Keifer's POV
Something was wrong with Jay.
Very wrong.
And honestly?
That terrified me more than the attackers did.
Because Jay Mariano was many things:
chaotic
violent occasionally
sarcastic
emotionally allergic
…but never distracted.
Never.
Even during class chaos, she always noticed everything.
Today?
It felt like her mind wasn't even inside the classroom.
The first thing I noticed was the silence.
Not actual silence.
Jay silence.
Which was somehow worse. 😐
Usually she argued with Felix every five minutes.
Threatened Ci-N every seven.
Bullied Rory recreationally.
Normal behavior.
But today she just sat there staring at her notebook like it personally offended her.
At first I thought maybe she was tired.
Then the science teacher called her name.
And she froze.
Completely froze.
That shocked me immediately.
Because Jay was smart.
Annoyingly smart.
Even when she didn't study, she still answered questions easily.
But this time?
Nothing.
Just blank silence.
I glanced at her carefully.
Her eyes looked distant.
Like she was listening to something nobody else could hear.
Then the teacher repeated the question again.
Still nothing.
So quietly, I answered for her.
"Covalent bond."
Jay blinked slowly before repeating it.
The teacher moved on eventually.
But I couldn't.
Because now I knew:
something was seriously wrong.
Behind us Felix whispered dramatically:
"She has spiritually disconnected."
Yuri looked annoyed already.
"For once I think you're right."
Even Ci-N stopped joking properly after that.
The entire class noticed.
Which was saying a lot considering Class 3-E normally had the attention span of broken goldfish. 😭
But Jay still didn't seem fully there.
She barely reacted to anything.
Didn't insult Felix.
Didn't threaten Rory.
Didn't even roll her eyes correctly.
Terrifying experience honestly.
At break time things became worse.
Jay stood near the window staring outside while everyone around her talked.
Or tried to.
Ci-N asked if she was okay.
She answered without even looking at him.
Mila brought snacks.
Jay thanked her quietly but still looked distracted.
Matteo kept trying to lighten the mood.
Nothing worked.
It felt like watching somebody physically present but mentally somewhere else.
Then Aries arrived.
And THAT confirmed my suspicions immediately.
Because the second Aries snapped his fingers near her face—
Jay flinched.
Actually flinched.
Like she genuinely hadn't noticed him standing there.
Aries' expression changed instantly.
That wasn't brother annoyance anymore.
That was concern.
Real concern.
"You okay?"
Jay immediately lied:
"Yep."
Terrible lie.
Absolutely terrible.
Even Felix looked offended by the quality of the lie. 😭
Then Ci-N tried again to cheer her up.
And honestly?
None of us expected what happened next.
"Ci-N can you PLEASE stop talking for one second?!"
Silence.
The classroom froze immediately.
My eyes widened slightly.
Because Jay rarely snapped at people who didn't deserve it.
Especially not Ci-N.
And the second she realized what she did…
her expression changed.
Regret.
Instant regret.
She apologized immediately after.
Quietly.
Like she hated herself for it.
Then she grabbed her bag.
Fast.
Too fast.
"I just need air."
Something twisted uncomfortably in my chest.
Because her voice sounded wrong too.
Small.
Tired.
Like she was struggling to hold herself together properly.
I stood immediately.
"Jay."
But she was already leaving.
Aries called after her too.
She didn't stop.
The classroom stayed quiet for a few seconds after she disappeared.
Which honestly felt unnatural for 3-E.
Then finally Felix spoke softly:
"…Okay now I'm worried."
Nobody disagreed.
Not even Yuri.
Ci-N looked guilty now.
"Did I annoy her too much?"
"No," Aries answered immediately.
His voice calm.
But tense.
"This isn't your fault."
That line stayed in my head.
This isn't your fault.
Meaning: something else caused this.
Something bigger.
And suddenly…
I remembered:
the attackers
the black envelope
Jay freezing after Matilda mentioned Adrian
the way she kept checking her phone recently
the way she looked exhausted today
Like she was carrying something alone.
Again.
I stared toward the classroom door quietly.
Then realized something uncomfortable.
I hated seeing Jay like this.
Not angry.
Not dangerous.
Not sarcastic.
Just… lost.
And somehow…
that looked worse than anything else. 🌧️
End of Chapter 📖✨
🌧️ "Some people hide pain so well…
you only notice when they stop pretending."