The library of Heilong Dominion Academy was quiet, almost unnervingly so, with sunlight streaming through tall windows and illuminating rows of ancient tomes. Lin Yuexin sat at a corner table, her hands tracing the edges of a leather-bound book, though her mind was far from the mundane text. The events of the previous day lingered in her chest like a storm that refused to fade.
She had survived Meilin's trap, felt the brothers' rivalry up close, and yet something inside her ached with confusion. She had always believed herself human, ordinary. And yet, here in the midst of Alphas—strong, dominant, dangerous—she felt… different.
The quiet was broken by the soft rustle of footsteps approaching. Yuexin looked up to see one of the older professors, Li Haoran, standing near her table. His expression was grave, the weight of his gaze settling on her as though he were seeing something others could not.
"Lin Yuexin," he said quietly, voice low. "May I speak with you for a moment?"
Yuexin nodded, heart fluttering. She followed him down a narrow aisle of shelves, away from prying eyes, feeling the slight pulse of unease that came with being singled out.
"You've been… noticed," Li Haoran began, his tone careful. "By some of the most powerful Alphas in the Academy. But that is not why I asked to speak with you."
Yuexin frowned, curiosity mingling with apprehension. "Then why?"
He took a deep breath, eyes flicking to a hidden emblem on the wall—an ancient insignia she didn't recognize. "Your father… was not just any Alpha. He was… the Alpha of Alphas. One whose name is feared even now."
The words hit her like a shockwave. Her father? Alpha of Alphas? She had always believed he had simply passed away quietly, leaving her and her mother to live a normal life.
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Yuexin's voice was barely above a whisper, trembling with a mix of fear and disbelief.
"Because knowing would have put you in danger," Li Haoran said softly. "Your mother chose to protect you. Even from the truth. But now, you are here, and the energy you carry… it will not go unnoticed. Not by Zhenyu, not by Yichen, not by anyone who knows the history of your father."
Yuexin's hands shook slightly. She felt the weight of a legacy she had never asked for, a power that had been dormant within her, and a storm of eyes and expectations waiting to see how she would carry it.
The room seemed to grow colder, the sunlight harsher, shadows stretching across the floor like fingers reaching for her. She could imagine the whispers already starting among the Alphas, the murmurs about the human girl whose father had been the most feared Alpha of all.
"I… I don't understand," she murmured, trying to steady herself. "If my father was so powerful… why hide it from me? Why let me walk among them like this?"
Li Haoran's gaze softened, though his eyes remained sharp. "Because the world of Alphas is dangerous. Because your father's enemies are still out there. And because some truths are better learned when one is ready. You… may be ready now. Or soon, if you choose to embrace it."
Yuexin closed her eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to steady her racing heart. Her father's legacy was no longer a shadow in her past—it was a living, breathing force that pulsed within her, waiting to be awakened.
Her thoughts drifted involuntarily to Zhenyu and Yichen. Both had claimed her attention, both had marked her, both had become a part of the storm she now realized she had been born into. The brothers, the Alphas, the entire Academy—it was no longer simply a place of learning. It was a proving ground, and she was already at the center.
Li Haoran spoke again, voice gentle but firm. "There are things you must know… about the marks, about the clans, and about the power that lies dormant in you. But that lesson… will come later. For now, you must understand that the name you carry is dangerous. And with danger comes both attention and… opportunity."
Yuexin felt a chill run down her spine. Opportunity and danger. The two were intertwined, inseparable, and now, in the quiet of the library, she realized that her life had shifted irreversibly.
She returned to her dorm that evening, every step heavy with thought. Her father's name lingered in her mind, a secret that had been kept for protection, now a force that would shape her every action at Heilong Dominion Academy. She understood that she could no longer rely solely on stealth or observation. She would have to navigate the hierarchy, the politics, the subtle games of power, and most importantly—the fierce attention of the two brothers who had already staked their claims.
Her pulse quickened not from fear, but from anticipation. The truth of her identity, the legacy of her father, and the eyes of every Alpha in the school were converging on her. She had crossed a line. And there was no turning back.
In the quiet of her room, Yuexin sat by the window, gazing at the city beyond. She thought of her mother, of the careful lies and omissions that had kept her safe, of the life she had thought was ordinary. And now, the ordinary was gone.
A knock at the door drew her attention. Zhenyu stepped inside without waiting for invitation, as he always did, dark eyes locking onto hers. His presence was grounding, commanding, and protective in a way that made her both calm and alert.
"Your father's name… it changes everything," he said softly. "And it explains a lot. But it also makes you… vulnerable. You must be careful."
Yuexin nodded, a mixture of resolve and apprehension settling in her chest. She realized fully now that her time as just a "human among Alphas" was over. She was the daughter of a legend, the heir of a fearsome legacy, and the center of attention for two brothers whose rivalry had grown sharper by the day.
That night, she could hardly sleep. Her mind was a storm of revelations, strategies, and anticipation. She had been thrust into a world of power, hierarchy, and danger that was far larger than herself. And yet, she felt a flicker of determination.
Her father's name, long hidden, was now hers to bear. And with it, the understanding that her life at Heilong Dominion Academy would never again be simple, safe, or ordinary.
She had survived the first decade of challenges. Now, she would face a legacy—and she would rise to meet it.