(keifer) pov
The room was quiet.
Jay was asleep, her breathing finally steady.
But nothing felt peaceful.
I stood by the window, staring into the darkness, my mind replaying everything.
Her fear. Her voice. The way she broke.
And one truth kept hitting me again and again—
This didn't start with Angelo.
It started with him.
Her stepdad.
My fists clenched.
"He's the one who did this to her," I said quietly.
Percy leaned against the wall. "Then we find him."
Arise nodded. "And we finish it."
I turned toward them.
"No mistakes this time."
We sat in silence for a moment before I spoke again.
"Tell Edrix to find his location."
Percy pulled out his phone immediately. "On it."
The call connected.
"Edrix, we need a location."
A pause. Then his voice—calm, focused. "Name."
I gave it.
A few seconds of silence. Then—
"Alright… give me a minute."
We waited.
In the background, faint sounds of typing, keys hitting fast.
"I'm trying to pull up records… he's been careful," Edrix muttered. "No direct traces… wait—"
My focus sharpened.
"I'll try something else. Hacking nearby cameras."
Percy glanced at me.
"This better work."
Seconds felt like minutes.
Then—
"Got him."
All of us straightened.
"Where?" I asked immediately.
"Abandoned club. Outskirts."
My jaw tightened.
"Send it."
"Done."
The call ended.
I looked at Percy and Arise.
"Let's go."
Night fell heavier than usual.
The club stood silent when we arrived.
Dark. Empty.
But not for long.
I pushed the door open.
It creaked loudly.
Inside—
A figure moved.
He turned.
Jay's stepdad.
For a second, he froze.
Then he tried to run.
Too late.
I was already there.
My fist hit him hard, sending him crashing to the ground.
"You don't run," I said coldly.
He struggled, panic all over his face.
"Wait—listen—"
Another hit.
"You don't get to talk."
Percy stepped in, blocking his side. Arise shut the exit.
No escape.
He looked around, desperate.
"Please—I didn't—"
I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up.
"You kidnapped her."
My voice was low. Dangerous.
"You broke her."
He shook his head, trembling. "I didn't mean—"
The next punch cut him off.
"This isn't about what you meant."
For a moment, everything blurred.
All I could see was Jay—
Crying.
Shaking.
Begging.
My grip tightened.
"This is for her," I said.
Silence filled the room except for his broken breathing.
No one stopped me.
Because they knew—
This wasn't just anger.
This was something deeper.
Something earned.
After a while, I let go.
He dropped to the ground, barely conscious.
Percy exhaled. "It's over."
Arise looked at me. "You good?"
I stared at the man for a second longer.
Then turned away.
"No," I said quietly. "But she will be."
Outside, the air felt different.
Lighter.
Like something had finally ended.
I pulled out my phone and called Angelo .
"It's done."
A pause.
"Good," he replied.
I hung up.
And for the first time since that night—
My mind wasn't filled with helplessness.
Only one thought remained.
She's safe now.
And this time—
No one was taking that away again.
( At the hospital)
The hospital room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jay sat on the bed, her hands loosely holding the blanket, her eyes distant like she was still somewhere else.
I sat beside her, not saying anything. Just… there.
Then suddenly—
The door burst open.
"HELLO PATIENT NUMBER ONE—"
"Cin, shut up!"
Cin walked in anyway, grinning like he owned the place, followed by Felix, Calix, Edrix, Eran, Divid… and Percy.
Jay blinked, confused for a second.
Felix looked around dramatically. "Wow… this place is depressing."
Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Obviously. Hospitals ruin good looks."
Cin turned to him. "Bro, relax. You didn't have any to begin with."
"Excuse me?" Percy looked offended.
Eran stepped in, smirking. "He's right though."
Jay stared at them…
And for the first time—
There was a tiny shift in her expression.
Confusion… mixed with something lighter.
Calix walked forward more gently than the others, stopping near her bed.
"Hey," he said softly. "You okay?"
She hesitated… then gave a small nod.
Not fully convincing.
But it was something.
Edrix leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You scared everyone, you know."
Cin gasped dramatically. "Yeah, Keifer looked like he was about to cry."
I glared at him. "Say that again."
Cin immediately raised his hands. "Okay okay—peace."
Felix pulled a chair and sat backwards on it. "So… who's the strongest here?"
Percy smirked. "Obviously me."
Eran laughed. "You? Please."
Cin pointed at Jay. "Vote. You decide."
Jay looked at them, slightly overwhelmed…
Then quietly said, "Not Percy."
The room went silent for a second—
Then everyone burst out laughing.
Percy looked betrayed. "WOW."
Even Jay's lips curved slightly.
A small smile.
Calix noticed it first… and relaxed a little.
"See? That's better," he said gently.
Divid, who had been quiet the whole time, stepped a little closer.
He didn't speak loudly.
Just calm.
"You don't have to pretend you're okay," he said. "We're not here for that."
Jay looked at him.
Something about his tone… steady, understanding.
"I…" she hesitated.
"It's still scary," she admitted softly.
