Aries' POV
We had all been awake for a long time, sitting around the table for breakfast, but Jayjay's seat was empty. We decided to skip university today because we were honestly just too exhausted from the drama of the night before. Our minds were tired from all that fighting. Papa had already headed off to work, and Mama was busy with her usual chores around the house.
Since Percy and I weren't going to uni, we decided not to wake Jayjay up. She needed the rest. For a while, we just killed time—first watching TV, then taking a nap, and now, we were in the middle of a full-blown pillow fight in our room.
"You stupid idiot!" Percy whisper-yelled. We were trying to keep our voices down because we didn't want to get scolded by Mama, and we definitely didn't want to wake Jayjay up yet.
"You dumb jerk!" I replied, swinging my pillow.
"You... you..." Percy paused, his brain searching for a better insult.
"Haha, I won!" I cheered softly, whacking him over the head with the pillow. We were playing our favorite game where you have to insult each other, and if you can't think of something fast enough, the other person gets a free hit.
"You human!" I said, landing another blow.
"Hey! I thought we were only supposed to use curses!" he complained, shielding his face.
"Oh no, you dumb-brained, stupid human... we have to say something," I said, smirking as I prepared for the next round.
"You cheater!" he shot back. I just smirked wider.
"You..." I was thinking of the perfect comeback, but before I could speak, Percy started hitting me repeatedly. "Hey!" I yelped, trying to get him to stop.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Mama stood there holding a stack of fresh blankets, looking like she was about to explode. We both jumped down from the bed instantly, standing at attention. Without a word, she reached out and grabbed one ear each, her grip like iron.
"Even animals sit after cleaning their place, but you two? You mess up the whole house!" she hissed, gripping our ears tighter.
"Oww!" we winced in unison, leaning into the pain. She finally let go and pointed a warning finger at us.
"Behave," she warned. We nodded vigorously, and she finally left.
After that, we headed downstairs and sprawled out on the couch. We were lying there with our heads hanging upside down off the edge, watching the world from a different angle. Jayjay had been asleep for so long. She had come home and crashed at 1:00 AM, and now it was already 7:00 PM.
Suddenly, she appeared. She was still in her pajamas, her eyes heavy and swollen with sleep. She walked into the kitchen, emerged a moment later with a glass of water, and just stood there staring blankly at the TV. She finished the water in one go and walked straight back to her room without saying a word.
Percy and I followed her with our eyes, our heads still dangling upside down.
"Is she going crazy?" I wondered aloud.
Percy'sPOV
Aries and I exchanged a worried look. She didn't even acknowledge we were there. No "Get a life," no "Why are you upside down?", not even a single glare.
"Is she... walking in her sleep?" Aries whispered, his head still dangling off the edge of the couch.
"I don't think so. Sleepwalkers don't usually head straight for the fridge with that much precision," I replied, flipping myself over.
We waited for a minute, listening for the sound of her door closing. Click.
"Okay, she's definitely awake. Or she's a very hydrated ghost," Aries said, finally sitting up properly. "We need to go check on her. What if she's still mad about yesterday? Or what if she forgot that Kuya Angelo saved our lives?"
"Only one way to find out," I said, standing up and trying to smooth out my hair, which was a total mess from the pillow fight.
We crept up the stairs like we were on a secret mission, stepping lightly to avoid any creaks. When we reached Jayjay's door, Aries leaned his ear against the wood, trying to eavesdrop. I shoved him aside and just turned the handle, walking in.
Jayjay was sitting cross-legged in the middle of her bed, staring blankly at the wall. She looked like she had been through a war—and mentally, she really had.
"Jayjay?" I called out softly.
She slowly turned her head toward us. Her eyes were still red-rimmed from crying at the beach, but they were clear now, the sadness replaced by a hollow exhaustion. "Why are you two staring at me like I'm a science experiment?"
Aries let out a massive sigh of relief and threw himself onto the foot of her bed. "Oh thank God, you can still talk. We thought you'd turned into a zombie after sleeping for eighteen hours."
"Eighteen hours?" She blinked, looking at the clock on her bedside table. Her jaw dropped. "It's 7:00 PM?! Why didn't you wake me up? I missed my classes!"
"Mama said to let you sleep," I explained, taking a seat in the chair by her desk. "And besides, we skipped too. After yesterday... I think the whole house needed a break from reality."
Jayjay looked down at her hands, her expression softening as the memories of the previous night started to flood back. "Did... did I dream it, or did Kuya Angelo actually come?"
