Chapter 1 Campus Legends
Recently, a legend that women who tattooed Satan on their bodies, forced to offer themselves as sacrifices to become the bride of the demon had been circulating around the school.
One day, I accidentally bumped into an untouchable rich girl, forcibly tattooed with Satan. That very night, to my astonishment, a muscular, naked man suddenly appeared in my dream.
My name was Karena Johnson, an ordinary college freshman who had always been the most inconspicuous person in the class.
"Fuck, are you blind?" I accidentally spilled soup on a girl's clothes, and she screamed.
Feeling really bad,I quickly took out a tissue and apologized, "I'm sorry. I'll clean it up for you."
The girl slapped my hand away and glared at me fiercely, "Do you have any idea how expensive this outfit is? You couldn't afford it even if you sold everything you own."
The girl was Sophia Brown, a well-known rich girl on campus, rumored to have connections with some shady people. She was usually very arrogant, and no one dared to mess with her.
My face turned red with embarrassment, and I was a bit intimidated by her. "I can get it dry-cleaned for you, or pay for it." I offered.
Sophia didn't say anything, just glared at me before walking away.
I didn't feel relieved at all because Sophia was known for holding grudges and her silence was the most terrifying.
I spent the whole afternoon on edge, and sure enough, in the afternoon, I was blocked on a deserted path by a group of people.
Sophia looked at me arrogantly, "Karena, you're such a good student, aren't you? I can't stand people like you. We're not done with what happened at lunch."
I looked at the group of boys and girls surrounding me, my heart pounding with anxiety. I didn't want any trouble, nor did I want to get into a conflict with Sophia.
"What do you want?" Thinking back, I hadn't offended Sophia before, so I really didn't understand why she hated me so much.
"Of course, I want to engage in conversation with a diligent student like you. Was it you who told the teacher about me smoking in the classroom?" Sophia poked my chest with her finger and said angrily, "And was it you who told the teacher about my tattoo?"
"It wasn't me.." Since Sophia was hard to deal with, I wouldn't cause trouble for myself.
"I don't believe you. Who else could it be? You were the only one who saw it that day." she said.
I wanted to explain, but Sophia lost her patience. "You are a good student? No smoking, no fighting, no tattoos I love seeing good students fall. Hold her down!"
As soon as she finished speaking, two tall and strong boys stepped forward and held me down.
I was terrified and struggled desperately! "Let go of me."
Sophia giggled, holding a black box in her hand. "Don't worry, I've learned how to tattoo. I guarantee it'll look beautiful. Hold her down! It might hurt a bit, so bear with it."
I had never gotten a tattoo before; the process was nothing short of agonizing. Sophia was deliberately torturing me, and I didn't believe she would give me a good tattoo.
After more than two hours, they finally let me go.
"All done; it looks beautiful." Sophia looked at her work with satisfaction.
I looked down and saw a lifelike Satan tattooed on my chest. The stark contrast between the dark ink and my tan skin made it look both eerie and beautiful, especially with Satan's blue eyes, which seemed capable of mesmerizing anyone.
I didn't believe she would give me such a good tattoo and asked in a trembling voice, "What do you really want?"
Sophia looked satisfied and said mysteriously, "How beautiful it is. You are the perfect test subject."
I didn't understand Sophia's last words. I didn't dare to speak up about being bullied, let alone tell the teachers. Given Sophia's powerful family background, even if the school expelled her as the harshest punishment, it would't matter to her. On the contrary, I would be the one to suffer greatly for reporting her.
Back in the dormitory, I ran into my roommate Isabella Taylor, who was carrying dirty clothes to wash. Seeing my pale face, she asked, "Karena, what's wrong? Were you bullied?"
I shook my head, not wanting to tell her. "It's nothing." I turned and went into the bathroom.
Standing before the bathroom mirror with hot water streaming over me, I stared at the eerie tattoo. I wanted to scrub it off, but the pain was unbearable. The tattoo on my chest burned intensely, as if my entire body was aflame. Those blue eyes seemed to pierce through me, watching intently.
Scared, I quickly finished my shower, changed into my pajamas, and lay down on the bed.
I didn't know when I fell asleep, but my chest remained hot and burning, making me feel thirsty.
In the middle of the night, half-asleep, I suddenly felt a pair of cold hands pressing on my chest. At that moment, the burning sensation seemed to disappear, and I felt an unprecedented comfort.
'Wait, isn't this the dormitory? There are only a few roommates in the dormitory, but the hand on my chest is clearly not a girl's.' I thought, wondering if it was my imagination, but I heard a low chuckle, deep yet pleasant.
The cold hand left my chest and slowly reached into my pajamas, leaving goosebumps wherever it touched.
Suddenly, I was wide awake. I opened my eyes, seeing the old fan creaking in the dormitory and moonlight streaming through the window. In that faint light, I saw a man pinning me down.
The man bore a strikingly handsome visage, his chiseled features sharply delineated. His deep blue eyes gazed at me intently, rendering his captivating appearance impossible to ignore.
Without sparing a thought for how he had arrived, I just stared at his eyes.
Suddenly, my heart started pounding as I realized I had seen these eyes before; they were exactly like the ones tattooed on my chest.
"You are awake." Seeing me open my eyes, he leaned down, his deep voice tinged with amusement.
My heart beat even faster, not out of excitement, but fear. At such a close distance, I could know this wasn't a dream, as I clearly feel his warm breath on my neck.
I wanted to scream, but I found I couldn't open my mouth no matter how hard I tried. I could only stare wide-eyed at the man before me, paralyzed, as though cursed by some ancient spell.
Out of a desire to escape, I closed my eyes, thinking If I closed them, I wouldn't see him and he wouldn't exist.
The man seemed to sense my thoughts and chuckled softly.
'Is this a dream? This must be a dream. Please wake up!' My mind raced, repeating the thought over and over, desperately hoping for an escape from the dream.
The warm hand pinched my cheek, and a cold, stern voice followed. "Open your eyes."
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.
I wasn't ready to die. I wanted to live longer.
Upon seeing my tears, his somber voice softened somewhat, yet it still bore an oppressive undertone. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Open your eyes."
I still refused to to heed his words.
The man seemed to lose patience and clicked his tongue softly. Suddenly, my eyes opened on their own, beyond my control, a strikingly handsome yet unsettling face appearing before me.