it may be, it’s our only lead right now,” Deuce replied. “Besides, maybe Trey knows something from their childhood that’ll help us appeal to Riddle somehow?”
Ace only looked incredulous. “Hah? Don’t you think Trey would’ve said something earlier if he knew?”
Yuu shook their head. “Not necessarily. We only know they’re childhood friends because of that Chenya person. Trey might be keeping it a secret for some reason. And regardless, he did help us. It’s just bad luck that we happened to stumble upon the one tart flavor that’s against the rules.”
“Bad luck? More like cursed,” Ace bemoaned. “If I didn’t know any better I would’ve said Trey set us up, but he’s too much of a straight man to have done that.”
Yuu laughed, “yeah. I don’t think Trey’s the kind of person either. I do think it’s a good idea to find him though. But he’s a third year and we don’t share any classes and we’re also banned from your dorm… Any ideas?”
Deuce murmured something.
“Huh? Speak up dude,” Ace said.
“...the tart book,” Deuce said. “It’s from the library isn’t it? The numbering on it’s binding looks similar to the ones on the biology books you borrowed, Yuu.”
Now that Yuu thought about it, they did remember that the book Trey was using to direct them in baking had a similar numbering adhered to the binding. They hadn’t even realized that Deuce had been paying attention to the books they were reading.
“So if we just stalk the library for a few days, he’s bound to return it eventually right?”
Yuu blinked. That was actually quite brilliant. When they said as much they got to watch as Deuce’s face heated up red and he stuttered that it was nothing. Ace laughed and began to tease the other boy and soon the two were shouting at one another, waking Grim who had fallen asleep in Yuu’s lap. Discussion forgotten and dinner finished, the night once again grew loud with excitement. Yuu could only hope that the ghosts didn’t want to get involved and that they’d be able to get some sleep tonight.
At some point in the evening, they excused themself to the bathroom and took off their jacket and pulled off their left sleeve. Then they carefully peeled back the suppressant pad they’d been wearing for two days now and threw it into the trash. The skin was only slightly pink and irritated from the over usage but nothing compared to that first night in this world.
Slowly, Yuu opened their jacket pocket and looked inside. All the warmth and giddiness at the night’s shenanigans was immediately replaced with a cold and heavy dread. They took out one of the last two pads they still had left and carefully applied it to their scent gland. If they stretched it out they’d have… Four days left at most. Five if they were willing to risk their health.
With a heavy sigh, Yuu turned off the bathroom light and turned in for bed, praying that they’d get one good night of sleep. But with all the worries on their mind they weren’t particularly optimistic.
~*~
“...His parents are quite famous aristocrats,” Trey said two days later. “His father from a long line of aristocracy and his mother… A famous omega.”
Yuu fought back a gasp.
For the past two days Yuu, Ace, Deuce, and Grim had spent every available moment waiting vigil at the library, hoping to spot the green haired beta. The other three were getting very antsy at not having access to their magic for such an extended period of time and were starting to doubt this library plan when they’d finally spotted Trey walking in with a familiar looking baking book under one arm.
They quickly swarmed and cornered him, informing him that they knew he and Riddle were childhood friends. Whether it was due to guilt or the mention of this mysterious Chenya, Trey did finally relent to giving them information on Riddle’s past.
“That makes sense then that Riddle’s mother was probably really strict,” Deuce murmured thoughtfully.
“She was,” Trey confirmed. “From dawn to dusk she planned out every minute of every day of his life. From what he ate, to what he wore, to who his friends were…” At this he looked particularly bitter and Yuu wondered at the history there. “And worst of all, she wanted him to be exactly like her. She firmly believed that Riddle was going to present as an omega like her.”
This time there were gasps, but from Ace and Deuce. Yuu looked at them in confusion.
“I don’t get it,” they said.
“It’s quite simple really,” Trey explained. “I don’t know how it is in your world, but here an omega can only be birthed by an omega. And Lady Rosehearts… Well, she was a proud omega who grew up like most others. In the lap of luxury and highly coveted but always aware of their biological duties growing up. Most omegas have many children over their life but her… Riddle’s birth caused complications. As far as any doctors were concerned, Riddle was the only child she would ever be able to have. It was a very big scandal at the time and a blemish on the Rosehearts family name.”
