(Jay's POV)
The academic battle at LSE was finally over. We had beaten the tough exams, we had crushed my annoying rival Elliana, and we had proved that love and hard work win every single time. After weeks of non-stop studying, crying over macroeconomics, and drinking way too much coffee, we were finally back in our cozy London house.
The night was quiet. The big, loud city outside our window was calm. Inside, the lights were dim and warm. I was sitting on the edge of our large, soft bed, wearing my favorite oversized pajamas. My hair was tied up in a messy bun. For the first time in a month, my brain did not feel like it was melting from formulas and business theories. I felt completely at peace.
Our room smelled like fresh lavender and the clean scent of soap. That clean smell was coming from the bathroom, where Keifer was taking a long, warm shower. I could hear the soft sound of the water running against the tiles. It was a comforting sound. I looked down at my hand. The light from the lamp caught my engagement ring. It sparkled brightly. A huge smile spread across my face. I was engaged to the smartest, most handsome, and most perfect man in the world. My Keifer. Life felt absolutely amazing.
But this much peace isn't habitual. I know that something will happen. Just wait Jay, just wait.
Suddenly, the silence was broken. My phone on the nightstand began to buzz loudly. The screen lit up, dancing around on the wood. I blinked, wondering who could possibly be calling us at this time of the night. It was very late in London. Most of our friends were fast asleep who where in London. Apparently for Phillipines it could be someone.
I reached over and picked up the phone. When I looked at the screen, my heart did a little happy flip. It was an international number from the Philippines. It was Keigan and Keiren.
Last time, we went to Philippines, we couldn't meet them because we had to rush back to london for university. I missed those boys so much. They were like my own family now.
I quickly swiped the screen to answer the call and put the phone to my ear.
"Hello?" I said, my voice soft and sweet.
"Ate Jay!" A bright, young voice cheered from the other end of the line. It was Keiren speaking.
"Ate" , Every time Keiren called me that, my heart melted into a puddle of warm mush. He sounded so happy to hear me, even though it was probably early morning or afternoon over there because of the time difference.
"Hi, Keiren!" I laughed, leaning back against the fluffy pillows. "It is so good to hear your voice. How are you doing, sweetie? Tell me, how are your studies going over there?"
I heard a small, dramatic sigh through the speaker. Keiren sounded a little bit sad all of a sudden. "Well, Ate Jay, I just got my final exam results back today. I am actually really upset about it."
My eyebrows pulled together in worry. I sat up a little straighter on the bed. "Oh no, really? What happened? Was it a hard exam?"
"I only got a 99.98 percent," Keiren said, his voice dropping into a deep, disappointed pout. "I really wanted a perfect 100 percent. I worked so hard, but I missed two tiny points on the math section. I am totally unsatisfied with myself, Ate. It is a disaster."
I stared into empty space, my mouth dropping open in pure shock. A 99.98 percent? A disaster?
He is also a Germ killing Alcohol Genius.
Inside my mind, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I shook my head in disbelief. I thought to myself, Wow, this kid truly has the exact same crazy genes as Keifer. Normal human beings celebrate when they get a passing grade, let alone a near-perfect score. But the guys in this family? If they do not get a perfect 100 percent, they act like the world is coming to an end. It was hilarious and terrifying at the same time.
"Keiren, you are a literal genius," I told him, giggling softly. "99.98 percent is amazing! You should be jumping up and down with joy, not crying about it!"
"It is not a 100, Ate," he mumbled, sounding exactly like a mini version of Keifer when he gets stubborn.
To change the subject and make him feel better, I smiled and asked, "Okay, okay. What about your older brother? How did Keigan do on his results? And where is he? "
I could practically hear Keiren rolling his eyes through the phone. "Kuya keigan hasn't woke up yet. Ate, why are you even asking about Kuya Keigan? You already know the answer. He is Kuya Keigan. He will always get a perfect 100 percent. He does it in his sleep."
Keigan was also a total super-brain. I let out a loud, happy laugh. These brothers were truly something else. I was surrounded by a family of absolute monsters when it came to report cards.
Right at that moment, the bathroom door clicked open. A cloud of warm steam rolled out into the bedroom, smelling like mint and cedarwood. Keifer walked out, towel-drying his damp, dark hair. He was wearing loose grey sweatpants that sat low on his hips, and his chest was bare. He looked like a model from a magazine. He wiped a few stray water drops from his collarbone and looked over at me with a soft, curious look in his eyes.