Aries smirked, his eyes dancing with pure excitement. "Oh, he came. And he didn't just come—he conquered. He told Mama and Papa exactly how it's going to be. The wedding is in a month and a half, we get to stay for another few weeks, and basically, nobody is allowed to breathe in your direction without his permission."
Jayjay's eyes widened, shimmering with hope. "Really? They actually agreed?"
"They didn't just agree, Jayjay," I added with a grin. "They were terrified. I've never seen Papa nod that fast in my life. The 'Fight' was worth it. Every bit of it."
A small, genuine smile finally broke across her face—the first one we'd seen in days. "So... we're not being separated yet?"
"Not yet, little monkey," Aries promised, reaching out to ruffle her messy hair. "You're stuck with us for a little while longer."
"Argh! Stop it!" she laughed, batting his hand away.
Just then, the silence of the room was broken by a loud, hollow growl coming from Jayjay's stomach. It echoed so loudly we all froze.
"I guess the 'Warrior Queen' is hungry," I teased.
"I'm starving," she admitted, her face turning a bright, embarrassed red. "Can we go get pizza? I don't want to face Mama and Papa in the dining room yet."
Aries jumped up, energized. "Say no more. Percy, get the keys. Jayjay, get dressed. We're going on a victory pizza run!"
"Nah, I'm not going. Just order me a pizza, lasagna, and lechon, of course," Jayjay said, tapping her finger against her chin as she thought about her side dish. "And whatever else you want on the side."
"Told ya she eats like it's her last meal," Aries joked, barely getting the words out before Jayjay started launching pillows at him one after another.
"GET OUT!" she shouted. We didn't need to be told twice; we scrambled out of the room before she could officially explode.
Since Mama insisted that Aries and I had to eat a homemade dinner, we only ordered the feast for Jayjay. We delivered her food like a special delivery service and ran out of her room immediately to avoid any more flying pillows. An hour later, we peeked back in to check on her, and she was already fast asleep again. Honestly, what did she eat yesterday? She's been sleeping the entire day!
We headed downstairs just as Papa arrived home. We all settled around the dining table to start our dinner.
"Jayjay didn't wake up?" Papa asked suddenly.
I looked at Aries, and he looked back at me. Neither of us wanted to admit we had been teasing her. Papa might actually kill us if he found out we were bothering his favorite "last-born princess"—the girl who is basically the Prime Minister of this house right after Mama.
"She woke up, drank some water, and told us to order food for her. We did, and after eating, she went right back to sleep. She's out cold," Aries explained quickly. He conveniently left out the part where she attacked us with her pillows.
Looking at her bed earlier made me curious, so I leaned over to whisper to Aries. "Why is Jayjay's bed overflowing with so many pillows and plushies anyway?"
"Some were given by me, you, and Papa," Aries reminded me, and my mouth formed an 'O' in realization. "And a lot of them were from Kuya Angelo. Plushies are her favorite, and she's definitely Kuya's favorite." I nodded; that made total sense.
"Oh, I think you're missing something," Mama said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.
"N...nothing is missing!" I said quickly. She glanced at Aries, and he nodded in agreement, trying to play it cool.
"Oh, really? I thought I heard someone shouting 'Get out!'" she said.
"You were hallucinating, Mama," Aries said smoothly. Mama just nodded while smirking, clearly not believing us for a second. Papa looked back and forth between us, completely confused by the secret conversation.
We finished the rest of our meal in silence. Once we were done, we all headed off to our own rooms. The second I dropped onto my bed, I fell asleep instantly. I love sleeping—it's the one time you don't have to do anything except dream. Hehe.
Jayjay's POV.
I woke up gasping for air, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it hurt. My breathing was heavy and ragged, trapped in the terrifying aftershocks of that dream. Keifer... The name echoed in my mind like a warning. I needed to see him right now.
Tears started to spill over, hot and fast, but I wiped them away quickly with the back of my hand. I couldn't stay here. I stood up and rushed to the washroom, splashing cold water on my face to clear the fog. I changed quickly into a full-sleeved white shirt and black pants, throwing on a black leather jacket over it. It was probably Keifer's jacket, honestly—it still carried that faint, familiar scent of him that always made me feel a little safer.
I stepped back into my room and nearly jumped when I saw Mama standing at the door, her face etched with worry.
"Jayjay, what happened?" she asked softly.
"Mama, I need to see Keifer. Right now," I said, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to stay steady.
"But it's 12:46 AM," she said, glancing down at the glowing screen of her phone.
"I don't care about the time. I saw a very bad dream... a horrible dream, and Keifer was in it. I have to see him," I insisted. I reached out and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be alright. I just need to make sure he's okay."
Mama hesitated for a second, then gave a small, understanding nod. "Go safe," she whispered.
