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  He looked back up at me, raising an eyebrow. “For fun?” I nodded, thankful that he had seemed to calm down a bit. “Train.”

  “For…for what?” I stumbled over my words, surprised by his answer.

  “It’s best if you don’t know.” He said, with a tone of finality.

  I sighed. Back at square one. “Asher, you’re going to have to tell me something eventually.”

  He didn’t answer, just continued walking in silence. My thoughts went to the broadcast, and I tried again at a conversation. “That broadcast was reassuring, wouldn’t want deadly Insiders out on the loose.”

  “What makes you say they are deadly? Have you ever come across an Insider that tried to harm you?” He looked genuinely curious, and completely unaware of how much that memory hurt me. I had met an Insider and he had been nothing but nice to me, which made it so very hard to hate him. But I had to hate him.

  “No,” I mumbled, looking down. “But I know that Mr. Lieu would not have created rule eleven if it had not been necessary.”

  He scoffed, “So the killing of innocent Standards who simply don’t have songs is necessary to you then?” He gave me a humorless smile, “I must admit, they train their puppets very well.”

  “I am not a puppet,” I huffed defensively, before getting my tone back in check. “They have always given everyone a choice.”

  “A choice? That’s what you call this?” He snapped, his tone unsteady. “This pretty little cage that they have trapped you in, is a choice?” The sudden anger caught me off guard. What had I done to provoke him? “Why do you think so many Outsiders die young? Why do you think people are driven to kill?” He took several deep breaths, but it was too late, I could almost see the chains breaking. He was about to burst, and I did not want to be there to see it. “Desperation does horrible things to a person, Tethys. Unspeakable things.”

  I didn’t like the look in his eyes, but I forced myself to speak up. “Fugitives have no excuse for what they do!” I shot back, pushing forward a little.

  “Oh really?” The look in his eyes was positively deadly. “Is that why the Assassins are all saints in your mind? Because they’re only killing people that don’t matter? Disposable lives, right?”

  “Of course they’re not,” I mumbled, looking down. “I never said any of that.”

  “Tethys, you know nothing about suffering. You know nothing of what goes on out there! What is happening with the Fissure war!”

  “You don’t either!” I finally screamed. “You have no right to tell me what I have and haven’t experienced, especially when you are just as clueless as I am!”

  He threw his arms up in frustration. “Doesn’t this bother you?” He gestured around us. “Doesn’t any of this bother you? Don’t you want to choose? Don’t you want to be able to decide where your life is going, instead of being confined by some ridiculous rank? By some family name?” He was backing me up against a wall. “Am I the only one who thinks there is something more? Beyond Lieu, beyond these…these rules!”

  “The rules are here to keep us safe.” I blurted out by force of habit.

  “Safe?” His voice was unsteady, almost to the point of yelling. “That’s what you think this is? Tethys, being confined and told what to think, is not keeping you safe. It’s keeping the Sentinels safe! Haven’t you ever been hungry? Not just that, but starving?” He paused, a deadly fire in his eyes. “Have you? The Officials aren’t keeping us safe, they have never cared about what happens to us! Why do you think gangs like the Assassins roam freely, with no repercussions?”

  “I–” My words failed me. I didn’t know what to do. I was being cornered. Forced to question the only constant in my life.

  “They couldn’t care less about us,” his voice didn’t soften; the look in his eyes held no remorse. “You spend every second looking at my cloud, Tethys! At the colors above our heads, when you should be focusing on how brainwashed they have made you!” I looked down, feeling guilty. “Keeping you in these walls, forcing you to follow these rules. You’re like a caged animal. All you care about is what they have told you to think, and these ridiculous clouds!” His voice was unsteady, but his stance was anything but that. He was towering over me with his shoulders squared. I was now pinned flat against the alley wall. “All you seem to see is the colors! Is that all that matters in your twisted reality? There are people behind these clouds, Tethys! Do you even notice anymore?”

