That night, Founder's Pyre Day was in full swing.
The Nevermore grounds were filled with students gathered in a wide circle, all surrounding the massive raven constructed from interlocked wooden sticks.
It towered above them, its shape sharp and deliberate even in stillness. Music played from the stage nearby, low and rhythmic, setting the tone for what was meant to be a ceremonial celebration.
Ethan stood near the base of the wooden raven, his gaze fixed on it, though his attention didn't seem entirely on the structure itself.
"You're definitely good at messing with Wednesday," he said, speaking into what appeared to be empty air.
There was a brief pause.
Then—
Agnes appeared.
Her form shimmered into view as she dropped the invisibility, standing a short distance from him with a small, amused smile, completely unbothered by the fact that she had been noticed.
"Can I ask how you found me?" she said, tilting her head slightly, curiosity clear in her tone despite her calm expression.
Ethan didn't look surprised.
"Yeah," he said. "Even if you can't be seen, that doesn't mean you aren't there."
He shifted his gaze toward her properly.
"You can hide from sight," he continued, "but not from everything. Even with my eyes closed, I can still tell where you are."
Agnes studied him for a moment, her smile not fading, but her interest sharpening.
That answer only made her more curious.
"So will you stop me?" Agnes asked, her smile still present, more interested in his response than concerned about being discovered.
Ethan didn't seem bothered.
"No," he said. "If I stop you, Wednesday would be disappointed. Her first stalker getting dealt with before she even finds out would ruin the experience."
Agnes seemed pleased with that answer, her expression brightening slightly.
"As expected of my idol," she said. "Someone who is good at two-timing both Wednesday and the werewolf."
There was no accusation in her tone, only admiration, as if that was one of the qualities she genuinely respected about him.
Ethan looked at her, completely deadpan.
"Can you remove that 'two-timing' part?" he asked. "It makes me sound like a scumbag."
The pause that followed didn't last long.
"Aren't you one?" a voice came from behind him.
Selene had appeared without warning, her gaze fixed on Ethan with clear disapproval. There was nothing subtle about the way she was looking at him, as if she was already questioning his priorities and finding them lacking.
Ethan turned around quickly, immediately aware of how this situation looked from the outside.
"Selene, this isn't what you think," he said, trying to correct it before it escalated.
From his side, there was nothing wrong. He had his limits, and he wasn't crossing them. He wasn't making a move on Agnes—he was just playing along, keeping things under control in his own way.
From Selene's perspective—
That distinction didn't seem convincing.
"What makes you so sure what I'm thinking," Selene said, her tone cold and direct, "unless you are doing exactly what I'm thinking?"
Ethan paused for a second, visibly caught by that logic. For a moment, it genuinely felt like she had skipped a few steps in reasoning and still landed on the conclusion.
He looked at her, then slightly away, as if reconsidering how conversations with her usually went.
"Do all of you have some kind of mind-reading function," he muttered, "or is this just selective accuracy when it's about me?"
Before Selene could respond,
"Wow… is there something going on between the new teacher and—"
Agnes' voice slipped in, her curiosity instantly redirecting as she looked between Ethan and Selene, her imagination clearly running ahead of her. From her perspective, if two-timing was already impressive, then this was something else entirely.
Ethan didn't let her finish.
"Agnes, go away," he said, his tone flat but firm. "Or I'll put that novel back in Wednesday's drawer."
That was enough.
Agnes stiffened slightly, then turned and walked away.
Even after turning away, she slipped back into invisibility, her presence fading from sight as she tried to linger just long enough to keep listening.
Ethan didn't turn.
"I can still see you," he said, his tone unchanged. "If you're going to leave, then leave properly."
There was a brief pause.
Then—
Agnes reappeared.
Her expression carried a small, reluctant disappointment as she realized there was no point in pretending.
Without saying anything else, she turned again and walked away for real this time, no tricks, no invisibility—just a quiet retreat after being called out.
Selene watched her leave, then shifted her attention back to Ethan.
"Who is she?" she asked.
Ethan exhaled lightly.
"She's definitely not normal," he said. "And I'm not playing around. I'm just making sure whatever she's planning doesn't end up killing someone."
"So you aren't fooling around and committing crime?" Selene asked, her tone calm but clearly doubtful, her gaze fixed on him as if she expected the truth to slip out on its own.
Ethan shook his head slightly.
"No," he said. "And she isn't easy to fool either."
He didn't dismiss Agnes lightly. She was strange even by Nevermore standards—creepy, observant, and far more devious than she let on.
Even Enid had started calling her a pint-sized psycho, and while Ethan didn't entirely disagree, he still found her oddly entertaining to deal with, as long as things stayed under control.
He shifted the topic without lingering on it.
"Ignore her," he said. "How are you enjoying Nevermore?"
Selene's expression softened just a little.
"It's fine," she said. "And I also seem to be popular among students. Some of them even bring me flowers."
Ethan paused at that, his expression flattening slightly.
"Ah… flowers," he said. "Typical teenage crush."
He looked at her more directly now.
"Tell me who they are," he added, his tone calm but carrying an edge. "I'll make sure I plant some… flowers for them."
In their asses.
From his perspective, it wasn't something to ignore. The idea of random students trying their luck around Selene didn't sit well with him, and the thought alone was enough to make him consider dealing with it in his own way.
"Don't be jealous," Selene said, a faint smile forming as she looked at him. "Do you really think I would be interested in some teenage boys full of hormones?"
Ethan nodded instinctively.
"Yeah," he said.
Then he paused.
The answer caught up with him a second later, and his expression shifted slightly as the implication settled in.
"…Wait," he said, looking at her more carefully now. "Am I also in that list?"
Selene's smile widened just a little, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Heh… who knows."
***
A/N: It's decided—the next world will be .
And on Patreon, the Wednesday arc is about to end, with The Boys arc starting next.
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