Dear heart, it is essential you learn

There are certain things you must not yearn

Do not beat wildly whenever you see

One who is draped with transcendent beauty

For beauty and soul do not always go as a pair

One could be horrid as the other remains fair

Dear heart, before you become vulnerably frail

Think of the soul hidden under beauty's veil

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Maribelle Moore's number one rule: Do not trust handsome men.

It was a rule so deeply ingrained in Jules since the young age of seven. Every year that passed since her dad left was a hammer that pounded her mother's warning deeper into her mind--so deep that it unconsciously resurfaced often in her thoughts. This was one of those times.

There was no trace of the boy she met in the forest years ago--at least not with the scrapes of memories she had left of him.

Jules made a great mistake. A problem doesn't disappear just because everyone says it doesn't exist. She should have never thrown away the memory of the boy she met in front of the angel oak tree years ago. If she had believed in her own intuition, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten this messy. The problem was back and now it was in its true form.

There was no more doubt. Her imagination was not capable of creating the man she was looking at right now.

Dixon is real. And the way he smiled with delight as he looked at the terrified faces around the room showed that there would be no mercy given tonight.

A few crows began flying through the door and dived dangerously close to the academy students. Their talons were inches away from tearing flesh.

Jules was too distracted because it wasn't until now that she realized all her classmates were gone. They must have ran away during Dixon's arrival.

Jules willed her legs to move. She got up slowly, planning to dash when her conscience held her back. She didn't know enough about the academy students but she still didn't think they deserved this unusual punishment.

But before she could do anything, Jules was startled to the core. The kneeling academy students were replaced with the image of screaming children thrashing on the floor with deep holes in their flesh--so deep that she could see bones. She heard a distant sound of an old lady chanting that was in a language she could not understand. The chanting sounded so ghostly and satanic that it made Jules nauseous the moment it hit her ears. She closed her eyes not wanting to see the horrid injuries of the children who held such familiar faces.

By the time Jules opened her eyes again the children were replaced by young women in white, old-fashioned gowns--teared and stained with blood--standing in a circle. In the middle of the circle, was a woman who held a baby in her hands. The chanting got louder while their lips stayed unmoving.

A small light flashed in Jules' eye. They all held a knives in their hands and began approaching the baby.

Without thinking, Jules ran towards the baby as fast as she could. She willed her feet to go faster as she watched one of the women hold the blade above her head, prepared to go in for the kill. Jules grabbed the baby just as the blade began descending down, and tumbled on the floor as she held the infant tightly to her chest. The sound of chanting was becoming almost unbearable at this point.

Jules got up quickly after recovering from the fall. All the women had disappeared except one...the mother.

The baby's mother was sprawled out on the floor with blood dripping out of her stab wounds. Jules could feel her eyes well up with tears. When she tried to comfort the now motherless baby, she only grasped at air. The baby was gone.

Jules looked back at the dead body and there was a little boy knelt beside it. The body was rotting and maggots protruded from the woman's chest. Although he had his back to her, Jules could tell he was crying with the way his shoulders shook. It made her heart ache. She needed to comfort him.

She walked towards him and right as her arms wrapped around his back, the chanting ceased.

Jules opened her eyes and the child's small body was replaced with one of a man's. She flinched and let go immediately.

She looked around and realized she was back in the lavish room of Dalmellington Academy. The kneeling academy students stared at her with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

Randall took off his swimming goggles for a second just to see if his eyes were deceiving him.

"Holy f*ck. I think this girl might actually be insane," Jake whispered.

Randall couldn't disagree. He thought she would be running out of town by now as a damsel in distress, crying for her mother. No one expected Jules Moore to embrace the beast. She simply had to be mad.

Jules' actions were confirmed when the man she embraced turned around. Dixon was no longer smirking. Instead, he held a blank expression.

Jules stayed stiff and unmoving as his hand approached her face. She didn't know she was crying until she felt Dixon's thumb glide across her wet cheek.

