L*st and Death

The creaky door of the old-fashioned elevator slowly slid open. The overhead light flickered with a dull click-click, then lit up a moment later. For once, the elevator was actually working.

“What are you doing? Not coming in?”

“This thing looks over two hundred years old. ...How about we take the stairs?”

Siron answered seriously, picking up on the edge of unease in Lewis’s voice.

“I’m not an alpha, okay? No way I’m walking up to the ninth floor.”

“I could carry you.”

Siron’s face twisted in disgust. The thought of clinging to Lewis’s back was bad enough, but the image of Lewis’s large hand gripping his ass to support his weight made his skin crawl. It was just too close to sexual contact—not something he could stomach.

He let out a deep sigh and reached for the ‘close’ button with a resigned air.

“Then you can take the stairs.”

Lewis followed him into the elevator with a reluctant breath, as if he had no other choice. The elevator looked like something out of an old movie.

The doors shut with a clunk, and the elevator began °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° its slow, groaning ascent. Lewis’s deep breaths were soon drowned beneath the mechanical clatter. The two of them simply watched the floor numbers tick upward toward nine. It felt like the air was thinning, like Lewis’s patience was being steadily drained. Finally, just when the tension seemed about to snap, the elevator shuddered to a stop on the ninth floor.

Siron tilted his head, watching Lewis hurry out as if fleeing.

“Do you have claustrophobia?”

“Not really, but... I guess I get tense. Maybe it’s from being trapped in that panic room.”

Standing before his door, Siron paused with his hand above the keypad—and suddenly flinched.

“...When’s your rut cycle?”

“If it’s on the same schedule as before, probably this weekend.”

Today was Monday, so there were at least a few days left. Even alone together in a small space, it shouldn’t be dangerous yet. Siron forced himself to erase the memory of their horrible first meeting and opened the door.

The moment they stepped in, a black-and-white portrait greeted them from the wall. It was a photo that had once been Siron’s profile on the portal sites for years—one both he and his fans had loved the most.

Siron stared at the face in the photo, frozen in a silence that felt suspended in time. It felt as though the house were welcoming him home after a long absence. He stood motionless in the entryway for a moment, and then, oddly aware of his quiet companion, glanced to the side. Lewis was gazing at the photo like it was a fine painting, his expression dazed with awe. Feeling a bit smug, Siron lifted his chin haughtily and brushed past him into the living room.

The apartment was a mess, nothing like how he’d left it. The chaos made it clear that the place had been used as a makeshift base by the ragtag bunch who’d tried to track down the kidnapped Yoon Siron. Personal items were strewn across the floor, clothes from the wardrobe piled high on the bed. But Siron didn’t feel annoyed. Instead, he was strangely moved to know people had taken action to save him while he was in Isaac’s hands. Even if they all seemed more interested in their own motives than his safety—he was grateful, in the end.

Without even a chance to retrieve his things from the motel, Siron had assumed his suitcase was gone for good. But now, rummaging through it, he packed a few light outfits, socks, and shoes, then headed into the bathroom. While opening the drawer for his toothbrush and razor, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror—and felt a sudden jolt.

He shut the drawer and stared hard at the reflection.

Something was missing.

What shocked him even more was that he hadn’t noticed until now.

Siron’s face twisted slowly in disbelief.

“Fuck!”

At his scream, Lewis rushed in. Siron was holding his cheeks like Kevin from Home Alone, shrieking.

“What?! What happened?!”

Lewis’s voice rang out, tense.

“My chin! What the hell happened to my chin?!”

“Your... chin? What about it?”

“It’s too smooth! ...How is this possible?!”

Siron was nearly screaming in panic, jabbing a finger toward his reflection. In the stunned silence that followed, both of them stared at the mirror.

Siron’s chin was unnaturally smooth. Lewis examined his face more closely, studying the unblemished skin.

“Bebe, you’ve got really clear skin. But... is that a problem?”

Lewis spoke with casual admiration, as if he’d just realized something new about Siron’s body. Siron stomped his foot in frustration.

“It’s not about having nice skin!”

He’d never been especially hairy, but it wasn’t like nothing grew at all. He’d shaved diligently every few days. But ever since being kidnapped by Isaac, Siron hadn’t shaved even once.

“I haven’t shaved since I was kidnapped.”

“...So your face is smooth not because you shaved, but because you’re not growing facial hair at all?”

“Looks that way. Maybe it’s because I’m transforming into an omega?”

Siron spoke in a daze, like someone numbed by shock. The man in the mirror looked like he had sucked all the life out of the man standing in front of it. His eyes were hollow, his face shadowed. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, spinning in place as he muttered in Korean:

“What the hell is happening to me... Is this really... breeding—no! Don’t think about that!”

“Bebe, some guys shave every day. What’s the big deal about not having a beard?”

“Isn’t body hair loss something that happens with hormone therapy? Like estrogen?”

“Try to see the bright side. Your mornings just got a little easier.”

“Easier... ease... ease?!”

Siron suddenly gasped and clutched at his chest.

“Ah—thank god. My chest isn’t growing.”

Thankfully, the omega transformation didn’t seem to involve a direct transition to a female body. His mammary glands hadn’t developed at all. His chest still looked exactly the way he remembered it—masculine.

“This is weird. I can still get hard.”

Siron had no idea what he was becoming. What did it even mean, really, to turn into an omega? He was stuck somewhere between relief and despair, trying to understand his body—while Lewis’s expression darkened.

“Bebe.”

“Yeah?”

“I just remembered something. When Baekgyeong was with you... his rut cycle came early.”

Siron’s face darkened at once.

“There’s a chance... I might start reacting to you too.”

Siron stopped breathing, as if holding still would stop himself from triggering Lewis.

“Wait—are you saying your rut is starting now?”

“No. Not exactly. But I’m definitely at the edge. It wouldn’t be weird if it started today.”

“Uh—did you bring suppressants?”

“No.”

“Tranq darts?”

“Left those behind too.”

“Right. Okay. Just... try to hold it in. Got it?”

Terrified that Lewis’s rut cycle could begin at any moment, Siron trembled. His shock over his beard was already a distant memory. He hurriedly stuffed his things into a bag and bolted out of the apartment. Ignoring the elevator, he ran down the stairs and jumped into the car. They needed to get to the Linhart house—with the panic room—as fast as possible.

“Wh-What the... it’s already morning?”

“I think we should start stocking up.”

While Lewis parked the car, Siron had already sprinted into the house. He burst into Anna’s room without knocking. She’d been asleep after a twelve-hour shift and now looked up at him with bleary confusion.

“...Something happen?”

“Anna, suppressants. No—tranq darts. We need to be ready.”

Frowning, Anna slapped her cheeks lightly to wake herself up. Siron’s face was slick with sweat, his legs trembling like he was ready to flee. A moment later, her brain kicked fully into gear—her senses sharpened.

“Lewis is going into rut?”

“Not yet.”

Lewis followed into the room and corrected her misunderstanding.

“It’ll start soon, but not yet.”

He gave a bitter smile and shrugged.

“And I’ve been thinking. I know what we need to do next.”

He pulled out his phone from his pocket. With a tap, he opened the H-Pay app—the entry point to Hybris, the secret online community for alphas. After completing authentication, he selected the first menu option and turned the screen to show Siron and Anna.

“If you need detailed information about medical support, feel free to contact us via chat? ...What is this? Don’t tell me...”

Anna’s face tightened as she read the message. Lewis rested a hand gently on her shoulder. His fingers trembled ever so slightly, as if chilled.

“Looks like the moment has come. We need to find out how to deal with an alpha in rut.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!