Heavy breathing.
The chest brutally pushed back and forth.
Hot.
Painful.
The body slowly shaking.
Sweat running down.
Eyes slowly opening.
Red veins pulsing at the edges.
The world giving way through its shape gradually.
Then they saw them.
Two of them.
One holding the other up.
Black and white.
White shirt.
Black tie.
Ha Joon and Eun Byol.
She was weak.
Bleeding.
In pain.
Anyone could see it.
One of the soldiers stepped forward.
Walked toward them.
Ha Joon's eyes caught each step.
His grip on Eun Byol's shoulder tightening.
The soldier's voice came tired.
Worn down.
"Look, kid. I don't know what you're doing here and personally I don't care. The most important thing right now is to get the hell out of here."
Ha Joon and Eun Byol's eyes moved to each other.
Then Ha Joon spoke.
"She needs help. We also want to get out of here. We don't have time to tell you how we got here. Can you help us?"
The soldier's eyes moved slowly.
Up the ridge.
Then back down.
"Sorry kid we can't—"
He stopped.
Looked harder at Eun Byol.
"Wait a minute."
His eyes narrowed.
"She looks familiar."
A pause.
"Is that... Eun Byol?"
"What's going on? Who are you?"
Ha Joon's eyes burned.
"So many questions. Not enough time to answer them. She needs help. Can you help us?"
The soldier looked at him.
At the fire in his eyes.
Then at Eun Byol.
Then back.
"Yes. We can. I still have enough strength. We can tie her to my back. I'll climb out."
Ha Joon slowly nodded.
Then stopped.
Looked the soldier directly in the eyes.
"How do I know you're not going to drop her?"
The soldier smiled.
Tired.
But genuine.
"Young boy protecting young girl."
He looked at Eun Byol.
"I understand. She is very pretty isn't she."
A pause.
"Are you going to take the help or not? I'm not going to drop her."
The other soldiers looked at him.
One spoke.
"Are you sure about this?"
The soldier turned to them.
His expression carrying mild confusion mixed with something heavier.
"We ran away from war. We're already criminals. Running away from a dying child?"
He shook his head.
"Besides."
His cheeks turned slightly red.
"I enjoy her music."
They cut fabric from the clothes of the fallen giant.
Tore it into strips.
Tied Eun Byol carefully to the soldier's back.
Securing her.
Making sure.
Ha Joon checked every knot.
Twice.
They began to climb.
The soldier with Eun Byol on his back moving steadily upward.
Ha Joon underneath them.
His eyes fixed on her.
On the way her head rested against the soldier's shoulder.
On the way her breathing came slow and shallow.
On the way the wind moved through her short brown hair.
Gentle.
Like it was trying to be kind.
The green of the trees slowly became visible above them.
The top growing closer.
One handhold at a time.