Jay's POV
Flashback
Four Years Ago
The sound of paper tearing still echoes in my head sometimes.
Not loud.
Just a small sound.
But that sound changed everything.
"Give it back," I told the boy.
He laughed.
"Oh? This stupid book?"
My chest tightened.
That book wasn't stupid.
Adrian gave it to me.
"Give it back," I repeated.
Instead, he tore a page out.
The rip was slow.
Deliberate.
The boys around him laughed.
"It's just a book," one said.
My hands started shaking.
My mind felt empty.
Before I realized it—
My fist crashed into his stomach.
He fell back into a desk.
Another boy grabbed me.
I grabbed his neck and lifted him.
His feet barely touched the floor.
He started choking.
"He deserves it," I said quietly.
"He tore your book."
"Jayjay!"
Adrian's voice.
He ran toward me.
"You're hurting him."
I didn't let go.
Teachers rushed in.
"JAYJAY!" one shouted.
"Let him go right now!"
I slowly looked at them.
"Why?"
The teacher's voice shook.
"He could die."
I shrugged slightly.
"Then he shouldn't have touched my things."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Jay."
I ignored him.
"Jayjay… breathe."
Still nothing.
Adrian sighed.
Then he gently covered my ears with his hands.
And started singing.
Soft.
Calm.
The same melody he always used when my anger got too strong.
"If the world becomes too loud,
Close your eyes and breathe somehow.
Even storms will lose their way,
Night will always turn to day.
If your heart begins to break,
Hold the song we used to make.
Even when I'm far from you,
My voice will still come through."
My fingers loosened.
The boy dropped to the floor coughing.
Adrian smiled a little.
"There we go."
But the boy suddenly glared at me.
"What a crazy girl," he muttered.
"You need help."
My anger came back instantly.
Adrian groaned softly.
"Oh no…"
The boy jumped up and ran.
I chased him.
"Jay! Stop!" Adrian shouted behind me.
"He's not worth it!"
"He's just teasing you!"
The boy ran through the school gate and across the road.
I ran after him.
I didn't even think.
I just ran.
I caught him and shoved him to the ground.
"Apologize."
Across the road Adrian called out.
"Jay! Let him go! This has gone too far!"
"Jay! Leave him!"
I looked up.
He was crossing the road toward me.
Then—
Everything happened too fast.
A car came speeding down the road.
I opened my mouth to shout.
But it was too late.
The car hit Adrian.
His body rolled across the hood and fell onto the street.
The car didn't stop.
It drove away.
My legs moved before my mind did.
"Adrian!"
I ran to him.
He was lying on the road.
His eyes half open.
"Adrian… wake up…"
My hands were shaking as I lifted his head.
Blood stained the road.
"Jay…" he whispered.
"No," I said quickly.
"Don't talk."
"Help is coming."
I took off my hoodie and placed it under his head.
My phone slipped from my fingers as I called the ambulance.
Adrian smiled weakly.
"You're crying."
"I'm not," I said quickly.
But my voice was breaking.
"You promised me," I whispered.
"You promised you'd stay."
Adrian looked at me softly.
"Jay… listen to me."
"No," I said.
"Save your energy."
But he gently reached up and touched my ear.
Just like before.
And he started singing again.
His voice was weaker now.
Barely louder than the wind.
"If the world becomes too loud,
Close your eyes and breathe somehow…
Even storms will lose their way…"
"Stop singing," I begged.
"You need to save your strength."
But Adrian shook his head slightly.
"I promised you," he whispered.
Tears fell down my face.
"You're not leaving," I said.
"You promised!"
Adrian reached into his pocket and placed a small recorder in my hand.
"I recorded it," he said softly.
"So when I'm not there… the song will be."
More tears blurred my vision.
"You're coming with me," I said.
"The ambulance will fix everything."
Adrian wiped my tears with his thumb.
"You're strong, Jay."
"No," I whispered.
"I'm only strong when you're here."
Adrian smiled faintly.
Then he finished the last line of the song.
"Even when I'm far from you…
My voice will still come through."
His hand slowly slipped from my face.
"Adrian?"
He didn't answer.
A teacher checked his pulse.
Her face changed.
"Jay…"
"No," I said immediately.
"That's impossible."
"Jay…"
"He promised me!" I shouted.
"He promised he would never leave me!"
The teacher's voice broke.
"His heart stopped."
My hands shook as I pressed the recorder.
Adrian's voice filled the air again.
"If the world becomes too loud…
Close your eyes and breathe somehow…"
I hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
"I shouldn't have chased him."
"You would still be here."
"I'm sorry…"
"Wake up!"
But Adrian never answered.
The song kept playing.
And that was the moment I realized something.
The prince who always calmed my storms…
Had sung his last song.