Twilight of Shadows

Chapter 1: The Auction

The room was suffocating, not with heat, but with the sheer weight of power and desperation that mingled in the air. Yoon Jeonghan stood under the harsh, artificial spotlight, his pale skin illuminated like a ghost’s, his delicate features framed by golden hair that refused to be tamed. The omega had been dressed in white, as if innocence could be manufactured, but his trembling hands betrayed the calm facade he struggled to maintain.

The auctioneer's voice boomed, announcing him as “a rare find, untouched and unbroken,” while eyes raked over him like predators sizing up their prey. Jeonghan’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t going to cry. Not here. Not for these people.

In the farthest corner of the dimly lit room, Kim Mingyu leaned back in his chair, half-listening to the murmurs and bids. His dark, sharp eyes were framed by the glow of a cigarette, the acrid smoke curling around him like a shadowy aura. He didn’t want to be here, but orders were orders. Protect the interests of the syndicate, his boss had said. Secure the asset. Mingyu couldn’t care less what “asset” meant this time—it was always the same cycle of cruelty disguised as business.

But then his gaze landed on Jeonghan.

The omega’s eyes weren’t pleading like the others Mingyu had seen at these auctions. They weren’t hollow either. Instead, they burned with defiance, a silent challenge that dared anyone to break him. Mingyu's lips curled into a faint smirk, but something unfamiliar twisted in his chest.

“Sold!” The hammer fell, and the crowd's murmurs grew louder. Mingyu watched as Jeonghan was led offstage, chains glinting against his wrists. His buyer, a heavyset man with greed etched into every inch of his face, tugged at Jeonghan like a trophy.

Mingyu didn’t think. He rarely did when instincts overrode logic. He stood, his tall frame towering over the other bidders, and strode toward the omega and his new owner.

“Stop.”

The single word was spoken softly, but it cut through the noise like a blade. The room fell silent as Mingyu’s presence radiated an unspoken authority. The buyer turned, startled, but quickly recognized who was speaking.

“This one’s not yours,” Mingyu said, his voice calm yet deadly.

The buyer hesitated, but only for a moment. “With all due respect, Mr. Kim, I paid—”

Mingyu’s hand shot out, gripping the man’s collar and lifting him off his feet effortlessly. “And now you’re done paying,” he growled, his fangs glinting as his alpha pheromones surged through the room, suffocating any resistance.

Jeonghan watched in silence, his heart pounding. The Alpha was terrifying—his sheer strength and dominance crackled in the air—but there was something about him that didn’t feel as vile as the others.

Mingyu dropped the man unceremoniously, not sparing him another glance. He turned to Jeonghan, his sharp eyes narrowing. “You belong to me now.”

Jeonghan wanted to spit back, to tell him he belonged to no one, but the words died in his throat as Mingyu grabbed the chain tethered to his wrists and began leading him away.

As they walked through the darkened corridors of the auction house, Jeonghan broke the tense silence. “Why did you do that?”

Mingyu didn’t look back, his voice as cold as the steel around Jeonghan’s wrists. “Don’t flatter yourself, omega. I don’t need a reason.”

But Jeonghan caught the slight twitch in Mingyu’s jaw, and for the first time, he wondered if there was more to this Alpha than the icy exterior he presented.

Outside, the night was still and suffocating, the air heavy with the scent of rain. Mingyu stopped abruptly, turning to Jeonghan. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Jeonghan saw something flicker there—something that disappeared as quickly as it came.

“You’re mine now,” Mingyu repeated, his voice lower, more dangerous. “And you’ll learn what that means soon enough.”

Jeonghan glared up at him, defiance still blazing in his chest. “We’ll see about that.”

The storm broke above them, rain falling in sheets, but neither of them moved. It was a battle of wills, and though Jeonghan felt the weight of Mingyu’s dominance pressing down on him, he refused to back down.

This was just the beginning.