— And for love, nothing is ever too much—too little. —

For a long moment, no one said anything. And somehow, that silence felt far more dangerous than any accusation.

"Which snake, exactly?" the general asked. "Don’t we usually call spies rats?"

He lowered himself until he was eye level with the omega.

Before Ren could react, a hand gripped his chin and forced his face upward. A crooked smile formed on the man’s lips.

"Pretty face, huh?" he sneered. "Maybe that’s why they sent you."

"No," one of the knights immediately corrected. "He isn’t a spy."

The general raised an eyebrow.

"He’s the one responsible for countless deaths on the battlefield. The one who slaughtered our men during the war with Hianshu."

For a brief moment, confusion crossed the general’s face. Then realization struck. His expression froze. The amusement vanished from his eyes.

"You don’t mean—"

The knight nodded.

"He’s from Hianshu."

Silence filled the dungeon once more.

The general slowly turned back toward Ren, studying his face more carefully this time. The silver hair. The crimson eyes—something he wasn’t aware of. However, the calm expression despite the bruises covering his skin spoke volumes about how he was no ordinary man.

His grip tightened.

"So you are the Grim Reaper."

The title echoed through the dungeon.

Several of the knights visibly straightened, their expressions darkening further.

The Grim Reaper.

A name whispered across both Hianshu and Revhara.

A name attached to battlefields littered with corpses.

A name soldiers cursed before charging into war.

The general’s eyes burned with fury.

"I should have recognized you sooner."

He yanked Ren’s face closer.

"Do you have any idea how many men died because of you?"

Ren remained silent. Not because he didn’t have an answer. But because there was only one question occupying his mind.

When will Zayden come?

The lack of a response only infuriated the general further.

"Well?" the general growled. "Have you suddenly forgotten how to speak, Grim Reaper?"

Ren lowered his gaze. He didn’t believe it was important to answer this man. They wouldn’t dare to do anything unless Zayden ordered it.

But his silence only fueled their anger.

The general released his jaw with a rough shove, causing Ren’s head to strike the stone floor.

"Still acting proud?"

A boot slammed into Ren’s side. Pain shot through his ribs.

Another followed. Then, another. The blows came unexpectedly from every angle.

The knights took turns venting years of resentment upon the infamous figure before them. Some cursed him. Others demanded answers. A few simply wanted to see him suffer.

Ren endured it all in silence.

The chains rattled each time his body was struck.

Yet he never screamed.

Never begged.

Never once uttered a word in his own defence.

Eventually, the beating slowed.

Not because the men had calmed down.

Because something else had caught their attention.

A strange scent began to spread through the dungeon.

The general frowned.

"What is that smell?"

One of the knights froze.

Another slowly turned toward Ren.

The omega’s breathing had become uneven, his face pale from exhaustion and pain. His body trembled against the cold floor.

Then realization dawned. The knight’s eyes widened.

"General..."

A nervous laugh escaped another man.

"No way... You’re in heat?"

The scent grew stronger. Heavy. Sweet. Unmistakable. Several of the alphas exchanged glances.

The atmosphere in the dungeon shifted.

It was no longer about knights torturing a criminal but lust lingering in their eyes.

And once again, since entering the cell, fear flashed across Ren’s face.

The general’s expression darkened.

"Everyone out," he ordered.

But nobody moved.

The men continued staring at the chained omega.

Hungry.

Curious.

Dangerously silent.

Then one of the knights took a step forward.

"General... perhaps we should secure him first," he licked his lips.

Ren’s pulse quickened, repulsed.

The chains suddenly felt far too weak.

And the look in their eyes told him this was about to become much worse.

Now, he had to use his powers. He couldn’t allow this—

But then Zayden will believe that I truly am a spy...

Ren’s fingers curled against the cold stone floor.

The scent lingering in the dungeon only grew stronger, making the atmosphere increasingly tense. It was beyond the omega’s control. The heat radiating from his battered body, combined with the countless blows inflicted upon him, drew out his pheromones against his will.

The guards exchanged uneasy glances, their earlier discipline beginning to crack beneath their instincts.

The general noticed it too.

His expression darkened.

"I said out."

This time, his voice carried enough authority to shake the room.

Still, several of the knights hesitated.

One step.

Then another.

The air felt suffocating as alpha pheromones filled the dungeon, mixing together until Ren could barely breathe. His pulse thundered in his ears.

If he unleashed his power now, the entire dungeon could become a graveyard.

But if he didn’t...

A chill crawled down his spine.

The general’s hand moved toward the hilt of his sword.

"Leave. Now."

The order came a heartbeat too late.

A deafening crash suddenly echoed through the dungeon.

Before Ren could react, a heavy weight slammed into him, pinning him against the cold stone floor. His chains rattled violently as he struggled.

Above him was one of the knights.

The man’s eyes were clouded by instinct, reason all but gone.

"Get off him!" the general roared. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

But the knight didn’t listen.

The dungeon fell silent.

Nobody moved.

Nobody breathed.

The sight unfolding before them left even the other guards frozen in shock.

Ren’s heart pounded.

Fear, disgust, anger—all of it crashed through him at once.

And then something inside him snapped.

Without realizing it, his eyes had already changed.

The familiar crimson vanished. Blue pupils. Golden irises.

The knight’s gaze locked onto his. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then the man’s expression froze. The colour drained from his face.

A strangled sound escaped his throat.

And slowly, as though an invisible force had torn something vital from within him, his body went limp.

A second later, he collapsed.

Dead.

The entire dungeon froze.

And for the first time since entering the cell, genuine terror appeared on every face in the room.

"D-Did he just?!—"

Without wasting another second, the general grabbed Ren’s head from the back and slammed it against the ground. The clinking of the chains echoed in the quiet space along with Ren’s groan.