Kat's POV

I watch them leave, perplexed. You'd think that whatever they were doing was important enough to where they'd put up a small fight at least. But then again, they may be smart and realized that they shouldn't push their luck.

The thought makes me smile. They're afraid of me, aren't they?

But there's an image I can't shake away. That boy, with the long black hair and crooked smile. He's the one in my dream.

I'm not stupid. I know that things are beginning to add up. My dream, which seems awful like a memory, looks exactly like this forest. Then, the guy that looks identical to the boy in my dream seems to know me.

What was the boy's name? Jake? Jackson?

I knew him at one time. But that doesn't matter, I'm a soldier now. Getting to the bottom of this mystery is the least of my interests.

I walk back to my group. All their heads pop up as my scent probably becomes noticeable.

Alice crosses her arms. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry. I ran into those people you guys were talking about," I answer.

"Are they dead?"

"Well, no... I told them to leave, and they did."

Alice sighs irritably, as if I was the biggest moron she's ever seen. It makes me angry. I glare at her, almost looking for a fight.

"They really need to hurry up on that upgrade. You're still soft, you still can't kill," she hisses.

I clench my fists. "I'll only kill if I have to. And I'm not soft!"

Prosper gets in between us, facing me. He's smiling. "Hey, let's not fight. We're a squad, remember? We're going to have to work together."

"He's right," James adds. He puts an arm around Alice's shoulders.

Yeah, I guess you could say that they're a couple. That's another rule that we're allowed to break. We can date and choose the people we marry. As long as we don't cause trouble with the commoners and we fight for the government, keep order, and so on, we can do whatever we want. Well, to some extent, that is.

That night, I take the first watch. There are two large tents and some supplies that we were given. We're supposed to stay out here for one week.

I sit outside, staring dully into the dark trees ahead. I wonder what those people are doing right now. Are they asleep? Or are they watching me right now, hidden by the sanctuary of their precious forest? If only I could see that far. Even Alice, James, and Prosper can't do that.

I shiver. I hope they stay put, for their own good and mine. They didn't seem like bad people, or savages.

"Cold?" I hear Prosper's voice. He plops down beside me after draping a blanket over my shoulders.

"No, but thanks," I reply. Even so, I tighten the blanket around my body.

I watch him as he closes his eyes and smiles, exhaling a content sigh of the fresh, night air. "I like guarding out here. It makes The Walls feel stuffy."

"It always felt stuffy to me."

This time he's looking at me. I feel his eyes, but I don't dare to look into them. I don't know what I'd see.

"Wanna check it out? We could go exploring together," he offers.

"What? But I'm on watch!" I protest. "Isn't that against the rules anyway?"

Prosper laughs. "Alice is right. You really do need that upgrade. C'mon, it'll be fun."

He doesn't even wait for my answer when he takes my hand. As we enter the woods and the world goes completely dark, our night vision kicks in. Or at least, mine does. It takes longer for mine to, but Prosper's must have been on a while ago.

We walk for about thirty minutes before Prosper stops and turns around. His body is dangerously close to mine, his breath a delicious tickle against my neck.

He kisses me, and after thirty seconds, I pull away.

"Why did you kiss me?" I ask.

"I dunno," Prosper replies, his lips twitching into a smirk.

Another rule we're allowed to break. Marriage involves real romance.

I smile a little, holding in a laugh. "Don't you think this is... you know, a little cheesy?"

"How?" He says.

"James and Alice are together. Us being together too, it just seems weird."

His smirk widens. "I think it's perfect."

His lips close on to mine once more.