*Kael lay in the mud, his body broken, the world around him a blur of rain and fading sounds. His leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, blood pooling beneath him. He couldn't tell if he was dying or just too tired to care. His comrades had left him behind-no one had come for him.

A shadow loomed over him. A figure in the dark, rain-slicked gear. She knelt beside him, her gaze cold, unreadable.

His breath came in ragged gasps. "Finish it," he rasped, struggling to lift his head. "End it."

She didn't respond. Her hands moved with efficiency, pressing against his side to stop the bleeding, the smell of blood and rain mixing in the air.

His vision was fading, the pain too much to bear. He heard her mutter something, but he couldn't make it out. He closed his eyes, hoping for the end.

But then, a rough hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him up, forcing him to stay awake. Her strength was surprising, like she was used to this, to carrying the dead and the broken.

She said nothing as she dragged him through the rain, her silence louder than any words could be.

Kael couldn't fight anymore. He simply let himself be pulled along, not understanding why she didn't kill him, but too weak to question it.*