Oliver quietly washed the coffee cups in the back room, occasionally glancing through the service window at Tyler.
He still couldn’t believe it.
The cheerful guy chatting with customers and wearing an easygoing smile was the same person who would eventually become a Hyde and tear people apart.
Never judge a book by its cover.
He carefully picked up another cup.
“Easy…” Ever since gaining his strength, even washing dishes required concentration — if he wasn’t careful, the cups wouldn’t survive.
Just then, a sharp buzzing filled his ears.
The conversations inside the café suddenly became unnaturally clear.
Customers placing orders.
The espresso machine steaming milk.
Tyler joking with someone at the counter.
Then the sounds from outside pushed their way in — people talking as they walked past, car engines, footsteps, a bicycle bell ringing somewhere down the street.
For nearly a minute, every sound overlapped until it felt like they were all happening right beside him.
Then, just as suddenly, the noise faded.
Oliver rubbed his temple.
“…This is becoming a pain in the ass.”
His hearing had been getting sharper every day.
At this rate, Superman’s super hearing would fully awaken sooner rather than later.
He hated the thought.
Who the hell would want to hear everything happening around them all the time?
That wasn’t a superpower — it sounded more like a punishment.
How does Superman live with this?
A faint crack interrupted his thoughts.
Oliver looked down at the cup in his hand.
A long fracture ran from the rim to the base.
“…Damn.”
He glanced around to make sure no one was in the back room, quietly opened the small window above the sink, and tossed the broken cup into the dumpster behind the café.
Then he picked up another cup and continued washing as if nothing had happened.
***
By the time Oliver finished his shift, night had settled over Jericho.
After helping clean the café and putting away the last of the dishes, he changed out of his apron, grabbed his bag, and headed for the door.
Tyler was already outside, unlocking his car. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
“Hey. Which way are you heading?”
Oliver pointed toward the road leading out of town.
“That way.”
“I’m driving in that direction for a bit. If you want, I can give you a ride.”
“No, thanks. I prefer walking.”
“You sure? It’s getting pretty dark.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Tyler didn’t press the issue.
“Alright then. See you tomorrow.”
“See you.” Oliver gave a small wave before continuing down the road.
He waited until Tyler’s car disappeared around the corner before letting out a quiet sigh.
“That was close.”
The fewer people who knew he attended Nevermore, the better — after spending the entire afternoon getting rejected because of the school, he wasn’t about to volunteer that information to his new coworker.
Leaving the town behind, Oliver followed the road toward Nevermore.
The streetlights became scarce, and the surrounding forest gradually swallowed the road in darkness.
Crickets chirped from somewhere in the trees while the wind rustled the leaves overhead.
Oliver glanced at the dark woods on either side.
“…This place is creepy at night.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking, hoping nothing decided to come out of the forest before he reached the academy.
Just as he was about halfway through the forest road, a faint rustling came from somewhere deep among the trees.
He stopped.
The sound came again.
Leaves shifted.
A branch snapped.
Oliver stared into the darkness for a few seconds.
“…Nope.”
He turned on his heel and broke into a sprint.
Just because he had Kryptonian durability didn’t mean he was suddenly fearless.
Bullets, sure.
A punch?
Fine.
Ghosts?
Absolutely not.
Oliver ran the rest of the way without looking back.
Within minutes, the towering silhouette of Nevermore Academy emerged from the darkness.
Under the moonlight, its gothic towers and stained-glass windows looked even more unsettling than they had during the day.
“…This place somehow looks creepier at night.”
Slowing to a walk after passing through the gates, Oliver let out a relieved breath.
“Enough for one day.” He adjusted the strap of his bag and headed toward Caliban Hall.
***
The next morning, Wednesday sat silently in the passenger seat as Principal Weems drove toward Jericho.
Neither of them spoke for several minutes.
Outside the window, the forest slowly gave way to the familiar streets of the town.
“I trust you’ve remembered today’s appointment,” Weems said, keeping her eyes on the road.
“I tried to forget.”
“It’s court-ordered, Wednesday.”
“I’m painfully aware.”
“You could at least attempt to cooperate.”
Wednesday didn’t bother looking at her.
“I fail to see how discussing my feelings with a stranger who charges by the hour is a productive use of my afternoon.”
“It’s called therapy.”
“It’s called legalized extortion.”
Weems sighed, clearly having heard every variation of the argument before.
“Dr. Kinbott is trying to help you.”
“I’ve found that people who insist they’re trying to help are usually the ones who require the most supervision.”
“You might be surprised.”
“I doubt it.”
The car rolled to a stop outside Dr.
Kinbott’s office.
Weems switched off the engine before turning to Wednesday.
“I’ll be waiting when you’re finished.”
Wednesday reached for the door handle.
“I was hoping you’d say you’d be gone.” Without another word, she stepped out of the car and walked toward the therapist’s office, her expression as indifferent as ever.