lessMarilyn Thornhill walked through the hallways of Nevermore. She wore a colorful sweater, and black glasses, and had a kind smile on her face, even though no one saw her.
The students were already in their dormitories. Principal Weems had asked her to come to the office for a meeting about an important upcoming club competition that would be held at Nevermore in the next few days.
Marilyn used a friendly façade with her false identity, which she hated, as she despised outcasts to the core. It was because of them that her family had fallen apart. However, in recent days, she has been in a good mood.
She only needed two more mutilated pieces to have almost everything ready for the ritual to resurrect her ancestor. Once she sent her Hyde to kill two more people and obtained the remaining two pieces, her next target would be the goth girl.
She needed her blood to open the sarcophagus where Crackstone lay. Luckily for her, everything would be ready by the night of the lunar eclipse, which was just a month and a half away.
The funny thing was that she received help from outcasts. They had helped the Hyde in his killings, mostly by distracting the police officers. They were quite bothersome. Because of them, she had to plan the murders more carefully compared to the earlier ones.
Marilyn reached the door and knocked twice. "Come in," a voice on the other side called out. She opened the door and entered Principal Weems' cozy office, where she sat at her desk, drinking tea while reading several papers laid out before her.
The lighting in the room was dim. A large fireplace stood majestically, its fire crackling softly, providing a warm and relaxing glow. A wooden lamp sat atop the desk.
"Please, have a seat," Larissa said, gesturing with her hand.
"What brings you to call me, Principal? Is it about the upcoming club dates?" Marilyn asked, sitting down on a comfortable leather chair.
"It's not about that. I want to talk about something else," Weems said, setting aside the report she had been reading and looking at Marilyn.
Out of the corner of her eye, Marilyn glanced at the papers on the desk and noticed her photo. It seemed to be information about her.
"About what exactly?" Marilyn asked, feeling a sense of unease.
"As you may be aware, there is a serial killer in Jericho. There are already four victims and one missing person who is most likely dead," Larissa began in a serious tone.
'Tyler's friend. His body was never found. It must have been the work of those two annoying psychics,' Marilyn thought.
When she found out that Luke was leaving Nevermore, she wanted to use that day to kill him with the new strength of the Hyde. However, she hadn't anticipated that Wednesday would go with him. So, she canceled the mission. She didn't want to kill her by mistake. Her blood needed to be fresh for the ritual.
So, she decided to carry out another murder. Thanks to Tyler, she knew Jonah and his friends' schedules. She knew they stayed late at Pilgrim World, the perfect targets if they missed the bus and had to walk back along the dark road.
What she hadn't expected was for Luke and Wednesday to attack the Hyde at the last moment, preventing him from taking Jonah's arm. She didn't understand why those two had stayed so long at Pilgrim World. It seemed like they knew what was going to happen.
"Everyone is aware. It's a tragic situation. There's a lot of fear in Jericho," said Marilyn, her expression full of fear. Her acting was quite good.
"Mm… Because of this serious situation, I decided to investigate the staff at Nevermore thoroughly. It would be disastrous if any of the teachers were killing normies. It wouldn't help our community," Larissa commented.
"I understand. Background checks should be done on new teachers. Do you want my help?" Marilyn asked. This year there had been a couple of new hires. As for Marilyn, she didn't think Larissa was referring to her. She was a normie with no powers and had been teaching at Nevermore for several years. Her background was flawless.
"I don't need your help. You're here to answer my questions. I've investigated your history thoroughly and found several inconsistencies. Answer honestly," Larissa said gravely, picking up several papers and beginning an interrogation.
Luke had told her that Marilyn's identity was false. Her real name was Laurel Gates. He said he knew this because he had seen it in the memories he extracted from the faceless one during Marilyn's first meeting with the hooded figures. Wednesday had also observed it when Luke extracted the memories the other day.
Larissa had the means to investigate people's histories thoroughly. She had connections, and money, and was the principal of the most important academy for outcasts.
The story Marilyn had created was good, but if you looked closely, you could see the gaps and inconsistencies within it.
Marilyn couldn't answer Larissa's tricky questions. Within ten minutes, her background had been exposed as false. As for her real identity, Larissa hadn't yet found solid evidence proving that she was Laurel Gates, the youngest Gates daughter who was supposedly dead.
The two-meter-tall hooded figure had claimed that she was Laurel Gates. There wasn't concrete proof yet, but it wouldn't take long to find it.
"So... you conclude that I'm the murderer?" Marilyn asked indignantly. They couldn't accuse her of such charges based solely on having a false identity, though she wouldn't admit to that.