  I cowered as he finally yelled and shielded my face. For someone that I hadn’t known that long, he had just read me like an open book, and I hated him for it. He was forcing me to think about the people whose clouds had gone dark. He was forcing me to question the society for the first time in my life.

  I looked back at him through my fingers, my heart racing in terror. The anger in his eyes melted away, and he let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. He turned away from me, muttering to himself. It was so quiet I couldn’t make out what he was saying. He sounded frustrated, but with whom I didn’t know.

  I cautiously crept away from the wall, feeling slightly better. I looked around to make sure that no Sentinels had seen that whole explosion. As I got closer to him, I could make out a few of his words. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’ll be better…I’ll do better.” I blinked, unsure of who he was talking to. When he turned back to face me, I flinched. His eyes held a deep sorrow. “I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Can’t do what?” I paused, making sure to keep my breathing in check.

  “This.” He gestured between him and myself with a frustrated sigh. “I can’t go any further with this until you understand.”

  I let out a nervous laugh, “So you have a short temper, everyone has one, Asher. I hardly think that–”

  “Not my temper.” He cut me off, letting out a deep sigh. “You need to understand…everything.”

  “O-okay…” I gulped, not sure if I should be worried or relieved. He was finally going to tell me everything about himself. Something I should have known long ago.

  “Follow me.” With that, he walked off, down the streets towards roads I had never seen. Maybe I just hadn’t noticed them before. He took me down winding gravel roads, and through alleys going deeper and deeper into what looked like an abandoned Outsider city. I choked on the air as soon as we reached it. This was an abandoned town alright, one that had been evacuated for a reason.

  Asher seemed unaffected by the horrible air conditions, while I was taking ragged and strangled gasps of it. “Hold your breath, we’re almost there.” He said gently, trying to reassure me. I couldn’t imagine why he chose to live here. I guess it was far away from the society he seemed to hate so much.

  He led me up to a very shaggy looking building, it was small, with holes and tears at every turn.

  I blinked, taking in the horrible sight. No one, not even Outsiders were forced to live in these conditions. “You’re a Standard, you shouldn’t be living here.”

  “I choose to.” He said simply. “Come inside, we have some form of fresh air in there.”

  “We?” Before he could answer, the door burst open and outran a plump woman slightly taller than me, with dark skin, curly black hair, and deep blue eyes. She had wrinkles and gray streaks filling her dark hair from age, but her eyes held a youthful twinkle.

  “Oh, thank goodness you’re home, Gr–”

  “Mum! I’m ok, we should get her inside though.” He seemed flustered for some reason and giving her son a confused look, she dragged me inside. Her hands were calloused to the touch, but she handled me with such care I knew I didn’t need to be afraid. I looked up at Asher’s cloud, and couldn’t help but smile, his cloud was at least a few shades lighter just at the sight of his mother.

  “Whom might you be, dear?” She instantly went to inspect me for any bruises, I guess.

  “My name’s Tethys.” I blinked, looking up at her kind face. She looked nothing like Asher, except for her unruly hair, though his was much darker. If they hadn’t said it, I n
ever would have guessed that they were related. “Who are you?”

  “Mary.” She smiled giving her son a tight embrace.

  “Wow,” I mumbled taking in their extraordinarily different looks.

  “Well, you are just the most precious thing, aren’t you?” She walked over to what I guess was their kitchen humming. “So how do you know my baby boy?”

  Asher groaned a little with noticeably redder cheeks. I chuckled to myself, unsure of how I had ever felt scared of him. “Well, he’s actually kind of, I guess you could call him my…my soulmate.” It was my turn to blush.

  “Oh, I knew it from the moment you walked up! I can’t believe my Gr-”

  “Mum!” His voice was much higher, and he pointedly cleared his throat.

  “Can’t I be happy?” She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

  “We’re here to discuss the current…situation.” He mumbled, looking down.

