Her lifeless body deadly still, her face as pale as snow and her skin as cold as ice. Her crystal – blue iris dimming into a dull gray. I clutched her blood stained shirt and she quietly groaned. I sighed with relief that she was alive, but only barely. Tears demanded to flow out of my eyes, but I made a barrier in between them. Each heart beat pounded with pain and grief, but I locked the feeling inside a battered treasure chest. Her gray eyes found my onyx and she strained to put a smile on her face, as if signaling me that everything was okay. But it wasn’t. She gathered her remaining strength to reach out to my face, making sure that I wasn’t just an illusion. I gently held her hand, afraid that she’d just break apart. She smiled again, but pain filled her dimming eyes.

“Will…” she began, her voice raspy, but yet graceful. I hushed her, to save her strength, but she lazily shook her head. It was useless, she was stubborn as always. I couldn’t help but grin at her reaction. Even at her dying moment, she was still the same Julie. “Will…” she repeated, “Please… listen…” A familiar pain struck my heart; the battered treasure chest broke down.

“Julie… Please, we need you to get out of here.” I lamely stated. She looked at me as if I was the stupidest person in the world and right now, I felt like one. Even if I try to get help, she’d die in a matter of minutes. If I stayed here, and try to stall death from coming to her, she’d just suffer longer. My heart pounded even harder, affecting my breathing rate.

“Will… I…” she whispered gently, I leaned in towards her, so close that my ear was touching her lips.

“Will…I love you…” she ended. She smiled with triumph, proud that she had said what she had to say. Riku gently laid her trembling hand onto the floor, and turned his head. She was still smiling, her gray eyes were still staring, but she was dead. He dropped the barrier in his eyes, and tears that were stored up inside him, flowed out of his eyes like a raging river flood. He leaned in farther, until his lips met hers. He caressed her icy cheeks and he whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry that I hadn’t done that sooner…”