Wednesday followed Xavier after classes to his private art studio — a small room where he usually spent time sketching. She hid nearby, behind the trees, carefully watching the door.

She waited patiently for the moment Xavier would leave so she could slip inside and look for evidence that might shed light on whether he was the monster killing people in the woods. The clear wound on his neck was already a serious reason for suspicion.

Ten minutes later, Xavier stepped out of the studio. He glanced around far too nervously, as if afraid someone might see what was inside. That only strengthened Wednesday’s doubts.

When he moved far enough away, Wednesday quickly approached the door. After making sure no one was watching her, she slipped inside.

Turning on the light, Wednesday froze. The walls were covered with dozens of sketches of the monster — the very same creature she had seen in the woods twice. The one that killed Rowan.

And although the drawings were a significant detail, she needed proof, not guesses.

On the table lay several sheets of paper. Wednesday opened them and saw new images of the monster — detailed, disturbingly accurate. She quickly decided to take them with her to show Alex and Dean. Perhaps these sketches would help identify what kind of creature was living in the woods.

Hiding the papers inside her blazer, Wednesday looked around to make sure she hadn’t left any trace. Satisfied that everything looked untouched, she turned off the light and stepped outside.

But she didn’t make it far before she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Xavier coming from the other side of the building.

“What are you doing here?” he asked with a frown, walking closer.

“Nothing. Just walking by and thought about how often you come here. What’s inside?” Wednesday replied calmly.

“This… this is my private art studio. Weems let me use it. I cleaned it up and now I come here to draw alone,” Xavier said, trying to sound steady, though his voice shook slightly.

“And I thought you were the type who needed attention. Can I look inside?” Wednesday asked, still staring at him.

“Not right now. It’s… messy. Maybe another time. So why were you looking for me?” Xavier quickly switched topics, desperately trying to keep her from entering.

“I wanted to ask what Ms. Thornhill assigned,” Wednesday said — the first excuse that came to mind.

“She didn’t assign anything. You don’t remember how she said there’d be no homework because of the upcoming dance? Maybe you should tell the truth. Is this about the dance you don’t want to go to? I’m listening,” Xavier said with a smug smile.

In Wednesday’s mind, dozens of plans instantly formed — how to get out of the situation, how to continue her investigation, and how to squeeze more information out of Xavier.

Xavier, confident as ever, decided Wednesday had come to invite him to the Rave’N Dance. His smug satisfaction grew — he thought he was winning the “attention game” where his main rival was Alex.

Thing, sitting in Wednesday’s backpack, tapped desperately at the fabric, trying to warn her off. He would have facepalmed if he had a face. Thing knew perfectly well about the strange chemistry between Alex and Wednesday — and understood that Alex would be disappointed if she went to the dance with Xavier.

But Wednesday had different priorities. She cared about the investigation, not the dance.

Using Xavier as a source of information — that was a logical step.

“Would you… do you want to… would you agree to go to the dance… would you go to the dance with me?” Wednesday said, forcing the words out. She hadn’t expected she would ever have to say anything like that.

Xavier’s face lit up with a wide, almost triumphant smile.

“Of course, Wednesday. I’d love to go with you. I didn’t think you’d ask.”

“I didn’t either…” she said coldly, turning away to leave.

Watching Wednesday walk away, Xavier felt a strange sense of victory, as if he had won the game. Wednesday herself walked calmly away from his art studio, fully aware of Xavier’s watchful gaze and his wide smile.

Once she had gone far enough, Wednesday let out a heavy sigh, realizing that the whole situation had turned out to be far more complicated than she had anticipated. When she reached a place where no one could see her, Thing climbed out of her backpack, jumped onto the nearest rock, and started gesturing furiously, clearly expressing his outrage.

She looked at him with mild confusion, raising an eyebrow, not understanding why Thing was so upset, even angry. He kept gesturing until he had conveyed everything he wanted to say.

