That afternoon, the school's sleek, Elros Group-sponsored event was underway in the auditorium. Students gathered in neat rows, their chatter humming with excitement, a world away from Rui's usual struggles. He knew the Elros Group was a colossal entity, their name synonymous with wealth and power across the city. It struck him as odd, almost absurd, that CEO himself would even be at a mere high school event.
Rui kept to the side, feeling profoundly out of place amid the polished crowd. He clutched the strap of his worn backpack, a silent observer in a sea of privileged faces. But then, his gaze snagged on a familiar figure near the stage—Kian Elros, CEO of Elros Group. The man stood apart from the jostling groups, watching quietly, his sharp features unreadable, yet radiating an undeniable presence that commanded the space around him.
Their eyes met across the murmuring hall.
Suddenly, a sharp, intrusive ping echoed inside Rui's mind.
Before he could even process the odd sensation, a burst of blue light shimmered before his eyes, hovering like a translucent screen, visible only to him.
[New Task Incoming!]
Task #1: Talk to Kian Elros.
Rui's heart pounded fiercely, a frantic drum against his ribs. No. This can't be real. He blinked, hard, then squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. He was still half-asleep from his night shift, or maybe the alley attack had made him delusional. This "system," this glowing screen... it had to be a lingering hallucination from that terrifying night. He opened his eyes. The screen remained, stubbornly, impossibly real.
His gaze flickered between the glowing notification and Kian, the powerful alpha from the alley, now standing imposingly before him. Was it the sheer shock from the bizarre system's command, or the sudden, overwhelming realization that his mate was standing right in front of him, radiating that same magnetic pull? He didn't know which fear was stronger, the system's blatant demand or the instinctive, terrifying draw towards Kian .
But the task was clear, blazing on the screen.
Task #1: Talk to Kian Elros — Reward: 20 points
He swallowed hard, his throat dry. Talk to him? Just the thought made his palms sweat, clammy and cold. That man… no, that alpha… something about him made Rui's omega instincts flutter with both a primal, almost terrifying fear and something deeper — an undeniable, aching magnetism he couldn't comprehend. And now a dream-like system was ordering him to approach the personification of everything he feared and instinctively desired.
He glanced frantically around. No one else seemed to notice the shimmering blue screen, or the crushing weight of this impossible moment. They were all just students, laughing and chatting.
Kian still stood near the stage, a silent, formidable figure amidst student leaders and staff, yet speaking to none of them. His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, and then, briefly, landed on Rui once more.
Rui looked away too fast, a flush creeping up his neck. Did he notice me staring?
The system pulsed again.
[Reminder: Task in progress. Time limit: 5 minutes.]
Five minutes? Panic coiled in his gut. This is insane. I can't just walk up to him. But the system's reminder felt less like a suggestion and more like an irresistible shove. Rui's feet moved on their own, a strange, undeniable compulsion urging him forward. Step by slow, unwilling step, as if pulled by an invisible, unbreakable thread, he approached the stage.
At that exact moment, Kian turned fully toward him, as if he had been waiting. A faint, almost imperceptible lift of his brow was the only sign of acknowledgement.
Rui stopped just a few feet away, close enough to feel the warmth of Kian's presence, the subtle, commanding scent of an alpha that made his omega body tremble. His throat felt impossibly tight. Say something, anything…
"H-Hello," he managed. His voice came out small, almost lost in the ambient hum of the auditorium.
But Kian heard it. He tilted his head slightly, his piercing eyes narrowing, a hint of something unreadable, yet expectant, in their depths. "We meet again," he rumbled, that same calm, smooth, deep voice that had dismissed the gang members now directed solely at Rui.
"I… I wanted to say thank you. For that night," Rui whispered, unable to tear his gaze away from Kian's.
Kian's stern expression softened almost imperceptibly, a subtle shift that caught Rui off guard. "You remember me?"
"I... I do," Rui said honestly, his voice gaining a touch more strength. "I didn't get your name."
"Kian," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "Just Kian is fine."
The name hit like a spark, igniting something deep within Rui. Kian… his heart skipped, a strange, exhilarating beat.
The system chimed gently in his mind, its blue light fading as quickly as it had appeared:
[Task Complete: +20 points]
[Bond Status: Initiated.]
Before Rui could process any of it—the points, the 'Bond Status'—one of the staff members called out to Kian. Kian gave Rui a last look, unreadable but not cold, a flicker of something almost tender in his sharp eyes.
"I'll see you again, Rui."
Rui blinked, stunned. How does he know my name?
But Kian had already turned away, walking toward the waiting crowd, his powerful presence receding like a fading tide.
Rui stood there frozen—breathless, shaken, and for the first time, truly aware that something much bigger than just a system, or a chance encounter, had begun.