“What?” he starts to ask, but he knows what she means. She knows, of course. He always hoped she didn’t, but hope only gets you so far.

She reads his hesitation as the confession that is is. She can’t look at him. Turning again, she takes the stairs as quickly as she dares.

He lurches after her, head spinning. Grasping towards her. He needs to stop her… to hold her.

“Cassie!” he calls, desperately. She needs to understand. Just a moment! He can explain!

A groan below. Red and blue swirls make sickening streaks on stone walls.

His pants catch on the broken railing. Tearing. Stumbling. Hands flailing. Tries to grab the rail… the edge… anything! Burst of pain, like his shoulder exploded. He’s off the edge, falling. He hears someone cry out. Him?

Falling.

It hurts worse than he imagined, the impact. His body a mangled mess of misfiring synapses. Pain, cold, moving, not. Something drips in his eyes… hurts so fucking much. He’ll close them just a moment… just a moment… ’til the pain subsides.