Beneath Their Devotion (Yanderes x Reader)

1. New Beginning

Y/N stared out the window as the bus bumped along the winding road. The city's grey, lifeless streets had finally given way to rolling hills and thick forests. The early autumn sunlight cast everything in shades of gold and red, with the leaves just beginning to change.

The journey to her new life was not short. She had been sitting on this bus for a few hours—not that she minded. Y/N cherished every second away from her life in the city. She released a soft breath and shifted in her seat, thinking about the ghosts she left behind—the memories of her past, the people she had known, and the experiences she had lived through. She could leave them behind here, far from everything she knew.

Her fingers smoothed over the creases of the letter in her lap—the official acceptance from Thornebridge University. She still remembered exactly how it felt, the excitement coursing through her body when she read the acceptance letter. It had seemed like a distant dream then, but now, as the campus drew nearer, it felt all too real. She had read it countless times, but the finality of it hit her with each passing mile. The weight in her chest tightened as she tried to calm her racing thoughts.

Y/N gripped the letter tighter. "A fresh start."

A head perked up beside Y/N. "A what?"

Y/N blinked, embarrassed. She had completely forgotten the girl who had entered the bus a few stops back. A girl who, despite Y/N's dismay, had opted to sit beside her instead of one of the many... many other empty seats.

"Oh, nothing," she muttered, looking outside once more.

"Right," the girl beside her shifted her body to get a better look at Y/N. "Anyways, do you know if we're almost there? My phone died on me."

Y/N glanced at her phone. "Should be close," she responded curtly. Her screen showed a low signal and no new messages. Not that she expected any. Y/N hadn't saved many numbers from back home. Like the life she'd left behind, her phone was primarily silent.

The girl groaned, stretching her arms. "That's good because if I sit any longer, I'm going to melt into this seat," she chuckled, looking at Y/N. "Can you imagine showing up to your first day of college looking like you crawled out of a crypt?"

Y/N smiled despite herself. "Isn't that the look around here?"

The girl snorted, "Fair point. Maybe I'll get a scholarship for it. God knows I need it." She looked Y/N up and down before speaking again, "So, what's your name then?"

"Y/N L/N. Pleased to meet you," Y/N said a bit stiffly, cringing. "What's your name?"

If the girl noticed any awkwardness from Y/N, she didn't mention it. "That's a nice name! It suits you. Mine is Mika Williams. I must admit, a bit bland compared to yours."

The bus slowed, distracting both girls before Y/N could think of a proper response. The sprawling campus of Thornebridge appeared in the distance. Y/N's breath caught in her throat. The pamphlet didn't do the campus enough justice. The buildings were a mix of gothic spires and towering stone arches, with ivy crawling up their sides, looking untouched by time. The place was somehow both ancient and pristine.

"Guess you weren't joking when you said we'd almost be there," Mika muttered, leaning over her to get a better look. "There it is, in all its glory... the perfect place for a murder mystery."

Y/N looked over her shoulder with a raised brow.

Mika chuckled and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm a journalist." As if that answered everything.

The bus stopped in front of the grand, arched gates, and Y/N excitedly gathered her things and felt a fresh rush of nerves. She could feel her heart speeding up again as she stepped off the bus, the crisp September air hitting her face. It was a welcoming change from the stifling, damp heat of the city. She couldn't wait to enter the building. Or rather, one of the buildings.