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MENS REA: the state of mind required for the commission of a crime. _______________
Synopsis: In which Connor Walsh's old flame, Ephraim Castillo, comes back and opens Pandora's box for everyone.
Warning(s): Explicit language, graphic death scenes, blood, mentions of domestic violence, sex, homophobia, etc. More to be added as the book progresses. _______________
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"In order to comprehend the basics of law, it's pivotal to understand the sources at the core of its foundation. By understanding the fundamental composition of our society, we gain insight into the complex and diverse aspects in which we interact with it." Ephraim's voice echoed across the whole classroom. At 45, his tone remained passive yet firm, a characteristic trait that followed him through his adulthood. "Our legal system relies heavily on the institutionalized opinions and interpretations from judicial authorities and public juries. However, there are plenty of other examples of legal systems which draw from different sources. Would you mind pointing them out, Mr..."
As the words lingered on his tongue, his gaze danced around the different seats to choose one of his students to engage in class. His focus quickly fell on a raven-haired man whose dark brown eyes returned him back in time. Ephraim could have sworn he had seen the same face before. Perhaps in the exact same seat, perhaps in his dreams, perhaps next to him in bed.
Remnants of his early years slipped through his mind. In the span of a second, the buried memories gasped for breath and clutched his heart to get free. The scars engraved at his core burned hot and for a moment, he was back in college, blood-stained fingertips and the cold embrace of the loss of his life. His words replayed like a broken record.
"I have loved you since forever, Ephraim, I will never leave your side no matter what." Until he did. And everywhere they loved became a reminder of what could have been: the print of their entwined hands splattered all over the walls, the scent of his cologne hanging in the air, the sound of his footsteps splitting the silence with yearning... It all came back to haunt him.
Tremors ricocheted through his entire body. His hands seemed the most affected by this and consequently, the papers he once held ended up scattered all around the floor. This didn't go unnoticed by the students sat in the front row who quickly got up off their seats to help him.
The mind is a treacherous friend. A body of complex phenomena from which every personal manifestation springs from. For Ephraim, it was his weapon and damnation, an extension of him that brought nothing but trouble everywhere it put its focus on. And this time, its attention was on bringing back the remnants of the only man who ever broke him: Connor Walsh.
As if his name had a gravity of its own, the classroom disappeared into a vortex of delusion and his students morphed into familiar faces. He was no longer the renowned corporative lawyer Ephraim Castillo but the broken kid who was late for his first class of Criminal Law.
Many years earlier, when time unfolded warmly and the letters from his friends back in Lima were scattered above his bedsheets, Ephraim found himself in a race against time as he ran straight from home to Middleton University. His rapid heartbeat found peace as the university seemed closer.
"Get out the way!" A stranger exclaimed in the distance. As soon as he heard the voice, Ephraim, who seemed to have gotten in his way, changed his trajectory. Well, he's kinda attractive. He thought as the stranger rode his bike past him.
Not long after, Ephraim reached his classroom and quickly went down the stairs under the mocking sight of several of his classmates. He found an empty seat beside a woman in the front row, she greeted him with a sarcastic smile and redirected her focus on the board in front of them, an ambitious look danced beneath her iris.
The moment he sat down, the sound of high heels filled the silence it brought by its mere presence. As if she was a force of nature, the dark-skinned woman uttered a welcome speech which would haunt Ephraim until his last breath.
"Good morning. I don't know what terrible things you've done in your life up to this point, but clearly your karma's out of balance to get assigned to my class. I'm Professor Annalise Keating, and this is Criminal Law 100. Or, as I prefer to call it... How to get away with murder."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Still can't believe my comeback after years without posting a single thing is a HTGAWM fic. The background behind this story is quite funny. As a law student, I thought it'd be a great idea to go back and rewatch this show (big mistake). I have to admit it's quite a challenge to adapt the american legal system since I'm being taught from a completely different point of view, but I promise I'll try to do my best. I mean, the characters would rather break the law than practice it anyway lmao. Don't forget to vote and comment!
Also, let's thank Jack Falahee's contribution to society with his thirst traps. He truly triggered this fic into existence with a few IG posts. Whew.
