The gates appeared out of the fog like something pulled from a dream Derek barely remembered.
Tall iron bars twisted into sharp shapes, crowned with stone gargoyles that watched silently as the car approached. Beyond them stood towering buildings of dark stone and stained glass, rising into the gray sky like they had grown there instead of being built.
Nevermore Academy.
Derek swallowed.
"So… this is real," he murmured.
His parents didn't answer. They didn't need to.
The gates creaked open slowly.
As the car rolled forward, Derek felt it instantly — a strange pressure in the air, like the shadows themselves were aware of him. Darkness pooled beneath trees and along the walls, deeper here than anywhere else he'd ever been.
His shadow stretched slightly across the seat beside him.
Almost… eager.
They pulled to a stop near the entrance steps.
And another car arrived at the exact same moment.
Black. Sleek. Dramatic.
Derek stepped out just as the other car door opened.
A girl emerged wearing a black dress with a sharp white collar, her long dark braids falling perfectly over her shoulders. Her expression was completely unreadable — calm, serious, almost bored.
She looked around once, unimpressed.
Derek froze.
"…No way," he whispered.
Wednesday Addams.
Not an actress.
Not a character.
Real.
Behind her stepped a tall, pale man with a thin mustache and a woman dressed elegantly in black, both radiating confidence and strangeness.
Gomez and Morticia Addams.
Derek stared for maybe a second too long.
Wednesday noticed.
Her dark eyes shifted toward him, studying him briefly — not curious, exactly. More like she was analyzing a puzzle.
"You're staring," she said flatly.
Derek blinked. "Yeah… sorry. This place is just… a lot."
"That is an understatement," she replied.
Silence followed immediately.
She turned away, clearly finished with the conversation.
Derek nodded awkwardly to himself. "Okay. Cool. Not a talker."
The large doors opened, revealing Principal Larissa Weems descending the steps gracefully.
"Morticia," Weems said warmly, embracing Wednesday's mother. "It's been far too long."
While they spoke, Weems' gaze shifted toward Derek and his parents.
"And you must be our new arrival as well."
Derek's mom nodded. "Derek. This is his first term."
Weems smiled politely, though her sharp eyes lingered on Derek a moment longer than expected — observant, calculating.
"Nevermore welcomes all Outcasts seeking to understand who they are," she said.
Derek felt strangely exposed under her gaze, like she already knew more about him than he did.
Wednesday stood nearby, clearly uninterested in introductions.
Inside, the academy felt alive.
Students moved through hallways in uniforms of black and purple. Some had fangs. Others had eyes that shimmered unnaturally. A boy's hand briefly turned to stone before returning to normal as he laughed with friends.
Derek tried not to stare.
He failed.
As Principal Weems guided both families through the halls, Derek walked slightly behind Wednesday.
She noticed without turning around.
"You walk quietly," she said.
He shrugged. "Didn't mean to."
"Most people make unnecessary noise," she replied. "It's inefficient."
"…I'll take that as a compliment."
She didn't respond.
They continued walking.
After a moment, Wednesday spoke again, her tone thoughtful.
"You feel different from the others."
Derek stiffened. "Different how?"
She glanced at the floor briefly.
"The shadows react to you," she said simply.
His heart skipped.
Before he could answer, Principal Weems turned toward them.
"This will be your dorm hall," she announced.
Students passed by, whispering slightly at the sight of new arrivals.
Derek noticed something strange — shadows along the walls subtly leaning toward him as he walked.
Only for a moment.
Only enough for him to notice.
Weems stopped before two doors.
"Wednesday, you'll be rooming with Enid Sinclair."
Wednesday's expression darkened immediately.
Derek almost smiled.
"And Derek," Weems continued, "we've prepared a room nearby while we assess… your particular abilities."
Her pause didn't go unnoticed.
"Yes, ma'am," Derek said.
As the tour ended and parents began saying their goodbyes, Derek felt the weight of it all settle in.
New school.
New world.
New life.
Wednesday stood a few feet away, completely unfazed by the emotional departures happening around them.
Derek glanced at her. "So… first day for both of us."
"Yes," she said.
"You nervous at all?"
"No."
He nodded slowly. "Yeah, that checks out."
A brief silence passed.
Then Wednesday looked at him again — longer this time.
"You punched someone before arriving here," she said.
Derek nearly choked. "How do you know that?"
"I read people," she replied calmly. "You carry guilt. And restraint."
She turned toward her dorm door.
"Try not to get expelled again," she added.
Then she walked inside, closing the door behind her.
Derek stood alone in the hallway.
A faint smile crept onto his face.
"…I think I'm gonna like it here."
Behind him, his shadow rose slightly along the wall before settling back into place.
Nevermore had accepted him.
And something within its darkness recognized him as one of its own.