The Secrecy!

Freya stood up, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, pacing a step before she turned to face the others. Her voice was strained, anxious.

“We need to tell the cops, now. If that note is real—if someone’s actually out for the Stags—then they need to be warned before it’s too late.”

Valeria rose too, her usual carefree tone now replaced by urgency.

“We can’t keep this to ourselves. Hiding it makes us just as responsible if something happens again. Everyone needs to know.”

Andrés, still leaning on the study chair like he wasn’t sitting on top of a murder mystery, raised both hands in mock surrender.

“Okay, okay, let’s breathe. Maybe we don’t go full panic mode just yet.”

He looked at Lucas, then back at the girls.

“Before we tell the cops and throw this into a full town-wide manhunt… how about we talk to the Duskwater Stags first?”

His tone dipped, just a bit more serious.

“Find out what the hell they’re hiding. Then we decide what comes next.”

Lucas nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the paper.

“He’s right. If this person wants them dead, then they’re already part of something they haven’t told anyone. If we go to the cops without knowing what it is, we’ll just lose control of it.”

Valeria scoffed. “Fine. But the second we talk to those jocks, we’re going to the cops. No playing detective any longer.”

Freya didn’t budge. “And what if something happens before that? What if waiting costs someone their life?”

Lucas looked at the others, his expression sharpening.

“How about we call the Stags?” he said. “Tell them to stay in one place—all of them. We talk to them before anything leaks.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. No more waiting.

Lucas grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts, then tapped on Daniel—one of the quieter guys from the Duskwater Stags, but always the most responsive.

The phone rang a few times before Daniel picked up.

“Yo?”

“Daniel,” Lucas said, his tone calm but loaded. “I need you to do something.”

There was a pause. “Uh… yeah? What’s up?”

“Get Ethan, Emil, and Caleb—all of you. Stay together. Don’t go anywhere until we get there. We need to talk. It’s important.”

A bit of resistance crept into Daniel’s voice. “What’s this about? We didn’t do anything, man. If this is about—”

Lucas cut him off, his voice firmer. “I know. Just… trust me. I know something. And I think you do too.”

Silence.

Then Daniel sighed. “Fine. We’ll be at the park. Near the pool. Just come quick.”

Lucas ended the call and looked up. Everyone was already on their feet, the same look on their faces.

That "don’t waste time, let’s go already" energy filled the room.

And so they moved—no more talk, just action.

They thanked Mrs. Hartwell on their way out—Lucas flashing a grateful smile, Andrés giving her a dramatic “thank you for your service, ma’am” like he was leaving a warzone. She just shook her head with a soft smile, used to their chaos.

In no time, the two bikes roared to life and took off down Duskwater’s winding roads. Lucas and Freya on one, Andrés and Valeria on the other. The air was crisp, the fog still hanging in patches around the trees as they sped through the quiet town.

A few minutes later, the bikes pulled into the town park, gravel crunching beneath the tires. The park sat quiet, but not empty. Kids played in the distance, and the shimmer of the public swimming pool glinted beyond a line of old benches and trees.

They got off the bikes and started walking.

Andrés, hands flailing, was mid-rant.

“I’m just sayin’, what if it’s like... a revenge thing, right? Like, Diego saw something. Liam found out too. And now whoever’s behind it is just crossing names off some hit list like a horror movie. This is literally how all those Netflix thrillers start.”

Valeria walked beside him, smirking.

“Ohhh wait, what if it’s a jealous ex-girlfriend situation? Or someone from another town? Or maybe—plot twist—it’s one of the Stags doing it.”

Lucas glanced at them, half-listening. “Y’all are spiraling.”

But Freya... she didn’t say a word.

She walked behind them, coat wrapped tight, hands tucked into her pockets. Her eyes were locked forward, scanning everything. Her gut was screaming, louder than it had all morning.

This felt wrong. This move felt wrong.

But she said nothing.

They kept walking—toward the pool, toward the Stags.

They reached the swimming pool, the faint sound of water sloshing against the tiled edge echoing under the open sky. The place was quiet. No sign of the Stags.

Lucas scanned the area. “They’re not here yet.”

Andrés crossed his arms, shifting on his feet. “Or maybe…” he started, his tone low and dramatic, “...maybe they’re not coming.”

The others turned to him.

He stared back, dead serious. “Maybe something happened.”

A beat.

Then, quieter—gloomy, almost haunted—

“Maybe someone’s dead.”

Valeria stiffened beside him. “Don’t even joke like that…”

Freya didn’t speak. For a second, she actually believed it. Her throat tightened.

Andrés looked between them all… then suddenly shrugged and said with perfect casualness,

“I mean, c’mon—it’s already been two murders today. They won’t go for a third. These killers? They like to take it slow. Let the fear marinate.”

Freya blinked, then frowned. “And how exactly do you know how killers plan their timelines?”

Andrés smirked. “Comic books.”

That broke it.

Freya burst out laughing, the first real laugh since morning. The cold edge in her chest melted instantly.

Valeria laughed too, shaking her head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yup,” Andrés said proudly.

Valeria added, grinning, “Honestly, I don’t think the killer would even bother with you, Andrés. He’d die listening to your jokes before getting the chance to stab you.”

