Jay's POV
My eyes felt unbearably heavy as I stood outside the room, my hand resting against the cold doorknob. It felt as though an invisible blade had been driven straight through my chest, twisting deeper with every passing second. Breathing itself had become exhausting. The conversation I'd just had with Jare kept replaying in my mind, every word echoing louder than the last. The moment he spoke to me, I already knew what was coming. I knew exactly where this path would lead. I had prepared myself for it... or at least I thought I had.
Yet knowing the outcome didn't make it hurt any less.
It felt like betrayal.
Not because anyone had intended to betray me, but because I was the one who had to make choices that would inevitably hurt the people I cared about. I never wanted anyone to feel abandoned or excluded. Every decision I'd made had been to protect them, even if they couldn't understand it yet. If they hated me for it, then so be it. I'd rather carry their anger than watch them become casualties of a storm they never asked to be part of.
I slowly turned the doorknob and stepped inside.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
My gaze immediately found Keifer, asleep without a care in the world, his breathing slow and steady as if the weight of tomorrow didn't exist. For a brief moment, I simply stood there, watching him. A bitter smile tugged at my lips before quickly fading away. If only he knew what was coming. If only he understood how close everything was to falling apart. The peace surrounding him felt almost cruel, because outside these walls, everything was already beginning to crack.
Meanwhile...
The Mythicals were struggling.
Some were already sacrificing more than anyone realized. Others were desperately trying to keep everything together while pretending they weren't breaking apart themselves. And I knew this was only the beginning. The storm hadn't even reached us yet. When it finally did, it wouldn't simply shake our lives—it would tear through everything we'd worked so hard to build. Friendships would be tested. Trust would shatter. Families would be caught in the middle. The peaceful months we'd managed to hold onto would become nothing more than distant memories, swept away by a future none of us could stop.
I quietly closed the door behind me, careful not to let the latch make too much noise. The room fell silent once again, leaving only the soft rhythm of Keifer's breathing to fill the emptiness. For a long moment, I simply stood there with my back against the door, watching him.
A small, tired smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
"You really are an idiot..." I whispered, though there wasn't any anger behind the words.
Slowly, I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress dipped slightly beneath my weight, but he didn't stir. His face looked softer in his sleep. The constant confidence, the cold face, and the teasing smirk that usually defined him had all disappeared, leaving behind someone who looked strangely... vulnerable.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I lay down beside him, leaving just enough space between us. My body relaxed against the mattress as I turned onto my side, facing him. I studied every little detail of his face as though trying to memorize it. His dark hair had fallen messily across his forehead, a few stubborn strands refusing to stay in place. His eyelashes cast faint shadows against his cheeks, and the tension he always carried around his eyes had finally disappeared.
Without thinking, I slowly lifted my hand.
My fingertips hesitated for only a second before gently brushing against the sharp line of his jaw.
I traced it carefully, almost absentmindedly, following the contour upward until my fingers grazed the warmth of his cheek. My touch was featherlight, gentle enough that I hoped it wouldn't wake him. There was something strangely peaceful about simply being able to look at him without us arguing for once.
A quiet sigh escaped my lips.
My fingers continued their slow journey across his face before eventually stopping near his lips. I hesitated, my hand hovering there for a brief moment. They were relaxed in sleep, no trace of the cocky grin that usually appeared whenever he managed to annoy me.
I lightly rested the tip of my finger against them for only a heartbeat before letting my hand fall away again.
I slowly leaned in and kissed him soft, slow and desperate.