'Yes, you are,' Larissa thought. Luke had shown her an audio recording of the faceless one, Deacon, speaking with Marilyn after assisting the Hyde in a murder. The faceless one had a brief conversation with her, reminding her to kill Luke Poe. That was why they had helped her and given her the drug. She had responded that her next target would be the Poe boy.
'The only thing I don't know is your true identity,' Larissa thought. It was highly likely she was Laurel Gates. Luke had provided solid evidence, though he hadn't told Larissa that he had read Marilyn's mind. He had only mentioned it to Wednesday to discuss the blood ritual. It wouldn't be good for Larissa to know he had secretly read the professor's memory.
"It's a possibility. For now, you'll be under indefinite surveillance. I'll be in contact with the outcast police," Larissa said.
"What?" Marilyn said, confused. She hadn't thought she would be placed under house arrest in an instant.
"You can't do that—"
"Falsifying your identity is no minor crime. For now, you'll be under surveillance and won't be able to leave your personal quarters at Nevermore. You should already know that when you joined, the rules for outcasts are different, especially in such a delicate situation as the one we're living in," Larissa said.
Marilyn abruptly stood up from her seat. She couldn't be placed under surveillance. If they investigated her story any further, it would be the end of her. They would discover that she was Laurel Gates and that her family had a deep resentment against the outcasts in Jericho. She could fool the normies in Jericho, but not the outcast society.
Furthermore, she would miss the eclipse, and there would be no more murders. Her guilt would only increase with each passing day that the murderer wasn't found.
From one of her pockets, she took out a needle filled with poison. This poison was deadly. It only took seconds to kill a person once it entered the body. Even for outcasts, they might last a few more seconds before succumbing to the call of death.
With great speed, she lunged to stab Larissa in the neck, but just as she was about to make contact, her body was stopped by an invisible force. The needle remained just a few centimeters from Larissa.
From a dark corner of the office, a flash could be seen. Two people emerged, walking toward the desk. One of them was a tall boy with almost blonde brown hair, holding a camera, and he had been the one responsible for the flash.
Beside him was a short girl, pale, with an expressionless face.
'Luke, Wednesday?' Marilyn thought, glancing at the two students she knew very well.
"Another piece of evidence. This photo turned out great. Your murderous intentions are clear on your face, and that venomous needle looks quite threatening," Luke commented with a slight smile.
"When did they...?" said Marylin, beginning to panic. As a normie, it was impossible for her to detect Wednesday's stealth, even if they were in the same room.
"You should teach a class on deadly poisons," Wednesday remarked, looking at the venomous needle with interest.
"Now, are you 100% sure, Principal?" Luke asked, placing the camera on the desk. He took the needle from Marilyn's hand—it would serve as evidence or perhaps as a gift for Wednesday.
"Yes... there are no more doubts. You can extract her memories," Larissa said, sighing. On one hand, she was glad to have caught the person controlling the Hyde. On the other hand, she felt disappointed in Marilyn. She had considered her a normie friend and had never imagined she would try to kill her.
"That's good," Luke said, removing a silver ring from Marilyn's index finger. It was a mind-protecting artifact, and while it only made the process of entering her mind more difficult, it was better to get rid of it. Nevermore had given it to her.
"Luke, wait," Wednesday said.
"What's wrong?"
"Can you show me that mental torture technique?" Wednesday asked.
'I can't say no when you make that curious face,' Luke thought. He then looked at Larissa. He needed her authorization to torture someone in her office.
"Do what you want. She's a murderer," Larissa said mercilessly. Marilyn lost her last hope. Seeing Luke approach, she wanted to tremble, but she couldn't. Luke's telekinesis kept her frozen like a statue.
Luke extended his index finger and placed it on Marilyn's forehead. In an instant, the normie felt excruciating pain. Luke released his telekinesis.
In a matter of seconds, Marilyn was convulsing on the floor of Larissa's office. Wednesday crouched down and watched every reaction of the normie with curiosity and fascination.
"She passed out. You should use less power against normies. They should suffer more for the torture to be effective," Wednesday said.
"I'm still getting used to calibrating the power," Luke said, examining his finger as if it were some kind of gun.
'What a strange couple...' Larissa thought. She would consider Luke and Wednesday the most terrifying students at Nevermore. Additionally, she noticed that Luke's sadism had increased since he met this girl.
"Let's end this once and for all," Luke said, sitting on the floor. Edgar had already come out of the collar, ready to guide Luke. As for the torture, it didn't seem like a big deal to him; he knew better methods.
