00:15 AM
Luke left the house past midnight. His objective was to ‘visit’ Shadyside’s only cemetery and loot some graves.
He decided to go in his female form since he didn’t want to risk being seen in his male form. Unlike Wednesday, he didn’t have spectacular stealth. While his clairvoyance was helpful for figuring out how to move, it wasn’t foolproof.
If there was a group behind these disappearances, it was better to play it safe and avoid flying around recklessly.
Wednesday also went out, but her destination was the Shadyside police station.
‘This town feels dead at this hour,’ Luke thought as he walked briskly, his hands tucked into the pocket of his black hoodie. His head was covered by the hood, though a few golden strands escaped, swaying slightly with each step he took.
It seemed normal for a town with fewer than five thousand residents, especially on a weekday when there was school in the morning and adults had work.
However, Luke knew that people disappeared here. As he walked, his thoughts began to drift to who might be behind these vanishings.
‘A Hyde, like the one in Jericho?’
‘No, impossible. A Hyde is a loud and flashy killer,’ he thought, shaking his head.
A Hyde would need to have incredible self-control, and that’s difficult for their kind, given their strong killer instincts and emotional instability. They’d need someone to back them up and cover up their murders. But this shouldn’t be the case here.
If a Hyde were active in Shadyside, rumors of a serial killer would have already started circulating, even if dismissed as superstition. No matter how careful, sooner or later someone would have noticed something: a trail of blood, a scream in the night, something tangible. In Jericho, the Hyde’s attacks had been brutal. And while it had a puppeteer controlling it, its wild nature left behind clues that eventually led to its exposure.
In contrast, Shadyside was too quiet. There were no murder stories, not even vague suspicions. The crimes here seemed designed to vanish into thin air, as if the person-or people-responsible weren’t just capable of eliminating their victims but also erasing any trace of their existence.
Luke passed in front of a small supermarket, its bright lights fully on since it was open 24/7. One of the few places still operating at this hour.
In the parking lot, near the curb and just a few meters from the supermarket entrance, three figures sat, talking quietly to pass the time: Violet, Simon, and Kate. They were aimlessly hanging out, as they often did on nights when boredom dragged them anywhere.
‘Shit, what are they doing here?’ Luke thought without turning his head. He noticed the presence of the three normies thanks to his domain, which wasn’t extended too far. He had assumed he wouldn’t run into anyone on his way to the cemetery, at least not anyone he knew.
So, he kept his domain limited to just a few meters.
Violet, Simon, and Kate stopped chatting and stared at the hooded figure walking by. It wasn’t common to see someone wandering the streets of Shadyside past midnight, let alone someone so covered up that it made them look suspicious.
“Hey, who’s there?” Simon muttered, raising an eyebrow as his eyes followed Luke’s figure.
Violet squinted, focusing on the blonde strands peeking out from under the hood. Something about the figure’s build and way of walking felt familiar.
“Wait a second… isn’t that Tuesday?” Violet asked, standing up from the curb.
Kate tilted her head, trying to make out more details, but Violet was already convinced. The familiarity was unmistakable.
“Tuesday!” Violet called firmly, her voice cutting through the stillness of the night.
Luke didn’t stop. Instead, he quickened his pace. However, he was careful; keeping a human- like speed was crucial to avoid raising suspicion among the normies.
“Hey, wait!” Violet said as she started walking briskly toward Tuesday. Simon and Kate also stood up and followed her.
“Looks like the night’s about to get interesting,” Simon said with a faint smile. Finally, something to break the monotony of Shadyside’s routine.
Kate let out a sigh. “Yeah, because there’s nothing better than chasing someone through the streets in the middle of the night,” she commented sarcastically, though deep down, she was curious.
What was the new girl, the one who had turned the school upside down, doing walking alone at this hour?
Luke, knowing that Violet and the others would catch up to him, began to think.
‘Should I erase their memories?’ he thought, but internally shook his head.
It would be easy. But… where’s the fun in that?
How boring would grave robbing be without a little chaos and company? he reflected, a new idea forming.
It might be fun to see how Shadyside’s rebellious teens react when they find out Tuesday, the perfect, popular new girl, wants to rob graves. They might even tag along-and who knows,
maybe help out.
“What?” Luke asked with feigned irritation, letting his melodic yet dry tone linger in the air. “Oh, it is you,” Violet replied, crossing her arms. “Why were you ignoring us?” “Ignoring? I’m here talking to you. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Luke said.
