Author's POV
The house was quiet when they arrived.
Far too quiet.
The moment Keifer stepped through the entrance, he didn't even stop to greet anyone.
He already knew where he needed to go.
Upstairs.
The hallway.
The last door on the left.
Keegan's room.
Everyone followed, but nobody crowded around him.
They knew better.
Keifer reached the door.
He stopped.
For a second, he simply stared at it.
Then—
he knocked.
Three soft knocks.
"Keegan?"
Nothing.
Keifer waited.
Then knocked again.
"It's me."
Silence.
Behind him, Jay stood beside Aries and Percy.
Cora, Luna, Alex, Denila, and Angelo remained a little farther away.
Nobody spoke.
Keifer tried again.
"Keegan, open the door."
Nothing.
He lowered his voice.
"You've been in there for more than a day."
Still nothing.
Keifer rested his palm against the door.
"I'm not angry."
A long pause.
Then—
a voice finally came from inside.
"Go away."
Everyone froze.
Keifer's eyes closed briefly.
That voice.
It was Keegan.
But it sounded different.
Weak.
Dry.
Barely carrying through the door.
Keifer immediately understood.
He hadn't eaten properly.
Probably barely anything.
"Keegan."
"Go away."
"Have you eaten?"
Silence.
Keifer waited.
"Keegan."
Nothing.
His voice softened.
"Answer me."
A few seconds passed.
Then—
"No."
Keifer's expression tightened.
"When was the last time you ate properly?"
No answer.
"Keegan."
"I don't know."
His voice sounded exhausted.
Keifer looked down.
"Then eat something."
"No."
"Just a little."
"No."
"Keegan."
"Please."
That one word stopped him.
It wasn't angry.
It wasn't irritated.
It sounded tired.
Like even talking was taking too much energy.
Keifer leaned closer to the door.
"I'm staying."
"No."
"Yes."
"Keifer, go."
"No."
Silence.
Then Keegan spoke again.
"You don't understand."
Keifer's expression changed.
"Then let me understand."
"No."
"I can't help you if you won't let me."
"I don't want help."
Keifer stayed completely still.
For years, this had been how they handled it.
Keegan would lock himself away.
Keifer would sit outside.
Talk.
Wait.
Sometimes hours passed.
Eventually, Keegan would open the door.
But today—
something was different.
Keifer could hear it.
The weakness in his voice.
The exhaustion.
The complete lack of energy.
And somehow—
Keegan still wouldn't let him in.
Keifer slowly sat down on the floor outside the room.
"Fine."
Nobody behind him moved.
"I'm staying here."
There was no answer.
Minutes passed.
Keifer continued talking occasionally.
Nothing demanding.
Nothing overwhelming.
Just small things.
Reminders that he was there.
But Keegan continued telling him to leave.
And every time—
Keifer stayed.
Jay watched quietly.
She had been silent the entire time.
Not because she didn't care.
Because she was listening.
Really listening.
There was something in Keegan's voice that she recognized.
Not the situation.
Not the reason.
The feeling.
That horrible feeling of having something inside you that you couldn't explain.
Something that hurt too much to put into words.
Something you kept hidden because saying it aloud made it feel real.
Jay looked at Keifer.
Then at the closed door.
She took a small breath.
"Can I try?"
Keifer looked up at her.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then nodded.
Jay walked toward the door.
She didn't knock immediately.
Instead, she sat down a short distance away from it.
Not directly in front.
Not blocking it.
Just close enough.
"Keegan?"
Silence.
Jay waited.
Then spoke again.
"You don't have to open the door."
Keifer looked at her.
Jay continued quietly.
"And you don't have to explain anything."
Nothing.
"But you should eat something."
A pause.
"No."
Jay nodded slightly.
"Okay."
Everyone looked at her.
She didn't argue.
Didn't tell him he was wrong.
Didn't try to force him.
She simply continued.
"You can say no."
Silence.
"You can tell everyone to leave."
Another pause.
"But don't make yourself disappear just because you don't know how to explain what's hurting."
The hallway became completely still.
Keifer looked at Jay carefully.
She wasn't pretending to know what Keegan was feeling.
She wasn't claiming she understood his exact situation.
She was simply speaking from a place she knew herself.
Jay lowered her eyes.
"Sometimes you can have so much inside your head that talking feels impossible."
No response.
"But you don't have to tell someone everything for them to stay."
Something shifted behind the door.
Barely.
A faint movement.
Jay noticed.
So did Keifer.
But neither reacted.
Jay kept her voice gentle.
"You don't have to open the door today."
A pause.
"But at least drink some water."
Silence.
Then—
the lock moved.
Everyone froze.
The door opened only slightly.
Keegan didn't come out.
He simply stood behind it.
His face looked exhausted.
His eyes were lowered.
He looked toward Keifer first.
Then Jay.
Keifer immediately stood.
He didn't rush toward him.
Didn't grab him.
Didn't overwhelm him.
He simply stayed where he was.
"Hey."
Keegan looked away.
"I told you to go."
"I know."
"You didn't listen."
Keifer gave a tiny smile.
"You know me."
For the first time, something almost changed in Keegan's expression.
Not quite a smile.
But close.
Jay quietly stood too.
"Can you eat something?"
Keegan looked at her.
Then down.
"…Maybe."
Keifer immediately glanced toward the staff.
"Bring something light."
The maid nodded and left.
Keegan still hadn't stepped fully outside.
But the door was open.
And that was enough.
Keifer looked at him.
"We don't have to talk about anything tonight."
Keegan nodded faintly.
Jay gave him a small smile.
"Just stay."
Keegan looked at her for another second.
Then quietly opened the door a little farther.
For the first time in more than a day—
he wasn't completely alone anymore.