Chapter 11 — When the Noise Stops
The noise of Section E died the moment Keifer saw them.
Jay and Alys were standing just outside the school gates, both pale, both breathing like they'd just run for their lives. Jay's knees were scraped raw, Alys' hair was a mess, and the look in their eyes told him everything.
Keifer's chest tightened. He didn't think — he was already crossing the distance in a few strides.
"What the hell happened?" His voice was sharper than he meant it to be.
Jay opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
Drake was right behind him, stopping short when he saw Alys. "Why do you look like you fell out of a moving car?" he demanded, scanning her for injuries before she could answer.
"It was Ram," Alys said finally, her voice unsteady. "He—he grabbed us. We got away."
The Group Gathers
Kiko, kit and Eren appeared next, faces shifting from confusion to pure anger as the story spilled out. The details were messy — Jay explaining how they followed Keifer and Drake, the van pulling up, Ram's smug face, the jump to freedom.
"You followed us?" Keifer's voice was low now, dangerous.
Jay crossed her arms, more out of defense than defiance. "We were curious."
"Curious?" He stepped closer, eyes locked on hers. "You could have been killed."
The words hit harder than she expected, and for a second, she forgot how to breathe. His tone wasn't just anger — it was fear, raw and unfiltered.
Drake didn't say much. He just stood beside Alys, making sure she was steady, his hand brushing hers briefly when no one was looking.
Protective Circle
Section E closed in like a wall.
"Next time, you tell us before you go chasing trouble," Eman said, his usual teasing gone.
"Or better yet," Felix added, "you don't go at all."
Jay and Alys exchanged a look — part guilty, part grateful.
Keifer finally exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. "You have no idea how lucky you are." His voice had softened, but the edge was still there.
Drake glanced at him, then back at Alys. "You're going home. Now."
Alys raised a brow. "Is that an order?"
"Yes."
Later That Evening
Jay sat on her bed, knees pulled up, the events replaying like a bad loop. She hated that the memory of Keifer's expression — that flicker of fear — kept cutting through it.
A ping from her phone.
Keifer: Don't ever do that again.
She stared at the screen for a long moment before typing back.
Jay: No promises.
His reply came fast.
Keifer: Not funny.
Across town, Alys scrolled through her own phone. One message sat at the top.
Drake: Let me know when you're home next time.
She smirked faintly, typing back one word.
Alys: Fake.
But her hands didn't shake as much anymore.