I love watching the sun rise in the morning. I get up extra early to make sure I see everything. My father and I used to do this together. Whenever I watch the sunrise, I think of him. I run my fingers over my necklace. This is the only piece of him that I have left.

I remember first seeing this necklace. Mine and Kade's birthday party. We was turning seven, and my father had just gotten home from a month away at his lab deeper into the heart of the city. Back then, before we lived on the streets, we lived farther away from the city.

I threw my arms over my father, nearly crying. That could have been my best birthday present; seeing my father again.

He hugged Kade too, as my mother stood at the back of the room, emotional at my father's return. Kade had received a captain's hat, one my father had gotten as a souvenir from his lab. My present was far more valuable.

My father knelt before me with a small, rectangular box, tied shut with a golden ribbon. "This is your present, Korra." he said. "Open it."

"Can I use the ribbon after, daddy? For my doll's hair?" I asked.

He chuckled at my childish question. "Of course."

I pull the ribbon, which unraveled. I opened the box, and there was a golden necklace. A gold chain, with a gold pendant that was engraved with a seal I hadn't recognized. I stared at it, dumbfounded but muddled. "What's this, dad?" I asked.

"It's a necklace, pumpkin." He removed it from the box, and clipped it around my neck. "It symbolizes freedom and peace, the foundation at which our country was formed."

"I don't get it," I said.

He chuckled again. "You're still too young, Korra. You'll figure it out someday."

"Hey! Why does she get a necklace?" Kade complained to our father.

"You have your own present, Kade," my mother said. "Don't be selfish."

My father just smiled. "This necklace will be your salvation, your freedom. Whenever you feel alone, just place your finger on the seal, and it will guide you."

The memory of my father brings tears to my eyes. The more I think about it, the more I miss him and the more I regret not getting to know him more.

Just then, I hear a loud screeching sound. It seems farther away. I stand on the balcony and examine the area. Nothing. I listen for the noise again. Silence. Not the usual silence I'm used to.

I descend from the balcony. Once my feet hit the ground, I examine the area once more. Where did that sound come from? I try not to think the worst. I find myself walking down the street. My eyes dance around frantically, hoping that I was just imagining the noise. I walk further down the street, and when I look back, I can't see my shelter. I hope I didn't walk too far into the city.

Just when I'm about to turn around, I hear the noise again. I turn my head quickly in the direction of the noise. It sounds like someone is in distress --a person possibly-- but the screeching didn't sound human. More inhuman. I continue forward slowly, careful not to catch any unwanted attention.

I spot a VoiciBot down the street. It moves pretty fast, so I only have a second to act. I sidestep into an alley, and hide behind some trash cans. I hold in my breath. It seems to have been good timing, because I hear the VoiciBot's scanning noises, which is a variety of high-pitched beeping. I hear the faint buzzing sound of the VoiciBot hovering away, and I release my breath. I climb on top of the trash cans, and I begin scaling the wall, grabbing the window ledges. I hoist myself up, and I begin running across the tops of the buildings, avoiding the damaged areas. I'm a fast runner, typically because I've been out on the streets long enough.

Another screech pierces my eardrums, and I stop running to listen. I seem to be getting closer to the source. I scan the area. From atop the building, I spot the raised railroads in the distance. The L-Train's horn blares as it hovers along the tracks, covering about 100 miles per hour at most. From the sound of the train, I know I'm close to the Square. The source of the cry might be coming from there.

I leap off the building into an alleyway. My ankles ache from the drop. I find my feet and jog at a steady pace. I'm getting deeper into the heart of the city. I spot overturned cars and trucks, most are covered with dust. Windows are busted, doors are ripped off. It seems like a scene from an action movie my father would take me to see. I don't stop to examine. I continue on, my curiosity fueling me forward.

