Kai's Point of View
The night air is cool, the kind that carries every sound. My boots crunch lightly against the gravel path as Octavia walks beside me, her eyes scanning the shadows like she is expecting trouble to leap out at any second. She is so focused, so serious, it almost makes me smile.
The campus is quiet, the lanterns casting long pools of golden light across the walkways. It feels like we are the only two people in the world right now, and I cannot help but think I like it this way.
“You know,” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets, “you do not have to look like you are preparing for war. It is patrol, not a battle march.”
She glances at me, her brow furrowed. “It is my first shift. I want to do it right.”
I grin, leaning just a little closer as we walk. “Octavia, you a