"Who is on the line, wifey?" Keifer asked. His voice was deep, rough, and sleepy. It sent a little shiver down my spine.
I looked at him, trapping the phone against my shoulder. I smiled widely. "These are your mini Keifers from across the world."
Keifer paused, a slow, wicked smirk spreading across his handsome face. He walked over to the bed with slow, steady steps.
"Well, right now, there is only one mini Keifer on that phone line. But don't worry, wifey. The real mini Keifers will be coming along in a few years."
My face instantly turned as red as a ripe tomato. My cheeks felt burning hot. I grabbed a nearby pillow and threw it right at his chest.
"Keifer! Stop saying things like that!" I whispered loudly, blushing furiously. He just laughed, a low, rumbling sound that showed how much he loved teasing me.
Suddenly, a loud, artificial coughing sound came from the phone speaker. Keiren was still on the line, and he had heard everything.
"Oh my gosh, please stop," Keiren groaned loudly, his voice full of mock disgust. "Kuya, Ate, I am going to die out of pure cringe over here! I am too young to listen to this romantic stuff. My ears are bleeding!"
Keifer finally climbed onto the mattress. The bed dipped under his weight. He slid right next to me, his warm skin instantly heating up my side. He didn't hesitate for a single second before reaching out and wrapping a strong, heavy arm around my waist. He pulled me firmly against his side, tucking me under his chin. I rested my head against his shoulder, feeling totally safe.
Keifer took the phone from my hand and put it on speaker mode so we could both talk. The playful smirk left his face, replaced by his usual calm, protective older brother expression.
"Alright, Keiren, cut the drama," Keifer said into the phone, his voice firm but loving. "Is everything alright over there in the Philippines? Why are you calling so late?"
The playful tone in Keiren's voice disappeared instantly. The line went very quiet for a few seconds. When Keiren spoke again, he sounded small, worried, and very scared.
"Kuya... actually, things are not okay," Keiren whispered. "I need you and Ate Jay to come back home to the Philippines. Just for a few days. Please."
Keifer's body went completely stiff next to me. I could feel his muscles tighten up under my hand. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? What happened? Did someone bypass the security guards?"
"No, no! The guards are fine. Nobody broke in," Keiren explained quickly, his voice shaking a little bit. "It is about Kuya Keigan. He is not behaving as usual at all. For the past two days, he has been acting really, really strange. It feels like he is not Kuya Keigan anymore. It feels like he is someone else entirely. He looks at me with these cold, scary eyes, and he says things that don't make sense. I am scared, Kuya."
Keifer did not hesitate for even half a second. He did not ask twenty questions. He did not pause to think about his schedule or his university classes. His family needed him, and that was all that mattered.
"We will come right tomorrow," Keifer said. His voice was completely solid, like a rock. "Listen to me, Keiren. Lock yourself in your room if you feel unsafe. Tell the head guard to stay right outside your door. Do not provoke him. We are leaving London first thing in the morning."
"Okay, Kuya. Thank you. Please hurry," Keiren said, sounding deeply relieved.
"We love you, buddy. Stay safe," I added quickly, my heart squeezing with worry for the young boy.
"Love you too, Ate," Keiren murmured, and then the call clicked off.
The bedroom became completely silent again, but the happy, peaceful mood from before was totally gone. I turned my body to face Keifer, looking up into his dark, serious eyes. My mind was racing, putting pieces of a puzzle together.
"Keifer..." I started, my voice trembling a little. "Do you think... is it because of his past? Is it because Keigan's old trauma might have returned?"
Keifer looked down at me, his eyes softening just a tiny bit because he was looking at me, but I could see the deep worry hidden behind his calm face. He slowly nodded his head.
"It is very possible, Jay. When things get too stressful, or when something reminds him of the dark times, his mind splits apart to protect itself."
I understood exactly what he meant. Keigan had a very deep, dark trauma from his childhood, just like I did. But our traumas were triggered by different things. Keifer once told me that mine symptoms are same as Keigan , so I understand Keigan better than anyone else.
For me, my trauma was connected to the sight of bright red blood. Whenever I saw a lot of blood, my brain would short-circuit, and I would unlock my multiple personality disorder. I would become someone completely different to escape the horror.
