Mayson stared at the screen for several seconds after the second message arrived.
The truth about Broken Falls.
Simple.
Vague.
Annoying.
The perfect combination.
He typed another reply.
Who are you?
The message delivered.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Nothing.
His expression remained unchanged.
Whoever sent it clearly wasn't interested in having an actual conversation.
Which raised even more questions.
If they knew enough to contact him directly, then they probably knew more than they should.
And if they knew more than they should…
Why hide?
Mayson set the phone on the table.
The screen went dark.
The unanswered questions remained.
The next morning arrived cold and gray.
Clouds hung over Broken Falls as students filled the parking lot outside the school.
Mayson stepped from his car and immediately noticed the atmosphere.
Not fear.
Excitement.
The football game was tomorrow.
Everyone seemed to be talking about it.
Groups gathered near the entrance.
Someone carried school banners.
A few students were already arguing about scores.
Humans really enjoyed turning everything into a competition.
Not that he completely disagreed.
Competition had its uses.
As long as people remembered there was a difference between confidence and stupidity.
Unfortunately, many didn't.
Inside the building, Mayson headed toward his locker.
He had barely reached it when a familiar voice called out.
"Morning."
He glanced over.
Lily.
She was carrying a coffee cup and looked far more awake than most of the students around them.
"Morning."
She held up the cup.
"Want to know the secret to surviving school?"
"Caffeine?"
"Exactly."
Mayson nodded.
"Groundbreaking discovery."
"Thank you."
"I can see the scientific community is impressed."
Lily laughed.
"You're in a good mood today."
"Am I?"
"By your standards? Definitely."
That earned a slight smile.
Not enough for most people to notice.
Enough for Lily to notice.
Which seemed to happen more often lately.
They started walking toward class together.
Students moved around them in every direction.
Conversations blended into a constant background noise.
For a while they simply listened.
Then Lily spoke.
"You ever think about leaving?"
Mayson looked at her.
"Leaving Broken Falls?"
"Yeah."
The question caught him slightly off guard.
"Why?"
She shrugged.
"Just curious."
He thought about it.
Before arriving here, moving had never bothered him.
Cities changed.
Schools changed.
People changed.
The routine stayed the same.
Now the answer felt less straightforward.
"I don't know," he admitted.
Lily looked surprised.
"You actually had to think about it."
"Apparently."
"Huh."
"What?"
"I figured you'd have an answer immediately."
"So did I."
That made her laugh again.
The morning classes passed quickly.
History.
Math.
English.
Nothing unusual.
At lunch, however, that changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to get his attention.
Mayson was sitting with Lily and several football players when Tyler suddenly dropped into the empty seat beside him.
"You've got fans."
Mayson looked up.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Tyler pointed across the cafeteria.
Several students quickly looked away.
Lily immediately started smiling.
"Oh, this is going to be fun."
"It really isn't."
"It really is."
Mayson regretted sitting down.
Ten minutes later he discovered that apparently performing well during practice had become common knowledge.
Students were now expecting him to play well during the game.
Some even expected him to dominate.
Which was ridiculous.
Not because he couldn't.
Because expectations created attention.
And attention was exactly what he preferred to avoid.
Lily seemed to understand immediately.
"You hate this."
"Yes."
"I can tell."
"Good."
Tyler laughed.
"You'll survive."
"That's reassuring."
"You're welcome."
After school, football practice was even more intense than usual.
Coach clearly wanted everyone prepared.
The team ran drills.
Repeated formations.
Worked through mistakes.
Then repeated everything again.
Hours passed.
Most players grew exhausted.
Mayson didn't.
Which meant he had to continue pretending he was more tired than he actually was.
A surprisingly annoying skill.
One he'd been practicing for years.
By the time practice ended, the sun had already started dropping toward the horizon.
Players headed toward their cars.
Some planned celebrations.
Others discussed tomorrow's game.
Mayson grabbed his bag and started toward the parking lot.
Then stopped.
Someone was watching him.
Again.
The feeling appeared so suddenly that he nearly laughed.
At this point it was becoming a daily occurrence.
His gaze shifted casually across the area.
Nothing obvious.
No suspicious movements.
No visible observers.
Yet the feeling remained.
Persistent.
Patient.
Deliberate.
Different from yesterday.
Different from the others.
Interesting.
"You're doing it again."
Mayson looked over.
Lily stood nearby.
"Doing what?"
"That thing where you stare into the distance like you're solving a murder."
"I don't do that."
"You absolutely do."
He started walking.
She followed.
"Maybe you're secretly a detective."
"No."
"A spy?"
"No."
"A criminal mastermind?"
"Definitely not."
She looked disappointed.
"There goes my best theory."
The parking lot slowly emptied around them.
Eventually they reached their cars.
Lily leaned against hers.
"You ready for tomorrow?"
"Football?"
"Unless you've secretly joined another team."
Mayson considered pretending he had.
Unfortunately she'd probably keep asking questions.
"Yeah."
She nodded.
"I think you'll do fine."
"You haven't seen me play."
"I've seen enough."
Something about the way she said it made him pause.
Not because of the words.
Because she sounded certain.
Like she genuinely believed it.
No jokes.
No teasing.
Just confidence.
The kind people rarely offered without expecting something in return.
"Thanks."
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
Lily blinked.
Then smiled.
"You're welcome."
A strange expression crossed her face.
Amusement mixed with surprise.
"What?"
"You said thank you."
"I do that."
"Rarely."
Mayson sighed.
"You and Tyler should start a club."
"We probably will."
That sounded entirely possible.
Which was concerning.
Later that evening, darkness settled over Broken Falls once again.
Mayson sat at the kitchen counter.
His phone rested nearby.
Silent.
For now.
He kept glancing at it anyway.
Not because he expected another message.
Because he disliked unfinished puzzles.
And whoever sent those texts had just created one.
Hours passed.
Nothing happened.
No messages.
No calls.
No explanations.
Eventually he stood and walked toward the window.
The town stretched beneath the night sky.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Deceptive.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Something felt different.
Not wrong.
Different.
Like the town itself was holding its breath.
Waiting.
Then his phone vibrated.
Once.
Mayson grabbed it immediately.
A new message.
Unknown number.
Again.
This one was longer.
Tomorrow night. After the game. Come to the old Founders Cemetery. Come alone.
His expression hardened.
The cemetery.
Interesting choice.
He typed back.
Why?
The response arrived almost instantly.
Because some secrets were buried there before you were born.
A second message followed.
And some of them belong to your family.
For the first time since receiving the texts—
Mayson's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But enough.
Because that wasn't random.
That wasn't guessing.
Whoever this person was…
They knew something.
Something real.
Something connected to the Winchesters.
His gaze drifted toward the darkness outside.
Toward Broken Falls.
Toward the mysteries hiding beneath it.
Tomorrow was supposed to be about football.
A normal game.
A normal night.
Now?
He doubted it would stay normal for very long.
And deep down—
He had a feeling that once he stepped into that cemetery, there would be no turning back.