Chapter 7: The Agony of Ruins and the Twist of Fate

By the time Shao Ye arrived in the Dustfolk district, Boss Bai had already been waiting at the docks, his imposing figure framed against the gritty skyline.

Shao Ye’s mind was a storm of tangled thoughts, obsessively rehearsing how he’d explain his three-year disappearance and his current circumstances to the Alpha whose patience and power he’d tested for far too long.

Behind him, Lu Zhanxing followed silently. From a distance, his sharp gaze locked onto the infamous Bai Boss—a man who commanded fear as naturally as he breathed.

Boss Bai, an Alpha of the White Serpent lineage, exuded an aura of unshakable dominance. Even in human form, his slit-pupiled eyes gleamed like bottomless abysses, cold yet hypnotic, impossible to read. His tailored white suit clung to him with military precision, its pristine surface broken only by the dramatic sweep of a cloak that billowed behind him. In one hand, he gripped a serpent-shaped cane, a weapon and symbol of power in equal measure. At his back, a phalanx of bodyguards stood like statues—silent, disciplined, and radiating a palpable menace. Together, they were an impenetrable fortress that dared anyone foolish enough to challenge their Alpha.

Shao Ye swallowed hard, his steps dragging as he approached. His voice betrayed him—wavering, laced with guilt and unease. “Boss Bai...”

The Alpha’s smile was faint, but it sliced through Shao Ye like a blade. On the surface, it was warm, even welcoming. Beneath it, however, lurked layers of enigmatic intent. “You’re back. That’s all that matters.”

Bai’s attention then shifted like a predator catching a scent. His eyes locked on Lu Zhanxing, sizing him up with unnerving precision. Shao Ye, caught in the crossfire of that piercing gaze, felt his knees weaken.

Before the tension could thicken further, the ship’s captain stumbled down the gangplank, grinning obsequiously as he tried to curry favor with Boss Bai.

But Bai wasn’t a man to suffer fools. His disinterest was cold and cutting, his only response a curt command for his men to settle Shao Ye’s passage fee on the spot. As the captain pocketed his payment, Bai’s tone shifted, sharp as the edge of his cane. “Leaving already, Captain? It’s not like you to return empty-handed. No cargo from this trip?”

The captain chuckled nervously, sweat beading at his temples. “Ah, Boss Bai, you may not have heard, but the Alliance is offering a massive bounty—one billion galactic credits—for an Omega who recently blew up the O’Dell Academy in Imperial City. Word is, he escaped out here to the Dustfolk district. I’m heading back to claim that reward before anyone else gets their hands on him.”

The captain's eyes gleamed with a sharp, almost predatory glint, his mouth barely able to restrain a satisfied smirk as he spoke, as though the massive fortune was already his for the taking.

Bai’s smile didn’t falter, but his gaze burned into Shao Ye like a brand. Shao Ye shifted uncomfortably, beads of sweat breaking out along his brow. The captain prattled on, oblivious to the shifting dynamics.

“Well,” Bai said, his voice as smooth as silk but with an undercurrent of dismissal. “Good luck with that.”

The captain scurried off, leaving the dock eerily quiet. The atmosphere grew heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Bai’s serpentine eyes flicked back to Shao Ye, but Lu Zhanxing’s unyielding presence seemed to halt whatever interrogation was brewing. The silence stretched taut.

Finally, Shao Ye broke. “Thank you, Boss Bai. I promise to repay the debt and this fare as soon as I can.” Before the Alpha could respond, Shao Ye grabbed Lu Zhanxing’s hand and bolted, their hurried footsteps echoing against the docks.

Boss Bai watched them vanish into the distance, his expression unreadable. A flicker of curiosity, amusement, and something darker danced across his features.

“Should we pursue them, boss?” one of the bodyguards asked, his hand already hovering near his comms.

“No need.” Bai’s voice was calm, assured. “He’ll come back. They always do. It’s better if he uncovers the truth on his own. I don’t plan to be the one to tell him about his sister’s... condition.”

As he turned to leave, his voice dropped into a chill that froze the air around him. “Deploy the drones. That cargo ship? Sink it. No survivors.”

"Understood." The bodyguards snapped to attention, their acknowledgment crisp and absolute. They turned and disappeared into the chaos of the dock, their figures swiftly swallowed by the clamoring crowd and the dim light.

Boss Bai slid into the backseat of his private car, a space dripping with opulence—spacious, elegant, and silent as a graveyard.

Two Omega bunnies, clad in form-fitting maid outfits, approached with their signature blend of grace and servitude. They carried a bottle of high-end red wine, offering it to him with precise, rehearsed movements. Afterward, they instinctively nestled close to him, their soft touches and saccharine attempts at charm falling flat against his unyielding aura.

