She makes it to the fifth floor, Floyd right behind her, and at the bottom of the next flight of stairs is Orion and Valentino, surrounded by the donated pillows and bedding as if they decided to set up camp and rest in the stairway. She’s relieved that Orion is crying, because crying means he’s alive, but her heart breaks for what this means for Valentino.

“Orion . . .”

He doesn’t even seem to register her. He’s just begging Valentino to wake up.

If Dalma died, this is how she imagines Orion would react, and they’ve known each other their entire lives. But her best friend is crying this hard over a boyfriend he’s only known for a day—not even!—and she knows this pain is just as true as it would be losing her.

This death will stay with Orion for the rest of his life.

Here’s hoping it’s a long one.

“He’s still alive,” Floyd says, examining Valentino.

“He wasn’t shot?” Dalma asks.

“No, no, no, he got kicked down the stairs,” Orion says.

Dalma looks up to the sixth floor, glimpsing an open door and hearing crying.

Could the killer be upstairs? Is there another place they could have escaped, like a ladder to the roof like she has at home? Or will they be rushing down at any moment? If they’re not wearing a creepy skull mask like that killer in Times Square, will they take out Dalma and everyone else to leave no witnesses behind?

She wants to drag Orion and Floyd out there, but as long as Valentino is still breathing, Dalma knows Orion won’t leave his side.

“I need some space,” Floyd says, opening Valentino’s eyelids.

Orion refuses to get off his boyfriend.

“He’s trying to save his life,” Dalma says.

The truth is, Dalma lied.

She can’t speak for Floyd, but her eyes and brain and heart are processing what’s really happening here. Valentino is beyond saving. He is going to die, as Death-Cast has predicted, possibly any minute now. But it might not be too late for Orion. It doesn’t have to be his End Day too.

Everything has been building to this moment, this convergence of lives.

“We need to get you both to the hospital,” Floyd says, scooping Valentino up in his arms, surprising strength for someone who’s on the shorter end of life.

Dalma locks her arm with Orion’s, who won’t take his teary eyes off of Valentino, not even as they go down the five flights of stairs. She’s surprised they make it down in one piece, and relieved when they make it out of the building alive.

They escaped the killer, and if all goes well from here, they will live to see another day.

Most of them will, at least.

Gloria Dario

6:48 p.m.

Gloria’s son has killed his father to protect her.