The late afternoon sun cast long, slanting beams through the windows of the Academy's inner courtyard, catching on the dew that still clung to the meticulously groomed grass. Lin Yuexin walked carefully along the stone path, her mind racing. The events in the training hall earlier that day still lingered in her thoughts—her blood had reacted to the presence of Alphas, sending subtle pulses of energy that had drawn attention, concern, and awe.
She thought she had been careful, measured, restrained—but evidently, the Academy had felt the shift. Her father's legacy was stirring within her, no longer dormant, no longer something she could ignore.
She sensed the movement before she saw it. A presence, deliberate, controlled, impossible to miss. Zhenyu emerged from the shadows beneath a massive oak, his long coat swaying lightly, eyes sharp and unwavering. He stepped closer, each motion silent yet heavy with authority. The energy radiating from him made the ground seem slightly firmer under her feet, the air thicker, charged with expectation.
"Yuexin," he began, voice low, deliberate, eyes locking onto hers. "We need to talk."
Yuexin's pulse quickened. She had felt his protective attention all morning, but there was something different now. Something more intense, sharper, more urgent. "About what?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
Zhenyu stopped a few feet away, folding his arms across his chest. His dark eyes were unyielding, piercing through her composure, reading her in ways no one else could. "About what you are," he said quietly. "You're not human, are you?"
Yuexin froze, breath hitching. She had suspected he might suspect something, but hearing him speak it aloud brought a wave of fear and disbelief. "I… I am human," she said quickly, forcing a laugh that came out more like a nervous exhale. "I'm just… a human girl. That's all."
Zhenyu's eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger, but in measured observation. "That reaction just now in the hall… the way your blood responded to the Alphas, to the marks… you're lying to yourself. You're trying to convince me—and yourself—that you're ordinary. But you are not."
Yuexin's hands clenched at her sides. She had trained herself to suppress, to hide, to blend—but the truth was bubbling beneath the surface, impossible to ignore. "I… I don't know what you mean," she murmured, voice shaking.
Zhenyu stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the faint heat radiating from him, the subtle pull of dominance and presence that always seemed to center her when he was near. "Don't try to deny it," he said softly, dark eyes fixed on hers. "Your father's blood is strong. It runs through you. And your instincts… they are beyond human comprehension. Every reaction, every subtle movement, every pulse of awareness… it tells me the truth."
Yuexin looked down at her hands, her body trembling. She wanted to deny it, to cling to the illusion of normalcy, to believe that she was merely human, fragile and ordinary. But she couldn't. Not anymore. Every instinct, every reaction of her body screamed otherwise.
"I… I don't want to be different," she whispered. "I just want… to survive, to belong, to live without all of this…"
Zhenyu's expression softened slightly, though the intensity in his eyes never waned. He crouched slightly, lowering himself to her level, as if to show that he wasn't here to punish her, but to guide her. "Being different isn't a curse, Yuexin," he said quietly. "It's a responsibility. And the sooner you accept it, the safer you'll be. Right now, hiding only puts you in more danger. Your blood, your instincts… they will betray you if you refuse to acknowledge them."
Yuexin lifted her gaze, tears welling in her eyes. She had always felt ordinary, had always relied on her wits, her cunning, her careful observation. But now she realized that ordinary was a lie she had been telling herself, a fragile shield she could no longer maintain.
"Then what am I?" she asked, voice barely audible.
Zhenyu's eyes softened, a rare flicker of vulnerability passing over his usually unreadable face. "You are the daughter of the most feared Alpha the city has ever known," he said slowly. "And that legacy… is alive in you. You are stronger than you realize. Faster, sharper, more perceptive than anyone else here. Even the other Alphas feel it. Even Yichen feels it."
The words hit Yuexin like a shockwave. The brothers, the rivalry, the attention, the subtle claims of dominance—they were not just social games. Her very blood, her very existence, had shifted the balance in ways she had barely begun to understand.
Yuexin's hands trembled as she swallowed hard. "I… I don't know if I can… handle this," she admitted. "I don't even know how to begin. Everyone's so powerful… and I'm just… me."
"You are not just you," Zhenyu corrected gently but firmly. "You carry a legacy. A power. And with that comes danger… but also protection, allies, and influence. You will need to learn quickly. And you will need to trust me."
Yuexin looked up, meeting his gaze. His intensity was suffocating, grounding, overwhelming, yet somehow… comforting. "Trust you?" she repeated softly. "How can I… when I don't even understand myself?"
Zhenyu reached out, lightly brushing a strand of hair from her face, eyes holding hers. "Because I see the truth in you," he said quietly. "Even when you can't. And I will protect you while you learn. But you must stop lying to yourself. Stop pretending. You are not human, Yuexin. And pretending otherwise will only make your enemies stronger, and yourself weaker."
A silence settled between them, heavy and thick. Yuexin's mind raced, the reality of her situation pressing down. Her father's legacy, the latent power in her blood, and the constant scrutiny of the Academy—it all felt impossibly overwhelming. Yet, beneath the weight, a flicker of determination sparked.
She realized that denial was no longer an option. Pretending to be ordinary would not save her, would not keep her alive, and would certainly not protect her from the challenges that waited at Heilong Dominion Academy.
"I… I'll try," she whispered, voice shaking but resolute. "I'll… try to accept it. But it's so much… and I don't know if I'm ready."
Zhenyu nodded, expression softening ever so slightly. "You will be," he said quietly. "And you will survive. Not as a human among Alphas, but as their equal. Or more. But first… you must understand yourself. And I will help you, Yuexin. No matter what it takes."
The late afternoon shadows stretched longer as they stood in silence, the air thick with unspoken understanding. Yuexin knew that from this moment on, her life would be irrevocably different. There was no hiding, no pretending. Her father's legacy, her power, and the eyes of the Academy were all converging on her.
And as Zhenyu's steady presence anchored her, she realized for the first time that she might not be alone in facing the storm.
Her blood, her instincts, her legacy—it was all real. And so was the challenge that awaited her.