“Regardless,” he continued. “With Riddle’s physiology, she and the doctors were convinced he would present as an omega as well. And we all know how that went.” Trey’s voice grew dark. “He was her last chance at fulfilling her biological duty of continuing the omegan line. If I had to guess, she blamed him for failing to uphold her impossible standards, even when it came to something uncontrollable like his own biology. If things were bad before, after Riddle presented as an alpha she became far more strict on him. It’s all he’s ever known and I…”
Yuu listened in horror as they heard Trey’s voice break with sorrow.
“... I can’t bring myself to tell him off. I understand that what he’s doing is wrong and I don’t blame you for how you feel, but I just… Can’t.”
It was a harrowing tale. Yuu still couldn’t fully understand since they didn’t have context for how omegas were treated in a society where they were so scarce, but based on the looks of the others around them it was a very serious thing indeed. And if Yuu wasn’t crazy it also sounded like…
… It also sounded like the green haired beta was in love with his childhood friend.
“... Alright,” Ace suddenly said. He was looking at the floor, a shadow falling over his eyes. “So it’s his overbearing parents fault that he grew up the way he did. But…” And suddenly he glared up at Trey, eyes furious. “It’s your fault that he’s still like that today.”
Trey looked gobsmacked at the accusation.
“Sure Riddle didn’t get to pick his parents,” Ace steamrolled ahead. “But you chose to be his friend and you also chose to coddle him and stay silent everytime he did something awful! Is that really something a friend would do?”
“A-ace,” Deuce said in a tight, nervous voice. “Maybe you should tone it down. That’s a little harsh-”
“No!” Ace shouted. “Look at Yuu.” Yuu blinked in surprise at having been suddenly dragged into this conversation. “They give me a lot of heartache all the time and frankly it’s super annoying!” Yuu gave him an unimpressed look, but he just kept forging onwards. “But you know what? Yuu’s a good friend because they don’t let Deuce and Grim and I keep on doing shitty things. They care about us enough to call us out when we’re being assholes! So what about you Trey? How much do you actually care about Riddle if you can’t even-”
“ENOUGH!”
They all jumped in shock at the sudden booming voice. Dire Crowley suddenly appeared in their space looking furious somehow despite the crows mask covering half of his face.
“What are you students doing shouting in the middle of a library!”
Grim hissed at him angrily, “You’re being louder than anyone else here!”
Crowley coughed, “Ah. My apologies. But I must ask you cute kids to take whatever this is outside.” He paused and took a closer look at their sour expressions. “Now now, what’s with the long faces?”
Deuce and Ace took turns explaining to the Headmaster exactly what had transpired over the last several days, with Grim piping in occasionally to embellish the story. Yuu wished they could shut them up as they almost see the gears turning in the eccentric and nosy Headmaster’s head. They just knew whatever convoluted plot he was conjuring up was going to give them much heartache in the near future.
“Eh?! Challenge Riddle for the Housewarden position?!”
Yuu smacked their forehead with their palm and heard Trey’s sympathetic chuckle to their right. Somehow the previous ludicrous suggestion of “simply” transferring dorms was already sounding more appealing. You could always trust Headmaster Crowley to come up with the most headache inducing ideas ever.
“And if you duel, Housewarden Riddle will have to release you from his signature spell so the challenge will be fair,” Crowley chuckled to himself. Yuu glared at him, wondering if the Headmaster was trying to encourage this and what exactly his endgame was for doing so. Yuu just knew they were going to have to clean up this mess when it inevitably blew up in all their faces. No longer a janitor their ass.
“Are you guys actually serious?” Trey asked, voicing Yuu’s exact thoughts. “Even you Deuce?”
Deuce nodded gravely, “Sometimes an alpha’s gotta make a statement. Besides, if I’m going to challenge anyone, it might as well be whoever is at the very top.”
“Very well!” Crowley said cheerfully. “I’ll have all the formalities taken care of by tomorrow! Feel free to make your challenge whenever you want!”
Yuu looked at the Headmaster incredulously. Wasn’t he super duper busy all the time? Isn’t that why he was constantly roping Yuu into his ridiculous ideas and plans and dumping all his bullshit onto them? But now they’re finding that he not only has time to eavesdrop on students but also host a Housewarden challenge whenever?
He better be putting time into researching a way for them to get home, Yuu thought sourly.
