Jay's POV:
I gathered everyone I could—Percy, Angelo, Aries, and all of Section E. I showed them the video of Kiefer. The silence afterward was deafening.
"No time to wait," I said. "I'm going."
. I found the warehouse. I went in alone.
And Kiefer was there.
His face changed when he saw me—relief and anger all at once.
"Jay! No—leave! You're not supposed to be here!"
I stepped forward. "Too bad. I'm here."
Then they came out. Shadows becoming men. Cold smirks. Dangerous eyes.
I fought. I don't know how, but I did. Every swing, every kick—it was survival. But I couldn't last forever. My legs buckled. My vision blurred.
Then I heard a person
He stepped into the light, calm and cruel. "You always ruin everything," he said.
"Who are you? What do you want?…"
"Jack,I don't want you hurt," he said, voice icy. "I want you gone."
And just as he raised the weapon—
Crash!
The door slammed open.
Percy. Angelo. Aries. Yuri. Section E.
Like a tidal wave of fury.
"She's not dying today," Angelo growled.
"You messed with the wrong girl," Percy said.
Then fists flew.
Yuri's slap echoed. Aries took down two guys like he'd trained for this. Cn tackled Jack to the ground. David was yelling. Felix ducked a punch. Eren grabbed me before I could fall.
"You're not alone," he whispered.
And I believed it.
The room was chaos—screams, fists, metal clanging against concrete. I couldn't see where everyone was anymore. My body ached, my lungs burned, but I kept going. Kiefer had to make it out of here. He had to.
Then I heard it.
Jack's voice, clear and cold.
"You should've stayed away, Kiefer," he hissed. "You should've died a long time ago."
My heart stopped.
I turned.
Jack stood behind Kiefer, a glint of silver in his hand. His knife raised. His rage aimed straight at the boy who once gave up everything for me.
"No!" I screamed.
And I ran.
I didn't think. I just moved. Threw myself between them.
Pain. Hot, burning, splitting pain.
The blade went deep. My breath hitched. My knees buckled.
Kiefer caught me before I hit the ground.
"Jay—Jay!" his voice cracked.
I smiled. It hurt.
"You're safe now," I whispered. My voice barely made it past my lips. "You're… safe."
His hands were on my face, trembling. "Why would you do that? Why?!"
I looked up at him, eyes struggling to stay open. "Because you saved me first."
Then everything faded to black.
Kiefer's POV:
Everything was a blur. Shouting. Punches. Blood. The floor felt like it was shaking beneath us with every hit.
I was fighting to stay up—bruised, dizzy—but I could see Jay. She was holding her own. Barely.
And then—I saw him.
Jack. Behind me. That damn knife in his hand. His eyes locked on me.
"You should've died a long time ago, Kiefer," he spat, hate burning in every word.
I turned, too slow.
The knife came down.
But it didn't hit me.
"NO!" she screamed.
Jay.
She threw herself between us. Like she didn't even think. Like her body knew what her heart was screaming before her mouth did.
The blade sunk into her.
I caught her as she fell. Her blood was warm—too warm. It soaked my hands, my arms, my soul.
"Jay… Jay—no, no, no. Please no," I whispered.
She smiled. Smiled, even as the life was leaving her.
"You're safe now," she whispered. "You're… safe."
I felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest.
"WHY?!" I shouted. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
But she didn't answer. Her eyes fluttered. Her head fell against my shoulder.
JAY!" I screamed.
Everything around me stopped.
Yuri's voice broke through. "Kiefer! GO! Get her to a hospital—NOW!"
Angelo pushed someone off him, blood on his knuckles. "She's DYING, Kiefer! MOVE!"
I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.
Percy grabbed my arm. "Don't let her die, man. Don't—please."
I lifted her in my arms. She felt too light.
I ran.
I didn't look back.
Kiefer's POV:
Everything was a blur. Shouting. Punches. Blood. The floor felt like it was shaking beneath us with every hit.
I was fighting to stay up—bruised, dizzy—but I could see Jay. She was holding her own. Barely.
And then—I saw him.
Jack. Behind me. That damn knife in his hand. His eyes locked on me.
"You should've died a long time ago, Kiefer," he spat, hate burning in every word.
