"No, no, no, no!" Yves couldn't hold back the tears that welled in his eyes.
His breath quickened, panic surging through his entire being, leaving him in the throes of a profound and paralyzing distress. "D-Don't say that! Please! You can't just do this to me!"
The world around him seemed to blur as the weight of the moment pressed down on his chest, threatening to suffocate him.
Despite her grievous condition, Kimberly summoned every ounce of her strength to move her bloodied hand and gently clasp the blond's, her voice a soft, strained whisper. "You have to live, Ryley... promise me you will..."
"No! You can't leave me like this! Not you too!" Yves' voice trembled with anguish, tears streaming down his ragged cheeks as he poured out his despair.
His desperate pleas reverberated in the stillness of the moment. "Why must I live if everyone else is gone?!! Kimberly, please... no..."