Somewhere off I-80, Nebraska — A Dive Bar at Midnight
The jukebox was broken. The lights flickered like they were caught in a storm that hadn't arrived yet. And the whiskey was suspiciously cheap in that way that suggested it might've started life as paint thinner.
Knox didn't care.
He sat in the corner booth, back to the wall, sipping something brown and probably illegal in three states. His coat lay draped beside him, his legs stretched like he owned the room. A faint shimmer pulsed under his left sleeve — a silver rune that dulled the effects of alcohol. Useful when drinking in bad company.
Dean and Sam slid into the booth across from him. Dean slapped down a bottle like it owed him money and leaned forward.
"You always drink like you're brooding in a noir movie?"
Knox raised an eyebrow. "I'm British. We don't brood. We steep."
Sam cracked a smile, tension easing. "We just wanted to say thanks again. For Jess."
Knox shrugged. "You would've done the same."
"No," Dean said. "We wouldn't have made it in time."
A quiet settled. Knox didn't break it. Dean finally leaned back.
"So what do we call that beast outside? The Batmobile? Wizard Wagon?"
Knox's lips twitched. "Her name's Bella."
Dean blinked. "Bella. Like the car's a lady?"
"She's temperamental, beautiful, and can kill you if you piss her off. Fitting."
Dean chuckled. "Should've gone with that for the Impala."
"What? Not 'Baby' enough for you?" Knox quipped.
Sam cleared his throat. "We've got another case. Weird happenings out near Blackwater Ridge. Coordinates from Dad's journal."
Knox didn't respond immediately. Sam continued.
"We don't know what we're walking into. Could be nothing. Could be huge. But... we could use your help."
Dean added, "You're not the kind of guy who walks away from a good mystery."
Knox sipped his drink. "This isn't me saying yes."
"It's not you saying no either," Dean replied.
Knox met his gaze. "What's in it for me?"
"Honesty?" Sam said. "You felt it. With Jess. That wasn't normal. Whatever's happening in the world... it's bigger than all of us. You know it."
Dean leaned forward. "You want answers. You want to know what's coming. You don't get that by sitting in the dark."
Knox didn't blink.
A shimmer passed behind his eyes — unseen by the brothers, but loud in his mind:
[System Notification: Quest Triggered]
New Quest: The Threefold Path
Objective: Assist the Winchesters in 3 major hunts across the continental U.S.
Progress: 0/3
Reward: Knowledge Unlock – Threefold Path (Angelic, Demonic, and Mythical Origins)
Final Reward: Sigil Cluster Integration (Runes 7×3)
He exhaled. "Three cases. That's all."
Dean grinned. "No contracts in blood?"
Knox stood and reached for his coat. "You wouldn't like what my contracts are made of."
Outside the Bar — Parking Lot
The air was sharp and cold.
Dean glanced at Knox's Mercedes, then back at him. "You really call that thing 'Bella'? What is it — a wizard-mobile?"
Knox smirked. "I like that. Might get it engraved."
Sam chuckled, already slipping into the Impala.
Knox paused just before climbing in. Another prompt blinked softly across his vision:
[Quest Tracker Updated – 0/3 Completed]
Next Case: Blackwater Ridge
Estimated Threat: Wendigo – Tier 3 Entity
He closed the door.
"Let's see what you're hiding," he muttered, and Bella purred to life.
Blackwater Ridge — Day One
The trail was colder than expected.
"Park ranger says the hikers never made it past the north edge of the ridge," Dean muttered, scanning the map.
Knox adjusted his gloves and crouched by a scorched tree. He brushed a finger across the bark. "Burn marks. Not from a campfire."
Sam knelt beside him. "Could this be like the Trenton case?"
Dean blinked. "Liver Guy?"
Knox smirked faintly. "The one who tried to wear his own intestines like a scarf, yes."
Dean snorted. "You gonna force-field this thing too, or are we going old school?"
Knox stood. "Let's see what we're hunting first."
They trekked deeper into the woods.
Knox occasionally muttered under his breath, glyphs flashing in the air as he passed his hand through them. At one point, he whispered Revelare vestigia — footprints, faint and large, lit up across the leaf-strewn ground.
"That's creepy and insanely helpful," Dean muttered.
Knox gave a modest nod. "Stole it from a Scandinavian grimoire."
The trail led to a collapsed campsite. Blood, but no bodies.
Sam stiffened. "Whatever this was, it hunted."
Dean scanned the torn tent. "Claws. Tall. Human-shaped. Definitely not Trenton this time."
Knox knelt by the firepit and closed his eyes. A golden sigil pulsed beneath the dirt, faded and fragmented.
[System Scan Active: Entity Signature Detected]
Name: Wendigo
Tier: 3
Traits: Nocturnal. Fire-Averse. Mimics Human Speech.
Weakness: Sustained Flame, Arcane Sunfire (Sigil Compatible)
Knox rose slowly. "Wendigo."
Sam exhaled. "Great. Cannibal spirit with super speed."
Dean cracked his knuckles. "Last one we saw was near Duluth, remember?"
Knox arched a brow. "That was you, not me. I've only danced with these things once. In Siberia. Less trees, more screaming."
Dean blinked. "Okay, that's one story I'm gonna need with beer."
Nightfall
They set up camp.
Knox laid down protective wards in a wide circle while Dean stacked accelerants and Sam loaded flare guns.
The wind howled.
Somewhere in the dark, a voice cried out.
"Help! Please! Anyone!"
Sam shot up. "That sounds like the missing girl!"
Knox caught his wrist. "No. It's not."
"How do you know?"
Knox's eyes were dark. "Because it's using her exact tone from the 911 recording. Down to the hitch in her breath."
Dean's jaw tightened. "So it's trying to lure us."
"Exactly."
From the trees, a rustle. A blur.
Knox raised both hands. Arcane fire flared to life, blazing blue. "Time to flush the bastard."
Dean lit the trapline. Flames circled. The Wendigo screamed — a horrible, warbling mimic of a human voice. It lashed out of the woods.
Sam fired.
Knox followed with Solis Ignis — a flare of sunfire erupted from his sigils, blasting the creature backwards, screeching.
Dean rushed in. Two shots. Then silence.
The Wendigo collapsed.
Dead.
[System Notification: Quest Progress +1]
1/3 Completed — Blackwater Ridge Cleared
Knox exhaled, magic fading.
Dean looked around. "So… that count as shot one?"
Knox nodded once. "Two more to go."
Sam gave a small smile. "Glad you're with us."
Knox didn't reply.
But his faint smirk said enough.
The Threefold Path had begun.