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Cursing under her breath, Kayley quickly rummaged through her dresser for her workout clothes.[i]So foolish[/i]. How could she have been so irresponsible? She had been so focused on the unsolved murder case, she had completely forgotten about her Guardian Auxiliary duties and their mandatory workout that morning. She smacked her forehead in frustration. Rickard, the Captain of Guardian Auxiliaries, and her own squad leader, Liam, were furious. Kayley was also enraged at her actions. This should never have happened. 

Racing to throw on simple, black shorts and white tank top, she hurried over to meet back with Liam and Rickard. Not only were they punishing her with an extreme workout, she was also assigned to clean up all of the excess trash around the courtyard. These punishments were nothing compared to the weeks of mental torture Kayley would put herself through. She would work even harder, study every moment she was free, she wouldn’t forgive herself until she passed out from exhaustion. Rickard and Liam were chatting when Kayley finally arrived.

“Warm up with some laps. I’ll let you know when you can stop,” Liam said, a scowl still on his face. 

[color=F2A7B4]“Okay,”[/color] She affirmed before heading to the track. 

Starting off with a light jog, she eventually picked up her speed. She started to feel her muscles tense but continued speeding up. All of this, the burn she was beginning to feel, the soreness she would feel tomorrow, she deserved it all. Each lap finished motivated her to go faster. She forced herself to remember her promise and vow to her parents, to remember the night that haunted her dreams, why she wanted to become a Guardian in the first place. There was no excuse for being irresponsible. She couldn’t afford to rest and lose track of her goal. All of this was for the two people she loved more than anything. The night her parents died replayed through her mind for the thousandth time. She couldn’t move. All she could do was watch as the merciless monsters cut off her mother’s horn, watch as they plunged a knife into her father’s majestic body. Once. Twice. Five times. Ten. Twenty. [color=F2A7B4]“No! You can’t!”[/color] She screamed with her whole body.[color=F2A7B4] “Stop!” [/color]

She suddenly felt strong arms shake her. Blinking several times, Kayley realized the arms had belonged to Rickard, and they were both sitting on the ground. Liam stood closely behind. She met both of their widened eyes. [i]What happened?[/i] Her face felt wet, and she discovered she had been crying. 

“Kayley, what’s going on?” Rickard firmly asked. Still in a daze, she was unable to open her mouth.

“Kayley?” Liam echoed his concern. 

  
[color=F2A7B4]“I..I don’t know. What happened?”[/color] She asked, wiping away her tears. 

“You were sprinting your laps. You ran maybe twenty before you started screaming and shortly after, you collapsed,” Rickard said. 

Kayley rubbed her forehead. She wasn’t sure how to respond. What was going on with her? If others found out about her past, she’d be endangered. 

[color=F2A7B4]“I’m sorry, I’m fine. Let’s keep going,”[/color] She said at last. 

“No, I think we’re done here,” Rickard said. 

[color=F2A7B4]“What?” [/color]

“You still need to go and pick up all the trash in the courtyard. Don’t miss our workout again, Kayley.” Rickard glanced at her before walking off, leaving her and Liam alone.

“Kayley, what’s going on with you?” Liam asked. 

[color=F2A7B4]“Nothing is wrong. I won’t miss it again.”[/color] Kayley took a deep breath and stood up. She needed to get out of here quickly.

“What were you thinking about that made you scream? Something is clearly going on.” 

[color=F2A7B4]“I said, I am fine. Rickard said I need to clean the courtyard.”[/color] She waited for Liam’s nod before walking hurriedly away. 

[hr]

Kayley grabbed all of the necessary supplies she needed, trash bags, gloves, etc. She ignored the pain of her sore legs. Part of her was still shaken up over the event that had occurred shortly before, but she kept going.The path she was on was for her loved ones, and she would continue walking it. 

Arriving at the Grand Courtyard, she immediately noticed bright orange fliers covering the ground. Sighing heavily, she began the process of throwing them into her bag. This would take all day.