But it was clear the person holding the gun wasn’t skilled. The barrel was trembling slightly, unsteady in the shooter’s grip, as if still trying to aim—hesitating, not yet pulling the trigger. And because of that trembling, the barrel scraped lightly against the wall, making a faint sound. Ashley, standing closest to the wall, seemed to notice something. She turned curiously toward the sound. And in that instant— Her eyes widened in horror. There was a gun. No—more than one. And one of them was already squeezing the trigger. Ashley screamed in panic. “Watch out” The moment her voice rang out, a terrifying bang shattered the air, echoing in everyone’s ears. A single small bullet shot straight toward Arthur. Without thinking, Ashley hurled herself through the air and tackled Arthur with all her strength. The gunshot rang out—and with it, the heavy thud of Ashley hitting the ground. Arthur spun around in alarm and saw her face—tight with tension and fear. His pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively tried to push her away, but it was already too late. That single shot— A spray of warm blood splashed across Arthur’s face. Ashley had tackled him to the ground. Arthur scrambled up, panicked, trying to pull her into his arms. But before he could shield her, two more shots ripped through the air. Bang! Bang! As the gunfire cracked again, another figure flung itself at Arthur. “Arthur, look out!!!!” That voice—it was so familiar it made Arthur’s heart skip a beat. His face went pale. He watched, helpless, as Taylor collapsed right in front of him.Taylor’s warm blood sprayed across Arthur’s face, scalding hot. So hot it felt like molten lava, burning his heart and lungs to ash. Wind had reacted instantly. The second the first shot rang out, he lunged at the wall with lightning speed. He managed to subdue the shooter hidden there. But no matter how fast he was, he couldn’t stop those last two bullets. Ashley and Taylor lay in pools of blood, their faces ghostly pale, eyes shut tight, breath growing weaker by the second. Arthur felt a suffocating dread crawl through every inch of his body. His throat was sealed shut, like something had jammed inside it. He wanted to scream their names—but his entire body trembled, and not a single sound came out. All he could do was stare in wide-eyed horror. His eyes filled with tears before he even realized it. His heart felt like it had been stabbed by a thousand needles. The pain made it impossible to breathe. It made his whole body shake. Finally, he forced out a hoarse cry with every ounce of strength he had left. “Ambulance! Somebody call an ambulance!” Chaos erupted around him. Arthur dropped to his knees between the two of them. His hands shook violently. He didn’t even dare to touch them. Again. It was happening again. The two people he loved the most—once again—they’d thrown themselves in front of him without hesitation, willing to give up their lives to protect him. He had just finished taking revenge. Their lives had just started to settle down. They hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy life together yet. He hadn’t married Ashley. They hadn’t had their son and daughter. Taylor... Taylor had said he finally had a badass brother. He was going to enjoy life, lean on Arthur’s shoulders, see the world. He hadn’t even gotten to taste half the good food he wanted. Arthur knelt between them, frantically trying to press down on their wounds, trying to slow the bleeding. But no matter how hard he tried, their blood wouldn’t stop gushing. It soaked the ground. It soaked his clothes. That bright red—it burned his eyes, made his throat sting, and the tears wouldn’t stop pouring down his face.Ashley and Taylor didn’t move. Still unconscious, growing paler by the second. No matter how Arthur touched them, they gave no reaction. They hadn’t even gotten the chance to say a single word to him before they fell—only looked at him with that same fear and worry in their eyes. Right now, Arthur was drowning in grief. The despair clung to his skin like a second layer. If only the one lying on the ground were me. Please, God—why? Why are you doing this to me again?! What did I ever do to deserve this? Why do I have to go through this over and over again?! Arthur was consumed by rage. He hated himself—his weakness, his helplessness. Every time danger came, the people closest to him had to throw themselves in harm’s way. They had to bleed for him. This wasn’t the life Arthur wanted. He would rather be the one hurt. He would rather be the one lying there. Finally, the ambulance arrived. Ashley and Taylor were rushed onto stretchers. Arthur staggered to his feet, barely holding himself up.