Elias stepped out of Ophelia Hall as the sun bled orange across the horizon.
The campus was gorgeous in that old money gothic way. Stone buildings with ivy crawling up the walls, towers that probably cost more than most suburbs, lampposts that looked like they belonged in Victorian London. Students drifted past in clusters, their conversations blending into background noise.
He walked with purpose but no real destination, hands in his pockets, eyes tracking everything. The layout. The buildings. The blind spots. His engineering brain was already assessing structural integrity, identifying maintenance issues, cataloging useful spaces.
The conservatory caught his attention immediately.
It sat past the manicured lawns, half-buried in overgrown hedges. Glass panels caught the dying sunlight, throwing fractured reflections across cracked walls. Vines had claimed most of the structure. The whole thing looked like nature was slowly reclaiming it.
No lights. No movement. Nobody around.
Perfect.
Elias pushed through the overgrown garden path. The door wasn't locked, just stuck. He put his shoulder into it and it groaned open.
The temperature dropped the second he stepped inside.
"Holy shit."
The space was massive. Glass ceiling three stories up, most of it intact despite the cracks. Stone floor buried under years of dead leaves and broken pottery. Old workbenches lined the walls, half-rotted but the frames looked solid. Rusted tools hung from pegs. Wild plants had taken over most of the floor, but underneath was good stone.
This wasn't just abandoned. This was forgotten.
Elias grinned and pulled out his phone, started taking pictures. Wide shots of the space. Close-ups of the structural joints. The old electrical panel near the entrance. The water hookup in the corner. Everything.
He paced the perimeter while he worked. Forty by thirty feet, rough estimate. More than enough room for workstations, a fabrication area, tool storage. Maybe partition off a section for sensitive projects.
His mind was already running numbers. Clear the debris, two days of work. Window repairs, maybe five grand. New electrical, another ten. Benches and equipment, twenty more.
Fifteen thousand total to make it functional. He had eighteen million sitting in accounts.
This was going to be fun.
[Potential Workshop Location Identified]
[Quest Progress: Establish Workshop 0/1 → In Progress]
The system notification appeared at the edge of his vision. Elias dismissed it with a thought and took one last look around.
Tomorrow he'd start clearing this place out. Tonight, he needed to show his face at dinner, meet people, play the new student role.
He headed back out into the cooling evening.
The dining hall was everything he'd expected. Vaulted ceilings, dark wood everywhere, long tables set up cafeteria-style. Gothic as hell.
Students were already filtering in when he arrived. The social structure was immediately obvious. Vampires clustered near one end, pale and elegant. Werewolves dominated the center tables, loud and physical. Sirens sat with calculated superiority near the windows.
And at a small table in the corner, sitting completely alone, was Wednesday Addams.
She ate methodically, eyes on her plate, ignoring the world around her.
Elias grabbed a tray and loaded it with food. He was heading toward an empty table when someone waved at him.
Xavier, sitting with a group of artsy-looking students.
"Elias! Over here!"
Well, might as well be social.
Elias walked over and sat down. Xavier immediately started introductions.
"Guys, this is my roommate Elias. Elias, this is Ajax, Yoko, and Kent."
Ajax had a beanie pulled low over his head. Gorgon, probably. Yoko wore sunglasses indoors. Vampire. Kent just looked normal.
"Hey," Elias said.
"Dude, you're the other transfer, right?" Ajax asked. "Same day as Wednesday Addams?"
"Yeah."
"That's wild. Two transfers in one day." Yoko leaned forward. "What's your deal? What brought you here?"
"Parents died. Moved around a lot. Ended up here."
The table went quiet for half a second.
"Damn, sorry man," Kent said.
"It's fine. Was a while ago."
Xavier jumped in, steering the conversation away from the heavy topic. "Elias does engineering stuff. He's got all this tech in our room. It's actually pretty cool."
"Like what?" Yoko asked.
"Robotics mostly. Building things."
"That's sick," Ajax said. "We need more practical skills here. Everyone's so focused on their abilities they forget about, like, actual useful stuff."
The conversation drifted to classes, teachers, the upcoming Poe Cup. Elias ate and listened more than he talked, getting a feel for the group dynamics.
