Fortunately, Ayaka's instinct to survive kicked in. She managed to grab the railing before her body fell into the river below.
"H-help me!" she cried.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as her grip began to slip. Her arms shook violently, her feet dangling over empty space, her entire body screaming in fear. The cold wind cut against her skin, just as cold as the boy watching her.
Haruto did not rush to help. He only looked down at her, bored and unmoved.
"You still want to be alive?" he asked.
Ayaka nodded frantically.
"Please," she sobbed. "Please, I don't want to die."
It was not the first time she had begged for her life.
"You still want to live after everything you've been through?"
Haruto tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. "Wouldn't it be easier if you just died?"
Ayaka did not understand his question. She was only a child. She only knew that death was terrifying.
That meant she would never read her favorite fairy tales again, never hold her father's hand again.
