Chapter: Alive
(Keif's POV)
For a few minutes after Jay ended the call, the room stayed quiet.
Too quiet.
Jay was still sitting beside me on the bed, staring at her phone like it had just delivered the biggest shock of her life.
Honestly… it kind of had.
Percy.
Alive.
Coming here.
In two days.
I leaned back slightly against the headboard, watching her.
Her hair was messy from sleep, my hoodie hanging loosely over her shoulders, sleeves almost covering her hands.
She looked small.
Too small for someone who carried so many broken memories.
"Keif…" she murmured softly.
"Hmm?"
"Why do I feel like something big is about to happen?"
I smirked faintly.
"Because something big is about to happen."
She looked at me suspiciously.
"You're smiling."
"That's because chaos is arriving in two days."
She narrowed her eyes.
"You enjoy this too much."
Before I could answer—
Someone knocked loudly on the door.
Then it opened without waiting.
"GOOD MORNING—"
Aries stopped mid-sentence the moment he saw us.
Jay still sitting close to me.
My arm still around her waist.
My hoodie on her.
He sighed dramatically.
"Why am I not surprised."
Jay rolled her eyes.
"Good morning to you too."
Ella appeared behind him, leaning against the door frame.
"Are we interrupting something?"
Jay blushed instantly.
"No!"
Aries raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
I ignored them and looked at Aries.
"Percy is coming."
For a second—
He froze.
Completely.
"…what?"
Jay lifted her phone.
"He just called."
"In two days."
Aries blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then suddenly he ran both hands through his hair.
"Wait wait wait wait—"
He started pacing the room.
"Percy… Percy Percy Percy—"
Ella frowned.
"Who's Percy?"
Jay answered quietly.
"My friend."
Aries suddenly stopped walking.
Then he looked at me.
And I looked back at him.
And for a moment—
Neither of us said anything.
Because we both remembered the same thing.
The same day.
The same chaos.
The same moment we thought—
Percy was dead.
Aries let out a long breath and suddenly dropped into the chair near the bed.
"Oh my God."
Jay looked confused.
"What?"
He looked at me again.
"You heard him yourself?"
"Yeah."
Aries covered his face with his hands.
Then suddenly—
He started laughing.
Loudly.
Jay blinked.
"…Why are you laughing?"
Aries shook his head.
"Because for a whole year…"
He looked up again.
"I thought Percy was dead."
Jay froze.
The words hit her like a brick.
"…What?"
I leaned forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees.
"We both did."
Jay looked between us.
"Wait… what do you mean you thought he was dead?"
Aries sighed.
"That idiot disappeared."
Jay frowned.
"What?"
"No calls."
"No messages."
"No information."
"Nothing."
"For an entire year."
Jay's eyes widened slowly.
"You thought something happened to him?"
Aries nodded.
"I even tried to find him."
He looked at me.
"Remember?"
I nodded.
"We checked hospitals."
Jay stared at us in shock.
"You… did that?"
Aries laughed bitterly.
"Of course we did."
"You were crying every night because he vanished."
Jay looked down at her hands.
She hadn't known that.
Aries leaned back in the chair.
"Turns out the idiot was just… alive somewhere."
Jay suddenly laughed.
Softly.
Then harder.
Then she grabbed a pillow and threw it at Aries.
"YOU DRAMA KING."
He caught it.
"You're welcome."
Jay shook her head.
"I thought you hated Percy."
"I do."
"Then why were you worried?"
"Because if he died I wouldn't get the chance to punch him."
Jay stared at him.
Then suddenly—
Her expression softened.
Something quiet passed through her eyes.
Slowly she stood up from the bed.
Aries noticed immediately.
"What?"
She walked toward him.
Stopped in front of him.
For a moment she just looked at him.
Then suddenly—
She hugged him.
Tightly.
Aries froze.
Completely stunned.
"…Jay?"
Her voice was soft.
"I'm sorry."
He blinked.
"For what?"
"For screaming at you yesterday."
"For thinking you lied to hurt me."
Aries sighed softly.
Then hugged her back.
"You scream at everyone."
"That's not the point."
He ruffled her hair.
"You're forgiven."
She pulled away slightly and looked at him.
"You're still annoying though."
"Obviously."
Ella laughed from the doorway.
"You two fight like siblings."
Jay and Aries both froze.
Then looked at each other.
And started laughing.
Because technically…
They actually were.
Meanwhile I was still sitting on the bed watching them.
Watching Jay smile again.
Watching her laugh.
And for the first time since yesterday…
The tension inside my chest eased.
Percy was alive.
Jay forgave Aries.
For once…
Everything felt calm.
But deep down…
I knew something.
When Percy arrived in two days—
Peace was officially over.
And chaos…
Was just getting started.