The words settled over the clearing.
The history of Broken Falls began when Black Hollow died.
For several moments, neither spoke.
The monument stood between them beneath the moonlight.
Ancient.
Weathered.
Silent.
Mayson studied the names carved into the stone.
Some had been worn away by time.
Others remained partially visible.
Enough to tell a story.
Not enough to understand it.
Yet.
"What was Black Hollow?"
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked around the monument.
Running his fingers along the damaged carvings.
Like someone tracing memories.
Not stone.
Memories.
Eventually he stopped.
"A town."
Mayson waited.
Adrian glanced at him.
"A real one."
"I assumed."
The older vampire smiled faintly.
"Fair."
The smile disappeared quickly.
"It existed long before Broken Falls."
"How long?"
"Several generations."
Interesting.
Much older than he'd expected.
"And it died."
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
"How?"
The question lingered.
The older vampire's expression darkened slightly.
Not fear.
Not grief.
Something more complicated.
The look of someone remembering an event they wished they could forget.
"Violence."
The answer came quietly.
"Violence usually leaves records."
"Not when people destroy the records."
Mayson considered that.
A valid point.
Still.
Not enough information.
"You keep giving partial answers."
Adrian laughed softly.
"Because full answers require context."
"Then provide context."
The older vampire looked genuinely amused.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The Winchester impatience."
"I'm being reasonable."
"No."
Adrian shook his head.
"You're being curious."
The distinction wasn't entirely wrong.
Mayson decided not to argue.
The wind moved through the trees again.
Somewhere beyond the cemetery, an animal rustled through the undergrowth.
The night remained calm.
Too calm.
"Black Hollow was unusual."
Adrian's voice broke the silence.
"It attracted people."
"What kind of people?"
The older vampire looked at him.
"The same kind of people who built Broken Falls."
That wasn't much of an answer.
Adrian knew it.
"Vampires."
Mayson said it plainly.
"Among others."
The correction immediately caught his attention.
Among others.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"You mean humans."
"Some."
"Others?"
Adrian smiled.
And said nothing.
The silence itself became an answer.
Not a complete one.
But enough.
Mayson filed that information away.
For later.
There was no point pressing the issue right now.
Not when Adrian was clearly choosing what information to reveal.
The older vampire turned back toward the monument.
"Black Hollow wasn't hidden."
That surprised him.
"No?"
"No."
Adrian folded his arms.
"For a long time, it existed openly."
Mayson frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't now."
"Exactly."
Adrian nodded.
As if he'd expected that reaction.
"You're viewing the past through modern assumptions."
The older vampire gestured toward the monument.
"The world wasn't always organized the way it is today."
A fair point.
History had a habit of becoming simpler after enough time passed.
Reality was usually messier.
"The families here?"
Mayson asked.
Adrian nodded.
"Most of them trace their history back to Black Hollow."
His gaze drifted across the names.
"The Winchesters."
Another name.
"The Owls."
Another.
"The Blackthornes."
Several more followed.
Founder families.
The same names appearing repeatedly throughout town records.
"So what happened?"
Adrian's expression became serious again.
"The wrong people found it."
Silence.
Then—
"Who?"
The older vampire looked toward the forest.
His eyes seemed distant.
Focused on something years beyond the present.
Decades.
Maybe centuries.
"That's where the story becomes dangerous."
Dangerous.
Not difficult.
Not complicated.
Dangerous.
Mayson noticed the distinction immediately.
"To who?"
Adrian met his gaze.
"Anyone involved."
That answer carried enough weight to stop further questions for a moment.
Not because Mayson was intimidated.
Because Adrian believed it.
Completely.
The clearing grew quiet again.
Moonlight illuminated the monument.
Ancient names stared back from the stone.
A history nobody seemed willing to discuss openly.
A history someone had spent considerable effort burying.
Which naturally made Mayson want to uncover it.
Adrian sighed.
"You remind me of someone."
That was unexpected.
"Who?"
The older vampire smiled.
"A Winchester."
"Helpful."
"I thought so."
Mayson rolled his eyes.
Adrian actually laughed.
The reaction seemed genuine.
Which raised another question.
"How long have you known my family?"
The laughter faded.
Adrian considered the question carefully.
Long enough that Mayson immediately noticed.
Then—
"A very long time."
Not specific.
But honest.
"You knew them before I was born."
"Yes."
"Before my parents were born?"
Adrian hesitated.
Only briefly.
Then nodded.
"Yes."
That narrowed things considerably.
The vampire was old.
Very old.
Older than he'd originally assumed.
"How old are you?"
The question slipped out naturally.
Adrian's expression immediately became suspicious.
"What?"
"You asked."
"You don't have to answer."
"No, I definitely don't."
Mayson almost smiled.
Almost.
A branch snapped somewhere beyond the trees.
Both vampires turned instantly.
Silence followed.
Nothing moved.
Nothing appeared.
Yet something felt wrong.
Adrian's relaxed demeanor vanished.
Completely.
The change was immediate.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
The older vampire's posture straightened.
His attention sharpened.
Listening.
Mayson noticed.
"You expecting someone?"
"No."
That answer came too quickly.
The forest remained silent.
Then another sound.
Farther away.
Movement.
Careful movement.
Not an animal.
Too deliberate.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Damn."
The word was quiet.
Almost under his breath.
But Mayson heard it clearly.
"What is it?"
The older vampire didn't answer immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the darkness beyond the clearing.
Then—
"We're no longer alone."
Interesting.
Mayson had already suspected as much.
The scent arrived a second later.
Faint.
But present.
Not human.
Not vampire.
Something else.
Something unfamiliar.
That got his attention.
Immediately.
Because unfamiliar things were rare.
Especially here.
Especially lately.
Adrian slowly stepped in front of the monument.
Not aggressively.
Protectively.
Which raised several new questions.
A shadow moved between the trees.
Then another.
Too fast to identify.
Gone almost instantly.
Mayson's eyes narrowed.
"Friends of yours?"
"No."
The answer carried enough irritation to be believable.
Another shadow appeared.
Closer this time.
Watching.
Waiting.
Never fully stepping into the clearing.
The night suddenly felt much colder.
Not physically.
Instinctively.
The kind of feeling that appears seconds before something important happens.
Adrian's voice lowered.
"Listen carefully."
Mayson looked at him.
The older vampire's expression had become completely serious.
Every trace of humor was gone.
"If I tell you to leave—"
"I'm not leaving."
"That wasn't a suggestion."
"It wasn't an answer either."
For a moment Adrian simply stared at him.
Then, surprisingly—
He laughed once.
Short.
Disbelieving.
"Definitely a Winchester."
The movement came without warning.
A dark figure crossed between the trees.
Fast.
Far too fast for a human.
The clearing seemed to hold its breath.
Then a voice emerged from the darkness.
Cold.
Calm.
Unknown.
"So it's true."
The voice echoed softly through the cemetery.
Every sound disappeared afterward.
Even the wind.
Mayson turned toward the trees.
Toward the source.
Toward the unseen speaker.
The voice spoke again.
This time directed at him.
"We've been looking for you."
Silence.
Then the figure stepped into the moonlight.
And for the first time that night—
Mayson realized the mysteries surrounding Broken Falls were much larger than founders, hidden records, or forgotten towns.
Because the stranger staring back at him wasn't someone from Broken Falls.
And judging by Adrian's reaction—
That was a very bad sign.