Jay's POV
The sterile white walls of the hospital were finally behind me. The scent of antiseptic had been replaced by the crisp, leather interior of Aries' car and the faint citrus of his cologne. After weeks of being a "patient," the simple act of sitting in a moving car felt like a victory.
Aries was humming, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the steering wheel. He looked lighter—the shadows that had lived under his eyes for years seemed to have evaporated after the confrontation with Yuri.
"Almost there, Jay," he said, glancing at me with a grin. "Ella's been waiting at the gate for twenty minutes. If we don't hurry, she might get upset."
I laughed, a genuine sound that felt good in my throat. "She's just a drama queen.
"And you are a monkey ", Aries mocked me.
As we pulled into the HVIS parking lot, Aries expertly maneuvered the car into his reserved spot. Before the engine had even fully cooled, he spotted Ella standing by the fountain, waving frantically.
"Stay put for a second, I'll come around and get your door," Aries said, his protective streak still a mile wide. He hopped out, leaving his jacket—and his phone—on the center console.
I watched through the window as he jogged toward Ella. He swept her up in a hug, their laughter muffled by the glass. I reached for the door handle, but a sharp, rhythmic buzzing stopped me.
Aries' phone was vibrating against the plastic.
Thinking it might be Keifer or Percy checking in, I picked it up. My intention was to simply step out and hand it to him. But the screen didn't show a name. It was a string of digits—a private number.
I swiped 'Accept' as I pushed the door open. "Aries just stepped out, I can—"
"Aries."
The voice was like a bucket of ice water poured down my spine. It wasn't high or loud; it was a low, gravelly rasp that sounded like grinding stones. It was a voice I hadn't heard in years, yet every cell in my body recognized it instantly.
It was him. Aries' father. The man who had turned our childhood into a hunting ground.
"You've been quiet, boy," the voice continued, oblivious to who was actually listening. "I'm sorry.I want to apologise for what I did to Jay and you."
The world tilted.
The sunny parking lot vanished. The sound of people buzzing was replaced by the rhythmic drip-drip-drip of leaking pipes.
Suddenly, I wasn't in a luxury car; I was back in the warehouse.
The smell hit me first—rust and old sweat. I saw the flash of a blade in the dim light. I felt the weight of it in my hand. I saw Aries' face, pale and bloodied, looking at me not with anger, but with heartbreaking pity.
I did it.
The memory hit like a physical blow. I hadn't just been a witness. I had been the weapon. I saw my own small hands gripped around the hilt, the crimson staining my sleeves as I lunged, driven by a madness I couldn't control. I had stabbed the only person who tried to save me. I was the monster in the dark.
"Jay? Jay!"
The phone was ripped from my hand. The sudden movement snapped the vision, and I blinked, gasping for air.
Aries was standing by the open door, his face etched with sudden, sharp alarm. He looked at the phone, saw the active call, and his jaw tightened until I thought it might break.
Without a word, he ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket.
"Jay, look at me," he commanded, his voice trembling. "It's okay. He's not here. You're safe."
I looked at his chest—right where I knew the scar resided under his shirt. A scar I had put there. My stomach turned. I felt bile rising in my throat.
"I'm fine," I lied, my voice sounding like it belonged to a stranger.
Before he could grab my arm, I bolted. I didn't just walk; I ran. I ignored his calls, ignored the confused look on Ella's face. I needed to get away from the light. Monsters don't belong in the sun.
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Cin's POV
I was headed to the cafeteria to meet Rakki before first period when I saw a blur of movement near the main staircase.
It was Jay. But it wasn't the Jay who had left the hospital yesterday. Her eyes were wide, blown out with terror, and her skin was the color of parchment.
"Jay? Hey, slow down!" I called out, reaching out a hand to steady her as she nearly tripped over her own feet.
The moment my fingers brushed her blazer, she recoiled as if I'd burned her. She slammed into the wall, her breath coming in jagged, terrifying gasps.
"Jay, it's me, Cin! What happened?"
"Stay away!" she shrieked. The sound was raw, a visceral cry of agony that stopped several students in their tracks. "Don't come near me! Don't touch me!"
