Tainted Souls

Chapter One

Back when everything used to be peaceful, I took everything for granted.

Those were the words that I whispered, which echoed in the quiet library. Now, my world was anything but peaceful. A single, accidental act had thrown me into the orbit of the devil's incarnate with a reputation as dark and brooding as the storm clouds gathering outside.

I used to think that my typical day at San Francisco Creek University was boring. It was too bad that I couldn't take back my words.

It all began on a day that I thought would be uneventful like any other day...

I, Aera Kim, wished how I could turn back time. Or else, I wouldn't have gone through everything that I went through this year.

I was just your typical Korean-American girl living in San Francisco and going to a college near my home. As a Design major, I preferred wearing preppy outfits with a Ralph Lauren inspiration. I was a typical fourth year college student that relied on my best friend for emotional support.

My thoughts were interrupted when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

"Hey, it's our last year of college! We've made it so far!" my best friend, Keisha Thompson, exclaimed to me.

Keisha was seventy-five percent Ethiopian and a quarter Native American. She had dark brown hair, skin the color of ebony, and dark brown eyes that were almost black. Unlike me, she was always so enthusiastic and confident. I wished that I could be like her, but of course, we were nothing alike. Sometimes, I questioned how we ended up becoming friends.

"The one year of college we have left makes me feel as if graduation is still so far away," I sighed. "Everything is so tedious and mundane. I feel like every single day is just a repeat of: study, sleep, and eat."

"That's because you never go to something like a party and drink your ass off. But technically, neither do I," Keisha admitted. "At least, not as of lately."

"My definition of a party is just us two having our nightly sleepovers and laughing our asses off by listening to Megan Thee Stallion due to my severe social anxiety," I admitted.

"You have been playing Hot Girl Summer nonstop. It's even your ringtone now," Keisha laughed. "Seriously, girl. It's 2022 and our last fall semester here. We have to live a little."

"I'm still so hesitant about going to parties," I sighed. "Usually, in the books I read, they consist of drama, tonsil tennis, and gross grinding."

"Grinding and making out is not gross with a bit of practice with the right boy," she smirked. "Besides, I hear that the party is going to be hosted by none other than Hunter Wells."

I sighed. Hunter Wells was Keisha's longtime crush. He was the fraternity president of Alpha Kappa Omicron and football quarterback of San Francisco Creek University. However, with us being considered nerds at our college, we weren't noticed by people within his crowd. They called themselves "The High Class". There were people that were members of sororities and fraternities within the crowd. I cringed when I thought of how Hunter would parade around his best friends. It was completely entitled, considering how I didn't even have real nor actual friends besides Keisha. It was only because she was a real one and took the initiative first to talk to me that I even maintained my friendship with her. Also, we were roommates. It didn't matter how much effort I had put in over the years because my unpopularity made things this way.

And, of course, there was his girlfriend, Sasha Valentine. She was the sorority president of Theta Epsilon and the cheerleading captain.

Sasha Valentine was not only the most popular girl on campus, but a mean bitch that people sucked up to. Everyone knew not to mess with the queen and her friends. Austin Chen, Janiah Smith, Haley Jung, Charlotte Evergreen, and Jamie Hale were other people that were prominent members of "The High Class". I didn't really remember anyone else. I didn't plan on remembering everyone else either, considering that these were the people that made me miserable with their bullying for the past few years at college.