The night had descended upon the world, but Nevermore was alive with noise and light. Thisbie Hall buzzed with celebration; they had just claimed their very first victory in the Poe Cup Race, and the students weren't about to let the moment pass quietly. Jass was the first to suggest a celebration, and soon enough, everyone had followed his lead.
The hall was filled with long tables, overflowing drinks, and games scattered everywhere. The entire place was decorated like a festival. Strictly speaking, this kind of party wasn't normally allowed at school, reserved only for special occasions, but Jass had used one of his formal requests, and Principal Weems had agreed. She hadn't seen any harm in it and, deep down, was glad to see her students enjoy themselves for once.
Other dorms soon joined the festivities, and it felt as if the best night of the year was just beginning.
But unknown to everyone, far beyond Nevermore…
Deep in the woods, a ritual site stood. Strange patterns had been carved into the earth, six candles forming a perfect circle that connected them. Dead bodies were being slowly piled in the center of the ritual stage as cult members dragged in more.
"In six hours, in six locations, and with six candles, all six representatives will present themselves." The voice came from a man cloaked in darkness, hoarse and dry as though he hadn't drunk water in days.
He was one of the high-ranking members of the cult, and tonight, they planned to summon their god.
"Master… I know it is not my place to speak," one of the members said hesitantly. "We've been doing this for weeks, and each time we've failed. The FBI and some Outcast group are already on our trail. Are you sure this will succeed?"
The high member snorted. In a sudden motion, his hand shot out and clamped around the speaker's neck. The man struggled, trembled, then went limp. The high member withdrew his hand and turned toward the others.
"You dare doubt me, and doubt our god?" he thundered, spreading his arms wide.
"We failed before because something was missing. We lacked a beacon for our god. But now, our god has spoken to me. The beacon is here. He was here only a few days ago; you all know him. He is the Child of Dusk!"
"Yes, Bishop!" the cult members cried in unison.
"Remember this, do not harm the Child of Dusk until our god, our lord, our savior, descends into this world. The lord has a plan for the child, and we must obey!" the Bishop roared into the night.
"Yes, Bishop!"
The candle flames flickered wildly as shadows began to move, gathering toward the ritual circle. Behind the Bishop, the shadow expanded like a great, living sea, and within it, countless eyes opened. They flickered restlessly, watching everything, before closing one by one and vanishing back into the black.
...
At the party, Viktor sat in the corner, ignoring everyone as he simply watched them. He didn't like parties like this, but it was fun to watch the others enjoy themselves.
Jass was dancing on top of a table, showering himself with drink as the crowd roared in laughter and applause. With a flourish, he snatched the microphone.
"Hey, hey! Welcome to the party! And now—" he spun dramatically, pointing to the students, "—the moment you've all been waiting for… what is it?"
He shoved the mic toward the nervous student. The student swallowed and murmured. "Um... a game?"
"A game? A game?" Jass threw his head back in mock horror, then leapt from the table, landing with a thud that shook the floor. "That sounds so boring!"
His grin stretched wide, fangs flashing under the lights. "This isn't just a game… this is the Outcast Bacchanal!"
"Does Outcast Bacchanal actually exist?"
From the corner, Enid sat beside Viktor, who only shrugged. "He probably made it up."
"Really?" Enid blinked at him.
"By the way, why are you here? I thought you'd be with your friends," Viktor asked. The hall was full of noise and excitement; everyone was partying except for Shadow Master and Viktor, who stayed off to the side.
"I got, like, super tired. Plus, I needed a break from all the glitter bombs out there. But seriously, why aren't you celebrating? This is your big win!" Enid pouted, popping her lips as she spoke.
"I like it better just watching," Viktor replied simply.
"Really? You'd rather just watch? Come on, it's way more fun when you actually join—" Enid stopped when someone suddenly cut in.
"Big brother, why are you here with this... glitter dog, when you already have me?" Agnes said, stepping between them.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Enid snapped. "Do you have a problem with me?"
"No. But I know you're trying to hit on my brother," Agnes said flatly. "And I know who you are, you're not good enough for him."
"Hit on your brother? What? No! I wasn't even—ugh!" Enid stammered and was flustered.
"Stop it, Agnes," Viktor said firmly before things could escalate. "Enid is my friend, alright? And you should be enjoying the party instead of antagonizing people."
