Dream

On Eternal‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‍‍⁠‌​⁠⁠‌‌​⁠‍​‍​⁠​​ Cloud Planet, the Royal Fleet was swiftly navigating through hyperspace en route to the imperial palace.

Inside the medical bay, Pei Changyun lay on a hospital bed. Red patches covered the side of his face and neck. He wore an oxygen mask, and an IV was inserted into the back of his left hand. Despite this, his expression remained calm as he focused on the report sent by Zhou Jiuya.

The report detailed the current situation in Bright City: the Central Temple’s mainframe had been repaired, allowing them to block the Church’s satellite surveillance. The location of the Holy Relic White Tower had also been reverse-tracked, though they had yet to break through its defensive barrier. Meanwhile, the academicians were focused on decrypting the internal mechanisms of the Church’s space shuttle devices.

Pei Changyun massaged his temples.

—This intelligence wasn’t enough.

Far from enough.

He refused to believe that the Illusory God Church had left behind Stelin merely to stall him temporarily. If Pei Changyun were in their position, he would have escalated the matter—turning it into a widespread scandal, not just using his gender to humiliate him or inciting a few public demonstrations. He would amplify accusations of colluding with the Zergs and even blame him for Huo Chao’s death. In short, they would ensure Pei Changyun was forever branded a criminal in history’s eyes.

That would be the most effective strategy.

Pei Changyun lightly tapped the report with his fingers, deep in thought.

Tap…
Tap…
There had to be something he was missing… something he hadn’t noticed…

Tap—

At that moment, Secretary-General Zhao He entered with a tray of medicine, his expression anxious.
“Your Majesty, your medication.”

“Mm.”

Pei Changyun pulled himself from his thoughts, removed the oxygen mask, and swallowed the pills in one go. Zhao He exhaled in relief after watching him take the medicine, then continued,
“Your Majesty, the inflammatory rhetoric on the network has been suppressed. Major General Jiang Ci has also implemented new security firewall patches, but their effectiveness may be limited beyond the Empire’s official Starnet.”

Pei Changyun’s gaze darkened as he sneered.
“That old man only has so many cards to play against me; of course, he’d cling to this one. Everyone assumes betas are destined for mediocrity, but I became Emperor. Some jealousy is inevitable from those with dark hearts.”

“Your Majesty, how could you be considered mediocre?! You are—”

The Secretary-General’s tone grew impassioned, but the Emperor raised a hand, silencing him. Though he knew Zhao He’s praise was sincere, Pei Changyun had no interest in hearing it.

“Don’t dwell on it. It’s nothing more than petty, underhanded tricks. Handle it according to imperial law—arrest those who should be arrested, sentence those who should be sentenced. If necessary, execute a few as an example. Has the evacuation and reassurance of the populace been handled?”

“It is underway as per your instructions. Everything is proceeding smoothly.”

But Zhao He remained standing, hesitant. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, the Capital has reported that today marks the third public demonstration. Should we intervene?”

“No. It’s just an old man with one foot in the grave. The Alliance is long gone; he can’t stir up much trouble.”

The Emperor’s tone was indifferent as he reviewed the report, verifying its details.

Public sentiment was indeed unfavorable, but investigations had already identified several high-ranking officials colluding with Stelin. For now, he was following the trail quietly and had no intention of escalating the conflict. Moreover, the First Legion was still trapped in Bright City, making it an inopportune time for action.

The familiar symptoms of his allergy caused Pei Changyun’s breathing to falter slightly, prompting him to take another breath from the oxygen mask. Zhao He watched him for a few seconds before suddenly dropping to one knee and pleading for forgiveness.

Bang!

The sound of his kneecap hitting the ground was loud and sharp.

“Your Majesty, today’s incident was my failure. I didn’t expect someone would bring flowers to publicly profess their love for you so boldly.”

“It’s fine. The person didn’t even get close, did they?”

Pei Changyun rubbed his temples. Being attacked over his beta identity was something he had anticipated long before he decided to hide his gender. However, he hadn’t expected it to manifest in such a manner.

“This isn’t your fault.”

In truth, the fanatical alpha had been stopped by the guards dozens of meters away. It was only the pollen carried by the wind that had reached Pei Changyun. The guards could block people but not tiny airborne particles. It was an unpredictable incident.

Zhao He gritted his teeth. “It was still my oversight! This will never happen again!”

“Mm.”

Pei Changyun glanced at the remaining fluid in the IV bag and spoke casually.
“It’ll take more than such petty tricks to overthrow the founding Emperor of a strong empire.”

The Secretary-General seemed encouraged by the Emperor’s unbothered attitude and his expression brightened.
“Yes!”

He subconsciously saluted before leaving the room.

After Zhao He’s departure, the Emperor’s weariness finally showed in his expression. One hand lightly tapped the report, while the other, still connected to the IV drip, rested by his side.

In truth, this allergic reaction wasn’t severe compared to the times it had almost killed him. Pei Changyun had faced death twice in his life due to pollen.

The first time was when Huo Chao, unaware of his allergy, shoved a large bouquet directly into his face. The second was when Huo Chao lied, claiming that Gardenia Roses could attract the Zergs and were crucial strategic resources, tricking Pei Changyun into delivering them himself.

