At 5:30 AM on a Monday morning, while most GallU students were still asleep, Kelly was already stepping out of her dorm for her daily run. Even she had to admit she looked good in her bone-and-gold Lululemon cropped jacket and leggings—pieces she often claimed were dupes, though they weren’t. She had enough money to buy out the entire store if she wanted. But none of her new friends knew she came from immense wealth and, at least for now, she intended to keep it that way.
She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the building’s glass door, adjusting the waistband of her leggings and repositioning her oversized headphones. You never know when you’ll run into Peter, she thought. It was part of why she always made sure to look impeccable. And she always did.
But her early morning runs weren’t about Peter. Her therapist had emphasized the importance of maintaining a daily exercise routine to manage her depression, and running had become her saving grace. She rarely missed a session, unless she was sick or recovering from a night out.
Pressing play on the latest episode of her favorite true crime podcast, The Prosecutors, Kelly began jogging slowly around the building, warming up. Soon, she picked up the pace, her feet hitting the pavement rhythmically as she made her way toward the athletic facilities. The darkness clung to the early morning, but the chill of the air was refreshing, almost invigorating.
As much as she tried to focus on the podcast’s grim tale of a woman murdered by someone dressed as a clown, her mind wandered back to the unresolved issues with her dad. Kelly had a tendency to overthink, to make assumptions, and leap to conclusions. It was something that had plagued her for as long as she could remember. Instead of simply answering his endless calls to find out what he wanted, she avoided him entirely, spinning countless scenarios in her mind about what it could be. The mental gymnastics were exhausting.
Just a few days earlier, Kelly had met her father for lunch, and once again, it had ended in an argument. He had claimed he just wanted to catch up and spend time together, but the moment she sat down, he started pushing, for the millionth time, for her to work at BrightStar with the idea of eventually taking over. Since he’d first suggested it when she was fourteen, she’d made it clear she had no interest in joining any business he had built. But he was relentless, ignoring every refusal. Now, he kept calling and texting, insisting he wanted to discuss something “entirely different”—but she wasn’t buying it.
Kelly was nearing GallU’s football stadium when she stopped for a moment, pausing the podcast to rewind and try again to focus on the macabre story, the only thing that could effectively make her relax. Suddenly, another runner breezed past her, nearly knocking her off balance.
“Justin!” she shouted, recognizing him by the blonde curls, taking a guess as to which twin it was. “Watch where you’re going, dude.”
“Oh, hey, Kelly!” Justin called back, flashing her his disarming, bright smile. “Early bird too, huh?” He waved, barely slowing down, before turning back around and continuing his run.
God, she’s hot, Justin thought as he picked up his pace again. He couldn’t help but think how lucky Brett was to be hooking up with her. Not that Justin had any problems finding girls, but there certainly was something special about Kelly.
Justin had been up even earlier than usual that Monday morning, trying to get his mind and body ready for GallU’s upcoming game against Brown University that Saturday. Football was the only thing keeping his mind off the events looming just a few weeks away. The Night of the Dark Oath was drawing closer.
A ping from his watch startled him, pulling him back from his thoughts. The notification read simply: “Tonight, 20:00.” No further instructions were needed—he knew exactly what it meant. The sacred calm he sought through his early morning run, the clarity he found in these moments, was now tainted by the very thing that consumed him. That darkness he both feared and craved. Why was he drawn to it so deeply?
Coach Hawkins had warned him not to wake up so early, stressing the importance of rest. Sleep was critical, especially this close to a big game, but Justin couldn’t relax. He’d tell his twin brother, Collin, that it was just football anxiety. But lying to his twin was like lying to himself—they were too connected.
The truth was, the Dark Oath weighed heavily on his mind. And if Collin knew what was really going on, he’d never understand, let alone accept it. That should’ve been enough to steer Justin away, but he couldn’t help himself. That dark part of him demanded exploration, and he wasn’t about to back down. Not now.
After a grueling session of squats, bench presses, and box jumps, Justin returned to the dorm to find Collin still asleep.
“It’s almost 10 a.m.,” Justin said, tapping his brother on the head. “Get the hell up!”
“Well, Coach Hawkins said…” Collin began, half-asleep.
“Yeah, yeah, sleep is important. But it’s TEN-A-M, man!” Justin shot back, irritated.
GallU’s team had finally snapped a losing streak with a win against Bucknell the previous Saturday, and now the team was focused on keeping the momentum going for their next game. Mondays were critical for reviewing game footage and analyzing their opponent’s strategies. Both twins were having a solid season and wanted to keep it that way.
A couple of hours later, Justin and Collin met up with Brett for lunch at their favorite sandwich spot in Collegetown. Brett had never been interested in joining a fraternity, a stark contrast to the twins, who hadn’t even considered not joining one. So the three often met up off-campus to catch up.
As they ate, Brett noticed Justin’s quiet demeanor and curiosity got the better of him.
“What’s up with you lately?” Brett asked, eyeing Justin over the rim of his soda cup. “You’re always off in another world.”
“Just focused on the game, I guess,” Justin replied, wiping his hands with a napkin. “Guess who I saw running this morning around the field?”