Keigan, however, did not care about blood at all. Blood did not scare him. His trauma came from the terrible, horrible abuse he suffered from their father when he was just a little kid. Their father had been an absolute monster to them. Because of that heavy pain, Keigan also developed a multiple personality disorder. When his trauma was triggered, his normal, nice, genius self would disappear. He would become a completely different person—someone cold, detached, and very dangerous to anyone around him.
"We cannot let him hurt himself, and we cannot let him scare Keiren," I said, my voice full of determination. I was not the weak girl who panicked over exams anymore. When it came to protecting the people we loved, I was ready to fight.
Keifer looked at me, a proud smile touching the corners of his lips. He leaned down and pressed a soft, sweet kiss against my forehead. "You are amazing, wifey. Let's move fast."
We threw the covers off our legs and jumped out of the warm bed. The mission had officially started.
"You start packing the suitcases, and I will book the plane tickets online right away," Keifer ordered smoothly, already walking over to his desk to grab his laptop.
"On it!" I yelled, running over to the closet.I pulled two giant, heavy suitcases out from the top shelf. I threw them open on the floor like a woman on a mission. I started grabbing clothes wildly from the hangers. I grabbed shirts, pants, underwear, and jackets, rolling them up tightly and throwing them into the bags.
Don't worry Keifer has trained me!
Meanwhile, Keifer's fingers were flying across his laptop keyboard like a professional hacker in an action movie. The clicking sound of the keys filled the room."I found a flight!" Keifer called out, his eyes scanning the screen. "There is a direct flight leaving Heathrow Airport at six o'clock tomorrow morning. It is expensive, but it gets us there the fastest."
"Book it! Buy the whole row if you have to!" I shouted back, throwing a pair of socks into the suitcase. "We have unlimited money anyway, just click buy!"
"Done," Keifer said, hitting the enter key with a loud clack. "Tickets are confirmed. We leave for the airport in exactly four hours."
"Perfect!" I zipped up the first suitcase with a loud zzzzzt sound. I sat on top of the second suitcase with all my weight, bouncing up and down until the zippers finally met in the middle. "We are packed and ready to go!"
We didn't get a single wink of sleep that night. We washed our faces, changed into comfortable travel clothes, and grabbed our passports. By the time the clock struck four in the morning, our private taxi was already waiting downstairs in the freezing London rain.
The journey was a complete blur of airports, long lines, boring security checks, and hours of sitting in tight airplane seats. Keifer held my hand the entire time. Every time the plane hit turbulence, he would squeeze my fingers and whisper funny little jokes in my ear to keep me calm. I fell asleep against his shoulder for a few hours, dreaming of tropical trees and storm clouds.
After a very long, exhausting flight, the airplane finally touched down on the runway in Manila. The moment the cabin doors opened, the thick, heavy tropical heat of the Philippines hit our faces. It was a massive change from the cold, wet weather of London.
As we walked out of the airport terminal, a group of tall men wearing black suits, dark sunglasses, and serious expressions stepped out of the crowd. They were the private security team Keifer hired. They looked like secret agents.
"Sir Keifer, Ma'am Jay, welcome back," the head guard said, bowing his head respectfully. "The cars are ready. We need to move quickly. Master Keigan has locked himself in the study room, and he refuses to come out."
"Let's go," Keifer said, his voice dropping into a dangerously low tone.
We climbed into the back of a large, bulletproof black SUV. The driver slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and we sped through the busy, crowded streets of the city. My heart was beating like a drum inside my chest. Please let Keiren be safe. Please let Keigan be okay, I prayed silently.
After a tense forty-five minute drive, the SUV pulled through the massive iron gates of a private, beautiful estate. The house was surrounded by high concrete walls and armed guards. It was a literal fortress.The car stopped with a screech of tires. Keifer and I jumped out before the guards could even open the doors for us. We ran up the grand stone steps and threw the heavy front doors open.
"Kuya! Ate Jay!"
A small body came flying down the grand staircase. It was Keiren. He looked pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. He threw his arms around my waist, holding onto me for dear life.I instantly wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his back. "We are here, sweetie. You are safe now. Where is Keigan?"
Keiren pointed a shaking finger up toward the second floor. "He is in the main library room at the end of the hall. He hasn't eaten anything in two days. Two of the big guards tried to go in there to give him food, and Kuya Keigan literally threw a heavy wooden chair right at their heads! He told them that if anyone comes close, he will eliminate them. He is speaking in this weird, formal voice. He is definitely not himself."
