"Xu Ze," I summoned the last of my strength to utter these two words, my voice barely audible, "I don't have much time left..."
Each breath I took felt like it drained every last ounce of energy from my body. I forced myself to continue, "When I get there, I will find my child, and I will also find yours."
After a brief pause to catch my breath, I continued, "I will tell him that for all these years, you have been filled with guilt."
"My daughter will also tell him that his father was a hero."
Each word I spoke seemed to tear at the fabric of my fading life, each syllable a testament to the fleeting moments I had left.
On the other end of the line, Xu Ze remained silent, an oppressive stillness enveloping the conversation.
However, after a moment, I heard the sound of my best friend's voice. This time, it was no longer the brash urgency from before but a tortured, desperate sobbing, as if a wounded beast was howling in its final throes of despair.
Then, there was the unmistakable sound of air rushing from an oxygen tank, sharp and terrifying in the silence that surrounded me.
A sharp pang struck my heart, and in that instant, I understood—her neck had been slit, and blood was spurting from her in a torrent...