He tried to speak but was unable to produce any sounds. Zhou Yuxi's name lingered on his lips, an apology, a goodbye, something unsaid that needed saying, but his mouth wouldn't cooperate. His tongue felt thick and useless. Only a wet gurgle emerged, the sound of broken machinery.
"Don't try to talk! Just stay with me, Master. Stay with me." Li Feng's voice shook, and Li Feng's voice never shook; one could tell the situation was dire. "Help is coming. You're going to be fine. You hear me? You're going to be fine."
" I'm sorry," Mu Yunchen thought as his vision blurred at the edges, darkness creeping in like fog rolling off water. "Zhou Yuxi, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left. I shouldn't have run from you. I should have stayed and fought for us. I should have trusted you."
