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Tyler chuckles, feeling extremely happy. "Blood and bonds are truth, not fable," he recalls the dark lines carved on the castle wall. Behind them, in the courtyard, Christmas lights switched on, enhancing the feeling of weightlessness and established power inside. Well, the next semester promises to be even more interesting.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 30, Epilogue.

Happy New Year, guys!! 🎄🎉

She is in darkness, and before her is a man — a silhouette in a suit, laughing, unnatural, threatening. Shadows and smoke emanate from him; his face seems almost human before changing into slimy tentacles, from the depths of which, as if through thick water, a hollow, demanding voice can be heard. Not a man — an octopus, its presence suffocating, it reaches out to her with an expensive watch on its wrist, as if inviting her to join. Wednesday looks around for someone else, but they are alone. Is this a vision? Laurel's past or her own future? She's not sure how it's possible, but the tentacles stretch into a smile before their owner leans forward, grabbing her shoulders and bursting into loud, triumphant laughter.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 29, Dead end.

He jumps at her in the middle of the transformation, not bothering with the rest. The growing, gray flesh tears through his clothes, releasing the wicked half that won't give anyone a chance to talk — even if the victim decides to repent. Somewhere, a raven caws — a loud, familiar sound, announcing the end of the cycle, announcing its righteousness, because now — it cannot be otherwise. Tyler growls. His bulky heart beats against his thick-skinned chest, reveling in its own strength. He swings, hearing the echo of the cawing in his temples. This ends now.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 28, …Something wicked this way comes.

"Wednesday?! What's going on? What should I tell Mom and Dad?" Ignoring her brother, she bends over the bed, pulling out the shotgun that has been waiting for its moment. It will raise questions if someone spots her, but something tells her that the weapon may come in handy. Her fingers itch, she grips the wooden handle tighter, and follows the raven with a sweeping stride. Something is about to happen.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 27, By the pricking of my thumbs…

Rolling his eyes, he takes the bag with his good hand and pulls out some fruit: oranges, apples... and then, to Wednesday's horror, a heavy pink bar of chocolate. But the horror doesn't end there. On the huge cardboard wrapper, a heart is carved in foil-covered gold letters with the inscription, "Love U 4ver." "I didn't expect..." Donovan says slowly, scanning her as his face takes on a strange expression. "Thought you liked my son." Wednesday blinks, not knowing how to get out of this situation. The sheriff looks at her silently, waiting for a reaction, but what can she say? Who knew that being a daughter-in-law wasn't the worst thing some could think of her? A hoarse laugh comes out from the man's lips. Wednesday's eyes widen: he's joking. The revelations don't end today.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 26, The half.

They go outside in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Bianca is seething with impotent rage because the only viable option is to do as her mother pleases, knowing that she will continue her attempts to take her out of the academy. Wednesday mentally draws parallels between them. It seems that most children go through a phase of rebelling against their parents. The thing is, that they have already grown up, and it's time for their parents to accept it.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 25, Vulnerability and walls.

His smile widens, reminding her of Hyde and at the same time, confirming that this is Tyler sitting beside her. He leans closer, takes her hand, and places it on his hair. Wednesday hesitates. She tentatively moves her index finger, noticing how his expression changes: he becomes calmer, making her realize that he wasn't sure if she would pull her hand away or not. "I knew I was better," he says with his lips, his eyes shining with gratitude. "I didn't," Wednesday replies curtly, however, not denying the latter.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 24, Fantastic Beasts.

"Come here," Tyler says quietly, and once she takes another step, he hugs her waist and lifts her off the ground. Nearby students turn to them again, but Wednesday, despite the heat in her cheeks, ignores them. She wants to grab onto something to keep her balance, even though Tyler's grip is strong and he is pressing her waist tightly against his chest. She forgets about it as soon as she sees what has caught everyone's attention. Right in front of them, on the wall that once boasted its age and grandeur, her initials are painted. And just below, as if burned into the stones themselves, are lines.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 22, Honesty. Public reaction.

Art by @artpizhma.