"Jay, talk to me—"
"I'm a monster!" she sobbed, her hands clawing at her own hair. "Just stay away from me!"
She turned and sprinted down the hallway toward the old music wing. I stood there, frozen for a heartbeat, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew that look. That wasn't just a panic attack; that was something else..
I didn't waste time. I turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, toward the section e building.
I burst through the doors, scanning the room until I saw the shock of dark hair. Keifer was sitting with David and Kit, looking over a map, but he was on his feet before I even spoke. He saw my face and knew.
"It's Jay," I panted, grabbing his arm. "The music room. Keifer, she's... she's losing it. She's terrified. She said she's a monster."
I didn't even see him move. One second he was there, and the next, the lounge doors were swinging shut behind him.
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Keifer's POV
I ran
The school felt like a labyrinth, the hallways stretching out as if to keep me from her.
My mind was a chaotic storm. What happened? Who touched her? Who did I need to kill?
I reached the music wing, the quietest part of the school. I followed the sound—a low, broken whimpering coming from the corner behind the grand piano.
There she was.
She was curled into a ball, her forehead resting on her knees, her small frame shaking so violently I feared she'd break.
"Jay," I breathed, dropping to my knees a few feet away. I didn't reach for her yet. I knew better. "Jay, it's Keifer. I'm here."
She lifted her head, and the sight of her nearly destroyed me. Her face was tear-streaked, her eyes vacant and haunted.
"Stay back, Keifer," she whispered, her voice cracking. "You don't know... I remembered. I saw it. I saw the blood. I saw what I did to Aries."
"Jay, that wasn't you. You were a child, you were scared—"
"I stabbed him!" she screamed, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. " Not once twice.Because of me he is having the lungs problem.I'm the worst sister. I'm a monster! I have the darkness in me that destroys the one I love.Get away from me before I hurt you too!"
I didn't listen. I moved forward, ignoring her flinch, and wrapped my arms around her. I pulled her into my lap, pinning her arms gently to her sides so she couldn't hurt herself.
"Shh," I murmured into her hair, rocking her back and forth. "Listen to my heart, Jay. Do you hear it? It only beats because of you. You aren't a monster. You are Jay. My Jay. The girl who forgave Yuri. The girl who helped Calix , helped Cin.You are the most selfless I know.The girl who brought her brothers home. A monster doesn't feel this much pain for someone else."
"I hurt him," she choked out, her tears soaking into my shirt.
"And he would let you do it a thousand times over if it meant you stayed alive," I said firmly.
"She's right, you know."
I looked up. Cin was standing in the doorway, her eyes red but her expression fierce. Behind her, one by one, the others appeared. Felix, David, Kit, Edrix and section e.
Cin walked over and knelt on the other side of Jay, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not a monster, Jay. You're my sister. My best friend. And nothing you did in that warehouse changes that."
David stepped forward "Yeah, Jay. You're family. We've all got scars. Some are on the outside, some are in here," he pointed to his heart. "We carry them together." Said in , his voice deep and steady."
"You're our Mutya," Felix said his usual demeanor replaced by a solemn gravity."The kindest person we know. Don't let a ghost tell you otherwise."
Everyone else nodded in unison, forming a protective semi-circle around her.
Jay looked around at the faces—at the people who had seen her at her lowest and hadn't blinked. Slowly, the tremors in her body began to fade. The wild, haunted look in her eyes softened into a deep, exhausted sadness.
She sat up, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She looked at all of us, a small, fragile smile touching her lips.
"I need some air," she whispered. "I... I think I need to go to the beach. I need some quiet time. To just... breathe."
I didn't want to let her go. Every instinct I had told me to lock her in a room and guard the door. But I saw the resolve in her eyes. She needed to face the ocean, the one thing that was bigger than her fear.
"Go," I said, kissing her forehead. "We'll be here when you get back."
"I'll be back," she promised.
As she walked out of the room, her head held a little higher, I looked at the others. The war wasn't over. Aries' father was still out there. But as I looked at the brotherhood standing in this dusty music room, I knew one thing for certain.
He could send all the ghosts he wanted. He would never get her back.
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A/n
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