No one joked this time.
No one interrupted.
Eran scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… makes sense."
Cin nodded, surprisingly serious now. "Anyone would feel that way."
Edrix added quietly, "But you're not alone in it."
Jay looked around the room.
At all of them.
Loud. Annoying. Weird.
But… there.
For her.
Percy crossed his arms. "Also, just saying… if anyone tries anything again, they have to deal with all of us."
Felix grinned. "And that's a very bad idea."
Cin leaned in closer. "Especially me. I'm dangerous."
Eran laughed. "You're dangerous to yourself."
Jay let out a soft laugh.
A real one this time.
Not forced.
Not broken.
I looked at her—and for the first time since everything happened…
She didn't look lost.
She looked… here.
Calix gently placed a juice box on the table beside her. "Drink this. Doctor's orders."
She raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're not a doctor."
"I'm a love expert," he said confidently.
"Bro has never been in a real relationship," Eran immediately said.
"Excuse me—I care deeply," Calix defended.
Cin whispered loudly, "He falls in love every week."
Jay shook her head slightly, smiling again.
Divid stepped back, satisfied.
Edrix checked his phone. "Vitals are fine."
Felix looked at him. "You're not even connected to anything."
Edrix shrugged. "Still right."
Percy looked at Jay again. "See? You're stuck with us now."
Jay looked at all of them one more time.
Then quietly said—
"…I don't mind."
Silence.
Soft. Warm.
And this time—
It didn't hurt.
The hospital room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Jay sat on the bed, her hands loosely holding the blanket, her eyes distant like she was still somewhere else.
I sat beside her, not saying anything. Just… there.
Then suddenly—
The door burst open.
"HELLO PATIENT NUMBER ONE—"
"Cin, shut up!"
Cin walked in anyway, grinning like he owned the place, followed by Felix, Calix, Edrix, Eran, Divid… and Percy.
Jay blinked, confused for a second.
Felix looked around dramatically. "Wow… this place is depressing."
Percy ran a hand through his hair. "Obviously. Hospitals ruin good looks."
Cin turned to him. "Bro, relax. You didn't have any to begin with."
"Excuse me?" Percy looked offended.
Eran stepped in, smirking. "He's right though."
Jay stared at them…
And for the first time—
There was a tiny shift in her expression.
Confusion… mixed with something lighter.
Calix walked forward more gently than the others, stopping near her bed.
"Hey," he said softly. "You okay?"
She hesitated… then gave a small nod.
Not fully convincing.
But it was something.
Edrix leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You scared everyone, you know."
Cin gasped dramatically. "Yeah, Keifer looked like he was about to cry."
I glared at him. "Say that again."
Cin immediately raised his hands. "Okay okay—peace."
Felix pulled a chair and sat backwards on it. "So… who's the strongest here?"
Percy smirked. "Obviously me."
Eran laughed. "You? Please."
Cin pointed at Jay. "Vote. You decide."
Jay looked at them, slightly overwhelmed…
Then quietly said, "Not Percy."
The room went silent for a second—
Then everyone burst out laughing.
Percy looked betrayed. "WOW."
Even Jay's lips curved slightly.
A small smile.
Calix noticed it first… and relaxed a little.
"See? That's better," he said gently.
Divid, who had been quiet the whole time, stepped a little closer.
He didn't speak loudly.
Just calm.
"You don't have to pretend you're okay," he said. "We're not here for that."
Jay looked at him.
Something about his tone… steady, understanding.
"I…" she hesitated.
"It's still scary," she admitted softly.
No one joked this time.
No one interrupted.
Eran scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah… makes sense."
Cin nodded, surprisingly serious now. "Anyone would feel that way."
Edrix added quietly, "But you're not alone in it."
Jay looked around the room.
At all of them.
Loud. Annoying. Weird.
But… there.
For her.
Percy crossed his arms. "Also, just saying… if anyone tries anything again, they have to deal with all of us."
Felix grinned. "And that's a very bad idea."
Cin leaned in closer. "Especially me. I'm dangerous."
Eran laughed. "You're dangerous to yourself."
Jay let out a soft laugh.
A real one this time.
Not forced.
Not broken.
I looked at her—and for the first time since everything happened…
She didn't look lost.
She looked… here.
Calix gently placed a juice box on the table beside her. "Drink this. Doctor's orders."
She raised an eyebrow slightly. "You're not a doctor."
"I'm a love expert," he said confidently.
"Bro has been in a real relationship with mica ," Eran immediately said.
"Excuse me—I care deeply," Calix defended.
Cin whispered loudly, "He falls in love with only one person ."
Jay shook her head slightly, smiling again.
Divid stepped back, satisfied.
Edrix checked his phone. "Vitals are fine."
Felix looked at him. "You're not even connected to anything."
Edrix shrugged. "Still right."
Percy looked at Jay again. "See? You're stuck with us now."
Jay looked at all of them one more time.
Then quietly said—
"…I don't mind."
Silence.
Soft. Warm.
And this time—
It didn't hurt.