Summer passed, and with it came the return to Nevermore.
The academy grounds were alive again.
Students filled the courtyard, voices overlapping as new arrivals dragged luggage across the stone paths while older students reunited in small groups.
The atmosphere carried that familiar mix of curiosity and unease—Nevermore had a way of making even a normal school day feel like something more was lurking beneath it.
Ethan stood near the entrance, watching the movement with a faint smirk.
"Nevermore… I missed you," he said. "It was getting pretty boring staying at home."
His gaze shifted across the crowd, picking out familiar faces among the new ones.
Not far from him, Selene walked across the courtyard, already dressed in formal attire. She wasn't here as a student. The fencing hall had a new instructor this year.
Ethan's attention shifted when a voice called out behind him.
"Ahh, you must be Mr. Corvin. One of the board members of this school."
Ethan turned.
Walking toward him was a man with a perfectly measured smile, his posture confident and composed as if he already belonged there.
Barry Dort.
Ethan's expression didn't change, but there was a brief flicker of confusion in his eyes.
"You…?" he said, clearly caught off guard. "What are you doing here?"
Out of everyone, this was the last person he expected to see at Nevermore right now.
In the original events, this guy was supposed to become the principal after Principal Weems' death. But Weems was still alive—Ethan had already changed that.
So what the hell was this scammer doing here?
Barry stopped in front of him, completely unfazed by the reaction.
"I expected some surprise," he said, his tone smooth. "Allow me to clarify."
He adjusted his coat slightly before continuing.
"I'm Barry Dort, recently appointed as the Vice Principal of Nevermore by the board of directors."
Ethan's expression sharpened.
"And I wasn't informed?" he asked. The tone stayed controlled, but the irritation underneath was clear. As a board member, this wasn't something that should have happened without his knowledge.
Barry remained composed.
"You weren't present at the meeting," he said smoothly. "The board proceeded in your absence."
Ethan's gaze didn't leave him.
Barry continued, his voice calm but deliberate.
"There were concerns after last year. Principal Weems' decisions led to a series of incidents that placed multiple students at risk. The situation escalated beyond what the board considers acceptable."
He paused briefly before adding the part that mattered.
"Allowing a normie teacher onto Nevermore grounds nearly resulted in a major breach. Had things gone differently, it wouldn't have been contained to the school. It could have affected the entire outcast community."
The implication hung between them.
Barry took another step closer, lowering his voice slightly.
"The board has lost confidence in Principal Weems' judgment," Barry said. "They believe Nevermore requires… supervision."
A faint smile returned to his face.
"That is why I was sent here. To ensure the academy returns to its previous glory."
Ethan looked at him in silence for a moment.
Yeah… glory, he thought. Meaning gather a lot of funding and transfer it into your own account, and disappear when things start falling apart.
His expression didn't change, but his opinion was already set.
Is the board actually blind enough to let someone like him become vice principal?
Barry studied him carefully, clearly trying to read his reaction.
"I wonder," he said, adjusting his sleeve slightly, "would I have your support?"
Ethan didn't answer right away.
He glanced past Barry toward the academy building, where students continued moving about like nothing had changed, then looked back at him.
There was a brief pause.
"Yeah…" Ethan said casually.
He turned and started walking away without elaborating further.
Barry remained standing there, watching him leave.
The answer sounded like agreement.
But the way it was given made it impossible to tell if it actually meant support.
Ethan had barely taken a few steps when he was suddenly blocked.
A group of freshers in Nevermore uniforms surrounded him, their faces filled with excitement and curiosity.
At the front stood a girl with red hair braided into two neat plaits, straight-cut bangs framing her pale face, and sharp, attentive eyes.
Ethan paused for a second.
He recognized her.
Agnes.
"Can I… can I have your autograph?" she asked, holding out a notebook toward him.
Ethan blinked.
"Autograph?" he repeated, clearly caught off guard. "Am I some sort of celebrity?"
Agnes nodded immediately.
"Yes! You're the one who helped save Nevermore from the Hyde," she said, her voice full of admiration. "You went head-to-head with a monster and won. Everyone's been talking about it."
The other students murmured in agreement, clearly just as impressed.
"Among outcasts, you're considered one of the strongest," she added.
"Ummm… I'm not really good at autographs," he said, scratching the back of his head slightly. "How about a selfie?"
The reaction was immediate.
Agnes's eyes lit up even more, and the students behind her started whispering excitedly as they quickly pulled out their phones.
"Really?!" she asked.
"Yeah," Ethan said, already resigning himself to it. "Just make it quick."
Within seconds they crowded around him, trying to squeeze into the frame. Someone held up a phone while others leaned in, smiling like they had just met a celebrity.
Ethan stood there in the middle of it.
The camera clicked.
Then again.
And again.
By the time it was over, the group stepped back, still buzzing with excitement.
"Thank you!" Agnes said, clutching her phone like it was something valuable.
'It seems Wednesday's stalker might have added me to her stalking list.'
*****
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