PART 1: THE RULERS AND THE PREY CHAPTER 1: THE PRINCE AND THE QUEEN OF EVIL
In the prestigious St. Claire Academy, there were laws that were never written in the student handbook. Laws that everyone followed out of pure fear. At the very top of this hierarchy stood Lucas Vazquez.
Lucas was seventeen years old, tall, with hair as black as midnight and eyes the color of cold steel. He was the only heir to the Vazquez Empire — a conglomerate that dealt in shipping, real estate, and whispers of darker, underground businesses. He was handsome in a dangerous way, the kind of beauty that made girls swoon but tremble at the same time. He was arrogant, cold, and undeniably cruel. To Lucas, the world was divided into two: the Vazquezes, and everyone else — who existed only to serve or entertain him.
And standing right behind him, pulling every single string in his heart and mind, was his mother, Doña Valeria Vazquez.
Valeria was a woman of terrifying beauty. She was elegant, sophisticated, and charming to the public eye, but behind closed doors, she was a viper. She had raised Lucas alone since his father died, drilling into his head since he was a toddler:
"We are gods, Lucas. We take whatever we want. We destroy whatever threatens us. Kindness is for the weak. Love is a trap designed to bring powerful people down. Never feel. Never care. Only conquer."
She corrupted his soul day by day. Whenever Lucas showed a tiny bit of softness or sympathy, she would punish him or mock him until that feeling died. She taught him that hurting others was a display of power. She taught him that women were objects — toys to be played with and discarded once broken.
And then there was Elara.
Elara Santos was sixteen, a scholarship student at St. Claire. She was quiet, intelligent, and beautiful in a soft, natural way — the kind of beauty that didn't need diamonds or makeup to shine. She came from a humble background, living with her grandmother. To everyone else, she was invisible. But to Lucas and Valeria... she was the perfect target.
It started small. Lucas would bump into her in the hallways, making her drop her books. He would steal her lunch, mock her clothes, or spread rumors about her family. But it wasn't just him. Valeria, who was a major sponsor of the school, would often visit. She would look at Elara with those cold, predatory eyes and whisper to her son:
"Look at her, Lucas. She thinks she belongs here. She thinks she is equal to you. Do you see that pride in her eyes? Break it. I want to see her cry. I want to see her beg."
Lucas obeyed his mother gladly. He enjoyed the game. He didn't know why hurting Elara gave him such a rush, but his mother told him it was the thrill of superiority.
One afternoon, Elara was sitting under the old oak tree in the garden, reading a book. Lucas approached her, shadow falling over her. She looked up, her brown eyes wide with caution.
"Move," Lucas commanded coldly. "This is my spot."
"I was here first," Elara replied softly, standing up. She tried to walk away, but Lucas blocked her path.
"You have quite a mouth on you, for a charity case," Lucas sneered, leaning closer. He smelled of expensive cologne and danger. "My mother says you are getting too confident. She says you act like you are a princess."
"I don't act like anything," Elara said, her voice trembling slightly but firm. "Please let me pass."
Lucas laughed, a sharp, cruel sound. He grabbed her wrist, hard enough to leave bruises.
"You are nothing, Elara. Nothing but dirt I walk on. Remember that."
From the balcony of the administration building, Doña Valeria watched them. She smiled wickedly, sipping her tea. "Yes," she thought. "Destroy her spirit, my son. Make sure she never dares to rise above her place."
But neither of them knew... that even as Lucas inflicted pain, a strange, confusing feeling was beginning to bloom in his chest. A feeling his mother had warned him about. A feeling he would do everything to kill.