~*~
The morning of the challenge was met with clear skies and gentle breezes. But Yuu couldn’t really find it in themself to enjoy it after yet another night of fitful sleep and strange dreams of cards and red queens. Not to mention, they were on their very last suppressant pad and had yet to figure out a solution to their problem.
Well… That wasn’t entirely true. Yuu was hoping that after Ace and Deuce inevitably lost their duels and they actually got around to talking things out with Riddle Rosehearts like civilized adults, they would get to ask Riddle a bit about his mother. If Riddle was raised as an omega, maybe he’d have some idea of how Yuu could handle their looming predicament.
It was probably a long shot, but frankly Yuu didn’t have any better ideas
To everyone in the Ramshackle dorm’s surprise they were greeted by an unexpected knock that morning. It was none other than Trey who came to deliver their breakfast with several Caters towing behind him assisting in carrying steaming stacks of waffles and freshly cut fruit.
At Yuu’s questioning glance he just said, “An apology for how everything turned out. Plus, I figured the alphas would need their energy today.”
The waffles were obviously delicious and Trey and Cater had even brought several different bottles of flavored syrups. Yuu had to rush to clear more space in the lounge room for their two extra guests but breakfast was a fairly light and festive affair despite the heavy event looming just ahead of them. While Cater was busy snapping photos of the delicious spread and while the rest were stuffing their faces, Yuu gingerly forced themself to eat one waffle and as many strawberries as their stomach could handle. Which wasn’t much but at least it was something.
The peace offering was happily accepted and everyone was in merry moods. And while Yuu wasn’t completely sure if they’d forgiven Trey for how the upperclassman handled the entire situation, the sincerely sorry look in the tall beta’s eyes and the memory of what he had said to them the other day made their heart melt just a little. They weren’t sure if forgiveness was on the table yet, but friendship surely was.
Besides, the cafeteria that Yuu loved so much didn’t hold a candle to Trey’s mastery in the kitchen even in spite of their inability to really hold down food that day.
Once breakfast was finished and they broke down the set up, the entire group of six made their way back to the Heartslabyul dormitory and rose garden maze. Energy was high especially in Ace and Deuce who were both hyping each other up for the upcoming challenges. They quieted down a bit when they emerged from the mirror and saw Headmaster Crowley waiting for them near the entrance of the maze. Further on in the bright red head of Riddle Rosehearts could be seen already waiting for them to arrive.
“At least you’re capable of being on time,” Riddle had commented snidely which immediately set Ace and Deuce off. Their anger, however, did nothing to rattle Riddle’s seemingly unflappable demeanor. He merely scoffed at their childish taunts and implied that he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, making it clear that he was taking this challenge about as seriously as a lion took a kitten.
There was a brief moment of joy and relief when Riddle was forced to remove the inhibitor collars from their necks though. Grim grumbled sourly from Yuu’s shoulder and they had to fight back a laugh to avoid angering the prickly feline. The moment of respite was short lived however when not even three seconds after Crowley shattered the mirror signaling the challenge beginning it was already over.
“OFF WITH YOUR HEADS!”
Clean. Efficient. Effective. Ace and Deuce both looked shocked at the collars once again around their necks. They hadn’t even had time to get a single spell out and it was already over. Yuu wanted to say they felt sorry for them but they honestly hadn’t expected a different outcome. They just hoped there would be an opportunity now to maturely discuss.
“Hmph,” Riddle scoffed. “You dared to challenge me with such mediocracy? Aren’t you embarrassed? It’s like I’ve always known. Those who flaunt their rulebreaking are destined for inadequacy. My mother was right.”
At Ace and Deuce’s expressions, Yuu’s hope of a mature discussion was very quickly going down the drain.
A low furious rumble came from Deuce as he clenched his fist.
“You’re nothing but a tyrant!” He finally shouted. “A tyrant who hides behind his excuse of following rules!”
With a single glance at Riddle’s expression Yuu knew that all hope was lost.
“A tyrant?” He asked incredulously. “Those who break the rules are meant to be punished . I am merely upholding that reality. And in this dorm I am the law. Those they do not obey deserve to have their heads removed.”
“So what? If you say jump off a bridge, am I just supposed to blindly follow such a ridiculous rule too?” Deuce snapped.
Riddle scoffed, “If that is what needs to be done! The law is the ultimate authority. Society cannot function without rules. We learn this as children. I hate to know what kind of horrid childhood you had to be so lacking in such basic education. I can only assume your parents are to blame for your shoddy education. No doubt lawless riffraffs themselves.”
