While Wednesday was looking for a way to shake off Larissa Weems, Alex and Enid headed to the parking lot — the place where Wednesday had told them to wait earlier.

Once they arrived, Alex leaned against his motorcycle, the one he used to come to the fair. Enid, being the most sociable and cheerful girl in the world, immediately began bombarding him with questions — just to keep the conversation going. And even though they had been texting until late at night, she still had an entire mountain of topics left.

Starting with whether Alex could give her a ride on his motorcycle, and ending with personal questions: what movies he liked, what he did in his free time, what his favorite food was.

While they were talking, Wednesday was walking toward them with quick steps, glancing over her shoulder from time to time — as if she feared Larissa was still following her. As she came closer, she saw Enid sitting on the motorcycle, swinging her legs and glowing with excitement.

The first thought that flashed through Wednesday’s mind: weren’t they getting close a little too quickly? But she dismissed it immediately — she didn’t care. Wednesday firmly believed that emotions, especially love, were absolutely useless.

This attitude came from her parents, who were practically dissolved in each other: every day, every hour, every second — never apart for even a moment. To Wednesday, their relationship was burdensome, unpleasant, and even revolting. She had sworn to herself as a child that she would never become like that.

Suppressing unnecessary emotions, Wednesday approached Alex and Enid. The werewolf girl, as always, smiled brightly at the sight of her friend.

“Let’s get to business. What did you manage to find out?” Wednesday asked in her cold tone.

“Apart from the fact that another body was found today?” Alex replied calmly, pulling a candy out of his pocket. “All the victims look like they were attacked by a wild animal. The rest is just old rumors, nothing concrete.”

He put the candy in his mouth.

“Do you already have a theory?” Wednesday asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“The list is long. Oh, right…” Alex took off his backpack and pulled out a folder. “This is for you. Your father once had a murder case opened against him.”

Wednesday raised an eyebrow and took the folder. Enid, on the other hand, widened her eyes in shock — both the newly found body and the news about the investigation against Gomez Addams rattled her.

While Wednesday was quickly skimming through the documents, Alex turned to the stunned Enid and placed a candy in her palm so she wouldn’t spiral into unnecessary panic. She put the candy into her mouth and squinted contently at the strong flavor.

Alex looked back at Wednesday. She had already finished reading and lifted her gaze to him.

“What is it?” Alex asked, tilting his head slightly.

“I’m not used to people helping me,” Wednesday said, looking him straight in the eyes. “Usually they run away from me in fear.”

“I wouldn’t call you scary,” Alex replied calmly. “More like… strangely cute in your own way. But definitely not scary.”

“I would prefer to be called creepy rather than cute,” Wednesday said coldly, giving him a matching look.

“Well… you are a little creepy,” Enid began in an embarrassed tone. “I’m not trying to offend you, it’s just…”

“I understand everything,” Wednesday interrupted, turning her cold gaze toward her roommate. Enid immediately hid behind Alex’s back.

“To be creepy, my dear Wednesday,” Alex said calmly, “it takes more than wearing black, speaking coldly, and trying to intimidate people. Believe me, I’ve seen truly creepy places and truly creepy people.”

“I’d listen, but not here,” Wednesday replied as she walked past him, giving him an icy look. “Too noisy, too many people. I suggest we go somewhere no one will disturb us. And don’t call me ‘dear.'”

She didn’t even look back, making it clear they were expected to follow her.

Alex only smiled at the silent threat and glanced at Enid, who was still hiding behind his back, trying to escape Wednesday’s icy stare. He understood perfectly well: despite her outward calm, Wednesday was an extremely dangerous girl. Her words often sounded like sarcastic jokes, but in reality she never threatened without reason. Offend her — and you were guaranteed a swift and very bloody revenge.

Gradually, Alex began to realize that he and Wednesday had something in common — not only in how they reacted to people, but also in their principles.

Alex and Enid followed her deeper into the parking lot. They caught up to Wednesday just as she stopped, staring ahead. Lucas — the mayor’s son — stepped out from between the cars, along with his two buddies. Alex didn’t even bother remembering the latter two’s names.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, genuinely not understanding why they would decide to attack Wednesday of all people. She hadn’t even beaten them up.

