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Arc 1 – Omegaverse: The Hunter and the Omega Prince
Day 5 – A Fractured Calm
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The fire crackled.
It should have been comforting, but Kyle sat curled at the corner of the bed, knees tucked to his chest, a blanket pulled all the way to his chin. His tea had long gone cold.
The wolf's golden eyes lingered in his mind like an afterimage — not just the brightness, but the weight behind it, as if it had already decided something about him.
He rubbed at his temples, shivering despite the heat.
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Aldric
"Still cold?" Aldric's voice broke the silence. He was peeling off his leather gloves, his dark hair dusted with snow from checking the snares outside.
Kyle didn't answer, just burrowed deeper. His lips were pale now, and Aldric's brows drew together.
"You've got a fever again."
"It's just…" Kyle hesitated, eyes flicking to the window. "…I don't like how it looked at me."
Aldric froze mid-step, his shoulders going taut. "The wolf?"
Kyle nodded, a faint tremor running through him. "It wasn't like an animal. It was like—like it knew me. And it didn't like that I was with you."
Aldric didn't dismiss it. He sat on the edge of the bed and pressed the back of his hand to Kyle's forehead. "You're burning up." His voice softened. "Lie down."
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Visitors
The door opened again, letting in a gust of cold air and the scent of pine.
Two people entered — Ryn, the village healer, and Eira, the young Omega girl who sometimes brought herbs.
Ryn's long braid, streaked with silver, swung over her shoulder as she set down her satchel. "I heard he's ill again." Her voice was brisk, her eyes sharper than her words.
Eira, on the other hand, hesitated in the doorway, gaze darting between Kyle and Aldric like she'd interrupted something private. "I brought fresh feverfew leaves," she murmured, cheeks pink from the cold.
Kyle glanced up at them from his cocoon of blankets. "It's just… I'm fine." His voice came out small, too defensive.
Ryn arched a brow. "You're shivering like a rabbit in winter. That's not 'fine.'"
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Care
While Ryn prepared a brew, Aldric moved to stoke the fire. The way his eyes kept flicking to the window didn't escape Kyle's notice — nor the way his posture stayed tense, like he was listening for something beyond the walls.
When Ryn pressed the steaming cup into Kyle's hands, the smell of bitter herbs filled the air. "Drink," she instructed. "And don't make that face. It's not poison."
Kyle wrinkled his nose but sipped obediently, his small coughs punctuating the silence.
Eira knelt beside the bed, offering a soft smile. "Do you want me to braid your hair? It'll keep it out of your face while you rest."
Kyle hesitated — he didn't usually let strangers touch his hair. But Eira's hands were warm, and he was too tired to argue. She gently combed her fingers through the golden strands, separating them into neat sections.
"You've got hair like sunlight," she murmured. "The wolf would notice you from a mile away."
Kyle flinched.
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The Window
Night fell quickly, shadows pooling in the corners. The wind had a strange pitch to it — almost like a low whine.
Aldric was by the fire again when he heard it: a faint, rhythmic thud against the outer wall. Not claws. Not snow sliding from the roof.
Slowly, his gaze shifted to the window.
Kyle was asleep, his hair braided, a faint flush on his fevered cheeks. The blanket rose and fell with his breaths.
Beyond the glass, just past the faint reflection of the room, golden eyes shone back at him.
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