I never believed in fate until the day I stepped onto the sprawling campus of Eldridge University, my backpack slung over one shoulder like a shield against the unknown. The air was crisp with the scent of autumn leaves and distant rain, the kind that promised secrets hidden in the puddles. At eighteen, fresh out of high school and drowning in the chaos of independence, I thought college would be my escape—a place to reinvent myself as Mia Evergreen, the girl who finally fit in. Little did I know, it would drag me into a love so forbidden, it could shatter realities no one else even knew existed.
Eldridge wasn't your average urban campus. Tucked in the heart of a bustling city, its gothic buildings rose like ancient sentinels, ivy crawling up stone walls that whispered stories of forgotten eras. Students hurried between classes, laughter echoing off the quad, but I felt it from the start—a pull, like invisible threads tugging at my soul. Was it nerves? Or something darker, lurking just beyond the edge of perception?
My first class was Literature 101, in a dimly lit lecture hall that smelled of old books and polished wood. I slid into a seat near the back, pulling out my notebook, my heart racing for no reason. That's when I saw him. Across the room, leaning against the wall like he owned the shadows themselves. Tall, with tousled black hair that fell over eyes the color of stormy seas, he wore a leather jacket that screamed trouble. His name was Kai Voss, or so the rumors went. The kind of guy who showed up to campus parties uninvited, left girls breathless and broken, and vanished like smoke. Dangerous. Forbidden. And yet, my gaze locked onto his, and for a split second, the world tilted.
He smirked, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I looked away, focusing on the professor droning about forbidden loves in classic tales. Irony, right? But as the lecture dragged on, I couldn't shake the feeling that Kai was watching me. Not just glancing—studying, like I was a puzzle he intended to break.
After class, I hurried out, weaving through the crowd toward the dorms. The city skyline loomed in the distance, a reminder that this was real life, not some fantasy. But then, a voice slithered into my ear, low and velvet-smooth. "Running already, new girl?"
I spun around, my breath catching. Kai stood there, hands in his pockets, his presence filling the space like a storm cloud. Up close, he was even more intoxicating—sharp jawline, a faint scar tracing his left cheek, and an aura that screamed stay away while pulling you closer.
"I wasn't running," I lied, my voice steadier than I felt. "Just... heading to my next class."
He stepped forward, closing the gap until I could smell the faint hint of rain and something metallic, like blood. "Liar," he whispered, his lips curving into a dangerous smile. "I saw the way you looked at me. Curious about the shadows, Mia?"
How did he know my name? My pulse thundered in my ears. Before I could respond, he leaned in, his breath warm against my skin. "Be careful what you wish for. Some doors, once opened, can't be closed."
He turned and walked away, leaving me frozen in the middle of the quad. What the hell was that? My mind raced with questions, but deep down, a thrill sparked—something dark and electric. As I finally moved, a strange warmth bloomed in my chest, like an invisible thread connecting us. Little did I know, that thread was woven from forbidden magic, and pulling it would unravel everything.
But the real suspense hit that night in my dorm room. Alone under the covers, I dreamed of Kai—not just any dream, but one where he reached out from the darkness, his touch igniting sparks that felt too real. When I woke, my wrist burned with a faint, glowing mark—a symbol I'd never seen before. Was it a tattoo? A hallucination? Or the beginning of a love that could destroy us both?