I grabbed my car keys and practically flew downstairs. I sprinted to the car, started the engine, and sped out of the driveway. I drove fast—maybe too fast—but the images from my dream kept flashing behind my eyes. I had seen those same thugs from the kidnapping coming into his hospital room. In the dream, they beat him until... I felt more tears falling and bit my lip. I told myself I didn't have time to cry. I needed to get there. I knew Keifer was a fighter and it was almost impossible for someone to just walk in and beat him like that, but my chest felt so heavy. I needed to see him with my own eyes to stop the panic.
When I reached the hospital, I didn't stop to talk to anyone. I went straight to his room and pushed the door open without even knocking.
There he was. He was sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed, the moonlight from the window casting a soft glow over the room. I noticed he was alone—no one was around, which confused me. Tita and Tito had said they would stay with him.
I moved closer to the bed, my footsteps silent, and sat in the chair right next to him. A few stray hairs were falling over his forehead, making him look a little uncomfortable in his sleep. I reached out and gently brushed them back, being extra careful not to wake him.
"Keifer..." I whispered. A single tear escaped and landed right on the back of his hand.
I sat there for a long time, just watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. It was the only thing that made the heaviness in my heart start to lift. I checked my phone; it was already 1:47 AM. Suddenly, his eyes fluttered open. He looked at me, blinking slowly as he shook off the sleep. I couldn't help but smile at him.
"Jay?" he asked, his voice thick and raspy from sleep. He started to sit up, and I moved forward to help support him. "Why are you here?"
"I was just worried about you," I admitted softly. "Where are Tita and Tito?"
"I sent them home because they just got back from a long trip," he explained. I nodded, understanding his protective nature even when he was the one in the hospital bed.
"You should have called me," I said, looking at him seriously. "I would have come here in a heartbeat."
"No, it's okay. I was fine," he said with a small, tired smile. I smiled back, feeling the last of the nightmare finally fade away.
"When are you going to be discharged?" I asked.
"Tomorrow morning," he replied. I looked at him in total confusion.
"What?! Keifer, you're still injured," I said, gesturing toward his back.
"The doctors said I'm healing fast. I've already improved a lot, and it just needs a little more time to be perfect. I asked for the discharge myself. The doctor said I can go home tomorrow as long as the pain isn't too bad," he explained.
"Are you kidding me? You're still recovering and you're already pushing for a discharge. What are you even planning to do once you're out?"
"I'm going to university tomorrow," he said casually.
"No way! You are staying home and taking care of yourself," I scolded him. "Did you even take your medicines tonight?"
"Yeah... they were so bitter," he said, making a disgusted face like a little kid. "I hate being sick. I hate taking medicine."
I laughed softly at his reaction. "Okay, then. From now on, whenever you get sick, I'll be the one to take care of you," I promised.
His eyes lit up instantly. "Then I think I love being sick now," he teased, and we both laughed. "And I'll take care of you whenever you get sick," he added suddenly. I stayed quiet for a second—I really hadn't expected him to say that.
"Okay, now go back to sleep," I urged.
"I've slept for the whole day," he argued.
"Me too," I admitted.
"Then I'm not sleeping now," he declared.
"What are you going to do then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He thought for a minute, and then that familiar, mischievous smirk appeared on his face. I knew he was about to try and annoy me.
"Probably... scrolling on my phone," he said, grinning.
"Jerk," I muttered, hitting his arm playfully. He just laughed softly, the sound filling the quiet room and making everything feel right again.
We talked and laughed, the sound of our voices filling the quiet room, when suddenly the door swung open. The same nurse from before walked in, her eyes darting back and forth between Keifer and me. Her eyebrows were knitted together—or maybe "kissing" was a better word for it. Honestly, her eyebrows just looked like that; I was only stating what I saw. She was the one who had tried to apply Keifer's medicine earlier but couldn't because he hadn't allowed her to touch him.
"Please lower your voices. There are other people here," she snapped, her tone dripping with annoyance. Then she turned to me, her gaze sharpening. "And you, Miss... you are disturbing the patient."
I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. I was about to open my mouth and let a few choice curses fly, but Keifer beat me to it. He didn't curse, but his voice was like ice.
"She is my fiancé, and she isn't disturbing me," he said angrily. The nurse actually flinched at the sharpness in his voice. Scaredy cat, I thought, feeling a wave of smugness.
"Even if she isn't disturbing you, you guys are disturbing everyone else," she argued, trying to regain her ground.
I leaned back in the chair, a slow smirk spreading across my face as I crossed my arms. "This hospital belongs to my uncle, Mr. Peralta," I said coolly.