I turned, too slow.
The knife came down.
But it didn't hit me.
"NO!" she screamed.
Jay.
She threw herself between us. Like she didn't even think. Like her body knew what her heart was screaming before her mouth did.
The blade sunk into her.
I caught her as she fell. Her blood was warm—too warm. It soaked my hands, my arms, my soul.
"Jay… Jay—no, no, no. Please no," I whispered.
She smiled. Smiled, even as the life was leaving her.
"You're safe now," she whispered. "You're… safe."
I felt like my heart had been torn out of my chest.
"WHY?!" I shouted. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
But she didn't answer. Her eyes fluttered. Her head fell against my shoulder.
JAY!" I screamed.
Everything around me stopped.
Yuri's voice broke through. "Kiefer! GO! Get her to a hospital—NOW!"
Angelo pushed someone off him, blood on his knuckles. "She's DYING, Kiefer! MOVE!"
I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.
Percy grabbed my arm. "Don't let her die, man. Don't—please."
I lifted her in my arms. She felt too light.
I ran.
I didn't look back.
Kiefer's POV:
The hospital lights were too white. Too bright. I hated them.
Jay was lying there, pale and lifeless, surrounded by wires and beeping machines. The girl who I loved from my whole heart and saved me from getting die… was fighting to breathe.
I held her hand like it could anchor her here. Like maybe, just maybe, she'd feel it and come back.
"Please," I whispered. "Take anything from me… but not her. Not her."
The doctors rushed in and out. Her pulse dropped once. I nearly punched the wall.
They said she was critical. That the knife had gone too deep. That she'd lost too much blood.
That night, I didn't sleep.
I couldn't.
When I finally closed my eyes for even a second—
—I saw her dying all over again. But this time, I wasn't fast enough to catch her.
I woke up sweating, heart pounding, throat dry. I had screamed her name in my sleep. Nurses came rushing in.
But Jay didn't move.
The next morning, the doctor pulled me aside.
"She's stable… but there's something else."
"What?" I asked, already bracing myself.
"She might go into a coma."
I felt like the floor disappeared from under me. Like the entire world went silent, except for that one word echoing in my head.
Coma.
Angelo found me outside her room later, sitting on the cold bench like a ghost. He didn't say anything at first. Just sat beside me, elbows on his knees.
"She's strong," he finally said. "You know that, right?"
I didn't answer.
He looked at me. "You think she fought all that time just to give up now?"
I clenched my jaw. My hands were shaking. "I should've taken that knife."
"You didn't. She did. Because she loves you," Angelo said firmly. "So you don't get to fall apart. You stay here. You wait. You fight for her the way she fought for you."
I wanted to cry.
But instead, I nodded.
"Okay," I whispered. "For her."
Kiefer's POV:
I came to see her every single day. Sat by her bed. Talked to her even if she couldn't hear me.
Sometimes I'd read. Sometimes I'd just sit in silence. But most of the time, I just held her hand.
"I'm still here," I'd whisper. "You better wake up soon or I'm dragging you out of this coma myself."
No smile. No blink. No movement.
Weeks passed. Everyone else tried to stay strong—Percy, Aries, Yuri, even David who'd never admit he cared. Angelo never left my side. Not once.
Then one evening… something happened.
I was half asleep beside her bed, head resting near her hand. I'd been talking again—about everything. About school, Section E, stupid cafeteria fights.
"And Drew got detention again," I said quietly. "Idiot tripped over a lunch tray. You'd have laughed so hard…"
And then I felt it.
The softest twitch.
I paused. Thought maybe I imagined it.
But then it happened again.
Her fingers.
They moved.
My head shot up. "Jay?"
Nothing.
But her hand… her hand. It was warm. Not limp. Not cold.
"Jay, if you can hear me…" I leaned in, voice shaking. "Move your hand again."
A few seconds passed.
Then—another twitch.
I stood up so fast the chair clattered to the floor. I rushed to the hallway, yelling, "Nurse! Someone! She moved!"
People came running.
But I didn't care about them.
I turned back to her, heart pounding in my chest like a drum.
She wasn't back yet—but she was fighting.
And this time… I knew she'd win