For a moment, Alex even thought they had come for him. But then he remembered: it was unlikely that every teenager in town had such a severe lack of brain cells that they’d attack a federal agent on duty.

Lucas and his “crew” held metal bats, glaring at the trio. Alex narrowed his eyes, noticing something odd in their behavior, but didn’t give it much importance. He placed a hand on Wednesday’s shoulder and stepped forward.

“Go the other way,” he said calmly. “I’m about to explain to these lovely teenagers the proper way to use baseball bats.”

“Wednesday, let’s go!” Enid grabbed her friend’s arm and pulled her back.

Wednesday frowned as Enid dragged her away and threw Alex a look. He stood there completely calmly, watching the three like they were just another everyday inconvenience.

Once the girls disappeared behind a line of cars, Alex lit a cigarette, took a collapsible baton from his pocket, and flicked his wrist — the mechanism unfolded smoothly. He pointed it at Lucas and his buddies.

Once again he was convinced: modern teenagers were astonishingly stupid creatures who had no understanding of consequences. And Alex, as a responsible adult, had absolutely no problem guiding them toward the correct path. Even if that path involved pain.

One of the boys swung his bat, but Alex easily deflected the strike to the side and tapped his leg with a quick motion. The teenager collapsed onto the asphalt, dropping his bat, and immediately received a boot between the shoulder blades — a clear enough hint to stay still.

Lucas and the second friend exchanged glances, and Lucas nodded — clearly trying to look encouraging. They began to circle Alex from both sides. Once they had him surrounded, they rushed in at the same time, swinging their bats.

Alex crouched at the last moment. The two metal bats collided midair — the clang was so sharp it echoed across the parking lot. Both boys felt the jolt run through their hands and dropped their bats, wincing.

“And now the lesson begins,” Alex said with a kind smile that made both of them turn pale. “And now you’ll learn what happens when you attack a federal agent. Even if he’s technically off duty.”

Before Lucas and his friend could run, Alex grabbed both by the arms and forced them down beside the third boy. All three ended up on the ground — neatly, like at a discipline drill.

Alex raised the baton… and delivered a very firm smack to each of their backsides. A chorus of three synchronized screams echoed across the parking lot. The boys immediately clutched their injured rears, writhing in pain.

But Alex noticed something more important: something like thin black threads — resembling hairs of darkness — slipped out of Lucas and his friends. They trembled in the air and dissolved quickly into his palm as he caught them between two fingers.

He narrowed his eyes. A thought crossed his mind: after Amara broke free, her Darkness had spread across the world, and tiny echoes of it could have reached Jericho.

For now, he could chalk it up to coincidence.

Alex remembered something else — that Rowan was about to attack Wednesday. His mother had predicted that Wednesday would destroy the academy, and he would have to save everyone. But Rowan’s telepathic gift had burned out inside him, turning the boy into an aggressive paranoid, convinced that he alone was Nevermore’s last protector.

And this attack was going to happen very soon.

Immediately after Alex said he’d handle the three teenagers, Enid and Wednesday bolted — just in case. Enid no longer had to pull Wednesday by the hand; she ran fast enough on her own.

Pushing through the crowd at the fair, Wednesday suddenly collided with someone and froze abruptly. Enid nearly ran into her and stopped, confused, not understanding what had happened.

Wednesday had run into Rowan — and in that instant, fragments of the prophecy about his own death flashed before her eyes. The prophecy struck her like an electric shock, and for a moment she lost touch with reality.

When Wednesday came to, Rowan was already hurriedly stepping back. Seeing her gaze, he spun around and ran off straight toward the forest.

“Wednesday, come on! We need to call for help!” Enid said, grabbing her hand in panic.

But Wednesday ignored her. She turned and ran after Rowan, paying no attention to her friend’s shouts or the crowd. Enid was left alone among the people, bewildered and unsure what to do.

