RUIN ME, SAINT DORIAN.

The first rule of Saint Dorian’s was simple: boys like me couldn't get caught wanting or our life would be officially over. Rain ran across the stones like spilled mercury, washing the sins of Saint Dorian’s into the gutter where I belonged. The academy loomed behind me, all stone arches and stained glass windows glowing like judgment. This place was a sanctuary for the rich, the ruthless, and the pure. And me? I was the crack in their perfect façade, the scholarship kid with a secondhand uniform, a fake smile and a secret I couldn’t afford to say a word about. Rumors traveled faster than prayer here and tonight, one was hunting me. They said I’d been seen at a gay bar downtown. They said the scholarship kid was a liar in holy robes and If I let them believe it, I’d lose everything. My scholarship, the dorm, my shot at clawing out of the dirt. Everything. So I ran through the rain, hoodie clinging to my skin, breath fogging in the cold, heading straight for the source, Aiden Graves. Aiden was the son of a senator and a predator who collected secrets like currency. I found him behind Eden, the kind of bar you didn’t name in daylight. He was leaning against a brick wall, cigarette glowing with two friends beside him like shadows in his jackets. “Aiden!” I called, my voice cracking against the rain. He turned slowly looking unbothered. “Well, well, well… Saint Julian himself. Shouldn’t you be praying instead of lurking around shadows?” My chest burned. “Why are you spreading lies about me?” I asked, going straight to the point. His grin widened. “Lies? Come on. You forget I’ve seen you look. Those eyes don’t lie man.” “Drop it,” I warned, fists clenching. “Or what?” He flicked his cigarette into a puddle, taking a step closer. “You gonna cry, charity boy? You think Saint Dorian’s is for people like you?” I stepped back, pulse hammering in my ear.He shoved me and my shoulder slammed into the wall causing an uproar of laughter from his friends. “You don’t belong here,” he hissed. “One word from me and you’re out. You’ll be crawling back to whatever hole you came from.” Something in me snapped and before I could rethink my decision, I flung my hand in the air. And missed… Then suddenly, headlights flooded the alley. A black car rolled in, engine growling loudly and before I could even get a proper view of the car, the doors flew open. Men in black suits spilled out, silent and efficient. And then someone else stepped out and the air seemed to hold its breath. He was tall, dark and looked as sharp as anyone would. A man whose presence made the air thin. “Enough,” he said. His words were low, smooth, and dangerous. Aiden froze and his friends went rigid. The man’s eyes were steel gray under the rain but locked on me. They didn’t ask anything, but simply just accessed it even though they looked judgemental. “You,” he said. “Come here.” My breath caught in my throat. “Who?” He ignored the question, moving closer with very deliberate steps. He reached Aiden first, gripped his wrist, twisted, and sent him sprawling into the mud with effortless precision. His men scurried away, one sweeping the alley, another pulling cables from a security camera. But the stranger kept moving with measured steps and stopped in front of me, rain dripping from his jawline. His voice softened dangerously. “Julian Vega.” My stomach dropped. “How do you know my name?” He studied me for a moment and simply said,“You’re bleeding.” totally ignoring my question. I blinked and instantly, my lip stung; I hadn’t noticed before then. His gloved hand tilted my chin up and for a split second, I forgot how to breathe. His eyes dragged over my face, searching for something I couldn’t name. “Why are you here?” he asked. “I… I came to stop a rumor.” He hummed, low and knowing. “Fixing lies by walking into danger. Is that brave… or stupid.” He turned to his men. “Wipe it.” They moved without question. Aiden whimpered as one of them yanked his phone and smashed it underfoot. And then he faced me again, gaze cutting straight through me. “Get lost.” He barked at Adrian and he disappeared. “You owe me now.” He said, turning in my direction, “And I always collect.” And just like that, he walked back to his car and drove away. The alley was now empty, leaving only the echo of tires and my heart pounding like a drum in a cathedral. By the time I stumbled back to my dorm, I was soaked, shaking, and terrified. Not just of the rumor but of him. There was something about his company that screamed differently. I knew he was rich but this one had to be “rich rich” or something. I took off my wet hoodie and stared at my reflection and staring back at me was the scholarship kid I was all too familiar with but now, I saw someone else. A boy who was indebted to some rich arse dude. A soft sound broke the silence and something slipped under my door. Bending down, I took the black envelope and surprisingly, my name was etched in silver. Tomorrow. 8 PM. Cassian Locke’s penthouse. Or the footage goes public. “Casssian Locke's? No! God no this cannot be happening to me,” I yelled and my hands shook as I read it again. Cassian was such a big shot and a part of me wanted to go but I was terrified If I walked into Cassian Locke’s world tomorrow night… I wasn’t sure I’d ever walk out the same.