Lonely lupine - A Wenclair story of revenge, anger and love

Chapter 2: The Disappearance

The next morning, word of Wednesday Addams’ disappearance swept through Nevermore Academy like wildfire. It began as whispers among the early risers, hushed conversations in the dining hall, but soon the whole school buzzed with tension. Students exchanged nervous glances, their voices lowered as they speculated about what had happened.

Enid awoke to find her room empty. She’d barely slept, haunted by the encounter with the stranger and the fear for her missing friend. Her first instinct was to head to her's and Wednesday’s room, hoping against all odds that her friend would be there, waiting, safe and sound. But as she approached, her heart sank—the door was still shut, untouched, as though Wednesday had never returned.

Reality hit her hard. Wednesday was truly missing.

Enid's hands trembled as she knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, she turned the handle and stepped inside. The room was exactly as she’d left it the previous day—dark, tidy, with Wednesday’s neatly arranged books and strange collections on the shelves. The faint smell of old paper and candle wax lingered, but it felt lifeless, as though the room itself had sensed its occupant’s absence.

She moved over to the desk, her fingers brushing over a notebook left open. The pages were filled with Wednesday’s careful handwriting, observations of the shadows and symbols she’d been seeing around the school. Enid swallowed hard as she skimmed through them. Notes on ancient rites, theories about secret passages in Nevermore, questions that had yet to be answered.

A wave of guilt washed over her. She was onto something, Enid thought, clutching the edge of the desk. And I should have taken it more seriously.

Just then, a soft knock at the door startled her, and she turned to see Xavier standing in the doorway, his expression grim.

“Enid… everyone’s talking about it,” he said quietly. “They know Wednesday’s gone.”

Enid’s stomach twisted. “Do they know anything? Has anyone… seen her?”

Xavier shook his head. “No one’s seen her since yesterday afternoon. It’s like she just… vanished.”

Enid’s hands clenched into fists. “This isn’t right. She wouldn’t just disappear like that.” She met Xavier’s gaze, her voice fierce. “She’s been investigating something dark going on here. I saw her notes. She was close to something, and… I think that’s why she was taken.”

Xavier nodded slowly. “I believe you. But… we need to be careful, Enid. If someone, or something, took her, they might come after anyone else who tries to find out the truth.”

Enid’s jaw tightened, anger and frustration bubbling beneath her calm exterior. “I don’t care about the risks, Xavier. Wednesday is out there, and she needs us. I’m not going to sit back and let this happen.”

A flash of sympathy crossed Xavier’s face, but he didn’t argue. “Alright. Let’s figure out where to start. We need to get a better sense of what she was investigating. Maybe someone else knows more.”

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As they moved through the crowded hallways, they felt the shift in the atmosphere. Students glanced at them with a mixture of curiosity and fear, their conversations hushed as Enid and Xavier passed by. Whispers of “Wednesday Addams is missing” filled the corridors, and as they neared the common room, they overheard bits of speculation.

“I heard she was poking around the old library,” one student murmured. “That place is haunted, everyone knows it.”

“Some say she was looking for secret passages,” said another. “Maybe she found one and… couldn’t get out.”