Tyler was watching from behind a parked car. He didn’t blink, following Wednesday as she disappeared beyond the tree line. The next moment, his eyes changed, his pupils constricted — and Tyler vanished into the forest shadows, unseen.

Wednesday ran after him, trying to catch Rowan and warn him that he was in danger. She shouted his name, demanding he stop, but Rowan only sped up.

When they went deeper into the forest, he finally stopped, pulled out an inhaler, and took a quick breath. His face was a mix of irritation, panic, and some unnatural determination — as if he were struggling with a foreign voice in his own head.

Wednesday caught up to him and grabbed him firmly by the shoulder.

“What do you want? Why are you following me? Stop chasing me!” Rowan snapped.

“There’s no time to explain. You’re in danger,” Wednesday said firmly.

“I think it’s the opposite,” he replied in a cold, almost alien voice.

His expression twisted into a mad smile. Rowan raised his hand — and Wednesday was thrown backward. The next second, she was pinned to a tree by an invisible force.

He held his palm up, eyes burning with madness. Darkness was falling in the forest, sunlight no longer breaking through the canopy, and Wednesday didn’t notice that Rowan’s once-light irises had turned nearly black. His glasses only hid the change even more.

He squeezed her with telekinesis so tightly that she felt the tree bark digging into her back. His smile widened, becoming more unnatural — like a man who had lost the last remnants of his sanity.

Wednesday tried to break free, but it was useless: Rowan applied all his strength to keep her from even moving.

“You’re the one in danger,” he hissed, looking at her with a predator’s gaze.

“What are you doing?” Wednesday asked coldly.

“Saving everyone from you. I have to kill you,” he said so calmly, as if talking about something mundane.

“So… you were the one who sent the gargoyle at me?” Wednesday asked, narrowing her eyes slightly. No fear, no panic — only cold curiosity.

“Yesss…” Rowan drew out the word, smiling wider. “I would have succeeded if that idiot Xavier hadn’t saved you. But this time… nobody will save you.”

The whites of his eyes darkened rapidly, turning as black as his irises.

“Why do you want to kill me?” Wednesday asked, trying to glean more information.

Instead of answering, Rowan used telekinesis: a folded sheet of paper burst from his pocket, unfolded in the air, and floated directly in front of Wednesday’s face. She stared at the drawing and saw a girl who looked strikingly like her. Behind the girl, Nevermore Academy burned.

Wednesday squinted slightly, studying the drawing.

“The girl in the picture… that’s you,” Rowan said, continuing to press her against the tree.

“And you’re going to kill me over a stupid picture?” Wednesday said in an icy tone.

“This ‘stupid picture’ was drawn by my mother twenty-five years ago when she studied at Nevermore. She had visions. She showed them to me before she died,” Rowan’s voice trembled, and the sclera of his eyes had almost completely blackened.

“Rowan, let me go. These pictures mean nothing,” Wednesday said coldly, looking down at him despite being pinned to the tree.

“NO!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “Mom said it’s my destiny to stop this girl if she appears at Nevermore! Otherwise, she’ll destroy the school… and all the students!”

Rage, fear, and madness interwove in his words.

Rowan increased the pressure, and the telekinetic force became so powerful that the tree to which Wednesday was pressed cracked loudly, deep fissures spreading across its surface. Wednesday felt as if she were about to be crushed.

Through the dusky shadows falling on his face, one could not see how black veins spread quickly across his skin, engulfing his entire body. He was turning into something alien, uncontrollable.

But suddenly, behind Rowan, a terrifying creature emerged, shrouded in swirling black mist. It grabbed Rowan by the head and easily tossed him over itself, slamming him into the ground.

A few minutes earlier, Alex, having dealt with the three teenagers, was racing through the fair, trying to find Enid and Wednesday. He knew Rowan was about to attack Wednesday but wasn’t sure if Tyler would intervene. Laurel Gates, hiding under the guise of a biology teacher, planned to use Wednesday to resurrect her ancestor — so Wednesday’s death was definitely not part of her plan.

However, Alex didn’t know just how much his presence was already changing events. He understood one thing: fate always finds a way to steer the story back on course. No matter the universe, no matter the forces interfering — what is meant to happen usually happens. As long as a person remains subject to fate.

