Tess

Too busy to think, Iliya was heading to the laundry room with dirty clothes when he quickly hid upon hearing voices talking behind the building. He wasn’t sure why he hid when he had done nothing wrong.

“What are those alpha bastards always gathering to do?”

“Yeah, don’t they get tired? Well, they’re like beasts, after all.”

He heard grumbling and sneering.

“Are you not jealous?”

“Why be jealous when there are those who serve them willingly?”

Peeking, he saw two people giggling while raising the level of their jokes. Judging by their attire and what they held, they were reporters. From their conversation, it seemed they had come to cover an event where alphas would be attending, next to the welfare center.

Regardless of their disparaging remarks about alphas, wouldn’t they have professional integrity? If not out of a sense of justice, then perhaps for a news story? This wasn’t the time to calculate success probabilities. First, he checked if there were any believers or sentinels around. When one of the reporters left, he secretly followed.

If he didn’t return quickly, someone would find it suspicious. Time was running out. He took out the hidden note and gripped it. His mouth went dry with tension. If he could just deliver it, the rest would be left to chance.

“There are so many inquiring about you guys, the phones are burning up.”

At the corner next to the outdoor restroom, Iliya hesitated. Pressing his body against the wall, he peeked. The reporter was talking with a sentinel. The sentinel carelessly flicked cigarette ash and spat vulgarly. Then he took money from his pocket and handed it to the reporter.

“What’s the point of mentioning people who believe quietly?”

After roughly checking the amount, the reporter smiled slyly.

“How is the cult leader doing?”

“Watch your language.”

“Ah, ‘leader,’ I meant. Sorry. Anyway, tell him not to hog everything for himself. The forbidden fruit should be shared.”

Hearing the sound of a journalist who had made a meaningful remark walking toward Iliya, he quickly hid in the bathroom. Shortly after, he heard the sound of a watchman walking in the opposite direction. Iliya unknowingly sat down and clutched his head. If he had passed a note to that journalist, and if the watchman had discovered it and it had reached the ears of the leader and his father… His body, which had been sweating until just moments ago, now felt chillingly cold. This time, it wouldn’t end with just a beating. He had been foolish. Despite telling himself it wouldn’t be easy, deep inside he had naively thought it would somehow work out.

A few times a year, people in suits and uniforms visited the village. Though hostile even to passing travelers, the leader actively welcomed these visitors. On the surface, he explained to believers that this was a measure to avoid secular interference, but if those visitors had the same purpose as that journalist… Who could be trusted? Did trustworthy people even exist? Unfortunately, Iliya lacked the discernment to distinguish good from evil.

Tap. In Iliya’s despairing eyes appeared a pair of well-polished, high-quality handmade shoes. In his rush to hide, he hadn’t considered that someone else might be there. This person would surely find his sitting position strange. The moment he raised his head to see who it was, Iliya froze.

That Alpha…

The unforgettable figure stood before him. Just like when he first saw him, he was dressed in an impeccable suit, without a hint of dishevelment. Though his clothes weren’t particularly bright, it felt as if Iliya’s vision suddenly brightened. Against the old, drab background, his presence seemed extremely incongruous.

Well-groomed hair and dark brown eyes beneath thick eyebrows directed at Iliya. Startled, Iliya’s body tensed. Of all people to encounter, it had to be that Alpha. He surely wouldn’t have positive feelings toward Iliya after their previous encounter. He hoped he would just pass by indifferently. No, he hoped he wouldn’t be remembered at all.

“You…”

Contrary to Iliya’s wishes, Rus didn’t just pass by. After slightly tilting his head, examining Iliya, he extended his hand.

“Are you unwell? Do you need help?”

Iliya was surprised at the freely offered hand. Being so comfortable with a hostile person. Could he really not remember him? Or did he have some other motive? His deep-seated prejudice against Alphas, built up over years, made it difficult to accept the other’s goodwill at face value.

“Believer?”

With a snap, Rus clicked his fingers in front of Iliya. Only then did Iliya come to his senses and stand up. He realized from the term “believer” that the other’s memory was intact.

“I’m fine.”

Honestly, his legs were trembling and his arms felt weak, but he didn’t want to show weakness in front of an Alpha.

“Are you sure? Your face is pale.”

Startled by the face that suddenly approached, Iliya stepped back. His still-trembling legs momentarily staggered. Quickly, Rus grabbed Iliya’s wrist to prevent him from falling.

“Be careful.”

Iliya’s eyes widened. The other’s face was too close. His captured wrist burned as if touched by fire. Heat rushed to his cheeks. Surprised, he roughly shook off the hand.

“It seems Alphas only listen with half an ear? I clearly said I was fine.”

The other stepped back at the clear indication of rejection. Having responded sharply, Iliya immediately regretted it, wondering if his voice had been too loud. His excessive reaction only proved how tense he was.

