Run.

Lya

I run.

It's just who I am.

Whenever things get tough, I bail. Every new situation I find myself in, I have an exit strategy. Because I know what could happen if I don't.

Things are about to get bad, and I don't understand how or why. I'm in a new place, surrounded by strangers who know nothing about me or my past. I've developed a life for myself where no one could suspect a thing out of the ordinary. I fit in—or, at least, try to. But here I am, ready to run.

Let's just hope I do so in time.

***

Oliver

I didn't ask to be in these shoes. In fact, I was thoroughly looking forward to a life of little more than personal responsibility. I never saw my future tied to this place, no matter how much it is a part of me. The responsibility was thrust upon me, and with no one else left to step up, I had no choice. These are my people—my family—and this is my home. I couldn't turn my back, even if I wanted to. That's a type of betrayal I would never be able to stomach.

Any semblance of my plans years ago have fallen by the wayside, but that's the nature of the beast—and I am the beast.

Times are changing. I can feel it in my bones. I just hope we are ready and I am capable of protecting those who rely on me.