𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡. | ᶠⁱⁿⁿⁱᶜᵏ ᵒᵈᵃⁱʳ

chapter iv.

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ᴀᴛʟᴀs͙.

⋆˚₊✦ੈ*———♆———ೄྀ࿐

She has never quite understood why District One and District Two had no shortage of volunteers. In District Four, it was not often the custom for someone to willingly sign for death. Surely, they might belong to the career districts and the children who attended the Academy trained two hours a day, but the majority of the people unofficially did not agree with the Games at all. That's why they didn't even raise their children in the belief that participating in them and winning should be the meaning of their lives. Fortunately. And exceptions like her father proved the rule.

Saying goodbye to grandma and Marcellus was simply devastating. She couldn't look the kind old woman in the eyes and promise her that it wouldn't be the last time. She felt as if the last pieces of her heart remained in that room —
with little Marcellus and their grandmother.

She wasn't quite sure in what exact moment she shut down all the emotions. Her fingers tingled and her soul wept, but she could only fully perceive emptiness... a strange coming to terms with death. She had given up on the game before she started playing it.

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Tinsley Ivy, the Fourth District bright and bubbly escort, kept them company until the mentors arrived on the train. To be honest... the purple haired woman couldn't be quiet even if the world depended on it. Once she started talking, her mouth hasn't closed ever since. She was nice — slightly featherbrained and hyper, but nice. Despite giving Atlas a headache, Tinni has charmed her with the unprecedented childlike energy.

Currently, she was in the process of explaining to them what kinds of showers existed in the Capitol (Atlas had honestly no idea how she came up with this topic) when the doors of the luxury coach opened.

"Hello, my loves," greeted them Luella Lorri, a beautiful woman with chocolate skin. She gave them a small sad smile, her empathic eyes revealing that she remembered when she was in their place.

And yet Harlan, the eighteen-year-old boy sitting next to her, looked like a peacock. Atlas glanced at him for a moment, but his expression did not change. She understood why he looked so proud and confident when he volunteered. However, the cameras and spotlights had long since gone out, and he still looked honestly proud.

"Did you both attend the Academy?"

Harlan raised his chin perhaps even higher. "Of course." He didn't seem explicitly unsympathetic, just slightly addle-headed... "And I would like to tell you, Miss Lorri, that you are my great role model. Your Games were amazing."

Atlas had long experience in the theater, she easily recognized that every emotion on Luella's face was strictly guarded and controlled. It had to be.

The victor of the 53rd Hunger Games thanked Harlan with a beautiful smile. Atlas guessed that her mind went back to that nightmare, back to the pain, back to the regret, back to the remorse. Well, Luella was a good actress, she had to admit that.

"Well...darling tributes..." A blond man sat down on the chair opposite them, fingers touching his elegant chin, sky blue eyes with strange amusement examining their attitude, behavior, appearance, everything. "What are your talents?"

For a small moment, she forgot that someone was thoroughly analyzing her and irresponsibly fell out of the role. She showed a slight surprise and her eyes wandered to the door of the train. She realized she had made a mistake the moment her gaze met Kyle's. She knew who she was looking for. And, sadly, he knew it too.

"You don't have to worry," Kylen winked at her provocatively. "Your mentor is Finnick, I'm just here out of personal curiosity."

Luella glared at him and squeezed his hand in an impulsive, unguarded gesture. Kind of... too automatically. Atlas didn't have to be a genius to think of questioning their purely friendly relationship.

All the rumors were true — even the one about Kylen Rowle not missing anything. Truly, nothing escaped his watchful eyes.

Well... she has always been a good student.

She tilted her head gently with a stony expression not allowing any emotion to penetrate. Only her caramel irises — fighting battle with his blue ones — for a brief moment flared up with a glowing fire.

"I don't care with all my heart," her eerily calm sonorous voice carried through the space like a song.

She then stood up and walked away with grace and confidence although she didn't even know where her room was. She had no idea where she was going — well, no-one did. After all, life worked on such a principle.

To be fair... Atlas often admired them from afar. Victors. She admired them for their strength to survive. Or rather their stubborness not to die? She couldn't decide which phrase described their life better.

And as soon as first door closed behind her, she leaned against the wall with a deep sigh, tears glistening in her brown eyes. Cursing herself for her impolite behavior, she massaged her temples.

But Kylen Rowle just smiled.

⋆˚₊✦ி*———♆———ೄྀ࿐

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

currently, two a.m., so good evening, night and morning, darlings 💕

thank you for giving this book a chance. neither i nor the gods know what will become of it.

eh.

i am supposed to be studying for exams, and yet... here. i. am.

therefore, bye.

PS: for saints' sake, i am truly stupid :)

Love,
V.