(Authors) pov
The room goes silent.
Not normal silent.
Heavy.
The kind that presses on your chest.
"…he died because of me."
Jay's voice breaks completely this time.
There's no control left.
No holding back.
Her hands shake badly now.
Her breathing uneven.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
She can't catch it.
"No."
Keifer's voice cuts in immediately.
Firm.
Jay shakes her head.
Tears blur her vision.
"…don't," she whispers.
"Don't say that it's not true."
Keifer doesn't argue from a distance.
He closes the gap.
Fast.
And then—
He pulls her into a hug.
Not loose.
Not hesitant.
Tight.
Secure.
Like he's not letting her fall apart alone.
Jay freezes for a second.
Her body stiff.
Then—
It breaks.
Her hands clutch his shirt.
Tight.
Her breathing shatters completely.
"I left him—" she cries against him.
"I left him there—"
Keifer holds her stronger.
One hand at the back of her head.
Pressing her gently closer.
"It's okay," he says softly.
"You're okay."
"No, I'm not—" her voice cracks.
"I should've stayed—I should've—"
"You listened to him," Keifer says.
Calm.
Steady.
Right near her ear.
"You trusted him."
She shakes her head against him.
Her grip tightens.
"He died—"
"He made that choice," Keifer says.
Firm this time.
Not letting her twist it.
"He wanted you safe."
Her breathing is still broken.
Uneven.
Her chest rising too fast.
"Jay—listen to me."
His voice softens again.
Slower.
Grounding.
"You're here."
A pause.
"I'm here."
Another.
"You're safe right now."
Her fingers dig into his shirt.
But her breathing—
It starts to slow.
Just a little.
"Inhale," he murmurs.
"Slow."
She tries.
Fails.
Tries again.
"Good… again."
Her breaths start to fall into rhythm.
Still shaky.
But better.
"I didn't even look back…" she whispers.
Her voice small now.
Exhausted.
Keifer tightens his hold slightly.
"You don't have to keep reliving it."
Silence.
Just her breathing.
His steady presence.
"You survived," he says quietly.
"And that matters."
Her grip loosens slightly.
Not fully.
But enough.
Her body feels heavy now.
Too heavy.
Like everything finally caught up at once.
"…I'm tired," she murmurs.
Barely audible.
"I know," he says softly.
"I've got you."
Her head rests fully against him now.
No resistance.
No tension.
Just… giving in.
And then—
Her body goes still.
Too still.
Keifer notices immediately.
"Jay?"
No response.
He shifts slightly.
Careful.
Checks her breathing.
Steady.
Just unconscious.
"…she's out," he mutters softly.
The door opens suddenly.
"Keifer—"
Percy stops mid-step.
Aries right behind him.
Both freeze at the sight.
Jay in Keifer's arms.
Unconscious.
Tear-streaked face.
"What happened?" Percy asks quickly.
His voice tight.
"She's okay," Keifer says immediately.
Calm.
Controlled.
"She just—crashed."
Aries steps closer.
Eyes scanning her.
"She's breathing fine."
"Yeah," Keifer nods.
"She was holding too much in."
Percy exhales slowly.
Relief mixed with worry.
"…she told you?"
Keifer nods once.
"That's good," Percy mutters.
"Finally."
Aries glances at him.
"…we should move her."
Keifer shakes his head slightly.
"I've got her."
And carefully—
He lifts her.
Effortless.
Like he's done it before.
Jay doesn't move.
Completely out.
But her face—
It looks calmer.
For the first time.
They take her to her room.
Lay her down gently.
Keifer adjusts the blanket.
Moves a strand of hair away from her face.
"She'll wake up?" Percy asks quietly.
"Yeah," Keifer says.
"She just needs rest."
Aries nods.
"…about time."
Keifer glances at him.
"What?"
"She stopped hiding."
Silence.
Short.
But true.
Keifer looks back at Jay.
"…yeah," he says quietly.
"She did."
