Chapter Two – The Town Gets Worse, Adrian Gets Kissed, and the Institute Learns Fast

The second day back began at 6:03 a.m. with Nina opening the town app, reading three new rumor threads, one badly edited short-form video, and a poll titled WHICH MEMBER OF THE WINCHESTER FAMILY COULD MOST EASILY RUIN YOUR LIFE AND YOU’D THANK THEM FOR IT, then putting her phone facedown on the counter and saying to the empty café:

“No. Absolutely not. I reject this whole town.”

By 6:11, Marta had seen the poll too.

By 6:13, Tasha had screenshotted the results.

By 6:15, the entire staff group chat had already entered active spiritual deterioration.

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Nina: the town made a poll Marco: about what Tasha: not what. who. Eli: i don’t like that tone Nina: dean john is winning Luis: as he should Marta: stop encouraging this Jenna: why is adrian in fourth place Tasha: because the town has no taste or survival instinct Marco: where is vlyluna Nina: second Eli: second??? Nina: the comments say people are “afraid of rejection” Tasha: correct

The town had not calmed overnight.

If anything, sleep had only made it worse.

By sunrise, the local gossip board had full threads dedicated to:

• whether the family’s return had increased property values on the whole block
• whether the café baby glimpse had been real or a “collective stress hallucination”
• whether Vlyluna and Adrian were officially together or just “aggressively orbiting”
• whether Dean John was a businessman, a crime lord, or both
• whether Sam Ross had ever smiled directly at someone and if yes, whether they survived

The media had gotten bolder too.

One regional culture page posted a dramatic slide set titled: THE BEAUTIFUL FAMILY OF THE WINCHESTER BLOCK RETURNS: WHAT WE KNOW

What they knew, unfortunately, was almost nothing.

What they assumed was a crime against journalism.