Chapter 4: Glitter and Grim
Nevermore's library was a labyrinth of shadows, its shelves groaning under the weight of ancient tomes, the air thick with dust and secrets. Adam Stiels slipped inside, the Nightshades' invitation a heavy weight in his chest. The journal from Bianca's locker hinted at Crackstone's legacy, but his memory gaps blurred the details, leaving him grasping at shadows. His HUD glowed faintly: Level 1, 3/100 uses. The Time Control System was his edge, and he'd need it to survive Wednesday's scrutiny and the Nightshades' guarded world.
The Nightshades gathered in a hidden alcove, candlelight flickering across Bianca Barclay's scowl, Xavier Thorpe's scattered sketches, and Ajax Petropolus' nervous fidgeting. Wednesday presided like a dark queen, her voice cold and precise. "Stiels, you're here because you stumbled into our secrets. Prove you belong."
Adam nodded, his pulse quickening. He focused: Slow Time: 20 seconds. Activate? The world slowed, voices dragging like a warped record, the candles' flames barely flickering. He crept closer, catching Bianca's whisper about Crackstone's prophecy—dark rituals, outcast blood, a legacy of destruction. His memory gaps blocked the context, but the words sent a chill down his spine. Time resumed with a snap, and Wednesday's eyes locked on him, sharp as a blade. "Eavesdropping? Bold move, Stiels."
"Just curious," he said, flashing a smirk to mask his unease. She handed him a cryptic task: find the journal's source by Outreach Day. "Fail, and I'll bury you in the crypt myself." Her words were a challenge, and Adam thrived on pressure, but the gaps in his mind made him doubt his edge.
Outside, Enid's voice cut through the library's gloom like a burst of sunlight. "Adam! Dorm party tonight. It's gonna be totally epic, you can't flake!" Her pink nails flashed as she waved, her energy a lifeline in Nevermore's darkness. Adam's grin widened. "Wouldn't miss it, Sinclair." She rambled about party plans—fairy lights, a killer playlist, snacks galore—her enthusiasm pulling him in like a tide. "You better dance," she teased, nudging him. She's trouble, he thought, his heart racing, but the best kind.
At lunch, Bianca struck back, her siren song humming through the cafeteria, luring Adam toward a tray of spoiled yogurt. He focused: Stop Time: 15 seconds. Activate? The world froze, students locked mid-bite, Bianca's eyes gleaming with mischief. Adam swapped her song with a kazoo tune from a nearby speaker, the system chuckling: Kazoo tune? You're rewriting siren history, prankster. Time resumed, and Bianca's song faltered into a ridiculous kazoo wail, the cafeteria erupting in laughter. "Stiels!" she snapped, shaking her head, but her lips twitched with grudging amusement. "You're lucky I don't drown you in the lake."
The dorm party buzzed with energy, fairy lights casting a warm glow across Enid's room, music pulsing through the air. Enid's laughter echoed as she dragged Adam into a dance, her pink sweater brushing his arm. "You're killing it, Adam," she said, her eyes bright with mischief. He dodged Ajax's glare, the gorgon's tension palpable across the room. Adam mingled with minor outcasts—a siren sharing Rave'N gossip, a psychic recounting a vision of circling ravens that stirred nothing in his foggy memory. He probed the siren about Nevermore's history, fishing for Crackstone clues, but got only vague tales of old feuds. Another dead end, he thought, frustration mounting.
His monologue swirled as he leaned against a wall, watching Enid twirl: Nightshades, pranks, and Enid's smile. I'm in way over my head, but this system's got my back. The Nightshades' secrecy weighed on him, their alcove meeting replaying in his mind—Xavier's sketches of ravens, Bianca's guarded whispers. What are they hiding? Wednesday's task loomed, tying him to Jericho's mysteries. Ajax's rivalry prickled, but Enid's warmth grounded him, her laugh a beacon in the chaos. She's worth it, he thought, his heart skipping as she caught his eye, grinning. The system pinged: 5/100 uses. Don't get too distracted, Romeo.