I stumbled back in shock. I slowly placed my hand over my open mouth. It hadn't fully sunk in what just occurred. It had happened too quickly. It was as if it wasn't real. Ed would emerge from the wall and complain about the pain, then encourage us to move on. He would still linger in the back with Tilly and help our group.

But he wasn't here. He was gone. Ed was dead.

Tilly sank to her knees. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Even Aster's eyes were rounded in horror. We all stared at the wall that had eaten our ally. Our friend.

My heart ached. How was his wife feeling? She had lost her daughter, and now her husband? And what about Tilly? She had her knees tucked to her chest. Tears were falling down her face, dripping on her legs. Her loud sobbing pained me. She had relied on him for support and help. Ed had kept her stable and had helped her feel comfortable. He had helped her with everything. How was she going to go on?

I closed my eyes, chewing on my lip. How many people would I watch die? It started with Ben. I hadn't really gotten know him, but I was still my old self then. I was still the Kat who never imagined having to see someone die.

Then there was Mona. We had been allies for only a week. It was a full week that she had kept me alive, though. Mona had always saved my life before hers and protected me from everything. It killed me inside to have to leave her.

And now Ed. I mean, sure, throughout the time we had known each other he hadn't been the happiest person. He had a rivalry with Aster that I could never understand and an occasional temper. That didn't mean that he wasn't one of the greatest friends I had ever have. I felt like I could tell him practically anything. Ed had hunted and retrieved water for us and never complained when he had to take watch. I thought that he would be the last one to die.

I wiped a single tear off of my face with my thumb. I was tired of seeing everyone die. The Pestilention would never end. Everyone else would drop like flies. And I didn't want to be there to see it.

Ed had been the last straw. I could feel all of my energy seep out of my body. My hope receded. If someone like Ed could die so easily, then it wasn't worth for me to try to make it to the end. I was only stalling death now. There was no use in seeing it any other way.

I didn't even realize that I had slipped my blade into my hand until I felt the tip on my hip. I fixed my grip, wiping my sweaty palm on my leg. I didn't want to be here. I rose the blade slightly, placing the tip on my stomach. I imagined digging it into my skin, right where the guy had stabbed me earlier in the course. I imagined falling and feeling the life get released from my body. I pictured the pain and sorrows floating away. I wanted to get away from it all.

The Pestilention had won. I was done.

An arm wrapped around my waist. I cried out as the tip of my blade scratched my skin. Another hand snatched the knife out of my hand. I struggled against his grip, trying to run away from the arms. They remained solid around me.

"Kat, don't," Aster muttered. "Please."

I stopped fighting. Aster released me. I spun on my heel to face him. A lump formed in my throat. "Why...why would you do that?"

He placed my hands in his. "We just lost someone; you can't leave, too. Think of your brother, think of Tilly." Aster looked down, sighing. "Think of me."

Tears welled in my eyes. "Can't you see? I quit. I'm tired of seeing people die. I'm tired of going insane. I'm just tired. I'm hungry, I'm thirsty. My body hurts like the devil-"

"This is the devil's playground," Aster said. "And the only way to escape is to play the game."

"...Don't give up yet. Stay, please." He sighed again before looking at me. "I can't play this game alone."

Tilly had cried herself to sleep by the time the moon had risen into the sky. I was lying on my side, trying to sleep. Aster had offered to take first watch. Of course, with Ed gone, we would have to take longer shifts. We also got to sleep longer, too, I guess.

I couldn't sleep, though. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Ed's helpless face as he reached out to us. I saw him throwing Tilly to safety. And then I saw him get crushed in between the walls.

I stood up. I needed to walk and to clear my head. I didn't get too far before something stopped me.

"Where are you going?" a voice whispered.

I didn't turn around. I just kept walking. Aster would get over it. He would stay and watch over Tilly. He would probably yell at me when I came back, but I didn't care. Too much had happened for me to just sleep on. I needed to get away.

"Wait up!"

Great.

I weaved through the trees, nearly tripping a few times. I let the air breathe against my cheeks, trying to zone out the footsteps behind me. It almost worked until fingers wrapped around my wrist. Annoyed, I turned around.

"Can you leave me alone Aster?" I yanked my arm away from his grasp. "Go watch Tilly or something."

He shrugged. "She's asleep; she'll be okay."

"Go back. I want to be alone right now."

Aster shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I...I don't want you to try to..."

"Kill myself again?" I said. "I'm not going to do it again."

