An unambitious beta

Sia Arsaid

　　Sia sat on a toppled silver-white metal column, one leg idly grazing the pitch-black ground, exuding a sense of effortless leisure. The surrounding environment was bathed in an inexplicable halo, like the warm nostalgia of a faded old photograph, carrying an air of unreality.

　　He would occasionally laugh, chatting casually with a young boy sitting cross-legged nearby. The boy’s radiant smile revealed sharp canines on both sides, and his emerald-green eyes sparkled like the brightest gems. His berry-red hair seemed veiled in a soft sheen under the surrounding glow, radiating a gentle hue.

　　Sia felt his chest swell with a strange mix of emotions—sourness, fear, sorrow, and attachment, all tangled together in a confusing mess. He gazed at the boy’s eyes with a lingering fondness, only to find astonishment and worry welling up in those green depths. Reflected in the boy’s pupils was a tear-streaked face—his own.

　　When Sia opened his eyes, his vision was met with overlapping patches of darkness. As he shifted slightly, a wave of pain coursed through his body as if he had been crushed. His mind was muddled, his body tormented by alternating waves of feverish heat and bone-chilling cold.

　　Curled up in a ball, he noticed his blanket barely covered him. Enduring the intense discomfort, Sia tugged the blanket fully over himself, wrapping it tightly for what little comfort it could provide.

　　The room was filled with the sweet aroma of peach cake. Sia vaguely recalled breaking several bottles of pheromone blockers upon entering earlier. The cloying scent offered him a sliver of solace.

　　He glanced toward the empty bed across the room, his eyes now adjusted to the dark. His roommate hadn’t returned yet.

　　Unbearable memories surged forward like a tide, and Sia’s body began trembling involuntarily as if still trapped in that hellish nightmare.

　　He had been assaulted—during the end-of-term combat simulation, he was violently violated by two feral, pheromone-driven alphas.

　　In the confined space of an underground cabin, a vial of omega-inducing agent was shattered. The liquid instantly vaporized, saturating the air. While his teammates fled, one of them locked the only exit behind them, leaving Sia, a beta, alone with two frenzied alphas.

　　As a beta from Class D, Sia’s physical capabilities were average at best. Against alphas, especially two in heat, he was utterly powerless. In mere moments, he was pinned to the ground.

　　What followed was an unending nightmare. He was entirely dominated, bitten, and broken. Pinned down, trampled upon, and defiled, his lower body was ravaged as though competing alphas sought to outdo one another. Every time he thought it was over, a fresh wave of torment began.

　　Sia clutched his tattered blanket tightly, suppressing his trembling. His throat burned, and the corners of his eyes stung with heat. Frozen in place, he silently begged for the pain to heal, if only naturally.

　　It’s fine. At least I’m just a beta, he reassured himself, licking his cracked lips. I even managed to walk back to the dorm and shower. I’ll be okay. Just think of it as catching the flu—I’ll recover in a few days. I’ll be fine…

　　His breathing was unnaturally hot, and he suspected he had a fever. But he was too weak to even hold his terminal. His eyelids grew heavier, and Sia let himself drift back into darkness.

　　A faint “click” came from the door, followed by a wash of warm white light illuminating the dorm. The sudden brightness caused Sia to flinch, his eyelids squeezing shut. Tears pricked his eyes, further irritating the skin at their edges, already raw from too much salt.

　　“Sia, you’re back already? Whoa, what’s with the smell? Did you open a bunch of blockers or something? It’s so sweet it’s overwhelming!” Kaite’s voice rang out cheerfully, his tone light even when complaining. “Having two elites from Class S must’ve been efficient—you probably finished a day before me!”

　　Kaite threw his bag onto his desk and began undressing. “Man, you got lucky, huh? Getting matched with god-tier teammates. You might even score an S this time!”

　　Sia remained silent. Kaite, unfazed, continued to chatter as he grabbed fresh clothes for a shower. The sound of running water soon drowned out his voice.

　　When Sia woke again, it was daytime. Sunlight flooded the dorm with a golden glow. He tried sitting up, and the motion caught the attention of Kaite, who was gaming with his back to him.

　　“Finally awake, huh?” Kaite glanced back briefly—a rare gesture for someone glued to games. “Here, have some water.”

　　To Sia’s surprise, Kaite stood up and poured him a cup, even though the game on his screen was mid-battle.

　　“Th-thanks…” Sia tried to speak but found his throat raw, barely producing a sound. He took the cup, only to find the water scalding hot—Kaite wasn’t great at caregiving.

　　Kaite, oblivious, scratched his head and sighed. “What’s with the fever? Guess the S-class pace was too intense, huh? Gains come with losses, I suppose.”

　　Without noticing Sia’s stiff expression, he continued, “You slept for nearly two days! If you didn’t wake up soon, you’d miss the theory exams.”

　　Theory exams… Sia latched onto the thought like a lifeline, pushing the vile memories deep into a corner of his mind, avoiding them at all costs.

　　That’s right—after the mecha beginner’s operation test and the combat simulation, there were still martial arts tests and three theory exams.

　　“Martial arts…” Sia nearly jumped in alarm if not for his condition.

　　“Don’t bother. You already missed it,” Kaite said casually. “You’ll have to apply for a makeup exam later.” Makeup exams could only earn a C-grade at most, but that matched Sia’s usual level in martial arts, so it didn’t bother Kaite much.

　　By evening, once Kaite left, Sia forced himself out of bed. His body was covered in bruises and bite marks. The more serious ones had scabbed over, while his lower body was too painful to even look at. The simple act of walking to the bathroom felt like being scraped with a dull blade.

　　After scrubbing himself clean, even reopening scabs in the process, Sia dressed in loose white cotton and returned to bed, quietly clutching his textbooks. Theory exams were tomorrow, and despite his physical state, he had to pass. His scholarship depended on it.