Jay pov
I woke up slowly, my head still foggy from the exhaustion, only to see Ci-N sitting beside me. The moment his eyes met mine, relief flooded his face.
"Jay's awake!" he whispered urgently. Before I could even nod properly, he was already halfway out the door, calling everyone.
I sat up slowly, my arm still throbbing where I'd patched myself up, but I managed a weak smile. My mind replayed everything—the horse, the ride, the bullet, the blood, and somehow surviving it all.
The others entered one by one: Keifer, Felix, Yuri, Adrian, Ciel… everyone.
Keifer rushed forward immediately. His hands hovered near me like he wasn't sure if I'd crumble into pieces. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Do you need water?"
I nodded, letting him help me drink. His fingers brushed mine, and I felt heat creep up my arms.
"Who shot you?" Keifer asked again, his voice tight.
I smiled. Just a small curve of my lips. That smile drove him crazy, I could tell.
"And… who helped you bandage your arm?" he pressed.
I looked around slowly. Everyone's eyes were on me, waiting. I took a deep breath.
"Me," I said simply.
The room went silent. Felix blinked. "But… you're afraid of blood."
I turned to Ciel, who had this smug little grin. "Not anymore."
Keifer's brow furrowed. "Huh? What are you saying?"
Ciel, without a word, left the room and came back a minute later holding a needle.
Yuri's voice shot out, alarmed. "What are you doing?"
Ciel didn't flinch. She pricked her finger with the needle, drew blood, and held it close to my face.
"Seriously?" I whispered, trying not to laugh. "You could have just told them instead of hurting your finger."
Yuri groaned, but I shook my head. "Nope. Not scared at all."
Keifer's eyes widened, then he followed my gaze to Ciel's finger. "Look at her finger… that's blood."
"Yeah, I know," I said calmly. Then, looking at Yuri, I added, "Also… look at you, girlfriend."
Yuri quickly pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Ciel's finger clean.
Ci-N leaned over me, grinning. "This… this is a miracle."
Keifer wrapped his arms around me tightly, holding me like I was the most precious thing in the world. I rested my head on his chest, letting the warmth calm me.
Ci-N straightened up, pulling out his phone. "I have to inform Percy and Aries," he said. He left the room quickly, already dialing.
I looked around at everyone else. Exhausted, alive, and somehow… proud of myself.
The fear of blood, the terror, the pain—it was all behind me now. I had survived. I had faced it.
And for the first time in a long time, I felt… unstoppable.