Chapter 143 – Critial
Tokyo Docks
2:43 AM
The warehouse was gone.
---
Nothing remained except fire.
---
Smoke.
---
Ruins.
---
And panic.
---
So much panic.
---
Search Teams
Immediately spread out.
---
Every direction.
---
Every possible route.
---
Every possible escape path.
---
Nobody Left.
---
Nobody even considered leaving.
---
Because JJ and Ash were still missing.
---
Keifer
Had completely stopped listening.
---
To reason.
---
To orders.
---
To anything.
---
Keifer
"Search the eastern side."
---
A pause.
---
Keifer
"Search again."
---
Security Team
Already did.
---
Guard
"Sir, we've checked—"
---
Keifer
"THEN CHECK AGAIN."
---
Silence.
---
The guard immediately left.
---
Nobody Argued.
---
Because everyone understood.
---
Keifer wasn't thinking as a CEO anymore.
---
Or as a Watson.
---
Or as a leader.
---
He was thinking as a man whose fiancée had disappeared.
---
Yuri
Wasn't any better.
---
Actually—
---
He looked worse.
---
His Hands
Were shaking.
---
Not from cold.
---
Not from exhaustion.
---
Fear.
---
Pure fear.
---
Yuri
"Ash knows how to swim."
---
Nobody answered.
---
Yuri
"She knows survival training."
---
Still nobody answered.
---
Yuri
"She'll be okay."
---
The words sounded less convincing every time.
---
Cole
Watched both of them.
---
And hated it.
---
Because he had stood exactly where they were standing.
---
Not long ago.
---
The Memory
Hit him without warning.
---
White wedding dress.
---
Blood.
---
Hospital lights.
---
Flatline.
---
Care.
---
His fists tightened.
---
Hard.
---
Because he couldn't watch this happen again.
---
Not to them.
---
Not to anyone.
---
Meanwhile
Rhys and Alex searched the collapsed docks.
---
Lyra
Was checking nearby medical facilities.
---
Cin
Was organizing emergency responders.
---
Aries
Had personally gone through the burning remains twice.
---
Ignoring every safety warning.
---
Percy
Looked completely broken.
---
Because for once—
---
He couldn't fix this.
---
Couldn't joke.
---
Couldn't make people laugh.
---
Couldn't do anything.
---
Percy
"...They're alive."
---
Nobody knew if he was convincing them.
---
Or himself.
---
Freya
Quietly cried.
---
Honey
Held her hand.
---
Rory
And Edrix
Kept pulling satellite feeds.
---
Traffic cameras.
---
Security footage.
---
Anything.
---
Everything.
---
Nothing.
---
Nothing.
---
3:07 AM
Twenty-four minutes.
---
Still nothing.
---
3:18 AM
Thirty-five minutes.
---
Still nothing.
---
Keifer
Started walking again.
---
Searching.
---
Calling.
---
Searching.
---
Calling.
---
Over.
---
And over.
---
And over.
---
Keifer
"JJ!"
---
Only waves answered.
---
Keifer
"JASPER!"
---
Only wind.
---
Yuri
Was doing the same.
---
Yuri
"ASH!"
---
Nothing.
---
Yuri
"ASH!"
---
Nothing.
---
The Harbor
Felt endless.
---
Dark.
---
Cold.
---
Cruel.
---
Then
A guard shouted.
---
A distant voice.
---
Guard
"WAIT!"
---
Everyone froze.
---
Instantly.
---
Cole Turned.
---
Keifer Turned.
---
Yuri Turned.
---
Everyone Turned.
---
Toward the far end of the dock.
---
Near the water.
---
The Ocean
Was violent tonight.
---
Dark waves crashing against concrete.
---
Black water.
---
Ice cold.
---
Merciless.
---
Another Shout.
---
Louder.
---
Panicked.
---
Guard
"THERE!"
---
Everyone started running.
---
Immediately.
---
Keifer
First.
---
Yuri
Right behind him.
---
Cole.
---
Alex.
---
Rhys.
---
Everyone.
---
The Dock Edge
Appeared.
---
The ocean below roaring.
---
Waves smashing against the pillars.
---
Spray everywhere.
---
Then—
---
For one second—
---
Nobody breathed.
---
Because from the darkness below—
---
From the freezing black water—
---
A hand appeared.