Running between the rides, he spotted Enid standing in the crowd. She was looking anxiously in the direction Wednesday had run.

“Enid, where’s Wednesday?” Alex asked, rushing up to her.

“She chased after Rowan and didn’t explain anything. As usual,” Enid said, crossing her arms in frustration.

“That’s not good,” Alex replied shortly — and immediately dashed toward the forest.

Enid stared after him in shock. She didn’t understand why Wednesday had run after Rowan, why Alex had suddenly taken off after them, or why he had said it with such seriousness.

Realizing she wouldn’t figure it out on her own, Enid made a decision.

“This is the second time I’ve been left behind with no explanation! Why did you both run into the forest?! Wait for me!” she shouted, and tore after Alex.

Alex heard Enid’s cry behind him. He glanced back — the girl was running after him, trying not to fall behind. Alex knew Enid was a shapeshifter, even if she couldn’t fully transform, she was still far stronger than normal humans. But he didn’t want her to see a possible classmate’s corpse or the monster itself — Hyde.

He accelerated, leaving Enid behind, crossed a creaking wooden bridge, and plunged into the shadows of the forest.

Almost immediately, Alex caught the scent of blood — heavy, thick, dark — and charged toward it. The closer he got, the stronger the sense of threat pressed against his temples.

Ahead, through the trees, he saw Wednesday. She was lying on the ground, stunned, staring at a creature from whose body black mist swirled.

Alex squinted, drew Ebony, and fired. The bullet grazed Hyde’s side — it roared, grabbed Rowan’s mangled body, and bolted deep into the forest.

Alex ran past Wednesday, knowing Enid had surely already heard the shot and was running toward them. Indeed — losing sight of Alex, she had been waiting for a sound to launch herself after him.

Alex pursued Tyler in Hyde’s form, who was carrying Rowan’s torn body in his jaws. But what worried him far more was something else: the black mist. Darkness. Tyler was possessed.

Hyde continued racing forward, leaping between the trees, until suddenly he dissolved into a cloud of black smoke. Alex stopped, clicking his tongue irritably. The trail had vanished. He shook his head. He thought he’d need to place a tracking mark on Tyler next time they met — just in case Laurel Gates sent him after another victim again.

Lighting a cigarette, Alex headed back to where he had left Wednesday. The situation was worse than he had thought: if Tyler was truly infected by Darkness, then either it was a coincidence… or somewhere in this town, a fragment of Amara’s power was hiding.

When he returned, Enid was helping Wednesday to her feet, supporting her so she wouldn’t fall.

“Did you catch him?” Wednesday asked immediately.

“Who exactly?” Alex replied calmly, exhaling smoke.

“The monster that killed Rowan!” Wednesday said, staring intently at Alex.

“There was no monster. You imagined it. Just your classmate who tried to kill you… and, I admit, he runs fast and knows how to hide,” Alex said in a calm tone.

“I know what I saw,” Wednesday said stubbornly, drilling him with her gaze. “It was a monster that killed Rowan.”

“Rowan has telepathic abilities. Maybe your ‘monster’ was a manifestation of his power. That’s how he escaped,” Alex leaned in, looking her directly in the eyes.

“Is that even possible?” Enid asked in surprise. “I know Xavier can bring his drawings to life…”

“All sorts of things happen. Sometimes abilities act strangely — because of fear, paranoia, inner imbalance. Anyway, we need to go back and tell Director Weems that one student attacked another,” Alex said, nodding to Enid.

Enid nodded understandingly. Wednesday, however, continued to drill Alex with her gaze, not believing a word he said. He simply gave a soft smile, signaling that now was a time for silence.

Wednesday furrowed her brow even more, turned away, and, as if offended, walked ahead. It was clear she wasn’t going to let go of what she had seen: she knew for certain that the monster had been real.

Enid cast a bewildered look at Alex — what should she do? Alex just smiled and ruffled her hair in his usual manner, and together they followed Wednesday. At the fair, they were almost immediately met by Bianca and her friends. But before Alex could speak, Wednesday blurted out:

“Rowan was killed by a monster.”