Across the hall, he noticed a striking Black girl holding court at a table full of sirens. She moved like royalty. Bianca Barclay. She glanced over once, her eyes landing on him for a few seconds before she turned back to her conversation.
Noted.
Then movement caught his eye.
Wednesday stood, picking up her tray. She walked past their table without looking at anyone, heading for the exit.
Xavier watched her go, his expression shifting into something complicated.
"You knew her, right?" Kent asked. "When you were kids?"
"Yeah." Xavier's voice was distant. "Long time ago though."
"She's intense," Yoko said. "Like, scary intense."
"She put piranhas in a pool," Ajax added. "At her last school. That's hardcore."
Xavier said nothing, just kept staring at the exit where Wednesday had disappeared.
Elias noted the whole thing and said nothing. Not his business.
He finished eating and headed back to the dorm.
Xavier was already in the room when Elias got back, standing at his easel with a paintbrush in hand. Classical music played softly from a speaker on his desk.
"Hey," Xavier said without turning around. "How was dinner?"
"Good. Your friends are cool."
"Yeah, they're solid." Xavier made a few strokes on the canvas. "You settling in okay?"
"Yeah. Room's good."
Elias started unpacking his equipment properly now. Laptop on the desk. Tablet beside it. The portable soldering station on the shelf. He pulled out his toolbox, started organizing precision instruments in the desk drawer.
Xavier glanced over. "Damn, you weren't kidding about the tech. What's all that for?"
"Projects. I like building things."
"Like what?"
"Right now I'm thinking surveillance equipment. Maybe some drones after that. Depends what sounds interesting."
Xavier turned fully now, genuinely curious. "That's actually really cool. Can you make anything?"
"Pretty much. If I can design it and source the parts, I can build it."
"Huh." Xavier went back to his painting. "That's a useful skill. Especially here."
"Why especially here?"
"Nevermore's weird. Stuff happens. Having tech that can help you stay aware of your surroundings? Probably smart."
Interesting perspective.
Elias pulled out some technical manuals, stacked them on his desk. Xavier kept glancing over, clearly wanting to ask more questions but trying not to be nosy.
Finally, he just went for it. "So, engineering. That's your thing. You don't have any abilities though, right?"
"Nope. Fully human."
"That's rare here. Like, really rare."
"So I've heard."
Xavier seemed to relax at that. "It's cool though. Probably makes you see things differently than everyone else here."
"Maybe."
They fell into comfortable silence. Xavier painted. Elias organized his equipment.
Then Xavier spoke again, his tone more careful. "So... Wednesday."
Here it comes.
"What about her?"
"You meet her yet? Actually talk to her, I mean?"
"Not really. Saw her at dinner."
"Yeah." Xavier's brush moved across the canvas. "We knew each other when we were kids. Haven't seen her in like seven years though."
"And?"
"And nothing. Just... I don't know. She's different. Always was, but now it's more."
Xavier launched into the story about the funeral, hiding in the coffin, Wednesday saving him from cremation. The whole time he talked, his brush kept moving, but Elias couldn't see what he was painting.
"So you like her," Elias said when Xavier finished.
Xavier's brush stopped mid-stroke. "What? No. I mean. It's not like that. We're just... we have history."
"Sure."
"I'm just saying, she's interesting. Complicated."
"Uh-huh."
Xavier shot him a look. "What about you? You interested?"
"Dude, I've been here for like six hours. I'm not interested in anyone."
Xavier relaxed. "Yeah, okay. Fair."
They established some basic roommate ground rules after that. Lights out flexible but keep noise down. Share bathroom cleaning duties. Don't touch each other's stuff without asking.
Around eleven, Xavier crashed. Elias stayed up, sitting at his desk with his laptop open.
He pulled up the system interface.
[Quest: Welcome to Nevermore]
Objectives:
Establish workshop location: In Progress Meet 3 key characters: 1/3 (Xavier Thorpe) Create your first invention: 0/1
Time Remaining: 6 Days, 13 Hours
One down. Two to go.
