Third Person POV
Exam week arrived like a quiet storm.
Nothing dramatic on the surface—just books, notes, routines—but underneath, the entire house thrummed with tension. Not just because of exams… but because of everything else lurking in the background.
Kaizer hadn't disappeared.
He had just… gone silent.
And that made it worse.
Mornings started early.
Too early for comfort.
Keifer and Jay woke up in soft light that slipped through the curtains, gentle but persistent. Jay usually stirred first, her brows slightly furrowed even before she fully opened her eyes.
Stress.
It sat with her before the day even began.
Keifer noticed every time.
He'd pull her closer without a word, brushing her hair away from her face.
"You'll do fine," he'd murmur, voice low and steady. "And I'll be right there when it's over."
Jay would let out a small breath, tension easing just a little as she leaned into him.
"I hope so…"
He'd press a soft kiss to her forehead.
Not dramatic.
Just enough to anchor her.
Downstairs—
It was a different kind of battlefield.
Angelo had taken charge.
"Three days," he said sharply one morning, pacing like a commander. "Three days, and I expect results. No distractions."
Section E tried.
They really did.
But whispering still happened.
Small jokes slipped through.
"Bro, if I fail, I'm blaming the lighting."
"You've been blaming lighting since last year."
A glare from Angelo—
Silence.
Immediate.
Keiren, however, existed in his own world.
"Ate, do you think India will have sweets every day?"
"Do temples look like stories?"
"Are the streets really that colorful?"
He bounced between questions and books, somehow managing both chaos and excitement at once.
Eces sighed once or twice.
But there was always a small smile she didn't bother hiding.
Keigan and Eces stayed focused.
Completely.
Keigan tapped his pen in a steady rhythm, eyes locked on his notes like the rest of the world didn't exist.
Eces wrote with precision—clean, sharp, controlled.
Every line deliberate.
Percy occasionally leaned over.
"You missed a margin alignment."
She glared.
He grinned.
And somehow—
That was their version of normal.
Evenings softened everything.
After hours of studying, the house shifted.
Less pressure.
More quiet.
More… real.
Keifer and Jay usually disappeared into their room.
No books.
No pressure.
Just—
Breathing.
Sometimes they lay there, tangled in each other, talking softly about anything except exams.
India.
Random thoughts.
Nothing important—and yet everything felt important.
Other times, it was quieter.
A soft kiss.
A lingering one.
The kind that slowed everything down.
"I'm scared I'll mess up," Jay whispered one night, her voice barely there.
Keifer tightened his arms around her.
"You won't."
"And if I do?"
He tilted her chin slightly, meeting her eyes.
"I'm still here."
That was enough.
It always was.
In the common room—
Keiren spread maps everywhere.
"This is where we'll go."
"And here!"
"And here!"
He dragged anyone willing into his excitement.
Which was everyone.
Eventually.
Even Keigan glanced up once.
"Focus," he muttered.
But there was no real bite to it.
Percy stayed… Percy.
Mirror nearby.
Hair perfect.
Even during study breaks.
But he stayed close to Eces.
Not loud about it.
Not obvious.
Just—
There.
A quiet kind of presence.
And through it all—
Kaizer lingered.
Not seen.
Not heard.
But felt.
Keifer made sure no one was ever alone.
Not Jay.
Not Keiren.
Not Keigan.
Not Eces.
Schedules tightened.
Doors locked.
Movements planned.
Even laughter had a shadow behind it.
But something else grew stronger too.
Something steadier.
Jay slept easier when she was with Keifer.
Keifer held her a little closer each night.
Eces allowed herself small, quiet smiles.
Keigan stayed silently protective.
Keiren filled the house with light.
Even Section E—
Through jokes, teasing, chaos—
Stayed together.
By the end of the week—
They were tired.
Exhausted.
Mentally drained.
But stronger.
Closer.
Held together by something deeper than exams.
Something built through laughter, tension, late nights, and quiet promises.
Because in the end—
It wasn't just about tests.
It was about standing together.
Through everything.
Even the things waiting in the dark.
Keifer's POV
I was leaning against the kitchen counter, coffee in hand, when my phone buzzed loudly against the marble surface. The sound echoed in the quiet morning. I picked it up lazily, but the moment I saw the notification from Jay's Warriors, my attention sharpened.
Felix: PROM THIS SATURDAY.
Ci-n: FINALLY.
Yuri: We're going.
Grace: Shopping today. No excuses.
The chat exploded instantly.
I exhaled slowly, already knowing what was coming next.
Before I could even look up, Jay's voice reached me.
"Keifer."
I turned.
She was standing near the dining table, her eyes bright, hopeful, excited—the kind of excitement she tried to hide but never could.
"Prom," she said softly.
I stared at her for a second, memorizing that expression. She deserved this. She deserved normal things. Happy things.
"Then we're going shopping," I replied simply.
Her smile widened.
And just like that, the house shifted from calm to chaos.
Within an hour, the living room was filled with noise.
Section E had arrived.
Ci-n was sprawled across the couch like he owned the place. Yuri was scrolling through dresses on his phone—not for himself, but because apparently he had "better taste than everyone." David and Drew were arguing about colors. Felix was teasing Jay. Kit and Mayo were laughing. Calix, Edrix, Eman, Eren, Josh, Rory, Blaster, and Denzel filled the rest of the room with their usual energy.
