𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏𝕍𝕀𝕀

I stumble through the forest for what seems forever before I collapse on the ground, unable to run any further. I glance back to see that Phoenix is nowhere to be seen. I just have to hope he wasn't following me.

Tears spring to my eyes as soon as I stop running, and I bury my face in my hands. I let out a sob as I think of poor Axel's head rolling in my direction. He was just a kid. He didn't deserve that. And now what am I going to do? I have to tell Vesta, but where are the girls? They can't be much farther now.

I push the thought of Axel's death to the back of my mind. I have to find the girls before nightfall or else I might not be able to find them in the darkness. I pull myself up and keep going.

Traveling through the forest alone is a daunting task. The black-and-white trees around me seem so cold and lifeless now, and I keep hearing noises coming from the trees that make my heart thump. The landscape is robotic and cold, and I just want the familiar warmth of the group again. Of Aurora.

I sigh in relief as the girls come into sight, and I jog up to the pair as they stand up.

"Oh, Griff!" Aurora cries, launching herself into my arms. "We were so worried. We heard all those cannon shots and figured you were in trouble."

"We were," I sigh, breathing in her scent. "I'm lucky I made it out of there alive."

When I step away from Aurora, the look on Vesta's face breaks my heart. She looks shattered, too broken to open her mouth and ask the dreaded question. "Where's Axel?" she says quietly, her eyes darting between me and Aurora.

I take a deep breath before I tell them the entire story from the beginning. About Isabelle's death, Phoenix's outburst, and his attack on Axel. At the retelling of her brother's demise, Vesta lets out a strangled sob, burying her face in her arms and shaking violently. Aurora moves closer to her and embraces her.

"It's okay, Vesta," Aurora murmurs. "We're still here."

Vesta just shakes her head. "If Axel hadn't volunteered to go to let me stay here, he would still be alive. This is all my fault."

"There's nothing you could've done," I reassure her. "It was his choice. Phoenix has lost his mind."

We're interrupted by the Panem anthem, which fills the area with sound. I glance up to see the words "THE FALLEN" written across the dome above us. Isabelle is the first tribute to appear, her cold eyes staring down at me from the sky above. After her is Axel. Vesta looks up at him intently, clearly savoring the last time she'll ever see her brother's face. However, he quickly fades and is replaced by Willa, the girl from District 7.

When the Panem anthem fades, Vesta stands and grabs her backpack. "I'm going," she announces, determined. "I have to kill Phoenix, even if it kills me. What he did to my brother wasn't right, and he shouldn't get away with it."

"You can stay with us," I offer, although I would like to have Aurora to myself for a while. "It's dangerous out there."

Vesta just shakes her head. "It's District 2 custom. Phoenix has shamed my family, and he must pay for it."

Aurora and I can't convince her to stay, so we split the supplies with her. Luckily, Isabelle, Phoenix, and Axel all left their supplies at the camp, so we have plenty to go around.

"I'm going to miss you guys," Vesta says emotionally. We can see her from the glowing prints below us, which are mostly blue and red from when Vesta and Aurora camped her all day. I can barely make out Vesta's face in the darkness.

"You've been so kind to Axel and me," she continues, her voice shaking. "Thank you both for everything."

After we both hug Vesta, she heads out, following the tracks we left earlier. The tracks are very heavy in that direction from all the trips we made back and forth.

It feels like Vesta's embarking on a wild goose chase. Phoenix is probably chasing Vance, and now Vesta is chasing Phoenix. I don't know what will happen and who will find whom, but I just hope Vesta doesn't die the same way her brother did.