"Ah, how unfortunate for us to finally meet again at such bad timing," Dixon lifted her right hand slowly until it made contact with his lips. "I have been waiting aguishly for years to be in your presence once again Jules. Though I hope you are not trying to distract me, thinking I'll let these fools go unpunished."

Jules squeezed her right hand, still feeling the ghost of his lips on her skin.

"Please. Don't hurt them."

Dixon frowned.

"I saved their lives for you. The least they could do is atone for their mistakes. It's only one eye. They have two."

Jules didn't know how to reply. There were a lot of things on her mind, preventing her from thinking clearly. But her priority now was to save the academy students. She didn't think she could survive watching crows tear flesh for a second time...or third if she counted her gruesome hallucinations.

"They saved me from the demons." She tried again.

Dixon chuckled humorlessly at her statement.

"Save you? I'm not surprised that these stupid, amateur Dealers didn't realize you don't need saving. Demons can only possess those who have partaken in one of the seven deadly sins. And by the smell of it," Dixon grabbed her wrist forcefully and took a long sniff along her neck, "you clearly haven't. Although we will be changing that soon."

Jules prayed that she could stay courageous, but the more Dixon spoke about his murderous intent, the more she wanted to abandon her task and run home.

"I'm not as merciful as the God you worship so wholeheartedly. Just ask him to give your friends another eye. He's capable of doing anything after all," Dixon replied mockingly. "Just close your eyes my dear. The crows are quite fast with their tasks. It will be over in a minute."

There was one more option Jules could think of but she wasn't sure if it was the best idea. It was one that she knew appealed to Dixon for it was part of his nature. However, it was also the option that put her life most at stake.

The image of Jonathan with one eye was enough motivation. Unsurprisingly, she put the others' safety before her own.

"Is there anything I can do to change your mind?"

Once the question left Jules' trembling lips, Dixon's emotionless face morphed into an uncanny smile.

"Oh my, are you trying to make a deal with me?"

Jules did not answer and tried to stay firm in her decision, although her body was in flight mode and wanted her to run away as soon as possible.

"What do you want?" Jules asked.

"I want to play," Dixon replied.

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The creaking of rusty metal as the chain of the swing swung back and forth was all Jules could focus on with the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She felt goosebumps every time Dixon's hands pushed against her back. She had never been so uncomfortable doing something she loved.

Jules tried to keep her attention on other things to prevent herself from vomiting or passing out, but it was not easy because her surroundings were very dark. The moon's light was mostly blocked off by the tall academy building. For such a lavish establishment, Jules was surprised that there was only an old swing in one of the academy's private backyard.

"This brings me back to the good old days."

The swing continued to squeak eerily.

"You hurt and took advantage of children. How could you ever call that good? " It was easier to speak with her back turned to him. She kept her eyes on the night sky.

"They hurt you first," he replied curtly.

"They were children."

"Children grow into monsters if you don't tame them."

"Monsters transform children into monsters if they punish them incorrectly."

"I think I did just fine."

Jules stayed silent. There was no point trying to convince a man who sided with Satan.

"Why me?"

The swing suddenly went to a stop. Dixon twisted the chain roughly until Jules was no longer looking at the bright stars but at dark red eyes that held too many secrets deep within them.

Dixon crouched down so that their faces were only inches apart. Even at such proximity, Jules could not find any emotions on his blank face.

"You were chosen long before I met you. Fate brought us together."

Jules knew not to trust his words. She was sure that he wanted her to be confused.

"You can't force me to sin. You said it yourself, demons can't hurt me. I know about the system."

Dixon smiled.

"You are right. The demons can't kill you. But do you know who they can kill?" He slowly untwisted the chain until Jules was once again looking at the academy building. "Your presence has left the dark world unbalanced. The moment you stepped foot in this city was the moment you put the Dealers and Peccators' lives in danger. Your scent is attracting hundreds of demons as we speak and as tonight has revealed, they are not powerful enough to defend themselves."

He caressed her face with the back of his cold hand. "Hundreds would have died tonight if I hadn't saved them for you. But I don't do favors if I get nothing in return."

