[The silence that follows that bomb was thick and heavy, almost palpable, as the fabric in Xiaolang's grasp slips through his numbed fingers. How was it that two words, strung together so simply, could have the same impact as a punch to the gut? The light seems to be leeched from his wide eyes as he stares blankly at nothing in particular, the feeling and warmth in his body draining as he lets the news settle in.
Dead.
Leon was dead.
He knew, in the back of his mind, that it was always a possibility, with the clues presented in front of him. But despite all that, he didn't want to assume the worst. There could have been other explanations, other reasons, things that didn't lead directly to his death...
Without realizing it, his breathing had gotten more shallow, more fast, his head swimming as his lungs were deciding quite conveniently not to work. Mio had to have witnessed what happened. It would explain her behavior, how she knew about it when nobody else did--
His eyes finally focus, pulling themselves over to Mio, still wide and stricken,]
no subject
Dead.
Leon was dead.
He knew, in the back of his mind, that it was always a possibility, with the clues presented in front of him. But despite all that, he didn't want to assume the worst. There could have been other explanations, other reasons, things that didn't lead directly to his death...
Without realizing it, his breathing had gotten more shallow, more fast, his head swimming as his lungs were deciding quite conveniently not to work. Mio had to have witnessed what happened. It would explain her behavior, how she knew about it when nobody else did--
His eyes finally focus, pulling themselves over to Mio, still wide and stricken,]
How...? How did he...?