Until you are both dead

The white-haired man stumbled through the forest, almost tripping over mud and swamp. He was drenched in sweat, his clothes sticking to his skin, but he pushed through the dense foliage while carrying the unconscious person in his arms.

He occasionally checked the young man's pulse to make sure he was still breathing, and gave his temple a gentle kiss before quickly continuing his journey.

The older man in a suit walking in front of him turned around to look at them. His deep wrinkles creased as he squinted his eyes in the fading light as the sun slowly disappeared.

Jiro was still in shock as he followed him through the forest. Everything had happened fast, but it felt as if it had taken an eternity.

They had been kidnapped, sentenced to death, but his former pupil, his friend and their rescuer, had saved them heroically, before taking his own life.