Violet sighed, knowing arguing with Tuesday was pointless. “Whatever…” she muttered, rolling her eyes.
“What are you doing out here? It’s late, and there’s school tomorrow,” she added, her gaze scanning Luke from head to toe, noting the clearly suspicious attire: a black hoodie and dark pants, seemingly designed to blend in.
“And what about you? You can be out at this hour, but I can’t?” Luke countered.
“Well, we’re not exactly the model students you’re supposed to represent, are we?” Kate chimed in.
“Ideal model? I don’t know where you got that from,” Luke said. They had seen him arrive late, smoke, and act arrogantly and manipulatively he was clearly no ideal role model. “Seriously, what are you doing here? It’s not normal for someone like you to be wandering around alone at this hour,” Violet insisted.
Luke stayed silent for a few seconds, as if hesitating to answer. It would make his response
more believable.
“Let’s just say I’ve got a nighttime project,” he finally said.
“A project?” Simon asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah, I’m going to rob a grave. Well, one grave… maybe two or three,” Luke replied casually,
as though he were announcing a trip to the store.
There was a brief silence. The three of them stared at him, clearly expecting him to add something more or take it back, but Luke simply crossed his arms and waited.
“Is this a joke?” Simon finally broke the silence.
“No. I’m serious, and an extra pair of hands would be useful. What do you say?” Luke asked
with a slight, tempting smile that made the three of them hesitate.
“Wait, wait. Are you serious? Why would you want to rob a grave? That’s a crime,” Violet exclaimed, frowning with disbelief.
Being rebellious or breaking a few rules was one thing, but this bordered on the bizarre, something that sounded more like a dark cult than a simple teenage prank.
“Selling drugs is also a crime, Violet,” Luke replied with a smirk of irritation, as if the question were a waste of time. “As for why I’m doing it… it’s to confirm a theory.”
“What theory?” Kate asked, intrigued.
If it had been anyone else, she’d have dismissed them as a weirdo and looked at them with disdain. But this was Tuesday.
“Well, it’s related to Violet’s investigation into the disappearances in Shadyside,” Luke
answered.
The mention of her investigation made Violet’s eyes widen. “H-how do you know about that?!” she stammered, her voice filled with astonishment and a hint of embarrassment. Kate was equally shocked. As Violet’s best friend, she knew about the investigation and had even accompanied her on several occasions to explore the town, mostly out of boredom and
for fun.
“Simon told me,” Luke said.
Two pairs of eyes turned toward Simon, who raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “Relax, it was an accident. It’s not like I was broadcasting secrets. It just… slipped out, and then I ended up telling her everything because she was so insistent,” Simon explained. “Simon!” Violet snapped, her face flushing red. Part of her was embarrassed that someone else knew about her investigation-something that had consumed her entire summer, only for her to abandon it when even her friends didn’t take her seriously.
“Relax, Violet. I’m not here to mock you or anything,” Luke said before Violet could continue
scolding Simon.
Violet blinked, somewhat surprised by her serious tone.
“Your investigation wasn’t as far-fetched as you think,” Luke continued and began
explaining to all three of them the reasoning behind his plan to dig up the graves. After five minutes, Luke finished speaking, and silence fell over the group once more.
“So, you’re saying that all the people leaving Shadyside are being kidnapped by some unknown group? And that the same thing applies to the elderly who supposedly died of natural causes?” Simon asked, his expression skeptical.
“Yes. If we dig up the graves of these elders who supposedly died, I’m sure we won’t find bodies, just dirt,” Luke replied confidently.
The silence returned. Simon and Kate didn’t look particularly convinced by such a wild idea.
However, Violet seemed astonished that someone was actually taking her investigation
seriously. And no less than Tuesday.
“You… believe in my investigation?” Violet asked in a soft voice.
“Yeah. Why else would I be out this late digging up graves?” Luke said.
“Are you coming or not?” he added impatiently.
“I’ll go,” Violet said without hesitation. Finally, she had the chance to confirm if her
investigation was correct. If the graves were empty, it would prove without a doubt that something sinister was going on. They had a tangible way to uncover the truth.
Kate and Simon exchanged glances before agreeing. Both were naturally rebellious, and while the idea sounded absurd, there was something enticing about the mystery. Besides, they couldn’t let Violet go alone or pass up the chance to join Tuesday, the new girl who seemed
so unattainable.
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