Brett barely glanced up but knew exactly who Justin was talking about.
“Man, she’s… wow,” Justin said, shaking his head with a smirk.
Collin nodded slowly in agreement.
“What do you know?” Brett teased Collin, giving him a light shove, which sent both into laughter.
“Oh, gay guys can’t tell a woman’s hot? I have eyes too!” Collin shot back, grinning.
“By the way,” Brett said, grabbing a fry from Collin’s tray, “there’s a Halloween party at the cabin on the thirty-first. We should go.”
“Lua’s cabin?” Collin replied hesitantly. “I don’t know, man…”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “Collin won’t go anywhere if it’s not some trashy gay club anymore.”
“First of all, not true,” Collin shot back with an exaggerated hand gesture, annoyed. “Second, doesn’t Lua creep you out a little? I mean, none of us actually knows anything about her.”
Collin leaned in, lowering his voice. “I’ve heard rumors that she used to run a cult before she moved to Lake Laura.”
“Come on, that’s ridiculous,” Brett said, but kept his eyes on Collin, curious.
“They say she started out like we are now,” Collin whispered. “Inviting people over, gaining their trust, grooming them… and then BAM! She turned them all into frogs!” He clapped his hands dramatically, causing Justin and Brett to jump in their seats.
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Justin muttered, rolling his eyes. “So are you in or not?”
“I’m in. Do we need to wear costumes?” Collin asked, chuckling.
“Yeah,” Brett said, standing and stealing another handful of fries from Collin’s tray. “You guys have practice ‘til eight, right? I’ll come by to say hi.”
“Actually, I’ve gotta leave a bit early,” Justin said, a little too quickly. “I’ve got this… date… thing.”
Collin raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “A date? You’re leaving practice early for a girl?”
“It’s just ten minutes early. No big deal.” Justin turned to Brett. “See you tomorrow.”
Brett nodded and walked off, but Collin continued to squint suspiciously at his brother. Justin knew Collin didn’t believe him, but he was relieved when Collin chose not to press further. As Justin moved to greet a couple of friends who’d just walked in, Collin leaned back in his seat, trying to shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right.
Collin knew this wasn’t about a girl. And that left only one other possibility—the fraternity.
When the twins had first joined GallU, Justin had seemed disappointed there wouldn’t be any hazing rituals. Collin, on the other hand, had been relieved, completely opposed to the dangerous tradition. It had been banned for over a decade after the death of a student.
Rumors still floated around about underground hazing rituals, but Collin had never seen or heard anything concrete. Then again, he wasn’t as deeply involved in the inner workings of Sigma Pi as Justin was. The idea of Justin getting caught up in something like that made Collin uneasy. He was terrified that if these rituals were still happening, his brother would be at the center of them.
Collin’s unusually intense training had worn him out so much that by evening he’d almost forgotten about Justin’s suspicious behavior from earlier. He was chatting with a teammate while rehydrating when he caught sight of Justin out of the corner of his eye, saying goodbye to the coach and heading off the field. For a moment, Collin considered following him but decided against it, knowing it would only make things more complicated.
Meanwhile, Justin was exhilarated by the thrill of doing something forbidden, especially something as secretive as this. The only thing casting a shadow over it was lying to his brother, which he didn’t enjoy in the slightest. To cope, he pushed all thoughts of Collin aside, focusing entirely on the excitement of the night ahead.
He had only five minutes to get to the meeting point, so he sprinted home, tossed his bag on the bed, grabbed a sweatshirt from the floor, and ran back out toward the old parking lot. By the time he arrived, he was breathless, his heart racing from both exertion and anticipation.
Scanning the lot, he quickly spotted the vintage Buick, his arranged ride to the meeting. The nearly empty parking lot made it easy to find. Justin approached the car, rapped three times on the passenger-side window, and waited. Hearing the answering knock, he opened the door, slid in, and without a word, they pulled away, headed to the clandestine gathering.
—
The evening was chilly and windy, and Alinda was grateful to be indoors, warming herself by the cabin’s fireplace. She and Lua had been deep in conversation, as they often were that week, exploring possible angles for the LINAFE project. They’d brainstormed several broad ideas, though nothing concrete yet. Still, their research was solid, and the materials they’d gathered were valuable for whatever direction they ultimately decided to take.
Ali slung her backpack over her shoulder and wandered back into the living room, phone in hand and frowning as she glanced at the screen. Lua, who was in the kitchen preparing dinner, noticed Ali’s expression.
“Something wrong?” Lua asked, picking up on her friend’s slight unease.
Ali chuckled, her gaze still on her phone. “No, it’s just… Brett’s asking if you were ever the leader of a cult.”
Lua gave her a sidelong look, a peculiar smile playing at her lips.
Ali raised an eyebrow, half-jokingly. “I mean… have you?”
Lua let out a soft laugh, her tone playfully elusive. “A cult leader?” She tossed the question back, her answer just ambiguous enough to keep Ali guessing. “People sure do have creative imaginations,” she said, turning back to her cooking, leaving Ali both amused and just a touch mystified.
Thoughts on this chapter?