Keifer's POV
I never slept that night.
The island was quiet.
Too quiet.
Everyone believed the danger had finally passed.
I knew it hadn't.
I stepped onto the balcony overlooking the dark ocean and dialed the only person who would still be awake at this hour.
"Kuya."
Angelo answered almost immediately.
"You didn't sleep either."
"No."
A brief silence followed.
Then Angelo spoke.
"I found something."
My expression hardened.
"What is it?"
"I'm not completely sure yet, so I don't want to jump to conclusions."
I looked back through the glass doors toward the villa.
"I found something too."
"What?"
"It's connected to Yuri's mother."
The other end of the call fell silent.
Then Angelo slowly replied,
"...My information points in the same direction."
I tightened my grip on the phone.
"Does Yuri know?"
"No."
"And until we're absolutely certain..."
"...he shouldn't."
The wind swept across the balcony.
Neither of us spoke for several seconds.
Finally, Angelo broke the silence.
"When the path becomes clear, I'll call you."
I nodded.
"I'll be ready."
"And Keifer..."
His voice softened slightly.
"Take care of Jay."
A faint smile crossed my face.
"You don't have to remind me."
"I know."
"But I'm reminding you anyway."
I chuckled quietly.
"You take care too, angleo."
"You too."
The call ended.
Before sunrise, I quietly contacted the island security team.
Every entrance...
Every dock...
Every blind spot...
Double the guards.
Increase patrols.
No one was to know.
Not even the others.
The island had to look peaceful.
If someone was watching...
I wanted them to think we were relaxed.
Inside the villa, everyone was still asleep.
Jay had fallen asleep on the sofa during the movie.
Still wrapped in the white blanket.
I carefully picked up another blanket and covered her properly before stepping away as quietly as possible.
No one deserved a peaceful morning more than she did.
An hour later...
I stood on the rooftop terrace.
Footsteps approached behind me.
Aries.
Then Percy.
Neither of them joked.
Neither of them smiled.
They already knew this wasn't an ordinary conversation.
Percy folded his arms.
"What's going on?"
I looked toward the endless ocean.
"I've been thinking about everything that happened."
"The warehouse."
"The hospital."
"The morgue."
"And Jay's nightmares."
Aries' smile disappeared.
"You think they're connected?"
"I know they are."
Percy spoke quietly.
"She still wakes up frightened."
I nodded.
"She remembers something."
"Just not enough to tell us."
Aries rested both hands on the railing.
"We can't force her."
"If we pressure her..."
"It'll only make things worse."
"I know."
I took a deep breath.
"But we can't sit still anymore either."
Both of them looked at me.
"I'm going back to that location."
"The place where we found her."
"If we missed anything..."
"I'll find it."
Percy immediately answered,
"I'm coming."
"So am I," Aries added.
I shook my head.
"No."
"You'll stay here."
Both frowned.
"One of you stays with Jay."
"The other comes with me."
Aries thought for a moment.
Then nodded.
"I'll stay."
Percy looked at him.
"You sure?"
Aries smiled faintly.
"Someone has to make sure she isn't left alone."
I gave a small nod.
"Thank you."
The conversation ended there.
Just as we turned toward the staircase—
A sleepy voice drifted from inside the villa.
"...Why is everyone awake so early?"
The three of us exchanged glances.
Aries laughed first.
"Mission failed."
"We woke her."
Percy sighed dramatically.
"I wanted another hour of peace."
The three of us headed downstairs together as the first rays of sunlight spread across the island, unaware that the answers they were searching for were much closer than any of them realized.
Breakfast was quieter than usual.
Even Percy wasn't arguing with Aries.
The atmosphere felt different.
Everyone knew something was about to happen.
I placed my coffee cup on the table and looked around.
"I have to leave for a few hours."
Jay immediately looked up.
"Leave?"
I nodded.
"Angelo found a lead."
"I'm going with you."
