The hallway felt colder than the rest of the house.
Maybe it was just me.
Maybe I was nervous.
Or hungry.
Honestly, both.
Keifer stepped back, giving me space even though it was obvious he hated the idea of not being in control.
I knocked gently.
"Keigan?"
My voice came out softer than I expected.
Not pity-soft.
Just… careful.
Nothing.
I leaned closer.
"It's Jay."
Still nothing.
Okay.
Time for Plan B:
Be annoying.
I knocked again, a little harder.
"Keigan? I brought… uhh… emotional support? And maybe food later."
Silence.
Then—
A thump.
Light.
Like someone shifting on the floor.
I sat down in front of the door, legs crossed.
"Look," I said. "You don't have to open the door. You don't have to talk. You don't even have to like me—"
From behind me, Keifer muttered, "He doesn't."
"SHH, I'M BONDING," I snapped.
Honey muffled a laugh.
I continued.
"I just… know what it's like. When everything feels loud. Or wrong. Or too much. And you don't know how to make it stop."
Keifer sat down next to me without saying anything.
Not touching.
Not looking.
Just… there.
Behind the door, something moved again.
A blur of shadow under the crack.
He was listening.
I rested my head lightly against the wall.
"Sometimes I locked myself in rooms too. Back then. Because it felt safer than being around people who didn't get me."
Keifer shifted a little.
Not a scoff.
Something closer to hurt.
"But someone opened the door for me," I said.
"And I'm here now because of that."
Silence.
Then—
"What if I don't want the door opened?"
Keigan's voice.
Small.
Shaky.
Like it was borrowed.
Keifer inhaled sharply.
I swallowed.
"That's okay," I said softly.
"You don't have to open it. But you don't have to be alone behind it either."
Another pause.
"Is Keifer… still there?"
Keigan asked.
"I'm here," Keifer said quietly.
"…Go away."
Keifer's whole face flinched.
Honey placed a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't move.
He stayed.
He didn't leave.
"I'm staying," Keifer said, voice low.
"You can yell. You can cry. You can say whatever. I'm still staying."
That hit something deep inside me.
Like a bruise someone pressed.
Keigan's voice cracked.
"I messed up."
My heart tightened.
"What happened?" I asked gently.
Silence.
A long one.
Then—
"I hurt somebody."
Keifer's head whipped toward the door.
"What? Who?"
Another silence.
Then a choked breath.
"Me," Keigan whispered. "I hurt myself."
The world froze.
Honey covered her mouth.
Keifer's eyes widened, panic rising fast.
I scooted closer to the door, palms flat against it.
"Keigan," I said. "Open the door. Not for us. For you."
A quiet sniff.
Then…
The lock clicked.
My breath caught.
Slowly—
carefully—
the doorknob turned.
The door opened just a crack.
Keifer immediately moved, but stopped himself, waiting, letting Keigan choose.
Through the small opening, I saw him.
Eyes red.
T-shirt wrinkled.
Hands shaking.
He didn't open the door wider.
But he opened it enough.
Enough to choose help.
Enough to not be alone.
I exhaled shakily.
"Hey," I whispered. "We're here."
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Keifer reached out and gently pulled his brother into a hug he'd clearly been holding in all day.
Keigan didn't resist.
He collapsed into it.
Honey wiped her eyes.
I sat there quietly—
not touching,
not interrupting,
just staying.
Like someone once did for me.
Like I promised I would for him.
Keigan finally stepped back, just enough to look at us all.
His hair was messy. His eyes were red. But… he was breathing. That counted.
Keifer rubbed his neck and muttered, "You okay?"
Keigan shrugged. "I'll survive. For now."
I glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "For now… sounds like a threat."
He gave me a small glare. Not angry. Just… tired.
Honey cleared her throat. "Maybe some water first?"
Keigan nodded silently.
Keifer poured a glass for him, then another for himself.
I… stared at the cup. Food thoughts were still strong. But water wasn't food. Sad.
"So…" I said, trying to break the tension.
"Who wants soup? I'm buying."
Keifer shot me a side-eye.
"I… think we should wait on that," he muttered.
"Excuses," I whispered. "Soup fixes everything."
Keigan let out a tiny laugh. I think. Could've been a cough.
