"It smells like death…"
Those words Jonathan thought and said at the same time wouldn't leave Wednesday's mind. She wondered if something would happen while they were on this plane, which was supposed to make a stop near their original destination.
After the Slenderman and Hyde incident in Jericho, she was well aware that evil could appear in the most unexpected places imaginable.
For example, this plane was the only one flying due to the short distance it would travel before making a stop. But that simple fact left her intrigued, thoughtful, and alert.
"Ma'am, can you please quiet your kid?"
"Go to hell, idiot."
"We're all thinking the same thing. I didn't pay for a VIP seat just to listen to your damn kid cry the whole flight."
Wednesday turned her head, scanning everything around her. The murmuring of passengers filled the cabin, blending with the steady hum of the air conditioning. A flight attendant walked by with a smile, but it felt forced, as if she knew something the others didn't.
Wednesday slowly turned her face toward Jonathan. He was staring out the window, his expression the same as always—but not calm. There was something else in his eyes.
A serenity so perfect it seemed artificial, as if his body was there, but his mind had already seen the end.
"Are you sure about flying?" Wednesday asked softly.
Jonathan didn't answer right away. His breathing was steady. Finally, he turned to her and said, "Did you see something?"
"No…"
"Then it doesn't matter if I'm sure or not." Jonathan smiled carelessly and said, "Destiny doesn't ask for permission."
Before Wednesday could reply, something changed. The air seemed to vibrate—a feeling imperceptible to everyone except her. The sound of the plane became distant, distorted, as if someone had covered her ears with water.
She blinked, and in an instant, the surroundings warped.
Clang!
The white ceiling light began to flicker, and the murmuring of the passengers turned into a hollow echo.
Jonathan was still there, but his figure seemed wrapped in a faint glow—a silhouette barely separated from reality.
The plane rolled down the runway. The engines roared with a force that made the ground tremble. Wednesday felt the seatbelt press against her chest as the plane began to lift off.
And then she saw it.
A line of fire crossed the left wing. The metal twisted as if it were paper, and the roar became a scream.
The air filled with smoke, screams, and shining fragments that floated in slow motion.
An oxygen mask fell in front of her, swaying gently, and for a moment, Jonathan's face looked calm amid the chaos.
"It's already happened…" Jonathan said, unmoving.
Flames engulfed them, the ceiling tore apart, and the world tilted into a burning void.
Wednesday tried to scream, but no sound came out.
Everything was wrapped in fire.
And then—silence.
Boom!
…
Wednesday opened her eyes, her hands trembling.
Everything was exactly the same.
The plane was still on the ground, the passengers calm, the flight attendant still offering water.
Wednesday blinked, gasping softly, her heart racing.
Jonathan was still beside her, looking out the window as if nothing had happened.
He turned his head slightly, and with that same unnerving calm, said, "Now you understand, don't you?"
"What?"
"Your power is incredible. You don't need to be in the middle of chaos to earn the respect of others. Your ability keeps getting stronger—it's the only thing I need to defeat any dark entity."
Wednesday looked at Jonathan with admiration and asked, "You knew?"
"Death is near…" Jonathan wasn't sure if what he was seeing was really a scene he remembered from an old saga of stories.
Those who defied death, no matter how hard they fought, found that it claimed its debt much faster than they ever expected.
As the two talked, a shout came from behind them just as the plane was about to take off.
"I really saw it! This plane is going to crash!" Alex shouted, jumping into the aisle and drawing the attention of everyone around him.