He glanced at the laptop screen, where Shao Ye’s wanted poster blazed ominously, and sipped his wine with calculated indifference. His gaze flicked toward the Omegas, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes.

“Your services are no longer required,” he declared, his voice as sharp as the edge of a blade.

The words hit them like a thunderclap. Panic etched itself onto their faces as they dropped to their knees, desperation dripping from their trembling voices. "Master, have we done something wrong? Please, don’t discard us!"

Bai's eyes slid shut as he leaned back into the leather seat, a cold smirk tugging at his lips. “Compared to him—a true masterpiece—you two are insignificant.”

The statement shattered their composure. One maid hung her head in silence, retreating to the shadows like a discarded trinket, her eyes brimming with quiet despair.

The other, unwilling to accept her fate, crawled to his feet, her movements a pitiful plea for reprieve. She pressed her delicate form against his leg, her voice a simpering whine. “Boss, don’t abandon me. I can’t bear to be without you…”

Her words barely escaped her lips before his expression darkened, an ominous storm cloud blotting out all pretense of civility. His hand shot out, vice-like fingers closing around her throat with ruthless precision.

She struggled, her body writhing as panic overtook her. Under the crushing weight of fear, her human form dissolved, reverting to her rabbit-like state. Tiny limbs flailed uselessly, her eyes wide with sheer terror.

“I could never bear to part with you, either,” Bai murmured, his voice a chilling whisper. “Not until I’ve had my fill.”

That evening, the dinner table bore a dish that stole the spotlight—a sizzling, golden-brown roasted rabbit, glistening under the candlelight. The rich, spicy aroma wafted through the room, seductive and horrifying all at once, casting a sinister shadow over the decadent feast.

*

Shao Ye tore through the streets, his hand gripping Lu Zhanxing's wrist like a lifeline. Memories of his sister’s radiant smile and their crumbling childhood home haunted him, each fragment a beacon in his storm-tossed world.

But when they reached the site that once held their home, a cruel reality greeted them like a slap to the face.

The sky hung heavy with leaden clouds, pressing down with an oppressive weight. Before them stretched a wasteland of ruins—broken walls, shattered glass, and piles of debris speaking of lives obliterated. The skeletal remains of buildings jutted out like the twisted fingers of a dying giant, whispering tales of destruction.

Shao Ye stood there blankly, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“What happened here…” Shao Ye's voice cracked, his breath hitching as he seized a passing stranger.

The man’s eyes held no sympathy, only derision. “You really need to ask? This place was raided two years ago. The rebels ripped through like wolves—took what they could, smashed what they couldn’t. Those who had the strength ran. The weak? Buried under rubble. The pretty ones? Dragged off to serve as spoils.”

Shao Ye’s knees buckled, his body trembling as the world beneath him crumbled. The stranger’s words echoed in his mind, a cruel litany of loss.

Lu Zhanxing, silent beside him, placed a steady hand on his shoulder. He didn’t speak; there were no words for a pain so raw. His silent gesture was a fragile bridge in the storm.

Shao Ye stumbled into the ruins, his hands sifting desperately through the wreckage. Each scrape of stone and shattered glass screamed of finality, but he couldn’t stop. He wouldn’t stop.

The sky wept above him, rain falling in furious sheets, pelting the barren land.

The storm roared with unrelenting fury, a violent symphony that seemed to echo the heavens’ own anguish, mourning the shattered wreckage of Shao Ye's life.

Beneath the twisted roots of a lifeless tree, Shao Ye clawed at the earth with raw desperation, his bare hands tearing into the dirt like a man drowning, clutching at a final, fleeting chance to survive.

Shao Ye’s hands finally struck something—a rusted metal box buried beneath the rubble. His trembling fingers pried it open to reveal its contents: a crystal ball he’d once given his sister, some papers, and a meager stash of cash.

The sight gutted him. If she had escaped, she would’ve taken these precious remnants. Their presence here was a cruel confirmation: she hadn’t made it.

Shao Ye crumpled to the ground, the crystal ball clutched to his chest as the rain mingled with his silent tears.

Lu Zhanxing draped his coat over Shao Ye’s hunched figure, his voice a faint plea. “Ah Ye…”

But Shao Ye didn’t respond. The storm howled around them, its fury a mirror of his shattered soul. Moments later, his strength gave out, and he collapsed into Lu Zhanxing’s arms, leaving only the sound of rain to bear witness to his anguish.

———TN: The revelation of Shao Ye's sister's fate is a tragic twist that will undoubtedly have lasting consequences.