The laughter lingered in the air long after the tension had eased, the kind of laughter that only came when people had stood too close to losing everything and somehow survived.
Aries was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, pretending he wasn't watching her every second.
She walked up to him without warning and hugged him.
Not a side hug. Not a quick pat. A full, tight hug.
Aries froze.
For exactly two seconds.
"…You idiot," he muttered, voice cracking despite his attempt at sarcasm. "Do you have any idea how close—"
Then his arms came around her like instinct, strong and protective, the way they always had been even when she didn't realize it. Jay buried her face into his chest for a second longer than necessary.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
He stiffened. "For what?"
"For protecting me," she replied. "Even when I didn't know. Even when I wasn't there."
Aries swallowed. His jaw tightened, eyes going a little glassy before he forced a smirk. "Kuya duty," he said lightly. "Always."
Before the moment could soften any further, Percy slid in from the side, arms wide."Excuse me," he announced dramatically. "Have you forgotten you have another brother?"
Jay laughed, the sound sharp and real, and Percy hugged her just as tightly.
"So rude," Percy added, pulling back just enough to look offended. "Bad baby sister."
Aries scoffed. "Don't listen to him popeye. Kuya is always there for you."
"Both of you are," Jay said, smiling.
Sec E, who had been pretending very badly not to watch, immediately jumped in.
"Oh wow," Cin said, arms crossed. "So unfair."
Jay raised a brow. "What?"
"When we did that thing with Kiko," Felix added, deadpan, "you literally tried to kill us."
"And now," Calix continued, pointing at Aries, "hugging. Public hugging."
Jay tilted her head innocently. "You ulupongs," she said sweetly. "At least he didn't hack and trace my phone."
The room burst into laughter.
Adam suddenly groaned and checked his phone. "Shit."
"What?" Michael asked.
"My school teacher is calling," Adam said, panic immediate. "Jay, please handle it. Make some excuse or I'm dead."
Jay snatched the phone without hesitation. "Give it."
She straightened her posture, softened her voice, and answered.
"Yes, hello? Yes, ma'am. This is Adam's—" she paused dramatically, "—guardian."
Everyone watched in awe as Jay launched into a flawless performance, explaining a "medical family emergency," adding just enough sincerity and guilt to make it believable.
Adam clasped his hands together like he was praying.
When she hung up, she handed him the phone. "Your results are getting announced in one week. Same with Michael."
Michael sighed. "Great. More anxiety."
Jay sighed, took the phone, and instantly changed her posture and voice.
"Yes, yes, ma'am. He's with me. Fever. Very bad fever. Yes, assignments submitted. Yes, results—of course we're excited."
She hung up and handed the phone back. "You owe me food for a week."
"What about Samuel?" rory asked.
Samuel, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "Skipped one class. So now I'm doing medical professionally. Trauma specialization."
A beat.
"…Future hospital chains," he added calmly.
The students stared.
"What happened to our results?" Cin suddenly said.
Everyone froze.
"Oh," felix muttered. "We forgot."
eren blinked. "Wait… results?"
Everyone froze.
"…Our results," blaster said slowly.
Complete chaos.
"We FORGOT ABOUT RESULTS?"
Angelo cleared his throat from the couch. "I talked to the principal."
All heads snapped to him.
"They're postponed," he continued casually. "One week later."
Collective relief washed over the room.
The room erupted.
Cin and Jay exchanged a look—and immediately started ordering food like nothing else mattered, arguing over fries, drinks, desserts, talking over each other like the world wasn't about to burn.
Best-friend chaos. Comfort chaos.
as they were about to leave the table, Yuri's phone rang.
Kaizer.
Jay gestured sharply. "Speaker."
Yuri answered on speaker, face calm.
Kaizer's voice said smoothly. "Thought you'd be there."
Yuri smiled faintly. "I was delayed."
"Pity," Kaizer replied. "We're going holding a meeting. Choosing sides. Aces are finished. Alpha is dead."
Kaizer's voice echoed, smug and pleased."There's a meeting being planned. To destroy Aces' power. Alpha is dead. Keifer is weakened. Sec-E is unstable."
Keifer's jaw tightened.
"And you," Kaizer continued, "you're better than him. Always were."