“Why would he be angry that I’m going with Xavier? This is for the investigation. And I don’t think he’ll care that I go to the dance with Xavier. You think too much, Thing,” Wednesday said in a cold tone, raising her eyebrow slightly.

Hearing this, Thing started furiously gesturing again, trying to convey that Alex was clearly interested in Wednesday — otherwise, he wouldn’t pay so much attention, including constantly invading her personal space. But Wednesday merely watched his outburst calmly.

In her view, someone like Alex wouldn’t get angry or upset like a typical teenager if she chose a potential killer to get closer for clues. She was certain he simply wouldn’t care. Thing, however, didn’t give up, trying to show that this would make Wednesday lose her advantage.

“You don’t understand him,” Wednesday replied in a calm, confident voice.

Thing gestured a phrase that meant, “we’ll see about that.” Wednesday rolled her eyes and headed back to her room.

Once inside, she began thinking about what to do with the dance and how to prepare for it. The only person who could help her was Enid.

Meanwhile, Thing was already forming his own plan — how to ruin Wednesday’s trip to the dance with Xavier. Each had their own intentions, and neither was willing to share them.

After a while, Enid returned. Upon learning that Wednesday was planning to attend the dance, she immediately switched into hyperactive best-friend mode, determined that Wednesday should look the best of everyone at the ball.

Wednesday, however, didn’t share her enthusiasm at all, listening to Enid’s endless chatter as she prepared to drive to Jericho to find a dress. Wednesday barely had time to react before Enid grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the dormitory, determined to leave for Jericho immediately.

At the same time, Alex and Dean left the hotel. Having woken after a couple of hours of sleep, they discussed the murdered homeless man. Alex explained that he had seen the man running out of “Uria Hipp,” clearly hiding something under his clothes. Dean frowned slightly, wanting to find out what exactly he had taken. They decided to split up: Alex returned to “Uria Hipp” to discover what had been stolen, though he already suspected the answer — a camera. Dean headed to the crime scene, the old burned-down chapel, hoping to find something useful.

Alex returned to “Uria Hipp,” once again posing as a federal agent. Fortunately, the store owner already had a good impression of him and quickly told him what was missing. Unfortunately, he had to drink that mushroom tea again, the very same one he had long sworn never to try. Alex was almost certain that it was this strange tea that kept the store owner so cheerful and friendly.

After confirming one hundred percent that the camera was missing, Alex immediately called Dean, asking him to check for it at the crime scene. He wasn’t sure whether the police had taken the camera or not. Dean promised to check and ended the call.

Just at that moment, Valerie Kinbott walked into “Uria Hipp.” Noticing Alex casually chatting with the store owner, her usual friendly smile faltered just slightly. She vividly remembered the outburst of anger that had occurred yesterday in her office and how he had shredded her desk with a single strike. Alex, spotting Valerie, also tensed slightly—his smile becoming strained.

“Good afternoon, Miss Kinbott. It seems we meet again,” Alex said, with a polite but slightly anxious smile.

“Good afternoon, Alex. Looks like you’re working today,” Valerie replied, her smile equally tense.

“You must be here to pick up a new desk. As an apology… perhaps I could help carry it to your office?” Alex offered, scratching the back of his neck a little awkwardly.

“If it’s not too much trouble. I hope you don’t break my new desk,” Valerie said, and the corner of her mouth twitched noticeably.

Alex just gave an apologetic smile and nodded. He was genuinely glad that he had held back his power during yesterday’s outburst—otherwise, he might have demolished the entire city with a single blow instead of limiting himself to the desk.

While Valerie selected a new desk, Alex watched calmly. When she settled on a small but stylish table that matched her office decor, he easily lifted it.

As they exited, Valerie held the door, and at that moment she noticed Wednesday thoughtfully examining a display, or rather—an elegant black dress.

“Hello, Wednesday. That dress would look great on you,” Valerie said, still holding the door so Alex could carry the table out.

