The room was dim, lit only by the pale blue hue of the moonlight slipping through the half-drawn curtains. Phuwin lay awake on the far side of the bed, curled in on himself, his thin fingers clinging to the hem of Pond's hoodie like it was armor against the cold.
Pond hadn't said a word to him in days. He came home late, his scent colder, harsher. He slept with his back turned, arms folded tightly over his chest. Phuwin could barely stand the silence. It screamed louder than any punishment he'd endured.
He had confessed. In the shower. Under freezing water. Shivering and vulnerable and trembling beneath Pond's touch. He had whispered those fragile words, "I think I love you." And Pond had rinsed them away like they were filth.
Phuwin blinked away the sting in his eyes. He had endured so much already—the basement, the fear, the confusing tenderness, and the cruel distance. But what crushed him now wasn't captivity.
It was hope.
He turned slowly in bed, watching Pond's profile. Cold. Still. Beautiful in a way that made Phuwin ache. "Pond," he whispered, barely audible. "Why do you keep pushing me away? What did I do wrong?"
Pond didn't move. Not even a breath broke the silence.
---
**The Next Morning**
Off stood at the foot of the staircase, arms crossed, fury radiating from every tense line of his body. "Gun, if he keeps treating that poor boy like this, I swear to God—"
"He's still our son," Gun whispered, though his own voice trembled with suppressed anger. "But that doesn't mean we protect him from the consequences."
Just then, Pond stepped into the hallway. Sharp suit. Shadowed eyes. Indifferent expression.
"Pond." Off's voice was low. Dangerous. "We need to talk."
Pond didn't flinch. "I'm late."
"You're late for being a decent human being," Off snapped. "You brought that omega into our house, locked him away like some shameful secret, and now you act like he's air. What is wrong with you?"
Pond's jaw twitched, but he said nothing.
Gun stepped forward. "Do you even realize what Phuwin said last night? He told us he *loves* you. He begged us not to take him away. He said he'll only leave when *you* say it's time."
That hit harder than either of them expected. For the first time, Pond's eyes darkened—not in anger, but something fractured. He looked away, fingers curling slightly.
"He doesn't know what love is," Pond muttered.
"He knows more than you do," Off bit out. "Because at least *he's* brave enough to feel it.
**That Night**
Phuwin sat in Pond's bed, hugging a pillow to his chest. He didn't cry anymore. Not because he didn't want to—because he couldn't. The tears had dried up somewhere between loneliness and surrender.
Then the door opened.
He expected silence. Pond slipping in, ignoring him, maybe tossing his jacket aside before retreating into himself.
But Pond didn't move to the closet.
He stood there… watching.
Phuwin sat up a little. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Pond stepped forward. He didn't answer. His eyes were glassy, distant. "You told them you loved me."
"I meant it."
"You shouldn't." His voice cracked slightly. "I don't know how to love."
"You *do*," Phuwin whispered. "You just don't believe you deserve it."
Silence.
Then suddenly, Pond reached forward and grabbed Phuwin's wrist—not harshly. Not to restrain or drag. Just… to hold. "I never asked for you. I never wanted a mate. I thought keeping you locked away would stop you from breaking me."
Phuwin's lips parted, breath caught in his throat.
"And instead," Pond whispered, voice almost broken, "you're the only thing keeping me from falling apart."
~~
Phuwin didn't pull away when Pond held his wrist.
Instead, he slid closer—tentatively, softly, like approaching a wounded animal. His fingers brushed the side of Pond's face. "Then fall," he whispered. "If you're falling apart… fall. I'll still be here."
Pond stared at him. His usual cold armor had melted from his face, revealing something raw and terrified beneath. "You don't understand what I am, Phuwin. I'm not like other people. I'm not even like other alphas."
"You're not an alpha," Phuwin said quietly, eyes searching his. "Are you?"
The silence was deafening.
Pond's grip tightened slightly. "No."
Phuwin had guessed, but hearing it shook something deep inside him. "Then what are you?"
Pond looked away. "A mistake."
"No." Phuwin's voice was steady now. "Tell me the truth."
Pond exhaled shakily. "I'm an Enigma. A genetic deviation. Not alpha, not beta, not omega. Something they can't classify. I shouldn't exist. I was born with instincts so warped even the pack systems rejected me."
Phuwin blinked. "But you… you smell like an alpha."
"Because I taught myself to mimic it. Suppress the rest. Hide the truth. Even from Off and Gun. They don't know. If they did…" His voice broke. "They'd be afraid."
Phuwin crawled onto Pond's lap and wrapped his arms around him, trembling. "I'm not afraid of you. I never was."
Pond held onto him like a lifeline, his face buried in the curve of Phuwin's neck. "You should be."
"Maybe," Phuwin whispered. "But I love you anyway."
---
**Later That Night**
Off was in the study, pacing. Gun sat nearby, rubbing his temples. "Something's wrong. He's slipping."
"He always slips when he feels," Off muttered. "But this is different. He looked like he was about to cry."
Gun looked up. "Do you think… do you think Phuwin is the only one keeping him together?"
"Yes," Off said. "And that scares me.
**Back in the Room**
Pond lay on his side, face inches from Phuwin's, both of them wrapped in quiet breath and shared warmth.
"Will you leave me?" Pond asked suddenly.
Phuwin shook his head. "Not unless you tell me to."
"I might. One day. If I get worse."
"You won't."
"You don't know that."
Phuwin smiled softly, brushing Pond's hair back from his eyes. "Then I'll stay long enough to find out. Even if I burn for it."
Pond closed his eyes, finally letting himself be held.
And for the first time in his life, he slept without nightmares.
Slide
For centuries, the five great clans — Naravit, TangsaKyuen, Archen, Thanaboon, and Tanapon — had coexisted in a delicate balance of power. Each clan was proud and strong, led by alphas and omegas who guarded their people with fierce loyalty. Yet beneath the surface of alliance and rivalry lay a secret known only to the highest leaders of each clan.
Every hundred years, the ancient prophecy spoke of the rebirth of the Enigma — a ruler unlike any other, whose soul returned to the world to unite the clans and wield power beyond imagination. The Enigma was destined to bring balance to the elemental forces that flowed through the land, commanding magic that could shape reality, command loyalty, and even bend fate.
This ruler was said to possess the ability to:
* **Manipulate clan energies**, weaving the strengths of all five clans into a single formidable force.
* **Heal or destroy with a touch**, controlling life and death.
* **See beyond time**, glimpsing past and future to guide the clans through peril.
Yet for decades, the five clans had searched in vain. No child born had revealed the signs of the Enigma's soul. The leaders met in secret chambers, their faces grave.
Pond's fathers, Off and Gun — respected alpha and omega leaders of the Naravit clan — knew the weight of the truth. The council of elders from all clans gathered only rarely, for such knowledge could destabilize alliances if leaked.
"Our time grows near," Off had whispered one evening to Gun. "But the Enigma must be found, or the clans risk falling apart."
Gun nodded, his eyes heavy with worry. "Without the Enigma, we are vulnerable. The enemies in the shadows grow bolder."
Similarly, leaders of the TangsaKyuen, Archen, Thanaboon, and Tanapon clans kept watch, eyes peeled for any sign — a child born with unmatched power, a soul burning with the ancient magic.
Some whispered rumors spoke of Pond, the enigmatic alpha with a secret that even his closest family did not fully understand.
Others wondered if the Enigma had already been reborn, hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right moment to awaken.
Until then, the clans remained vigilant — their futures tied to a mystery only the leaders dared to speak of aloud.