Keifer's POV
I sprinted to the back door, my lungs burning and my heart hammering against my ribs.
I dove into the shadows of the ivy, pressing my back against the cold stone wall.
I waited, holding my breath, until the low hum of an expensive engine broke the silence.
A sleek, matte-black car rolled into the driveway. It looked like a ghost—no lights, just a dark shape gliding over the gravel.
The doors opened, and my blood ran cold. From the passenger side, Keigen stepped out, looking perfectly fine.
And from the driver's seat, the person we'd been hunting all night emerged.
Elara.
She didn't look like the sleepy student from Section E anymore.
She looked sharp and dangerous. I watched, frozen in shock, as she and Keigen actually shook hands like they had just finished a business deal.
My patience finally snapped.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" I roared, lunging out of the shadows.
Keigen jumped back, startled, but Elara didn't even flinch, she smirked.
She turned her head slowly, looking at me with those same tired, bored eyes.
I didn't think twice. I grabbed her by the collar, shaking her.
"Who are you?!" I yelled. "What are you doing with my brother? Tell me the truth right now!"
She didn't scream. She didn't look scared. She just let out a long, exhausted sigh—the kind you give when someone is being annoying.
"Tss. Too loud," she murmured.
Before I could even blink, her hand moved. It was a blur.
She landed a professional-grade punch right on my jaw. The force was insane—it felt like being hit by a sledgehammer.
My vision went blurry, my knees gave out, and I hit the gravel hard.
Damn... she's strong.
Elara didn't even look at me again. She straightened her collar, got back into the car, and rolled down the window just an inch. Her voice was flat and toneless.
"You'll find out soon enough, Watson," she said, her eyes cold in the moonlight. "Try to keep your mouth shut until then. It's better for your health."
She floored the accelerator, and the car sped away into the night. I stayed there on the ground, the taste of blood in my mouth, while my own brother stood over me, watching her go.
I scrambled up from the gravel, my jaw throbbing and my head spinning.
I didn't care about the pain. I grabbed Keigen by the shoulders, my fingers digging into his jacket.
"Keigen! Talk to me!" I barked.
"Who is she? Why were you with her? What is going on?!"
Keigen didn't fight back. He didn't even look at me. He just bowed his head, his chin touching his chest, and stayed silent. It was like talking to a brick wall.
"Answer me!" I yelled, my voice echoing off the mansion walls. I was losing my mind.
"Is she working for Dad? Is she a spy? Why did you shake her hand?!"
Keigen flinched, his whole body shaking at my shout. He looked so small right then, not like a Watson, but like a scared kid.
He looked up at me, his eyes swimming in tears, and whispered just loud enough for me to hear.
"She... she took me to see a psychiatrist, Kuya."
I froze. The anger in my chest turned into pure confusion. "A psychiatrist? What are you talking about? Why would Elara take you to a doctor? What psychiatrist?!"
Keigen let out a little sob and wiped his face with his sleeve. "I can't... I can't tell you anything else. Please, Kuya, don't ask me. You'll get to know soon... everyone will."
"Keigen, wait—"
"Please, just leave me alone!" he cried out.
He twisted out of my grip and bolted toward the back door. I heard his footsteps racing up the stairs toward his room, followed by the heavy thud of a door slamming and a lock clicking into place.
I stood alone in the dark driveway, the taste of blood still in my mouth.
I looked at the gate. My father was at the front, Elara was in the wind, and my brother was hiding a life I knew nothing about.
I felt like I was the only one who didn't know the script.
Jay's pov (at 10pm )
I finally stepped into the house at 10 PM, trying to look as innocent as possible.
But there he was.
Kuya Angelo was sitting on the sofa, posing like some sort of judge from a historical drama.
He was trying to act like a calm angel, but I could see a vein throbbing in his forehead.
That's never a good sign. It usually means someone is about to get grounded until they're thirty.
"Where the hell were you?" he barked, jumping straight to the point.
"I was at the amusement park," I said, trying to sound casual.
Please don't ask about the rollercoaster photos. Please don't ask about the giant stuffed llama.
"What the hell? And where is Aries?" He stopped mid-sentence because Aries chose that exact moment to stroll in behind me, whistling like he didn't have a care in the world.
The whistling died a very quick death the second he saw Kuya's face.
"What the fu*k? Where have you both been?" Kuya started again, his voice rising an octave.
But then he froze a third time. Percy walked in right behind Aries, also whistling the same stupid tune. He stopped so fast he almost bumped into Aries' back.
"Where have you all three been?!" Kuya screamed, his face turning a lovely shade of tomato red.
"Amusement park!" we all shouted at the same time. It sounded like we'd practiced it, which only made him look more suspicious
.
"What the fuck, amusement park? At a time like this?" He looked like he was about to have a physical glitch. "What about the results?
Aries?
Jay?
Tell me the results before I lose my mind!"
I stood up straight, feeling a rare surge of pride. This was my moment. "96, Kuya."
Kuya stared at me. He didn't cheer. He didn't hug me. He just looked at me like I had suddenly grown a second head.
"Jay, do you think I am a fool or what? 96? You got anything else to joke about? Maybe you want to tell me you're a secret astronaut too?"
Wow. The lack of faith is actually impressive. I finally study and he thinks I'm a stand-up comedian.
"Kuya, do you think I'm just joking?" I snapped, crossing my arms.
Aries and Percy tried to jump in to help, but Kuya held up a hand, silencing them. He wasn't having it.
"Jay, I am telling you," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low level.
"If you failed, just tell me. I need to prepare myself mentally to face your parents and Lola. I need to buy a shield or something. Don't lie to me with these fake numbers!"
"Kuya, what happened to you? Why do you think I'm lying? I seriously got a 96!" I screamed. I was honestly offended at this point.
The shouting was so loud that Tita and Tito came running out of their room to see if the house was on fire.
Kuya pointed at me, looking completely betrayed. "She is saying she—Jay, this little menace right here—got a 96!"
"Kuya, I am telling the truth!" I stomped my foot so hard it hurt.
He was about to launch into another lecture about the importance of honesty when Aries finally reached his limit and yelled over everyone,
"KUYA! She's telling the truth! For once in her life, she's not lying! She really got a 96!"