“And are you looking for new office knickknacks?” Wednesday asked calmly, glancing at her.

“These are souvenirs from my travels. It’s my way of stepping out of my comfort zone. But today I came to buy a new desk,” Valerie replied with that same strained smile.

“And what happened to the old desk?” Wednesday raised an eyebrow, curious.

“An unpleasant incident,” Valerie said, and her eyelid twitched slightly.

Wednesday noticed the change in her expression and was about to ask another question when she saw Alex exiting the shop, carrying a round wooden table. Catching her gaze, Alex winked, lifting the table above his head to make it easier to carry.

“By the way… I heard there’s going to be the Raven Ball in Nevermore. Are you going this Saturday?” Valerie asked, looking at Wednesday.

Hearing about the dance, Alex instinctively glanced at Wednesday. He remembered that in the original course of events she was supposed to invite Xavier—or perhaps had already done so. But now, after his interference, he wasn’t sure if that was still the case. That made him curious to see how she would respond.

The thought that Wednesday might have invited Xavier for the sake of the investigation still left a sour taste in Alex’s mouth—even if they ultimately didn’t go together. Alex knew himself well: he was a greedy guy. And if both Wednesday and Enid invited him to the dance at the same time, he certainly wouldn’t be able to choose—simply because he wouldn’t want to.

Wednesday noticed his thoughtful expression after the question about the ball. For some reason, she recalled Thing’s words about how Alex might get angry or upset if she went to the ball with Xavier. But Wednesday still believed that Alex would see it as a trivial matter.

“I’m not obliged to answer your questions right here on the street, am I?” she said calmly, looking Valerie Kinbott directly in the eyes.

“Then we’ll discuss it at the next session. Alex, isn’t it hard for you to carry that table?” Valerie smiled and turned to him. Alex stood perfectly straight, holding the table above his head as if it weighed no more than a pillow.

“It’s fine. This is the least I can do for the inconvenience I caused,” he replied with a light, polite smile.

Valerie noted to herself how calm, gentle, and even friendly Alex appeared in everyday life—and how terrifying he could be at work. It was like two completely different people. As a psychologist, she couldn’t help but notice the contrast.

She said goodbye to Wednesday and went ahead. Alex followed her. As he passed Wednesday, he discreetly winked at her, still holding the table above his head as if it were the most ordinary task.

Wednesday watched him go and remembered that she still needed to stop by his hotel to show him the drawings she had taken from Xavier’s art studio. So she followed.

When they reached the building where Valerie Kinbott’s office was, Wednesday stayed outside, waiting for Alex.

Alex carried the table into the office, said a brief goodbye, waved, and stepped outside. On the street, he lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke into the cold air.

“Why did you help her carry the table?” Wednesday asked, looking up at him.

“Because I broke it,” Alex replied calmly.

“Why?” she asked, just as calmly, taking a step closer.

“She asked an inconvenient question. I got angry… hit the table with my fist. It split. That’s all,” Alex shrugged. “I heard there’s some kind of ball in Nevermore. Are you going?”

“Seems like I’m the only one indifferent to these silly dances that everyone makes such a fuss about,” Wednesday replied, not breaking eye contact.

“I’m not really interested either. Just asking if you’re going or not. I’ve never been to such events myself,” Alex said.

“Actually… I had to invite someone for self-preservation purposes,” Wednesday said, watching his reaction carefully.

Alex paused for just a second, but it was enough to understand—he didn’t like the news.

“Is that so… I see,” he said quietly, extinguishing his cigarette and putting his hands in his pockets as he walked on. “I hope you enjoy yourselves.”

At that moment, Alex was thinking only about how to suppress the strange, unpleasant, sour feeling in his mouth. He didn’t hide from his family that he liked Wednesday—and what he had been waiting for. Alex fully understood that Wednesday was capable of acting this way. But his thoughts returned to another point: she hadn’t been obliged to invite him. Their relationship was somewhere between “more than friends” and “less than lovers,” with barely hidden mutual affection.