Lucas chuckled. “She’s not wrong. If anything, the killer better pray you don’t catch him first.”

Andrés leaned back dramatically. “True. He’d confess just to make me stop talking.”

They all laughed—loud, raw, and real. For a moment, the fear slipped away. Just four friends, joking by the pool while the world around them cracked open.

A few minutes passed before the Duskwater Stags finally showed up near the pool.

Daniel led the way, dressed in a fitted black t-shirt and jeans, his wavy hair falling effortlessly into place, pale skin catching the sunlight. Behind him came Caleb, tall and built with dark skin, a sharp fade, button-up shirt under a grey sweater and casual jeans. Emil followed, clean and composed—his German-style haircut trimmed perfectly, a forest-green pullover over a collared shirt, tucked neatly into cotton pants. Last was Ethan, moving a little slower than the rest, his cozy hairstyle slightly messy, a simple t-shirt under an open shirt, with neat slacks. That usual relaxed vibe never left him.

Daniel walked up to Lucas. No words, just their usual clap-snap-pull-in handshake—cool as ever.

Valeria smirked, tilting her head. “I never get bored of watching that ridiculous handshake.”

Andrés stepped in, half serious, half playful. “So… you guys find out? About Diego?”

The Stags exchanged confused looks. Caleb’s brow furrowed. Ethan blinked. Emil stayed quiet.

Lucas swore under his breath. “Damn. Looks like you haven’t heard yet… not surprising. It’s barely been an hour.”

Caleb frowned. “What about Diego? Did he get in trouble or something?”

Andrés glanced at Lucas. Lucas gave him a small shrug—go for it.

“C’mon,” Andrés said, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s get comfortable first. This one’s heavy.”

The girls—Freya and Valeria—stood leaning against the far wall, speaking low between themselves. Not audible, but clearly paying attention.

The boys took seats near the edge of the pool. Silence stretched for a moment.

Then Andrés said it.

“Diego’s dead.”

Every face shifted.

Shock. Disbelief. Fear.

“He was found near the lake,” Andrés continued. “Dead. Like… brutally. You don’t even wanna know how bad.”

No one spoke. Caleb leaned back, eyes wide. Ethan ran a hand through his hair. Emil sat still, not blinking. Daniel’s jaw tightened.

Andrés opened his mouth to mention the note—

But Lucas cut him off.

He turned to the Stags, voice firm.

“We found something,” he said. “Something that makes it clear whoever did this… is after the Duskwater Stags.”

They all looked at him. Hesitant. Guarded.

Lucas leaned forward, no humor left in his voice.

“So I’ll ask just once…” he said, slow and sharp.

“What did you guys do?”

No answer.

Lucas didn’t let up.

“What are you hiding?”

His tone was colder now.

“Because if we don’t know what’s going on, there’s no way we stop this before there’s a third body.”

Still silence.

The four boys shifted uncomfortably. Eyes on each other. Words trapped behind tension and fear.

Lucas saw it.

They knew something.

And whatever it was…

It was enough to get someone killed.

Andrés looked at Caleb, catching the flash of guilt behind his eyes—quick, but real. Caleb dropped his gaze.

Daniel stood up from his seat, brushing his palms against his jeans. “There’s nothing we’re hiding,” he said flatly. “We’ve got nothing to do with this.”

Lucas stared at him, not buying a word.

He stood slowly, his tone shifting—less rough, more honest.

“Look, mate… tell me something.”

He walked up to Daniel, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, and gently steered him a few steps away from the others—toward a corner of the pool deck where no one was close.

Lucas kept his voice low, steady. “Please, man. Just talk to me. Whatever it is… whatever happened, maybe it was a mistake. But two people are already dead. We don’t need a third. And I don’t want it to be one of you.”

Daniel looked at him. His usual confidence—gone. What was left was fear. Fear of what they’d done… and of who might be coming next.

“I don’t know, man,” Daniel muttered, eyes darting. “It’s just… it just happened. We didn’t mean to do it—”

But before he could say another word, Ethan appeared out of nowhere, yanking Daniel back by the arm.

“What the hell are you doing?” he snapped.

Daniel froze.

Ethan turned sharply to Lucas, his voice louder, sharp like a blade.

“We don’t know anything,” he barked. “We didn’t do anything. Just—drop it!”

No one spoke.

And without another word, Ethan pushed Daniel ahead of him and stormed off, the rest of the Stags following without turning back. As they walked away, Lucas could hear Ethan’s voice in the distance, scolding Daniel low and angry.

Freya, Valeria, and Andrés stepped in.

Freya, spoke first. “They absolutely did something. And they’re doing everything they can not to let it slip.”

Valeria crossed her arms, eyes narrowed. “Whatever it is… it’s big. And it’s going to get them killed.”

Andrés let out a low whistle and shrugged. “Daniel was about to spill, no doubt. But Ethan? He shut it down fast. That guy’s hiding more than all of them combined.”

Lucas didn’t speak.

He just slowly sat down on the poolside chair, elbows on knees, eyes on the marble floor beneath him.

Silent.

Thinking.

Whatever the Stags were hiding… it was serious.

And if they didn’t speak up soon—

someone else was going to end up dead.

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