"Soul," Maka said, squirming under his grasp. "Let me go,"
He couldn't let her see this.
Arachne lay on the ground about ten yards away. Blood poured out of her chest. Her chest didn't rise and fall like that of someone who was breathing. A blood-coated switchblade lay next to her outstretched, pale hand.
"Soul-"
Maka squirmed out of his grasp.
Soul tried to step in front of her, to block her view. But it was too late.
He saw her eyes widened. Her beautiful emerald eyes. Now tarnished.
She just stood there, still. Her eyes grew wider and wider.
All of a sudden she began to shake. She dropped to her knees.
Soul knelt down beside her. He was shaken too but he needed to be there for her. "Maka, it's okay, Mak-"
She covered her ears and shook her head. "No…"
"Maka-"
She looked up at him. Soul felt as if his heart would break.
"Why is this happening?"
Soul swallowed. He had no idea.
"Why is this happening to us, Soul? What do we do?" Tears began to pour down her cheeks. "Why?"
Soul grabbed her hand and roughly pulled Maka to her feet.
They ran.
Down the hall, up the stairs, as far away as they could get from Arachne.
Maka looked up at Soul questioningly, wondering if he had an idea of their destination. All she could see was the pure determination on his face.
They arrived at the glass doors of the library. Soul wrenched a door opened and pushed Maka inside before turning around and flipping the metal lock. He grabbed her hand again and pulled her to the farthest corner of the library, where the reference books were kept.
Soul pulled her into him as they both sank to the floor.
Maka let a sob out into his shoulder and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, gritting his teeth.