---
Weakly.
---
Slowly.
---
Grabbing the edge of a support beam.
---
Holding on.
---
Barely.
---
Silence.
---
Absolute silence.
---
Then—
---
"JJ!"
---
"ASH!"
---
Two screams echoed at the exact same time.
---
And the hand slipped.
---
3:19 AM
The hand slipped.
---
And every heart stopped.
---
"NO!"
---
The scream came from multiple people.
---
At once.
---
Keifer
Didn't think.
---
Didn't hesitate.
---
Didn't breathe.
---
He jumped.
---
Straight off the dock.
---
Into the freezing ocean.
---
SPLASH.
---
Yuri
Followed.
---
Immediately.
---
SPLASH.
---
Cole
"KEIFER!"
---
Too late.
---
Both men had already disappeared beneath the surface.
---
The Water
Was brutal.
---
Cold enough to steal breath.
---
Cold enough to kill.
---
Underwater
Keifer opened his eyes.
---
Searching.
---
Searching.
---
Searching.
---
Then—
---
A flash of white.
---
JJ.
---
Her Body
Was trapped between broken steel supports.
---
Half submerged.
---
Motionless.
---
Keifer
Felt his heart stop.
---
For one terrible second.
---
No.
---
No.
---
Not her.
---
Not again.
---
He Reached Her.
---
Pulled.
---
Nothing.
---
The metal held.
---
Again.
---
Harder.
---
Still nothing.
---
Above
Yuri surfaced.
---
Looking around desperately.
---
"ASH!"
---
Then—
---
He saw dark hair.
---
Near another support pillar.
---
Ash.
---
Barely Conscious.
---
One hand holding onto rusted steel.
---
The other hanging limp.
---
Yuri
Reached her immediately.
---
Yuri
"Ash!"
---
Ash
Slowly opened one eye.
---
Ash
"...You look awful."
---
Yuri
Actually laughed.
---
Half sob.
---
Half relief.
---
Yuri
"Shut up."
---
Ash
"No."
---
Then
She lost her grip.
---
Yuri
Caught her.
---
Instantly.
---
Pulling her against him.
---
Like if he let go—
---
The ocean would steal her forever.
---
Meanwhile
Keifer was still fighting the metal.
---
JJ
Wasn't waking up.
---
Wasn't moving.
---
Wasn't reacting.
---
Panic
Hit harder.
---
Much harder.
---
Keifer
"JJ."
---
Nothing.
---
Keifer
"JJ!"
---
Nothing.
---
Then
A second figure appeared underwater.
---
Cole.
---
Of course.
---
Cole
Saw the trapped steel.
---
Saw JJ.
---
And immediately understood.
---
Together.
---
No words.
---
No discussion.
---
Just action.
---
One pull.
---
Nothing.
---
Second pull.
---
The metal groaned.
---
Third pull.
---
SNAP.
---
The steel finally broke.
---
JJ's Body
Floated free.
---
Keifer
Immediately pulled her toward the surface.
---
Seconds Later
They emerged.
---
SPLASH.
---
Everyone Above
Started moving.
---
Ropes.
---
Rescue ladders.
---
Anything.
---
Everything.
---
Rhys
Was already kneeling at the edge.
---
Rhys
"GET THEM UP!"
---
Alex
Pulled Keifer and JJ in.
---
Yuri
Carried Ash himself.
---
Refusing help.
---
Refusing to let go.
---
The Dock
Became chaos again.
---
JJ
Was laid on the concrete.
---
Not moving.
---
Keifer
Dropped beside her instantly.
---
"JJ."
---
No response.
---
"JJ."
---
Still nothing.
---
His Hands
Were shaking.
---
Rhys
Immediately checked her pulse.
---
Silence.
---
One second.
---
Two.
---
Three.
---
Everyone Stopped Breathing.
---
Rhys
"...She's got a pulse."
---
The Entire Dock
Exhaled.
---
At once.
---
Keifer
Actually closed his eyes.
---
Relief hitting so hard it hurt.
---
Then
A weak voice spoke nearby.
---
Ash
"...why is everybody crying?"
---
Yuri
Looked down at her.
---
Completely soaked.
---
Completely exhausted.
---
Completely furious.
---
Yuri
"You disappeared."
---
Ash
"...rude."
