JAY'S POV — THE SHADOWS THAT MOVE FIRST
The apartment stayed quiet after he left.
Too quiet.
I stood there for a moment longer than necessary, fingers still brushing my lips like they didn't quite believe what had just happened. Then I turned and walked into my room, shutting the door softly behind me.
That was when my phone buzzed.
Once.
I didn't jump.
I already knew who it was.
Kyle.
I sat on the edge of the bed and opened the message.
> Kyle: Boss. Kaizer's out of the country. For now, it's safe.
Good.
Another message followed immediately.
> Kyle: There's something else. Word's spreading back in the province. Your arrival in five days somehow leaked.
You know what that means.
My jaw tightened.
I did know.
Power vacuums never stayed empty. And my name—my real one—was never just a name back home. It was a signal.
> Jay: Don't worry. I'll handle it.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Then—
> Kyle: What about Section E? And the other students? If this moves wrong, it could get dangerous.
I didn't reply.
Instead, I tapped another contact.
Damian.
The call connected instantly. Then another line joined.
Conference.
Damian's voice came first—sharp, controlled. "I felt it shift too."
"Good," I said quietly. "Then you already know what to do."
Kyle stayed silent, listening.
"Suppress everything," I continued. "No names. No sightings. No speculation. Anyone talking—redirect them. Anyone pushing—freeze them out."
Damian hummed once. "And the province?"
"I'll handle that in person," I said. "I'm going back to HSHS."
There was a pause.
Then—
"What?" Damian snapped. "Jay, that place—"
"I know," I cut in calmly. "Which is why it works. Keep things peaceful here. No ripples. No heroics."
Kyle exhaled slowly. "That school has history."
"My history to be exact...," I replied.
Another voice cut into the line—tense, urgent.
"Jay," Damian said, tone shifting. "I was actually calling you about something else."
I leaned back on my bed, eyes on the ceiling. "Go on."
"The Alpha Crew heard," he said. "About you coming back. Adam and Lauren."
That earned a faint smile.
Of course they had.
The city's most dangerous underdogs. Ruthless when crossed. Loyal to the bone. And to them—
I wasn't a boss.
I was their little sister.
"They want to meet," Damian finished.
"Tell them I'll be there," I said without hesitation.
Kyle chuckled quietly under his breath. "God help anyone standing in your way."
"I won't need help," I replied.
The line went dead one by one.
Silence returned.
I lay back fully this time, staring at the dark ceiling as the weight of what was coming settled in. Province whispers. Old enemies. New ones circling already.
HSHS.Holy Saints High School.
The place where everything first broke.
And where it was about to matter again.
I closed my eyes.
And for the first time since the night began—
I slept.
Because storms don't rest before they hit.
They gather...
JAY'S POV — BEFORE WE LEFT
The entire fourth year was going.
That was the excuse.
That was the cover.
Hallways buzzed with it—Section A arguing over luggage limits, B fighting over seats, C pretending they didn't care, D acting like it was a vacation instead of an escape.
Section E?
They treated it like a campaign.
Bags sprawled across floors. Group chats exploding. Snack lists, playlist wars, arguments over who packed the speaker last time and almost got them expelled.
I watched it all from the edge.
Present.
Not distracted.
By day, I was just Jay.
By night, I was something else entirely.-
Keifer walked beside me through campus like it was instinct now.
Sometimes close.
Sometimes not.
Never obvious.
Never careless.
His shoulder brushed mine near the lockers and neither of us acknowledged it, but his hand lingered just long enough for me to feel the heat.
Cin shoved past us.
"Stop walking like married people and help me choose between instant noodles or regret."
Felix snorted. "Both."
Rory held up a checklist. "We need chargers. Extra socks. And someone needs to make sure Jay doesn't disappear on us."
I arched a brow. "I'm right here."
"For now," Edrix muttered, earning a glare from Keifer.
The boys laughed.
Normal.
God, it almost felt normal.
---
At night, my room went dark except for the glow of the screen.
Damian's face filled it—serious, sharp, already ten steps ahead.
"Province chatter hasn't stopped," he said. "They know you're coming. Not when. Not how. But they know."
"They always do," I replied, checking the zipper on my bag. "Suppress what you can. Don't erase it. Suspicion grows in silence."
"And HSHS?"
I paused.
"I'll handle it."
Damian searched my face. "You're not going in as Ravens."
"No," I said softly. "I'm going in as someone who survived it."
A beat.
Then quieter—"Keep eyes on Section E. If anything even smells wrong—"
"I know," he interrupted gently. "I protect what you protect."
The call ended.
Sleep didn't come easily after that.
Keifer knocked the next evening.
Didn't announce himself.
Didn't need to.
We sat on the floor, backs against the couch, bags half-packed around us like proof we were actually leaving.
"You're quiet," he said.
"So are you."
He smiled faintly. "I'm thinking."
"That's dangerous."
He laughed, then sobered. "You're different lately."
I tilted my head. "Different how?"
"Like you're here," he said slowly, "but already somewhere else."
I didn't deny it.
He reached for my hand.
Didn't squeeze.
Just held.
I leaned in.
Kissed him.
Soft. Private. Ours.
No witnesses.
No promises.
---
The night before the trip, Section E didn't sleep.
They camped in the common room, aka keifer's house surrounded by bags and chaos.
Music low. Laughter loud.
Someone dared someone else to confess something stupid.
Someone almost cried over forgetting socks.
Keifer sat beside me on the couch, knee touching mine.
"That's your bag?" he asked.
"Yes."
"It's light."
"I travel light."
He smirked. "Figures."
Morning came too fast.
I woke before my alarm.
Of course.
The city was quiet, like it knew something was about to move.
I dressed quickly, slung my bag over my shoulder, and stepped outside.
Buses lined the street.
Teachers shouting names.
Students laughing too loudly.
Section E gathered instinctively—Cin already arguing, Felix already eating, Rory already counting heads.
Keifer found me without looking.
"You ready?" he asked.
I looked ahead.
At the road.
At the place I hadn't seen in years.
At the past pretending it wasn't waiting.
"Yes," I said.
And for the first time since all of this began—
I meant it.
We stepped onto the bus.
And the doors closed behind us...