He started sketching designs for the smart glasses. Basic AR overlay, threat detection, data analysis. The components he'd need. The fabrication process.
An hour passed. Then two.
Around midnight, Elias stood and stretched. Walked to the window to clear his head.
The campus was dark except for scattered lampposts. Empty.
Except it wasn't.
Movement caught his eye. A figure in black and white, moving along the edge of the main building. Testing windows. Checking locks.
Wednesday Addams.
Elias watched her work. She was methodical, systematic. Mapping exits, finding weaknesses in the security. On her first night here, she was already planning her escape.
"Ballsy," he murmured.
He could go down there. Offer to help. Maybe establish a connection.
But that would be weird. Creepy, even. Random guy following her around in the dark.
Besides, he knew how this went. She'd get caught by Weems eventually. The escape attempt during therapy would fail. She'd end up staying whether she liked it or not.
Better to focus on his own plans. Build his tech base. Establish himself first.
Wednesday disappeared around a corner. Elias watched for another minute, then returned to his desk.
Xavier stirred in his sleep, mumbled something unintelligible.
Elias finally shut down his laptop and went to bed.
Morning came at six AM.
Elias woke naturally, no alarm. Xavier was still dead asleep, one arm hanging off the bed.
He showered, dressed in dark jeans and a black henley. Checked his class schedule on his phone.
First period: Botanical Sciences with Ms. Thornhill.
He cross-referenced it with what he remembered from the show. Wednesday would be in that class. So would Bianca. Xavier too, probably.
This would be interesting.
The system interface flickered.
[Quest Timer: 6 Days, 7 Hours Remaining]
Plenty of time.
Elias grabbed his bag and headed out.
The dining hall was mostly empty this early. A few students scattered at tables, looking half-asleep.
Elias grabbed breakfast and sat by a window with a good view of the room. He ate and watched as more students trickled in.
Bianca arrived with her entourage of sirens. They moved like a formation, all coordinated and elegant. She sat at a center table, and immediately the energy in
the room shifted. People were aware of her presence.
Then Enid bounced in with a group of werewolves. Literally bounced. The contrast was stark. Where Bianca commanded attention through presence, Enid demanded it through sheer enthusiasm.
Xavier shuffled in looking half-awake, joining his artist friends.
And finally, Wednesday arrived.
She walked in like she was attending a funeral. Grabbed minimal food. Sat alone at a corner table. Didn't look at anyone.
The room seemed to give her space instinctively.
Elias was finishing his coffee when he noticed Bianca standing from her table. She was looking directly at him.
Then she was walking over.
"You're the new transfer," she said, stopping at his table. "Elias Vale."
"That's me."
She studied him with dark, intelligent eyes. "Bianca Barclay. Student body representative." Her smile was perfectly calibrated. Friendly but not too friendly. "Welcome to Nevermore."
"Thanks."
"How are you finding it so far?"
"It's interesting."
Something shifted in her expression. Just for a second. Like she'd expected a different answer. She tilted her head slightly. "Most new students are more... enthusiastic. Or terrified. You're neither."
"Should I be?"
"That depends." Her smile widened a fraction. "You should sit with us sometime. It's important to make connections here."
There was something in her voice. Subtle. Almost musical. It tugged at something in his head, making him want to agree.
Elias felt it and his eyes narrowed slightly. "I'll think about it."
Bianca's smile faltered for just a moment. Surprise flickered across her face. "You should. We're very welcoming."
"I'm sure you are."
She studied him for another few seconds, then nodded. "Well. See you around, Elias."
She walked back to her table. Elias watched her go, his mind working. That had been something. Some kind of influence. Siren abilities, probably.
Interesting that he'd resisted it. Whether that was the system's doing or just natural resistance, he didn't know.
[Key Character Met: Bianca Barclay - 2/3]
The system notification appeared and vanished.
Two down.
"Oh my gosh, hi!"
Elias turned to find Enid standing there, practically vibrating with energy.
"You're Elias, right? Xavier's roommate? I'm Enid! We met yesterday but like super briefly and I wanted to actually introduce myself properly because two new students is so exciting and—"
"Enid," Elias said, smiling slightly. "Yeah, I remember. You're Wednesday's roommate."
