𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏

Nereus and Salacia send Aurora and me to the District 4 suite, and tonight, we have the whole suite all to ourselves, other than the Avoxes that populate the common room.

Aurora leads me to the dining table, where we sit across from each other like we used to do in the bakery at the city center of District 4.

Aurora calls an Avox over. "Could we have two prime steaks, please?" she says with a smile. "And some candles, please. We're having a date tonight."

I blush a bit. I feel like I should have come up with the idea to have a date on the last night, but Aurora was always more thoughtful than me.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" I ask her, looking out the window at the city buildings below us.

"I don't know," she says quietly. "I'm so scared. Not just that I might die, but more that I might lose you."

I reach across the table and grab her hands. "You won't," I promise. "We're prepared for the Arena. We can do this. Together."

Aurora pulls away, brushing away a lone tear. "I know, but I can't help but feel like it's my fault that you're here. No matter what, one of us will die in there. No exceptions. We may be a team, but eventually one of us will have to go."

"I don't want to think about that," I say. My heart is throbbing and I'm trying to hold back all the emotions that are swirling around in my head. I don't want to think about losing Aurora.

The steaks arrive, and we each sit in silence for a little while, enjoying each other's company. It takes a few minutes for me to restart the conversation.

"Do you feel like we've lived our lives to the fullest?" I ask her, glancing up from my plate. "Some nights I don't worry about the fact that I might die. I'm not scared of that. But what bothers me is that I feel like I didn't do everything I wanted to."

She nods, her eyes telling me everything I need to know. "Of course, Griff. I mean, we're just kids. We've done so much together, but it breaks my heart to think that we had so much ahead of us. I really saw us together in 50 years. I had everything all planned out."

"I just wish we could have gotten married," I sigh.

"I just wish my father was still alive," she responds pointedly. "Nothing turned out the way it was supposed to, did it?"

She shakes her head. "I'm just glad that I have you by my side in the Arena. Till death do us part, you know?"

"I'm only here to protect you," I say. "Remember that. If you don't go home alive, I will have failed."

Aurora locks eyes with me. "Don't say that. I can't take it."

I back down. "Fine, but just remember that. You owe it to me."

The girl across from me buries her head in her arms. "I just can't believe this is happening. I was so convinced we'd won the war and the Games were over. I was so wrong."

I stand, coming up behind her and smothering her in a hug. "There's nothing we can do," I murmur to her. "At least we're here together."

~

When our date is over, Aurora kisses me goodnight and heads to her bedroom. Tomorrow is an important day, so I want to be rested.

As I lay under the covers of my luxurious bed, my mind wanders. I wonder what the other tributes are doing. If any of them are as scared as I am.

Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow. This may be my last day alive, but that doesn't scare me. I've done everything in my life that I wanted to. I just wished I had more time to give back to those who gave so much to me.