Nate sat in the nurse's office, a cold pack pressed to his bruised ribs.
Outside, sirens wailed.
Inside, silence reigned.
Eira stood by the window, arms folded, staring out like she could see something far beyond the buildings, beyond the town itself.
> "You did well," she said without looking at him.
Nate snorted, wincing at the pain.
> "Yeah. I almost died impressively."
Eira's lips twitched — not quite a smile.
> "Survival is an impressive skill. You'll need it."
---
Minutes later, Principal Halvorsen burst into the room, red-faced, fake concern dripping from every word.
> "We are deeply sorry about this, Nathaniel," he said, voice oozing.
"Security is being... reviewed."
Nate met his eyes and saw the truth:
Fear.
Not for Nate.
For himself.
Halvorsen knew something.
And whoever had sent those men... Halvorsen was scared of them.
Very scared.
Eira cut in smoothly.
> "We'll handle it. No need for further involvement."
"For your own safety," she added pointedly.
Halvorsen paled and retreated.
---
Later that evening, Nate followed Eira down a long, twisting stairwell hidden behind a janitor's closet on campus.
Down.
Deeper.
Past forgotten maintenance tunnels and rusting pipes.
Finally, they reached a thick iron door.
Eira pressed her palm against a scanner.
> Hiss-click.
The door swung open silently.
Inside was a small room — no bigger than a classroom — lined with old books, battered lockers, dusty monitors, and walls covered in maps and photographs.
The Whispering Room.
---
> "Welcome to the real Westbrooke," Eira said quietly.
She pointed to a faded map pinned across one wall.
It showed the town — but over it, dozens of red X's and marked zones were sketched.
> "These are the places they control," she said.
"Safehouses. Smuggling routes. Secret labs."
Nate's blood turned cold.
> "Who are they?"
Eira looked at him then — really looked — and for the first time, Nate saw uncertainty in her eyes.
> "We don't know," she said.
"Not fully."
---
She led him to an old locker.
Inside was a worn black duffel bag.
Inside that —
A sleek black pistol.
A burner phone.
A small encrypted laptop.
A silver ring carved with strange symbols.
And another envelope.
His name — again — in careful handwriting.
Nate's hands shook as he opened it.
Inside was a single sentence:
> "Trust only the broken."
Nothing else.
---
> "You're not a student anymore," Eira said softly.
"You're a piece on the board."
Nate closed the envelope carefully.
He wasn't scared now.
Not anymore.
He was angry.
Whatever was coming — whoever thought they could control his life — was going to regret it.
Badly.
---
Far above the Whispering Room, in an office overlooking the football field, Caleb watched the security feeds, frowning.
> "You weren't supposed to find her so soon," he muttered.
He picked up a silver coin from his desk, flipping it once, twice.
> "But that's fine," he said aloud, smiling thinly.
"This only makes the game more fun."
In the corner of the room, a shadow shifted.
A figure hidden by darkness.
Watching.
Waiting.
---