Keifer walked past us, his face calm but his eyes sharp like knives. "Stay here with Keiren, Jay. I am going to handle this."
"No way!" I argued, running up to catch his arm. "We are a team, Keifer. You taught me how to be strong during exams, and I am not going to leave you now. Plus, I know what it feels like to have a broken mind. Maybe I can help talk to him."
Keifer looked at me for a long moment. He saw the fire in my eyes and realized I was not going to back down. A soft, loving smile crossed his face for a split second. "Alright, wifey. But stay behind me if things get violent."
We walked up the wide stairs together, our footsteps echoing against the marble floors. The hallway leading to the library felt cold and spooky. Two massive security guards were standing outside the double wooden doors of the library. They looked totally terrified, which was crazy because they were twice our size.
"Sir," one guard whispered. "He has barricaded the door from the inside. We tried to force it open, but he threatened to burn the books."
"Step back," Keifer ordered.Keifer stood in front of the door. He didn't kick it, and he didn't shout. He just knocked gently with his knuckles.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Keigan," Keifer called out, his voice smooth and steady. "It is Kuya. I am back from London. And I brought Jay with me. Open the door, little brother."
For a few seconds, there was absolute silence from inside the room. Then, we heard the slow, heavy scraping sound of furniture being dragged across the floor. The lock clicked loudly.
Click.
One of the heavy wooden doors swung open slowly.
I peeked from behind Keifer's shoulder, and my breath caught in my throat. Standing there was Keigan, but he looked completely different from the sweet, cheerful genius brother I remembered. His hair was messy, his clothes were wrinkled, and his face was completely blank. His eyes were wide, cold, and dead. There was no emotion in them at all.
"Ah," Keigan spoke, his voice completely flat, like a robot. "The primary subject has returned from the United Kingdom. Along with the female companion. You may enter the space, but the large men in suits must remain outside the perimeter."
I choked back a laugh despite the scary situation. The primary subject? The female companion? He was talking like a mad scientist! His alternate personality had definitely taken full control of his brain.
Keifer didn't blink. He just stepped inside the room, and I followed close behind him. Keigan instantly slammed the heavy door shut behind us and locked it again.
The library was a total mess. Books were scattered all over the floor. Papers were flying everywhere. In the center of the room, Keigan had built a strange, massive tower out of thick encyclopedias and pillows. It looked like a castle fort that a five-year-old would build, but it was built with perfect mathematical precision.
"Keigan," I said softly, stepping forward. "Are you feeling okay? Keiren told us you haven't eaten anything. We brought you some nice snacks from London."
Keigan turned his cold gaze toward me. He tilted his head to the side, looking at me like I was a strange bug under a microscope.
The silence in the room became heavy and thick.
Suddenly, Keigan completely broke his gaze from me, dismissing my presence as if I were a total stranger. He turned his body toward a small side table. On it sat a glass filled with a thick liquid that was a very weird, neon-green color. He picked it up with a perfectly steady hand.
He walked over to Keifer, his face completely blank. "Kuya, I made this specially for you," Keigan said, his voice flat and empty of any warmth. "You must consume it to optimize your biological functions."
Huh! Biological functions? Wth?
Keifer, trusting his little brother completely, raised his hand and was about to take the glass from Keigan's grip.
In that split second, my brain suddenly flashed back to our high school days at HVIS. Back then, Keifer and I were not engaged yet. I vividly remembered a horrific afternoon when Keigan, trapped in a similar state of deep childhood trauma, had handed me a glass of juice. He had secretly mixed heavy industrial glue into it. I had swallowed it, which resulted in an emergency hospitalization and days of agonizing pain. I had lied to Keifer back then, hiding the truth and never telling him that Keigan was the one who did it. I had kept the secret because I knew Keigan wasn't evil; he was just deeply broken inside from their father's past abuse.
Now, seeing the exact same pattern happen right in front of my eyes, pure terror gripped my chest. My mind went entirely white. I could not process what to do, and I knew I didn't have time to explain the past to Keifer.
Before Keifer's fingers could even touch the glass, I lunged forward with explosive speed. I snatched the glass right out of Keigan's hand. Instead of throwing it away, my panicked, protective instincts took over completely. I brought the glass to my lips and drank the weird, toxic liquid myself, draining it in one large gulp to save the man I loved.
The very next sound that came to my ear was Keifer shouting "Jay!" in a voice full of absolute, raw horror as the world around me began to spin...