The System Awakens
Rui tugged his worn jacket tighter around himself, his tall frame casting a faint shadow on the cracked pavement. At seventeen, he was already carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders — an omega with no parents, working multiple part-time jobs just to save enough for college.
His long, dark hair often fell over his pale eyes, hiding the bone-deep weariness beneath. Many assumed he was a beta because of his height and quiet, gloomy demeanor, but Rui knew the truth — and the dangers that came with it. An omega alone in the city was a target.
Tonight, as he hurried home from the night shift at the convenience store, a rough voice ripped through the quiet street from the alley ahead.
"Oi! Hand over the cash you earned today!" snarled a group of gang members. All betas, rough and loud, blocking his way.
Rui's heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drum. They didn't know he was an omega — or perhaps that made them even bolder, seeing his vulnerable state. He froze, clutching his wallet, his breath catching in his throat.
One stepped forward, sneering. "Thought you were just some weak beta kid, huh? Tall enough to fool us."
Before Rui could respond, desperation fueled his legs, and he broke into a run, dodging into the maze of alleys he knew well, hoping to lose them in the familiar shadows.
Suddenly, his chest tightened. A searing pain stabbed his side — someone had grabbed him, yanking him back. Panic surged, a cold wave washing over him. He thrashed, trying to break free.
Then, without warning, a blinding blue light shimmered before his eyes. A translucent screen materialized in the air, glowing softly.
"Congratulations, Host! You have unlocked the Wealth-Building System!"
Rui stumbled, confusion warring with the terror of his situation. He stared at the impossible screen, the pain in his side receding to a dull throb. A system? What was this?
Before he could react further, a tall man stepped forward from the darkness – calm, commanding, with sharp features and piercing eyes that seemed to see right through Rui. Despite never having met him, Rui felt a strange, inexplicable familiarity in his powerful gaze, a sense of rightness that made his omega instincts hum with a forbidden recognition.
The man's sheer presence alone was enough to make the gang members hesitate, their bravado faltering.
"He's with me," the man stated, his voice a low, resonant rumble that seemed to vibrate through the alley. "He's my omega. Step aside."
The gang grumbled, their faces paling as they registered the alpha's undeniable dominance. They exchanged nervous glances before backing off into the shadows, melting away.
Rui barely caught his breath, still reeling from the sudden turn of events, as the man's eyes briefly met his again, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths.
Without waiting for a response, the man turned and walked away, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.
Rui didn't look back. His legs, trembling but obedient, carried him swiftly through the dark streets until he finally reached the safety of his small apartment, the bizarre encounter replaying in his mind.
Unaware, the man stood watching from a distance as Rui entered the building.
His assistant approached quietly from behind him, "He's your mate, isn't he? But you haven't even spoken to him properly."
The man's gaze softened as he glanced down at his phone, a faint smile touching his lips. "He's only seventeen. This was our first meeting. He's scared… Let's let him go home and process it."
Exhausted and shaken, Rui collapsed onto his bed. The weight of the day pressed down on him, and a lingering fear settled deep in his chest. His mind, however, kept returning to the glowing screen, the words 'Wealth-Building System' echoing.
He barely noticed the faint, almost imperceptible glow of the system screen still hovering in the corner of his vision. Whether it was real or a trick of his mind, Rui was too tired and scared to check. He simply closed his eyes, hoping it was all just a dream.
He barely noticed the faint, almost imperceptible glow of the system screen still hovering in the corner of his vision. Whether it was real or a trick of his mind, Rui was too tired and scared to check. He simply closed his eyes, hoping it was all just a dream.
Days later, back at school, Rui struggled to focus. Between classes and part-time jobs, exhaustion clung to him like a heavy fog. His body ached, but his mind was restless, unable to forget the strange man who had saved him.
That man's face — mysterious, sharp, and oddly familiar — kept drifting through Rui's thoughts.
Unknown to Rui, the man was Kian — the city's youngest and most powerful alpha CEO.
And Rui was his 100% match mate.