The grand breakfast hall was bathed in the soft golden light of dawn filtering through the tall windows. The air smelled faintly of freshly baked bread and brewed tea, but the warmth was at odds with the tension hanging heavy among those seated around the long oak table.
Gemini and Fourth sat side by side, exchanging worried glances. Joong and Dunk, their usual playful banter muted, tried to break the silence with light teasing about baby names for Santa's soon-to-be-born children. Perth stirred his tea absentmindedly, while Santa leaned back, eyes flicking to Pond.
Pond sat at the head of the table, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable. His cold, distant gaze barely acknowledged the gentle jabs and half-jokes tossed his way.
"Pond," Gemini ventured softly, "we're not afraid of you. Whatever's changed... we still care about you. And Phuwin."
Pond's lips curled into a small, inscrutable smile—cold as winter's edge. No words came, but the chill in his eyes said everything.
Fourth leaned forward. "We know you see more than you let on. You know things—things we've never shared. How? How do you know about our fears, our secrets?"
The room fell silent, all eyes on Pond. He said nothing. Instead, he subtly shifted, his gaze turning inward as if listening to some distant voice only he could hear.
Phuwin cleared his throat, breaking the weighty quiet. "It's because of Krit," he said quietly but firmly, "the one Pond faced. Krit was not just a threat to me... but to all of us. Pond's seen what we can't, and he's been guarding us, even when he won't say it."
The tension cracked just slightly, the others exchanging uneasy but grateful looks. Yet Pond remained still, his connection to the Enigma—his other self—unseen by most, yet palpably present.
The Council's threats still echoed across the courtyard when the estate gates creaked open .
One of the Naravit guards—a young beta named Win—dragged a prisoner forward by the arm, shackles clinking and footsteps deliberately loud.
Krit.
The once-trusted head of security was bloodied, bruised, but far from broken. His eyes burned—not with shame, but defiance. His wrists were bound, yet he walked with the stubborn pride of a man convinced he'd been right.
Win shoved him to his knees before the Council and turned toward Phuwin and Pond. "He demanded to speak," Win said tensely. "Said it concerned the Council's orders."
The elder councilwoman, face hidden beneath a deep purple hood, stepped forward slightly. "Krit," she said coldly. "You failed. Do you come to beg forgiveness?"
Krit let out a low, bitter laugh.
"Beg?" he spat. "I didn't fail. You did. You hesitated. You thought this omega," he sneered at Phuwin, "could keep the monster leashed."
He turned, eyes narrowing on Phuwin.
"You're not a mate," he growled. "You're a weakness. The same kind he's had in every life. You'll be the end of us."
And then—he moved.
A blade, long and jagged, dropped from his sleeve as he lunged forward—straight at Phuwin.
Everything snapped into motion.
Phuwin didn't flinch—he didn't even have time. The sound of steel leaving flesh hadn't even finished—
—when Pond was already there.
Not a blink.
Not a flicker of rage.
Just—his hand—thrust through Krit's chest.
Clean. Brutal. Instant.
Krit's eyes widened in shock as blood welled in his throat. His blade fell, clattering harmlessly to the stone.
He choked. Shuddered.
And then Pond let go.
Krit crumpled, lifeless.
🜂 "You touched what was mine."
🜂 "That was your second mistake."
The courtyard was frozen. Even the Council stared, momentarily silenced.
The blood spread around Krit's body, staining the marble red. The blade he'd drawn—a ceremonial one, coated in dark magic—glowed faintly before fizzling into ash.
Phuwin stood still, his chest rising and falling with quiet force. Not afraid. Not trembling.
Just… watching Pond.
Gun's hand flew to his mouth. Santa pressed against Perth. Dunk turned away.
But Phuwin?
He stepped toward Pond—placed a hand lightly on his back, over his heart.
And Pond... breathed.
The fury in his eyes dulled—just a shade.
Then he turned, facing the Council.
🜂 "Now you've seen what mercy looks like when I withhold it."
🜂 "Come for him again—any of you—and I won't stop with your names."