Yuu gasped and watched as Deuce’s face turned pale as a sheet to burning red in less than a second. They’d remembered him telling them about his mother and how she worked so hard to care for him and his own insecurities about how his behavior reflected on her. Riddle may not know it but he had stumbled upon a deadly landmine.
“Riddle-” They began, about to demand he apologize to Deuce when an orange blur interrupted them.
“Gahhh!”
Everyone in the clearing gasped as they watched Ace land a solid punch to Riddle’s face. Headmaster Crowley made a strangled noise at the sight.
“You shut the hell up!” Ace yelled. “You have no idea what you’re talking about! Deuce is twice the alpha you are so don’t you dare insult his mother!”
“A-Ace?” Deuce stuttered, shocked.
Riddle held his nose, eyes wide with shock. “You- You hit me.”
“I don’t give a fuck anymore,” Ace said. “About this stupid challange or about your stupid rules or your dumb childhood. So you had an obsessive and over controlling mother? So what! You’re a bastard today because you chose to be a tyrannical bastard. No matter how hard your childhood was, it’s your own damn fault for behaving the way you do now! And I’m tired of you and everyone around you making excuses because of that!”
“What exactly are you trying to say…” Riddle snapped dangerously.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Ace snapped back. “All you have to say is ‘mama this’ and ‘mama that’. Well guess what? Children aren’t their parents! Learn to think for your damn self and take responsibility for your own actions! You’re no exalted ruler! You’re just a whiny wannabe baby who happens to be good at magic!”
The entire clearing fell silent. Yuu felt their skin begin to prickle and the hair on the back of their head standing on end. They couldn’t see Riddle’s face now as he had turned to look at the grass but they felt something sharp in the air. A static charge growing in intensity. Like there was something horrible looming just beyond the horizon yet unseen. They felt themself frown and stiffen up in anxiety, tightening their grip on Grim.
“A baby…?”
Riddle’s voice sent a shock running through Yuu and they nearly buckled at the tone. They had only heard this type of voice used once before and it horrified them that they were hearing it now.
Alpha Command. Riddle’s tone was speckled with it, not yet fully realized but enough to shake Yuu’s omegan instincts.
“Yes, a whining baby ,” Ace taunted, unaware of the danger that was so clear to Yuu in the atmosphere.
“You have no idea what you’re saying,” Riddle said, his voice tight. “My mother was right. Which means I am right! All of you need to just get in line and OBEY or I’ll have ALL OF YOUR HEADS-”
Something white flew across the clearing and smashed into Riddle’s head with a gooey splat. Egg shells and raw egg chunks ran down through his hair. Everyone was too shocked to move. Yuu couldn’t see where the egg had come from and no one stepped up to claim responsibility.
“Now now!” Headmaster Crowley shouted hastily. “This is most unprofessional! The challenge is over seeing as the challenger has used physical force and is thus disqualified! There is no need for such-”
“The new kid is right!” Someone in the crowd shouted. “I’ve had enough of Riddle’s madness! I can’t take it anymore!”
“That’s right! Why should we have to put up with having him as our Housewarden!” Someone else yelled.
More and more voices began to join in the onslaught. Angry and dissatisfied and disgruntled students all joining in one loud cacophony of protests. Weeks of pent up resentment all pouring out at once with no hope of stopping now that the pressurized keg had finally exploded.
In all of this Riddle was just standing there silent. Yuu hadn’t taken their eyes off the Housewarden for one second. Their heightened omegan senses telling them that something very very bad was about to happen but their feet were glued to the ground.
“Heh… hahaha…” A low chuckle came from the alpha and slowly grew in volume and intensity. In a few moments the entire clearing had fallen silent again and Riddle finally threw his head back, his laugh manic and his eyes crazed. “Hahahahahaha! You can’t handle it? You think you have it so HARD?”
His head snapped forwards, his eyes wide with madness and Yuu flinched back in fear. “ I’m the one who can’t handle it anymore! It doesn’t matter what I do! Instruct you. Punish you. Take your heads off! No matter how much I try, you all just keep breaking the rules!”
“Riddle…” Trey worriedly said as he took a step towards his friend.
“Very well then!” Riddle continued. “If no one here will listen to what I have to say, then I will just have ALL OF YOUR HEADS!”
