Determined to find out, I pressed my fingertip against the biometric scanner.

"Access Denied."

Denied?

I frowned and turned to the keypad, quickly punching in a generic code.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Access Denied."

Damn it.

Why was this particular cell so heavily restricted? What were they hiding behind it? And why did it carry the scent of Champ?

I barely had time to try another code before I heard the distinct hiss of a door sliding open at the far end of the chamber—the same entrance we had used earlier. Footsteps followed.

"Master Deux, have you chosen—"

The Beta scientist's voice faltered the moment he saw me standing in front of the private cell. His face paled, and in an instant, he was rushing toward me, his movements anxious, almost frantic.

"Beta," I said, my voice even. "What is behind this door? What is the code?"

He hesitated. His lips parted as if to answer, but no words came out.

"I'm ordering you," I said, my tone sharpening. "Open this door."

"P-Pardon me, Master Deux," he stammered, his discomfort clear. "But this cell is off-limits to everyone. There's no need for you to concern yourself with what's inside."

My patience thinned.

"I said, open it."

"I'm sorry," he repeated, more firmly this time. "But your father has forbidden anyone from accessing this room."

I studied him, eyes narrowing.

He was loyal. Too loyal. But everyone had a breaking point.

Without warning, I grabbed him by the throat, pressing just enough to send a clear message.

"Hhng—M-Master Deux! P-Please!" He clawed at my wrist, struggling to breathe.

"You will tell me what's inside this cell," I murmured, voice cold, "or I will ensure you take your last breath right here."

He choked, his face reddening.

"I-I'll tell you!" he gasped.

I released him.

He fell to his knees, coughing violently as he struggled to regain his breath.

"Now," I said, looming over him. "Tell me. What is inside that room? If I'm not mistaken... there's someone in there. Who is it?"

His body trembled.

"A-An Omega," he finally admitted. "A failed experiment."

I stilled.

"A failed experiment?"

The Beta scientist nodded, still catching his breath. "This facility... we specialize in research and development of Omegas. We study them, enhance them. But this one—this one was different. Its traits were unlike any Omega we've ever seen. It... It had an anomaly."

"What kind of anomaly?" I demanded.

The Beta scientist swallowed hard.

"This Omega is unlike the others. Unlike the passive, docile nature they are known for, this one is aggressive. So aggressive that it had to be locked away permanently. Anyone who enters this cell—anyone—will die by its hands."

I scoffed, arms crossing over my chest. "An Omega capable of killing? Ridiculous. Omegas are naturally submissive. They don't possess the strength to challenge Alphas, let alone kill them."

His eyes darted to the cell.

"This one does," he whispered. "It defies everything we know about Omegas. It was labeled a failed experiment because we couldn't control it. No matter what we tried, it resisted. It refused submission. It—" His voice wavered. "—It holds power equal to the Alpha King."

Equal to the Alpha King?

I let out a short laugh. "Impossible. There is no Omega strong enough to match the Alpha King, yet alone, an average Alpha's strength."

But the Beta scientist didn't laugh. He didn't even argue.

Instead, his silence sent a different message—a message I didn't like.

I took a step forward. "I want to see it."

"You can't." His voice was firm this time. "Only your father have the access to this room. He's the only one allowed inside."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Because..." He took a shaky breath. "The Alpha King is the only being in existence that this Omega couldn't kill even if it wants too."

My body stiffened.

"The only one who has ever survived an encounter with it," he added.

Before I could respond, another voice cut through the chamber.

"Why is this taking so long?"

I turned.

My father.

He entered with his usual commanding presence, his gaze sharp and expectant.

"Have you made your choice, Deux?"

I held his stare before shifting my attention back to the cell.

"Dad," I said. "I want to enter this room."

Silence. Then—

Laughter.

Loud, amused, condescending.

"You must be joking," my father said, a smirk curling his lips.

I didn't waver. "I will choose an Omega only after I see the one inside that cell."

His amusement vanished instantly. His jaw tightened.

Beside me, the Beta scientist tensed, visibly trembling under my father's scrutiny.

"You told him, didn't you?" My father's voice was dangerously quiet.

"I-I only warned him, Alpha King!" The scientist bowed his head.

"You warned him, yet he still wishes to enter?" My father's lips curled into something unreadable. "Deux," he said, turning to me. "You are strong. But even you are not ready for what is inside."

"Why?" I challenged. "Omegas are—"

"Not this one."

His words held a weight that settled heavily in my gut.

I watched as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off his shoulders.

And then I saw it.

The scar.

A deep, jagged wound that ran from his neck down to his abdomen.

I inhaled sharply.

No Alpha had ever injured my father before. No one had the strength to lay a scratch on him. But this? This wound was real.

This Omega did this?

I clenched my fists.

An Omega capable of harming my father?

I have to see that being.

I have to know why.

"Now do you understand?" my father said. "This Omega is dangerous. It nearly killed me. If you enter that room, you will not walk out alive."

My mind was at war with itself.

If my father—the strongest Alpha in existence—was nearly killed by the being inside that cell...

Then what chance did I have?

And yet, something tugged at my senses. Something I couldn't ignore.

Champ's scent.

Why? Why did this Omega have the same scent as him?

Was it truly just a coincidence?

Or was this Omega somehow connected to him?

"Do you still wish to enter?" my father asked.

I exhaled.

"No," I said. "Your injury is enough proof for me. I won't push further."

He nodded, seemingly pleased. "Good. Now, let's return to the matter at hand. Which Omega have you chosen?"

I hesitated.

Then, I pointed—to the Omega closest to the private cell.

"I choose this one."

My father smirked. "Excellent choice."

But in truth, my choice had nothing to do with this Omega.

I needed an excuse to return in this secret facility.

Because next time...

I would find a way to enter that room.

Could this be the key to understanding the mystery of my confusion against Champ—a revelation that might finally unlock the secret of his real identity? The answers, I might discover, will change everything.

I resolved then and there to uncover every secret this facility held. I will delve deeper into the truth of this hidden Omega, in doing so, learn what it meant for both my destiny and that of Champ. The weight of this discovery pressed upon me with fierce intensity, leaving me both shaken and determined. I had discovered a truth that can shatter worlds—and I will not rest until I understand it all.

"Father," I finally whispered into the empty silence of my mind, "What more of these secrets are you keeping from me?"

And in that moment, as the darkness embraced me and the scent of mystery swirled around, I knew that my life—and the fate of our entire lineage—would never be the same.

I realize that the path ahead will be fraught with peril and revelation. My destiny, and perhaps the future of our bloodline and my next heir, hinge upon the answers that lie hidden in the depths of this facility, behind what is in that private cell.

End of Chapter 6