Jules was very stiff when he placed his hand on her neck and traced the red symbol with his thumb.

"I'm not like Randall. I won't force you or use tasteless scheming. I'll wait for you to come to me willingly. But if you wait too long, your friends will be screaming in agony for an eternity in hell. I won't save them for free again. Consider tonight's favor as a one time reunion gift."

Jules wanted to believe he was lying, but she saw it herself. The academy students would have been goners tonight if Dixon hadn't arrived soon enough.

"What do you want from me?"

"You're a smart girl. You know exactly what I want."

And with that, he was gone and she was left with the harsh creaking of the rusted chain as the chair continued to swing back and forth in the dark of the night.

If Jules had turned around, she would have saw the misplaced pink hair curler beneath the tree that stood not too far away from where she sat.

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The student council-- with the exception of Skye--waited on the plush satin couches close to the entrance.

Alec was the first to notice Jules walk back in.

"Well damn, she actually came back in one piece."

"Did she pee herself?" Ana asked immediately before squinting her eyes and frowning.

"Ha, you owe me a hundred bucks." Jake extended out his hand and Ana hesitantly placed a crumpled bill that she pulled out of her shirt.

Randall tsked. He no longer wore his swimming goggles. Instead, he had deep, red indents on his face.

"Guys, quit it," Randall gave them a glare before standing up and giving Jules a smile. "Jules, we are speechless. We can't thank you enough for saving us from looking like pirates for the rest of our lives, especially with all the things we have put you through. If you ever need anything, let us know. We owe you our life."

Skye suddenly entered the room and laughed bitterly.

"On the contrary, we won't have a life soon because of her."

Randall rolled his eyes, "Skye, this is not the time to be jealous. Just because she has a hotter-"

"I heard their conversation," Skye interrupted. "Dixon is giving her the choice of sinning willingly or letting us die."

Jules' eyes widened.

"Oh..." Randall replied with a delay before the room became tensely silent.

Jake pulled at his hair frustratingly. "You gotta be joking, right? You're telling me that we are all gonna die just because this chick won't just hit it and quit it."

"I ejaculate and evacuate all the time. It's not that hard." Alec made a thrusting motion in the air which caused Ellen to smack him in the arm.

"Is this true little lamb?" Randall asked, his voice lacking the proud tone it usually held.

Jules adverted her eyes. She was too tired, emotionally and physically, to think about such complicated matters.

"I want to go home," She whispered.

"Yes, of course," Randall smiled, although it was unable to hide the sadness in his eyes. "I have a driver waiting outside."

Jules nodded, unable to look anyone in the eye. For once, the student council stayed quiet.

"For someone who praises an all-loving God, you sure do turn your back on those in need so easily. Christians make me laugh. You people talk so much about forgiving and helping sinners but for some odd reason, none of you fu*kers can practice what you preach," Skye spat as Jules walked outside.

Jules did not turn around. They watched as her figure disappeared into the black limo.

All the Dealers--as beautiful and seemingly happy and wealthy as they were-- knew what it felt like to be abandoned. This was nothing new.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey Readers!

I want to thank everyone for the enormous amount of support and feedback. Yall continuously motivate me to write :) I read every comment and have loved all the theories, jokes, and reactions.

I know I have not updated in a LONG time. This is because I have started school and needed a break to adjust to classes and get through the first wave of exams. School has been keeping me pretty busy and I have to prioritize being a student since this book is just a hobby. For those wondering, I do plan on finishing the book.

Regarding updates, I will try my best. I estimate that there will be an update every two weeks as of right now. The amount of updates will spike up during holidays since I won't have school to deal with (yay!).

Lastly, shoutout to my friend Will Castillo who drew such an amazing book cover!

I am so in love with it and very excited to finally show everyone. If you ever need an artist, I 10/10 recommend my friend Will. Here is his insta for anyone interested: castilloart_

Once again, thank you for your support and I hope everyone is safe and doing well during these tough times.

Kind regards,

Readsleeprepeat88