Alex had to intervene. Calmly, he said he needed to speak with Director Weems and explain everything. Bianca frowned, first glancing at Wednesday, then at Alex — and even more sharply when she remembered he was a federal agent. Pointing in the direction she last saw the director, she left. Alex headed toward where Weems was, with Wednesday and Enid following him.

They found the director with Sheriff Donovan — both talking about something pleasant — until Wednesday arrived.

“A monster attacked Rowan in the forest,” she declared without preamble.

Weems’ smile wavered slightly.

“Wednesday, what monster are you talking about?”

“Rowan attacked me. Then a creature attacked him. It dragged his body into the forest,” Wednesday replied coldly.

Larrisa Weems forced a tight, overly polite, almost glassy smile. She clearly didn’t want this information spreading across the fair — extra rumors would only further damage the already fragile relationship between Nevermore and Jericho. Sheriff Donovan frowned at the word “monster.” He was already convinced that anything suspicious in the area was the work of Nevermore students.

Alex and Enid approached them.

“Agent, what are you doing here?” Donovan asked, noticing Alex.

“Good evening, Sheriff, Miss Weems. I was invited to the fair, so here I am,” Alex replied calmly, smiling.

“Did you see anything?” Weems asked, her voice full of hope, as if she believed Alex could disprove Wednesday’s claim.

“I was walking around the fair with Wednesday and Enid. Then we split up,” Alex began. “When I met up with Enid, she said Wednesday had gone into the forest after Rowan. When I arrived, Wednesday was lying on the ground, and someone was standing nearby. I fired a warning shot into the air and chased the attacker. But he got away… throwing a log at me. As far as I know, Rowan has telekinetic abilities.

“As for the monster…” Alex spread his hands.

Weems glanced at Enid, but she just shook her head — she hadn’t seen anything herself. The sheriff squinted at Wednesday, looking at Alex as if he had just betrayed her.

Meanwhile, rumors were already spreading among the fairgoers: “Wednesday saw a monster.”

After a bit more conversation, adding a few careful but necessary false details, Alex said goodbye and headed for the exit, hoping that Dean had already made it to the bar… and returned alone. Ruffling Enid’s hair goodbye — under Weems’ sharp gaze — Alex made his way to his motorcycle.

He was just about to put on his helmet when he noticed Wednesday approaching. Her expression was so cold that the air around them seemed to drop several degrees. She stopped beside him and stared straight into his eyes, assessing whether she should kill him or just send him away.

“I must admit, I do like it when a cute girl looks at me like that,” Alex drawled, theatrically touching his cheeks. “But I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed.”

“Why did you lie?” she asked in an icy tone. “You saw the monster. You chased it.”

“My dear Wednesday,” Alex replied evenly. “No one needs to know that people are being killed by a monster. Everyone has to think it’s a wild animal. If the truth gets out now, the city would explode in panic. I’ve only been here two days, but I already get that.”

“I said don’t call me that. And it doesn’t change the fact that you lied,” Wednesday said, her tone even colder.

“As you wish, my dear Wednesday,” Alex repeated with an innocent smile. “But if you want to be the girl who screamed ‘monster’ — that’s your choice. Sometimes, when people don’t believe you, finding out the truth is much easier. What did Rowan tell you?”

Wednesday pulled out the drawing.

“He said I was supposed to destroy the school. And he showed me this,” she said.

Alex studied the sheet carefully.

“Hm… looks like it was ripped from somewhere. Try to find out where he got this drawing from, and where all this nonsense about the prophecy comes from. My hands are tied for now: I can’t go into Nevermore. At least not yet.”

“And what will you do?” Wednesday asked, tucking the sheet into her backpack.

“I’ll talk to my partner. And we’ll figure out what kind of creature has settled in the forest. The list is huge. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good look at the creature. All we know is that the monster eats fresh meat and leaves some behind. That opens hundreds of possibilities: from curses to real creatures,” Alex said, folding his arms across his chest.

