Luna

Ch. 20

At the first sight of sunlight, I open my eyes. I look over at the alarm clock sat next to the bed.

5:34 am.

I sigh and rub my eyes tiredly. Lying on my back, I rest my hands on my stomach and look up at the ceiling. In the silence, I contemplate my next move. I look over to the identical bed a few feet away from me. Travis is sleeping peacefully on his side with his back to me. His snores aren't loud, but noticeable. I move to a sitting position on my bed, facing him. I can't help but reminisce about the kiss we shared. I'd never been kissed before...well, not like that at least. The first and only guy that tried to kiss me was left with broken limbs.

With Travis...there was something within that kiss.

An emotion was present. It was like a cloud hung over our heads and rained down on us. In that moment, I allowed myself to...feel. Ever since my mother passed, I'd been taught to never show true emotions. I'd been taught to never let anyone get too close. The only person I've ever let in was Sarah. She's become a little sister to me. She's not like me. She's never conformed to the extreme dos and don'ts forced on from my father.

In a weird way, I envied her. I envied the way she allowed herself to feel. She allowed herself to open up to people in ways that don't come natural to me. I was made to be heartless...to lack expression. Any sign of happiness should only be experienced after a mission was successfully completed.

It's...strange to think about it now. At the time, I was indifferent. I didn't mind keeping people arms length away. But now...things have changed. I have changed. Changed in ways that, at one point in time, would have made me roll my eyes in disbelief.

This guy...has changed me. As cheesy as that sounds, I can't deny the facts. I can't deny the feeling in my stomach just by knowing he's this close to me. Even now, with him being sound asleep, the thought of being able to reach out and touch him makes my stomach turns in ways that excite me. I watch as his body rises and falls with every intake of breath.

He's influenced me so much, that for a slight moment, I actually thought about waking him. The thought of never seeing him again is something I don't yet want to explore. My eyelids feel heavy just thinking about not being able to see his face or hear his voice. It's almost as though I've, unwillingly, grown to enjoy his company. I'm not ready to give that up.

But I have no choice. I refuse to be the reason he gets hurt, or worse. I sigh quickly to myself and stand from the bed. I silently put on my jacket, grab my bag, and make my way to the door. Spearing one final look at Travis, I leave the room. The hall is quiet. But knowing what I know about these sorts of institutes, that doesn't mean people are asleep. The silence is comforting, to say the lease.

As I journey through the corridors, I try to concentrate on my mission. The carpet allows my steps to be quiet as I pass all the doors that, no doubt, housed sleeping soldiers. On each door, there is a number. These specific doors

I try to determine the best form of action. I go over my next steps.

Step 1: Weapons.

I need weapons. A lot of them. I slightly venture around, not really knowing where I'm going. I find myself back at the training hall. I'm not surprised it's empty. Well, almost empty. There, standing in the center of the room, was Ein. My mind goes to memories of yesterday, when Travis and I stood in here, surrounded by hundreds of Tony Grawl's soldiers that were itching to get their hands on me. Ein, at the forefront of the crowd, leading the pack.

He's training alone, maneuvering around the mat in a practiced routine of attack. I watch as his arms flex and relax as he attacks the air. He grunts with each motion, sweat glistening against his skin, causing the brown tone to almost shine in a golden manner.