Oliver looked down at the letter from Nevermore Academy before unfolding it completely.
The paper felt unusually expensive, thick enough that it almost resembled parchment rather than normal stationery.
At the top sat the dark purple Nevermore crest stamped neatly into the page.
His eyes moved toward the message underneath.
Mr.
Oliver Lopez,
We are pleased to inform you that your application to Nevermore Academy has been accepted.
Nevermore Academy has a long history of educating and supporting outcasts from diverse backgrounds while helping students develop their unique talents in a safe and welcoming environment.
Our academy offers exceptional academic programs, specialized extracurricular activities, and one of the largest collections of supernatural and historical archives available to outcast students.
We look forward to welcoming you to Nevermore Academy this semester.
Oliver lowered the letter slightly.
“…Safe and welcoming environment,” he repeated flatly.
From what he remembered about the show, that description felt dangerously misleading.
***
Two days later, Oliver stepped out of the taxi with a tired stretch while pulling his trolley bag onto the sidewalk.
Right in front of him stood the massive black gates of Nevermore Academy.
Dark stone walls towered behind them while twisted trees surrounded the academy grounds like something straight out of a gothic horror movie.
Fog rolled lazily across parts of the forest nearby, making the entire place look even more dramatic than it already was.
And somehow—
There was background music playing.
Oliver’s eye twitched slightly.
The faint eerie violin music was clearly not coming from anywhere nearby.
It was coming from the system.
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
The blue panel briefly flickered near the corner of his vision before disappearing again, though the dramatic soundtrack continued anyway.
At this point, Oliver had already decided ignoring the system was healthier for his mental stability.
“Nevermore Academy,” he muttered while dragging his luggage forward.
“This place seriously looks like the entrance to one of those horror web series where half the students die before graduation.”
The giant gates slowly creaked open as he entered the grounds.
The academy itself looked even bigger in person than it had in the show.
Towers stretched into the cloudy sky while stained-glass windows reflected dull gray sunlight across the courtyard.
Statues, gargoyles, and ancient stone pathways covered nearly every corner of the campus.
Oliver ended up walking nearly ten minutes before finally reaching the main building itself.
“…Why is this place built like a castle?”
He stopped near the entrance and looked around with visible confusion.
“Okay. So where exactly am I supposed to go if I want a dorm room and not accidentally wander into some cursed basement?”
Just as he pulled out his phone, someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
Oliver turned around.
Standing there was a blonde girl with bright colorful nails, a cheerful expression, and enough rainbow-colored accessories to make her impossible to miss.
Enid Sinclair.
Oliver froze for half a second.
‘…Enid?’
Meanwhile, Enid tilted her head while openly staring at him.
“Black hair with silver streaks… blue eyes…” she muttered while examining him carefully.
“Yep. Definitely you.”
Oliver blinked in confusion.
For a moment, his brain completely stalled.
He obviously recognized her because he had watched Wednesday before transmigrating here.
But why was she acting like she already knew him?
Before he could ask, Enid suddenly smiled brightly and extended her hand toward him.
“Hi! I’m Enid Sinclair. Principal Larissa Weems asked me to come pick you up.”
Oliver slowly shook her hand while still slightly confused.
“…Oliver.”
Meanwhile, Enid was internally trying very hard not to stare too much.
Because honestly?
The new guy looked ridiculously good.
With the black-and-silver hair, sharp features, and those clear blue eyes, he honestly looked less like a student and more like some actor pretending to be one.
Which, by Nevermore standards, probably meant he was either mysterious, dangerous, cursed, or all three together.
Enid gestured for Oliver to follow her before heading deeper into Nevermore Academy.
Oliver walked beside her while quietly observing the academy around him.
Students filled the hallways, though “normal” clearly did not exist anywhere inside this place.
One student casually levitated books beside him while talking to friends.
“…Okay,” Oliver muttered while looking around.
“This place is way crazier in person.”
Enid grinned proudly.
“Pretty cool, right?”
As they continued through the hallway, Enid suddenly looked toward him curiously.
“So, Oly, did you go to normie schools before this?”
Oliver immediately frowned.
“Please stop calling me Oly.”
“Nope.”
“You decided that weirdly fast.”
Enid smiled innocently before waiting for an answer.
“…Yeah,” Oliver admitted eventually.
“I went to regular schools before this.”
Enid’s eyes widened slightly.
“Oh wow. Then this place must feel super intense for you.”
“I think my brain stopped accepting reality twenty minutes ago.”
Enid laughed before nudging his shoulder lightly.
“So what are you anyway?”
Oliver looked at her.
“What?”
“You know what I mean,” Enid said.
“Werewolf? Psychic? Vampire? Siren? What type of outcast are you?”
Oliver stayed silent for a moment.
Then he answered calmly.
“I’m strong.”
Enid blinked twice.
“…That’s not a species.”
“It is now.”
“No seriously.”
Oliver looked completely serious.
“I’m just really strong.”
Enid gave him a doubtful look.
Without another word, Oliver reached down and lifted his trolley with one hand.
The fully packed suitcase rose effortlessly — no strain, no shift in posture, not even a slight adjustment for the weight.
He held it there for a moment, then set it back down.
Enid stared at him.
“…Okay,” she said.
“You are strong.”