Chapter - How it happened?

Earlier that day - Dec 31

The excavation site at the Valley of Kings was silent, save for the rhythmic scritch-scratch of a fine-bristled brush. Most archaeologists at twenty-six were still fighting for a spot on a senior team, but Seth Vivian Li Vicus didn't play by the rules of ordinary men.

He sat in the dirt, his white linen shirt crisp despite the hundred-degree heat, and his silver-rimmed glasses pushed firmly up the bridge of his nose.

"Professor! The satellite scan from the Yale Group just came in," a student called out, running toward the trench. "They say we’re digging in a dead zone. There’s nothing but limestone under us."

Seth didn't even look up. "The Yale Group's technology is as loud and arrogant as the man who owns it. They look for gold. I am looking for history."

With a final, delicate sweep, the dust cleared. A glint of obsidian emerged—the seal of a forgotten dynasty. The student gasped. Seth had found in three days what the most expensive tech in the world had missed for a decade.

"Pack it up," Seth said, standing and brushing the sand from his knees with effortless grace. "I have a gala to attend in the city. Lu Han is hosting, and apparently, my presence is 'non-negotiable' for the family’s image."

"But Professor," the student stammered, "the Yale Group is the primary sponsor of the New Year’s Gala. Caesar Silva Yale himself will be there. Are you really going to show up after you just proved his engineers wrong?"

Seth paused, a cold, elegant smirk playing on his lips. "Especially because I proved them wrong. A Li Vicus does not hide from inferior competition."

Three Hours Later: The Grand Celestial Hotel

The transition from the desert to the diamond-encrusted ballroom was seamless for Seth. He moved through the crowd like a predator in a silk suit. Every Alpha in the room turned their head as he passed. It wasn't just his beauty; it was his scent-control. He smelled of nothing—a void that drove Alphas crazy with curiosity.

"You're late," Lu Han whispered, handing him a glass of vintage wine. "And you look like you haven't slept in a week. Did you take your suppressants?"

"I took them this morning," Seth replied, feeling a strange, dull throb at the back of his skull. He ignored it. "Where is he?"

"Caesar? He's in the VIP lounge upstairs. He's been asking about the excavation results. He’s... not happy, Seth. You made his tech team look like amateurs."

"They are amateurs," Seth said coolly.

But as he spoke, the floor seemed to tilt. The dull throb in his head turned into a white-hot spike. A wave of heat, thick and cloying, washed over him. It wasn't the desert sun. It was coming from inside.

Seth’s glass slipped, shattering on the marble floor.

"Seth?" Lu Han’s voice sounded like it was underwater. "Your neck... you're flushing. Oh god, Seth. Your scent is leaking. It’s... it’s blooming like a wildfire."

The "Void" was gone. In its place, a scent of crushed white lilies and expensive incense exploded from Seth, so potent that every Alpha within fifty feet stopped mid-sentence, their pupils dilating.

"The key," Seth choked out, clutching his throat. "Now. Before I lose my mind."

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