At the first instance of a true Alpha Voice Yuu’s knees did finally buckle, the omega in them demanding that they submit before a dominating alpha. Grim let out a yell of surprise when Yuu jolted forward and caught themself on their hands and knees in the grass gasping for air. All around them screams were filling the air as sparks of magic flew from Riddle. People ran for dear life as the manic Housewarden began collaring anyone and everyone in sight.
“Stop this at once Mr. Rosehearts!” Crowley shouted over the chaos.
“Yuu? Are you okay?” Grim hopped down from their shoulder and rushed to their side, paws pushing them in concern. “Somebody! Hey! Something is wrong with Yuu!”
But no one heard the little feline over everything. Hearstlabyul students were running like headless chickens trying to get away from their rampaging Housewarden. Cater and Trey were trying to talk Riddle down but he couldn’t seem to hear them in his mania. Even Deuce and Ace were too busy focusing on Riddle. No one but Grim noticed that Yuu had collapsed and was struggling to breath amidst the heavy scent of an angry alpha in the air.
“Riddle, you have to stop using magic!” Trey shouted. “You’re going to overblot!”
“You too, Trey?” Riddle yelled. “You also want to tell me how wrong I am?!”
The air in the maze became even more suffocating. What was a bright and sunny day just mere minutes ago had suddenly become dark and gloomy. Yuu’s mind was spinning but even through the dizziness and the lack of air, they could feel the patch on their neck burning. Their omega straining to come out to appease the alpha. They had never been subjected to such biological warfare before in their life. No alpha in their world would ever dare to lose control like this, especially in the presence of omegas.
“I AM ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!”
For a moment it felt as if all air had been sucked from the atmosphere.
When they opened their eyes again (they didn’t even realize they had closed it), Yuu found that they had collapsed completely to the ground. All of their limbs felt like they had been sapped of all energy and Yuu struggled to look back up at Riddle. But when they did they almost wished they hadn’t.
Riddle was… Different.
Darker.
His eyes, which had been a soothing shade of gray before, were now crimson red and glowing with an eerie malevolent light. And pouring from his entire being was a thick dark aura. Behind him was the terrifying visage of a shadowy queen that struck Yuu with a familiarity despite their dizziness. It’s head was a glass container that spilled ink as dark as night. It shared an uncanny resemblance to a particular ink monster they had encountered not too long ago.
Headmaster Crowley was sobbing with horror, “Oh what a mess! I’ve allowed a student to overblot right before me!”
That term too sounded familiar but Yuu couldn’t think of it because something more pressing suddenly made itself apparent to them.
There was another scent in the air clashing with the powerful and furious alpha that permeated the atmosphere.
It was the bitter scent of an omega in distress.
A scent coming from them.
The others were already forming a plan to deal with berserker Riddle. Crowley said something and started herding students towards the exit while Trey, Cater, Ace, and Deuce all stayed behind and faced Riddle. Meanwhile, Yuu frantically covered their neck with their hands, face pale with horror.
“Yuu?” Grim, who was still by their side, asked slowly in confusion. “What… What’s that smell?”
The others were shouting now, running circles around Riddle and dodging his magical attacks. Whatever they were doing in retaliation though seemed to have little to no effect. In the next minute all four were sent flying backwards with a dark flash of magic, followed by the scent of decaying roses and fresh ink.
There was a thump and grunt near Yuu. With their distressed omega so near the surface of their mind, the sound terrified them and sent them scrambling back in the grass. They looked and saw that it was Trey who had been sent flying by dark Riddle. He groaned and sat up, shaking his head. Then he paused, took a sniff, and his head snapped over to where Yuu was, the beta’s eyes wide with shock.
“You’re-” He began.
“What’s this I smell?” Riddle’s voice suddenly boomed. Yuu’s eyes were forced to tear away from Trey’s and to look upon the alpha who was commanding the scene. His crimson eyes met them and for the first time they truly saw them. “An omega… The Red Queen’s decree number 682: All unmated omegas must be presented before the ruler upon entry to the kingdom. Why has this omega failed to be presented before me?”
Yuu could only watch in horror as the alpha drifted closer to where they were. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep sniff of the air and then exhaled in satisfaction. Yuu whimpered.
“Come here, omega.”
Against their wishes, Yuu’s body began to move at the alpha’s command. They stood and walked towards Riddle Rosehearts.