Sins of Dominion

Chapter 4 : The Dance of Secrets

Evelyn

The first week at Dominion passed in a blur of classes, new faces, and the constant undercurrent of unease. The university was as unforgiving as its reputation suggested. Professors demanded excellence, and the students—their ambition sharp as knives—were quick to assert dominance in the social hierarchy.

I managed to keep my head down, navigating the maze of power and privilege as carefully as I could. Hannah was a bright spot in the otherwise overwhelming environment, her easy-going nature helping to ease the tension that knotted in my stomach every morning as I left our dorm room.

But even with her support, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being watched. It wasn’t just paranoia; I felt eyes on me in the hallways, in the lecture rooms, even in the dining hall. It was as if the very walls of Dominion were alive, waiting for me to slip up.

And then there was Dominic Thorne.

Since that first morning in the Great Hall, I had managed to avoid any direct encounters with him. But that didn’t stop him from being a constant presence in my thoughts, a shadow I couldn’t outrun. His words had left a mark on me, a warning I couldn’t forget.

Every time I entered a room, I braced myself for the possibility of seeing him, of feeling the weight of his gaze. But he was never there. It was almost worse, this cat-and-mouse game where I didn’t know when or where he would strike next.

As I walked across the courtyard after a particularly grueling lecture, I couldn’t help but feel the tension in my shoulders grow tighter. The sky was a dull gray, clouds heavy with the promise of another storm. I pulled my jacket tighter around me, quickening my pace towards Ashworth Hall.

That’s when I saw him.

He was standing near the fountain, his tall figure clad in a dark coat that made him blend almost seamlessly with the stormy sky. His eyes were on me, unblinking, as if he had been waiting.

My heart skipped a beat, a familiar sense of dread creeping up my spine. I should have kept walking, pretended I didn’t see him, but something in his gaze held me captive, rooted me to the spot.

Dominic didn’t move, didn’t beckon me over. He didn’t need to. The force of his presence was enough to draw me in. I found myself walking towards him, each step feeling like a decision I would come to regret.

“Evelyn Hart,” he said as I approached, his voice smooth and deep, wrapping around my name like a velvet glove. “We seem to keep crossing paths.”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “Dominic.”

It wasn’t a question, but an acknowledgment. There was no point in pretending I didn’t know who he was. Everyone knew.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me with those sharp, assessing eyes. “How are you finding Dominion so far?”

“It’s… intense,” I replied, my gaze flicking to the ground for a brief moment before meeting his again. “But I’m managing.”

“Good,” he said, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “It would be a shame if you didn’t.”

There was a pause, the silence stretching out between us, filled with unspoken words. I could feel the questions bubbling up inside me, the need to know what he wanted from me, why he seemed to be watching me so closely. But I didn’t dare ask.

“You seem tense,” Dominic observed, his voice deceptively gentle. “Is something bothering you?”

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Every instinct screamed at me to be cautious, to keep my guard up. But something about his tone, the way he watched me, made me want to push back, to challenge him.