Leo stepped out of the room into a long, polished stone hallway illuminated by dragon-shaped lanterns. Flames danced on walls carved with coiling serpents and blooming lotuses. It was like stepping into a fantasy world, unlike anything he'd ever seen.
The hallway led to a courtyard where people milled about, their outfits similar to his but in different colors. While his was white, others wore black or blue. He assumed this was tied to the hierarchy the alphas had mentioned, but even his gaming knowledge couldn't decipher its meaning.
Standing in the center of the courtyard, Leo noticed some people glaring at him while others pointed and whispered. He concluded that Ryn must have been insignificant or widely disliked. "I have to find a way to leave this body," he muttered, turning around—only to collide with someone.
Before he could apologize, he was shoved to the ground, cornered by five boys in black outfits.
They were a few inches taller than him, but unlike the overwhelming alpha scents, he detected no pheromones from them.
"Look, it's Ryn, the omega," one sneered, laughing. "Still clumsy and stupid as ever."
Another grabbed Leo and pinned him against a nearby jade pillar. "I heard you're a rune bearer now, mated to three alphas. Think you're untouchable?" He chuckled and gripped Leo's throat. "You're even coming out of Tanita Hall, meant for higher students."
"What are—" Leo struggled, but he was overpowered.
The boy holding his throat was larger, stronger, and radiated a presence that, while not as formidable as the alphas', was still too much for this fragile body.
"Wha—" Leo slapped at the hand on his neck. He'd survived a horrific death, woken in an unfamiliar world, and now faced death again. "Get off me!" he screamed.
The boys laughed, and the one gripping his throat tightened his hold. "You're forgetting something, omega. Your kind bows to us. Even if you're fated to alphas, don't you dare look down on us!" he shouted, raising his hand to strike. "I'll teach you a lesson!"
Leo shut his eyes, his body surrendering to the abuse against his will. Perhaps this was part of the hierarchy, the way this world worked, but he hated it. In his own body, he would've fought back, but here, he was weak and useless.
"Hey!" a voice shouted from behind. "Back off!"
Leo's eyes fluttered open to see a girl charging toward them, her black outfit matching the boys'.
The boy holding Leo's throat released him, shoving him to the ground. "You're lucky she's your friend, or I'd have ended your pathetic omega life," he spat, pushing Leo's head before gesturing to his group. "Let's go."
They walked away, leaving Leo choking on the ground.
"Hey," the girl offered him a hand.
Leo looked up, meeting her striking emerald eyes. He caught her rain-lotus scent, but it had no effect on him.
"Thank you," he said, taking her hand as she pulled him up. He felt pathetic, saved by a girl from boys he could've easily overpowered in his old body.
Something about her felt familiar; this body seemed to recognize and trust her, though he had no idea who she was. "I'm Leo," he said, before realizing his mistake. "I—"
"Leo?" The girl gave him a puzzled look. "So the rumors about you going insane are true?" She circled him, studying him closely. "Did you hit your head during the ritual and forget who you are?" She paused in front of him, frowning as she touched her tied-up dark hair. "You don't remember anything at all?"
Leo shook his head.
"Not even my name?" Again, he shook his head.
"That's wild. The ritual must've done something to you. Anyway, I'm Mira, your only friend in the Draconic Academy."
Leo stared at her silently. In his previous life, he'd learned not to trust easily, but this body seemed to trust Mira, so he believed she was telling the truth.
"Since you barely remember anything, I need to fill you in on what happened before the ritual. But first, Master Lynsander asked me to take you to your new room."
He gave her a questioning look. "Oh," Mira chuckled, "I forgot about your memory loss. Master Lynsander is our rune master. I'll explain more later, but I need to get you to your room." She grabbed his hand and began pulling him along as he jogged to keep up.
"Since you're now bonded with the alphas," she began, "your status has been upgraded. You've got a suite fit for a high-status omega. Your alphas are the academy's elites, so you're lucky," she said, chuckling as she nudged his shoulder.
Leo frowned, unsure why she sounded so excited or what she meant. "What's an omega? An alpha?" he asked, addressing the terms that had been nagging at him since he was called an omega. "I've heard those words a thousand times, and I—"
Mira stopped and stared at him, arms folded. "This is frustrating, but I'll explain later. I need to get you to your room first," she said, resuming her pace. "Do you have any idea how you ended up at the circle ritual?"
"No."
She groaned. "You were beaten and locked away before the ritual. I thought you were dead, but then you appeared with those rune marks. It's rare for omegas to have such powerful marks."
"Are you an omega too?" he asked ignoring what he had heard about Ryn. He had expected that he would be bullied especially with his fragile body.
"No, I'm a beta."
Leo gave her a confused look. "That's something else I'm supposed to find out later, right?"
She nodded.
They walked in silence after that, and she led him to a towering pavilion. Like the other buildings, its doors were carved with dragons.
As they entered, Leo was mesmerized by its breathtaking beauty. A jade desk, worth millions in his world, stood prominently, flanked by silk drapes on the windows and a massive bed with a frame even grander than the one in the previous room.
Never had he imagined living in such luxury. The windows opened to a balcony with a stunning view of the surrounding buildings.
"Master Lynsander prepared this suite for you," Mira explained. "It's a perk of your bond with the alphas. The ritual took a toll on you, so he wants you to rest and take care of yourself before attending your rune class tomorrow. The map is on your desk, and in your wardrobe," she said, pointing to a black wardrobe on the left, "you'll find your new outfit. You'll no longer wear white but black, like me."
Leo wanted to ask more questions but yawned instead, nodding in response. "Thank you, Mira."
Mira nodded and headed for the door. "Don't be late for your first class, Ryn," she warned before leaving, giving Leo no chance to ask what she meant.
As soon as she was gone, he collapsed onto the massive bed.
Ryn.
That was his name now, and he was stuck in a world where everything was different. At least he had luxuries he'd never enjoyed in his real world, something he had always wanted.