Either way, progress.
I flopped onto the couch next to him.
Keifer and Honey sat on the other side.
Silence settled for a minute—not the heavy scary kind, but the soft, "we're here, it's okay" kind.
I peeked at Keigan. "You know… sometimes I dream about food while dealing with trauma."
He blinked.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Like, right now, I'm imagining a huge plate of siomai and fries. Helps me cope."
He snorted, a proper one this time.
Keifer rolled his eyes. "Jay…"
"Shh, it's a coping mechanism," I whispered.
Honey shook her head with a smile.
"You're ridiculous," she said.
"Thanks, it's a gift," I said proudly.
After a few more minutes, Keigan finally moved from the corner and sat on the couch.
Closer to the rest of us than he had been all day.
Keifer relaxed a little.
Honey smiled softly.
And just like that…
The tension didn't vanish.
But it got smaller.
Small enough to breathe.
Small enough to joke.
I leaned back, imagining that plate of siomai again.
Life wasn't perfect.
Trauma didn't vanish.
But right now… it was okay.
But just then… something clicked.
The key.
I once held it in my hand, feeling the cold metal bite lightly against my palm.
My brain immediately started screaming.
Should I tell Keifer?
Do I tell Keigan?
Do I just… hide it and eat more siomai instead?
I glanced at Keifer, who was still hovering nearby, scanning the room like a hawk.
And then at Keigan, curled slightly into himself on the couch, eyes red but alert.
It was a small key. Simple. Nothing fancy.
But I knew instantly what it was for.
My stomach twisted. Not because I was hungry.
Because now I had to make a choice.
Do I tell Keifer?
My brain ran in circles.
Tell Keifer?
No, he'll probably freak.
Tell Keigan?
No, he might lock himself in a closet again.
Hide it?
…And then what? Pretend I didn't just find the key to literally everything?
I looked for it in my bag and found it I fiddled with it in my fingers. Cold. Hard. Tempting.
It felt like holding the answer to a riddle I didn't want to solve.
Keifer glanced at me again.
"Jay… what are you doing?"
I yelped. Almost dropped the key.
"Nothing!" I said, voice way too high.
"Just… uh… admiring the… metal. Yes. Admiring the metal."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Jay."
Okay. That didn't work.
Honey peeked over her tablet.
"You're fidgeting. Something's up."
I froze.
"Nothing. Totally… nothing," I said.
But my stomach twisted again.
Because I knew if I told Keifer, it might help.
But it might also make everything explode.
And if I told Keigan…
He might finally open up. Or… not.
I sighed.
My brain was officially fried.
Why is life always like this?
Then I had an idea.
Maybe I could…
Drop a hint first.
See how he reacted.
Test the waters.
Yeah. That was safe. Probably. Hopefully.
I glanced at Keigan. His eyes were on me.
I could see a tiny flicker of curiosity—like he knew something but didn't trust anyone enough to ask.
Perfect.
I held the key behind my back.
"Keigan," I said softly. "I… might have something that could help. But only if you want it."
He stiffened.
"Help with what?"
I shrugged innocently. "Uh… a mystery. A very important mystery."
Keifer's eyes shot to me.
"Jay…"
I waved my hand like a magician.
"Shhh. I got this."
Keigan's eyes narrowed.
Curiosity flickered again.
And for the first time today…
I saw him move slightly closer.
The game was on.
I held the key behind my back like it was a grenade.
Keigan's eyes were sharp, cautious. He wasn't moving closer yet… but he was listening.
"Jay," Keifer whispered, voice low, tense.
"You sure about this?"
"I'm sure," I said, though my stomach was doing flips.
"Trust me. I can do subtle."
Keigan flinched suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"I—" he started. His voice was shaky.
Then he whispered, almost too quiet for me to hear:
"My dad… he…"
My heart stuttered.
Oh no.
"…he raped a woman… in front of me."
The words hung like smoke.
I froze.
Keifer's jaw tightened.
Honey went rigid.
I had never heard him say anything like that before.
Not ever.
Keigan kept his eyes on the floor.
"I… I don't know if I can… handle him…"
Everything clicked in my head.
The key. The locked room. The hiding. The panic.
It all made sense now.
I swallowed.
