Sins of Dominion

Chapter 1 : A new beginning

    Evelyn

The walls of Dominion University loomed high above me, dark stone towers reaching up to scratch the underbelly of a sky pregnant with rain. The air was thick with the smell of impending storm—a fitting welcome to my new life. I gripped the handle of my suitcase, my knuckles turning white against the cold metal.

A new school, a new city, a new start. That’s what they told me. But the weight of my past hung around my neck like a chain, its cold links clinking with every step I took towards the grand iron gates.

"Are you sure about this, Evelyn?" Carter's voice came from behind me, a comforting echo of the life I'd left behind. He'd insisted on coming with me, his face a map of worry and unspoken questions.

"I'm sure," I lied. I wasn't, but I'd learned long ago that certainty was a luxury people like me couldn't afford. What I needed now was distance—from the whispers, the shame, the lies. Dominion University was a fortress where I could hide, at least for a while.

The gates creaked open, revealing a sprawling courtyard lined with ancient oaks and a mosaic of paths leading to various gothic buildings. The air was charged with the energy of the students milling about, each one as perfectly polished as the next. They moved in packs, their eyes sharp, their laughter brittle. I could already feel the weight of their scrutiny.

"Just a few years, then we're out of here," Carter murmured, placing a hand on my shoulder. His warmth seeped through the cold, and I found myself leaning into him for just a moment longer than I should have.

"Yeah, just a few years," I repeated, my voice barely audible over the distant roll of thunder.

We made our way across the courtyard, my eyes darting from face to face, gauging, assessing. They were beautiful, all of them, in that way that only wealth and privilege can buy. I didn’t belong here, not really. But I was good at pretending.

"There's the administration building," Carter pointed out, his voice a lifeline in the sea of unfamiliarity. "You ready to check in?"

I nodded, even though my stomach was a churning mess of nerves. We walked up the steps to the building, its double doors heavy and ornate, as if daring us to enter. I took a deep breath and pushed them open.

The interior was just as grand as the exterior, all dark wood and gleaming marble. A large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting fragmented light across the room. Behind the main desk sat a woman with sharp eyes and a sharper smile. She glanced up as we approached, her gaze flicking over me with mild interest before settling on Carter with something that bordered on approval.

"Welcome to Dominion University," she said, her voice smooth and professional. "Name, please?"

"Evelyn Hart," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.

She typed something into her computer, then handed me a folder. "You're in Ashworth Hall. Room 314. Your roommate has already arrived. Here's your schedule and a map of the campus. Orientation starts tomorrow at 9 AM in the Great Hall."

I took the folder, feeling the weight of the next few years settle into my hands. Carter squeezed my shoulder one last time before I turned to leave, but before we could take a step, the door behind us swung open.

A cold gust of wind blew in, bringing with it the scent of rain and something darker, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I turned, and that’s when I saw him.

Dominic Thorne.

He strode in like he owned the place, his presence sucking the air out of the room. He was tall, with dark hair that fell in perfect disarray over his forehead, and eyes that were too sharp, too cold, for someone who looked so young. There was a dangerous elegance to the way he moved, like a predator among prey.

His gaze swept over the room, indifferent, until it landed on me. His eyes darkened, something unreadable passing through them, before his lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. It wasn’t a friendly smile; it was the kind that sent a chill down your spine, the kind that told you you were seen, and you were prey.

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around the folder. This wasn’t part of the plan. He wasn’t part of the plan. But as he walked past me, his shoulder brushing mine ever so slightly, I knew with a sick certainty that whatever this was, whatever he was—it was just beginning.