Wednesday nodded.

“Then see you later.”

Alex just gave a slight smile and, waving to Wednesday in farewell, rode back into the city. Reaching the hotel, he pulled into a narrow alley and stored his motorcycle in his inventory. Stepping out onto the street, he noticed that Dean’s Impala wasn’t there. Shaking his head — classic — Alex went up to his room.

The first thing he did was head to the shower. The hot water washed away the remnants of the fair’s chaos, helping him relax. Not that he could really relax: he had to tell Dean some unpleasant news — there was a creature roaming the forest, corrupted by Darkness.

Alex knew exactly who had become the monster, but another question nagged him: was it a coincidence… or had Tyler been deliberately infected with Darkness? If so, that meant Laurel Gates possessed a fragment of Amara’s power. Worst of all, this power, even weakly, had already affected Lucas, the mayor’s son, and his friends, amplifying their darkest emotions.

After the shower, Alex sat on the couch and called Dean, telling him to come back — they needed a serious talk.

Dean answered that he was in the forest, looking for the teenager who had attacked a classmate. Alex immediately knew who he meant and said he had also discovered something.

An hour later, Dean returned, frowning and alert, ready to listen. Alex recounted everything he had learned — and Dean’s face darkened even further. A creature infected by Darkness, roaming the forest, and of unknown origin…

They were in for a sleepless night.

Together, they went through every possible creature that matched Alex’s description. The list was long — frighteningly long.

At the same time, Wednesday returned to her room. Her body still ached after Rowan had pinned her to the tree with his telekinesis. She sat at her desk, glancing back and forth between the criminal case opened against her father and the strange drawing Rowan had shown her.

One thing annoyed her—she didn’t know what was really going on. And not knowing irritated her the most.

Tapping her finger on the desk, Wednesday tried to piece the puzzle together, but, like Alex, she had more questions than answers.

Suddenly, the crystal orb on her desk glowed with a soft light. Within a second, familiar faces appeared inside—Gomez and Morticia Addams.

“Hello, my little thundercloud,” Gomez said warmly, waving at his daughter.

“Tell me, darling, how is life at Nevermore?” Morticia asked with her signature gentle smile, leaning forward slightly.

“Very eventful,” Wednesday replied calmly.

“Little snake, have you made any friends? Or perhaps… followers?” Gomez asked excitedly.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow slightly.

“When I first visited the town, I was attacked. I was nearly killed twice. My neighbor is far too noisy. And I met a strange person I can’t read completely.”

“And who is this boy you can’t ‘see’ through?” Morticia asked, her maternal smile curious and warm.

“I met him in a café. He helped me. And his gaze…” Wednesday frowned. “It’s like he can see right through me, but I can’t understand what he’s thinking. And it annoys me.”

Wednesday didn’t often share personal matters with her parents, but now she decided to tell them about her encounters with Alex—from their first meeting at the café to the more recent events. Naturally, she omitted everything related to the deal, the killings, and the monster. She spoke only about her reactions to Alex and the strange effect he seemed to have on her.

Gomez and Morticia listened, astonished not by what she said, but by how much she said. At one point, they exchanged a glance. The thought forming in their minds was the same. Even when Wednesday fell silent, they still smiled.

“Oh, my little wicked spider has finally found someone who caught her attention. How wonderful,” Gomez said dreamily.

“He doesn’t interest me. I want to uncover his secrets,” Wednesday cut in.

“Oh, dear…” Morticia trailed off, looking at her husband with a lovesick gaze. “It was the same with your father. When we first met, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was so… mysterious and charming. I wanted to know everything about him, every last secret.”

“Cara mia…” whispered Gomez, embracing Morticia. “I felt the same. From the very first moment, I longed to share all my secrets with you.”

“Mi amor… it seems our daughter is following in our footsteps,” Morticia whispered, kissing her husband.

Wednesday watched her parents once again display their all-consuming love with a cold expression. And she reminded herself again that she would never be like them. The thought of behaving so openly and provocatively that even your own children looked at you with disgust held no appeal.

