Beautifully Ruined

Two -Sera

I turned to walk away from the sight before I got caught.

The hallway blurred for a second. My hands were shaking, and my throat felt tight. The air felt the kind of sterile cold that usually made Silverclaw feel expensive. Now it just made me want to throw up.

I didn’t get far. A body blocked my path; tall, broad-shouldered, wearing the tailored black uniform only Alpha heirs could get away with.

Darius Frost. Of all people.

He looked down at me, gray eyes flat and unreadable, the kind of cold that burned. His gaze flicked over my shoulder, toward the classroom I’d just turned away from. His brow lifted, just a fraction, and then his eyes came back to me.

I dropped my stare immediately. “Sorry, Alpha,” I muttered, words tumbling out too fast. “I wasn’t looking—”

The silence stretched as I waited for him to respond until it hurt. I could feel him watching me, and every second of it made the panic climb higher up my throat.

I stepped aside, bowing my head slightly. “Excuse me, Alpha.” I hope to every celestial being that he didn't stop me, and then I walked very fast.

The second I turned the corner, it hit me. I hadn’t waited for permission to leave.

Shit.

My stomach twisted. That kind of mistake could mean a lot of things at Silverclaw. A warning, punishment or a name on the list for the next Games.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. I darted into the nearest bathroom, the door swinging shut behind me with a hollow echo. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. My reflection stared back from the mirror, wide eyes on a pale face with lips trembling. I slipped into one of the stalls, locked it, and sat down hard on the toilet lid.

For a moment, I just breathed. In. Out. In. Out.

It didn’t help.

The image kept replaying in my head; Ariana’s hand in Alex's hair, his mouth on her skin, the soft sound she’d made when he—

“Stop,” I whispered. “Just stop.” But it wouldn’t stop.

The tears came quietly, slipping down before I could even wipe them away.

Alex. My Alex.

I’d believed him when he said he loved me, when he’d promised that none of the Alphas mattered, that I was different. That we were equals, even if the city didn’t see it that way.

And Ariana— Ariana f*****g Quinn.

The Alpha who smiled at me in the mornings. Who pulled me into her group when no one else would. Who told me not to listen to the whispers about Omegas being weak. I had trusted her.

I pressed the heel of my hand to my mouth to stop the sob that threatened to break loose.

She’d ruin me if she ever found out I’d seen them. She wouldn’t even need to lift a finger. Her word alone could end whatever fragile peace I’d built here.

And who would believe me anyway? An Alpha like Ariana would never touch a Beta like Alex. Not publicly, not privately, not in a world that worshipped purity of rank.

Except she did, and I saw.

I sat there until my breathing leveled out again. My face felt raw, my throat tight. I couldn’t show this. I took a deep breath, pulled some tissue from the holder, and wiped the tears away. Then I practiced a smile. It felt awful to do. I tried again.

When I stepped out of the stall, I splashed cold water on my face. The chill grounded me, a small mercy.

“Smile, Sera,” I told the girl in the mirror. “You’re fine.”

By the time I reached the cafeteria, the noise hit like a wall; laughter, footsteps, the clinking of glassware, the hum of overlapping conversations. The smell of grilled meat and polished marble filled the air.

Omegas sat near the far end, as usual. Betas clustered toward the middle. The Alphas took the raised section by the windows with the best view, the best food, the best everything.

I joined the omega line for lunch, forcing myself to focus on the motion, picking up a tray and moving for the food.

My hands still trembled slightly as I served myself; rice, vegetables, meat anything that didn’t require looking up.

When I turned to find a seat, I caught sight of Alex. He stood by the Beta section, laughing with his friends, like nothing had changed. His smile, the same one that used to make me melt, now made my stomach twist.

He caught my gaze and his eyes lit up, mouth curving in that familiar way. He gave a small, discreet wave. After all, a Beta couldn't be caught fraternising with an omega.

I forced my lips into a smile, and then looked away before I threw up.

Sliding into a seat beside two lower-caste Omegas, I picked at my food, eyeing every omega head. Every bite tasted like dust. My body was here, but my mind was still in that classroom. Still seeing what I shouldn’t have seen.

Lina was nowhere around. Maybe being picked for the Games meant she wasn’t allowed to eat. The thought made me shiver.

I chewed slowly, trying not to draw attention.

The laughter from the Alpha section carried easily across the room, confident amd care-free, the kind of sound that made the air shift around them.

I risked a glance upward. My gaze found him before I could stop myself.

Darius Frost sat at the head of the Alpha table, half-turned toward the window. The late afternoon light slanted across his face, catching the silver in his eyes. He held a crystal glass between his fingers, dark red liquid swirling lazily inside. Wine or blood, I couldn’t tell really.

I started to find his eyes were on me. I glanced at my sides to be sure but his gaze firmly sat on me.

My pulse kicked hard as he took a slow sip, never breaking eye contact.

And for one terrifying, breathless moment, I realised I could not look away.