Leo sat alone in the shower area with his kneee held against his chest with cold water washing ovet him despite remaining fully dressed.
He still felt dirty as if he could still sll the blood that had clung to his body. Closing his eyes, he could hear the screams, feel the anger and see the despair.
So had cried. So had begged and pleaded for rcy but they all t the sa fate: Death by his hand.
He knew that the people he had killed had plenty of blood on their hands but that did not make the weight in his chest any lighter. Their sins did not erase the fact that he had been the one to end them. Each face lingered in his mind like a ghost that refused to leave, their eyes fixed on him in silent judgnt.
The cold water poured over him but it did nothing to wash away the mory of warm blood splattering against his skin. It clung to him in a way soap and water never could. The thought made his stomach twist and his breathing turn uneven.
Leo pressed his forehead against his knee, wishing for silence, wishing for emptiness. But the echoes would not stop. They never stopped.
There was a knock on the dood but Leo didn’t answer it. Glancing in its direction, he thought whoever it was would leave if he didn’t reply.
He was wrong.
After a few monts, the door creaked open slowly and Rachel slowly peeked her head in. Looking around like she was afraid that soone else might be in there before her gaze landed on him. Her usual energy was nowhere to be found.
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. The sound of water striking tile filled the silence between them.
"Leo," she said softly, almost like she was testing if he could still hear her.
He did not move. His eyes stayed fixed on the floor, his arms wrapped tighter around his leg.
Rachel walked closer, her steps careful as if she were approaching a wounded animal. She crouched beside him, not reaching out yet, only sitting there with him in the cold spray.
You are freezing," she murmured.
Leo finally turned his head slightly toward her. His expression was hollow, his voice rough. "I can’t make it stop."
Rachel’s lips pressed into a thin line. She reached out and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, the contact warm against his drenched clothes. "Then let sit here with you until it does."
"The mories. I didn’t know what Inwas doing then...But now..now they are rushing in every ti I close my eyes. They begged. They cried and still they died. Because of ."
Rachel’s hand tightened slightly on his shoulder, her eyes softening. She did not flinch away from his words.
"They would have killed you, Leo," she said quietly. "And they would have killed everyone else too."
His gaze dropped again, water dripping from his hair into his lap. "That doesn’t make it easier. I can still hear them. I can still see their faces."
Rachel hesitated, then shifted closer so she was sitting right beside him. The cold water soaked her clothes instantly, but she ignored it. "Then let be here to remind you of the ones you saved."
He let out a shaky breath, not quite a sob, but close. "I don’t want to forget what I did... but I don’t want it to crush either."
"Then don’t face it alone," Rachel said, her voice firm now. "You don’t have to."
Leo closed his eyes again, this ti leaning just slightly into her hand. The echoes were still there, but for the first ti, they felt a little quieter.
Neither of them knew how long they sat together in the shower stall but after so ti, soone else ca. The door was kicked open as Luna rushed in followed by Adam and Greg with Lily bringing up the rear.
Leo!" Luna cried with both sorrow and relief in her voice as she imdiately rushed to him. She dropped to her knees beside him, wrapping her arms around his soaked form without hesitation. The cold water drenched her instantly, but she didn’t seem to care.
Adam stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable, though his clenched fists told a different story. Greg hovered behind him, his usual confidence replaced with a grim tension. Lily stepped in quietly, her eyes scanning Leo as if she was trying to gauge the damage she could not see.
"I’m fine Sis. Really." He said softly, his voice trembling a bit as his body shivered. Whether it was from the cold or from trying to stifle his emotions, he did not know.
No, you’re not," Luna whispered, holding him tighter as if she was afraid he might slip away if she let go. "You don’t have to pretend with ."
Leo’s gaze drifted to the side, avoiding her eyes. "If I stop pretending, I’m afraid I won’t be able to start again."
Rachel’s hand remained steady on his shoulder, her presence a quiet anchor. Greg took a step forward but stopped short, glancing at Adam as if silently asking whether to intervene. Adam gave the slightest shake of his head.
Lily crouched down in front of Leo, her tone gentle but unwavering. "You are freezing, Leo. You need to get out of the water before you make yourself sick."
"I am already sick." He replied with a wry self deprecating smile. He truly felt like he was a monster.
"If you are sick, then so am I." Lily replied with a straight face.
Leo blinked at her, unsure if she was trying to comfort him or make a point. "You are nothing like ," he said quietly.
Lily’s gaze flickered, her lips parting as if to answer, but for a mont she said nothing. The silence stretched, filled only by the relentless hiss of the water.
"Maybe," she said finally. "But that would only be because I did sothing worse." Her voice wavered, almost lost under the spray. "I... I killed a lot of people today. The people I used to call family. I knew each and every one who died at my hands."
For the first ti since entering the shower, Leo looked up. Lily had always been a ray of sunshine and cody since he had co to know her. The revelation of what she had done had shocked him.
"Everyone has a dark side. What separates you from being a monster is how you use yours."
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