Eriko stared as the blood trickled onto the floor. She took a step back. Her were palms sweaty, her heart was hammering, her eyes stinging. She felt something bubble in the back of her throat and she forced it back down, choking on her own tears. Losing her balance, she stumbled backward, but Mercy caught her before she fell.
"She's dead," Eriko mumbled. "She's dead and nothing feels any different! I-I just feel worse!"
Mercy looked on, grimly. "I know."
"Why?!" Eriko spat. "Why, why, why?!"
"Because even if she was a terrible one, she was a human being," Mercy muttered. "We all are. To see someone else die so terribly is soul-sucking, even if we tell ourselves that they deserved it. At least, it is to most people. It's only natural that you're reacting this way."
Eriko felt herself go limp in Mercy's arms, suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion. What was this killing game they had all been trapped in? What were they going to do if someone tried to kill again?
Vivara averted her eyes, hand clasped over her mouth.
Faussin stared numbly.
Graham kept his eyes locked on the ground, arms crossed.
Ysabel ran to the side, beginning to throw up.
Amelia had been closing her eyes and covering her ears the entire time.
Finnian rubbed his eyes, hands shaking.
"I..." Eriko sniffed, her tears suddenly escalating into messy sobs. "Why...?!"