The raised railroads are closer now. I'm almost in the middle of the Square. It's empty. Almost all of the buildings have collapsed, leaving nothing but piles of rubble. One railroad track has collapsed, and a train with it. The windows are full of dust and debris from the collapsed buildings, making it difficult to see inside. The headlights on the front of the train are barely working, flickering like the streetlights. One goes out faster than I can blink. The Square is silent. I can tell no one has been here in years. It seems neglected. Abandoned.

I'm stopped by a faint moaning sound. My head turns quickly, and my heart begins to beat rapidly. The moaning grows louder. Only a few yards away, I see a figure. It's tall, with abnormally long arms and legs. The head is smaller than the body. The greenish skin is covered with blemishes and blisters. It lets out a blood-curdling scream, the same sound I first heard on my balcony. The sound doesn't sound human. More inhuman.

I suck in my breath and frantically search for a place to hide. Nearby, I spot a small wall of rubble, barely enough to keep me hidden. I dive behind the rubble pile and curl up into a ball, covering my head in my arms. I strain my ears for the faintest noise from the creature. Silence.

My breathing grows heavier and shakier. I raise my head from the protection of my arms, and lean against the wall. My heart is now pounding against my chest as if it wants to break through my ribs. I slowly peer behind the wall. I see the creature trudging along, making various moaning reverberations.

I can't stay here. I have to leave. Now.

Just then, another creature appears, almost the same characteristics of the other one. Mutants. These things are mutants.

I begin to panic. If I don't leave now, I'll become a morning meal for these brutes. But if I run, I might have the same fate. Either way, I'm screwed.

I spot one building that might be safe to climb. If I'm quick enough, I could scale it and hopefully make it to the top before I'm attacked. The plan seems simple enough, but risky. One mistake could end me for sure.

I inhale deeply and exhale. Three... two... I move my foot, and I accidentally kick a rock. I know I've been located. Both mutants let out screams, ready to attack. I have no second to waste. I jump to my feet and sprint to the safe zone. I hear the mutants galloping behind me, covering more distance than me. I leap as high as I can and grab a ledge. I begin climbing, frantically reaching for anything I can grab. The mutants claw at my feet with their three-fingered hands, screaming as if they're shouting death threats at me. I climb higher and faster. If only I had some sort of weapon. I could use one of the Units' rifles right now.

My foot slips on the side of the building, and I lose my footing. I frantically reach for something to grab on. I grip the side of the building, desperately trying to keep myself from slipping and falling into the clutches of those monsters.

Just then, one of the mutants lets out a cry. I look behind me to find a knife implanted in its temple. The mutant moans and collapses to the ground. I'm staggered for a moment. The thought of a random knife flying out of nowhere sends chills up my spine. There must be someone else here. A second knife flies fast like a bullet and, just like the first, strikes the second mutant, but this time in its neck. The mutant struggles to pull the knife out of its flesh, but falls to the ground. In a matter of seconds, the body goes limp, and I see a pool of purple blood forming around the mutant's head.

Just like that, both powerful creatures lie limp in the midst of the square.

I descend from the building to examine the dead bodies. I kneel down next to them, and scrutinize the scene of attack. No man could have thrown a knife so quickly and so accurately to that it could pierce the rotting flesh of a mutant. Who --or what-- could have thrown those knives?

"Don't touch those things," a male voice behind me startles me. I turn my head quickly to my left to see a figure, covered by the shadows of the tall buildings. "You don't know if their disease could spread."

I stand slowly, overwhelmed by this figure. He doesn't sound like a man. More like... a boy. A boy my age. The boy steps forward, revealing himself. He's tall --taller than me-- with a strong build. He wears a blue sweater with strings, quite like my own. His army trousers are slightly torn at the knees, and his combat boots look worn out. He wears a hood over his head so I can barely see his face. The only visible part of his head is a tiny strand of dark blonde hair that seems to shimmer in the daylight.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"None of your business," the boy says, removing one of his knives from the throat of the mutant. The knife is covered in thick, purple blood. "God knows you could be a Unit trying to return me back to my home."

