"Ugh… going to class is such a hassle."
Dominic sighed as he slumped into the soft leather seat of his black AMG Mercedes. His hand reached lazily for the start button. The engine responded with a low, expensive purr that echoed through the underground garage.
Like seriously, if I skip today, is the professor gonna write my name in the Death Note or something?
He chuckled to himself, rubbing his eyes. His phone buzzed. A quick glance at the screen reminded him of something much more serious.
"Oh—right. Mom told me to call home… Dad's birthday is next week."
A pause.
"March 19th already, huh."
The car pulled out into the streets of Cambridge, the usual calm and polished atmosphere doing little to lift his mood. The sun glinted off the hood of his car like it was showing off. Of course, it was—this car was built to be looked at.
Yeah, that's me.
Dominic Mendez.
I guess you could say I was born lucky. Not just "golden spoon" kind of lucky—I mean full-on luxury cutlery set kind of life.
My parents had me back when they were just getting started. Now? My dad's one of the richest men alive. Owns a city-nation in Zambia. Seriously.
My mom? Beautiful. Fierce. Smarter than all of us combined. She held everything together while my dad built our name.
Together, they made something… massive. The Mendez Empire. And I'm their first son.
Most people would think I had it easy. And yeah, I kinda did. But when your dad trains you like Batman—trading, coding, martial arts from age six—you start seeing the world differently.
Eventually, I got tired of being surrounded by bodyguards and yes-men. I told them I wanted to study outside our empire. See the real world. You know, "normal life."
My mom wasn't happy about it. My siblings, Monica and Brian, weren't either. But they knew I needed to do this.
So here I am. Cambridge. United Kingdom. Living the boring life of a university student.
Honestly?
It's been… underwhelming.
He pulled into the university's student lot. Parked the car. Stepped out. Just like every other day, people stared.
Not that he cared.
He adjusted the collar of his custom-made jacket—MZ CLUB, one of his family's fashion labels—and made his way toward the main building.
Most students didn't believe his name was real.
Dominic Mendez? Like, that Mendez? No way.
Whatever.
No friends. No drama. No dating. He came here to experience "life," not to play popularity games. His standards were high anyway. The only kind of woman that interested him was someone like his mom—fierce, loyal, not after money.
So far, no luck.
In class, Dominic sat near the back. He didn't listen. Just stared at his phone, scrolled a bit, checked a few charts. Another boring lecture. Another pointless slideshow. He barely noticed when it ended.
As he stood to leave, someone "accidentally" bumped into him. A tall guy with a permanent frown.
Dominic glanced at him.
Expressionless.
Calm.
"My bad," he said with a half-smile, brushing past.
Could've dropped you right there if I wanted, buddy. He thought to himself
But he didn't come here to fight.
Not far behind him, the guy—Jake—grumbled to his girlfriend.
"Man, I really don't like that dude."
"Isn't he… Dominic Mendez?" Annabel asked, her voice low. "Like… the real one?"
Jake snorted. "No way. Probably just some spoiled kid borrowing the name."
Dominic heard every word. AirPods in, but noise-canceling off. He didn't flinch, didn't look back. Just smirked slightly.
You're loud for someone who doesn't matter.
He took out his phone and suddenly cursed under his breath.
"Oh, crap—I forgot to set the pending order."
Forex life didn't stop for lectures.
He cut across a quieter hallway toward the garage. A shortcut. Less noise. Fewer eyes.
He didn't notice that Annabel and the guy—Jake, maybe?—were behind him, heading in the same direction.
Then it happened.
The floor started glowing.
Faint at first, like someone turning on a golden lamp beneath the tiles. Runes. Symbols. A circle.
Dominic frowned. The light was spreading.
He paused. Pulled out one AirPod.
"The hell…?"
He turned back—just in time to see Annabel and Jake frozen in place. The light rose up like a column around them. Their bodies jerked upward—sucked into a floating portal.
Annabel reached for Jake, eyes wide in panic, mouth moving—
But no sound came out.
Dominic stepped back.
"What—"
Too late.
The glow reached his feet.
He turned to run, but the light expanded in a flash, swallowing him whole.
Darkness.
Just... darkness.
He floated in silence, surrounded by black space. Strange symbols drifted like stars around him.
His body felt weightless.
His thoughts, too calm.
If I had known what was waiting for me on the other side… …I might've screamed louder.
[To be continued...]