"Well, you certainly haven't been bored..." Wednesday raises an eyebrow at such a statement, and Donovan turns to her. "Do your parents know?" "No," she says too sharply, although there is no obvious aggression in her tone. "Let's keep it that way for as long as possible." The man looks surprised. "Hmm... I think they would approve," Donovan drawls, and Tyler finds it strange to hear this from his father, but he is grateful for the attempt to show that the old man does care. "That's the reason," Wednesday says discontentedly, and Tyler and Donovan smile at the same time, only increasing her indignation. She gives Tyler a glare, and he tries to suppress a smile. "Sorry."

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 23, The ties.

"Ahem," Tyler clears his throat under Enid's beaming gaze. "I'm not the only one feeling awkward now, am I?" As if that's all she needed, the cheerful girl squeals and jumps up to Wednesday and hugs them both. "I'm so happy! I'm so happy! I'm so happy!" she repeats enthusiastically, and Tyler doesn't know what will happen first — whether the whole castle will find out about their night, or whether they will suffocate from lack of air during this greeting.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 21, Quoth the Raven, Nevermore.

"What part of 'yes' don't you understand, Galpin?" she asks fiercely, and oh god, his blood starts to boil — he likes this tone and her emotional side too much. He looks at her defiantly, nibble at her lip, and clarifies in a dark, affectionate tone, "What part of me being worried about you don't you understand... Addams?"

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 20, Their Night.

The words fade away, and the synthesizer begins to play its sequence again. Anticipation scratches beneath his skin. Her palms squeeze his shoulders and slide down to his chest, then quickly pull back. His heart stops in his throat — her openness does unimaginable things to him. He burns from within, and he wants Wednesday to know that she is the cause of these feelings — to know and fully accept her responsibility for them. She cannot escape him, nor does she intend to run away — he suddenly realizes, and it turns his world upside down.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 19, The Rave'N.

In the evening, easily breaking the lock to his room ("Is there even one reliable door in this castle, besides the renovated Weems office?"), she compensates for this by briefly watching him sleep. Half-naked, carelessly wrapped in a sheet, he lies with his face buried in the pillow; one arm is tucked under the duvet, the other stretched across the bed. She doesn't want to admire him, but she readily takes advantage of the opportunity to be near him unnoticed. To study. To absorb. How exhausted his chest rises and falls, even though he has clearly been sleeping for at least ten hours. How he sighs deeply from time to time, rubbing his forehead against the pillow. The dark circles under his eyes; his soft, tangled curls; the curve of his jaw, which she once touched with her hands. Or maybe she just thought she touched it? There are no scars on his back; nor on his chest. Everything has been washed away, erased by his Hyde abilities. It's disappointing, it makes her jealous: if only it was as easy to wash away everything that was between them. Although in her case, as bitter as it was to admit, she would rather forgive. Or find the strength to admit that she had already forgiven.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 18, Reasons.

His attention is drawn to the active gesturing below — the Thing tugs at his pant leg and gestures something suspiciously resembling a furious, "Are you dumb?" "Not that I understand what he's showing you exactly, but that you're an idiot, I absolutely agree," Xavier remarks, appearing from somewhere at his side.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 17, In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore...

She wants to break something when she thinks about it, but the harsh truth is that she is drawn to him. His sincerity confuses her and makes her open up, washing away the arguments of reason. Nevertheless, having learned at least something from her past, she immediately registers the slightest hint of Hyde and puts up a wall as a preventive measure. At such moments, she is indifferent to all excuses: Hyde cannot be trusted. If there's one thing her wounded ego has remembered well, it's this. But with Tyler, they cannot be separated — no matter how much she might want that. However... does she?

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 16, Head case.

Although the hand has no eyes, Tyler feels that it is looking at him with disapproval. Fuck. He had completely forgotten about it, but the Thing definitely had its reasons. Shame wells up in his chest. "I know," he mumbles awkwardly, not knowing what else to say, and reaches for his backpack to get a small piece of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbles "Sorry" — nothing else coherent that would fit in a couple of words comes to mind — and hands the folded piece of paper to the Thing, hesitating. "I..." he begins, knowing that he should have said this a long time ago. "I'm sorry about what happened last year. I didn't want that," Tyler concludes more firmly, and... he can't be sure, but it seems to him that Thing's expression is changing. At least it's something. And he really does feel a little better now.

Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore". Chapter 15, Frankness.