Black Kite Boards The Wanderer-7

Silence crashed back over the bridge as Chloe took half a step forward from the bottom of the mezzanine stairs with her bandaged hands twitching at her sides and her wide green eyes moving from Aoi's weeping face to Leo's motionless back.

"Leo..." Her voice was tiny, a fragile whisper trying to bridge the gap. "Maybe... maybe if we just talk to him... maybe we can—"

It died halfway out.

She saw the crushing loneliness coming off him like cold off ice, and the words froze in her throat and left her standing helpless in the shadow of the dais.

Aoi was watching his face.

She watched the last lingering spark of warmth in his eyes... the boy who called her Sensei with that shy affectionate smirk, the boy who brought her warm scallion bread because he knew she'd been weeping in the dark... flicker slowly out.

'A-ah…'

A sharp tiny pang of guilt struck her heart.