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25

25

First job to be done: find somewhere to sleep. After that hectic chase, our path was nicely deserted. The only noise was our own feet as we made our way through the winding alleys.

"We need to get back out on the main streets," Beth said, trying to lead us in the right direction before I held out my hand to stop her.

"Yes, but there still could be guards roaming around. I'd rather not run into any more of them."

She rolled her eyes but didn't move. I looked around at our surroundings. The darkness of the sky did help with us being hidden, however it was difficult to see too far ahead. The walls that surrounded us were tall with no entrances.

"I don't suppose many of you picked up any supplies?" I asked. Greeted with shaking heads, the small glimmer of hopefulness I held burnt out. I took Hector's sack off him and searched through it quickly. Some clothes, blankets, that was about it. Pulling out the blanket, I pointed over to an empty bin bay. It will have to do.

We staggered over to it with people beginning to yawn. Sam in particular seemed near to passing out with exhaustion. It was hard to believe that it was still the same day since he found the file about the other person. Everyone else slept while he did. He must be getting close to being awake for near twenty-four hours. We all settled ourselves on the ground while passing around the three blankets we had left. Whether it was because of the cold walls and ground or just because of the limited cloth, we were forced to bundle closer together. It seemed to be a fruitless effort. It didn't get any more comfortable, but we had to make due.

I couldn't achieve any more than a light doze while surrounded by snores. I gazed around at what was left of my crumbling team. It's amazing how people could look so at peace when they sleep. As my eyes travelled among their faces, I landed on one with open eyes.

"You should try sleep for a bit, Finn," I whispered, attempting to not disturb the rest.

There was a dim, white flash as he smiled. "You should know by now that I'm not going to able to fall asleep in the dark."

Memories of the night where we were confided to a cell fizzed in my mind vividly. It was handy he was right beside me, easier to take hold of his hand. The old ghost of his shakes brushed past my skin as I thought back.

"That was a weird night," I mumbled.

He nodded and let me continue talking. "After we got out, you seemed to shut off when I brought up you not liking the dark."

Finn let out a deep sigh. "No one knew about it until then. It's embarrassing for me; I was born in Law & Protection. I'm supposed to be brave. How can someone be brave and still be afraid of the dark?"

Gazing up at his face, my chest pinged at seeing the look upon it. His head hung low and a deep frown was set on his mouth.

"You're right. People from Law & Protection are meant to be brave. It's their dominant characteristic in the Test. But you stayed there after the it. You're meant to be there. So, what if you're scared of the dark? I'm sure most people are afraid of something."

The dark? Heights? Spiders? Crowds? Fire? Running through the ideas of any possible common fears, none stuck out.

"No."