---
Yuri
"You almost died."
---
Ash
"...also rude."
---
Then
For the first time all night—
---
Yuri broke.
---
Completely.
---
Pulling her into a crushing hug.
---
Ash
Froze.
---
Because Yuri never did that.
---
Not in front of everyone.
---
Not ever.
---
His Voice
Was barely audible.
---
Yuri
"Don't do that again."
---
Ash
Looked at him.
---
At the tears he was trying very hard to hide.
---
And finally—
---
For the first time since being captured—
---
She looked guilty.
---
Nearby
Keifer still hadn't moved away from JJ.
---
Not even an inch.
---
His Forehead
Rested against hers.
---
Like he needed proof.
---
Proof she was still here.
---
Proof she was alive.
---
Proof he hadn't lost her.
---
Then
Very faintly—
---
JJ groaned.
---
"Ow."
---
Silence.
---
Everyone Froze.
---
JJ
Opened one eye.
---
Looked around.
---
Saw dozens of terrified faces.
---
And immediately frowned.
---
JJ
"...why are all of you staring at me?"
---
Keifer
Actually laughed.
---
A broken laugh.
---
A relieved laugh.
---
The kind that came after surviving a nightmare.
---
JJ
Looked confused.
---
Then noticed the ocean.
---
Then noticed the fire.
---
Then noticed Keifer.
---
Still holding her hand.
---
Like he never intended to let go again.
---
Tokyo Docks
3:27 AM
For one moment—
---
Everything felt okay.
---
JJ was awake.
---
Talking.
---
Complaining.
---
Being JJ.
---
And everyone finally breathed.
---
Then—
---
She suddenly stopped talking.
---
Keifer
Noticed first.
---
Because of course he did.
---
Keifer
"...JJ?"
---
JJ
Blinking slowly.
---
Too slowly.
---
Her Lips
Were turning pale.
---
Her Hands
Were trembling.
---
Then—
---
She went limp.
---
Again.
---
"JJ!"
---
Panic
Returned instantly.
---
Keifer
Caught her before she hit the ground.
---
Rhys
Immediately dropped beside them.
---
Cin
Right behind him.
---
No More Jokes.
---
No more relief.
---
Only medicine.
---
Only urgency.
---
Rhys
Checked her wrist.
---
Nothing.
---
Checked again.
---
Still nothing reliable.
---
Then
Two fingers moved to her neck.
---
Searching.
---
Waiting.
---
One second.
---
Two.
---
Three.
---
Rhys
Finally found it.
---
And his expression darkened.
---
Rhys
"...Pulse is there."
---
Silence.
---
Keifer
"Then why do you look like that?"
---
Rhys
Looked up.
---
Rhys
"It's slow."
---
A pause.
---
Rhys
"Too slow."
---
Cin
Immediately grabbed JJ's hand.
---
And swore.
---
Cin
"She's freezing."
---
Rhys
Already knew.
---
The ocean.
---
The exposure.
---
The shock.
---
The exhaustion.
---
The injuries.
---
All at once.
---
JJ's Skin
Felt ice cold.
---
Dangerously cold.
---
Rhys
Immediately.
---
Rhys
"We move now."
---
Rhys
"Hypothermia."
---
Keifer
Went pale.
---
Rhys
Already lifting JJ.
---
Rhys
"We need a hospital."
---
Cin
"Now."
---
Nobody Argued.
---
The Ambulance
Was moving before the sentence finished.
---
Rhys
Climbed in.
---
Cin
Followed.
---
Keifer
Immediately tried to enter.
---
Rhys
Stopped him.
---
Rhys
"We need space."
---
Keifer
"I'm not leaving her."
---
Rhys
"You'll follow behind us."
---
Rhys
"But right now let us work."
---
Silence.
---
Then Keifer nodded.
---
Barely.
---
Because JJ mattered more than his fear.
---
The Doors Closed.
---
SLAM.
---
And the ambulance disappeared into the Tokyo night.
---
Lights flashing.
---
Sirens screaming.
---
Taking JJ with it.
---
The Docks
Felt empty afterward.
---
Too Empty.
---
Meanwhile
Ash sat on the edge of an SUV.
---
Blanket around her shoulders.
---
Hands shaking.
---
Not from cold.
---
Not anymore.
---
Guilt.
---
Pure guilt.
