His eyes were still half-open, his hair messy, and the gray ceiling of his tiny apartment looked as cold and unbearable as always.

He ran a hand over his face and exhaled slowly.

Being an alpha didn’t help him in the slightest.

No family behind him, no hope, no love.

Just work… university… and a constant exhaustion that followed him everywhere like a shadow.

He got out of bed.

His feet were ice-cold, just like the ground of this damned city.

He grabbed his work shirt off the chair—it still smelled like yesterday’s burnt coffee.

He slipped it on and looked at himself in the cracked mirror.

His eyes were pretty, but not enough to matter.

Black hair, pale skin, broad shoulders, and a cold expression.

People said he was handsome, but behind his back they whispered:

“That’s the arrogant alpha… the smart one who thinks he’s better than everyone else.”

Hyun let out a bitter smile.

If they knew how empty he felt inside… maybe they wouldn’t judge so easily.

He put on his shoes and stepped out of the apartment.

The sky was still dark. The city wasn’t quiet—it never was.

The café he worked at was in the city center.

The moment he walked in, the smell of bitter coffee filled his nose.

His boss said coldly,

“Hyun, it’s gonna be busy today. Stay sharp.”

Hyun only replied with a short “Okay,” and started working.

Quiet, precise, clean…

As if he hid all his emotions inside the rising steam of coffee.

Hours later, when his morning shift ended, he went straight to university.

Senior year. Heavy pressure.

Everyone expected the school’s top student to always be perfect.

And he… he tried his best, or maybe beyond what he actually was.

But whenever he was alone, one thought kept repeating:

“I’m breaking… I’m really breaking.”

By evening, a familiar voice called from behind:

“Hyun! Kang Hyun!”

Hyun looked up.

It was Seongha—

with his bright smile, messy brown hair, and that strange energy that no one knew where it came from.

Seongha waved.

“Rough day again, huh? Come on, let’s go grab something to eat!”

Hyun muttered,

“I’m not really in the mood.”

Seongha grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

“You’re never in the mood, so forget that and let’s go.”

Hyun couldn’t stop a tiny smile from appearing.

Seongha was the only light still flickering in his dark life.

The only one who managed to slip past Hyun’s thick, frozen walls.

“Come on already!” Seongha laughed.

Hyun sighed.

“…Fine, fine. Let’s go.”

At dusk, the city had turned a dull shade of lead.

They walked out of a small café; Hyun was covering his mouth, yawning nonstop.

Seongha laughed.

“I swear, you’ve been tired since the moment I met you. How are you even alive?”

Hyun shrugged.

“No idea… but I’m pretty sure you’re using up the energy of the entire city.”

Seongha snorted.

“Well someone has to shake up your miserable life.”

He talked, joked, rambled about university…

and Hyun walked in silence.

It was always like this: Seongha the sun, Hyun the shadow.

When they parted ways, it was fully dark.

Hyun walked back to his apartment, each step sounding like exhaustion itself.

He opened the door.

The light flicked on.

A few books lay scattered on the floor.

Hyun frowned.

“…Why did they fall? I’m sure I didn’t touch them.”

For a moment he felt someone was in the room.

A shiver crawled up his neck.

But he shook his head.

“I’m seriously losing it…”

He didn’t bother picking them up. He didn’t even have the energy to be surprised.

He headed to bed, dropped his bag, and let himself fall onto the cold mattress.

His eyes were just closing when—

His phone rang.

Hyun groaned and sat up.

The screen read: Jihoon.

“…At this hour?”

Did something happen?

He answered.

“Hello? What’s wrong?”

Jihoon’s cold voice replied,

“Hyun. Mom and Dad want you home tomorrow night.”

Hyun exhaled sharply.

“Right now? Why?”

“No idea. They just said you have to come.”

Hyun went quiet, then said dryly,

“No. I can’t. I have work. I’m busy.”

He could hear his parents shouting in the background—

loud, sharp, angry.

“Hyun! You don’t get to say no! Be here tomorrow! Do you hear me?!”

Hyun clenched his teeth.

“I can’t. I really can’t.”

He hung up before they could respond.

He tossed the phone aside and stared at the ceiling.

“Damn it… enough. I’m so tired…”

His body felt heavy.

His eyelids slowly closed…

And he drifted into sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, everything was dark.

The clock showed it was almost midnight.

Hyun got out of bed reluctantly.

“Ugh… there’s nothing to eat. I need to go buy something.”

He threw on a simple shirt and stepped outside.

The air was cold.

Very cold.

The street was empty, the streetlights flickering.

Hyun walked slowly…

short breaths, quiet steps…

Until—

Tap.

Tap.

Tap—tap—tap.

Footsteps behind him.

Hyun froze.

He turned around slowly.

No one.

The street was empty.

Silent.

Only the wind.

His heartbeat quickened.

“Am I imagining things…? Or just losing my mind…”

He inhaled deeply and turned back to walk—

BAM.

Something slammed into the back of his head.

Hard.

So hard his knees buckled.

His vision darkened.

The last thing he heard was the sound of his own breath…

And then—

Nothing.

Everything drowned in darkness.

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