Ethan looked toward the altar.
"Well," he said, "let's see where father-in-law and brother-in-law ended up."
He raised a hand. Space cracked apart like shattered glass, a crimson screen forming from the fractures as images began moving across its surface.
The Dark One. The ritual. Gomez and Pugsley. He watched in silence as it reached its conclusion — both sacrificed, their bodies and blood gone until nothing remained.
The screen shattered into particles.
He wasn't surprised that they were dead. From the beginning, the Dark One had been playing games. A few months ago, bringing them back would've been a headache.
Now it wasn't.
He extended a finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the ground. The earth beneath the altar turned crimson and swirled like a whirlpool, blood gathering from nowhere and forming two human shapes.
Bones first, then flesh, then skin. Within seconds Gomez and Pugsley stood inside the pool before it receded, dropping them both onto the grass.
Breathing. Alive.
What Ethan had done wasn't looking into the past — he had read the memory stored within the Addams bloodline itself.
Blood remembered. Now that he possessed the Divinity of Blood, every living creature carrying it was an open book to him, so he simply rebuilt them from what the bloodline already knew.
He looked at the sleeping pair and nodded. Problem solved.
His attention shifted. During the fight countless demons had crossed into Earth, and while most had been dealt with, he could still feel their presence scattered across Jericho and the surrounding forests.
He raised his hand. A crimson wave spread outward from his body, expanding in every direction. Every demon it touched dissolved into blood-red particles. It passed through the injured and their wounds closed.
It passed through the dead and their hearts restarted. The wave moved until it covered every corner of the affected area, then faded into nothing.
The invasion ended as quickly as it had begun.
Ethan lowered his hand and looked toward the night sky. Now all that remained was explaining everything to Wednesday.
***
Two days later, Nevermore had somehow returned to normal.
Students attended classes, teachers followed schedules, and the camp incident had become little more than a vague memory nobody seemed particularly interested in discussing.
Even the people who had supposedly died were walking around as if nothing had happened.
It was driving Enid insane.
She sat on one of the quad benches with her head against Ethan's shoulder while Wednesday occupied the seat across from them.
"No. Seriously." Enid shook her head. "I refuse to be the only person bothered by this."
Ethan looked up from his book. "Bothered by what?"
"A demon invasion happened two days ago." She gestured at the students passing by. "And everyone is just... walking around like it was a normal weekend."
"Their memories were altered," Ethan said. "Normal is all they know."
"People died, Ethan."
"And then they didn't."
Enid pressed her lips together. She didn't have a response for that.
Wednesday looked up from her book. "I already explained what happened."
"You listed a series of events that should be physically impossible and then closed your book," Enid said. "That's not an explanation."
"It's a summary."
Enid turned back to Ethan. "Every time I think I understand what you are, something new happens. You were a vampire. Then more than a vampire. And then two days ago you just —" she paused, visibly struggling, "— rebuilt people."
Ethan didn't say anything.
"You're not going to explain that, are you."
"Not particularly."
Enid looked at Wednesday, expecting some form of solidarity. Wednesday had already returned to her book.
"Don't look at me," Wednesday said without glancing up. "I stopped expecting explanations from him some time ago."
"That doesn't bother you?"
Wednesday turned a page. "Many things bother me. Ethan's abilities stopped making the list."
Enid sat back against the bench and stared at the courtyard in silence for a moment.
"I just want one normal week," she said quietly.
"You chose the wrong school for that," Wednesday replied.
Ethan patted Enid's head. "Don't worry. Eventually you'll have a normal school life again."
Enid wanted to believe him. She really did.
Then Selene arrived and sat beside Wednesday. Having caught the last part of the conversation, she looked at Ethan with an expression that said everything she didn't bother putting into words.
A normal life. With Ethan involved.
Ethan noticed the look. "What?"
Selene didn't answer. The silence was answer enough.
Enid followed her gaze, then looked back at Ethan suspiciously. Before she could say anything, Wednesday's lips curved upward slightly — not warmly. It was the smile that usually preceded someone's day getting worse.
"Enid," Wednesday said calmly, "did you forget that the person sitting beside you is a three-timing scumbag?"
Enid went still. Then the memories came back. The confusion, the arguments, the absolute disaster that was Ethan's love life.
Her eyes slowly widened. "Oh." She pointed at him. "Oh."
"Now hold on —"
"I was so busy processing demon invasions and resurrections that I completely forgot about that." She sat upright. "Do you understand how bad your relationship situation has to be for it to get overshadowed by an invasion from Hell?"
Ethan opened his mouth. Then closed it. That was unfortunately a valid point.
Wednesday turned a page. "The fact that supernatural disasters are less complicated than Ethan's romantic life remains impressive."
"Thank you," Enid said immediately.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Selene looked at Ethan. "Most people struggle managing one relationship. They don't end up accidentally collecting them."
"I didn't collect anybody."
Three pairs of eyes settled on him. He immediately heard how weak that sounded.
Enid buried her face in her hands. "This is why I don't believe the normal school life thing anymore."
"Neither do I," Wednesday said.
Selene nodded.
Ethan leaned back against the bench. Somehow, after everything he had done in the past two days, this was where the conversation had landed. He felt that was deeply unfair. Nobody else appeared to share that opinion.
***
A/N: And on Patreon, The Boys arc started.
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