The door flew open, the wood splintering against the wall. Simon stormed in, the darkness of the room swallowing the last bit of daylight that was fading behind him. His gaze took in the scene in a split second.

You lay motionless on the floor, your body in a strange silence that shook him to the core. Blood poured from a gaping wound on your side, a dark river that spread inexorably across the cold floorboards. Your chest rose and fell almost imperceptibly, a desperate gasp for air that sounded more like a whisper than life.

Your head was tilted to the side, eyes half open, staring into space far from the reality that was crumbling around you.

"Damn it, no..." Simon's voice broke, rough with fear and anger. With a few quick steps he was next to you, kneeling next to your motionless body. His hands shook as he pressed them to the wound, but the blood seemed to flow endlessly, warm and sticky between his fingers.