Galpin stared dazed across the lights at Tyler chatting with Wednesday, festival noise blurring distant.
Aleksander gripped his shoulder firm. "He's still your son. Needs you now more than ever—keep eyes on him."
Galpin nodded, voice gravel. "I owe you one, kid."
Aleksander nodded, then cut back through the crowd to Wednesday and Enid.He clocked Xavier with Rowan nearby—Xavier glaring daggers at Tyler.
Aleksander could easily tell, there was some rough history between the two.
Tyler had just slipped Wednesday Gomez's police report. She scanned it quick, face stone.
Tyler shifted, awkward. "Your dad's Police file, When he was in Nevermore. Explains why my dad hates him. You okay?"
Aleksander stepped up. "Correction—he hated him before."
Tyler eyed Aleksander curious, but he waved it off. Enid grinned sly. "We gotta slip Principal Weems—or she'll leash us here."
Aleksander nodded, flicking his wrist. Telekinetic pulse—Weems' coffee cup flipped mid-sip, splashing hot across her dress. She bolted up, gasping at the stain, eyes snapping to the group.
Gone.
Aleksander, Wednesday, Enid, and Tyler wove through the festival crowd. He froze. "Company."
They turned—Lucas, Jonah, James, Ricky, and Carter, Pilgrim World thugs, bats gripped tight. Lucas' gleamed metal. Here to finish Wednesday and Aleksander.
Lucas bellowed, "Now you get it, freak!"
Aleksander smirked, palms igniting with wispy vibrant green energy.Lucas swung—bat froze mid-air. Telekinetic yank twisted it wild, cracking against Jonah's ribs, James' jaw, Ricky's knee. Carter dove—thwack to the temple.
Lucas gaped, confused, as his own bat whipped back—lights out.
While the crowd was not able to fully register what happened, since Aleksander made sure mess with there minds a bit to confuse them a bit.
Aleksander, Wednesday, Enid, and Tyler peeled back from the groaning Pilgrim pile, crowd murmuring as lights flickered overhead.Wednesday bumped Rowan shoulder-to-shoulder—skin contact sparked. Vision ripped through: Rowan's body crumpled in shadows, throat slashed, eyes glassy, blood pooling under Ferris wheel struts. Death. Soon.She froze, breath catching sharp, eyes distant
Rowan spotted Stitch darting excited into the dark woods—bolted after him.
Aleksander pinged Wednesday's spike of dread, telepathy humming. "Vision?"
"Rowan," she said flat.
He bolted behind Rowan and Stitch, he saw both of them already vanishing into the forest.
Aleksander glanced back over his shoulder—no Tyler anywhere. Hyde form. He's the killer.
Aleksander burst through the trees, spotting Rowan scoop up Stitch mid-stride. "For something so little, you're quite fast."
A hulking shadow shifted ahead. Aleksander focused—Tyler in full Hyde form: monstrous pale grayish-white skin stretched over an emaciated hunch, long slender arms and legs ending in massive claws. Bony fingers flexed menacing; small head topped with wiry reddish-brown hair patch, bulging red eyes glowing feral, jagged teeth bared in a snarl.
Rowan locked rigid, shock-frozen.
Stitch wriggled free, dropping into a crouch with wild eyes. "You! Ihk-ihk! Me smash you last time!"
Tyler's Hyde from froze—It was PTSD jolt from their last brutal clash, claws twitching hesitant.
Aleksander seized the opening, palms flaring vibrant green. " Bindings of the Norns! "
A glowing magic circle ignited beneath Hyde's feet—rune-etched, pulsing. Countless ethereal threads erupted, coiling snake-fast around claws, torso, limbs. They tightened vicious with every thrash, drawing pained snarls.Hyde bucked wild—threads bit deeper, locking him rigid.
Hyde roared fury—but threads snapped tight over his muzzle, stifling it to muffled snarls. His bulging red eyes locked on Aleksander, glowing hate.
Aleksander extended his palm. Golden dust shimmered into existence. He blew gently. "Go to sleep."
The dust swarmed Hyde's face like fireflies—eyes fluttered, body sagged limp in the bindings.
Aleksander waved his hand. "Back to human."
Hyde's form shuddered, gray skin receding in rippling waves. Tyler dropped naked into the threads, unconscious.
Rowan stared, piecing it together. "Tyler... he's the one killing everyone."
Aleksander shook his head. "He's a pawn. Someone's controlling him."
Aleksander waved his hand. Golden dust swirled around Tyler's naked form, igniting a soft glow. Black jeans and a hoodie shimmered into existence over his skin, fabric settling crisp. His body levitated smoothly, threads dissolving into sparks.
He led the floating Tyler back toward the festival lights, thumbing a quick text to Enid: Tyler secured. Hyde confirmed. Heading back.
Rowan trailed close, Stitch scampering alongside—poking the unconscious, hovering Tyler with one curious claw. "Ihk? Still sleep?"
Rowan glanced at the floating Tyler. "Where you taking him?"
"His house," Aleksander said. "Already told his father the situation."
He thumbed a text to Sheriff Galpin: Tyler secured. Hyde confirmed. Best shot to cure him now. Meet at edge?
His grimoire held the rituals—potions to sever the master's leash, cure the beast without breaking the boy.
Minutes later, Wednesday, Enid, Xavier, and Sheriff Galpin waited at the forest edge. Galpin's truck headlights sliced the dark, engine idling low.
Galpin saw the floating Tyler and broke into a run, hands frantically checking his unconscious son. No blood, no wounds. He let out a shaky breath. "What the hell happened?"
"He transformed into Hyde and tried to attack Rowan just now," Aleksander said evenly. "I got there in time and knocked him out."
Galpin turned to Rowan, who nodded confirmation. "It's true."
Aleksander stepped closer. "We need to get him to your house for now. You still have that safe room your wife used for her transformations, right?"
Galpin nodded, jaw clenched tight.