𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 ✔️

Chapter 26 - Cressa

^Felix

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Chapter 26

POV: Cressa (District 4)

Time: Night 5

Tributes Remaining: 20

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I stand in the back of the large mentor room, where I'm between two mentors sitting in chairs in front of me, Brandy and Wayne. Brandy is wiry and in her mid-fifties with wild, curly black hair; Wayne is a whiskered old man similar in looks to Griff, although he is less mentally capable than Griff because of his age. Both from Victors from District 10.

I lean over Brandy's shoulder, tapping a large tablet in front of her. The pair of mentors are looking for canteens to send to their tributes, Rex and Lena, because they are running short on water. However, all the pictures have a red background on Brandy's tablet, meaning they don't have enough sponsor funds to purchase them.

"Yeah, it looks like all of these are over your current budget," I tell them slowly so they can hear me properly. "You'll have to wait for funds to send anything out."

Brandy shakes her head, disappointed. "Oh well, hopefully they can last long enough for us to get them something."

"Thank you, Cressa..." Wayne says slowly.

"No worries," I reply kindly as I pick up a crackling sound coming from my earpiece. I press my ear, initiating a beeping sound.

"Cressa?" I hear Jordinia call.

"You need me, Jordinia?" I ask, beginning to walk to the front of the room.

"Come up to the front," Jordinia orders. "We may have a... situation."

I pick up the pace as I pass through the empty mentor room. Most of the mentors left after their tributes' deaths, while the rest are sleeping through the night. The ones that really care about their tributes, though, are still here despite the late hour. Some mentors are even sleeping at their tables as I pass them.

I reach a table at the front of the room nearest to the large screen broadcasting the Games, where Jordinia and Griff are working intensely. Jordinia is speaking into a device quietly as I watch the screen. The screen is split - one half shows Soren, Lacie, Robin, Nia, and Dalia, all relaxing, while the other shows a map of the Arena.

"The Careers are on track to run right into them," Griff informs me.

My heart drops. If they're caught by surprise, they could all die, Soren included.

"How many?" I ask.

"Three."

I bite my lip. On-screen, three icons numbered '1', '1', and '10' are moving towards other icons indicating Soren's alliance.

"Iris and Wolfgang are on their way," Jordinia says, setting her device down.

I notice there's another icon, numbered '6', between the two groups. It must be Jomilee. I think after she was attacked by Rowan, she returned to the temperate forest rather than the jungle. The camera in the Arena shifts to confirm that it is her.

I watch as Jomilee stumbles through the woods. Half of her hair is chopped off roughly, and on that side of her neck, the bandage that has been wrapped around the area is stained red with blood. She pants, wincing in pain from her injuries.