Gomez and Morticia, completely forgetting their daughter’s presence, were lost in each other as if the whole world existed solely for the two of them. Wednesday stubbornly refused to admit that Alex sparked even the slightest interest in her. But the sense of trust she had felt from their first meeting… it wouldn’t leave her mind, as if her own reasoning was nudging her to take a step forward. And she absolutely hated it—the idea of trusting someone she had known for only two days.

“Are you done?” she asked dryly, interrupting another round of parental affection.

“Sorry, little snake, but I can’t take my eyes off your mother. She’s as beautiful as ever,” Gomez said dreamily, continuing to look at Morticia with eyes full of adoration.

“If that’s everything, I’m ending this conversation,” Wednesday snapped.

“Have a terrible night, dear. And… your father and I would like to meet the boy you’ve taken a fancy to,” Morticia said, her soft, motherly smile in place.

Wednesday wanted to cut them off and argue immediately, but her gaze fell on her father’s criminal case, which Alex had passed to her. After a few seconds of thought, she simply said a brief goodbye—giving no hint of her thoughts. She needed to sort through the details.

At that moment, Enid burst into the room—always cheerful, radiant, full of energy, a polar opposite to Wednesday.

The next day arrived.

Alex and Dean hadn’t slept all night, trying to compile a list of creatures that even remotely matched the brief description Alex had shared. When the sun finally rose above the horizon, they decided to head to Nevermore—to find out what had happened with the search for Rowan.

Alex had already warned Dean about what had happened to the boy and that Principal Weems would almost certainly try to sweep the matter under the rug.

Before hitting the road, they stopped by the café. There, Alex spotted Mayor Noble Walker and gave him a polite nod. The mayor returned the gesture, slightly raising his coffee mug.

Behind the counter, Tyler moved with careful, almost exaggerated precision—and Alex narrowed his eyes. He had clearly influenced him last night when Tyler had transformed into Hyde. That meant Tyler remembered everything but continued to follow Laurel Gates’ orders without question, like a trained dog.

As if on cue, Laurel herself entered the café—in the guise of biology teacher Marilyn Thornhill. Grabbing his coffee, Alex passed by her and stepped outside, getting into the Impala.

“Ah… I’m alive again,” Dean exhaled, taking a large sip of hot coffee.

“If you say so. But the aftertaste is still nasty,” Alex remarked.

“Are you talking about the coffee, or the fact that we still have no clue what kind of monster you saw in the forest?” Dean smirked, steering the car with one hand.

“Both. I don’t like the fact that there’s a creature roaming the forest, possessed by darkness. And we don’t know if it absorbed a fragment of Amara’s power, got infected by accident… or if someone deliberately turned some monster,” Alex said, rolling down the window.

“I don’t like it either. But there’s nothing we can do. We have no leads. All we know is who founded the town and that there used to be a wealthy family here whose son died in a fight over a girl,” Dean replied, glancing at Alex.

“Yeah. I called the sheriff—he’s heading to Nevermore. We’ll meet there. We need to find out if they found any traces overnight,” Alex said, taking a sip of his coffee.

Dean nodded and focused on the road, sipping his drink to stay awake.

Alex rested his arm out the window, watching the trees blur past. He caught himself thinking that he simply wanted to relax in this town. Even if he had to search for the culprit—the one he already knew perfectly well.

The past two weeks in the bunker had been hell: restoring the facilities, searching for fragments of Amara’s power, pointless information gathering he already knew. But he had to pretend he was working alongside Dean, Sam, and Castiel.

Pretending was hard. But so far, he was managing.

Although who knew how long that would last.

To be continued…

(As I’ve said before, I hate it when they don’t specify a timeframe for a plot. I have enough trouble figuring out what day it is. It’s especially annoying when they don’t clearly indicate how many days have passed since this or that event. Anyway, screw it, I won’t do that either. I’ll just say one or two days have passed. And that’s enough. And I’m wondering… Should I follow through with the investigation, or just kill the main villain in one moment? Hmm… Before another villain is resurrected. Or let Alex, armed with whatever stick he has, beat the main villain up.)

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep