Yeah, there could be color,

 ˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚

𝕋ℍ𝔼 canoes bobbed gently atop the glassy surface of the lake, each team poised and ready, paddles held firm in white-knuckled grips. The chill in the morning air buzzed with excitement and tension alike. Across the water, flags bearing the team symbols flapped in the breeze while spectators cheered from the shoreline.

Enid sat at the front of the Black Cats' canoe, her eyes scanning the water ahead. Then she glanced to her left and spotted Ajax, his curls tucked messily beneath his jokers hat, his expression nervous but focused. Enid's face lit up with a warm smile, and she gave him a little wave. Ajax caught her gaze, cheeks flushing, and looked away bashfully, a soft grin tugging at his lips.

"Focus," Wednesday said curtly from behind her, his tone clipped but kind.

Lilith, seated just behind him, leaned forward slightly, the wood of the canoe creaking under the subtle shift of her weight. She smirked, voice low and laced with mischief.
"Oh, come on, Wednesday. Let the boy bask in his girl's smile. Not all of us are as emotionally constipated as you."

He turned his head slightly, giving her a sidelong look—calm, measured, but with a sharpness that belied the heat in his chest.

"As I said," he murmured so only she could hear. "Keep this up and you'll be purring for me."

Lilith's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. She leaned in until her breath ghosted across his ear, her voice a whisper dipped in challenge.
"I'd like to see that... Mon Cher."

A muscle in Wednesday's jaw twitched. He flinched—not visibly, but enough for Lilith to catch it. Her smile widened, satisfaction flickering in her silver eyes as he turned away and gripped his paddle tighter than necessary.

The tension was broken by a mocking voice from the canoe just beside theirs.

"Well, well," Bianca drawled, her arms resting casually on the sides of her sleek siren-blue canoe. "What do we have here? The runt of the litter."

Wednesday didn't flinch. His eyes slid toward her, his voice cool and dry as ice.
"For the record, I don't believe I'm better than everyone else. Just that I'm better than you."

Bianca's smirk faltered.

"And" he added, without glancing back, "Lilith doesn't think she can burn the world down. She knows that she can."

Lilith's head snapped toward him, eyes wide in surprise, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn't expected that. Hadn't expected him to say it aloud like that. Something unspoken passed between them—flickering like a candle struggling not to go out in the wind.

Bianca scowled and turned away, lips pressed into a thin line. Xavier, sitting behind her, couldn't hide his grin as he leaned on his paddle and chuckled softly under his breath.

Principal Weems stepped forward on the platform, her voice echoing across the water.
"I want to welcome you all to the Edgar Allan Poe Cup," she announced with formal pride. "This is one of Nevermore's proudest annual traditions, dating back 125 years."

Wednesday looked down at the canoe's floor, where Thing waited tucked just beneath the seat, giving him a small thumbs-up.

"Each team must row across to Raven Island," Weems continued, "retrieve a flag from Crackstone's Crypt, and race back without sinking—or being sunk."

A pause. The air stilled.

"The first team to cross the finish line with their flag wins the cup, bragging rights, and a few... special privileges."

Weems raised a flare gun and aimed it toward the sky.

"Let the Poe Cup begin!"

The shot rang out, and chaos erupted.

The Black Cats surged forward, paddles slicing through the water with powerful, synchronized strokes. Enid whooped from the front, her energy contagious. Wednesday's focus narrowed like a blade. Behind him, Lilith paddled hard, her strength matching his, a quiet fury in her strokes.

The Jokers' team cut in beside them. "Excuse us!" Xavier shouted over the water, as their canoe glided forward with speed and surprising finesse.

Behind them, Bianca's team of sirens powered through the waves like a sea-borne army. Her eyes flicked toward the boy at her side. In silence, she gave him a sharp nod.

He stripped off his shirt without hesitation and dove into the lake with a splash, disappearing beneath the surface.

Moments later, the glint of scales flashed in the water—he had taken his siren form.

The Black Cats tore through the lake, slicing the dark water with smooth, practiced strokes. The canoe creaked with the strain, waves lapping violently against its sides as they surged ahead. The forest loomed closer, silhouetted by the grey wash of clouds above.

But peace was never meant to last.

Another canoe glided beside them like a shadow, its team clad in deep violet cloaks. One boy at the front, his face obscured by a hood, gave a twisted grin as he reached for something beneath the seat.

Click.

A mechanical sound snapped through the air—and an axe-like arm swung from the side of their canoe, slicing through the space where Lilith's head had been just seconds before.

She ducked instinctively, the blade brushing the top of her braid.

"Down!" Wednesday barked, his voice sharp.

The team dropped low as the weapon whooshed overhead, narrowly missing them.

The moment it passed, they surged forward again, muscles burning, hearts thudding. The air tasted metallic now—danger lingering in every breath.

Ahead, a sudden splash caught their attention. The siren boy—already transformed—moved beneath the surface like a silver arrow. He rammed his shoulder into the neighbouring team's canoe, sending it spinning.

"Turn! Turn!" their leader screamed, but panic had already rooted them in place.

The canoe struck a red buoy with a thunderous crack and splintered, hurling the team into the water.

Wednesday didn't flinch.

He set his paddle aside, calm amid the chaos, and raised his binoculars. Through the fogged glass, he spotted the sleek tail flicking beneath the water's surface, circling for another strike.

"Thing," he said coolly.

The hand scuttled from beneath his boot, eyes fixed on the small hidden lever built into the side of the canoe. With a snap of his fingers, Thing activated it. A small spear launched into the water, soaring with a whistle before expanding into a net. The siren thrashed as the net tightened, shimmering in the morning light like a silken cage.

Raven Island's thick forest came into full view, trees rising like jagged spires against the sky. The Jokers made landfall first, their laughter echoing as they disappeared into the trees.

The Black Cats weren't far behind.

Their canoe scraped against the shore with a jolt. Wednesday was already out, his boots crunching against the damp earth. He turned, voice brisk.

"Enid, guard the canoe. Make sure Bianca doesn't tamper with it."

"On it," Enid said, already scanning the treeline.

Wednesday turned to Lilith. Their eyes locked.

"Come on."

His hand extended toward her, fingers open. The moment she took it, there was something unspoken in his grip. Tension. Trust. Heat. He helped her out like a gentleman. As her feet hit the ground, their hands lingered a breath too long.

Neither of them said a word.

They ran.

Behind them, Enid gave a sharp nod to Thing. "I need a distraction."

The hand scurried off, mischief in every movement. From the cover of a log, Thing flicked a stone at one of the Jokers.

"Ow! What the—?"

Thing responded with an exaggerated middle finger.

"Hey! Come back here!"

Two Jokers gave chase, just as Enid slipped to their unattended canoe. Her claws gleamed in the light before she raked deep gouges into the wood, hissing through her teeth. Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Wednesday and Lilith sprinted past brambles and twisted roots. They weaved around fallen logs, shadows brushing their faces. The flag glowed faintly ahead tied to a stone altar, ancient and weathered.

Xavier and Ajax passed them, waving their own flag.

"Later, Wednesday!" Xavier called.

Wednesday didn't look up. His focus was razor-sharp.

He reached the altar first and grabbed the flag. The moment his hand touched the stone, he froze.

His breath hitched.

His head snapped back—eyes wide.

Then he collapsed.

"Wednesday!" Lilith caught him mid-fall, her arms slipping beneath his shoulders. His body was heavy with shock.

She dropped to her knees, cradling his head in her lap. "Come on. Not now," she muttered.

A laugh echoed through the trees. Bianca and another siren girl stepped into the clearing, smug and triumphant.

"Well, well," Bianca said, plucking her flag. "Taking a cat nap?"

Lilith didn't rise.

She didn't respond.

She placed her hand on the earth, fingers splaying wide. Her lips moved in slow, deliberate rhythm—Latin whispered like silk. A wind picked up from nowhere, cold, and hungry. Her irises faded into a foggy grey, and black veins etched like cracks beneath her skin.

The earth trembled.

From the soil, roots shot up—snakelike and swift—wrapping around Bianca's and her teammate's ankles, yanking them into place. "What the hell?!" Bianca hissed, struggling to move.

The trees groaned above.

A sound like thunder broke as hundreds of crows exploded from the canopy, wings beating the air in unison. The birds swarmed the girls—clawing, pecking, shrieking.

They screamed, flailing wildly.

Lilith's expression remained calm. Her eyes slowly cleared, and the black faded from her skin. The crows scattered.

Silence returned to the clearing.

Lilith looked down to find Wednesday staring at her—awake, breathless.

"...Lilith," he rasped.

She didn't speak. She just looked at him—really looked. As if seeing him in a new way. He reached up slowly, brushing a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. His fingers hovered at her jaw a moment too long. Her breath hitched. She felt it in her chest—the flicker of something dangerous.

Something tender.

He sat up. She helped him to his feet without a word. Their hands didn't break contact as they ran back through the trees.

When they burst from the forest, Enid was already waiting.

They leapt into the canoe, paddles ready.

As the Jokers team paddled their canoe began to collet water making them sink making the Black Cats paddled past them. "See ya, Jokers!" Enid called. "Later, clowns," Lilith added, flashing a grin. "Yeah," Enid said, breathless. "I asked myself... 'WWWD.'"

Lilith blinked. "What?"

"What Would Wednesday Do?"

Lilith looked at her—and then, truly smiled. "...Impressive." But her smile faded when she looked behind them. The Golden Bugs—Bianca's team—were cutting through the water with furious speed.

"They're gaining," she said.

