The figure stepped fully into the moonlight.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Mayson studied the newcomer.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Pale skin.
Calm posture.
Nothing immediately stood out.
Yet every instinct told him this wasn't an ordinary encounter.
The stranger's presence felt different.
Controlled.
Deliberate.
Dangerous.
Not because he was trying to appear dangerous.
Because he didn't need to.
Adrian's expression had become unreadable.
Which was saying something.
Until now, the older vampire had seemed almost impossible to surprise.
Now?
Something had changed.
Not fear.
Recognition.
The stranger noticed.
A faint smile appeared.
"Adrian."
His voice was smooth.
Almost friendly.
Almost.
"Lucien."
Adrian's response carried significantly less warmth.
Interesting.
They knew each other.
Lucien glanced between them.
Then his attention settled on Mayson.
The smile remained.
Though it never reached his eyes.
"So."
Silence.
"There you are."
Mayson didn't respond immediately.
The stranger seemed content to wait.
Eventually—
"You've been looking for me."
Lucien nodded.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"A reasonable question."
"Then answer it."
The newcomer actually laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough to show amusement.
Adrian looked unimpressed.
"You ask questions exactly like they said you would."
That caught Mayson's attention.
"They?"
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"The people interested in you."
Not helpful.
Intentionally not helpful.
Mayson folded his arms.
"You're being vague."
"You're being impatient."
From the corner of his eye, Mayson noticed Adrian trying very hard not to laugh.
Traitor.
Lucien slowly walked closer.
Not aggressively.
Confidently.
Like someone who expected nobody present to stop him.
"Let me ask you something."
Mayson remained silent.
The stranger continued anyway.
"How much do you know about your family?"
The second family-related question of the night.
Interesting.
"Enough."
Lucien blinked.
Then looked at Adrian.
Adrian sighed.
"Don't."
Adrian pointed at Mayson.
"He does that."
For the first time, genuine amusement appeared on Lucien's face.
"Ah."
Silence.
Then—
"That explains a lot."
Mayson was beginning to suspect everyone in existence found this conversation entertaining except him.
The clearing grew quiet again.
Moonlight illuminated the ancient monument behind them.
The names of the fallen remained etched into the stone.
Watching.
Waiting.
Lucien eventually turned toward it.
His expression changed immediately.
The amusement faded.
Respect replacing it.
"You brought him here."
The statement was directed at Adrian.
Not a question.
"Yes."
Lucien nodded slowly.
For several moments he simply stared at the monument.
Then he looked at Mayson again.
"Do you know what this place represents?"
"No."
"Good."
The answer caught him off guard.
"Good?"
Lucien nodded.
"People who know too much about Black Hollow tend to have short life expectancies."
Adrian looked annoyed.
"You're not helping."
"I'm not trying to."
Mayson resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Barely.
The conversation felt like everyone else had already read the book while he was still trying to find chapter one.
A situation he disliked immensely.
"Enough."
Both older vampires looked at him.
Good.
Finally.
"If you're going to keep talking around the subject, I'll leave."
The statement was simple.
Direct.
Honest.
Lucien studied him carefully.
Then laughed.
Again.
"You really don't like being manipulated."
"No."
"Good."
The stranger nodded once.
"Neither do I."
For the first time, Lucien's expression became serious.
Truly serious.
The shift happened instantly.
Like a mask being removed.
"The reason we're interested in you isn't because you're a Winchester."
Mayson remained still.
Listening.
"It's because of what happened four years ago."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Adrian closed his eyes briefly.
As if he'd been hoping this wouldn't happen tonight.
Mayson's attention sharpened immediately.
Four years ago.
Twelve years old.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lucien continued watching him.
Carefully.
Studying every reaction.
Every movement.
Every breath.
"There are stories."
The stranger's voice remained calm.
"Records."
Another pause.
"Witness statements."
Nothing showed on Mayson's face.
Years of practice ensured that.
Internally, however, several alarms had already activated.
Lucien noticed anyway.
Not the thoughts.
The focus.
The attention.
"There was a settlement."
His eyes never left Mayson.
"It was destroyed."
Adrian sighed.
Long and slow.
"Lucien."
The warning was obvious.
"I know."
Lucien's gaze remained fixed on Mayson.
"But we're long past pretending this conversation isn't coming."
The clearing became impossibly quiet.
Even the forest seemed to be listening.
"There were only two survivors."
The words landed heavily.
Measured.
Deliberate.
Mayson said nothing.
"Most people dismissed the reports."
Lucien folded his arms.
"They assumed the witnesses were mistaken."
Another pause.
"They assumed a child couldn't be responsible."
Silence.
Then—
"They were wrong."
For several seconds nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Adrian looked away.
Toward the monument.
Toward the trees.
Anywhere except Mayson.
Lucien continued.
"Some people believe the reports."
His voice remained calm.
Controlled.
"Those people have spent years asking the same question."
The stranger took one final step forward.
Moonlight illuminating his face completely.
"How does a twelve-year-old vampire destroy an entire settlement?"
Silence.
The question hung between them.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Ancient.
Mayson met his gaze.
Neither looked away.
Seconds passed.
Then more.
Finally—
A faint smile appeared on Mayson's face.
Not amusement.
Not humor.
Something colder.
More controlled.
Because after hours of half-truths, hidden histories, and carefully worded conversations—
Someone had finally asked a direct question.
And now the real problem wasn't whether Mayson had answers.
The real problem was deciding how many of them he was willing to give.