Jason's breath came in ragged gasps, his body trembling as he lay broken on the cold, unforgiving ground. His face was covered in blood, his clothes torn, his limbs barely responding to his will. He had endured every strike, every brutal attack from those masked figures, but the worst pain of all came from the man standing before him—Axel, his best friend, the brother he had fought beside for so long. Jason coughed violently, blood splattering against the dirt as his half-lidded eyes flickered up toward Axel. His voice was weak, barely more than a whisper, but he forced the words out between labored breaths.
"Why, Axel?" His voice wavered, his throat raw from both pain and emotion. "Why can't you see it? They're using you..."