Chapter 5: Friend or Woe's Me
Wednesday Addams led the Outreach Day group through Jericho's bustling streets, her black parasol a stark contrast to the autumn sun. Adam Stiels trailed behind, his HUD glowing faintly: Level 1, 5/100 uses. Pilgrim World was their destination, a tacky historical reenactment crawling with normies in plaid and fanny packs. Wednesday's mission was clear: dig into Crackstone's legacy. Adam's memory gaps made it a gamble, but he was all in, determined to prove himself.
The system pinged: Objective: Find Crackstone artifact. Don't get caught. Wednesday glanced back, her voice sharp as a blade. "You know more than you're saying, Stiels. Don't hide it."
"Just here to help," Adam said, dodging her piercing stare. Enid walked beside Ajax Petropolus, their laughter drifting back like a knife to his gut. Jealousy flared, irrational but sharp, twisting in his chest. She's just chatting, he told himself, but his heart wasn't listening. Jericho's streets buzzed with life—coffee roasters filling the air with rich aromas, antique stores displaying dusty relics, street musicians strumming folk tunes. Adam chatted with Enid about the town's quirks, her excitement over a bakery's cupcakes infectious. "You're missing out if you don't try one," she said, her smile pulling him in despite the sting of seeing her with Ajax.
Wednesday's intensity kept him focused, her parasol twirling as she scanned the crowd for clues. They discussed the Nightshades' journal, its cryptic references to Crackstone's rituals gnawing at Adam's foggy mind. "This town hides secrets," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Find them, or you're useless." Her words were a challenge, and Adam nodded, his resolve hardening despite the gaps blocking his memory.
At Pilgrim World, the air was thick with the scent of sawdust and stale popcorn, costumed actors droning about pilgrim life. Adam slipped away from the group, his HUD glowing: Stop Time: 30 seconds. Activate? The world froze—tourists locked mid-step, a pilgrim actor stuck mid-bow, his fake beard askew. Adam rifled through a display case, his fingers brushing a tarnished amulet etched with Crackstone's seal—raven motifs, cryptic runes. Jackpot. Time resumed with a snap, and he rejoined Wednesday, tossing her the amulet. "Found something."
Her nod was grudging, but her eyes gleamed with approval. "This ties to the journal," she said, turning the amulet over in her hands. "Runes, blood rituals—Crackstone's work. You're not entirely useless." Adam's gaps kept him from grasping the full meaning, but her intensity pulled him deeper into the mystery. They discussed its implications, Wednesday's voice low as she traced the runes, her fingers steady. What's this thing for? he wondered, frustration mounting.
Back in Jericho, Adam spotted Eugene Ottinger cornered by a normie bully near a coffee shop, the jerk mocking his bee obsession. "Buzz off, nerd," the bully sneered, raising a fist. Adam acted fast: Slow Time: 10 seconds. Activate? The world slowed, the bully's fist crawling forward. Adam tied his shoelaces together in a clumsy knot, the system chuckling: Tying shoelaces? You're the hero Jericho didn't ask for. Time snapped back, and the bully tripped, sprawling on the pavement. Eugene grinned, adjusting his glasses. "You saved my hide, man. Bees owe you one."
Adam clapped his shoulder, bonding over the moment. "Bees are MVPs, Ottinger." They chatted about hive loyalty, Eugene's passion grounding Adam amidst the chaos. Wednesday pulled him aside later, her voice low and dangerous. "The Hyde's out there, Stiels. Claw marks, blood—it's hunting. If you're hiding something, I'll find out." Her suspicions shook him, the Hyde a blank in his memory, like a word on the tip of his tongue. What am I missing?
Enid caught up as they headed back to Nevermore, nudging him playfully. "Ajax is sweet, but you're still my favorite troublemaker." Her words eased the jealousy, her warmth a beacon in his tangled emotions. Adam's monologue churned as they walked through Jericho's fading light, the town's vibrancy—chattering crowds, clinking coffee cups—grounding him: Enid's with Ajax, Wednesday's a human lie detector, and I'm stuck with half a memory. This amulet's a win, but the gaps are killing me. The artifact's weight lingered in his mind, its runes a puzzle he couldn't solve. Thing scuttled nearby, signing approval of his heroics, and Adam grinned, ready for the next step in Nevermore's dark game.
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