Chapter 11-Unseen threats

We didn't talk as we ran.

Jace's grip on my arm was tight, pulling me toward the nearest exit behind the school. The sky had darkened quickly, and the air felt heavy, like the world was holding its breath.

I didn't dare look back.

I couldn't shake the feeling that whoever had been watching us was still out there. That we were being hunted — not for what we knew, but for what we were about to uncover.

We finally reached the edge of the woods behind the school, where Jace's car was parked. He unlocked the door with a quick click of his keys, and we both jumped in. He slammed the door shut and started the engine, speeding out of the parking lot without a second glance.

"Where are we going?" I asked, voice trembling.

Jace's jaw was set, eyes fixed on the road. "Somewhere safe."

"Safe?" I echoed, glancing nervously over my shoulder. "I don't think there's any safe place anymore."

He didn't respond. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, knuckles white. I knew he was as terrified as I was, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was coming. Something neither of us were prepared for.

We drove in silence for a while, until we reached a quiet, wooded area on the outskirts of town. Jace pulled into a small parking lot, hidden behind a thick row of trees.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"An old cabin my dad used to keep hidden out here," Jace replied, killing the engine. "He came here when things got bad. When people were looking for him."

I stared at the dark cabin in the distance. The windows were boarded up, and the place looked abandoned.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

Jace opened the door, and we both stepped out into the cool air. "Because we need answers. And if we're lucky, we might find them here."

I followed him as he led the way to the cabin. The path was overgrown, with vines and moss covering most of the ground. It was clear no one had been here in a long time.

When we reached the door, Jace hesitated for a moment, his hand resting on the doorknob. "I should have come here sooner," he muttered to himself. "But… I didn't want to face what was inside."

"Jace…" I whispered, but he didn't respond. He pushed the door open.

The inside of the cabin was dark and dusty, with furniture covered in sheets. There were old boxes stacked in the corners and shelves lined with books and old papers. The place smelled like dust and forgotten memories.

"We need to find whatever my dad left behind," Jace said, his voice quiet but determined. "The truth is in here. I know it is."

We split up, moving through the room in silence, searching for any clue that could explain everything — the letters, the threats, my mom's hidden past.

As I went through a pile of old boxes, my fingers brushed against something sharp. I pulled it out carefully — an old folder, yellowed with age, with the word "Nicole" written across the front in bold, messy letters.

I opened it slowly, scanning the pages inside.

Most of it was written in Tyler's handwriting. Notes, numbers, addresses. And then… something else.

A photograph. A black-and-white picture of my mom. But it wasn't the one I'd seen before. In this one, she was smiling — holding a small child in her arms. A boy.

Tyler's handwriting was scrawled across the bottom of the photo:

"Keep him safe. No matter what."

I stared at it for a moment, my heart thundering in my chest. This was more than just a friendship. Tyler had been involved in something far deeper than I ever imagined.

But the most terrifying part?

The boy in the photo wasn't Jace.

A noise from behind made me freeze. I turned quickly.

Jace stood in the doorway, his face pale.

"Someone's coming," he said, voice strained. "And they're not here for us."