Noah took a deep breath and continued.
- At home, he kept shouting and shouting, blaming my mother for disgracing him. Then she gave birth to my brother. Father immediately took him away. She wasn’t even allowed to nurse him... my mother never complained, but I saw how she suffered. I heard her cry at night. And then, when my brother had three years left until the test for secondary gender, Ai was born. Father wasn’t very interested in his daughter, so he left her with her mother. He said that if the second child turned out to be unfortunate as well, he would be disappointed. It sounded like a threat. My brother and I were raised very strictly. Training began at four years old. We were never ordinary children. In my training, father focused on strength and agility so I could compensate for the absence of a combat roar with my own fighting skills. How they trained my brother – I don’t know. We barely saw each other. But with each passing time, he resembled father more and more. Not just in appearance. Even in his gaze... he always looked at me with disdain, as if I weren’t his older brother. When he turned six, father’s expectations came true. Aiden’s secondary gender was a dominant Alpha. And a year later, he mastered his roar. His quickly mutated, and the ability was combat-related. Father was pleased. But this created an even greater chasm between us. Because according to all the rules of the Adelson clan, I still remained the heir. I was exhausted every day. And the only one who supported me was my Ai. To me, she was like a ray of sunshine. And I was already happy that I was allowed to see her every day. They lived with my mother in a separate building on the estate grounds. It was decided that way until Ai had her secondary gender determined. My father didn’t even look at my mother or Ai. He didn’t care. As long as they didn’t interfere. After all, he had already gotten what he needed. But I still visited them every day. Despite the exhaustion, I wanted to see them. Ai always smiled at me so sincerely... and I couldn’t wait for the day when I’d become a full-fledged heir. Then I could take them, take responsibility for them, and we would live together. That’s how I dreamed... I, my mother, and Ai. Somewhere far away from the main estate. I would come home, my mother would cook dinner, and Ai and I would read her favorite books together... for that future, I was ready to endure anything. Any of father’s lessons...
He paused. Nari felt that with each word, it was becoming harder for him to speak.
- If you don’t want to, you don’t have to, - Nari wanted to touch his hand but stopped, - if it’s hard, I won’t insist.
- At six years old, Ai’s secondary gender was determined. A dominant Omega. Her calling was similar to yours, healing. However, she could only heal someone else, not herself. Father went mad. Even for me, it was hard to endure his roar. Ai was taken to the ghetto that same day. Mother, who fell to her knees and grabbed father’s legs, begging him to leave her daughter, he locked in a room and ordered not to let her out. I tried to stop him. But I couldn’t. Everything was kept completely secret. At the clan council, a sudden death of the younger daughter of the Adelson clan was announced, without any explanations. In the clan, father declared that Ai had died, and we no longer had a sister. No one would mention her. That was his order. To forget about her existence. But I couldn’t... I found the ghetto where they kept her, found refuge. And I tried to visit her as often as I could. I lost count of how many times father beat me for it...
Noah smiled and leaned back in the chair. Nari bit her lip.
- She sang beautifully, you know... every time I came back, bruised and scratched, she healed me and sang. I promised to take her away. And she never understood why it was bad to be an omega? I didn’t understand either. I still don’t understand. The more I visited her, the angrier father became... and at one point, I ruined everything. My rebellion... and constant escapes... he ordered to start bringing her to the arena. She was doing quite well! She was so happy when she managed to pass a new stage... last year she couldn’t. They killed her while I was with father at a meeting. She was only 16... We were notified of this in the evening via communicator call. I wasn’t even allowed to take her body. Mother... couldn’t bear it. She took her own life that very evening. And I... I attacked father. Lost and ran away.
Noah closed his eyes for a moment.
- I wandered all over Katoria for six months, hiding. Thanks to the roar, it wasn’t a problem. Until Toneri, the leader of Sigma, picked me up. That’s how I ended up there...
- I’m sorry... - Nari whispered, - I’m sorry...
- You’re not to blame, - Noah waved his hand dismissively, - it’s just that my father is a monster, and I’m a weakling. Would that be your fault?
Nari looked at her hands, and Noah at the ceiling. They tried not to look at each other.
- So that’s the story, - Alpha finally exhaled, - not very interesting. What about you?
- And what about me? - Nari was surprised.
- I talked about myself. I’d like a bit of reciprocity.
- Generally, my story is the same as that of most Omegas. There are those like Leo and Dion. They were born to a couple of Bet parents. Before the secondary gender test, they lived with their parents and were then taken by the control service to a shelter. They managed to find out what parental love and care were. And there are those like me and Iris. I never knew my parents. Maybe they were omegas. Or I was born on a farm. In any case, my first memories are of the shelter, Iris, and Agatha.
- I’ve heard about Iris already... but Agatha is a new name, - Noah noted.
- Agatha was a beta, worked in the shelter. She replaced our mother, - Nari said with a sad smile, - she cared for me and Iris, and then Leo and Di. She was only nineteen. And she took responsibility for us four. Taught us everything, took care of us... she loved us, Omegas.
- What happened to her?
- Camellia, - Nari replied colorlessly, - she was gone when I turned sixteen.
- My condolences.
- I tried to heal her. I tried very hard, but my calling could only heal scratches. I wouldn’t leave her side... and... - Nari paused, - I heard everything... how her breathing became heavier. How her heartbeat slowed. She smiled at me, and I felt her pain. How her organs burned, like in a hellish fire, how her bones twisted... and I could do nothing! And now the same thing is happening to Di. And I again... I can’t help!
The girl’s voice suddenly broke and fell silent. Noah looked at her and saw tears shining in the cosmic eyes of the omega.
- You are not to blame for this, Nari! - he said passionately and then quieted down.
And suddenly he felt that no matter how he touched her, he would die. His body would tear into pieces, he would suffocate, burn alive. If he didn’t embrace her now, she would vanish. Disappear into the moonlight, leaving behind only a ghostly glimmer and barely perceptible warmth. His hands reached for her fragile body on their own. He pulled her close so tenderly, as if afraid of breaking her. He leaned over her, resting his forehead on her shoulder. His breathing slowed, fearing to move. He waited for her to push him away at any moment. But she didn’t. Nari was barely breathing. These embraces were different. Not like the time when he tried to hide her. It seemed now he was the one trying to hide. The room was filled with the scent of vanilla and pink pepper. Her calling enveloped him like a vine.
- Sorry, I just... it was by accident... - the girl tried to pull away.
- Wait... - Noah pressed her closer, - just a couple of minutes... please. Let me hold you like this... just a couple more minutes...
Nari didn’t respond. She only tightened the edge of his t-shirt between her fingers. The scent of mint somehow felt incredibly sweet to her...