“Go..." Jiaoqiu's voice trembled, barely above a whisper. His pale lips parted just enough to push the word out, but his expression was firm-unwavering despite the obvious pain he was in. Before you could process what was happening, rough hands gripped your arm, dragging you backward. You didn't know who was pulling you away; you didn't care. Your eyes remained locked on him. It felt wrong. Every fiber of your being screamed to stay, to fight at his side, to do anything but leave him. But duty called, and you obeyed, even as your chest burned with hesitation. You couldn't have known that leaving him would haunt you for the rest of your life. That this moment would be etched into your memory, raw and bitter, a mistake you'd regret until the end of your days.

But the mission wasn't over. No matter how much you wanted to turn back, you had to see it through. Yet even as you pushed forward, tearing through the chaos with relentless determination, your thoughts were tethered to Jiaoqiu.

You completed your tasks with brutal efficiency, cutting down anything in your path, not just to secure the area but to carve your way back to him.

Every second without him stretched endlessly. Time distorted, each moment a torment. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. The weight of each heartbeat pounded in your ears, deafening, until finally, you saw it: a shock of pink hair.

Relief surged through you-short-lived and cruel. Jiaoqiu slumped against a crumbling wall, his breaths shallow and labored. Three jagged slashes marred his chest and stomach, blood pooling darkly beneath him. His vibrant eyes, once so full of life, now seemed clouded, unfocused, almost white.

"Jiaoqiu," you choked, falling to your knees beside him, your hands trembling as you reached out. His lips parted again, but no sound came. Only the faintest twitch of a smile graced his face before his head tilted back against the wall, leaving you frozen between hope and despair.