Sensing something amiss, Pei Changyun had taken precautions. Yet the aftermath of a nuclear explosion shattered his mecha’s shell, and the debris tore through his protective suit.

But there wouldn’t be a third time.

The thought barely passed through his mind before a sharp, suffocating sensation spread through his chest. Trembling, Pei Changyun reached for the oxygen mask and placed it over his face.

He lay on the bed, eyes closed, trying hard not to think about that person. Thankfully, the sedatives in the IV drip began to take effect, and Pei Changyun soon felt a wave of drowsiness.

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[Huo Chao…?]

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—Rejection.

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In his dream, Pei Changyun gazed at the horizon, where the scene seemed even more exaggerated than his actual memory. It was as if his entire world had shrunk to that single blood-red sunrise.

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Huo Chao pretended not to know, and Pei Changyun treated it as if it had been just a dream. Both of them, consciously, maintained a careful friendship. Huo Chao steadily rose through the military ranks, while Pei Changyun continued serving as his Consul, meticulously handling everything he needed.

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Gradually, the scenes before him darkened.

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[Changyun, I want to try my best to fight for it one more time.]

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[Alright, I’ll wait for you to come back.]

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Thud—

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Huo Chao…

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It was an unfamiliar woman’s voice, shrill and haunting, like a female ghost in the night.

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Pei Changyun’s first instinct was to find medicine, to call the military doctor Wen Xubai.

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That kiss was nothing like the cautious, gentle one Pei Changyun had stolen ten years ago. It was passionate, frantic, and painful.

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Yet his actions were violent, brutal, and dominated by the primal instincts of an alpha—a desperate need to possess.

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Crying so heartbreakingly that it tore at Pei Changyun’s soul.

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Large teardrops fell from the alpha’s eyes, landing on Pei Changyun and soaking into the shredded remains of his uniform.

[I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Changyun… I can’t control myself…]

Pei Changyun heard the man sobbing apologies in his ear over and over again.

Just like at the beginning, when Huo Chao realized he had almost killed Pei Changyun with a bouquet of flowers.

[Run… please, run…]

The Forbidden Abyss transformed from a ring into shackles, locking around Huo Chao’s wrists, binding his teeth like a muzzle, and finally securing his joints and ankles.

In the end, Huo Chao was forced to kneel on the ground, presenting a humiliating posture like a bound wild beast.

He could no longer speak, but his bloodshot eyes remained sorrowful, desperately pleading—

Run from me!
Escape while you can!

And, please, don’t look at my disheveled and terrifying appearance.

[Don’t cry, Huo Chao.]

Pei Changyun also knelt down and hugged him.

He hugged the man’s body, consumed by instincts, and also embraced his trembling, tormented soul.

[Open the cockpit, Forbidden Abyss. Please.]

This was probably the most urgent situation yet.

There was no objection.

Its enormous form swelled amidst a dazzling burst of light, collapsing half of the Marshal’s villa in the process.

Rising straight from the ground, it transformed into a fighter jet that shot into the sky, slicing through the deep night of Earth at incredible speed.

That night, the stars filled the sky, breathtakingly beautiful, rivaling even the brilliance of that sunrise years ago.

On that day, Huo Chao used the Forbidden Abyss to catch the falling Pei Changyun.

This time, it was his turn to catch him.

[It’s alright, Huo Chao.]

That night, 27-year-old Pei Changyun finally spoke the confession he had been unable to voice at the age of 17.

[I like you.]

From the age of 17 to 27, ten years.

And for the long, long future ahead, Pei Changyun would still like Huo Chao.

So he didn’t feel humiliated, nor did he feel sad.

On the contrary, Pei Changyun felt grateful.

—Thank goodness he is here.

But Huo Chao didn’t feel the same. He felt… immense pain, anger, shame, and sorrow.

It was as if his heart was clenched in an iron grip, twisting tighter and tighter until it was reduced to a mangled, bloody pulp.

So in the end, Pei Changyun still didn’t get a response from him.

All Huo Chao could offer was an apology.

Betas couldn’t be marked, so what happened had no lasting bond like the genetic ties of an alpha-omega pairing. As long as the pheromones were neutralized and all traces erased, no one would ever know.

Pei Changyun had always helped Huo Chao clean up messes. He just hadn’t expected to become one of them.

But neither of them had time to address their private relationship. It was as if everything that happened that night was nothing more than a dream.

Ten years ago, the stolen kiss under the sunrise was a dream.

Ten years later, the forced mating under the starlit sky was also a dream.

At that time, the relentless Zergs were closing in on Earth. Pei Changyun was busy negotiating with high-ranking officials of the Alliance, fighting for funding, resources, and support for the imminent war. Huo Chao, meanwhile, was focused entirely on investigating the origins of the omega.

That omega had become pregnant—a scheme orchestrated by the Illusory God Church.

Huo Chao personally killed both the omega and the child, his eyes filled with disgust, vowing he would never leave behind any descendants.

Pei Changyun was present. He heard it and seemingly wanted to say something but ultimately swallowed his words.

That same night, Huo Chao stormed the Illusory God Church alone.

The next day, the Marshal returned, drenched in blood, and without consulting anyone, announced to the entire Alliance that the 7th Legion was now under his direct command and was to be renamed the Dawn Legion.