"Keigan…" I whispered softly. "You're not alone. Not now. Not ever."
He looked up for the first time, eyes wide, a mix of fear and relief.
Keifer put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll figure this out. Together. No one's hurting you anymore. Not him. Not anyone."
Honey's voice was calm but firm.
"We have resources. Protection. And you're safe here."
I held my breath.
Everything was real now.
Not jokes. Not chaos.
Not siomai.
Just… survival.
Trust.
And a little flicker of hope.
I peeked at Keigan.
The lock on the door was small compared to the walls he'd built around himself.
Maybe… just maybe… this key could open more than one door.
I held the key tight, staring at Keigan.
The room was quiet except for the faint hum of the fridge and Keifer's careful breathing.
Then Honey's voice cut through, calm but sharp:
"Jay, don't even think about messing with that key."
I blinked at her.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot I was in a top-security facility," I muttered, holding it up dramatically.
She shot me a glare that could kill small mammals.
"You always have to make a joke, don't you?"
"I'm literally saving your life here," I said, gesturing to Keigan.
"And you're mad at me for humor?"
"Humor doesn't fix trauma," she snapped, crossing her arms.
"And your sarcasm isn't helping him."
I leaned back like I was offended.
"Okay, first of all… sarcasm is literally my superpower."
She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck.
Keifer sighed from the side.
"Can you two please focus on the kid?"
I waved at him.
"See? Even he agrees."
Honey muttered something under her breath.
Probably "idiot."
I ignored it and turned my attention back to Keigan.
"Look," I said softly, "I have a key. Maybe it could… help you."
He flinched like I'd just thrown a rock.
"Why should I trust you?"
Fair. Fair.
I held up my hands.
"Okay, fine. You don't have to trust me. You don't have to do anything. I'm just… here. Not leaving."
Keigan's gaze flicked between me, Keifer, and Honey.
"…And she?" he asked quietly, eyes on Honey.
"Who?" I asked, fake innocent.
Honey raised an eyebrow.
"Me. Do I… trust you?" Keigan clarified.
"Eh, she's annoying but reliable," I muttered.
Honey shot me a glare so fierce it could've had its own zip code.
"Excuse me?"
"I said—uh… yeah, she's… fine," I amended quickly.
Keifer snorted.
Keigan looked confused, maybe even slightly amused.
Small win.
Then I held the key out carefully, letting him see it without touching.
"Maybe this can help you… if you want. No pressure."
He stared.
Tensed.
And finally… reached for it.
A tiny crack in his walls.
Keifer let out a low breath, relief softening his features.
Honey muttered, "Well… finally."
I smirked.
"See? Humor and charm. Works every time."
Honey groaned.
"Remind me to slap you later."
I grinned.
"Can't wait."
And for the first time today… Keigan's shoulders relaxed slightly.
Keigan's fingers hovered over the key, shaking slightly.
I held my breath.
This was it.
Then my eyes caught it—something else.
A small, battered box tucked under his bed.
"Uh…" I said softly.
Keifer glanced over. "What?"
I nodded toward the box. "That. What's in there?"
Keigan froze.
"…Nothing."
He didn't sound convincing.
Honey stepped closer, whispering, "Careful. That's… private."
"I know," I said, holding up my hands.
"But maybe… maybe it's part of why you locked yourself in."
Keigan's shoulders stiffened, almost like the box was alive and dangerous.
I lowered my voice.
"You don't have to open it yet. Just… think about it. Maybe it has answers. To… everything that's been eating you."
Keifer frowned. "Answers? Like… what?"
I shrugged.
"Letters. Clues. Memories. Evidence. The stuff that explains why you… feel like there's someone else living inside you."
Keigan's hand twitched toward the box, then pulled back.
"I'm not ready," he whispered.
I nodded.
"Then don't. But just… keep it in mind. It's there when you are ready."
Honey placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You're not alone in this. Not ever."
I smirked softly.
"And when you are ready… we'll deal with it together. No screaming, no running, maybe a little sarcasm, definitely snacks."
Keigan let out a small, almost-laugh.
A tiny crack in his walls.
And I knew… that box wasn't just a box.
It was a door.
To understanding.
To healing.
To finally letting the other person inside him… step out of the shadows.