I Was The Only Omega In The Beast World

The next morning, Reef sent word requesting a private audience with Alex. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Probably wants to discuss Zale’s departure officially," Naga said, helping Alex untangle Siddy from the breakfast netting (the adventurous snakeling had somehow gotten himself completely wrapped up).

"Or he wants to talk me out of taking his brother away from the ocean," Alex said, more worried than he wanted to admit.

"Then he’ll fail," Zale said firmly from the pool. "I’ve made my choice."

Alex left the babies in the capable hands of his other two mates—a sentence that still felt surreal even after three months—and followed Kai through the settlement’s winding channels to the royal chambers.

Reef’s private receiving room was carved into the oldest part of the reef, the coral walls smoothed by centuries of water and decorated with pearls, shells, and what looked like ceremonial weapons made from narwhal horn and shark teeth.

The future mer-chief himself floated in a large central pool, his deep blue scales gleaming in the filtered sunlight from above. He was larger than Zale, more heavily muscled, with the bearing of someone who’d held authority for decades.

But his expression when he saw Alex was surprisingly gentle.

"Bearer Alex," he greeted formally. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit. Be comfortable."

There were cushioned platforms around the pool’s edge—clearly designed for land-dwellers. Alex settled carefully, his body still not entirely comfortable with certain positions even three months post-delivery.

"Your brother told you about his decision?" Alex asked, deciding directness was better than dancing around the topic.

"He did," Reef confirmed. "Told me he’s leaving Tidehome to accompany you on your quest. Indefinitely."

"I didn’t ask him to," Alex said quickly. "I never intended—"

"I know," Reef interrupted gently. "Zale makes his own choices. It’s both his greatest strength and his most infuriating quality."

He smiled slightly—affection clear despite the exasperation.

"But that’s not why I asked to speak with you," he continued. "I wanted to discuss your quest. Specifically, the divine artifacts you’re collecting."

Alex tensed slightly. "What about them?"

"You currently have four, yes?" Reef said. "The Void Stone, Golden Stone, Silver Fang, and Bronze Stone. Three more remain—traditionally called the Water Stone, Fire Stone, and Air Stone."

"Yes," Alex confirmed. "I was thinking of heading toward eagle territory next. Rumors suggest they might have the Air Stone."

"They do," Reef said. "The Harpy Eagles guard it jealously in their mountain aerie. Very difficult to access, very dangerous to negotiate with."

He paused meaningfully.

"But the Water Stone... that’s much closer than you might think."

Alex’s heart skipped. "How close?"

Reef reached beneath the water and pulled out a clam with iridescent light blue tint— ribbed and grooved texture with horizontal darker blue streaks and bands on its surface.

He opened it carefully.

Inside, resting on a bed of sea silk, was a Pearl.

Not just any pearl— the divine artifact.

It was roughly the size of Alex’s palm, smooth and perfectly round, the deep blue-green of the ocean at its deepest point. But unlike normal stones, this one seemed to contain moving water within it—tiny currents swirling inside the translucent surface, occasionally catching light and throwing rainbow refractions across the walls.

The Water Stone.

[DIVINE ARTIFACT DETECTED]

[Water Stone identified]

[It turns out to be a pearl not a stone.]

"You..." Alex couldn’t form words. "You’ve had it all along?"

"For six generations," Reef confirmed. "It’s been the sacred treasure of the mer-royal family since my great-great-grandfather retrieved it from the deepest trench. It controls tides, purifies water, protects our people during storms. It’s been the source of our prosperity."

He looked at the stone with something like reverence—then back at Alex.

"But I’m giving it to you."

"What?" Alex said. "Why? Why would you give up your most sacred treasure?"

"Because you saved my brother’s life," Reef said simply.

"I didn’t—" Alex protested. "Zale saved MY life. I’m the one who fell off a cliff and nearly died—"

"And in doing so, you gave Zale purpose," Reef interrupted. "Do you know how long I’ve watched my brother drift through existence? A hundred and thirty years of doing his duty, attending ceremonies, being the ’second son’ with no real role, no real passion. Just... existing."

His expression grew softer.

"Then you appeared. Pregnant, desperate. And suddenly Zale was ALIVE again. Making decisions that mattered. Fighting for something beyond obligation. Bonding with someone not for politics but because he genuinely wanted to."

Reef lifted the Water Stone carefully from its chest.

"You gave me back my brother," he said. "The real Zale, not the hollow prince performing his role. That’s worth more than any artifact."

He extended the pearl toward Alex.

"Besides," he added with a slight smile, "I’ve heard the old prophecies from land dwellers. The one who gathers all seven stones will ’Unify the Beast World ’ If anyone’s going to wield that kind of power, I’d rather it be someone who nearly died to protect six snakelings than someone seeking personal gain."

Alex stared at the pearl—so close, the fifth of seven—and felt tears start to well up.

"I can’t just take this," he said. "There has to be something I can give in return. Some trade—"

"You already traded," Reef said. "You gave Zale a reason to wake up in the morning. You gave him a family. You trusted him with your life and your cubs’ lives. That’s the trade."

He placed the Water Pearl gently in Alex’s hands.

The moment it touched his skin, cool spread through him—not cold, but comfortable, like being submerged in perfect bathwater. The stone pulsed once, and Alex felt it resonate with the other four artifacts in his pouch.

Five stones. Five resonances. A harmony building toward something complete.

[QUEST COMPLETE: "Acquire the Water Stone"]

[Method: GIFTED (no negotiation required!)

Reward: +200 SP

Current SP: 1,518

Progress: 5/7 Divine Artifacts

Remaining: Fire Stone, Air Stone

HOST—YOU’RE ALMOST THERE!]

"Thank you," Alex whispered, clutching the stone.

"Thank you so much."

"Thank YOU," Reef corrected. "For loving my brother. For accepting him as family. For giving him a place in your impossible, beautiful life."

He smiled—genuine, warm.

"Now get out of here before I change my mind and demand something ridiculous in trade."

Alex laughed through his tears and carefully tucked the Water Stone into his pouch alongside its siblings.

Five stones.

Two more to go.

And a family of eleven about to embark on the final stretch of an impossible journey.

When Alex returned to their chamber, all three mates immediately noticed his expression.

"What happened?" Naga demanded. "Are you alright? Did Reef—"

Alex pulled out the Water Pearl.

All three of them went absolutely still.

"He GAVE it to you?" Zale breathed, his scales rippling with shock. "He just... gave you the royal sacred treasure?"

"He said I gave him something more valuable," Alex said, looking directly at Zale. "I gave him back his brother."

Zale’s aqua eyes went very bright—definitely not tears, definitely not—and he had to turn away for a moment to compose himself.

Leo let out a low whistle. "Five down. Two to go. We’re actually going to do this. We’re actually going to collect all seven."

"Fire and Air," Naga said thoughtfully. "Dragon territory for Fire, Eagle territory for Air."

"Dragons are usually the final boss in the game," Alex decided. "I don’t wanna deal with them any time soon..." He paused.

"Chased by one was memorable enough to last life time. "

" Let’s go to eagle tribe. "

"Eagles definitely sound easier than the dragons," Leo pointed out.

"You’re our team’s core member," Naga replied. "Whatever you decide, we’ll follow it. "

Alex chuckled and looked at his six sleeping babies—Jade and Siddy coiled together in the netting, Sterling sprawled across a platform, Onyx half-submerged in a shallow pool, Siddy hidden in his favorite corner, and River curled protectively around Alex’s discarded shirt.

"Two more territories," he said quietly. "Two more artifacts. Then we can go home. Build our sanctuary. Raise our family in peace."