Swish!
Three emerald green snakes darted out from a corner of the beanie, hissing and flicking their tongues. One of them bit directly toward Vic's finger—
Crunch!
Venom suddenly opened his bloody maw and bit down on the snake's head in one gulp.
The whole place went silent.
Ajax's face instantly turned pale: "My snake!"
Venom chewed twice and frowned: "Hmm... tastes like gummy bears."
Vic patted Ajax on the shoulder: "Don't worry! Venom's digestive system is super strong. In 24 hours, it'll turn into—uh, some kind of black sludge."
Wednesday commented: "At least it's more nutritious than a rainbow unicorn plushie."
Enid: "Hey!"
She stomped her foot huffily, the movement causing her small leather shoes to make a crisp tapping sound on the floor. "That was a limited edition."
Ajax's hand trembled as he touched his beanie; the remaining snake-hair shivered inside. "I'm going to the infirmary..." He stumbled away, his back looking like he had just survived a catastrophe.
"What are you all arguing about?"
A short-haired Black girl walked over, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. Her silver pupils shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight.
"Bianca Barclay," Enid introduced in a low voice. "A Banshee. Don't mess with her."
Vic's eyes lit up: "A Banshee? Then can you sing 'Under the Sea'?"
He made an exaggerated song-and-dance move, nearly stepping on Wednesday's foot.
Bianca narrowed her eyes: "I can, but after I finish, you'll jump into the lake and drown yourself."
Vic pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket: "Want a taste? 82% cocoa, dangerous and charming just like your eyes—"
Bianca stared at the chocolate and suddenly raised her hand—
Slap!
The chocolate was knocked flying, drawing an arc in the air.
"I hate sweets the most," she said coldly.
Before Vic could react, Venom had already lunged out from his shoulder, the black slime condensing into a hideous large face, nearly pressing against Bianca's.
"People who waste food—" Venom's voice was low like thunder, "—will be put on my menu."
Bianca's pupils shrank as she took a half-step back.
Wednesday lightly clapped from the side: "Wonderful."
Enid quickly tried to smooth things over: "Alright, alright! Vic, let's go check out the Werewolf Activity Area!"
Her nails unconsciously lengthened, piercing through the fabric of Vic's jacket.
"Ow!" Vic cried out exaggeratedly. "Your claws!"
She grabbed Vic's arm to leave. Bianca gave a cold snort and turned to walk away.
Venom retracted back into Vic's body and grumbled, "She tastes like expired sea salt... disgusting."
"Wednesday," Principal Larissa's voice came from a distance. "Your family is waiting for you at the gate."
Wednesday swept her gaze over everyone expressionlessly: "Don't die before I get back."
She turned and left, her black robes billowing behind her like a moving shadow.
Only Vic and Enid were left.
Enid breathed a sigh of relief, only then realizing she was still clutching Vic's arm.
She quickly let go and found five small holes left in his jacket sleeve: "Ah! Sorry! Sometimes I can't control it..." Her fingertips trembled slightly; her nails had retracted to normal length, but the tips were still an unnatural red.
Vic blinked, and instead of getting angry, he excitedly grabbed her wrist: "Whoa! Your claws!"
He held Enid's hand up to the sunlight to observe it closely. "So cool! Can they peel apples? Can they open soda cans? Can they be used as a utility knife?"
Enid was amused by him, her tension vanishing: "...Are you serious?"
"Of course!" Vic nodded solemnly and pulled an apple from his pocket—no one knew where he got it from. "Want to try?"
Enid hesitated for a moment before taking the apple. Her nails lengthened again, this time consciously. The sharp tips easily sliced through the apple's surface, the skin falling away like a ribbon.
"Perfect!" Vic cheered, taking the apple and biting a large chunk out of it. "Way better than a fruit knife!" Juice ran down the corner of his mouth, and Venom immediately extended a small tentacle to wipe it away.
Enid looked down at her hands, her voice suddenly becoming very soft: "Actually... I still can't fully transform yet."
Her claws slowly retracted. "At most, I can only extend my claws, and I can't even control them well."
Vic tilted his head, and the apple core was accurately tossed into a trash can five meters away. "So what? Venom often complains that I've got water on the brain, but aren't we still living just fine?"
Venom: "That's a fact."
Enid burst into a laugh, the setting Sun dyeing her blonde hair a honey color. She suddenly reached out and poked Vic's shoulder: "You know what? You're really weird."
"Thanks for the compliment!" Vic grinned, revealing two sharp canine teeth. "That's the best review I've received all year!"
"Let's go," Enid said softly, naturally taking his hand. "I'll take you to see the Werewolf Activity Area." Her fingertips carefully avoided his skin, fearing her claws might lose control again.