The room goes silent.
Not normal silent.
Heavy.
The kind that presses on your chest.
"…he died because of me."
Jay's voice breaks completely this time.
There's no control left.
No holding back.
Her hands shake badly now.
Her breathing uneven.
Too fast.
Too sharp.
She can't catch it.
"No."
Keifer's voice cuts in immediately.
Firm.
Jay shakes her head.
Tears blur her vision.
"…don't," she whispers.
"Don't say that it's not true."
Keifer doesn't argue from a distance.
He closes the gap.
Fast.
And then—
He pulls her into a hug.
Not loose.
Not hesitant.
Tight.
Secure.
Like he's not letting her fall apart alone.
Jay freezes for a second.
Her body stiff.
Then—
It breaks.
Her hands clutch his shirt.
Tight.
Her breathing shatters completely.
"I left him—" she cries against him.
"I left him there—"
Keifer holds her stronger.
One hand at the back of her head.
Pressing her gently closer.
"It's okay," he says softly.
"You're okay."
"No, I'm not—" her voice cracks.
"I should've stayed—I should've—"
"You listened to him," Keifer says.
Calm.
Steady.
Right near her ear.
"You trusted him."
She shakes her head against him.
Her grip tightens.
"He died—"
"He made that choice," Keifer says.
Firm this time.
Not letting her twist it.
"He wanted you safe."
Her breathing is still broken.
Uneven.
Her chest rising too fast.
"Jay—listen to me."
His voice softens again.
Slower.
Grounding.
"You're here."
A pause.
"I'm here."
Another.
"You're safe right now."
Her fingers dig into his shirt.
But her breathing—
It starts to slow.
Just a little.
"Inhale," he murmurs.
"Slow."
She tries.
Fails.
Tries again.
"Good… again."
Her breaths start to fall into rhythm.
Still shaky.
But better.
"I didn't even look back…" she whispers.
Her voice small now.
Exhausted.
Keifer tightens his hold slightly.
"You don't have to keep reliving it."
Silence.
Just her breathing.
His steady presence.
"You survived," he says quietly.
"And that matters."
Her grip loosens slightly.
Not fully.
But enough.
Her body feels heavy now.
Too heavy.
Like everything finally caught up at once.
"…I'm tired," she murmurs.
Barely audible.
"I know," he says softly.
"I've got you."
Her head rests fully against him now.
No resistance.
No tension.
Just… giving in.
And then—
Her body goes still.
Too still.
Keifer notices immediately.
"Jay?"
No response.
He shifts slightly.
Careful.
Checks her breathing.
Steady.
Just unconscious.
"…she's out," he mutters softly.
The door opens suddenly.
"Keifer—"
Percy stops mid-step.
Aries right behind him.
Both freeze at the sight.
Jay in Keifer's arms.
Unconscious.
Tear-streaked face.
"What happened?" Percy asks quickly.
His voice tight.
"She's okay," Keifer says immediately.
Calm.
Controlled.
"She just—crashed."
Aries steps closer.
Eyes scanning her.
"She's breathing fine."
"Yeah," Keifer nods.
"She was holding too much in."
Percy exhales slowly.
Relief mixed with worry.
"…she told you?"
Keifer nods once.
"That's good," Percy mutters.
"Finally."
Aries glances at him.
"…we should move her."
Keifer shakes his head slightly.
"I've got her."
And carefully—
He lifts her.
Effortless.
Like he's done it before.
Jay doesn't move.
Completely out.
But her face—
It looks calmer.
For the first time.
They take her to her room.
Lay her down gently.
Keifer adjusts the blanket.
Moves a strand of hair away from her face.
"She'll wake up?" Percy asks quietly.
"Yeah," Keifer says.
"She just needs rest."
Aries nods.
"…about time."
Keifer glances at him.
"What?"
"She stopped hiding."
Silence.
Short.
But true.
Keifer looks back at Jay.
"…yeah," he says quietly.
"She did."