Perception {Dreamnotfound}

6 | Trust | 6

-George's POV-

Sleeping has always been hard for me. That's probably normal, when I'm constantly all alone and moving from place to place. Permanent residence isn't common, as the only suitable places to do so are in central city.

If you're braving staying in central city, you're doing it for one of three reasons.

Either one: you work there, two: you've killed your target, and therefore don't have to worry about being hunted anymore.

Or three: you have a death wish.

Rarely the most experienced may also house in central city. Those who know they're powerful, so powerful none would dare attack them, like the elite assassins. But it's still so easy to die during the night.

If you're a heavy sleeper, you're dead. You fall asleep, you get your throat slit in the middle of the night and never wake up again.

Staying in central city for an hour without experience is suicide. That's why there's so many deaths in the city.

The inexperienced travel to central city once their 18th birthday comes around to retrieve their target profiles. No idea how to handle a weapon, or which routes to take.

They normally don't make it to the hub before they're killed.

That's always been my biggest fear. Dying for nothing. You live without a target or hunter until you're 18, safe until you're an adult. On your eighteenth birthday, you're assigned a target. Normally it's someone about your age, which is meant to be a 'mercy'. This world makes no sense.

There's no corrupt society leader who determines this, they can't bring soulmates back from the dead. They can't assign soulmates or targets, it's impossible. Somehow, the world just works like this. There's no way to escape this system, or at least I don't think there is.

Maybe there is.

It's been five years for me. Five years since I became of age to have a target. Now I'm 23, having never seen my hunter until a few days ago. I still have no recollection of what they look like, having passed out barely a minute into the attack.

Maybe they're younger, only just assigned to me. But Dream said they're skilled, so they've probably been training for a few years.

For all I know, they've been stalking me for ages, deciding that a few days ago was the perfect time to strike. I'm certain I'd be dead if Dream hadn't stepped in.

Dream, who's now laying beside me, fast asleep. He's awkwardly pressed against the rim of the alcove, one hand on his blade. A little throwing knife is strapped to his belt, blood entirely covering the tip of the blade.

It occurs to me I still know very little about him. Who his target, or who his hunter is. Apparently he's clueless about his soulmate too, and he did mention he hasn't yet retrieved his target profile. Yet he has no intention of doing so until he finds his soulmate.

For all we know, he could be my target.

I don't understand why he's still hanging around me. We're not soulmates, so I could be dangerous to him. It's easier for me, knowing that he's safe. He can't be my hunter. I've seen my hunter before, and it's not him.

Yet I could be his.

Dream is the only person I know is safe, the only one I can put my faith into. Suddenly it makes sense as to why he won't show me his face, or even tell me his name.

He knows I'm colourblind, I'll have to show him my target profile so he can help me with the colours before I accidentally kill the wrong person. When he sees my profile, he'll know if I'm his hunter or not. Gives him a chance to run first. He'll act normal, then run while I'm asleep.