While studying in the university library, Katherine lost track of time as usual. When she looked up from her textbooks, she realized that there was no one else in the library except for her and one of the best students in her year.

She stretched her back. Her neck was sore. She had forgotten to take a break again.

Quickly, she gathered her study materials. Just as she was about to leave, the smart classmate stopped her with a worried tone, "Uhm... Katherine, are you leaving?"

What was his name again? "Yes. It's getting quite late. Are you going to study more?" Katherine replied politely.

The boy stood up as if ready to leave. "No, I was just about to head out too. Do you... want to grab something to eat on your way?"

For a brief moment, barely a second, he saw a shift in her expression. Her face flickered between two different emotions. "I'm... not hungry. But thank you for the offer!"

Her smile was radiant, the kind that sent butterflies to his stomach. "Oh, yeah! Sure. Have a good night then." He watched her leave the library, muttering to himself, "But you haven’t eaten anything since you got here..."

After leaving the library, Katherine stopped by the market to buy a few things for dinner. She gazed peacefully at the sky. The cool spring air filled her lungs with a refreshing sensation.

Living far from the city lights, she could see the sky clearly. It was a tapestry of shining stars. Their beauty was overwhelming, as if calling her, urging her to come closer. She couldn’t resist, and soon found herself walking up the quiet street, surrounded by falling leaves.

When she reached the top, she was alone. The only sound was the rustling of wind sweeping through the trees.

Of course, she had been here before, but she had never taken the time to admire the view of the city below. She tilted her head, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.

Suddenly, a sob broke the stillness, and her gaze snapped to the edge of the hill.

There, sitting on a wooden bench at the end of the path, was a figure with their head down. Katherine squinted, trying to make out the figure in the dark. The sobs were unmistakable. Was the person crying?

Before Katherine could take another step, the person raised their head and stood up, knocking a couple of beer cans off the bench. Now, Katherine could clearly see the figure's body under her dress. It was a woman.

The woman's blond hair whipped in the wind, and she staggered toward the safety bar. Katherine could see her wobbling slightly before the woman climbed onto the bar.

Katherine’s heart skipped a beat. Her eyes widened in shock as she gasped. Without thinking, she dropped the items she had bought from the market and ran toward the woman. She wanted to shout, to scream for her to stop, but feared it might startle her into falling.

Just as Katherine reached the safety bar, the woman took a step forward, into the void.

In a split second, Katherine grabbed the woman’s wrist with one hand, and the safety bar with the other. There was a loud thud as Katherine collided with the bar, and the woman was slammed into the wall.

Katherine gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on both the woman's wrist and the bar. Pain shot through her stomach from the impact, but she didn’t let go. She looked down at the woman. The impact had knocked her out, her head resting on her own shoulder.

"Miss... Haah... Miss, are you okay?" Katherine gasped.

The woman’s head moved slightly, her gaze wandering toward the void, before she turned to meet Katherine's eyes. For a moment, Katherine was frozen. The woman’s eyes—the most beautiful irises, like diamonds, were filled with tears.

The woman’s expression wasn’t one of fear but of deep disappointment. Her cheeks were wet, her face marked by the tears she had shed. Katherine’s chest tightened with an emotion she couldn’t quite name.

Before Katherine could react, the woman closed her eyes again, lifting her face to the sky. Her expression was empty, resigned.

Did she give up? Katherine wondered. She didn’t know this woman or what had led her here, but all she knew was that she couldn’t let her go.

A tear slipped down the woman's cheek and fell into the abyss below. Katherine’s chest ached. It was only for a moment, but it was sharp, painful.

She tightened her grip on the woman’s wrist and pulled her up the hill. With surprising strength, Katherine lifted her as though she were weightless, her own pain forgotten in the urgency of the moment.

Leaning against the safety bar, Katherine wrapped her arm around the woman’s waist and, with one final surge of energy, pulled the woman into her arms.

Katherine hugged the woman tightly, holding her close as they both collapsed to the ground. The woman clung to her, her head resting gently on Katherine's shoulder, her body weak from whatever had driven her to this brink.