"No."
She frowned.
"I'm staying."
"You're staying here."
She folded her arms.
"I don't want to."
"I know."
"But this isn't a discussion."
Percy quietly looked between us before returning to his breakfast.
Aries understood immediately and stayed silent.
Jay sighed.
"You always do this."
"I do it because I need to."
She looked away without answering.
After a long moment, she finally let out another sigh.
"...Fine."
"But only because Angelo kuya called."
A small smile crossed my face.
"Thank you."
After breakfast, I walked outside with Aries.
The morning breeze carried the scent of the ocean.
I handed him a small communication device.
"If anything feels unusual..."
"Call me."
"If anyone approaches the island..."
"Call me."
"If she remembers anything..."
"Call me."
Aries gave a small nod.
"You don't have to repeat yourself."
"I'll take care of everything."
"I know you will."
Just then, footsteps approached behind us.
Jay had followed us outside.
She looked from me to Aries.
"So you're really leaving."
"For a little while."
She nodded slowly.
"I'll wait here."
I smiled faintly.
"Good."
I looked at Aries one last time.
"Take care of everyone."
"Always."
Before heading toward the car, I turned back.
"Jay."
She looked up.
"If Percy and Aries start arguing again..."
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
"I'll call you."
"And if they become impossible to handle..."
"I'll definitely call you."
Percy shouted from inside the villa,
"HEY! I HEARD THAT!"
Aries laughed.
"I told you."
The serious atmosphere lightened for a moment.
then she came running toward me hug me tightly as possible and sobbed i will miss you i kissed her forhead and said me too
Then she let go and gave me than one cute look the pout look and i kissed her pout .
I gave everyone one last look before walking toward the waiting vehicle.
The investigation was finally beginning.
The drive felt longer than usual.
Neither Percy nor I spoke.
The silence inside the vehicle was heavy.
Every passing kilometer made the feeling in my chest worse.
When we finally reached the meeting point, Angelo was already waiting for us.
The moment he saw me, he walked over immediately.
"You came faster than I expected."
"I couldn't wait."
His expression remained grim.
"I wish I had better news."
I looked around.
The abandoned monastery stood exactly as I remembered—old stone walls, broken windows, and vines creeping over every corner.
Nothing had changed.
Yet...
Everything felt different.
Angelo looked toward the entrance.
"It's inside."
Without another word, the three of us stepped into the monastery.
Our footsteps echoed through the empty halls.
Dust floated through the pale light filtering in from the cracked ceiling.
Percy instinctively stayed alert, carefully scanning every room.
No voices.
No movement.
Just silence.
Angelo stopped in front of a large stone chamber.
"This is where we found him."
My heartbeat quickened.
We stepped inside.
For a moment...
No one spoke.
There, beneath the center of the ancient hall, lay Kaizer Watson's lifeless body.
The stone floor beneath him was stained dark.
Percy stared in disbelief.
"...He's really dead."
I couldn't answer.
For years...
That man had been the monster who haunted my life.
I had imagined confronting him countless times.
But never like this.
I slowly walked forward.
There was no sign of a struggle nearby.
No obvious clue.
No weapon.
Only silence.
Then something caught my attention.
His right hand.
His fingers were tightly clenched around a folded piece of paper.
"Wear gloves," Angelo warned.
I carefully slipped on a pair before easing the note free.
The paper was surprisingly clean.
Only one sentence had been written across it in dark ink.
"She is waiting for you, Keifer."
The air around us seemed to freeze.
Percy looked over my shoulder.
"Whoever did this..."
"...wanted you to find that."
Angelo's jaw tightened.
"This wasn't just a murder."
"It was a message."
I folded the note carefully.
Only one thought echoed in my mind.
Yuri's mother.
Every clue...
Every trail...
Every unanswered question...
Somehow, they all led back to her.
And if this message was true...
Then this wasn't the end.
It was an invitation.