Silence fell like a blade.
Keifer didn't speak. He just clenched his fists.
Jay reached for his hand under the table—grounding him.
Her eyes, however, were cold.
"Let him talk," she whispered. "June 16."
She smiled—not soft, not kind.
"Let them all choose sides."
Jay stood. "We're leaving."
Night had settled by the time they reached the parking lot.
The villa lights shimmered faintly in the distance as engines started one by one. Jay moved toward Keifer's car without a word, pulling her hoodie tighter and slipping into the passenger seat.
Keifer didn't speak as he drove.
Streetlights blurred past the windows, shadows cutting across his face. Jay watched him quietly—his clenched jaw, the way his hands gripped the wheel like he was holding himself together by force alone.
She leaned closer, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
He laughed under his breath. "No."
She smiled faintly. "Same."
At a red light, he reached out, lacing his fingers with hers.
"You scared me," he said, voice low. "Don't ever do that again."
Jay squeezed his hand. "I came back."
"That's not the point."
She shifted closer, practically curling into his side despite the seatbelt. "I'm here now."
He exhaled slowly, some of the tension finally bleeding out of him.
"You know," he muttered, "everyone thinks Alpha is dead."
Jay's eyes glinted. "Good."
The car rolled forward, the villa gates opening ahead of them like a promise and a warning all at once.
From the back seat, Percy glanced back through the mirror, sighing dramatically. "I swear, if you two start making heart-eyes again, I'm opening the window and jumping."
rory snorted. "Relax. This is mild. You should've seen them on the island."
keifer grinned. "Oh, don't remind me. Coconut tree Jay was iconic."
"I proved it."
"I landed gracefully."
keifer leaned toward jay now, whispering near his ear, ""You landed on me."Exactly. Graceful."
Keifer's jaw tightened—not annoyed, but very aware.
"Eyes front," Angelo warned from the second car over the comms, his voice laced with mock authority.
Ion's laughter crackled right after. "Let them be. "
Lights flickered on one by one, security already alert. As soon as they stepped out, the Watson aura snapped back into place—guards straightening, whispers falling silent. But Jay didn't miss the way Keifer's hand found hers instantly, fingers interlacing like it was instinct, not choice.
Inside, chaos softened into comfort.
Shoes were kicked off. Jackets tossed aside. Someone—probably Cin—was already raiding the kitchen. The tension that had wrapped around them all day loosened, replaced by tired laughter and that familiar, dangerous sense of we survived again.
Jay collapsed onto the couch, stretching dramatically. "I demand snacks, silence, and zero assassination attempts for the next twelve hours."
Michael passed by. "No promises."
keifer dropped onto the armrest beside her. "You good?"
Someone clapped. "Alright," Angelo announced, clapping once. "Everyone alive, everyone exhausted. Rest. We regroup tomorrow."
As people slowly dispersed, keifer tugged jay toward the stairs. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" she asked, already following.
he glanced back with a mischievous smile. "Sleep. Allegedly."
Her eyebrow lifted. "Allegedly?"
he pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Don't get ideas. You're injured."
"Devastating."
The room was dim, warm. Familiar. Safe.
Jay kicked off her hoodie and flopped onto the bed. Keifer sat beside her, careful, still watching her like she might disappear if he blinked.
She noticed.
"You can stop staring," she teased. "I'm not a ghost."
He reached out, brushing a thumb over her wrist, right where the bandage hid the scratches he hated himself for. "I know."
She grabbed his shirt suddenly and pulled him down so he was half lying beside her, half hovering. "You don't get to lose me," she said softly. "And you don't get to lose yourself either."
His forehead dropped to hers. "Promise me."
She smiled, tired but sincere. "I promise. I'll fight. I'll stay. I'll annoy you forever."
He laughed, breath shaky. "That's a threat."
She kissed him then—slow, teasing, familiar. When she pulled back, she smirked. "See? Alive."
Keifer rolled onto his back, tugging her with him so she rested on his chest. "Sleep, Alpha."
She yawned immediately. "Wow. Betrayal."
His arms wrapped around her, protective, gentle. "I've got you."
As the villa settled into silence, the war paused—not ended, just waiting.