Ezra
The guards came sooner than I expected.
Lysandra opened the door.
Two royal guards stood outside. They wore dark uniforms made from some kind of metal-thread fabric.
Their cloaks had the crest of the royal family—a silver wolf with four tails.
"Omega Ezra?" one of them asked.
Omega Ezra? Really?
I stepped forward slowly. "Yes."
"We'll escort you to the palace."
Lysandra squeezed my arm once.
"Come back alive," she said under her breath even though we both knew there was no coming back.
"I'll try," I whispered.
The guards stepped aside and waited for me to walk out first. It felt weird that they didn't step ahead. Later I realized it was because they wanted me where they could see me at all times.
Great, like I could actually escape if I wanted to.
Outside, a strange-looking carriage waited. It floated slightly off the ground, and the wheels weren't even touching the earth. The wood looked polished but had magical glowing lines, which looked like runes.
One guard opened the door and gestured for me to enter.
The moment I sat down, it felt like stepping into a tunnel. The carriage didn't actually start moving .
It vanished.
One blink I was outside Lysandra's house, and the next blink I was staring at a completely different place. It had tall white walls. Really big gates. Towers that looked so tall I was very certain they touched the clouds.
Everything around the palace felt like it came out of a painting. It was so beautiful I couldn't stop myself from gaping at the glory of this place.
I turned to the guard immediately.
"I want to see Alden," I said.
He stared at me like I had just insulted him. "We were informed," he said stiffly. "He'll be brought out."
"I'm not moving until I see him."
The other guard muttered something like, "He's going to be trouble," but I ignored him.
A few seconds later, another small gate opened at the side and Alden stepped out. He looked… okay. He didn't look hurt.
He actually looked cleaner than when I last saw him, wearing fresh clothes and didn't look at all like he was suffering.
When he saw me, his whole face softened with relief.
"Ezra!" He walked quickly toward me and threw his arms around me before the guards could stop him. I hugged him back without thinking. I don't know what it was but I was just really grateful that he was okay.
"I'm fine," he said as he pulled back. "They didn't do anything to me. They just kept me in the palace and gave me food."
"That's good," I said. "I just needed to see you. I didn't want to leave without knowing."
"You'll be safe," he said quietly. "The royal house… they don't play with rules. No one can touch you here." He squeezed my arms once.
"Me and Lysandra will visit as soon as we're allowed."
I nodded. My throat felt tight, but I didn't want to show it. It's not like these people were actually my family but being an orphan, I had forgotten what it felt like to have people care about you.
A guard called Alden back. He gave me one last look, smiled again, and then walked away.
The moment he disappeared behind the gate, I couldn't help the feeling of loneliness that slowly crept into my chest.
"Now," one of the guards said, "we proceed."
They began walking, and I followed them, trying to remember every single thing Lysandra told me. Straight back. No staring.
No random talking. Breathe normal. Got it.
Inside the palace walls, the air smelled cleaner. I could almost taste it.
We stepped into a hall with tall glass windows and white floors. I tried not to stare but seriously, the place looked like it was built to make poor people feel poor.
Then suddenly, a door ahead opened and a group of women stepped out.
Elves.
They were painfully pretty in a way that felt unreal. Tall. Slim. Their hair was long and shiny like silk, some silver, some pale gold, some white. Their eyes looked so pretty, I felt enchanted. Each wore a soft dress that I could tell held magic.
All of them stared at me at the same time.
The guard stood straighter.
"These are your assigned attendants."
One elf stepped forward.
"Welcome, young omega," she said in a soft voice. "We will be serving you from now on."
I blinked. "All of you?"
"Yes," she answered calmly, like this was a normal thing.
Another elf added, "We will take you to your quarters. Please follow us."
One turned and started walking. The others waited for me to move first.
I took one step, and suddenly they all moved together like a flock of birds. It was so synchronized that I almost tripped because I wasn't expecting it.
The elf closest to me spoke again, completely serious.
"Please be careful, young omega. The palace floors are slippery when walked on anxiously."
"I—I'm not anxious," I lied.
She nodded politely. "Your footsteps disagree."
Another elf added gently, "We mean no offense."
I rubbed my face.
They guided me through more hallways, until we stopped in front of a door that looked way too big.
"This will be your room," the lead elf said.
"My…" I looked at the door again.
"That whole thing is mine?"
"Yes," she replied, blinking slowly.
"Would you prefer something smaller? We can request a closet-sized chamber if it feels more comfortable—"
"No!" I held up a hand quickly.
"This is fine. Perfect. I like big doors."
They exchanged looks like they were worried.
The door opened by itself.
Inside was a room so large I could probably jog around it if I wanted. A bed sat in the center, piled with soft blankets. The entire room was decorated in glowing lamps that floated. There was even a balcony with a really nice view.
One elf set her hand over her chest. "If you require anything, simply call for us. We can hear through the enchanted bells."
I frowned. "What bells?"
At the same moment, a tiny bell on the wall chimed with a soft ding, even though no one touched it.
I jumped.
The elves nodded in approval.
"It works," one of them said.
"Please rest," another added. "Your scent is still unstable."
I stiffened. "It is?"
They nodded again.
"Great," I muttered.
"We'll be back soon with your food and we'll give a proper introduction of ourselves."
I nodded.
When they left, I sat on the bed and let out a long breath. I stared around the room, wondering if this was actually real.
Everywhere looked so good, it was hard to imagine such a place back in my other world.
I didn't see the royal alpha's when I came in and a part of me wondered if they had seen me.
Whatever was in store for me here, I would have to brace myself for both the good and the bad—i just wish I had a sort of manual or something.