Luke extracted three memories again, which were projected and visible to Wednesday and Larissa. He could have brought the outcast police agents here, but he decided not to. It was almost certain they wouldn't let him act this way.
This case belongs to the outcast police. They wouldn't allow a teenager to interfere and experiment with the mind of the murderer. So, he decided to show them the memories to them later.
The memories he extracted were older, which complicated the process, although Marilyn's mind was simpler than Deacon's. In these memories, he had everything he needed: Marilyn's true identity and her history, how she controlled the Hyde, and information about the ritual to revive Crackstone through Goody Addams's Book of Shadows.
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less"Incredible. Extracting memories from individuals is extremely difficult. For a fifteen-year-old to achieve it," said Larissa, who had watched the entire memory extraction process.
She was familiar with this advanced blue aura technique. It was rarely seen in action, as its primary use was to present evidence against an individual or a group of individuals.
She was also astonished when she learned that Luke possessed a blue aura. The boy had hidden it very well. For some reason, she felt proud that Luke also had Sophie's aura.
"Luke is not a normal fifteen-year-old," Wednesday said. Larissa looked at her in surprise. It was very rare for this girl to compliment anyone. She decided not to comment on it.
Wednesday wondered how Larissa would react if Luke told her that he possessed three auras.
'She probably wouldn't believe him until she saw it with her own eyes... Anyway, she won't know for now. Only I know,' Wednesday thought.
"Will you, now present all the evidence to the Outcast Police agents?" Larissa asked, approaching Luke as he carefully stored the vials.
"Yes. They'll be able to catch the Hyde, and that will put an end to the murders and Crackstone's resurrection ritual. Proving the Spellmans' guilt will take more time, right?" said Luke, and Larissa nodded.
"First, you need to file a report with the agents, providing details and useful documentation to support the claim. Since you have memory extracts, the process will be much faster, but they still need to evaluate the evidence. I'm not exactly sure how long it might take, but it won't be a process of just a few days or a week," Larissa explained, sharing what she knew about the outcast justice system.
'It's more bureaucratic than I imagined,' Luke thought, grimacing. Though it seemed much faster than the American normie judicial system. He wasn't very knowledgeable on the subject.
"What will you do with Marilyn?" Luke asked.
"For now, she'll stay in the old Nevermore cells. They used to be for uncontrollable Hydes many years ago," Larissa replied without any compassion.
"I need to go retrieve the Book of Shadows from Marilyn's—or rather Laurel's—office," Wednesday remarked. She wanted to recover her family's legacy, especially if it was a witchcraft book with dark spells.
"Absolutely not. A teenager with such a dangerous book in her hands? I'll return it to your parents when possible. I'll contact them," Larissa said, refusing without hesitation.
Wednesday clicked her tongue lightly and said nothing more. She knew that psychic books of dark magic were controversial. Although it was her family's, it was right for her parents to have it, not her, as she was still a minor and in an educational institution.
...
In the middle of the forest, a house in terrible condition could be seen. Combined with the darkness of the night and the sounds of nature, it created an unsettling atmosphere. The little light that came through the broken windows barely illuminated the interior. Only a single, dim torch was placed inside the house, casting long shadows.
This was the original cult house, where Crackstone had incinerated many innocent outcasts: adults, children, and the elderly—people of all ages.
The main room was large and had a high ceiling, but it was ruined by years of neglect. Several hooded figures were scattered across the room, standing apart from each other as if they barely wanted to converse.
"When is that stupid normie going to kill the last two people? I'm tired of waiting," said one hooded figure in a shrill, whining tone. Luke would recognize that voice anywhere. It was Sabrina Spellman.
"No matter how fast the Hyde acts and gets what's needed for the ritual, we'll still have to wait. Didn't you understand the ritual?" asked another hooded figure, leaning against a wooden wall. His tone was mocking, treating Sabrina like an idiot. The only person who would dare speak to her that way was her older brother, Sebastian.
"Of course, I understood the ritual! I'm just sick of being stuck in this dump and this shitty town," Sabrina replied, frustrated. She should be at the Academy of Dark Arts, a luxurious school reserved only for those of her high class.
There, she would be the most popular of all, with many followers ready to kiss her feet. She would be living her best years at school. Instead, she had been stuck for months in this crumbling house, monitoring a normie who controlled a half-breed Hyde to kill Luke Poe, a boy she hated. Ever since she was tasked with dealing with him, her life had been a nightmare.