The Black Cats tore across the lake like shadows unbound, the bow of their canoe slicing through the silver-streaked water. Raven Island loomed behind them, and ahead—victory. The finish line glistened like a mirage in the sun's dying light.

But the Gold Bugs surged beside them, their canoe gliding swift and silent like a predator's fin. For a moment, the teams were neck and neck, breath mingling with mist, tension palpable in the icy air.

Wednesday glanced sideways, his expression unreadable—but there was a glint in his eye, sharp and calculating. Without a word, he reached down and pulled a hidden lever beside his seat.

Clank.

Metal spears extended from the side of their canoe with a satisfying hiss, gleaming like fangs in the light. The Black Cats adjusted course, paddling closer—just inches from the Gold Bugs' hull, aiming to tear straight through it.

But the lake had one more trick to play.

From beneath the water, the siren boy surged upward, a blur of motion and scales. With one powerful push, he pushed the Black Cats' canoe, knocking them off trajectory. Water splashed into the air in a blinding spray.

He darted toward the red buoy again, intending to beat them to the finish.

But he hadn't accounted for Thing.

The disembodied hand launched from the boat like a missile, diving into the cold depths. Seconds later, a splash—as Thing's knuckles connected with the siren's eye hard.

The boy flinched, stunned, and sank beneath the water's surface again.

The Black Cats took the opening, veering sharply toward the Gold Bugs again—but the siren boy, relentless and furious, resurfaced with a snarl and rammed them once more.

The boat rocked dangerously.

"I've had enough of these damn fish," Lilith growled, her voice low, edged with venom.

She thrust her hand into the water.

Her eyes burned silver, flickering like a dying star. Her lips parted, and Latin slipped from her tongue, fluid and ancient, as if the language itself had chosen her.

The surface of the lake turned still.

Too still.

Then—movement.

Dark shapes bloomed beneath the surface. Not fish. Not sirens.

Shadows.

Long, skeletal hands wrapped in waterweed rose from the depths, grabbing the siren boy's tail and dragging him under. His scream was swallowed by the lake. More of the shadowy wraiths rose, slithering up the sides of the Gold Bugs' canoe.

Shrieks erupted as the ghostly forms climbed into the boat, clawing with fingers of dripping ink and smoke.

Panic struck the Gold Bugs like lightning.

"That's our chance," Wednesday said, his voice calm amidst the chaos.

With the Gold Bugs distracted, the Black Cats paddled hard. The spikes raked across the hull of the opposing canoe with a screech of splintering wood. Water poured in.

The Black Cats surged ahead.

The docks rose before them like salvation. Teachers and students waited, shouts echoing across the water.

Wednesday and Enid jumped from the canoe the moment it hit land. Together, they grabbed the flag, sprinting toward the finish line with the team close behind.

The crowd erupted.

"Whooooo!" the Black Cats cried as one.

Enid nearly leapt into the air, pumping her fist. "YEAH! We did it!"

Wednesday stood still for a moment, his chest heaving. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth—barely there, but enough to make Lilith's chest ache.

Beside her, Thing dragged himself onto the dock, flicking water from his fingers with a dramatic shake. "OMG, Wednesday!" Enid gushed, grabbing his arm. "We did it! This is literally the greatest moment of my entire life!"

Lilith chuckled softly, warm sound. She turned—just in time to see Eugene hurrying toward her. He wrapped her in a sudden, exuberant hug.

"Lilith! That was amazing!" he laughed. "You crushed it out there."

She hugged him back, a flicker of softness in her normally cold gaze. "Thanks, Eugene." Enid turned to Wednesday, teasing. "Admit it. You kinda got into the whole school spirit thing."

Wednesday didn't answer. His gaze had shifted.

Bianca and the Gold Bugs were crawling from their half-sunken canoe, drenched and furious. The siren boy coughed, dragging himself to shore like a defeated sea creature. A smirk played on Wednesday's lips. "You didn't tell me it was a dark, vengeful spirit." A voice answered beside him, low and amused.

"Would've ruined the surprise," Lilith murmured.

He turned just as she stepped closer, close enough for him to feel the cold brush of her breath against his cheek.

She looked up at him through damp lashes, something unreadable in her storm-coloured eyes.

Then—swift as a flicker of moonlight—she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

Soft.

Lingering.

"Well done, dark cloud," she whispered, a smile curving her lips like a secret.

Wednesday blinked. His expression didn't change, but something behind his eyes sparked—an emotion he didn't yet understand, couldn't quite name. He stood frozen, as though the moment itself had cast a spell. But Lilith was already gone—turning to join Enid, wrapping an arm around her waist as the two of them jumped and cheered like children. The cheers of the crowd swirled around him, but all Wednesday could hear was the echo of her voice and felt the kiss.

 ˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚

By: SilverMist707

(^v^) <3