The silence stretched.
Neither vampire looked away.
The clearing felt smaller somehow.
As if the entire cemetery had narrowed down to a single moment.
A single question.
How does a twelve-year-old vampire destroy an entire settlement?
Lucien waited.
Patient.
Adrian remained silent.
Watching.
Listening.
Neither seemed interested in rescuing the conversation.
Which was unfortunate.
For them.
Mayson tilted his head slightly.
"You're making an assumption."
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
The older vampire folded his arms.
"Which assumption?"
"That the reports were accurate."
For the first time since arriving, Lucien smiled.
A real smile.
Small.
But genuine.
"Interesting."
"Not particularly."
"Oh, I disagree."
Lucien took another glance toward the monument.
"You didn't deny it."
A fair observation.
One Mayson chose not to respond to.
The older vampire laughed softly.
"There it is."
"What?"
"The part where you stop answering."
Mayson remained silent.
Lucien looked entirely too pleased with himself.
Adrian finally spoke.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
"You're annoying."
"I've been told."
The exchange felt strangely familiar.
Like two people continuing an argument that had started decades ago and never fully ended.
Lucien's attention returned to Mayson.
His expression sobered.
"The survivors described a boy."
Silence.
"A young vampire."
Another pause.
"They described someone who shouldn't have been capable of what happened."
The words settled over the clearing.
Mayson gave nothing away.
Years of training.
Years of practice.
Years of learning exactly how much expression could become information.
Lucien noticed anyway.
Not because Mayson reacted.
Because he didn't.
Interesting.
"You know something."
The statement wasn't accusatory.
It was observational.
"Everyone knows something."
Lucien sighed.
"That's a terrible answer."
"I thought it was accurate."
Adrian snorted.
Actually snorted.
Then immediately looked annoyed that he'd done it.
Lucien pointed at him.
"See?"
"I hate both of you."
"That's fair."
For a moment, the tension eased.
Only slightly.
Then it returned.
Because beneath the conversation sat a simple reality.
Lucien hadn't come here by accident.
He hadn't spent years chasing rumors for entertainment.
He wanted answers.
Real answers.
And Mayson suspected he wasn't the only one.
"Who are 'we'?"
The question cut through the silence.
Lucien looked at him.
"'We?'"
"You said we've been looking for you."
The stranger nodded slowly.
"I did."
"So who is we?"
For the first time, Lucien hesitated.
Not long.
Just enough to matter.
"Several groups."
Interesting.
"Factions."
Lucien nodded.
"Some."
Adrian immediately looked irritated.
"That's more information than you should be giving."
"I know."
"Then why are you giving it?"
Lucien smiled.
"Because he'll figure it out eventually."
Mayson filed that away.
Factions.
Plural.
Watching.
Investigating.
Interested.
Nothing surprising there.
Though confirmation was useful.
The wind shifted.
Leaves rustled overhead.
Clouds drifted across the moon.
Shadows stretched through the clearing.
Lucien looked toward the forest.
Then back.
"You've attracted attention very quickly."
"I've noticed."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
The stranger studied him.
Carefully.
"You think this is about curiosity."
Silence.
"It isn't."
That got Mayson's attention.
Lucien stepped toward the monument.
His gaze settled on the carved words.
The Fallen of Black Hollow.
"When old powers begin moving…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"Smart people pay attention."
Mayson frowned.
"Old powers."
Neither Lucien nor Adrian answered immediately.
And that alone was an answer.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because suddenly the cemetery felt different.
Not like a historical site.
Like a warning.
"You're speaking in riddles again."
Lucien sighed dramatically.
"I was doing so well."
"You really weren't."
Adrian nodded.
"He's right."
Lucien looked personally offended.
The older vampire folded his arms.
"Fine."
He turned back toward Mayson.
"You want a direct answer?"
"Yes."
"Something is changing."
Silence.
"In Broken Falls."
Another pause.
"And people are beginning to notice."
That was better.
Not perfect.
But better.
"What kind of change?"
Lucien shook his head.
"That part I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Honestly.
Interesting.
Mayson believed him.
The stranger continued.
"But I know movement when I see it."
His gaze drifted toward the graves.
"The founder families are paying attention."
Toward the forest.
"Old enemies are paying attention."
Then directly at Mayson.
"And for some reason…"
A pause.
"They're paying attention to you."
The words lingered.
Mayson thought about the watchers.
The figures in the woods.
The constant observation.
The strange feeling that people were waiting for something.
It fit.
Unfortunately.
Adrian broke the silence.
"Which brings us back to the real problem."
Lucien nodded.
"Exactly."
Mayson raised an eyebrow.
"What real problem?"
The two older vampires exchanged a glance.
One of those irritating looks people used when they already shared information.
Then Adrian answered.
"Nobody knows which side you're on."
The statement caught him off guard.
Only slightly.
"Side."
"Yes."
"I don't have a side."
Both vampires immediately looked unconvinced.
Mayson sighed.
"That's not my problem."
"It becomes your problem when other people disagree."
Lucien's response came instantly.
Fair.
Annoying.
But fair.
The clearing fell silent once more.
Then—
A phone vibrated.
All three vampires froze.
Mayson frowned.
The sound had come from Adrian.
The older vampire stared at his pocket.
Clearly annoyed.
Lucien blinked.
Then laughed.
"No."
Adrian slowly removed the phone.
His expression somehow became even more irritated.
"Don't."
"Is it them again?"
Lucien asked.
"Yes."
"What happened this time?"
Adrian looked at the screen.
Then closed his eyes.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Finally—
Mayson asked the obvious question.
"What?"
Adrian lowered the phone.
His expression had become completely serious.
The amusement was gone.
The irritation was gone.
Everything was gone.
Only concern remained.
That immediately got Mayson's attention.
Because throughout the entire night, Adrian had remained calm.
No matter what happened.
No matter who appeared.
No matter what was discussed.
This was the first thing that genuinely disturbed him.
"What happened?" Mayson repeated.
Adrian looked directly at him.
Then at Lucien.
Then back at Mayson.
And quietly said:
"Someone broke into the founder archives."
Silence.
The night itself seemed to stop.
Lucien's smile disappeared instantly.
"Tonight?"
Adrian nodded.
Another vibration.
Another message.
The older vampire looked at it.
Read it.
Then swore.
A single sentence followed.
One that changed the atmosphere completely.
"They didn't steal money."
A pause.
"They didn't steal artifacts."
Another pause.
Then Adrian looked directly at Mayson.
"They were searching for Winchester records."