"Okay."

There was an awkward silence. I crossed my arms and glared at him. I just wanted him to leave. Usually, his presence wouldn't annoy me, but I wanted to be alone and to calm down. I couldn't do that when he was breathing down my neck.

"And what if I was?" I finally said. "You should worry more about Tilly than me."

"Why?"

"Because she needs someone right now. She needs as much support as she can get."

Aster hesitated. "Is that why you're here? Because of Ed?"

"As a matter of fact," my eyes narrowed, "that's exactly why I'm here. Because one of my friends died. You seem more than happy that he's gone, though."

"I had nothing against him!" Aster put his hands in the air. "I just wanted to know why you care about him so much."

"Because he told me about his life. I told him about my life. I actually knew him. More than I know you, at least." I muttered the last part.

It was Aster's time to narrow his eyes. He closed the space between us. I could see his eyes now. They were colder than usual. The blood in my face drained, but I didn't back away.

"You want to know about my life? My past?" His voice shook. "Fine. My mom left me when I was five. She left me with my dad, who spends most of his days drinking and gambling. We've lost nearly everything because of him.

"And when he comes home, he yells at me. I have no one to go to since I have no friends at school. They all think I'm a freak. Meaning that I have to deal with being called worthless, useless, and get everything I have ever had taken away from me. My mom doesn't care about me, everyone at school laughs at me, and my dad hates me. All my life I've been painfully, utterly alone.

"And that's fine because I don't like any of them, anyway." Aster looked at me, a small smile planted on his lips. "You're the only person I've ever cared about."

I stared at him, my mouth gaping. Aster was such a happy, optimistic person. Not once had I thought he had been through something as sad as that. Who would ever be mean to Aster? All he had ever done was help and protect me. I couldn't find anything freakish or worthless about him. In fact, all I saw was a kind and pure person who deserved everything the world could give.

Aster slid his thumb down my jaw and landed it under my chin. He gently closed my lips with his finger, his eyes not leaving mine. My knees shook, and I swore that I was going to collapse. Aster used his hand to slide my hair out of my face. For the first time since our conversation started, I had nothing to say. He didn't, either, for he just continued to stare at me.

You're the only one I've ever cared about.

I counted another ten seconds before his arms were around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Then his lips were on mine.

My heart rate quickened and my thoughts raced. Not once had I considered the idea that Aster liked me. As I was thinking about it, though, there were many signs he did. The way he would always walk with me, the way he would try to take my watches. The way he touched me gently—just like right now. I smiled under his mouth.

How did it come to this? Only two minutes ago we were yelling at each other. Now we were kissing.

The last time I kissed a boy, it was a guy who was tutoring me at my apartment. He had given me a quick peck, but that was really it. After that, we continued doing my math homework. He was red in the face and I was in shock that he had kissed me at all. He was just the guy I paid to help me ace my tests. I had no intention of ever having a relationship with him.

But Aster? He was sweet, caring, and had protected me throughout the course. He was easy to talk to and a great listener. He was the best person I could have been stuck with. Especially right then.

I suddenly grew self-conscious. My hair was a knotted mess, and there was undoubtedly dirt all over my face. I hadn't showered in weeks, and my breath probably smelled like a mixture of rotten meat and morning breath. Anyone else would have pulled away.

But Aster's hair was knotty, too. I could feel the sweat and dirt on his neck. He had been through everything that I had been through. We had done it all together.

Aster broke away too soon. I stepped back, but Aster's hands were still on my waist. He rested his forehead on mine. My heart fluttered at the touch.

"We're going to escape together, okay?" he muttered. I nodded, breathless. Aster smiled before kissing me again. I held the urge to grin.

Together.

My two lovebirds are finally together! I always thought they'd be cute together. What do you think about it? Tell me in the comments below. :)

I just wanted to say thank you guys so much for 6K reads! We reached it last week, but since then we've gotten more and more reads every day. You guys are so amazing, thank you for reading and supporting this book every step of the way.

I have dedicated this chapter to one of my most dedicated readers, . She supports all of my stories and has been through this one since the beginning. She found the August 24th (which was 8:24 in the last chapter) first last week. Awesome job! Thank you for reading. :)

If you like this story, please comment, vote, and share this story with your friends. Don't forget to kiss the vote button. That's right, I dare you. Stay amazing.

This song is calledI Found by Amber Run. I've been listening to it nonstop. I hope that you guys find it to represent Kat and Aster as much as I think it does.