How it all burned down

Chapter One

Elias Foster made his way down the halls of the college heading into the meeting room that they were using for their meeting today.
The Founders they called themselves. A group of twelve that became fast friends since they started at the college. They were smart and they knew it, lording their wit and charm over anyone that they could, anyone that they deemed wasn't good enough to breathe the same air as they did.
"Elias, nice of you to join us" Arthur smirked as Elias moved through the room.
"I was admiring all the young ladies that are here today. It's the only good thing about mixing with Cheltenham ladies college"
"Except for all the sex we'll get later" Walter smirked, agreements rose up around the room but it fell silent once again.
"Mr Harris hold you back again?" Arthur asked and Elias nodded.
"Yes, the old man knows nothing I was just correcting him"
"I'll have a word with him, after all what we're doing here is important work" Elias nodded as he joined the others around the table.
Elias was older than them all by almost twenty years and by far the smartest. A lecturer at Eton College and a former graduate of the school himself.
"Lock the door" Arthur ordered him before he reached under the table a pulled out a large rolled up piece of paper "This is our Eden gentlemen" He announced before two of them unrolled the paper. It showed a large walled city with picture perfect residential streets and large buildings in the centre of the city.
"It looks good" They agreed.
"It needs rules, laws that should be followed to keep order" Elias suggested.
"That'll be our next step. We've created a perfect city, now all we need to do is make sure that the people are prefect too" Arthur added.
"By keeping the women in their places" Conan laughed.
"That definitely needs to be a rule" Arthur laughed "So gentlemen, get started on the laws of Eden and next week we will agree on the ones that we want to keep" They all nodded.
This was what their meetings were like. Arthur talking, the others listening and nodding. He was like their leader but no one ever said it out loud, the rest of them didn't want to give him that kind of power over them and Arthur knew better than to admit to them that he liked having power over them.
"Until next week gentlemen" Arthur said and like every other meeting they understood that it was time to leave.
It was almost like a fantasy what they were creating. A world where they make the rules, a world where they are in charge.
Elias headed out of the meeting room and started scribbling down ideas in his notebook when he crashed into the others.
"What are you all doing?" Elias followed their gazes to the woman who was lying on the grass in the courtyard, the gentle breeze making her dress and hair flutter around her.
"Vienna Jameson, she's the hottest girl at the college" Lucius explained as they all stared at her from across the courtyard.
"I want her" Elias muttered. They all watched as an other girl approached her with a wide smile and joined her on the grass, before she connected their lips in a quick kiss.
"I don't think you're her type" Laurence laughed.
"In Eden I would be" He smirked "I propose a new law, the Founders can marry whoever they choose regardless of previous marriage status" He suggested before he headed off down one hall, leaving the others behind to ponder his suggestion.
Across the courtyard Vienna smiled up at her girlfriend as she smiled down at her.
"What are you smiling at?" Darcy asked her. 
"You. You're so beautiful" Vienna smiled.
"You're beautiful"
"I know" Vienna rolled her eyes as Darcy joined her on the ground, sitting by her head so that Vienna could put her head in her lap. 
"Where did you sneak off to anyway?"
"Nowhere more important than right here" Vienna wrinkled her nose up at her.
"Sappy"   
"Rude" She wrinkled her nose right back at her "Besides if I'm so sappy then why did I get you a present?" 
"Because you're sappy" Darcy's mouth dropped open in a wide 'O' shape. 
"Okay then, if I'm so sappy I'll just have to take your present back" 
"No please! I want the present" 
"Okay then" Darcy reached into her pocket and produced a small box. Vienna sat up slightly and pulled open the bow before she lifted the lid, revealing a gold necklace that had a matching heart on the chain. 
"It's beautiful" Her eyes welled with tears. 
"Something to remember me by, when we are apart" Vienna dove into her arms, wrapping her arms around her tightly. 
"I love it Darcy, thank you" She muttered into her ear. 
"Always" She muttered back. 

Vienna headed along the hallway, her books in her arms and the necklace that Darcy had given her secured around her neck. As she turned the corner she walked right into Elias' chest.
"Woah, watch where you're going" Vienna said gently.
"Why bother when I can get beautiful women to walk into me" He smirked.
"Leave me alone Elias" Vienna rolled her eyes and attempted to move around him, but he stopped her.
"Why Vienna? You're such a pretty little play thing" He reached up and twisted a strand of her hair between his fingers. She shoved his hand away before she pushed him away from her.
"Fuck off Elias" She bit before she charged off down the hallway.
"One day you'll be all mine to play with, Vienna. I look forward to that day" He called to her even as she continued to charge away from him.
She would never be his, she vowed to herself. She would be his, he vowed to himself. Only one of them was right. That's the funny thing about the past and the future. Eventually, everything connects. And the picture becomes clear, and by then it's too late to change the past, too late to change actions already made, already set in stone.