She let out a scoff, crossing her own arms defiantly. "And how exactly would I believe a story like that?"
I didn't waste another second. I pulled out my phone and dialed Ci-N. He picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?" Ci-N's voice came through the line.
"Hello, Ci-N. Can I talk to Uncle for a second?" I asked.
"Yeah, of course," he replied.
I put the phone on speaker as a deeper voice came through. "Hello?"
"Um, Uncle? Keifer got shot and we're at the hospital right now, but a nurse just came in and started fighting with me," I said.
The nurse actually laughed mockingly at that. Oh, you're out, little girl, I thought. Laugh as much as you want while you still can.
"Who is it?" Uncle asked, his voice becoming serious.
I leaned forward to read the name plate pinned to her uniform. "Hildegar Slovenia," I replied clearly.
"Okay, dear. Bye," Uncle said.
"Bye," I whispered.
The nurse looked at me, her expression still full of disbelief. "Do you really think you can fool me? In your dre—"
She was cut off mid-sentence by the shrill ringing of her own phone. She looked at the screen, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Hello, Sir?" she said, her voice trembling slightly. She looked up at me, and I just smirked. "S... sor... sorry, Sir. It wo... won't happen again," she stammered, her face turning pale.
The call ended, and the room went silent. I held my phone up, my smirk growing wider. "So, did you get your lesson, or do you want me to call 'my' Aunt next?"
"I'm so sorry, Ms. Mariano! Please forgive me, or Sir will fire me!" she pleaded, her bravado completely gone.
"Go. I'll talk to your boss," I said, dismissing her with a wave of my hand. She nodded frantically before scurrying out of the room like a frightened mouse.
"Whoa... what was that?" Keifer asked, looking at me with pure amazement.
I tilted my head back, looking at him proudly. "That, Keifer, was my power."
He leaned in just a little, placing his arm firmly on the back of my chair, effectively trapping me inside. On my left side, there was the solid hospital wall, and on my right, there was his hand. He had me boxed in.
"Ke... Keifer, you're injured," I managed to say, but why was I stammering? And why on earth was my heart beating so fast?
"Your power?" he asked softly, his eyes searching mine. I nodded, but I couldn't find my voice. Where did my confidence go? "Where is it now?" he asked. Even though he was leaned in, he still kept that respectful distance he always maintained, but his presence was overwhelming.
I swallowed hard and was just about to find my words when a sharp knock sounded at the door. He instinctively looked toward the sound, and I took the chance to slip out from under his arm. He looked at me, completely shocked by my quick escape, and I just stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed softly, the tension breaking as he leaned back against the wall behind his bed.
I walked over and opened the door, but... there was no one there. Huh? What was that? A cold shiver ran down my spine. I started thinking about all those stories—how most deaths happen in hospitals, and how people say these places are always haunted. I gulped, feeling a genuine wave of fear wash over me. I quickly locked the door and scrambled back to my chair.
"Why are you sweating?" Keifer asked, pointing at my forehead. I quickly wiped it away, feeling my skin turn cold.
"Am I?" I asked, my voice a bit higher than usual. He nodded.
"Who was at the door?" he asked.
"I don't know," I whispered.
"What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Because no one was there! And I've heard that hospitals are haunted, Keifer," I said, looking around the dimly lit room. He just laughed.
"It's just stories, Jayjay," he said, trying to reassure me. But then—knock, knock.
"I'll prove it to you," I said, determined now. I went back to the door, but this time I stood to the side. I pulled it wide open, making sure Keifer could see clearly that the hallway was empty. There was absolutely no one there. I quickly ran back to my chair before something horror-movie-style could happen to me.
"There really was no one," Keifer said, his voice trailing off as he stared out into the empty corridor.
Suddenly, something moved. A tall, shadow-like figure dressed in full black sprinted from the left to the right, right in front of our open door. We both froze, our eyes meeting in total shock.
"Wait here," Keifer said, his expression turning serious as he stood up.
"You're injured!" I hissed, but he didn't seem to care about the pain anymore. He walked to the door, and I followed closely, hiding right behind him.
In one swift move, Keifer reached out and snatched someone's arm from the left side, pulling them into the room. Whoever it was, they were covered in thick black fabric, like a giant black blanket. Before I could even scream, Keifer reached out to the right and grabbed another arm, pulling a second figure inside.
He kicked the door shut with his foot. The second person was dressed exactly like the first—completely shrouded in black. They both suddenly yanked the black clothes away from their faces, and our eyes went wide when we saw exactly who they were....
The End 🌸.
Do you guys know who the black shadows are?