(Keifer's POV)
I stopped the moment she said it.
"Plzz… don't come near… Keif…"
Her voice was barely there, but it hit harder than anything else in that room.
For a second, nothing moved.
Not me.
Not anyone behind me.
Just her breathing—uneven, strained, like every breath was a fight.
My eyes stayed on her.
Something wasn't right.
Not just the way she looked—
but the way she was holding herself.
Her hand was pressed tightly against her stomach, fingers curling into the fabric like she was trying to hold something together. Her brows pulled together slightly, a faint expression of pain crossing her face even when she wasn't speaking.
That wasn't just exhaustion.
That was something else.
"Jay…" I said, softer now, my voice losing its edge. "Look at me."
Her eyes shifted again, slow, unfocused, but they found me.
I took a careful step forward—
just one.
Nothing sudden.
Nothing risky.
"I'm not coming closer," I added quickly, keeping my tone steady. "Just… talk to me, okay?"
She swallowed slightly, her grip on her stomach tightening.
"It… hurts…" she whispered.
That one word was enough.
Everything inside me sharpened instantly.
"How bad?" I asked, my voice low but urgent now. "Jay, look at me—how bad is it?"
She didn't answer immediately.
Her breathing hitched slightly, like even forming words was too much effort.
"I—" she tried, but stopped, her eyes squeezing shut for a second.
My jaw tightened.
"Hey, hey… easy," I said quickly. "Don't force it. Just tell me—where?"
Her fingers pressed harder into her stomach.
"There…" she murmured weakly.
I nodded slightly, even though she wasn't fully looking.
"Did they hit you there?" I asked, my tone controlled, but the question came out sharper than I intended.
A faint pause.
Then—
"…yeah…"
Barely a sound.
My hand clenched at my side.
That confirmed it.
Not just surface pain.
Something deeper.
Something wrong.
"Are you dizzy?" I asked quickly. "Can you breathe properly?"
She gave the smallest shake of her head—whether it meant no or she couldn't answer, I couldn't tell.
Her eyes flickered again, struggling to stay open.
"Jay, stay with me," I said, firmer now. "Don't close your eyes."
"I'm… trying…" she whispered.
Her voice cracked slightly at the end.
That did something to me.
But I didn't show it.
Couldn't.
"Good," I said, keeping my tone steady. "Just stay like that. Don't move. Don't try to sit up."
Her grip loosened for a second—
then tightened again.
A small breath escaped her, sharper this time.
"Keif…"
"I'm here," I answered immediately.
"…go…" she whispered.
My expression hardened slightly.
"No."
Her eyes shifted again, this time a little more desperate.
"Please…" she said, her voice breaking. "Just… go…"
And that—
that wasn't about the pain anymore.
There was something else.
Something she still wasn't saying.
Something stopping her from letting me come closer.
My gaze shifted briefly—
from her
to the floor
to the space around her.
And that's when it hit me.
This wasn't just about her being hurt.
This was about something I wasn't seeing yet.
Something she already knew.
I looked back at her again, slower this time.
More careful.
More aware.
"Jay…" I said quietly, my voice dropping again. "What are you not telling me?"
She didn't answer.
Not properly.
But the way her eyes shifted—
the way her hand tightened again—
the way she shook her head slightly like she didn't want me to move—
That was enough.
Something was wrong.
And it wasn't just her.
Something was wrong.
Not just her.
The room.
The silence.
Everything felt… placed.
I didn't move.
Didn't take another step.
My eyes dropped from her slowly, scanning the floor between us—every inch, every shadow, every reflection.
There.
A faint red line.
So thin it was almost invisible unless you were looking for it.
My breath slowed.
Not fear.
Focus.
"Keif… don't move."
The voice came from behind me—low, sharp.
David.
"I'm not," I replied, my eyes still fixed ahead.
He stepped slightly to the side, crouching just enough to get a better angle. "There's a laser… running across the floor."
Of course there was.
I looked back at her.
Now it made sense.
Why she told me not to come near.
Why she tried to stop me.
"You knew," I said quietly.
Her lips parted slightly, her breathing uneven.
"I… told you…" she whispered, her voice breaking at the edges.
My jaw tightened, but I forced it back under control.
"Okay," I said, softer now. "It's okay. You did good."
Her eyes flickered at that, like she didn't expect it.
"Hey… look at me," I added, keeping my voice steady. "Don't cry. We'll get you out. Just stay still, alright?"
She gave the smallest nod—
or maybe she just tried to.
Behind me, I could hear movement.
Careful.
Measured.
Edrix stepped forward slightly, already pulling something up on his phone, scanning.
"This isn't just one line," he muttered. "There are multiple reflections… it's layered."
"Meaning?" Angelo asked quietly.
"Meaning if one shifts—" Edrix didn't finish.
Didn't need to.
Aries let out a sharp breath. "So what, we just stand here?"
"Yes," I said immediately.
His head snapped toward me.
"You move," I added, my voice dropping, "she's dead."
Silence.
Heavy.
Final.
Even Percy didn't say anything for once.
The room felt tighter now.
Smaller.
Like every inch mattered.
I looked at her again.
Still on the floor.
Still holding her stomach.
Still trying to stay conscious.
"Jay," I said, quieter this time.
Her eyes shifted again, barely.
"I'm here," I continued. "Just stay with me, okay?"
Her lips moved slightly.
"Keif…"
"I know," I said.
"I know."
A soft sound echoed in the room.
A vibration.
My phone.
Everyone's attention snapped toward me instantly.
I pulled it out slowly.
A message.
Unknown sender.
I didn't need to open it to know who it was from.
Still—
I did.
Papers are in the room.
A pause.
Then another line appeared.
Sign them… and you all walk out.
My expression didn't change.
Didn't need to.
Because we all understood.
This wasn't just a trap.
This was a choice.
I lifted my head slowly, scanning the room again, sharper this time.
Corners.
Walls.
Ceiling.
Hidden places.
He was watching.
Of course he was.
Always watching.
"Keif…" Aries said, quieter now. "What is it?"
I didn't answer immediately.
My eyes went back to her.
Then—
to the floor between us.
Then—
to the room.
Everything connected.
Everything clear.
"They don't need to be here," I said finally.
"What?" Percy muttered.
"They already have control."
Silence.
Then Edrix spoke again, more focused now. "There might be a control point… something managing the grid."
"Find it," I said.
"I'm trying."
I took a slow breath.
Then another.
My grip tightened slightly around the bracelet still in my hand.
He wanted me to choose.
Her—
or everything else.
I looked at her again.
Her eyes were barely open now.
Her breathing slower.
Weaker.
And still—
she tried to protect me.
"Just… go…" she whispered faintly.
I shook my head once.
Slow.
Final.
"Not happening."
I lifted my gaze again, colder now.
Focused.
Done waiting.
"Find the papers," I said.
Because one way or another—
this ends now.