When I realized that there was a group in our midst with the intention to kill the Sheldons, my eyes went to Nick instantly.

Everything played out in slow motion as I turned and saw a man on the second level, aiming with a silencer, casting the deadly red beam on Nick's body.

No. A sudden instinct acted out. I summoned all my sprinting skills, fired up every single nerve and muscle in my body and dashed to him.

In front of him. In front... I knew very well what it meant for me if I were to shield him from the hit. And I had to admit, there was a pang to my gut. Was I afraid? Definitely. But I had to.

Because I love him.

I love Nicholas. That was the thought that came to my head in spite of all the chaos. And because of my love I knew I couldn't let him die. It had to be me...

His eyes went to the red dot landing on the heart of his suit. I heard a scream and realized that it had been mine. Our eyes met, and his widened.

He didn't seem shocked upon learning his impending death, but he seemed terrified at the sight of me rushing forward.

Everything happened at once. I landed in front of him, but he was much quicker.

"No, Emma!"

His arms encircled me, and he turned us both around. He used his body as a human shield, and I felt him jerk as the bullet ingrained itself into him...

Immediately, the Sheldons' guards aimed and fired. They were caught off guard, but now those sharpshooters could take down the enemies. I heard a scream and instantly knew that another shot had rumbled out and someone else had been down. But in that moment, I didn't care --

The world drowned out. There was an avid ringing in my ears as I realized with horror what had come. I had braced myself, but nothing came.

Nick took the bullet.

I felt him let loose of his grip as he went unsteady. He collapsed into my arms as we landed on the floor, and mine went to that dark red spot embedded in him...

I felt dizzy when I pulled my hand up and it was wet with blood. Oh my god, it was Nicholas' blood. My heart twisted inside of me, and it was the worst kind of pain. It was worse than if I had been the one shot instead.

"No, no, no!"

Please, get him back. Please, I'll do anything --

The world came crashing down on me. It wasn't supposed to end this way...

The sunset in his eyes was fading, and the seas were crashing into the shore. I could see him losing consciousness as the blood streamed out of him. People were saying things, trying to get to him, but I screamed and guarded over him defensively.

Don't touch him. I was so afraid of what anyone else would do to him. He should have been mine to protect...

My fingers entwined with his, and it startled me to feel how cold and weak they were becoming. His lips turned blue, and it was heart-wrenching. It was a clear indication of how fatal the shot had been.

Still, he summoned his last energy to bring a hand up to cup my cheek. With his thumb, he wiped the endless stream of tears down.

"Emma, it's okay. Look at me Ems, it's going to be alright." He was spending his last energy to give me a smile. He seemed relieved that I was okay, and in his mind it trumped any pain he had. He nodded gently as he said it, trying to calm me down.

His voice was so shallow. That pure, melodic voice was losing its life. It made me want to cry more. No, it definitely wasn't alright.

But I couldn't let him go like this. Which is why I tried to smile through my tears.

"Nicholas? You said you were sorry for not telling me the truth, right?" My voice was a hoarse croak of tears and utmost pain.

He smiled sadly. "Yeah. It'll be my one greatest regret."

I trembled as I coughed up a reply. "You're going to have to make it up to me. Let's run away. Just let me have you to myself for the week, could you?"

He smiled tenderly. "Yes, okay." He looked as if he wanted to brush a stray strand of hair back, but he didn't have the energy to. "You should go home and pack, and I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight."

I could barely speak anymore. "Yes — tomorrow at eight will be good."

The light in his eyes was fading. It was choking the air out of my lungs. Stay with me, I begged with every single ounce of strength I had.

His voice was so faint that I barely heard it. It was a low whisper, and I knew he intended for only me to hear it.

"I love you, Emma."

"I—" I was going to say it back, but then he had already slipped into a deep sleep. His hand fell from my face to the floor, his eyelids drooped shut, his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

I buried my face in his shoulder. No, it couldn't be.

This must be a nightmare. This couldn't actually be happening.

Eventually I was torn away from him, and the paramedics lifted him up. I couldn't even tell if they pronounced him dead or alive. All I knew was that they reported:

He took a fatal shot to the heart.

It doesn't take a medical graduate to know the consequences of such an injury.

I clutched at my chest, where my heart would have been. What's the point of studying medicine if I can't save the one I love?

I was still pushing ahead, trying to get to him. They couldn't take him away... But someone held me back. She gripped my hand with sheer strength, and when I turned, I saw the heartbreak in her eyes too.

She was broken. Nicholas' mom, Nicole Sheldon stood in front of me, and she reached her hands around me to pull me in a hug.

Her life was torn apart just as mine was. I had only registered later that the other shot that rang out after Nick's had taken her husband down. Both of them were down. Still, she had her hand on my back, patting me gently. She knew the dangers that existed for the owners of Hestia, and maybe she foresaw such a situation arising.

I cried out, "He'll be okay right? You're a doctor. Tell me he's going to be fine."

The answer was another stab to the heart. She sounded like she was a living corpse, breathing, but gone.

"I don't know. I don't know —"