Rein's Pov:
I woke up to the sound of a knock.
I had slept a little later than usual because of overthinking.
The knock wasn't the aggressive kind that gives people a fright,it was gentle almost apologetic.
"Miss," came a whisper;feminine and young. "I have been ordered to prepare you for breakfast with the master."
The chains around my wrist clinked as I moved. They were a constant reminder that everything;the auction, the Alphas, the rotation was not a dream.
I sat up slowly, a groan slipping from my mouth. My shoulder was stiff from sleeping in an unfamiliar bed and bad posture.
My eyes squinted, trying to adapt to the light .The room was small, like one used to store things. Like a storage room.
The maid entered with keys, avoiding my gaze as she unlocked the restraints. I rubbed my wrists, irritated by the red glaring marks.
"We will need to bathe and dress you, ma'am," the maid said.
"We? Who are we?" I arched a brow, confused because I did not see anyone apart from her in the room.
Another maid peeked from behind her. Then another. And another.
Okay. We.
They walked toward me with nervous expressions, like I might bite. And honestly? I could. Who knows?
Soon, I was stripped, scrubbed, and soaked like a princess. Which, at their treatment, I kind of was. One poured water over my hair, another rubbed something on my skin that smelled like lavender and rose.
When one began combing my hair, the bristles tugged with unforgiving mercy.
"Be careful," I snapped.
"Sorry, miss," she murmured. "It is just that your hair is tangled. It must have been through a lot of things."
That was an understatement.
After a minute, one of the girls handed me a robe;soft, silver-colored, and suspiciously luxurious.
I raised an eyebrow. "How come I am not chained? Let me guess no chain to match my outfit. "
They didn't laugh.
Figured. My joke wasn't funny.
"Mirror," I said. "I want to see my appearance."
The maids exchanged looks.
"I... well... there is one," one of them said. "In the corner."
I stood and turned slowly, my bare feet whispering against the cold stone floor. My heart pounded loud and anxious. I didn't know what to expect, but I needed to see. Who was I now?
As I stepped in front of the tall mirror, my breath hitched.
The girl who stared back at me was dangerously stunning.
But the shocking thing was,she wasn't me.
Golden brown skin, long silver-red curls that shimmered like moonlight, full lips, high cheekbones, and large eyes with an eerie amber glow. It wasn't my body, nor my face.
"Whoa," I muttered.
I raised my hand to touch my face, and the reflection mimicked me. I shook my waist. It did the same.
"What the hell?" I whispered under my breath. "This isn't me."
But it was somehow.
I had transmigrated. No doubt.
I had only heard the word "transmigrated" in fantasy novels. Who knew it would happen to me?
"You are beautiful," one of the maids whispered.
I glanced at her through the mirror. "Yeah, I know. And that is the terrifying part."
…
By the time I was escorted to the dining room, I had mentally prepared myself for any possible scenario.
Play dumb? Maybe. Be obedient? I would never do such a thing. Be curious? Yes, but not too desperate.
The dining hall was enormous;marble floors, a long table, and a golden chandelier.
The five Alphas were seated with the coordination of a badly written boy band.
At the head, Fred was seated, looking at me with his usual cold gaze. I rolled my eyes internally.
"You are late," he said simply, his tone like ice.
"I wasn't told there was a time limit," I retorted.
To his right sat another Alpha with a smirk, looking at me as if he had found a new plaything. Feeling my gaze, he said, "I know you are curious about me. My name is Rohan."
I ignored him.
Next to him was the Alpha I met when I was brought to the mansion. If I remembered clearly, his name was Jake. He didn't smile or blink. His gaze was fixed on the window, obviously lost in thought.
To Fred's left sat twins, I think. They looked so alike I couldn't tell the difference. Both wore cheerful expressions, whispering to each other while giggling.
"Syria," Fred said, his voice sharp. "Sit," he ordered.
"Syria?" I muttered,
"Who was that?" I almost spilled the question out but to control myself.
Maybe it was the original body's name.
I sat at the other end of the table, farther away from them.
Fred leaned back in his seat. "Do you know what this is?" he asked, lifting something from his side and placing it on the table.
It was an old book with a leather cover and strange markings.
"Which book?" I asked slowly, but regretted it. I wasn't supposed to arouse suspicion.
"It came with you from the auction," Fred said. "We didn't open it." He added.
Rohan leaned forward. "But we were tempted to." His smile was annoying.
I ignored him again.
Fred continued, "You can have it under one condition."
I frowned. I didn't know what was inside the book, but I had to get it. Maybe I could find out who this Syria was, even though I was her now. And how I was able to read people's lips without getting close.
"What condition?" I asked.
"No planning of escaping. No rebellion. And most importantly, no trouble."
"Anything else?" I asked dryly. "Would you also like me to wag my tail and fetch slippers?"
Rohan smirked. "She's feisty. I like her."
"Shut up, Rohan," Fred and Jake said in sync, rolling their eyes.
I sighed. "But I also want something in return."
"What?" Fred asked.
"My room," I said. "I don't want to stay chained in a storage room like a prisoner."
The twins gasped a little too dramatic.
"They chained you?" one asked.
"Like a prisoner," the other added.
Rohan raised an eyebrow. "She is technically…"
"I swear, if anyone mentions the word 'breeder' around me, I am going to make that person my punching bag," I said, with a fierce expression though I couldn't do anything apart from running my mouth.
"Noted," Jake said, finally speaking. "I prefer resident enigma."
"The room you asked for I approve it," Fred said, out of nowhere.
I blinked.
Rohan looked at him like he had grown another head. "Seriously?"
Fred didn't answer or explain, just pushed the book toward me. "Take it. We will be watching you."
"I know you will," I muttered under my breath.
As my fingers touched the leather cover, I felt something stir in me. Like a faint memory or power.
The table fell silent.
Then one of the twins whispered to the other a little too loudly, "I bet you, she's a witch."
"No, John. Witches smell like pickles," the other retorted.
"I think that's your feet, Jace," John corrected him.
"I wore socks, stupid."
"You never wear socks."
I blinked, a little confused by their banter. "Are they always like this?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Unfortunately," Fred said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Jake chuckled, his voice unreadable. "You will get used to them. Eventually."
Looking at the Alphas in front of me, then at the book in my hands, I thought, I don't know why I was sent to this world or who I am, but I plan on finding out.
As I was deep in thought, Fred clapped his hands and maids entered the hall with a variety of dishes.instantly I snapped out Seeing the food, my mouth immediately watered.
"This isn't so bad," I mumbled under my breath.
But that didn't mean I wouldn't still plan on escaping.
…
Later that day, after being moved into a far more decent room no chains this time I sat by the window with the book in my lap.
It hadn't opened yet.
I traced the runes on the cover. They pulsed faintly under my touch.
Who was Syria?
Who had I become?
And why did it feel like someone or something was waiting for me to remember?