Might not Make It

When XueYa came to, he was no longer underwater, but the pain that rippled through him felt like waves crashing over his chest, stealing his breath away. His body too heavy and sore to move, XueYa mustered all his strength and forced his eyelid to crack.

The dim flame was glaring to a man who had just woken from a deep slumber, and XueYa groaned, blinking the stars away.

Even a pin dropping would sound deafening. So, when a person shuffled closer, XueYa felt like his ears would bleed any second now.

"Too loud-"

"XueYa?" LiangLin's sweet voice hurt his eardrums, but XueYa felt his pain ease when his vision cleared, and LiangLin's worried frown came to his view. "How are you feeling?"

"..." XueYa parted his lips but only croaked out some weird noises. He was dying of thirst, his tongue and throat as dry as if he just drank all the salt from the sea. Judging by the taste lingering in his mouth, he had done just that. But that wasn't what worried him.