KEIFER'S POV —
The world doesn't explode after that.
No sirens. No bullets. No consequences crashing down like we've been trained to expect.
Just… quiet.
Jay's breathing slowly evens out against my chest. Not steady yet — but trying. Her fingers are still knotted in my shirt like she's afraid the ground might disappear again if she lets go.
I stay still.
I don't rush her healing.
I've learned that love doesn't look like saving. It looks like staying.
The sun is fully awake now, light filtering through the trees, brushing her hair, her lashes still wet with tears. She looks exhausted. Worn down in that way only fighters get when they finally stop standing guard.
"I don't know how to be normal," she whispers suddenly, voice small and honest in a way that breaks me worse than her confessions did. "I don't know how to live without watching my back."
I press my lips to her temple.
"Then don't," I say simply. "Not alone."
She lets out a shaky laugh. "That wasn't very reassuring."
"It wasn't meant to be," I admit. "It was meant to be real."
She pulls back just enough to look at me, studying my face like she's searching for cracks. For regret. For fear.
She finds none.
"You're not scared," she says quietly.
"I am," I correct. "I'm terrified."
Her brows knit.
"But fear isn't a dealbreaker," I continue. "It's a warning label. And I read it. I still chose you."
Her throat tightens.
"I don't want to be the thing that ruins you," she says.
I cup her face, forcing her to meet my eyes.
"You're not my ruin," I say firmly. "You're my truth. And I'd rather live a dangerous life with honesty than a safe one built on lies."
She exhales, long and trembling, like she's been holding that breath for years.
"What about Percy?" she asks softly. "Damian? The Ravens? JJM?"
"They're part of you," I say. "And you're part of me. We'll figure out the shape of our life the same way you survived everything else."
"How?"
I smile faintly.
"One honest step at a time."
She studies me for a long moment.
Then, slowly — like she's testing gravity — she leans back into me again. This time without shaking.
Acceptance.
Trust.
The most dangerous thing of all.
We sit there until the park fills with sound and motion and people who have no idea a war just ended on one quiet bench.
Eventually, she nudges my shoulder.
"You're still bleeding," she murmurs, glancing at my knuckles.
I look down. Red smeared against bark dust and skin.
"Worth it," I say.
She huffs. "Idiot."
"Your idiot," I correct.
That earns me a real smile.
Not broken. Not defensive.
Real.
Later — much later — we leave the park together. Not rushed. Not hiding. Side by side.
Percy watches us go from a distance, unreadable as ever. When our eyes meet, he gives me a single nod.
Approval.
Trust.
I don't take it lightly.
Jay slips her hand into mine as we walk.
No promises spoken. No vows made.
Just a choice renewed with every step.
The world she comes from doesn't disappear. Neither does mine.
But for the first time, they don't feel like opposing sides of a battlefield.
They feel like borders we'll learn to navigate together.
And I know — with a certainty deeper than fear, deeper than bloodlines or power —
This isn't a fragile peace.
This is a hard-earned one.
We didn't get a perfect ending.
We got something better.
We got to survive.
Together.
— THE PLAN
I get to school earlier than I ever have.
The corridors are still half-asleep, lights humming, floors freshly cleaned like nothing terrible has ever happened here. It feels wrong and perfect at the same time.
I pull out my phone and send one message.
Section E. Class. Now. Don't ask questions.
They come anyway.
One by one. Groggy. Curious. Suspicious.
Felix first, still chewing something.
Cin yawning like he might pass out standing.
Yuri already alert, already clocking my face like he knows this isn't casual.
The others trail in, noise and chaos following them like always.
They all stop when they see me standing at the front of the room.
Quiet.
That alone is historic.
"I need you," I say simply.
Felix squints. "Bro looks like he fought God and won."
I exhale. "Jay and I are okay."
The room explodes.
"What—" "WAIT—" "YOU'RE ALIVE??" "IS SHE—"
I lift a hand. "I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend today."
Dead silence.
Then—
Cin grins slowly. "Oh we're doing this properly."
Yuri nods once. "Good."
Felix is already dragging desks. "Say less."
I don't even have to explain.
They move.
Someone pulls out a speaker. Someone else raids the art cupboard. Paper, markers, tape appear out of nowhere like this was destiny.
The banner takes shape fast.
Wanna be my girlfriend…
someone pauses, looks at me.
"…PS: I beg you."
I don't argue.
It's accurate.
Damian shows up halfway through, leaning against the doorframe like he owns the place. The room stills for half a second — old tension, old assumptions.
I speak before anyone else can.
"He's Jay's best friend," I say. "And he's family."
Damian raises an eyebrow. "That was fast."
"She deserves honesty," I reply.
Something like respect flickers across his face.
He steps in, surveys the decorations, the banner, the barely contained chaos.
"She's going to love this," he says confidently. "She pretends she hates public things, but she doesn't. Not when they're real."
Felix snaps his fingers. "SEE. VALIDATION."
We plan fast.
A song. A stupid little dance. They'll block the door, start the music, act like idiots.
I'll come in at the end.
Banner. Flowers. Heart trying to punch its way out of my chest.
The bell rings.
Students start filing in.
Section E takes their positions like this is a military operation disguised as nonsense.
All that's left—
Is Jay.
I keep checking the door.
Once. Twice. Too many times.
My palms are sweaty. My heart won't calm down. I've faced boardrooms full of men who wanted me broken.
This?
This is worse.
Then—
The door opens.
Jay steps in....