"I told Father you weren't ready for this mission. He spoiled you too much. I could've killed him, and we wouldn't be here with all this mess," said Sebastian, his tone laced with hidden resentment.
It would have been an honor for him to end the centuries-old grudge his family held against the Poes. Yet, the task had been given to his stupid younger sister, just because she possessed two auras. This left him with no chance to be the next leader of the Spellmans.
"Shut up! You're just jealous because Father and the others chose me. I'm superior to you," said Sabrina, as flames emerged from her palms, ready to explode at any moment.
"Superior? You? Your two auras were useless against Luke Poe. They'll be even more worthless against me," Sebastian snapped, stepping away from the wall and glaring at Sabrina with hatred.
Flames appeared in Sebastian's hands as well, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
Amaranth watched the sibling rivalry with a smile. She wondered which sibling was stronger, thinking that Sebastian would win, as Sabrina had changed a lot in recent times.
Since Sabrina's defeat by Luke, she has become much easier to provoke and is constantly short-tempered. This made it easier to face someone angry all the time. She possessed a red aura of emotional manipulation, but ironically, couldn't control her own emotions. Being defeated for the first time in her life by Luke had affected her greatly.
"Silence, both of you," said a hooded figure sitting cross-legged. His voice was raspy. It was Atlas, the Gorgon. However, Sabrina and Sebastian ignored him and were about to fight.
"The normie has been captured. We must act immediately," Atlas commented, managing to stop the siblings, who looked at him in surprise.
"What happened?" Amaranth asked, equally surprised. She hadn't expected this normie, who had gone unnoticed for so many years without any issues, to be caught at such a critical moment.
"The seal I placed on the normie sent a signal. She's unconscious. Before that, she was briefly tortured. She's at Nevermore, so they must have captured her," Atlas briefly explained, shaking his head. He couldn't trust a stupid creature like a normie.
As a long-time follower of the Spellman family, Atlas had acquired dark magic spells. One of them was a seal he placed on Marilyn to monitor her without her knowledge. Since she was a normie, it had been very easy to put the seal on her.
'This can't be!' Sabrina thought. If that normie is captured, the Hyde won't attack Luke to kill him, and Crackstone won't be resurrected to attack Nevermore and target Luke in the process.
"What do we do? If she was caught at Nevermore, that means the principal is aware… If she's handed over to the outcast police, they'll be able to read her memories," said Sebastian. The most dangerous memory was Marilyn's conversation with them, where Atlas told her to kill Luke and gave her the enhancing drug.
"They won't have time. The normie will die in a few hours," Atlas said. The seal wasn't just for monitoring someone. When the seal was released, a lethal poison would spread through the bearer's body. For good reason, the seal was considered witchcraft.
"I see. Did the mission fail? Should we retreat?" asked Sebastian. It would be a huge waste of time, but continuing could put them in a dangerous position. After all, the outcast police were in Jericho, and they were helping revive a demonic normie. If they were caught, the excuse of the personal grudge between the Spellmans and the Poes wouldn't matter, since they were endangering all outcasts at Nevermore.
"We will continue. We will resurrect Crackstone. We know the method," Atlas said decisively. Their mission was clear: kill Luke Poe no matter what.
No one knew their identities, and as long as they remained hidden, the Spellman family couldn't be blamed—or so Atlas thought.
'Why does Father want to kill Luke Poe at all costs?' Sebastian thought, confused and surprised by Atlas's decision. He understood the family grudge, but attacking Nevermore was risky, especially if they were discovered. His stupid sister had almost been exposed last year.
When Luke's father was at Nevermore, they never tried to attack him while he stayed at the school. He didn't understand why they wanted to kill Luke now instead of waiting a few years until he left Nevermore when it would be much easier to go after him.
"Let's go. We need to get to where Deacon is," Atlas said, leaving the house. As usual, Deacon was keeping watch over Tyler, even though it was late at night.
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lessLuke dodged a dark blast at the last moment. His eyes were covered by a black blindfold. He was in the secondary gym, training with Wednesday, who was helping him improve his observation haki.
"You used telekinesis to dodge that hit. We said you couldn't help yourself dodge with your yellow aura," said Wednesday, annoyed that her attack had been evaded.
Although Luke's movement was minimal, he was aided by a telekinetic wave that shifted him at the last second to dodge Wednesday's attack. This unnatural movement was caught by the sharp eye of the gothic girl.
"That attack was dangerous. You should hold back when you're training," Luke complained.
