PROLOGUE (2)

Warning: Mentions of violence (18+)

2024.

University of Westminster, England.

Veronica gripped him by the neck, her nails digging deep into his skin, her lips curling into a smirk as she relished the pleas of her prey. Alas, he slipped away from life.

..

Adonis frowned as he closed the deep red cover of the book on his desk, yawning as he stretched his back before pulling out his chair and opening the blinds of his window.

Morning had finally arrived after an all-nighter spent reading the latest installment of the serialized bestseller Delilah's Inn. For as long as he could remember, Adonis had followed this tale since his secondary school days. He was drawn in not only by the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the story but also by the anonymity of its author and publisher, which added an intriguing layer of mystery.

Once again, the long wait in line for one of the only 200 copies published every five years had proven fruitless; he still had more unanswered questions about the plot. Sighing, Adonis checked his schedule.

Today was a lecture-free day, so he planned to spend the rest of it in the library, finishing up his article and class assignments for literature. He might even take Carrie, his girlfriend, out for dinner.

Adonis smiled to himself as he stepped out of his apartment that evening, the thought of dating Carrie Berkley—the belle of the English and Literary Studies class of 2025—bringing him joy. Their relationship had blossomed over the past year. He made sure to fulfill all the necessary boyfriend duties and to express his affection through all five love languages suggested by Chapman: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.

He was certain she was the one. If two souls were destined to be one, she was his, and he was hers. He greeted the librarian, presented his library card, and after hours of research, he was almost finished with his assignments—and Carrie's too. His obsession with helping her out drove him to do their work together.

As darkness fell, Adonis glanced at his wristwatch. 7:00 PM. The library closed at 8 PM and was nearly empty. He sighed, packed his bag, and stacked the library books before turning on his phone to text Carrie.

[Hey, beautiful. I'll see you at 8. <3]

No response came, but he smiled at the text anyway. He returned the books and stepped outside before texting again.

[Hey, are you busy?]

He had just boarded the bus when a reply came in. [I'll see you then.]

Adonis shrugged and settled next to an elderly man in a suit. As the bus rolled along, he occupied himself by reading reviews of the latest Delilah's Inn release, contemplating whether he might write one himself.

"Excellent choice of literature," the man commented. Adonis looked up, his turquoise eyes brightening with interest.

"Indeed," he replied.

"What would you do if you found yourself in such a position?"

"Please clarify, sir," Adonis asked, curious.

The man's deep gaze scrutinized him sharply, pausing as he eyed Adonis's student ID. "Adonis Callum," he muttered. "Well, *Delilah's Inn* is fascinating, if you ask me. They say cheating men read it the most, along with women who pray for retribution. I was wondering what you'd do if you wanted to cheat—"

"Not happening," Adonis snapped, cutting him off. "I don't think cheating men would pick up a mythical tale about their demise." He finally looked away, successfully halting the conversation.

The bus came to a stop.

"And what if she cheats on you?" the man smirked, rising with a few other passengers.

Adonis turned to reply, but the man was gone.

"And they say strange things only exist in books," he murmured, shouldering his bag as he exited the bus.

He made his way to the entrance of Carrie's dormitory, checking in as a visitor. The hallways were quiet, likely because it was almost dinner time. He let out a sigh of relief that the girls weren't out, staring at him like an ancient artifact.

When he reached Carrie's door, he froze.

"Tell me you love me more than him," a deep voice ordered sharply.

"I do, I do. I love you, Kyle—no one else," Carrie's voice replied, followed by muffled moans that sent chills down Adonis's spine.

Careful not to jump to conclusions, Adonis opened the door, only to witness the horror of his life. Carrie lay sprawled naked on her bed, the tattooed bad boy of campus, Kyle Edward, in between her legs.

"What in the world is happening here?" Adonis boomed. Carrie immediately pushed Kyle away, covering herself with the sheets. Her heart raced, and she blanched when she saw him.

"Babe, I can explain... it's not what you think," she started.

Adonis's world spun as he stared at her, watching her search for lies. He had loved this woman with every fiber of his being, and yet she still wanted other men. He had respected her desire to wait until marriage, only to find her giving herself to a man she had condemned as a devil.

He ran his hands through his hair, struggling to breathe.

"Why did you do this?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"She doesn't owe you an explanation," Kyle snapped.

"Shut the f*** up and get out of here, manwhore."

"The same man who's giving your girlfriend what you couldn't for decades. Tell him or I will, Carrie," Kyle growled.

"You heard him—tell me, Carrie."

"Adonis, please, not now." Tears streamed down her face.

"She was only with you so you could help her with her assignments and grades, idiot. What made you think she'd choose a loser like you—"

"Kyle, shut up!" Carrie cursed under her breath as she hurriedly pulled her dress over her head.

Adonis felt his knees weaken as he fought for stability. What did he expect? Simpletons always got devoured first by the cruelty of the world, and he was a tragic victim. He had tried to offer a healthy relationship, but all she seemed to want was a toxic, careless man like Kyle.

Carrie swung her feet off the bed and slowly approached him. "I'm afraid what he said is true, Adonis. I'm sorry things had to end this way. You can drop the literature assignment on the table and leave, please. You're already causing a scene."

Kyle smirked at her words.

Adonis looked at her, tears welling in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind?" he yelled, causing her to flinch.

"Don't f***ing raise your voice at my girl," Kyle hissed, shoving Adonis in the chest.

Adonis lost his balance on the carpet and slipped on the tiled floor. His head collided loudly with the glass table at the center of the room.

Silence enveloped the two as the loud clash reverberated in the space.

Carrie gasped and covered her mouth in shock as she saw blood trickling from Adonis's head.

They stood frozen for what felt like an eternity.

"Adonis. Adonis." Carrie called, but he remained unfazed, his eyes slowly closing as blood pooled around him.

"Get dressed. We need to get out of here." Kyle snapped, struggling to pull on his skinny jeans.

"Get out? Kyle, this is my room. What if he's dead?" she whispered, the fear creeping into her voice.

"Do you want to go to f***ing jail? Shut up and come with me," he hissed, pulling on his shirt.

Carrie's stomach churned, her heart racing at the horrifying possibility that Kyle had just killed someone right before her eyes.

She glanced between Adonis and Kyle, her mind racing. Would she rather be with a corpse or a murderer? In a whirlwind of thoughts, she ultimately chose to leave with Kyle, leaving the door ajar in case anyone came looking for Adonis.

"You were with me the whole time; no one saw me enter or leave, and you had no clue Adonis was coming. Understand?" Kyle ordered as they stepped outside, momentarily brushing past the suited man from earlier on the bus. A sinister smile formed on the man's face as he glided through the dorm's walls, transforming into a taller, muscular figure cloaked in a flowing dark robe as he approached Adonis.

"You never learn," he smirked, pulling out a scythe. He waved it over Adonis's body, seeking to extract his soul, but received no response. The man repeated the process again and again, his patience wearing thin.

"His soul isn't responding," a thin, cloaked, faceless figure emerged from the door.

"I know," the man growled. "He's destined to die today. What's wrong with the system?" He cursed under his breath.

"Veronica can handle this. How about you send him to the Inn?"

The man paused, his eyes glimmering with intrigue at the suggestion from the faceless creature.

"Delightful," he grinned.