  “Current?” She scoffed. “You mean permanent.”

  “Wait…what’s wrong with Asher?” I blinked, looking between the two of them.

  “Who?” She looked just as confused as I did now.

  Asher walked over to his mother and whispered something in her ear. He gave me a weak smile before taking a seat on the floor.

  “Oh! That makes much more sense.” She gave me a smile that warmed every inch of my body and grabbed an apple from their fridge. “Hungry, sweetie?”

  “No, thank you though.” I looked at Asher for answers, but he didn’t meet my gaze.

  “Now,” she gave me a serious look. “Let’s set everything straight.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I used to be a Chanteuse,” Mary explained calmly. “Then I married his father, and well.” She sighed. “Having no need to sing anymore, I retired. His father was a great man, he…he provided for us as best he could.” She and Asher shared a look that I didn’t get. “I sang to you,” she smiled. “I remember it like it was yesterday. You were so small…so innocent, there was a certain look in your eyes, I just knew.” I looked over at Asher and took his hand in mine, squeezing it.

  “So, you used to be an Opulent?” I blinked, unable to imagine her being on the same level as the Sentinels.

  “Yes, I was an Opulent.” She looked off, seeming to remember something.

  “Why would you give that up?” I asked, knowing what she was going to say.

  “No matter who your soulmate is, no matter how far away they may seem.” She smiled, warmly, looking from me to Asher. “You will always find your way back to them.”

  I spent several days with Asher and his mother, there was just something about them that made me feel safe. But a deep dread filled me, thinking of my mom and what might be awaiting me when I got home.

  “So, did you grow up here?” I looked around at the abandoned town.

  “Yes.” Asher smiled, continuing forward. “See that little building over there?” He pointed in the direction of a torn down brick building.

  “Yeah,” I blinked, trying to find one remarkable thing about it.

  His eyes filled with wonder, “It used to be a massive skyscraper, one you could see from almost anywhere in the town- Oh! Do you see that oval-shaped structure?”

  “That one?” I smiled at his enthusiasm; I hadn’t ever seen him this peaceful.

  “Mmhm, we used to have massive parties where we would roast hot dogs and s’mores for hours on end!” He seemed to be reliving some of the best memories of his life, and I watched as not only his smile got brighter but so did his cloud. It was still dark grey, but it was still progress.

  “It sounds like you really love this place,” I gave him a warm smile. “How did it get so wasted?”

  He looked down, his smile fading. “The…” he choked on his words. “The Japanese and German soldiers, they…they took everything.” His eyes went dark, I could tell he was remembering horrible things. I didn’t know how to respond, but I didn’t want him to relive it. I could tell it was hard for him, and I couldn’t imagine my whole neighborhood being destroyed, and never being fixed. We kept walking, except in silence this time.

  I was about to attempt at conversation again when a huge projection appeared on a broken building in front of us. This one was hosted by Mr. Lieu himself, so it had to be important.

  “Attention citizens of Lieu, we are now facing something that could very well tear apart the seams of our lovely nation. As you may know, some citizens who have everything they could ever want and more, are unhappy. They are known as Insiders, people who had perfectly happy lives, and threw them away. For what? A rebellion? Murder? Whatever they want, it will only harm the good people left in this world. These monsters are being tracked down before they can track you down. They will kill everyone you love in cold blood. These creatures will stop at nothing, they now pose more of a threat than the Fugitives. Their goal is to encourage the breaking of our sacred rules. Rules people gave their lives to enforce!