And Alex felt it clearly—she liked him. Only Wednesday herself hadn’t yet realized her own feelings. The fleeting thought of shooting Xavier in the leg crossed his mind, but he easily dismissed it so as not to accidentally hurt the teenager.

Wednesday watched his back and noticed how his expression had changed. The slight smile that was always on his face had disappeared, and his features had turned cold.

Thing climbed out of her backpack and tried to gesture, “I told you this would happen!” But Wednesday silenced the attempt with a single look. She herself felt a sting of discomfort at how sharply Alex’s expression had changed.

Without hesitating, she caught up to him—he had already crossed the street, hands shoved into his pants pockets, heading toward the hotel.

“I don’t understand why you got angry. This could actually help with the investigation,” Wednesday said, falling in step beside him.

“I’m not angry. I just thought about how sad it would be if they found Xavier buried in the forest. What a tragedy that would be,” Alex replied calmly, without a hint of a smile.

“Did you get angry because I invited him to the ball?” Wednesday asked again, trying to catch any trace of emotion in his voice.

“Who knows. If you don’t understand—fine. Maybe I’ve been thinking too much about what’s going on between us… But, as it turns out… heh,” Alex said, looking her straight in the eyes.

“It’s not my fault I don’t understand the emotional Morse code. And… isn’t there anything going on between you and Enid? Or should I act the way you do too?” Wednesday remarked coldly.

“You’re right. My relationship with Enid is as important as my relationship with you. I’m just a very greedy guy. Maybe you have your reasons… but I would go to such an event with both you and Enid. I already promised someone in the past that I’d go to something like this. But the situation changed—and nothing came of it,” Alex said quietly.

“You’re right, I have my priorities,” Wednesday said, walking alongside him.

“As you say. If your priorities change—I’ll be waiting. But for how long… that’s another question,” Alex replied calmly.

Wednesday shot him a glance and felt a strange inner contradiction. There was something in his words that made it seem like he could walk away at any moment.

Alex himself still tasted that unpleasant sourness in his mouth and felt like the hero of a cheap high school melodrama. He had never felt so disgusted with his own behavior. Every word he spoke filled him with revulsion. He, the walking embodiment of madness and cruelty toward his enemies, now looked like a sappy teenager rejected by a girl.

He was certain that the girls in his family watching the livestream were dying of laughter. Even Zhang Ya, living in his shadow, was probably looking at him as the ultimate fool.

At that moment, Alex sincerely wanted to hit himself so hard that he would fly to another galaxy—just so no one would see his shame. But alas, it had already become family knowledge. And he knew that at family dinners, it would be remembered for years to come.

In his mind, he blamed everyone around him, blaming Jericho and Nevermore—that it was this place that had turned him into a pitiful teenager. With an irritated sigh, Alex walked to the hotel alongside Wednesday.

Entering the room, he took off his jacket and hung it on a chair while Wednesday examined the photos on the board, including the monster descriptions—one of which could be the very attacker.

Dean returned about ten minutes later and immediately noticed the strange atmosphere: Alex and Wednesday were keeping their distance from each other, silent.

This surprised even him — all this time in Jericho he had constantly seen Alex either flirting with Enid or with Wednesday. And now the two of them behaved as if a shadow had passed between them. Dean was bursting with the question: what the hell had he missed?

“Alright, which one of these monsters looks like the one you saw in the woods when Rowan tried to kill you? You were the closest,” Alex asked calmly, pointing at the drawings.

“I brought something,” Wednesday said, taking out Xavier’s neat sketches from her backpack.

“Where’d you get such detailed images?” Dean asked in surprise.

“I can’t say yet. I’m not a hundred percent sure,” Wednesday replied, laying the drawings out on the table.

