Percy's POV
The air today was cold enough to sting, but Jay didn't seem to feel it.
She'd been laughing too hard at nothing, her cheeks flushed, eyes glassy. The kind of laugh that hides a cliff behind it.
"I'll throw the box out," I said, picking up the empty pizza carton.
She hummed something noncommittal, staring at the sky like it was daring her to fall.
When I came back, she was gone.
"Jay?"
No answer.
Just the sound of her shoes clacking down the stairs.
My stomach sank. I followed.
The noise led me straight to Section E's corridor — and there she was, standing in the doorway like she owned the place and wanted it burned down.
Her tie hung from her hand, shirt untucked, hair a mess.
The heating hadn't kicked in yet, and everyone inside was bundled in sweaters, but Jay? She looked overheated, sweating, wild-eyed.
Then she pulled a small flask from her bag — not mine — and took it right in front of them.
The room went dead silent.
"Oh, relax," she said, voice slurring but sharp. "You've all seen worse, right? Or maybe not, since you're all too busy pretending you're saints."
"Jay," I muttered from the doorway. "Stop."
She didn't even glance at me.
"Let's start with you, Yuri," she said, stepping forward. " Mr. I had to protect you because I love you hahah',I and keifer had protected you from Kiko.' Cute story. Except you and Keifer both lied that night, didn't you?"
Yuri's jaw tightened.
Keifer said nothing — just that same damn stoic face, unreadable.
Jay laughed bitterly. "You lied. You both did. And the best part? You didn't even do it for me. You did it because you wanted to control me. Because that's what Section E does best."
People shifted uncomfortably.
Even the usually smug ones looked uneasy.
Then her gaze darkened.
"Oh, and the tracker? Yeah, nice touch. You really thought I wouldn't find it? You said it was for my safety — but guess what? You weren't tracking me."
She turned, voice cracking.
"You were tracking Percy."
Murmurs rippled across the room.
Someone whispered her name, someone else cursed under their breath.
"Why?" she asked, trembling now. "Because you thought he was feeding me lies? Because you couldn't stand that someone else might actually care about me without an agenda?"
She wiped her nose roughly, tears starting to blur her eyeliner.
"I trusted you. Every damn one of you. I defended you when people said you were poison. I thought you saw me. But you just saw what you could use."
Keifer stood halfway, voice low. "Jay—"
"Don't." Her voice broke. "Don't say my name like it still means something."
Her shoulders shook. "You made me believe I was finally enough for someone. That maybe, for once, I had a place. But you lied, and I—I shouted at Cin because of you! He cried. He actually cried because of me , and I didn't stop him. I just—"
Her breath hitched. "I just kept being the monster you all made me."But still everyone congratulations you won, you broke the inevitable Jay you got what you wanted yayyy"
I took a step forward, but she wasn't done.
Her next words came out small, quiet, and ruined.
"I just wanted a place where I could be loved unconditionally…"
Her eyes lifted, red-rimmed and empty.
"…but I guess that doesn't exist, right?"
The flask slipped from her fingers and hit the floor, the sound hollow and final.
No one moved. Not Keifer, not Yuri, not any of them.
I caught her before she could fall. She sagged against me, still whispering, "It doesn't exist… it doesn't…"
I glared at the room — at their guilt, their silence, their stupid pride.
"Congratulations," I said coldly. "You proved her right."
And then I walked her out, leaving Section E behind in the kind of silence only regret can make. I knew it had hurt her bad but like this.. I promise you sistah I'll avenge you.....