Wednesday's attacks were fast and came from unexpected angles. Despite her body being superior to that of a normie, it was still difficult for Luke to dodge the attacks using only his observation haki. He didn't have a physically enhanced body like Luffy's.
If his opponent was faster than him, he wouldn't be able to dodge the attack in time. Using telekinesis to boost his speed or move at the right moment to evade made it much easier to avoid the strikes.
"You weren't in any danger. I calculated the power well. You'd only have suffered a few scratches. Stick to the rules you set and only use clairvoyance," Wednesday said, and Luke reluctantly nodded. He should go back in time and punch himself for setting those rules.
'I have to be faster. Even if he uses his telekinesis, he shouldn't be able to dodge my attack,' thought Wednesday. With a flick of her hand, she launched another dark blast at Luke.
But that wasn't all. She disappeared and reappeared a few meters behind Luke, using her technique that allowed her to travel through shadows.
The moment she emerged behind Luke, she sent another dark blast toward him. She repeated the process once more, launching the same attack again.
Three dark blasts were speeding toward Luke. Since they were fired at slightly different times, even if only by a second or two, it allowed Luke to attempt dodging them.
He managed to avoid the first one with some margin. The second one was a close call, and the third he couldn't dodge. It hit his left arm, knocking him down and throwing him to the ground from the force of Wednesday's attack.
"Your body can't keep up with your brain," commented Edgar, who had been observing the entire practice fight.
[Yeah, I know. You don't have to say it,] Luke grumbled from the ground. He needed better reflexes and more speed.
"You have three options," Edgar said, unfazed by Luke's grouchiness. He was used to it by now.
"The first is to improve your physique. As an outcast, your body is better than that of normies, but it has its limits. You won't be able to match werewolves, vampires, or Hydes unless you have a green aura. So, I wouldn't recommend that option. Besides, you're already at a good level compared to when you first arrived in Jericho," Edgar explained calmly.
Luke listened attentively. Edgar was an excellent teacher. His strength had improved by leaps and bounds thanks to him. Compared to when he first arrived in Jericho, his power had changed drastically, and it had only been a year and a few months.
"The second option is to use your telekinesis. With your current pseudo-precognition combined with telekinesis, you could react to attacks that your body wouldn't be able to. The Addams girl likely wouldn't be able to touch you if you used both abilities. However, you'll never achieve true precognition if you stay in that state. In life-or-death battles, I'd recommend using all your power, but to improve, it's best to train each skill separately," Edgar said, and Luke internally agreed.
When Edgar referred to the pseudo-precognition, he meant Luke's observation haki. This ability allowed Luke to sense another person's intent to act in the immediate future, through killing intent, bloodlust, or intentionality in combat. It wasn't seeing the future—it was predicting what someone was going to do seconds beforehand. That's why Edgar called it a pseudo-precognition.
True precognition gave you the ability to see the actual future. Basically, like the future sight in One Piece, which is a very advanced level of observation haki.
Edgar had told Luke that he possessed this ability when he was alive. It was a very advanced skill, harder than flying or memory extraction. Luke had been stuck in his training since the holidays.
"The third option, and the one I recommend you apply in your training, is to wear a blindfold and only use your pseudo-precognition. No other ability. Not even your domain. If you use the latter, the blindfold becomes pointless. Eventually, you'll improve," Edgar said.
[I'll do it...] said Luke. It would be painful, as he would take many hits, but if he managed to achieve true precognition, it would be incredibly useful in combat. Combined with his telekinesis, he'd be nearly untouchable in most situations.
"How long have you been there?" Luke asked, snapping back to reality. He had noticed through his domain that Wednesday was sitting on the ground beside him.
"Five minutes," Wednesday replied, looking at Luke, who was still lying on the ground.
"Sorry... I got distracted," Luke said, moving from lying down to sitting up straight, with his hands resting on his legs.
"You've been distracted these past few days. What's on your mind?" asked Wednesday, stretching out her arm and pulling off Luke's blindfold so she could look at him.
'It's rare for her to show concern for me,' Luke thought.
Since the trip to Pilgrim World, his relationship with Wednesday had steadily improved. Luke had stopped worrying about it and decided to let things happen as they would. He had tried to push her away before, but he had failed miserably.
"A lot has happened these days. Marilyn died—"
"Laurel. That's her real name," Wednesday interrupted.
"Yes, Laurel... Tyler disappeared, and there's no trace of the hooded figures," Luke continued.
"They must have figured out somehow that Laurel was captured," Wednesday said, switching to her detective mode.