“Helping someone in trouble doesn’t depend on who they are.”

Rus shrugged. Though Iliya thought it was just lip service, he felt strangely reassured. It was ironic. While still wary and distrustful, he found himself trusting those words. A hypothesis formed, not in his head but in a corner of his heart. Since an Alpha would have no vested interest in the Spiritual Church, perhaps he could help pass on the note. However, as Iliya stared intently at Rus, he quickly changed his mind. How could he trust someone he had only met twice? It was too risky for an adventure.

“By the way, perhaps…”

“What is it?”

Rus, who had been rubbing his chin and tilting his head, asked Iliya.

“Are there still Omegas among your believers?”

“What?”

“Never mind. Excuse me.”

Flustered by the unexpected question, Iliya snapped.

“How rude. What’s your intention?”

“I have no intention. I was just curious.”

“People who know nothing about us spread false rumors that we persecute Omegas, but we would accept any Omega who has atoned as a believer. There just haven’t been any such Omegas yet.”

Rus gazed into Iliya’s eyes. He clearly sensed a faint Omega scent. Since the welfare center had people of various traits, it could be a lingering scent in the space. But Rus had definitely sensed the scent when he grabbed Iliya’s wrist. If the person before him wasn’t an Omega, it must have rubbed off from elsewhere.

Since the Spiritual Church only accepted Betas, even if one or two Omegas were mixed in, they could hide their Omega status by concealing their heat cycles. But would any Omega voluntarily go there? Not unless they had a self-destructive tendency. Besides, while they might go undetected within a Beta group, they would surely be discovered when coming outside like this. Although right now, the scent was weak enough that someone without the sensitive senses of an Alpha like Rus wouldn’t notice.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Iliya glared at Rus. He had been wrong to think otherwise. He felt pathetic for having momentarily considered asking him for help. Though it wasn’t a particularly negative question, Iliya perceived the other as having impure intentions. Recalling their previous verbal clash, he responded more sharply.

“You’re the one who has something to…”

Rus tried to continue, but at that moment, Iliya turned his head at the commotion outside. Believers were looking for Iliya, calling out “Brother.” Iliya’s eyes wavered, but he quickly bit his lip and regained his composure. He turned sharply and went outside.

“Brother, where on earth have you been?”

“I’m sorry. I suddenly felt unwell…”

Behind the believer who sighed with relief stood a watchman. Iliya tried to appear calm, but suspicious eyes pierced him. Pretending not to notice, he tried to leave, but the believer in front suddenly became alert. It was because Rus had emerged behind Iliya. The watchman looked back and forth between Iliya and Rus, making Iliya break into a cold sweat. He felt intimidated.

Rus passed by them with an indifferent face, wiping his hands with a handkerchief. He felt that not pretending ignorance might somehow trouble the other person. When the distance widened, he glanced back. The believer was gripping Iliya’s arm and hurriedly taking him inside the building.

Though Iliya no longer looked his way, Rus couldn’t take his eyes off his retreating figure. Brief as it was, Iliya’s gaze had contained a mix of emotions. Surprise, gladness, irritation, anger, disappointment. One of these emotions seemed so out of place that it was hard to believe even having seen it. He clearly had something to say to Rus. Otherwise, why would he be glad to see an Alpha he disliked so much? Though curious about the reason, the person who could answer had already disappeared.

2.

The village atmosphere felt strange. No, actually, anxiety had been crushing Iliya throughout the car ride. The watchmen were always taciturn, but they were more mechanical and rigid than in the morning. Usually, the leader and believers would come out to welcome them whenever they entered the village, but today no one was there.

While houses were dark with lights off, the church was so brightly lit that from a distance it seemed to be on fire. The watchman led the puzzled believers toward the church. They roughly pushed people inside, as if imprisoning captives. Unannounced late-night gatherings had never ended well. Iliya’s hands began to tremble with tension.

Had his encounter with the same Alpha from before already reached the leader’s ears? Surely they wouldn’t gather everyone for such a reason. While formulating excuses in his mind for the worst-case scenario, the leader on the platform raised his right hand, signaling the start.

“Now that all our brothers and sisters have gathered, let’s begin.”

The murmuring of people subsided. The leader recited a verse with a distressed expression.

“Surely men of low degree are a vapor, men of high degree are a lie; if they are weighed on the scales, they are altogether lighter than vapor!”

Among believers who didn’t understand what was happening, a few sighed and sobbed, acting as instigators. When the leader couldn’t continue and only sighed, people began to grow restless. As anxiety filled the air to the point of suffocation, a watchman dragged in a woman tied with rope and threw her to the floor. Seeing the woman’s face, Iliya was shocked. It was Mrs. Rollins.