The two walked along the stone path toward the west side of the academy, their shadows overlapping behind them like an odd yet harmonious pair.
In the distance, Wednesday stood at the academy gate and looked back.
"Their shadows overlap like a poorly made paper cutting."
She thought to herself.
The setting Sun quietly sank below the horizon amidst playfulness and whispers, and the Gothic spires of Nevermore Academy were gradually swallowed by the twilight.
The clamor in the corridors faded, replaced by the silence unique to the night, with only the rustling of unknown insects in the stone crevices.
Moonlight, like water, slowly washed over the windowsills, casting a cold silver glow into every room.
In the dormitory, Vic had already fallen asleep, curled up in his "Kingdom." Venom was wrapped around him like a black blanket, occasionally making a contented purring sound.
Enid Sinclair wore headphones, stepping barefoot on the floor and swaying gently to the music.
Her short blonde hair bounced with the rhythm, and her pink nightgown shimmered softly under the moonlight.
She was completely immersed in her own World, toes tapping the ground as she spun in a circle, her fingers drawing fluid arcs in the air—
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.
Wednesday Addams sat by the bed, her fingers flying across an antique typewriter. Her eyes glinted with a cold light in the candlelight, and every keystroke felt like the stamping of an execution order.
Enid's dance moves became more and more unrestrained; with a spin, her heel hit the floor with a "thud."
Wednesday's fingers stopped in mid-air.
"Enid." Her voice sounded like it was drifting out of an ice cellar. "If you make one more sound, I will turn your headphone cord into a noose."
Enid took off one side of her headphones and blinked: "What? I can't hear you!"
Wednesday slowly turned her head, the candlelight casting dancing shadows on her face, making her look like a vengeful ghost that had just crawled out of an ancient tomb.
"I said—" Her finger lightly brushed over the small knife next to the typewriter, "—quiet."
Enid pursed her lips and turned the headphone volume down just a little bit—but her feet were still keeping time, her toes lightly tapping on the floor.
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.
Thud, thud, thud.
The two rhythms intertwined in the room like a silent war.
Wednesday's temples throbbed.
She suddenly stood up, walked over to Enid, and stared down at her.
"Do you know how the protagonist of my novel dies?" Wednesday asked softly.
Enid tilted her head: "Old age?"
"Torn to shreds by a pack of monsters because she was too noisy." Wednesday smiled, revealing pearly white teeth. "The descriptive details are very vivid."
Enid swallowed hard, but soon straightened her back again: "You can't deprive others of their right to listen to music just because you want to write a novel!"
"I can." Wednesday's finger lightly tapped the knife. "Especially when 'others' have taste that is so—" She glanced at Enid's playlist, "—revolting."
Enid's cheeks flushed with anger: "This is Beyoncé!"
"Sounds like a cat being strangled."
"You—"
Enid extended her sharp claws.
"Don't run, chocolate!"
An abrupt shout suddenly came from Vic's direction.
Both of them turned their heads at the same time.
Vic was lying spread-eagle in his "Kingdom," eyes closed, shouting at the ceiling.
"Chase it down!" Venom poked out from his body and then retracted.
Wednesday and Enid looked at each other in silence.
"At least he's sleeping soundly," Enid whispered.
Wednesday stared at Vic for a few seconds, then suddenly turned back to her typewriter and began typing rapidly.
Click-clack. Click-clack. Click-clack.
Enid hesitated for a moment, then silently turned off her music. She curled up on her bed, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the quilt.
Moonlight spilled through the window, drawing a silver boundary on the floor—one side was Wednesday's dark domain, the other was Enid's rainbow nest.
A few minutes later, the typing suddenly stopped.
"If you must listen to music," Wednesday said without turning her head, "you can use my record player."
Enid looked up in surprise.
By Wednesday's bed, an old gramophone stood silently, with a thin layer of dust on the vinyl record.
"...Really?" Enid asked cautiously.
"Better than your'strangled cat'." Wednesday said coldly, but the hostility in her tone had weakened by several degrees.
Enid ran over barefoot, curiously flipping through Wednesday's record collection.
"Mozart... Chopin... 'The Death Waltz'?" Her finger stopped on a pitch-black record.
"That's my favorite." Wednesday's voice carried a hint of barely audible pride.
Enid hesitated, then put the record on.
The low sound of the cello flowed slowly, like mist spreading through the dark night. Enid unconsciously swayed gently with the rhythm, but this time, her movements were as soft as a feather.
Wednesday's fingers fell onto the typewriter again, but this time the rhythm blended wonderfully with the music.
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack.
Thud, thud, thud.
The two sounds intertwined, no longer in conflict, but in a strange harmony.
In the corner, Vic rolled over, and Venom poked its head out to glance at Enid and Wednesday.
"Humans are so strange," it grumbled, closing its eyes.