---
Ash
"...I'm sorry."
---
Nobody answered.
---
Ash
"I'm sorry."
---
Again.
---
Ash
"I'm sorry."
---
Again.
---
Ash
"I'm sorry."
---
Again.
---
And again.
---
And again.
---
Everyone Heard It.
---
The same words.
---
Over.
---
And over.
---
And over.
---
Yuri
Tried once.
---
Yuri
"Ash—"
---
Ash
"This happened because of me."
---
Freya
"No."
---
Ash
"Yes."
---
Alex
"No."
---
Ash
"Yes."
---
Tears
Were falling now.
---
Real tears.
---
The kind Ash hated showing.
---
Ash
"If I wasn't captured—"
---
Ash
"If I wasn't there—"
---
Ash
"If JJ didn't come back for me—"
---
Her Voice Broke.
---
Ash
"She wouldn't be in an ambulance right now."
---
Silence.
---
Nobody knew what to say.
---
Because grief wasn't logical.
---
And guilt wasn't logical either.
---
Then
Cole snapped.
---
Completely.
---
Cole
"Enough."
---
Everyone Froze.
---
Because Cole rarely raised his voice.
---
Ash
Looked up.
---
Shocked.
---
Cole
Was staring directly at her.
---
Expression hard.
---
Cold.
---
Not cruel.
---
Just brutally honest.
---
Cole
"You think you're the first person to blame yourself?"
---
Silence.
---
Cole
"You think Rhys isn't blaming himself?"
---
Rhys.
---
Cole
"You think Keifer isn't blaming himself?"
---
Keifer.
---
Cole
"You think Yuri isn't doing exactly the same thing?"
---
Yuri.
---
Cole
"You think I haven't spent months doing that?"
---
Care.
---
The name nobody said.
---
But everyone heard.
---
Ash
Started crying harder.
---
Cole
Didn't stop.
---
Cole
"You being captured isn't what put JJ in that water."
---
Cole
"The people who started this did."
---
A pause.
---
Cole
"The enemy did."
---
Another pause.
---
Cole
"So stop apologizing."
---
Silence.
---
Ash
Couldn't even answer.
---
Because for the first time—
---
Someone had said exactly what she needed to hear.
---
Yuri
Quietly moved beside her.
---
Sat down.
---
Didn't say anything.
---
Just stayed.
---
Because Sometimes
That was enough.
---
Then
Keifer's phone rang.
---
Everyone looked up immediately.
---
Rhys.
---
Calling from the ambulance.
---
Keifer
Answered before the first ring finished.
---
Keifer
"Rhys?"
---
Silence.
---
Everyone watching.
---
Waiting.
---
Terrified.
---
Then
Keifer's expression changed.
---
Not relief.
---
Not fear.
---
Something in between.
---
Keifer
"We're coming."
---
Call Ended.
---
Silence.
---
Yuri
"What happened?"
---
Keifer
Looked toward the city lights.
---
Toward the hospital.
---
Toward JJ.
---
Keifer
"They're still working on her."
---
A pause.
---
Keifer
"Move."
---
Nobody Needed To Be Told Twice.
---
Doors opened.
---
Engines started.
---
And one by one—
---
The convoy left the burning docks behind.
---
Heading toward the hospital.
---
Toward JJ.
---
Toward another fight.
---
Because tonight wasn't finished with them yet.
---
Tokyo
4:11 AM
Hospitals.
---
No matter where they were.
---
No matter what country.
---
Always felt the same.
---
Cold.
---
Bright.
---
Merciless.
---
Tonight
The hospital felt like a battlefield.
---
Because one floor was fighting for Jasper Jean Mariano.
---
And losing wasn't an option.
---
ICU Trauma Unit
Rhys stood outside the glass.
---
Not moving.
---
Not blinking.
---
Just watching.
---
Inside
Doctors moved around JJ's bed.
---
Machines beeped.
---
Monitors flashed.
---
Nurses adjusted medications.
---
Specialized warming equipment surrounded her.
---
JJ
Looked impossibly small.
---
Covered in blankets.
---
Connected to monitors.
---
An oxygen line beneath her nose.
---
IV fluids running.
---
Constant observation.
---
Rhys
Had already explained everything twice.
---
Still nobody accepted it.
---
Keifer
"Tell me again."