"Yes! She's so cool. Like, terrifying, but cool. Very intense. Doesn't talk much. Or smile. Ever. But I think we're gonna be great friends!" She paused for half a breath. "Anyway, you should totally sit with us sometime! Well, not Wednesday because she sits alone, but me and my friends! We're super fun!"
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Great! Okay I have to go but I'll see you around!" She was already backing away. "Have a good first day!"
And she was gone, rejoining her werewolf pack at their table.
Elias glanced across the room. Wednesday was staring at him. Not obviously. Just... watching. Like she'd noticed the interactions and was cataloging them.
Their eyes met.
She didn't look away immediately. Just held his gaze for two seconds, expression completely blank.
Then she returned to her food.
Elias checked the time. Seven-forty. He should head to class.
He stood, grabbed his bag, and headed out.
The conservatory classroom gleamed with maintained glass and healthy plants. Nothing like the abandoned one he'd found. This one was clearly active, well-funded, meticulously organized.
Students were filtering in. Elias chose a seat near the middle. Not too forward, not too back. Good sightlines.
Xavier arrived with Ajax and Yoko, gave him a wave. They sat a few rows ahead.
Then the energy in the room shifted.
Wednesday walked in.
Students unconsciously leaned away, creating a buffer zone without realizing it. She moved to a seat near the back, sat with perfect posture, hands folded on the desk.
Elias found himself watching. There was something fascinating about how she commanded space. Not through charisma or power, but through sheer presence. Like negative gravity.
Bianca entered next with her siren friends. She chose a seat near the front, directly in Wednesday's sightline.
Oh, this was going to be entertaining.
Ms. Thornhill swept in last, all enthusiasm and energy. "Good morning, everyone! Welcome back! And I see we have new faces!"
Her eyes found Wednesday first, then Elias.
"Wednesday Addams and Elias Vale! Welcome to Botanical Sciences. I'm Ms. Thornhill, and I promise you'll find this class absolutely fascinating!"
She moved to a table lined with potted plants. Various species, all labeled. "Today we're discussing carnivorous plants! These organisms have evolved incredible mechanisms for supplementing nutrient intake. Who can name one?"
Hands went up. The usual suspects. Venus flytraps. Pitcher plants.
Ms. Thornhill's enthusiasm was practiced but genuine. She knew her subject matter.
The lesson continued. Elias took notes, focusing on the actual biology rather than the performance. Chemical compounds. Enzyme structures. Trapping mechanisms. His engineering brain automatically analyzed the mechanical and chemical principles.
Halfway through, Ms. Thornhill paused at a sundew specimen. "Who can tell me how Drosera species trap their prey?"
Silence.
Then Wednesday's voice, flat as concrete. "Sticky mucilage secreted by stalked glands. Insects become trapped and struggle. The movement triggers more secretion. Digestive enzymes break down soft tissues over days to weeks depending on prey size and sundew species."
Ms. Thornhill beamed. "Excellent! Exactly right! Have you studied botany before?"
"I've studied death in all its forms. Plants that kill are more interesting than plants that don't."
A few students shifted uncomfortably. Ms. Thornhill just laughed, delighted. "Well, you'll love this class then! Anyone else want to contribute?"
Bianca's hand rose. "Pitcher plants employ a multi-layered trapping system. Visual lures and aromatic nectar attract insects to the modified leaf rim. The surface is coated in a slippery wax that causes prey to fall into digestive fluid. Some species also use downward-pointing hairs to prevent escape."
"Perfect, Bianca!"
The two girls locked eyes across the room. The air practically crackled.
Elias grinned slightly. Yeah, this was definitely going to be entertaining.
Ms. Thornhill continued the lesson. At one point, she walked past Elias's desk and glanced at his notes.
"Oh my!" She stopped. "Those are very detailed chemical breakdowns. Do you have a background in chemistry?"
"Engineering, mostly. But chemistry's part of it."
"Well, your technical approach is wonderful! Keep it up!"
She moved on. Elias caught Wednesday glancing at his notes, her eyes scanning the chemical formulas and structural diagrams he'd been sketching.
