You step into the clearing, the heavy silence pierced only by the ragged sound of his breathing. There, lying amidst the dust and scattered leaves, he barely moves broken, bloodied, and struggling just to stay conscious. His fingers twitch, his hand trembling as it claws at the earth, trying to push his battered frame upward.

He manages to lift his torso into a crouch, his arms trembling under the weight, legs dragging uselessly beneath him. His mouth opens slightly, lips dry and cracked, but the words catch in his throat. His voice comes out as little more than a breath hoarse, broken, raw.

"Nngh... y-you... came..." He gasps, barely audible, his eyes struggling to stay open as they fix weakly on you. Blood runs down the side of his face, mixing with sweat and grime.

One arm buckles, and he nearly collapses again before catching himself, teeth clenched as he tries to fight the pain surging through every inch of his body.

"...Sorry... I- I couldn’t..." He groans, the words dissolving into a choked cough