  Never consult with an Outsider

  Never break curfew

  Never steal from someone above your rank or someone that shares it

  Never harm someone from the same rank or higher

  Insiders are extremely dangerous mistakes

  Always keep your eyes open for the brand

  Never, under any circumstances, deny a Sentinel or Official

  The government always knows what’s best for you

  Never associate yourself with someone in the lower ranks

  Sentinels have every right to ask and search to prove your innocence

  All Insiders will be killed on sight

  All Outsiders now have an earlier curfew of 7:30 P.M. anyone caught outside after this will be shot on sight

  Any citizen, no matter the rank, who consults or aids a Fugitive or Insider will be stripped of their rank and marked as a traitor and enemy of Lieu

  “These rules are the only thing that keeps you safe, my dear people. The very core of our nation.” With that, the screen vanished. Two new rules, is it really getting that bad out there?

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next few days flew by, as I learned more and more about the life Asher had lived before I met him.

  “So, you moved from Australia when you were only five?” I asked as we strolled down the torn-up roads.

  “Mmhm, my brothers were five and three, and my only sister at the time was barely two.” He smiled in a bittersweet way.

  “Do you ever miss them?” I looked at him, trying to understand how someone else could get over the loss of their siblings.

  He bit his lip, before responding. “It comes and goes. Some days are harder than others, but you learn to move on.”

  I nodded, sighing. “I lost my brother…he…” I paused, unsure if I could tell him. They were searching for relatives of Insiders, but if he was going to let all of his walls down, I had to as well. “My brother was one of them.” I took in a few shaky breaths, remembering it like it was yesterday. His bleeding body mangled and broken from the cuts. The letter clutched in his fist. “He…he finished the job before they could find him.”

  “Hey, it’s okay.” Asher put his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. “I know how horrible those memories can be, Tess.” He paused as if realizing what he had called me. All I could hear was my dad and my brother calling me the same thing with such love in their tones. The name he had called me right before he died. When he had lied to me for the last time. I narrowed my eyes, remembering all the pain, the sorrow I had overcome.

  “It’s okay,” I smiled, concealing the old scars in the way I had learned over the years. How to maintain the numbness I had built up as a form of protection for myself. I forced myself to meet his gaze, trying to get the final resting look in my brother’s glossy eyes out of my head.

  “It’s just that…” my words trailed off as I considered telling him. “Never mind.” I wasn’t ready to let down that particular wall in my life. Not yet.

  …

  M
y thoughts wouldn’t stay still for a second, and I struggled to fall asleep because of it. Mary had made me as comfortable as she could, but I still couldn’t manage to relax. She had been an Opulent, and she just gave it all away? Hadn’t her husband been made an Opulent as well?

  After many useless attempts at sleep, I decided to go onto the front porch to clear my head. The air wasn’t so bad now that I was used to it, and I just really needed to think.

  To my surprise, I found Asher sitting on the step. He hadn’t noticed me yet, and I debated going back inside, but then I noticed his cloud. It was a very dark bluish gray, making me smile. It seemed his mother gave him a sense of peace that no one else could.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked, sitting beside him.

  He looked up at me, not even fazed that I was awake at this hour, too. “Even on a good night, I hardly ever sleep.” He mumbled in reply. “The house is too confining, it cages you in.”

  “Are you claustrophobic?” I leaned on my hand, studying his face.

  “Something like that.” He whispered, seeming lost in an entirely different world of his own.

  I sighed, deciding to change the subject. “It’s so beautiful here at night.” I looked up at the night sky with all of its constellations.

  He chuckled a little to himself, “I suppose you of all people would appreciate something as confusing as the sky.”

  I raised an eyebrow, “What’s so confusing about it?”

  He shrugged, looking more relaxed than I had ever seen him. “The stars, they all look the same.”

  “They do not!” I said, very much offended. “There are all sorts of differences.”

  “Like?” He smiled, clearly amused.

  “Mass, size, temperature. Oh! They’re even different colors!” I piped up, smiling. It was nice to talk about something I was so passionate about.

  “They all look the same to me,” he squinted up at the stars, giving me a mock pouty look.

  “The hottest and biggest stars are blue and bright, and the coolest and smaller stars are red and dim. Oh, and see that one? The bright one over there?” I pointed, trying to help him see.