Jay-Jay (POV)
It was pitch black.
Endless darkness surrounded me.
The only thing I could see was water covering the ground beneath my feet. It was cold, soaking my bare feet with every step I took.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The sound echoed through the darkness.
Everything else was silent.
No wind.
No voices.
Nothing.
Just me.
And the water.
My head throbbed painfully as I continued walking with no idea where I was going.
Then I saw it.
A door.
Standing alone in the middle of the darkness.
My footsteps slowed.
Something about it felt wrong.
Like it wasn't supposed to be opened.
Like whatever was behind it had been buried there for a reason.
But before I could move closer, I heard a voice.
A familiar voice.
A voice that made my heart ache.
"Kiefer...?"
The darkness remained silent.
Then the voice whispered again.
"Sorry, Jay..."
My breath caught.
"I was selfish..."
The words sounded distant.
Broken.
Filled with pain.
"But I wanted you alive."
My head suddenly pounded harder.
I grabbed my temples and squeezed my eyes shut.
The pain was unbearable.
"So I never wanted you to find out about it."
The voice sounded closer now.
"Don't dig deeper."
My chest tightened.
The words should have meant something.
I knew they should.
But I couldn't understand them.
Everything felt blurry.
Like trying to remember a dream after waking up.
I looked back at the door.
The black handle waited for me.
My instincts screamed at me not to touch it.
Not to open it.
Not to look inside.
Fear crawled beneath my skin.
Because somehow...
I knew that once I opened that door, there would be no turning back.
But curiosity had always been my greatest weakness.
I needed to know.
I needed answers.
Even if they destroyed me.
Slowly, I reached forward.
My trembling fingers wrapped around the handle.
The moment I touched it, a cold shiver ran through my entire body.
"Jay..."
The voice sounded desperate now.
"Please..."
For a second, I hesitated.
Then I twisted the handle.
And opened the door.
The world exploded into red.
Blood.
Everywhere.
The floor.
The walls.
The ceiling.
Blood covered everything.
My stomach twisted violently.
And then I heard it.
Crying.
Broken.
Painful.
Endless crying.
I looked down.
Something warm dripped between my fingers.
My breath caught.
My hands were covered in blood.
Thick.
Fresh.
Still warm.
And in my right hand—
A gun.
I stared at it in horror.
Then I threw it away.
The metal clattered across the floor.
But something was wrong.
Terribly wrong.
Because for a brief moment...
I hadn't wanted to let it go.
For a brief moment...
I had been tempted.
My eyes remained fixed on the blood covering my skin.
It looked...
Beautiful.
My heart skipped a beat.
No.
No.
That wasn't right.
I was terrified of blood.
Wasn't I?
Then why did it look so tempting?
Why did part of me want to touch it?
Taste it?
The thought made me stumble backward.
"What is wrong with me?"
My voice came out as a whisper.
Then I heard the crying again.
Someone was there.
A man.
Curled on the floor.
Crying.
Shaking.
Broken.
I slowly walked toward him.
Something inside me wanted to comfort him.
To touch him.
To tell him everything would be okay.
But before I could reach him—
Something grabbed my ankle.
I froze.
Cold fingers tightened around my leg.
I slowly looked down.
Bodies.
Dead bodies.
Dozens of them.
Their lifeless eyes stared up at me.
My breath stopped.
I tried to pull away.
The hand tightened.
Then a voice echoed through the room.
"You're here because of me."
I slowly turned around.
My heart nearly stopped.
It was him.
The same person who had warned me before I fell asleep.
But younger.
Much younger.
His face was clearer now.
Closer.
Real.
And somehow...
That terrified me even more.
Before I could speak—
A hand suddenly wrapped around my throat.
My eyes widened.
I was lifted off the ground.
I couldn't breathe.
I clawed at the arm crushing my neck.
The stranger's face twisted with rage.
"You can't leave me."
His voice shook.
"You want to run."
His grip tightened.
"You want to be with him."
Dark spots danced across my vision.
I couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
Instinct took over.
With every bit of strength I had left, I shoved him away.
The grip broke.
I hit the floor hard.
Then I ran.
I ran toward the door.
Toward the darkness.
Toward anything that wasn't this place.
My feet splashed through blood-covered floors.
My lungs burned.
My heart pounded.
I kept running.