Aries stood near the doorway, arms crossed, watching the chaos with an amused smirk.
He wasn't part of Section E, but he fit in easily.
Ella stood beside him, holding his hand.
Jay moved closer to me instinctively, her shoulder brushing mine. My hand found her waist without thinking.
I spoke calmly, taking control before the chaos consumed everything.
"We'll go shopping together," I said. "Everyone."
That earned cheers.
Then I looked toward the staircase.
Eces stood there, quiet, observant.
Beside her were Keigan and Keiren.
Percy leaned against the wall nearby, checking his reflection on his phone like always. Honey sat beside him.
Grazel was with them too.
They weren't coming.
Not today.
Not when I couldn't guarantee safety.
"I want you all to stay here," I told them firmly. My eyes lingered on Eces, Keiren, and Keigan. "With Percy. With Grazel. You'll be safer."
Keiren pouted immediately. "Kuya—"
I gave him a look.
He stopped.
Eces didn't argue. She simply nodded. She understood.
Percy rolled his shoulders lazily. "Relax. I'll handle it."
I knew he would.
Soon, it was time to leave.
The driveway filled with engines starting, doors opening, voices calling out to each other.
I opened the passenger door for Jay. She smiled softly at me before stepping inside.
I walked around and got into the driver's seat.
Aries and Ella took the back seats of our car.
Ci-n, Yuri, David, Drew, Felix, and Blaster filled the second car.
Calix, Edrix, Eman, Eren, Kit, Mayo, Josh, Rory, and Denzel filled the third.
Grace, Rakki, Freya, and Mica rode together in the fourth.
Engines roared to life one by one.
Before starting the car, I looked back at the house.
Through the window, I saw Keiren waving dramatically.
Keigan stood beside him.
Eces stood slightly behind them, quiet, watching.
Percy leaned casually against the wall.
They were safe.
For now.
I started the engine.
Jay rested her hand on my thigh.
I covered it with mine.
The convoy of cars began moving, one after another, leaving the house behind.
As we drove forward, I didn't just think about prom.
I thought about Jay.
Her safety.
Her happiness.
And the silent promise I carried in my chest—
No matter what happened next…
I would protect her.
Always.
The mall was louder than usual.
Not because of the crowd.
Because of us.
Section E never did anything quietly.
The moment we entered, everyone naturally split—not randomly, but into pairs. Couples. Partners. People who belonged beside each other.
And somehow… it felt right.
Jay's fingers were intertwined with mine, her body close to my side. I could feel her warmth through the thin fabric of her sleeve. She wasn't talking much, just looking around with soft excitement in her eyes.
Behind us, Ci-n had his arm casually resting around Rakki's shoulders while she showed him something on her phone.
Calix and Mica were already arguing.
"No, this color suits you," Calix insisted.
Mica crossed her arms. "You say that about everything."
"Because everything suits you."
She tried not to smile.
Edrix and Freya walked quietly together, their hands brushing occasionally like neither of them wanted to admit how much they wanted to hold on.
Denzel and Grace were openly holding hands, laughing at something only they understood.
Aries and Ella walked side by side too, his protective presence obvious even in silence.
Felix, Blaster, Kit, Mayo, Eman, Eren, Josh, Rory, David, Drew, and Yuri filled the rest of the space, but even among them, there were invisible lines—people who stayed closer to certain people without realizing it.
But my attention never left Jay.
Never.
She stopped in front of a dress.
Deep blue.
Elegant.
Soft.
She lifted it slowly, holding it against herself, then looked up at me.
"What do you think?"
I stepped closer without hesitation. My hand rested on her waist, pulling her gently toward me.
"It's beautiful," I said quietly.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
Then I added, softer—
"But not as beautiful as you."
She hit my arm lightly. "Keifer."
I smirked faintly.
Aries, standing beside Ella, scoffed. "Disgusting."
Ella laughed, nudging him. "You're just jealous."
Ci-n walked past us dramatically in a suit jacket.
"Rakki, look. Do I look rich?"
Rakki tilted her head, pretending to think. "You look like you stole someone's money."
Everyone laughed.
Even Jay.
Her laughter was soft.
Safe.
Alive.
And I would protect that sound with everything I had.
But then—
I felt it.
That feeling.
Someone watching.
My body reacted before my mind did.
My eyes scanned the area.
And there he was.
A man.
Standing near a pillar.
Not shopping.
Not moving.
Watching.
Watching us.
Watching Jay.
My hand tightened instinctively around her waist.
Aries noticed immediately. His eyes followed mine.
The man looked away too quickly.
And walked off.
Not casually.
Deliberately.
My jaw clenched.
Kaizer.
He was near.
Not himself.
But his presence.
His reach.
His threat.
Always there.
Waiting.
Jay turned toward me.
"Keifer?"
I softened my expression instantly.
"I'm here," I said quietly.
Always.
She leaned closer to me naturally, trusting me completely.
She didn't know the danger.
And I wanted to keep it that way.
For as long as possible.
Aries stepped closer on her other side, his presence silent but strong.
We didn't speak about it.
We didn't need to.
We both knew.
We were watching.
Protecting.
Waiting.
Because if Kaizer made a move—
He wouldn't get a second chance.
+++++++++++++++++
Next chapter Target : 11 comments ( one comment per person )