Jose raised his hands and stood up from the ground

"I'll go with you. Do whatever you want to me, but let David go."

"You're dreaming."

Kevin sneered

"I've heard that these guys are going to attack Cuba; it won't be long before his head is worth more than yours. If I kill both of you, I'll have money to go back to the city, buy a house, eat bread, sleep well in a bed, instead of gnawing on roots and sleeping on grass here, dealing with sores every year!"

The greatest eroders of ideals are not strong enemies, but the trivialities and contradictions accumulated over time.

Perhaps Kevin truly held ideals once, but now he chose to succumb to reality.

As he said, people change.

"..."

When Kevin said he wouldn't spare David, Jose was already gathering strength.

Exhausted, Jose could only pray that the old implants in his body wouldn't fail him at this crucial moment.

Please, old buddies, help me once more, even if it's just to save one more person.

The two had fought side by side in this godforsaken place for two years.

Jose knew Kevin would decisively pull the trigger.

Kevin also knew Jose wouldn't surrender without a fight.

As Jose poured all his remaining strength into charging at Kevin, Kevin simultaneously pulled the trigger.

Two gunshots echoed in the silent, deep forest, followed by a dull thud as Jose crashed into Kevin, knocking the pistol away, and the two began wrestling in the bushes.

No fancy moves, just primal bites like wild beasts.

Punches and kicks, pure bodily collision.

Neither had combat implants; by Night City's standards, they wouldn't even match the street thugs, yet the scene felt exceptionally gruesome.

Moreover, blood began to seep from Jose's chest as the bullet pierced his artificial lung.

If it were a new-style artificial lung from Night City, even if punctured, only the damaged part would be isolated while the rest continued functioning.

However, Jose's artificial lung had long been obsolete on the market. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Due to limited resources and the need to bear most of the pressure, all his implants came from parts salvaged from fallen guerrilla comrades.

His body carried not just implants, but the ideals of the deceased, the responsibility of the guerrillas.

But implants have a lifespan, and that responsibility too must ultimately meet its end.

"Go to hell with your damned ideals!"

Kevin straddled him, gaining the upper hand, punching Jose's face into a bloody mess.

"I want to live a normal life!"

After breaking out and suffering a gunshot wound, Jose was no match for Kevin.

Bang!

The pale-faced David struck Kevin's head hard with a stone he'd picked up, sending him flying into the bushes, his fate unknown.

But at this moment, Jose too lay on the ground, more exhaling than inhaling, blood continuously seeping from his mouth.

David, suppressing the pain in his shoulder and the weakness from blood loss, bent down to lift Jose from the ground, carrying him on his back, stepping forward one step at a time toward the edge of the forest.

Blood dripped down their pants, leaving traces in their footprints; it was unclear whether the blood was David's or Jose's.

Feeling the increasingly weak breaths on his back, David bitterly regretted not learning how to treat wounds from his mother.

"It's okay, my mom is a prosthetics doctor in Night City, I'll take you to her, she can surely heal you, we have plenty of doctors, and plenty of implants..."

He didn't know if he was speaking to Jose or reassuring himself.

"David..."

Jose felt his body temperature dropping; he knew his life was nearing its end. Yet, facing death, Jose did not feel fear, only questions and regrets lingered in his heart.

"Do you think... that world... really exists?"

His voice stammered, like a machine nearing the end of its life, uncertain when it would stop functioning.

"Where no one is bullied... everyone can afford to eat... go to school, get medical treatment..."

How could David, born and raised in Night City, only just reaching adulthood, answer such a question?

He was only one teacher ahead of Jose, even David, long influenced by Night City, could not imagine what such a world would be like.

If he couldn't even imagine it, how could he dare to say such a world exists?

"Not now, but someday it will."

David's voice was unprecedentedly firm; he didn't know where such courage and strength to say these words came from.

"It certainly will! Certainly!"

"Heh... how wonderful... too bad I won't be there to see it..."

Jose struggled to use his last ounce of strength, blood-covered right hand tearing an item from around his neck, tremblingly placing it into the pocket on David's chest.

In the darkness, David couldn't see what it was, only felt it was like a small metal piece, an item like a medal.

"Everything is gone... this is the last leftover..."

Before he could finish speaking, his right hand lost all strength and fell downward.

Yet David, despite the excruciating pain and gunshot wounds, held onto the falling hand, firmly carrying Jose on his back, step by step moving forward.

At some point, tears had already soaked his face.

A person's mind might remain immature for a lifetime, or it might mature overnight.

A deep friendship might elude someone who spends a lifetime making friends, yet might form in less than a day with a stranger.

No one knew how long or how far David had walked without ever putting Jose down.

Until he emerged from the forest, realizing he had unknowingly reached the seaside.

A round, blinding crimson sun slowly rose from the black, deep horizon, dispelling the darkness that engulfed the ocean and the world, lighting up David's pale face.

It's dawn.