But Agnes shook her head, her smile fading. "No, big brother. Do you even know who she is? She's had plenty of boyfriends before, and now she's clearly trying to make you the next one."
"Boyfriends?! Oh my god, I can't, are you serious right now?!" Enid's claws extended into sharp points, but Viktor quickly grabbed her hand before she could say or do more.
"Alright, that's enough. Agnes, stop." Viktor's tone turned serious. "Go on, your friends are waiting for you."
Agnes hesitated, but Viktor leaned close and whispered, "We're going to the theme park tomorrow."
That finally made her comply. "Fine," she muttered, but not without a parting jab. "Just be careful with this glittering paint bucket; she might blind you," Agnes smirked before walking away.
"I'm sorry about that," Viktor sighed.
"It's fine, actually..." Enid muttered, her head low, clearly no longer in the mood to talk.
Viktor glanced at her, then grabbed two drinks and handed one to her. "Did her words get to you?"
Enid didn't reply.
He paused for a moment, then continued quietly. "You know... I was there with Agnes when we lost our parents in that car accident. We survived, but they didn't. She saw them die, saw their blood... it traumatized her. She became quiet, withdrawn. It took me months to bring her back, to make her smile again. It's been just the two of us since then.
So, I get it. She's scared. Scared that if I ever have a wife or girlfriend, I'll leave her behind. Which I would never do."
Viktor told her the original Viktor stories, but there was still emotion in his voice, a mix of the memories he had inherited and his own feelings. Agnes was important to him. Viktor didn't know if this was because of the original Viktor's memories or simply his own heart, but he knew his feelings for Agnes were genuine. He would never abandon her.
"Agnes must be lucky to have you as her big brother," Enid said softly, taking a sip of her drink. The light returned to her eyes, her usual sparkle slowly coming back. "I wish my mom were like you..."
She took another sip and leaned her back against the wall. "Okay, so Agnes was kinda right. I have had boyfriends before, like, two. But, ugh, it just… didn't work out. And it's not like I'm that kind of girl, you know? I'm not into random hookups or whatever. I just… I guess I wanted to feel like I fit in, like I could have what everyone else has. To know what it's like to really be loved. But… maybe I just haven't been that lucky yet."
Viktor took a slow sip of his own drink, staying quiet for a moment as he watched the others laugh and play games in the hall.
"You know," he said finally, "I've never had a girlfriend before. So I can't really give you romantic advice. But as someone who lost his parents and has a sister to take care of, I can say this: don't chase love. Let it come to you. Love can disappear and return; it's not something you can force. What matters is finding someone you truly want to spend your life with. Friend, family, or otherwise."
The atmosphere between them grew quiet and heavy, though the music and cheers of the party still echoed in the background.
Neither of them spoke for a while. They just sipped their drinks and watched the party go on until Viktor's phone buzzed with a message.
"They're about to summon the god. Child of Dusk, you should hurry, or everything will be too late."
The message was from Nsix6. Viktor frowned at the words, setting his cup down. His gaze shifted toward the window, where dark clouds were beginning to gather, as though a storm was forming.
"What is it?" Enid asked, noticing the seriousness on his face.
"It's nothing. I just have something to take care of." Viktor stood and started to leave.
Enid popped up too, blocking his way with folded arms. "Uh, no. If it's giving you that face, you know, the whole broody-'I'm carrying the weight of the world'-thing, then it's so not nothing. And FYI, Wednesday already dragged me into way scarier stuff. Plus, after your whole cult-horror backstory? Yeah, I think I can handle this, Viktor."
Viktor sighed. His voice was calm, but heavy with meaning. "I think tonight might be the end of our world."
"What?" Enid's eyes widened.
Author's Notes:
And that's it, Arc 1 officially ends at Chapter 24!
I won't say much this time, since I already shared my thoughts on why Arc 1 was shorter than planned, along with the rest of my reflections, in the Author's Note on Chapter 24. However, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for your support, and a special thank you to those of you who support me on Patreon. ❤️
I'll be taking a one-week break to recharge and come back with a fresh mind before diving into Arc 2.
P.S. You can already read the entire Arc 1 on Patreon, but once we hit the Top 100, I'll make all of Arc 1 free to read, so you won't need to pay anything. Of course, supporting me on Patreon is always deeply appreciated. 🙏