She spread them across the table, and Alex and Dean stepped closer to examine them. They began comparing the sketches to the ones they already had. They needed to determine exactly what kind of monster was in the woods — because apart from Alex and a couple of other people, no one knew its true nature. And they definitely weren’t planning to reveal what the creature really was.

Dean arranged all the drawings and descriptions on the table so Wednesday could compare them more closely.

“What do you think? Which one?” Dean asked, placing the drawing Wednesday brought next to the others.

“The creature in the drawing looks similar to these three. Who are they?” Wednesday asked, pointing at three images.

“So we’re dealing with either a wendigo, an ijik… or, worst case, a rake,” Alex murmured, rubbing his chin.

“All three sound unpleasant, given the situation. But can creatures like that even be controlled? They only think about stuffing their guts and feeding their eternal hunger. I don’t remember any of them being controllable,” Dean frowned. The idea that one of these things was under the influence of darkness deeply bothered him.

“Is that strange?” Wednesday asked, absorbing the new information.

“Yes. But with the Book of Shadows you can control them,” Alex explained, tapping his finger on the table. “All three are born from the same curse. Different origins, same result — endless hunger. A wendigo can be burned or cleansed of the curse. To kill an ijik, you need a special knife soaked in the blood of a woman who performs a specific ritual. But a rake…”

“A rake is like both of those monsters combined — on steroids,” Dean finished darkly. “In my entire life, I’ve only heard of one. A family friend said they managed to kill it only after chopping it into pieces and burning the remains to ash.”

“And how do we find it? I doubt creatures like that just sit in a hideout waiting for feeding hour,” Wednesday said, frowning.

“All three have nests where they drag their food,” Dean replied, crossing his arms. “If they weren’t being controlled, the body count would already be past a couple dozen. And it wouldn’t just be tourists — Nevermore students and locals would be gone too. A creature like that definitely wouldn’t run from me when I chased it; it would’ve jumped me instead.”

“We need to find the nest. Got it,” Wednesday said, rising from the chair and heading toward the door.

Dean frowned.

“You’re not actually planning to look for the nest, are you? You wouldn’t even have time to squeak before ending up in its stomach.”

“It says here they hunt at dusk or at night. Which means during the day, they might be asleep,” Wednesday replied calmly, pointing at the monster description before stepping outside.

She didn’t give anyone a chance to object — she just left, slamming the door behind her. Dean shot Alex a meaningful look, silently demanding: “Go stop your pale girlfriend from this insane idea.”

Alex just shook his head, silently showing that Wednesday would be fine.

Once she left, the conversation between him and Dean turned to the fact that the monster was clearly tainted by darkness and had become much more dangerous — Dean had also seen the black mist emanating from it. Alex knew what the nest would look like but had no intention of wandering the forest blindly. Besides, Eugene knew the area perfectly — the guy had scoured the forest for insects countless times and could know exactly where everything was.

Pulling out a map of the Jericho surroundings, Alex and Dean began marking points where the nest could be hiding and noting the locations Dean had already inspected with the police during the search for Rowan.

After about half an hour, Alex realized he desperately needed coffee.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t refuse either,” Dean said, rubbing his neck.

Before heading out, Alex took the black “Samurai” jacket from his inventory, which he hadn’t worn in a long time. He practically had to fight Valerie for it — she was always trying to claim the jacket for herself.

Once outside, Alex pulled his headphones from his pocket and, wanting to fully immerse himself in the atmosphere, turned on a playlist by Samurai. Moving down the sidewalk toward the Flüger café at a lazy, almost relaxed pace, he was going to grab coffee and something for a light snack. The music vibrated softly in his ears, setting the mood, and Alex, swaying slightly to the beat, paid no attention to the astonished glances of passersby. Good music — the best way to lift your mood.

Arriving at Flüger, he went inside and immediately noticed Enid. She was sitting at a table with Yoko and the mermaid Divina — the one whose twin brother had once been slightly zapped by electricity thanks to Alex. Seeing him, Enid waved happily. Alex smiled back.

