Shadow winced, the pain pulsing through his body as he sat against the wall, his breath labored. His normally confident gaze was dimmed by fatigue, but his eyes still held a fierce determination.

"I don't need your help," he muttered, his voice low and rough, though the wounds on his body told a different story. His hand pressed against a gash on his side, blood seeping through his gloves.

"I can handle this myself..."

Yet, even as he said it, he allowed you to approach, the fight seeming to drain out of him for a moment.

"Just make it quick."

His usual defiance was still there, but underneath it all, a flicker of trust lingered in his crimson eyes.