The room had grown quiet again.
The file remained open on the bedside table.
Proof.
Absolute proof.
Keifer was alive.
Now all they had to do was convince Jay.
Unfortunately—
that was easier said than done.
Hours later, movement finally came from the bed.
Everyone immediately looked up.
Jay shifted beneath the blanket.
A small frown appearing on her face.
Then her eyes opened.
For a brief moment she looked confused.
Disoriented.
Still fighting the effects of the sedative.
Then suddenly—
everything came back.
The call.
The voices.
The panic.
Keifer.
Jay immediately tried sitting up.
"Jay—"
Too fast.
Way too fast.
A sharp pain shot through her side.
Her expression twisted instantly.
But she ignored it.
"Where's my phone?"
Her voice came out hoarse.
Panicked.
She tried getting out of bed.
And nearly fell.
Alex was beside her immediately.
"Easy."
"Don't."
Jay pushed his arm away.
"Where's my phone?"
"Jay—"
"Where's my phone?!"
Her breathing was already becoming uneven again.
Fear returning.
Fast.
Her eyes darted around the room desperately.
Looking for answers.
Looking for proof.
Looking for anything.
"No."
Her voice cracked.
"No, tell me."
Nobody answered immediately.
The silence made everything worse.
"He can't…"
Tears instantly filled her eyes.
"He can't…"
She tried standing.
Again.
The pain hit harder this time.
A small gasp escaped her lips.
Her hand immediately moved toward her side.
But she still kept trying.
"Jay."
Luna's voice turned sharp.
"Sit down."
"No."
"Sit."
"No!"
The panic finally snapped through the room.
Jay looked completely terrified.
Like she was moments away from breaking all over again.
"I heard them."
The words came out broken.
"I heard Percy."
Another shaky breath.
"I heard Angelo."
"Jay."
"They said he was gone."
Tears streamed down her face.
"I heard them."
She looked at all of them desperately.
Like she was begging somebody to tell her it wasn't true.
Nobody liked seeing her like this.
Especially not Cora.
But before Jay could spiral further—
Luna stepped forward.
"Enough."
The room went silent.
Even Jay froze.
Luna rarely raised her voice.
Which made it ten times more effective when she did.
"Sit down."
Jay stared at her.
Still crying.
Still shaking.
Still panicking.
But she sat.
Mostly because she physically couldn't stay standing much longer.
Luna crouched in front of her.
Making sure Jay looked directly at her.
"Listen."
Jay shook her head.
"No—"
"Listen."
The word came firmer this time.
And finally—
Jay stopped talking.
Stopped fighting.
Stopped trying to stand.
"Good."
Luna took a breath.
Then spoke clearly.
Slowly.
Making sure every word landed.
"Keifer is alive."
Jay froze.
Completely.
Nothing moved.
Not even her breathing.
Then she laughed.
A horrible broken laugh.
"You don't have to—"
"He's alive."
"No."
"Jay."
"No."
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Don't do that."
The words came out painfully small.
"Don't lie to me."
Cora's heart shattered.
Immediately she moved closer.
Sitting beside Jay.
Taking one of her trembling hands.
"We're not lying."
Jay looked away.
Refusing to believe it.
Refusing to hope.
Because hope hurt.
Hope was dangerous.
Hope was what got people destroyed.
Alex finally picked up the file from the bedside table.
And placed it directly into her hands.
"Then look."
The room became silent.
Jay slowly lowered her gaze.
One picture.
Then another.
Then another.
Her hands began trembling harder.
Tiger Club.
Section E.
Percy.
Aries.
Angelo.
And—
Keifer.
Alive.
The file slipped slightly in her grasp.
Another picture.
Then another.
Recent.
All recent.
Alive.
Alive.
Alive.
For several seconds she simply stared.
Like her brain couldn't process it.
Then suddenly—
all the fear she'd been carrying shattered.
A sob escaped her.
Then another.
The file slipped from her hands completely.
And before anybody could react—
she threw herself into Cora's arms.
Holding onto her as tightly as she could.
"I was so scared."
The words broke apart halfway through.
Cora immediately wrapped both arms around her.
"It's okay."
"I thought I lost him."
Jay cried into her shoulder.
The tears refusing to stop.
"I thought he was gone."
Another sob.
A painful one.
"I thought…"
Her voice cracked completely.
"I thought it was my fault."
Cora held her tighter.
"It's not."
"I was so scared."
The confession came out small.
Almost childlike.
And somehow that hurt even more.
Because for the first time—
Jay wasn't acting strong.
Wasn't pretending.
Wasn't hiding.
She was simply terrified.
And finally—
she let them see it.