Laurel died hours after Luke had extracted her memories. The cause? Poison. How ironic.
The next day, Tyler disappeared. His father, the Sheriff, didn't know where he had gone. It had been five days since then, and he still hadn't returned. The hooded figures had also vanished. The agents from the outcast police division visited the original cult house, but it was deserted.
The old Gates mansion, where Laurel had kept the mutilated parts of her victims, had also been cleared out. The hooded figures moved quickly.
In addition to this, Luke had filed the initial report about the hooded figures. Antony, the outcast police agent, took charge of the entire process. Luke handed over the audio recordings and photographs he had gathered during this time. Along with the evidence Larissa had obtained, they almost immediately proved Laurel's guilt, though her death would complicate things a bit further.
Laurel's death and the disappearance of Tyler, the half-breed Hyde, made Antony believe Luke's story based on the audio recordings and photographs alone. The hooded figures were real, and they were behind all of this. As for the Crackstone resurrection ritual and the identities of the hooded figures, that was a more delicate matter.
They would need to review the memories Luke had extracted. Antony was quite surprised to learn that Luke possessed a dual aura and could use such advanced techniques. As for Luke using these techniques, he wouldn't face any punishment.
The procedures worked differently for outcasts. They could have denied Luke the use of that technique on Laurel if they had known she was the killer, but Luke was one step ahead of them, so they couldn't blame him.
Luke didn't hand over the memory extracts. Unlike the other evidence, he had no copies; these were the originals. The agents had to return to the congress, a place that housed several members of his arch-enemy family. He wouldn't risk having them stolen, even if the possibility was minimal.
So, he requested that they bring the special device to Nevermore. Antony agreed. He was very understanding and acknowledged Luke's concerns. His partner left Jericho, taking all this information to the council and promising to return with the device to read the memories.
Antony stayed behind, as the hooded figures and the Hyde were still on the loose, and there was a potential resurrection ritual that could bring back the demonic normie, Crackstone.
"Their goal is to kill you. If they captured Tyler, they could continue with their original plan of using him to murder you. They probably have no idea you've presented evidence against them, revealing their identities," Wednesday commented.
"Yeah... What worries me is the ritual. I don't know if those bastards will want to continue it," Luke said, frowning. The plot had been altered. Although Laurel was dead, the Spellmans knew how to resurrect Crackstone, and they could try.
"Why so worried? The odds are against them. They need to kill two more people, attack Nevermore to retrieve the Book of Shadows for the ritual, and finally reach Crackstone's crypt on Raven Island. For that, they'd need to kidnap me, so they'd have to attack Nevermore again. We know all of this, so we just need to be prepared," said Wednesday, who didn't seem concerned about her safety at all.
"Also, the eclipse will be in exactly one month and ten days. So they will attack that night, which makes things easier for us. We just need to prepare for that day," she added.
'She's right. They're at a disadvantage. The outcast police will return with the special device by then. If they attack on the night of the eclipse and their identities are revealed, the charges against them will be worse. That benefits me,' Luke thought with a strange expression. In the end, the hooded ones might be heading to their own graves, figuratively speaking.
"It seems you understood. This will only benefit you when they are declared guilty," Wednesday said.
"Hey, don't say it like I'm an idiot. I was just worried about you. I don't want you to get attacked because of your blood," Luke said.
"Oh, you're worried about someone. That's rare to see," Wednesday commented, maintaining her blank expression, but her eyes had a slightly different shine than usual.
"Rare? I've worried about you more than once. It's strange that you worry about someone. Is the option to care about others included in your software?" Luke said with a slight teasing smile.
"My concern is reserved for certain occasions. Less than five minutes ago, when I asked you what you were thinking, I was worried about you," Wednesday replied, and the slight smile on Luke's face vanished.
'I forgot about that,' Luke thought. His little jab had been repelled in seconds.
"What's wrong? Did your tease not work?" Wednesday asked. Her lips barely curved in what could have been a subtle smile.
Wednesday leaned in slowly toward Luke and kissed him. She liked the confused expression he wore when her sarcastic jibe didn't work. That happened very rarely.
'Lately, she's been more direct,' Luke thought as he accepted the kiss. He knew that Wednesday had a straightforward personality, but he didn't expect this to extend to kisses since it's human contact and she hates that. Only he managed to achieve such things, and he felt it was a great accomplishment.
Unfortunately for him, the kiss didn't last long. "Enough. Let's keep training," Wednesday said as she got to her feet.
"Fine," Luke replied, taking the blindfold and tying it over his eyes.