I couldn't sleep that night. I stared at the ceiling, not knowing what to think or to feel. Sebastian was gone. Marcus might have been, too. The only people that I was able to save were my brother and friends, but I didn't know if I would survive the obstacle course. What would happen to them if I didn't survive? Would the Game Master let them go? Would they be stuck? Would they have to run like first intended?

I rolled off of the bed. I needed to walk around and clear my head. I wish I could go talk to someone so that I didn't have to be by myself, but that didn't seem to be an option.

The door refused to open. I twisted the knob, but it didn't budge. Locked. With an irritated sigh, I slipped back under the covers.

I pulled the blanket up to my chin. It was so warm, so comfortable. I wouldn't be sleeping in a bed tomorrow. This would be the last time I laid on a mattress for the next few weeks.

Was Aster sleeping comfortably? If he and everyone else were still in those chambers, then they must have been uncomfortable. I wished that they could have all been sleeping next to me. I thought back to the first time I ran the Pestilention, and when Aster used to sleep next to me. Even though the ground was hard, Aster had made me want to sleep beside him forever.

Oh, Aster. If I hadn't have been so angry with him, would we have not gotten into this mess? I buried my face into the pillow. I had acted out so irrationally. I had avoided him and had been jealous, for what? Christine? He had denied ever doing that, and the more I thought back, the more I wondered if he had been telling the truth. Christine hadn't even known when I had asked her. And the look Aster had given me, no matter what, had always been filled with the love and care that it had been filled with during the Pestilention and our holograms.

I still love you, Aster, I thought. My thoughts had slowly worn me out, causing me to drift to sleep. I hope you still love me, too.

The next morning, there was a suit hanging on the doorknob. I stared at it, disappointed. Usually, I didn't have to suit up and be ready until lunch. Apparently it was being moved to after breakfast.

I put it on with great effort. The suit seemed to not want to be on my body as much as I didn't want to wear it. When I finally managed to get it on, I had to stretch and walk around before I could get comfortable. Once I was satisfied, I went downstairs.

I wasn't nervous like I thought I would be. I ate as much as I could during breakfast, then went to the Farewell Ceremony area, waiting to be sent off. I waited for the jitters to crawl up my arms and for the butterflies to flutter in my stomach. Nothing.

Broderick was sitting and waiting for me with a plate of his own breakfast in his lap. He wasn't wearing a colorful suit like usual. It was a simple, black one. He looked like he was going to a funeral.

"Are you ready, Kat?" he asked when he saw me. I nodded. I was. I was ready to get this over with. If I survived, I survived. If I didn't, well, that was to be expected.

"I have a gift for you," he said. He slipped an object out from under his coat. It was a knife the size and shape as Mona's. In fact, it may have been Mona's.

"Sebastian insisted that you had it." Broderick said his name with distaste. I ignored it, and instead twirled the knife in my hand. I remembered the day that I had dropped it in the obstacle because Raul had told me to. I had insisted on keeping it but instead had to depart with it. I thought back to when I retrieved the weapon from Mona's slumped body. The knife had saved me so many times, and only now could I remember.

The knife surged with energy. I kissed the blade before sliding it into my boot.

"Thank you, Broderick." Though I hadn't been fond of him last night, this kind gesture had made me wonder if he was bad, or if he just wanted to satisfy the Game Master. He was just playing along, just like everyone else.

He instructed me to head to the guard, who placed another tracker in the back of my neck. I didn't feel reassured by having another one, especially since I now knew that they stayed there. It didn't matter, though. If I survived, then he was supposed to leave me alone. I could get rid of the tracker later.

I walked down a hallway to where the little rooms were. Once I stepped in mine, my fate would be sealed. There would be no way of getting out of it. I would have to run the course no matter what.

I found my name right away. I stepped inside and was engulfed in the darkness. I waited inside patiently. Last time I had searched around for cameras. I knew that they were in here somewhere. I didn't know where, but they were here

I looked in a random corner and forced a smile. If any of my loved ones were watching, then I didn't want them to worry. As long as they were safe, then I would run the Pestilention a hundred times.

The countdown seemed to happen automatically. The bright numbers appeared in front of me, blinding me after having just been accustomed to the darkness. Ten...nine...

Here I was. I was back to where I had been two years ago. I had been freaking out. What had I called myself? A blind puppy?

Six...five...

Yes. Looking back, that's exactly what I had been. Now I was a veteran. A war survivor. I could look death in the eye and challenge it to do its worse and not care about the after-effect. I had endured too much pain, too much trauma to care.

Three...two...

"I love you guys," I said.

The wall rose. At my feet was a path. The one that I had stuck by like a friend once, and was dreading to be acquainted with again.

I broke out into a sprint.

Hey everyone! Sorry that this is a day late. For some reason, having to write Kat coming back to the Pestilention was very hard. :P I just dread having to put her through it again.

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This song is called Again and Again by Dave Matthews Band. Enjoy!