Altan:
"Why did you leave behind?"
I saw him in the shadows, standing there—soone I had betrayed.
"Everyone is right about you. You’re a coward."
I grimaced in my sleep, the finger pointing at making turn over in bed.
"You’re such a coward."
"I didn’t want to leave you—behind—," I gulped, trying to wake up. I knew I was in deep sleep, paralyzed. And I needed to wake up.
But just when I thought I could, I saw her behind him.
Now both of them were pointing their fingers at .
"Helanie—" I wasn’t shocked. She always ca to my dreams to haunt .
What I did that night would stay with . She didn’t deserve it.
The way she asked to stay with her, begged for them to leave her alone—I would never forget that.
"He’s always like this. He leaves the people who love him behind," he said to Helanie. My heart trembled and tears welled up in my eyes.
"No! I didn’t leave you behind—" I scread, and that’s when I finally forced myself to wake up.
Life had beco such a weight on my shoulders. Nothing felt interesting enough to keep going. I had no goal, none at all—except finding a way to do sothing about a cri that had been committed.
That night, those Alphas... they all did her wrong. But how could I get justice for her when she was no longer here to speak up? When there was no record of any cri?
I dragged myself out of bed and took a shower, getting ready for breakfast with my so-called righteous family.
As I held my phone and looked at the notifications, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Sydney: where are you?
Sydney: The seniors are done with their test so the academy is giving us all so days off before we start a new sester.
Sydney: I was hoping we could spend so ti together?
I didn’t reply to her. There was a ti I was fond of her, maybe even loved her. But not enough to stop seeing other people. I dated many, and one of them was Helanie.
I was only infatuated with Helanie and thought of her as a friend. She was so beautiful that I wanted to keep her around like a trophy. But after that night, I couldn’t forget her.
The injustice she faced was all my fault.
And then I couldn’t bring myself to love anyone again—even my love for Sydney faded.
"Morning," my dad grunted, clearly taunting for not greeting him first.
"Good morning," I said as I sat at the table with him and my mother, who was too busy on her phone to even lift her head.
"Altan! I want you to go to training," Dad said. The ntion of that intense training—ant to disconnect from the world—made raise an eyebrow.
I had wanted to go for that training after Helanie’s death, but Dad refused. Now, him suddenly asking to go? That was suspicious.
"What is it this ti? What are you trying to stop from?" I asked, watching him glare at .
"Are you suggesting I’m playing so kind of ga with you?" he hissed. "I’ve already prepared everything for your journey. Finish your food and get going."
That wasn’t normal. I looked over at my mother, who finally put her phone down and stared at us like she was trying to snap out of whatever world she’d been lost in.
Mother had always been that way, but one bad incident had left her even more traumatized.
"What’s the rush?" I asked, confused.
Suddenly, Dad got up and tried to snatch the phone from my hands. I pulled back and got out of my seat.
"What is going on?" There was no way he wasn’t freaking out about sothing.
"There’s been an issue, and I want you gone before you get dragged into it," he hissed, trying to get behind and take my phone again. He was sending away to training—where I’d have no phone, no contact, and no way of knowing what was going on.
"Dad, what is it? What issue? Why would I be dragged into it?" I asked, keeping my tone firm. But I already had a feeling what was coming. My dad was a control freak. He hadn’t even given his crown, while most Alphas had already passed theirs to their sons.
My dad loved power and control.
"It’s just so pack tax stuff," he waved it off, holding out his hand for my phone.
"And how does that concern ? I’m not even a crowned Alpha yet. You should be the one going into hiding—which ans you haven’t paid the taxes. Why wouldn’t you?"
I watched his face change color, but a notification on my phone distracted .
I pulled my hand forward and unlocked my phone, stepping behind the table to put space between us.
It was a ssage from one of my high school friends, and it grabbed all of my attention.
David: Hey, did you guys know that girl Helanie who died months ago? She’s been resurrected sohow. They caught her alive and are now presenting her to court for a trial—apparently for running away from her punishnt.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and my eyes locked onto my father’s face. He groaned, shaking his head at .
"Is that what you’ve been hiding from ?" I couldn’t even form a full sentence as a whimper slipped from my lips.
"Ugh! I didn’t want you to go all crazy. I haven’t paid so much for your therapy just for it all to go to waste the minute you read the news," Dad waved his hand to dismiss .
"Huh? You think I don’t deserve to know? That guilt has been killing —" I yelled, tears streaming down my face.
My mother rushed over, hugging , sobbing as she watched break down.
"Nothing has changed. She should have stayed dead—and if not, I’ll make sure it happens," my father’s eyes glinted with sothing dark, his finger pointing straight at . "And if I have to kill you too, I will."
His reputation and ego won once again.
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