"If I was a Unit, I would have done that by now," I say. "Who are you?"

The boy turns to me after he's cleaned off the mutant blood from his knives with the sleeve of his sweater. "What makes you think I would--"

A high pitched wail echoes through the Square, sending a series of chills dancing up my spine. The boy looks startled as well, and retreats into the cover of the shadows, leaving me behind. He scales a building, faster than anyone I've ever seen. He disappears, and the world around me grows silent.

"Hey!" I call after him. "Wait!"

I scale the building almost just as fast as him. When I pull myself up, I see the boy at the edge of the roof, scanning the area for any danger. "What's your deal? You can't just leave--"

"Shh!" The boy says, placing a hand over my mouth. "We're in danger. Do you realize that? If I were you, I'd keep your trap shut, unless you want to be their breakfast."

I rip his hand from my mouth. I don't take orders from anyone. Just as I'm about to insult him, I spot a group of mutants (about three or four of them) galloping towards the train tracks. It seems as if they're running from something, since I keep seeing their bulky and deformed heads turn behind them. A squad of eight to ten Units marches into the scene, firing at the mutants. One goes down instantly. Two others charge, but are shot in their chests by the Unit's strong rifles. The last mutant, who seems injured, tries to limp away, but is shot in the head, thus ending the short battle.

The lead Unit shouts some commands at the other Units, who salute him and do as they're told. I suck in my breath as I see the Unit's face.

It's Kade.

I almost faint at the sight of him. Kade? Out here? Fighting mutants? It seems strange for him to be out here. He has patrol duty out by the fence. Why would he be in the Square? The Square is way outside our territory lines, and I should have known better than to cross those lines. The younger sister side of me worries for him. Worries that he might get hurt. The older sister side me wants to march over there, grab him by the ear, and drag him home. But that's his job. Not mine. I'm the younger sibling, not the older one.

I glance to my right to face the boy, but he's not there. He's vanished. I turn around and see him jump from the building. Something about him makes me cock my head. I want to know what he's up to.

I jump from the building and follow him down an alleyway. I pick up my pace to catch up with him. He walks very fast. He glances behind him and finds me following him. He stops to face me. "Are you stalking me?"

I don't answer that question. Instead, I say, "Why don't I ask you a question?"

"And your question is?"

"Why so suspicious? Are you up to something I don't know about?" I ask, squinting my eyes at him.

He glares at me. "Is that your question?"

I hesitate. "Why did you help me?"

The boy looks at me suspiciously, and then turns to walk away. I grab the sleeve of his sweater and pull him back. I stare into his eyes fiercely. He looks stunned by my urgency. "Why did you help me?" I ask again through clenched teeth.

A wry smile spreads across his face. "Are you threatening me? If that's the case... I'm not intimidated, mate."

"I asked a simple question, and I expect an answer. I'm not here to play games."

The boy throws up two hands. "Look, I don't know you, and I don't want to stand here and play twenty questions with you."

I give him a glare. In a quiet, but irritated voice, I say, "I'm going to ask one more time. Why did you decide to help me?"

The boy sighs, finally giving in to submission. "If you let go of me, then I'll tell you."

I release my grip from his sweater. My knuckles have turned white. I may have been gripping too hard, "Thank you," I say. "So... why?"

"I didn't really think that you'd make it if I left you there, okay? You got your answer, so can I leave?" the boy answers quickly.

I sigh, and nod my approval. "Fine."

The boy gives me a final glare, and then runs off. I watch as he disappears, and then I decide to leave. The whole way back to my shelter, I'm thinking about that boy. He's so mysterious, which makes him a bit suspicious. But that's what I find interesting about him. He looks like he's been on the streets longer than I have, seeing that he's so agile and knows his way around the city. My thoughts revolve around the boy. I'm curious about him. I want to find out more about him.