Running.
Running.
But the door was gone.
The walls were gone.
The room was gone.
There was only darkness.
Endless darkness.
No matter how far I ran, I couldn't find a way out.
And behind me—
The crying started again.
Closer this time.
Much closer.
I could feel warmth.
And Kiefer's scent.
Kiefer...
"Kiefer!"
I shouted his name into the darkness.
Then I saw him again.
The same man.
He was holding a knife.
And he was coming toward me.
My heart stopped.
I tried to run, but my legs felt weak.
Heavy.
Like they didn't belong to me anymore.
He was getting closer.
Closer.
Close enough to reach me.
Jay...
A voice echoed somewhere.
Just wake up... Open your eyes...
I froze.
The man grabbed my hand.
His grip was cold.
Terrifying.
"I found you."
My breath caught in my throat.
Then he raised the knife.
I wanted to run.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted Kiefer.
But my body wouldn't move.
The knife came down—
And suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me backward.
I gasped.
Warmth.
I knew that warmth.
A familiar scent surrounded me instantly.
Kiefer.
My body recognized him before my mind did.
The darkness started cracking apart.
I could feel him holding me.
Feel his chest against my back.
Feel his hands trembling as they cupped my face.
His lips were moving.
He was saying something.
But I couldn't hear him.
The words were muffled.
Distant.
Like I was trapped underwater.
I wanted to tell him I was scared.
I wanted to tell him I needed him.
I wanted to hit him.
To punch him for not coming.
For leaving me alone.
For making me go through all of this.
But I couldn't do any of those things.
So instead, I buried my face against the nape of his neck.
Breathing him in.
Holding onto him as if he was the only thing keeping me alive.
Then I bit his neck.
Hard.
Not because I wanted to hurt him.
But because I couldn't hit him.
Couldn't scream at him.
Couldn't tell him how much he had scared me.
Kiefer only tightened his arms around me.
His fingers brushed through my hair again and again.
Patient.
Gentle.
Like he was afraid I would disappear if he stopped touching me.
The warmth spread through my frozen body.
His scent chased away the blood.
The darkness.
The fear.
And for the first time since opening that door, I felt safe.
My tears soaked into his skin as exhaustion pulled me under.
I was afraid.
Afraid that if I closed my eyes again, I would be chased back into that darkness.
Back to the blood.
Back to the voices.
Back to that man.
My fingers tightened around Kiefer's shirt.
I couldn't let go.
Wouldn't let go.
Not even for a second.
His arms remained wrapped around me, warm and steady, while I buried myself deeper against him.
I could hear his heartbeat.
Strong.
Alive.
Real.
Unlike the nightmare.
Kiefer (POV)
The moment Jare shouted, I saw her.
In the exact same situation.
The same reason I had tried to run away from her.
The same reason I pushed her away in the first place.
Was she trying to dig everything back up?
Would she even be able to handle it?
She had already been broken because of it once.
When the doctor mentioned a panic attack, and I saw her rise to her feet only to collapse again, fear gripped my chest so hard I could barely breathe.
Because for one terrifying second, it felt like I was losing her again.
And I couldn't.
I couldn't lose her again.
I walked toward her slowly. My hands were shaking, but I forced them still as I sat beside her.
Without saying a word, I took her hand and pulled her gently into my arms.
Then I looked at the others.
"Get out."
My voice was calm.
Too calm.
Because it was taking everything in me not to break apart.
"Kiefer..." Clyden said quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I knew he was scared too.
He had been there with me that day.
He had seen everything.
He knew exactly why I was reacting like this.
So, this time...
Be on my side.
Just this once.
I lifted my eyes and glared at him.
"GET. OUT."
The room went silent.
Percy, Jare, and even Clyden flinched.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Clyden understood.
His expression tightened before he nodded once.
Without arguing, he grabbed Percy and Jare and guided them toward the door.
A few seconds later, the door closed behind them.
And finally...
It was just me and her.
I tightened my arms around her trembling body and buried my face in her hair.
Terrified that if I let go for even a second...
I might lose her all over again.
"Jay..."
My hands were shaking as I reached for her. I quickly loosened the buttons around her neck so she could breathe more freely.
"Come on, Jay... breathe."
I pulled off my shirt and wrapped my arms around her, wanting her to feel my warmth, my heartbeat, my scent—anything that could bring her back to me.