🜂 "I'll erase your legacies."
The words weren't shouted. They didn't need to be.
The very air seemed to hold its breath.
And pond dropped the heart on the ground and signaled the guards to clean the messed and he walk out hand in hand with his mate
The clatter of breakfast plates faded into a heavy silence after Phuwin's words. Yet Pond sat unmoved, as if the world around him was nothing more than a distant echo.
Joong leaned forward, his brow furrowed with worry. "Pond, how do you *feel* about all this? About Krit… about everything happening to you?"
Pond's cold gaze finally lifted to meet Joong's. His voice was quiet, detached, but sharp. "Normal."
A flicker of disbelief passed over Joong's face. "Normal? You just watched someone try to kill Phuwin, and you killed him. That's not normal."
Pond's lips twitched into a cold, humorless smile. "I've felt worse."
Santa's fingers tightened around his cup. "We're worried, Pond. You've changed. You're... distant. And we don't know if this 'normal' you speak of is really you."
Gemini's voice was soft but firm. "We want to help you, but you have to let us in. We can't protect you if you push us away."
Pond shrugged with a careless flick of his shoulder. "There's nothing to protect. This is just how it has to be."
Phuwin's eyes darkened as he spoke up. "No, Pond. This isn't how it *has* to be. You're not alone. We're all here."
But Pond only looked away, staring through the window, his expression unreadable, a shadow of the Enigma flickering behind his eyes.
The weight of the morning hung in the air as the last crumbs were pushed aside. Pond remained still, as cold and distant as the marble floors beneath him.
Joong broke the silence again, voice low but urgent. "Pond, seriously. You *have* to tell us how you feel. Pretending you're fine doesn't fool anyone. We saw what happened with Krit. You were... different. Unshakable."
Pond's pale eyes met Joong's, the barest shadow of something flickering behind them—something ancient and unreadable. "I'm fine. Better than fine."
Dunk, usually the joker of the group, clenched his jaw. "You say 'normal,' but you don't act normal. You're shutting us out."
Pond's shoulders lifted in a dismissive shrug. "I don't have time for this."
Santa's hand dropped from his cup, a sharp edge to his voice. "That's exactly the problem. You *do* have time. You have to face this, or it will consume you."
For a long moment, Pond said nothing. His eyes seemed to pull inward, shadow deepening as the Enigma stirred within him—a silent storm barely held back.
Inside, a voice whispered—cold, distant, yet fiercely protective. *They don't understand. This is how it has to be. I am the shield. I am the edge of the world.*
Phuwin reached out, placing a tentative hand over Pond's. "You're not alone in this. You don't have to be the storm all by yourself."
Pond's gaze flickered to Phuwin, vulnerability hiding beneath his stoic facade. "I don't want to lose anyone else."
Gemini stepped forward, voice gentle but resolute. "You won't. Not if we're here. But you have to trust us. Let us stand with you."
Slowly, the cold walls around Pond's heart seemed to crack, just enough to let a fragile warmth through.
Dunk gave a small, hopeful smile. "We're your family. We'll weather this storm together."
The room had quieted, but the air still hummed with unspoken fears and fragile hopes.
Pond's hand lingered in Phuwin's, the touch grounding him. He drew a slow breath, voice rougher than before. "I'm not good at this... talking about feelings. It's not how I protect."
Phuwin squeezed his hand gently. "You don't have to be perfect. Just... be honest with us."
Pond's gaze dropped to their joined hands, conflicted emotions flickering in his eyes. "There's a part of me... something inside that's different now. Stronger. But it scares even me."
His friends exchanged worried looks, but Gemini nodded slowly. "That's why you need us more than ever."
Suddenly, a ripple seemed to pass through Pond — a subtle shift in his aura, a dark glow flickering faintly at the edges of his vision.
The Enigma was awakening.
Pond's voice dropped to a whisper. "If I lose control... I don't know what will happen."
Phuwin's expression hardened with determination. "We'll face it together. No matter what."
For the first time in days , Pond's lips curved into a real, if small, smile.
"Together," he repeated.