While he placed his order, still listening to music, the girls were quietly discussing his appearance — especially the black “Samurai” jacket. Alex didn’t hear them; his attention was caught by Tyler, standing behind the counter. He was making coffee but moving stiffly and carefully, as if in pain. His arms were covered by a long-sleeved sweater, clearly hiding a wound. Alex observed calmly, almost lazily: he knew perfectly well that Tyler was the monster and that he was currently suffering from the blow Dean had dealt him.

With coffee and a chocolate donut in hand, Alex made his way over to the girls.

“Hi, Enid, Yoko… if I’m not mistaken, Divina,” he said, sitting next to Enid. She immediately scooted closer.

“Hi! What are you listening to?” she asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

“You wouldn’t listen to this kind of music. It doesn’t suit your character,” Alex smirked, running his hand through her hair.

“And what does Mr. Cool Agent listen to?” Divina asked with a teasing grin.

Alex just shrugged and handed the girls his headphones — let them listen for themselves. They exchanged glances, took the headphones, and put them to their ears one by one. After a short listen, all three thought the same thing simultaneously: yes, the style suited him perfectly.

Catching their reaction, Alex dramatically rolled his eyes, took the headphones back, and put them in his pocket.

“So, what are you sitting here for? Why aren’t you in Nevermore?” he asked, though he already had a pretty good guess.

“We were picking dresses for the upcoming Crow Ball,” Enid said with a bright smile.

“I see. Have you decided who you’re going with?” Alex asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“I’ll go with my brother, and Yoko and Enid are still deciding,” Divina said, casting a sly glance at Enid.

“You’re really going alone, Enid?” Alex drawled, trying to look serious, though the corners of his mouth betrayed a twitch.

“If someone doesn’t invite me, then yes,” Enid said, staring at him expectantly.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

“YES!… I mean… yes. If you don’t have to work,” she exclaimed so loudly that the entire café turned to look. Realizing it, Enid quickly straightened up and tried to act as if nothing had happened.

Yoko and Divina stared at Enid and immediately looked away, struggling to suppress laughter at their friend’s overreaction. Alex just smiled and gently ran his hand through Enid’s hair, making her blush even more — she hadn’t expected to react so strongly. But the fact that Alex had invited her to the ball was the best news of the day.

Alex decided to sit a bit longer with Enid, Yoko, and Divina to pass the time. They chatted about various topics, and among other things, the question came up about where he got his jackets: last time he wore a yellow one, now a black one, but with the same cut. Alex just shrugged, saying he ordered them custom-made, arguing that the Bureau paid him enough.

While he sat next to Enid, she practically clung to him and, unnoticed by her friends, held Alex’s hand under the table.

At that moment, Lucas Walker entered the café and headed straight for their table. Everyone looked at him, and when his eyes met Alex’s, Lucas visibly flinched.

“Can I talk to Yoko?” he asked, stopping at the table.

Alex raised an eyebrow and looked at Yoko. She looked just as puzzled. Enid, on the other hand, lit up — the upcoming gossip was already swirling in her head. Yoko glanced at Lucas, shrugged slightly, got up from the table, and moved with him to the next one.

Enid and Divina immediately craned their necks in sync, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation. Alex, meanwhile, was thinking: if Lucas and his buddies tried to pull the same stunt as in the original timeline, he wouldn’t hold back. Last time, the trio had gotten off with a few hits to the backside with an iron club; now, Alex wouldn’t hesitate to unleash one of the creatures from the Red City on them.

Enid and Divina didn’t notice the wide, slightly menacing smile that appeared on his face — and just as quickly disappeared.

A few minutes later, Yoko returned to them with a slightly surprised look on her face, while Lucas walked away smiling.

“What were you talking about?” Enid asked immediately, gripping the table and leaning forward.

“He asked me to the dance,” Yoko said, still not fully understanding what had just happened.

“And? Did you say yes? Or did you turn him down?” Enid bombarded her with questions.