"Jay... please."
I gently lifted her into a sitting position and held her against my bare chest, her head resting over my heart.
"Please breathe. Don't leave me."
My voice cracked.
"Please don't do this to me."
Tears blurred my vision.
"Open your eyes... please."
I pressed trembling kisses into her hair, holding her tighter.
"I'm here."
Another kiss.
"I'm right here."
I brushed her hair away from her face and pressed my forehead against hers.
"You're safe, Jay. Nobody can hurt you. Not while I'm here."
My tears fell freely now.
"Please... open your eyes."
I kept talking to her, needing her to hear my voice.
Needing her to know she wasn't alone.
That I wasn't leaving.
Not ever.
My fingers ran through her hair as I held her close, feeling her body trembling against mine.
Then I saw it.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.
My breath caught.
Another one followed.
"Jay..."
I cupped her face carefully.
She was crying.
Even unconscious, she was crying.
Like she was trapped somewhere I couldn't reach.
Running from something.
Or maybe...
Trying to dig up something that had been buried for too long.
Something so painful that even now it was tearing her apart.
And all I could do was hold her tighter and pray she found her way back to me.
"Please come back," I whispered against her forehead.
"Please don't leave me alone."
"Please... please... don't give up," I whispered, wiping away the tears that kept slipping from her closed eyes.
My heart felt like it was being crushed inside my chest.
Then suddenly—
She gasped.
A sharp, desperate breath tore from her throat as her eyes flew open.
"Jay!"
She looked around frantically, searching for something... or someone.
Fear.
Pure fear.
It was written all over her face.
Then she tried to pull away from me as if she was being chased.
As if the nightmare was still following her.
I tightened my arm around her waist and pulled her back against me.
"It's okay. I'm here."
I cupped her face with both hands, gently wiping away her tears.
"Hey... look at me."
Her eyes finally found mine.
"I'm here."
My thumb brushed her trembling cheek.
"Your Kiefer is here."
Fresh tears rolled down her face.
She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but no words came out.
Her throat was too raw.
Too damaged from crying and screaming.
Instead, she completely broke down.
A sob escaped her lips as she buried her face against my neck.
Her hands clutched my body desperately.
Like she was terrified I would disappear if she let go.
I wrapped my arms around her and gently brushed my fingers through her hair.
"It's okay..."
I kissed the top of her head.
"It's over."
But she only cried harder.
The sound shattered what was left of me.
"You scared me, Mrs. Watson," I whispered against her hair.
The next second, she bit my neck.
Hard enough to make me wince.
I almost laughed through my tears.
"Easy..."
I pressed a kiss against her temple.
"Sorry."
Another kiss.
"Sorry for not coming for you sooner."
My voice broke.
"Sorry for leaving you alone."
I held her tighter.
"So damn sorry."
She buried her face deeper into my neck, and I could feel her tears soaking my skin.
And for the first time since she collapsed...
I finally let myself breathe.
Because she was here.
In my arms.
Alive.
A knock suddenly echoed through the room.
"Kiefer... is she okay?" Clyden's voice came from the other side of the door.
Jay flinched violently.
I immediately rubbed her back.
"It's okay," I whispered. "They won't hurt you."
I tried to move, but she wouldn't let me go.
Her arms tightened around me.
Her face remained buried against my neck as she breathed in my scent, seeking comfort in my warmth.
Slowly, I tried to pull away so I could button her shirt properly. I grabbed my own shirt and started buttoning it as well.
But the moment I created even a little distance, she grabbed my shirt and buried her face against my neck again.
Then she lightly touched the bite mark she had left there earlier.
Her lips brushed against it.
She licked the bit mark
I chuckled softly.
"Now you've turned into a vampire."
For the first time since she woke up, a small smile appeared on her lips.
But she immediately winced.
The bruises around her throat still hurt from being choked.
My smile disappeared.
"If it hurts, blink twice."
She blinked twice.
My chest tightened.
I leaned forward and pressed gentle kisses along her neck, avoiding the bruised areas.
"There."
I smirked.
"Expensive medicine."
A weak laugh escaped her.
Then I brushed her hair away from her face.
"Now let's meet your brothers."
She still hadn't moved from my lap.
"Clyden," I called.
The door opened.
