Ang Mutya Ng Section E (Book - 2) English

Aries's POV

*Continuation of the flashback*

I can hear something. A repetitive beeping sound, followed by the sound of air. I slowly opened my eyes, but my vision was extremely blurry—so blurry that I couldn't see clearly at all!

"He's awake," I heard a woman say.

I tried shifting my gaze in another direction. Though everything was blurry, I could see movement and a source of light.

I attempted to open my mouth to speak, but my throat was dry. I couldn't move properly, and my entire chest was aching.

"Check the vitals," a male voice said.

After a while, my vision gradually adjusted. I finally understood—I was still alive and in a hospital. It didn't take long before my memories came rushing back. I remembered why I was in the hospital and why I was struggling to breathe.

Jay tried to kill me!

"The operation was successful. The patient is showing clear signs of recovery," the doctor informed my older brother, Angelo.

I reached for my ribs—where the knife had struck me. It felt like a nightmare. My emotions were all over the place.

"Is there something wrong, Aries?" my mother asked.

I shook my head. "When can I go home?"

"A week or two from now, depending on how soon you can stand up," the doctor replied.

I wanted to leave already. This place made me feel uneasy. I didn't like staying in hospitals for too long.

We all turned toward the door when we heard a knock. It slowly opened, and Percy, Yuri, and Keifer walked in.

They were carrying a cake, ice cream, and balloons. The doctor excused himself and left, followed by my older brother.

"Hello, Auntie!" Percy greeted my mom cheerfully.

"Hello, and thank you for coming," my mother responded.

"Sorry, Auntie, this is all we could bring. We weren't sure what to bring," Yuri said as he placed the cake on the table near us.

"It's okay. It looks like you'll be the ones eating it, though. Aries isn't allowed to eat yet," my mother explained, making them all turn toward me.

"Poor you, bro… I guess I'll just eat for you," Percy teased with a grin. "How's the newly circumcised boy?"

He immediately got a smack on the head from Keifer, probably because he noticed I wasn't reacting. I couldn't even smile. I just couldn't.

"Are you okay?" Yuri asked me.

I slowly nodded. "I—I just woke up… from a nightmare."

"I think he needs more rest," Keifer suggested.

"N-no, it's okay. I prefer having you guys here."

"Then great! Let's celebrate your birthday! Even if it's a little late," Percy said as he opened the cake box.

Yuri tied the balloons to a chair but kept one aside. Keifer lit the candle on the cake.

"Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday, happy birthday… Happy birthday, Aries!" they sang as they brought the cake closer to me.

They blew party horns and popped confetti. I forced a smile, even though deep inside, I felt absolutely nothing. I think my heart has gone numb.

"Th-thank you," I said and blew out the candle.

As I lifted my gaze, I saw Jay-Jay at the door. She was holding a gift while wearing a patient gown. But when I blinked, the Jay-Jay I saw was now holding a piece of shattered glass, her hands covered in blood.

I flinched and felt a sharp pain in my wound, causing Percy and the others to panic.

"Bro! Are you okay?" Percy asked.

"I'll call the doctor," my mother said as she rushed outside.

Jay was gone when I looked again. Slowly, I started breathing normally.

"I-I'm okay," I said and lay back down.

The doctor and my mother returned. The doctor checked on me briefly, but I managed to convince them that I had simply moved the wrong way, which caused the pain.

I asked my mother to go home and rest since it was clear she hadn't gotten any sleep. She agreed, knowing that the three would stay with me.

I quietly observed Percy and Yuri fighting over the ice cream. From time to time, I glanced at the door because I couldn't shake the feeling that Jay might walk in at any moment.

"Who was that?" Keifer suddenly asked, making me look at him. "…The girl at the door earlier."

I saw Jay-Jay.

I shook my head. "N-no one."

"Then why did you look so affected?" he pressed.

"I-I was just surprised," I replied.

He didn't ask again, but he didn't take his eyes off me either, as if he were observing me. He could always tell when someone was lying to him.

I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face. The image of her bloodstained hands wouldn't leave my mind either.

My own sister tried to kill me.

"Aries..." my older brother called out to me. "...what's wrong?"

"N-nightmares."

"You have trauma. Expect nightmares almost every night," he said as he walked to the table to get some water. "...We can visit a psychiatrist if you want."

He handed me the glass of water he had just poured. I took a sip before answering.

"I don't think that's necessary."

I handed the glass back to him. He placed it on the table again before returning to his seat. I lay back down, trying to close my eyes. But every time her face reappeared in my mind, I felt my breathing tighten.

"It's so quiet. He must be constipated," Percy commented.

He probably thought I didn't know he was talking about me. I shot him a subtle glare.

"Don't tease him. He might punch you," Yuri said before taking a sip from the can he was holding.

The idiot just smiled at me before munching on his fries. I envied them. They could eat properly, while I was still stuck with soft foods.

"Honestly, this food isn't filling at all," Keifer said, placing the empty pizza box on the table.

The pizza was gone, yet he still wasn't full?

"Yeah, pizza isn't really filling," Percy chimed in.

"When can you leave the hospital?" Yuri asked me.

"They said I can go home next week."

"That's so long!" Percy complained, flopping onto the sofa.

"Why do you ask?" I questioned.

Yuri shook his head. "It's just so boring here."

"And hunger-inducing," Keifer added, rummaging through the table for more food.

"You guys can eat outside. I can take care of myself. If anything happens, I'll call a nurse," I assured them.

Percy immediately sat up. "Let's go. Aries will be fine."

He was already walking toward the door when Yuri stopped him.

"Are you an idiot? Aries is a patient. We shouldn't leave him alone," Yuri scolded irritably.

"Don't treat Aries like a baby," Keifer countered quickly. "...He can clearly take care of himself."

I sighed. It looked like they were going to start arguing over me.

"Just go. I'll be fine. Just don't take too long," I said, waving them off.

"Are you sure?" Yuri asked.

"Yes."

Yuri nodded and stood up. "We'll be back soon."

I nodded as well and watched them leave. But just before the door could close, someone stopped it.

My brows furrowed in confusion. Slowly, the person peeked inside.

My breathing became labored, and a sharp pain shot through my wounds. I turned my head away and shut my eyes tightly.

"A-Aries..." She called my name.

I couldn't breathe.

My hands clutched the blanket tightly. I couldn't move. It felt like I was trapped in a small, suffocating space.

"How are you? Sorry I couldn't visit sooner. I kept feeling dizzy," she said.

Even without looking, I knew she was getting closer. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw Jay standing beside me, looking down at me.

"Do you feel unwell? Should I call a doctor?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

I quickly shook my head.

My gaze fell on her bandaged hands. Her face was bruised, no doubt from when we were kidnapped. There was a bandage wrapped around her head as well.

As I observed her, I realized something—I couldn't stay calm when she was near.

"You had visitors, right? I saw them leave earlier."

She was staring at the dishes my friends had used.

I couldn't respond. My heart was beating fast, and I had a bad feeling that something would go wrong if she stayed any longer.

"..By the way..." Her expression suddenly turned serious. "...I wanted to ask what happened to your father. I don't remember much about it."

A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest, and I clutched at it. Jay immediately panicked and tried to approach me, but my arm instinctively moved to push her away.

"Don't!" I shouted. "Don't touch me."

"Aries, I'm calling a doctor."

"No!"

I looked at her, and for some reason, I felt nothing but hatred toward her.

"P-please... Jay. Don't come near me. D-don't talk to me anymore."

I knew what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have pushed Jay away, but what could I do? I just couldn't handle being near her.

"You guys are so quiet!" Percy suddenly shouted, breaking the tension.

Even Keifer and Yuri had been silent since we all gathered.

"I'm bored," Keifer said.

"I'm tired," Yuri added.

"I'm thinking," I said.

"I'm handsome," Percy declared.

We all turned to him at the same time, raising an eyebrow. At least he could still joke and smile in a situation like this.

"Do you guys want to go out?" he asked. "Let's go to Danger's Hills."

That place is far from here. It's a road known for frequent accidents because of its sharp curves and steep declines. To make it worse, it's dark, barely traveled, and has a cliffside, making it extremely dangerous.

"We don't have a car," Keifer pointed out.

"Bro! You inherited a fortune, and you still don't have a car?" Percy teased.

Keifer immediately shot him a glare. "I can buy as many cars as I want. But I don't have a license to drive them."

"That's unlucky for you…" Percy smirked mischievously. "..Just one more year, and I'll be able to get at least a student license."

"Wait for our licenses. Our cars will be better than yours," Yuri chimed in.

Not wanting to prolong the argument, I spoke up.

"We can use my brother's car," I said in a bored tone.

They all looked at me at the same time and nodded in agreement. I knew my brother wasn't home, and he hadn't taken his car with him.

We headed back to my house to carry out our plan. I peeked through the door first to make sure no one would see me, then told Percy and the others to open the gate.

The car keys were in my brother's room. I walked carefully toward it. He never locked his door because our mom didn't like it.

I quickly spotted the keys on his study table, grabbed them, and hurried out to the car. Since I was the only one who knew how to drive, I took the wheel.

My brother had taught me.

I started the car and carefully drove it out of the house while the others closed the gate behind us. Once everything was set, they all hopped in.

"Start the engine! Let's go!" Percy said excitedly, sitting beside me.

Keifer and Yuri sat in the back. I drove slowly to avoid attracting attention from the police and getting caught.

"Let's stop by a convenience store and buy some food," Yuri suggested.

We all agreed. I parked at the nearest convenience store. Yuri and Percy went inside while Keifer and I stayed in the car.

At first, we sat in silence.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked, breaking the quiet.

"H-huh?"

"Ever since you got out of the hospital, you've changed a lot."

There he goes again.

"I-it's nothing… I just haven't been sleeping well."

He didn't say anything else, but he gave me a meaningful look. His suspicious nature was kicking in again. Why was this guy born so smart? He's oddly good at reading people.

I glanced outside. Yuri and Percy were crossing the street back to the car, each carrying two plastic bags. What puzzled me was how heavy one of the bags Percy was holding seemed to be. As soon as they got in the car, I checked what they had bought. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw beer cans.

"Percy… we're all minors," I reminded him.

He flashed a wide grin. "We are the law now."

I could only slap my forehead. There was nothing I could do. They had already bought it. I just wouldn't drink.

Is this it? Is this the Danger's Hills they were talking about? It's just an uphill road with a lot of curves. We are now at the highest peak of the hill, and from here, we can see the entire city.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Percy asked, annoyed.

Yuri answered for me. "He still has to drive, and he just got out of the hospital."

I turned my back on them and looked at the city again. Everything looked so small, like toys.

"Aries..." Keifer called out to me.

I looked at him and saw that he was studying me again with that peculiar gaze. He took a sip from his beer.

"You still haven't told us what happened to you."

I shook my head. "Maybe next time."

"Tell us now, bro!" Percy insisted. "What did your kidnapper do to you?"

"Typical scenes," I replied.

"Like in the movies?" Yuri asked.

I walked closer and sat beside them. "Yes."

Silence filled the air. It was as if they were waiting for me to tell them the whole story, but I wasn't ready yet. Subtly, I touched my wound. It was slowly healing, but the wound inside me wasn't.

Jay-jay.

"That's terrifying," Percy said. "I need to be careful."

We all turned to him, puzzled.

"Why would you need to be careful?" Yuri asked.

"Someone might kidnap me too. I mean, I'm ridiculously handsome. What if I have a stalker and I don't even know it?"

We all grimaced at his words. If there was anyone among us who needed to be cautious, it was Keifer—he had a massive inheritance waiting for him, from his grandparents down to what his mother left him.

"On a serious note, guys... If anything happens to me, take care of my siblings—and Freya too."

We all fell silent and looked at him. His words were unsettling.

"I don't want to," Keifer immediately replied.

Percy glared at him. "Wow! So that's how it is?"

"If I agree, you'll become reckless and let something bad happen to you," Keifer explained.

"Of course not!" Percy defended himself.

"Nothing bad will happen to you because you're already the worst thing that happened to us," Yuri joked. Percy was about to lunge at him when he suddenly stopped.

"Is it drizzling?" Percy asked, looking up and catching raindrops in his hand.

I also looked up to feel it, but what started as a drizzle quickly turned into heavy rain. We all panicked, grabbing our food and rushing into the car.

"Why is it raining?!" Keifer shouted in frustration.

"Maybe because you haven't taken a bath," Percy teased, and Keifer immediately grabbed him by the neck.

"Aahhh... A-aray!"

"That's enough, man," Yuri intervened, and Keifer let go.

The rain grew even heavier, making it almost impossible to see anything outside, even with the car's headlights on.

"Let's wait for it to calm down," Yuri suggested.

I checked the time on the small digital clock in front of the steering wheel. My older brother must have been home by now. I was in big trouble.

"We can't stay here too long," I said and tried to start the car, but I couldn't see anything.

"Don't force it. We might get into an accident," Yuri warned, so I had no choice but to stop.

"Let's just stay here," Percy said as he reclined his seat slightly to lie down.

I followed their advice and waited for the rain to subside. We had been inside the car for almost an hour. Keifer had already fallen asleep from the long wait—he was always impatient.

An hour and a half had passed when I decided to start the car again. I knew they were looking for us. To make things worse, the sky was getting darker, making it even harder for me to drive.

"It's dangerous, bro..." Percy tried to stop me.

"We have no choice. If we wait until it's completely dark, it'll be even harder."

He didn't argue further and just let me drive. I drove cautiously, especially since the road was downhill. But as if the heavy rain wasn't enough trouble, a sudden flash of lightning was followed by a loud clap of thunder.

Keifer jolted awake, clearly frightened.

"Aries... Stop. This is really dangerous," Yuri said worriedly.

Frustrated, I stopped again. This was infuriating! My brother and mother would be furious at me for this. We waited again for the rain to ease, but it seemed like it had no plans of stopping.

I turned on the radio to listen to music, but it had no signal.

"The radio doesn't work here," Percy said without looking at me.

I irritably turned it off. I needed to prepare myself for my brother's scolding. I also had to come up with a solid excuse for why I took his car without permission.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, thinking of what to do next. But suddenly, a loud thunderclap echoed, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jay-jay's face.

My breathing became shallow. Sweat dripped down my face even though the car's air conditioning was on. My hands trembled as I gripped the steering wheel, preparing to drive.

"Bro... Not now," Percy said, sitting up straight.

I ignored him and just continued driving. My wound throbbed in sync with the quickening beat of my heart.

"Are you okay, Aries?" Yuri asked.

"W-we need to get home."

Both he and Percy just shrugged. They started talking about things I couldn't understand. I didn't bother trying to figure it out either, as my only thought was to get home as soon as possible.

The sky darkened quickly, brought on by the bad weather. We were already on the dangerous roads of Danger's Hills, so I tried to calm myself down.

As we approached a curve, lightning flashed again. When I looked at the middle of the road, I saw Jay-jay—her hands covered in blood, holding a shard of broken glass.

I wasn't even aware of my own actions. With my eyes shut, I swerved the steering wheel—a terrible mistake.

"ARIES!!"