Wicked Games: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Sinners of Babylon Prep)

Prologue

Anonymous

“I’ve lived among them all my life. You can’t believe a word they say. You know that. I mean, they’re born liars.” – Juror #10, 12 Angry Men

Have you ever considered the significance of the number twelve?

It’s not just a numerical quirk. It’s a thread woven through the tapestry of time, a rare consensus across myriad cultural boundaries—the practical, mythological, and magical symbolism of that number, representing perfection and order.

Twelve principal gods ruled in the Greek pantheon, preceded by the twelve Titans. We have twelve people on a jury, twelve months in a year, twelve astrological signs in various zodiacs. It’s also important in timekeeping, music, religion, and a multitude of other subjects.

Like I said, twelve is a big deal. I could go on about it all day. But enough of the banter. Why am I telling you this?

I’m telling you because there are twelve of us here tonight, trapped inside this grand old mansion. Twelve souls with twelve haunted pasts, unwitting participants in twelve meticulously planned games. I seriously doubt we’ll make it through all of them.

Why? Well, you see, I’m sitting on a secret so big, so well-guarded, that none of the others can even fathom its existence.

Can I tell you that secret?

I am the architect of this gathering. I brought everyone here for these games, and they weren’t designed for survival. Not at all. They were crafted specifically to force every one of these nasty little liars to confess their sins and secrets before the reckoning they damn well deserve.

As the echoes of all this deception resound through the dark corridors, one truth remains certain: by the end of the week, only one of us is going to make it out of here alive.