Clyden, Percy, Jare, Cole, Cassian and Angelo stepped inside.
The moment they entered, they froze.
Jay's eyes were swollen and red from crying.
My shirt was only half-buttoned.
And she looked completely shattered.
Jare immediately moved toward her.
"Jay—"
The second he reached out, she flinched.
Her body tensed.
Then she turned away and buried her face against my neck again.
Jare stopped.
The hurt in his eyes was obvious.
"What happened?" he asked quietly. "Why is she acting like that?"
"It's okay," Angelo answered calmly.
"She had a severe nightmare. Give her a little time to calm down."
I continued rubbing her back in slow circles.
"Jay," I whispered.
"Look carefully."
"They're your brothers."
"They won't hurt you."
"You're not trapped anymore."
"You got out."
For several seconds she didn't move.
Then she slowly lifted her head.
Taking a shaky breath.
She looked at them through tear-filled eyes.
At first, confusion.
Then recognition.
And finally—
Relief.
A broken sob escaped her lips.
She tried to stand so quickly that she nearly stumbled.
"Jay!"
Percy and Jare reached her before she could fall.
The moment they caught her, she wrapped her arms around them and broke down completely.
All the fear.
All the panic.
All the pain she had been carrying.
It poured out in tears.
Jare held her tightly while Percy stroked her hair.
"We're here."
"You're safe."
"We've got you."
Then one after another everyone hugged her.
Jay cried harder.
And for the first time since waking up, she finally allowed herself to believe it.
She wasn't alone anymore.
For the next two days, Jay barely left the bed.
The bruises around her throat slowly faded, but the damage wasn't only physical.
She couldn't talk.
The doctors said her vocal cords weren't permanently damaged.
She would recover.
But it would take time.
So for two days, the only way she communicated was through her eyes.
A blink.
A glance.
A tear.
A small nod.
Nothing more.
We all wanted answers.
Especially after seeing the state she was in.
But every time someone tried to ask questions, Cole shut them down.
"Her recovery comes first."
And for once, nobody argued.
Not even me.
Because every time Jay closed her eyes for too long, she woke up trembling.
And every time she woke up, she searched for us.
For me.
So I stayed.
I slept beside her.
Held her hand.
Fed her when she refused to eat.
Made sure she drank water.
And whenever she woke up scared, I was there.
Two days passed like that.
Two days of silence.
Two days of watching her slowly recover.
Then Cassian came.
"I want to talk to her."
I looked at him.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The bruise on his jaw had already faded.
The one I gave him.
I never apologized.
And he never asked me to.
Because he understood.
He had seen what happened to Jay.
He knew why I lost control.
"Five minutes," I said.
Cassian nodded.
I looked at Jay.
She was sitting on the bed with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.
Her eyes moved between us.
"You okay with that?"
She nodded.
Reluctantly.
I brushed my fingers through her hair.
"I'll be right back."
Then I left.
Downstairs, I grabbed a glass of juice for her.
Just something simple.
Something she might actually drink.
For the first time in two days, I allowed myself to think maybe things were getting better.
Maybe she was finally safe.
Maybe we could breathe again.
I walked back upstairs.
The glass cold in my hand.
The hallway was quiet.
Too quiet.
My steps slowed.
The bedroom door was open.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Fear.
I pushed the door open.
The bed was empty.
The blanket was gone.
Cassian was gone.
And Jay...
Jay was gone.
The glass slipped from my hand.
It shattered across the floor.
My eyes landed on a folded note sitting on the table beside the bed.
My hands shook as I grabbed it.
Someone is waiting for me.
I will be back.
"CLYDEN!"
The entire hallway echoed with my voice.
Doors opened immediately.
"What happened?" Percy asked.
Jare looked half asleep.
Angelo was already standing.
I held up the note.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody moved.
Then Clyden snatched it from my hand.
His face turned pale.
"She left?"
I couldn't answer.
Because I already knew.
The nightmare hadn't ended.
Not yet.
And wherever Jay had gone...
She had gone alone.
The house was thrown into chaos.
We were already searching for her when my phone suddenly rang.
I answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Watson?"
"Yes."
"This is the police station. We have Mrs. Watson"
The entire room went silent.
Because after spending two days making sure she stayed alive—
The first thing she did after recovering had escaped the house and get arrested.