---
Rhys
Closed his eyes briefly.
---
Then answered.
---
Again.
---
Rhys
"The ocean temperature was extremely low."
---
Rhys
"She was exposed too long."
---
Rhys
"Her body temperature dropped."
---
Rhys
"Then the physical stress pushed her body into shock."
---
Silence.
---
Lyra
"Cardiovascular shock."
---
Rhys
Nodded.
---
Rhys
"Temporary."
---
The word gave everyone hope.
---
For exactly two seconds.
---
Because then—
---
Rhys
"The next twenty-four hours are critical."
---
Silence.
---
Absolute silence.
---
Keifer
Looked through the glass again.
---
At JJ.
---
Still unconscious.
---
Still not moving.
---
Twenty-Four Hours.
---
It sounded short.
---
It felt endless.
---
Meanwhile
Cole sat beside the wall.
---
Arms folded.
---
Not speaking.
---
Because hospitals had already taken too much from him.
---
And he refused to let them take another person.
---
Percy
Was praying.
---
Actually praying.
---
Honey
Held his hand.
---
Freya
Sat silently.
---
Aries
Kept pacing.
---
Yuri
Hadn't sat down once.
---
Then—
---
A crash echoed through the corridor.
---
THUD.
---
Everyone turned.
---
Immediately.
---
Ash
Was on the floor.
---
Collapsed.
---
Yuri
Reached her first.
---
Yuri
"Ash!"
---
She Was Pale.
---
Very pale.
---
Too pale.
---
Cin
Immediately knelt beside her.
---
Lyra
Joined.
---
Professional instincts taking over.
---
Ash
Tried sitting up.
---
Failed.
---
Ash
"I'm fine."
---
Everyone
"No."
---
Cin
Was already checking her.
---
Then his expression changed.
---
Cin
"...Move her."
---
Yuri
Immediately.
---
Yuri
"What happened?"
---
Cin
Pulled his hand away.
---
And it came back red.
---
Covered in blood.
---
Silence.
---
Yuri
Went completely still.
---
Yuri
"...What?"
---
Ash
Looked guilty.
---
Which was never a good sign.
---
Ash
"...small injury."
---
Cin
"Small?"
---
Cin
Actually looked offended.
---
Cin
"You call this small?"
---
Ash
Winced.
---
Lyra
Lifted part of the blood-soaked fabric.
---
And immediately swore.
---
Lyra
"Damn it."
---
The Knife Wound
Was on her waist.
---
Hidden beneath layers of clothing.
---
Hidden beneath adrenaline.
---
Hidden beneath panic.
---
Nobody Noticed.
---
Not during the rescue.
---
Not during the war.
---
Not during the chaos.
---
But Now
The adrenaline was fading.
---
And the bleeding wasn't.
---
Yuri
Looked horrified.
---
Yuri
"How long?"
---
Ash
Avoided eye contact.
---
Which answered the question.
---
Too long.
---
Far too long.
---
Yuri
"Ash."
---
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
---
Yuri
"You knew?"
---
Ash
Still didn't answer.
---
Yuri
Closed his eyes.
---
Because he wanted to yell.
---
Really yell.
---
Instead
He carefully picked her up.
---
Like she might break.
---
Like he couldn't risk letting go.
---
Ash
Actually looked embarrassed.
---
Ash
"Everyone is watching."
---
Yuri
"Good."
---
Ash
"Yuri."
---
Yuri
"No."
---
Straight To Treatment.
---
No arguments.
---
No negotiations.
---
No escape.
---
As They Passed
Ash looked toward JJ's room.
---
Through the glass.
---
JJ
Still unconscious.
---
Still fighting.
---
The Guilt Returned.
---
Instantly.
---
Ash
Softly.
---
Barely audible.
---
Ash
"Please wake up."
---
Nobody Responded.
---
Because everyone was thinking the same thing.
---
JJ
Was fighting.
---
Ash
Was injured.
---
Care Was Gone.
---
And Somewhere
Far away.
---
Someone else was still waiting.
---
Watching.
---
Planning.
---
Because Ryosuke Sato had died.
---
Inside ICU
A monitor beeped steadily beside JJ.
---
One heartbeat.
---
Then another.
---
Then another.
---
And everyone prayed it would keep going.
---
Chapter End.
🚨💔🏥