“I didn’t have anyone to go with anyway, so I agreed,” Yoko replied in a slightly embarrassed voice.

“Well, if he tries to pull any tricks, I’ll bury him in the woods,” Alex said calmly, shrugging and taking a sip of his coffee.

Enid, Yoko, and Divina stared at Alex — he said it so casually that it actually stunned them. Enid looked at him as if she had suddenly seen a second Wednesday, only in male form. Alex endured their looks without flinching and simply rolled his eyes, turning his threat into a joke.

After sitting with the girls for a little while longer, Alex said his goodbyes. After ordering coffee for Dean as well, he headed back to the hotel. The moment he stepped into the room, Dean glanced at the clock and asked what the hell had taken him so long to get a simple cup of coffee. Alex briefly explained what happened at the café and mentioned that he was now going to a school dance.

In response, Dean gave him the emptiest stare he was physically capable of after hearing something like that. Alex just rolled his eyes.

“Alright, forget the school dance. What are we going to do about the monster? We know what the thing is, but we don’t know who’s controlling it, or why they’re taking body parts from the victims,” Dean said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“The most obvious explanation is a ritual. The Book of Shadows wasn’t stolen for nothing. There must be spells for controlling creatures like that. But we still haven’t figured out whether there’s a fragment of darkness in this town… or if the monster just got infected and someone is manipulating it,” Alex said, tapping his finger on the table.

“So everything comes down to finding the nest. Creatures like that love dark, damp places. Caves or abandoned buildings with basements — perfect hiding spots,” Dean mused.

“And searching for a cave in the forest is like searching for a needle in a haystack,” Alex sighed.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and stumble across it. We still haven’t checked the area near Nevermore,” Dean said, pulling on his jacket.

“You want to go right now?” Alex asked, giving him an empty stare.

“No, we’ll go tomorrow. Of course right now! Come on, get your ass off the chair and let’s go,” Dean said irritably, rolling his eyes.

Alex sighed, stood up, and shoved his hands into his pockets. They stepped outside, got into the Impala, and Alex immediately connected his phone to the car stereo. Dean was about to protest, but when the music started playing, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded approvingly, pressing the gas at the same time.

As they drove, Dean tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, humming along with the melodies alongside Alex. Alex liked Dean’s music too, but after the drive to Jericho, he wanted something different.

Stopping not far from Nevermore, Dean cut the engine, and they got out of the car. Alex knew exactly which cave they were looking for, but the last thing he wanted right now was to run into Wednesday. Fate, however, had other plans.

As they walked through the forest, searching for the familiar round cave, they heard voices. Following the sound, Alex and Dean spotted Wednesday and Eugene walking in the same direction. Wednesday and Eugene turned at the sound of footsteps and noticed them.

“Yo, Chum. What are you doing in the woods?” Alex asked, raising his hand and smiling.

“Eugene saw a place that looked like the one in the drawing,” Wednesday replied for Eugene.

“In that case, we’ll go with you. No sense in searching for a monster’s lair alone,” Dean said, irritation clear in his voice.

Eugene swallowed nervously and nodded silently at his tone. Wednesday, meanwhile, looked at Alex — who was just lighting a cigarette. Catching her gaze, he gave a small smile and a nod, as if their previous conversation had never happened.

Dean noticed the strange tension between them again — subtle, yet palpable — and decided not to interfere.

Following Eugene, who led them confidently toward the monster’s supposed lair, Alex and Wednesday walked side by side, neither saying a single word to the other the entire time.

To be continued…

(I almost puked blood from that awful moment of drama between Alex and Wednesday. For God’s sake, I can’t even imagine a single moment where Alex acted like a whiny teenager whose girlfriend dumped him. Alex would have just gone and shot his rival at that point. But, ahem, I tried. Anyway. Next up, a point, and the reason Alex and Dean are staying in town.)

Early access to chapters on my patreon: p*treon.com/GreedHunter

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep