[ Recommended Song ] :: People You Know by Selena Gomez

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[ MontHospital - Weeks Later ]

"Goodmorning?" Was the first question that escaped Elijah's lips. He looked around - white walls, a drawer, a small couch, a wooden door, and a small kitchen-counter set up with food and mini-microwave.

"Oh, you're awake, dear." A soft faint voice diverted his attention to the side. "Does something hurt again?"

"Mrs. Xiao? GAH! WHAT IS THAT?! Did I JUST WENT INTO --" Elijah freaked out as he pointed to a baby beside him, sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Mrs. Xiao chuckles at the sudden outburst. She tried to stop herself from laughing as it feels somehow... illegal.

"Just a minute, I can't explain, please excuse me." Mrs. Xiao turned around and laughed silently. Oh, how she was suffering inside just by stopping a laugh.

"Mom, what's going on? Love, why are you screaming?" Jace cluelessly entered the room, Elijah blankly stared at him.

"I don't think that's appropriate, Jace -"

Mrs. Xiao smiles. "Not at all, I'll leave you two at it, as well as that - " she looked over at the baby in Elijah's arms. She gently picks up the baby and turn around. "Well, I'll go visit your sister, Jace."

Mrs. Xiao leaves the room and the two lovers inside. "What are you screaming about?" Jace questioned again, sitting beside his lover who kept staring at the baby.

"This baby - how did it get here?" Elijah looked at his side, the baby started to hold his finger by its tiny hands.

"Calm down, that's the baby we rescued in the middle of the game." Jace explained, who wouldn't freak out? That sudden blackout when you survived, and later you find a baby in your arms though you knew you couldn't give birth to one.

"What happened? Diana? Zack-ge? Tris?"

"Jah... they didn't make it, they're dead,"

Elijah felt as though he had bathed in ice that woke him up. "Dead? Didn't the rescuers arrive in time to save them? Jace this isn't funny!!!!" The younger yelled outraged. Zack and Tris were the only people who understood him. Why must they go before him?

Elijah scoffs, tears rolled down his cheeks. "Why did I survive then...? WHY?! WHY MUST I SURVIVE WHEN THEY'RE ALL DEAD?!" he roared, trying to pull out his IV drip.

"Shh," Jace consoled and brought his lover into a warm embrace. "I'm here, it's not over for you yet, love."

Elijah kept sobbing in Jace's arms. "I- I can't anymore, Jace. I want to be with them, they're my only family left..."

"Elijah? Please don't give up..." A misty, young and female voice uttered from a distance. She appeared on Elijah's left.

"I'm Ambrosia, I'm the one who casted the spell on that day your brothers and friends died." Ambrosia confessed, "I'm so sorry on my sister's behalf... I know I can't undo all of the things we've done bad, but please, don't lose hope."

Elijah wiped his tears, "How are you that powerful? You look young, and where will you be going now?" Ambrosia could only laugh at the statement.

"I know, I may be young, but my mind is rather advanced than how I look now." She smiles, "I saved the remaining players because I grew tired of my sister's immoral and childish acts. As for where I'll be, maybe back to the home for the lost souls or whatever that is - unless, the Heavens accept my apology and let me reincarnate." Said the young girl with a soft smile.

"Can... I ask one more thing, Ambrosia?" Jace gently hums while opening the drawer beside Elijah's hospital bed. "I believe, this belongs to you?" He showed a notebook which seem to be an old diary.

Ambrosia glanced at the old notebook. "It surely does, why... do you ask, mister?"

"It mentioned San Vedra being corrupt, and you questioned about the real intention behind our university. I just don't get it, after that... it pins on your sister getting favored all the time." Jace replied in a bewildered tone as he showed the first few pages of the book.

"Tell us, Ambrosia... what's the use of all those shitty games?" Elijah questioned, Ambrosia looked at the two.

"Those books you've found in the library were all lies about our family. We were never perfect as we may seem on camera before we reached the milestone and became popular. Well, maybe once before finance was a problem." She explained, memories started to flash inside her head.

"My family was obsessed with fame, money, and cameras back then. We were once perfect until we became bankrupt and prone to debts. It reached to the point my sister had to give up on education to lessen our financial problems while I continued."

"They needed money - money was their life than the soul they had. They did everything to get cash. Sell their souls to the rich, sacrifice their jewelry, and the most effective way was to kidnap teenage people and sell their organs. My family needed more victims to earn more money, so they built San Vedra."

"But, San Vedra has so many students back then... My brothers and I had a history in it." Elijah's eyebrows furrowed, "If the killing history was true, then why was my brother safe back then?"

"He never saw any of it..." Ambrosia hums, "Every year, San Vedra would host many games to choose its victims. Those wh oo participated and survived had to go to therapy and leave the school for good. Your brother never had the chance to playd theod9 game as he was young, about five, maybe. All those dramas he told you was a cover to hide what exactly is San Vedra's real purpose - to kill and sell. My parents also stole the funds every student has."

"When I found out, I stopped my studies and tried to stop San Vedra from happening... but it was too late. My sister had suggested to continue this project and poisoned their minds. The only plan I had was to sell the building after it was established, which I did do. So I sold the lands with my identity hidden, I paid one person to do the job till the buyers agreed."

"When my father found out about this - he would constantly beat me. It was indeed my fault, but I did it for the better. Wisteria took her own life seeing her plan failed, I saw her dead body... I thought I could save her which was wrong. I hugged her lifeless body and did everything to stop her from losing more blood. When she arrived at the hospital she was already dead. At that time, I was covered in my sister's blood... which made them think I was the suspect."

Ambrosia could hear her mother screaming in agony inside her head, she still could see and visualize what her father had looked like when he saw his eldest daughter's corpse lying on the bed almost frozen cold.

"My father cursed me, and when we got home... it only took a few weeks before he started hallucinating and chased me with a knife. I could only pick up an invisible marker to write down everything about my whole family. When my father found me, I purposely ripped a part of my journal to make it seem like there's a missing piece, to make it seem like nothing's interesting because it's only a blank paper that's been torn by a little girl."

"Did he... beat you till death?" Jace asks, he was surprised when Ambrosia shook her head and replied.

"No, mister, he and my mother buried me alive inside a coffin and chained it all over so I couldn't escape. Believe it or not, our house was demolished to be part of San Vedra, there is still one thing they left though... that's where my body's buried."

"Where?" The couple asked in unison. "The abandoned garden," Ambrosia showed an image using ger powers. It was the same garden where the group hid and used as a short-cut. Jace and Elijah's heart dropped, how can a sweet and innocent girl experience such hell?

Ambrosia stood up from the Elijah's bed and skipped on her way to the window. "That's not important anyway, it's all over now... I can finally rest." she smiled. A beam of light lit behind her, which stood two people.

"Ambrosia, it's time to go..." Said the old man, holding her hand. The little girl looked at him. "Can I have a little more time, grandpa, grandma?"

The old man furrowed his eyebrows, looking at the female beside him. It seems to be his wife - they were Ambrosia's grandparents.

The two elders nod at the request. Ambrosia walked toward the two males who were confused.

"What are you waiting for, Ambrosia? Go ahead," Elijah cooed, Jace knelt down to Ambrosia's level. "Is there anything else you want to tell us before you go?"

Ambrosia nods, "That baby you rescued, I don't think she'll have any other relatives to take care of her... can you guys keep her? Her mother was a teenage girl whose parents are deceased."

Elijah nods, "Of course, we promise,"

Ambrosia smiles in content. She walked toward her grandparents and waved goodbye before disappearing.

"What were you guys talking about?" Mr. Xiao enters the room which caught the attention of the two males.

"Just... about what happened, dad." Jace replied, Mr. Xiao nods, "I'm sorry for your loss, Elijah."

Elijah smiles sadly. "I'm going to be okay alone, Mr. Xiao, besides, I have Seb and Jonathan with me! I guess they can keep me company sometimes.

"Ah - that," Mr. Xiao raised his head. "We figured it's time for you both to move out."

Elijah's eyes showed bewilderement, move out? Both? Both who? "My apologies, I don't think I get what your saying," he laughs awkwardly.

"You and Jace, we bought a condo for you two - ahem I mean three to move out. The baby you guys found will be adopted by the both of you, there's a note that said something, I believe." Mr. Xiao explained, his wife handed him the note which he gave to the two.

To: ______________

I'm sorry to leave the baby in your care. My name is Yua Ikari, I am a student and a teenage mother. If you read this now - if you survived, please take care of my baby girl. I may not survive the games, and I'm afraid that she won't too. I entrust you both with her. Right now, I faked my big stomach so they'll think the baby is still inside me. I live alone, and my relatives refused to take me in after I got pregnant, it's best if they don't know.

-Yua Ikari

Jace and Elijah stared at each other knowing damn well Yua Ikari's identity. It was also the same note they've read before, only, they didn't have time to read the rest of it. Later, with a few moment of thought, they agreed to take the baby with them.

Thankfully, the doctor allowed Elijah's discharge this week, therefore, he was able to take care of the baby.

Once the IV pusher was carefully removed off Elijah's hand, he jumped out of bed. They made their way to the nurse's counter and fill up the discharge papers and documents.

"Well," Mrs. Xiao started as she looked at the baby in her arms. "I'll be leaving her in your care then? Me and my husband have to take care of something important back at home."

Jace backed off a few steps. "Don't give her to me - don't." He emphasized as if the cute little girl was a monster he was afraid to touch.

Elijah chuckles, "We're both dads now, how come you're scared of a child?"

"He has a bad history with kids, I swear, Elijah." Mrs. Xiao laughs, "One time, I gave him his baby cousin, when the baby cried, he panicked and almost --"

"CUT! Okay, that's enough," Jace could hear the embarrassment in his own voice. "Please!"

"Oh, dear, the discharge of this baby isn't finished, she needs to stay with her parents." Mrs. Xiao frowned, Elijah gently held the baby in his arms. "Don't worry, Mrs. Xiao, I got it."

Mrs. Xiao's frown turned into an upward and happy smile. "Mrs. Xiao is too formal, call me aunt Ziyuan, and for Mr. Xiao, it's uncle Fengmian for you."

"Yes, Mrs. - uh, aunt Ziyuan," Elijah smiles. Ziyuan smiled happily and clapped. "Wonderful! I will see you both soon!"

"Jace, can you hold her for a minute? I need to sign some papers." Elijah asks, Jace's eyes widened by the sudden request, "I will sign the papers."

"Come on, just hold her," Elijah passes the baby to Jace who had no choice but to hold and gently sway the baby in his arms to prevent her from crying.

Jace sighs comfortably, thank the heavens this baby didn't cry in his arms. Jace gently adjusted the hood part of the baby's clothes as it covered her eyes.

"I'm done, we can leave now." Elijah turned to his back, only to find Jace and the baby asleep in one of the chairs. "Jace, hey, let's go~" he whispered on his sleeping lover's ear.

"Oh," Jace blinked a few times, he looked down, and the baby was still in his arms. The couple took a cab to their house. Once they've arrived, Jace took his keys and opened the door.

"They're here!!" A familiar voice chirped happily. Everyone welcomed the two with warm hugs and surprisingly... food.

"What's going on?" Jace asked with a small laugh. Everyone stared at him as if he was a lurking ghost. "What?"

"YOU'RE HOLDING A BABY?! OMG!! Eeeeeeeeekkkk!!!" Kiara jumps happily with a big smile on her face. What? She loves kids!

"Okay, okay, yes..." Jace huffs, "Let's just eat! Ignore that I'm holding something-"

Everyone laughs and proceeded to the kitchen. They had meals prepared by themselves, and some who bought from stores. Laughs filled the room - and for the family, it was more than enough for them yo be alive and experience this...

[ Years Later ]

Rheanne grew up as a young and playful girl. She enjoyed the outdoors and was very smart like Elijah and brave like Jace. The couple was even surprised about Rheanne's ability to read and write stories at the age of seven (her current age).

"Time out, baby! Don't go too far!!" Jonathan shouted as he rushed to the garden but stopped at the front door. The girl started shaking and backed-off.

"Rheanne? What's wrong?" Seb asked worriedly to the child. Noticing the scene, Ezra and Yskael came forward as well.

"Is there something bothering you, Rheanne?" Yskael asks, Rheanne noticed the knife Yskael was holding and took a few steps away from him.

"Don't hurt Rheanne, please..." She suddenly pleads confusing the four males more. Ezra puts away Yskael's knife. "We aren't planning to hurt you baby, you almost fell three steps to the garden. Let's take you back to baba and daddy, hm?"

Ezra carries the young girl back inside the house. As soon as Rheanne entered the home, she ran to Elijah and Jace crying.

"What happened?" Jace asks, he placed his knife and chopping board down as soon as he saw his daughter sobbing to them.

"We don't know - she ran to the unfinished garden and luckily stopped before she could fall. But, then, she started backing off. When she saw Yskael's knife which the latter used for grilling meat outside, she cried." Seb explains, the four males excused themselves and left to finish and clean up what mess they made. Elijah crouched down and wiped his daughter's tears.

"Tell me what happened baby, it's okay..." Elijah hums, Rheanne sniffs and swallowed before replying.

"Baba, I don't want to die again, I don't want to be chased by a knife and be buried alive again... please... R-Rheanne wants to feel safe."

Fear rushed over Jace's body as he heard these words. "We aren't going to do that, baby. Why would you think such a thing?"

"B-Because... Rheanne could still feel it when I see deep holes dug from the grass. I can still... I can still feel knifes daddy." Rheanne cried louder as she said these words.

"Ambrosia..." Jace murmured under his breath.

Elijah hugs his daughter and picked her up. "We won't harm you, baby. I promise." He smiles making the young girl relieved, letting go of her worries.

Ambrosia sucessfully reincarnated - not as a stranger, but as Rheanne. She entrusted her life to the people who knew her fragile past, and deep down, she knew she trusted the right people. Because now, she felt safe, protected, and loved.

-THE END.