She looked away quickly when she realized he'd noticed.
Class ended forty-five minutes later. Wednesday left first, moving like a shadow. Bianca left with her entourage. Xavier lingered, trying to catch Wednesday's eye, but she didn't look back.
Elias gathered his stuff and headed out.
He had a free period third, so he headed to the library.
The space was gorgeous. Vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, reading areas with leather chairs. Very old money academic.
Elias found a quiet corner and pulled out his laptop. Opened the system interface.
The smart glasses design was still on screen from last night. He reviewed the component list, started pricing out suppliers.
Frames: custom fabrication or modify existing Lenses: AR-capable displays, probably need to order specialty Processing unit: miniaturized, low-power Battery: rechargeable, 8-hour minimum Sensors: camera, microphone, proximity detection Software: custom build using Stark's AI framework
Most of it he could order online. Some of it he'd need to fabricate himself in the conservatory once he got it operational.
He made a list of suppliers, added items to various shopping carts. Total cost: about eight thousand for everything.
He'd place the orders tonight. Most of it could ship to a PO box in Jericho. He'd need to make a trip into town to pick everything up.
Elias saved his work and checked the time. Almost eleven. He had about thirty minutes before lunch.
He stood, grabbed his bag, decided to scout the conservatory again.
The route took him past the gymnasium. He could hear sounds from inside. Metal clashing. Voices calling out.
Curiosity got the better of him. Elias walked over and looked through the window.
Fencing class.
Students in white uniforms, masks on, practicing in pairs. Coach Vlad walked between them, barking corrections.
Then he noticed two figures facing off in the center.
Wednesday and Bianca.
This was it. The duel from the show.
Elias watched.
Wednesday's form was perfect. Every movement precise, economical. She moved like she'd been trained by experts.
Bianca was good too, but different. More aggressive. Less technical.
They exchanged blows. Wednesday landed several touches. Bianca was clearly losing.
Then something shifted. Bianca's posture changed. Her movements became more fluid. And Wednesday started missing. Her attacks went wide. Her defenses lagged.
Elias's eyes narrowed. That wasn't right.
Coach Vlad called a halt. "Point to Barclay!"
Wednesday's expression was ice. She knew something was off.
They reset. Went again. Same thing. Wednesday's technique was superior but she kept making mistakes. Missing openings. Overextending.
"Match to Barclay!" Coach Vlad called.
Bianca removed her mask, smiling. "Good match."
Wednesday ripped her mask off. Said nothing. Just stared at Bianca with those cold, dark eyes.
Then she turned and walked toward the exit.
Elias stepped back from the window before she could see him watching.
He stood there for a moment, thinking. Bianca had cheated. Used her siren abilities to distract or influence Wednesday during the match. Subtle, but effective.
Interesting.
It reinforced something he'd been thinking. Supernatural abilities gave unfair advantages. Not just in combat, but in every interaction. Sirens could influence. Psychics could read minds. Werewolves had physical superiority.
Being human meant being at a disadvantage.
Unless you leveled the playing field with technology.
Elias turned and continued toward the conservatory.
The space looked even better in daylight.
He entered through the broken side door, letting his eyes adjust. Sunlight streamed through the cracked glass ceiling, illuminating dust motes in the air.
Elias walked the perimeter, taking detailed measurements this time. Noted which benches were salvageable. Which electrical lines could be reused. Where he'd need to run new wiring.
The back storage rooms were dusty but dry. Good for sensitive equipment.
He took more photos. Made notes on his phone. Estimated timelines.
Two days to clear debris. Three days for electrical work if he hired help. Another two for benches and storage. Call it a week to get it operational.
He could start tonight. Bring some tools, begin clearing.
[Workshop Location Confirmed - Begin Establishment Phase]
[Quest Progress: Establish Workshop 0/1 → 50%]
Perfect.
Elias exited through the side door and started back toward campus.
He was halfway across the lawn when he heard it.
Shouting. Students screaming.
His head snapped up.
Commotion near the main building entrance. Students gathering, pointing up at something. The crowd was growing fast, voices rising in panic.
Something was wrong.
Elias broke into a run.