❝ THE FALL ◐ the hunger games.

❝ CHAPTER TWO .

The anthem is loud, louder than usual. It feels deafening to Denari and all she wants to do is cover her ears. She's confident her ears are ringing and her eardrums are pounding; she can feel it.

It feels like it plays for an excruciatingly long time, when it's maybe a mere 30 seconds. Once it ends, the four tributes are ushered into the building of the Town Center by a group of Peacekeepers. Tributes had tried to escape in the past, Denari saw it once when she was 7. It didn't end well.

The four of them are tossed into separate rooms that reek of luxury— of a knock off Capitol. Tributes are given time to say goodbyes to their loved ones before heading to the train station. While Denari had Nadia, someone who would be the most painful goodbye; Kade had no one. When he tried to push out of the room to go join Denari in hers, he was shoved back and greeted by a door being slammed in his face. He was left alone in a room full of velvet seats and a rug soft enough to sleep on. A room that reminded him too much of the Capitol.

Kade writhed at the feeling of velvet under his fingertips, Denari didn't even allow herself to experience it. She paced the room and chewed on her fingernails, anticipating whatever was next. She worried they wouldn't even let her see Nadia, but relief washed over her like a gentle wave at the beach when the girl came running in, engulfing Denari in one of the tightest hugs she had ever experienced.

"I can't believe you fuckin' did that.." Mumbled Nadia into Denari's shoulder. Her eyes were red and puffy, and they burned beyond belief but Nadia was too focused on the fact she got to hug Denari one last time to care.

Denari said nothing in response, she just buried her face into Nadia and bit down hard enough on her lower lip that she could've drawn blood. She couldn't cry, not again. She had already shown that Nadia was her weakness once, she couldn't do it again.

"I need you to promise me something.." Nadia whispered into Denari's shoulder. She nodded.

"Yeah.. yeah, of course."

"Promise me you're gonna fight for your life in there. Promise me you're gonna try to make it out."

Denari could try. She could try her damndest, but whether or not she would actually make it out alive was a whole different question. There were people in there who trained their whole life for this. People who had partaken in the games before and won. People with experience. Denari was nothing compared to them, but that wouldn't stop her from making every attempt possible to slaughter them. After all, Denari wanted revenge. She wanted the relief, and she was confident that stabbing a few people in their back would give it to her.

"I promise." Denari meant it.

"And if it comes down to you and Kade.."

Why did she have to go there? Denari thought. She had stopped herself from thinking that far until now. Now she realized that she very well could have to kill one of the only people she had left, or he would have to kill her. Denari would prefer the latter, but she wouldn't admit it.

Peacekeepers suddenly barged into the room, grabbing ahold of Nadia and pulling her from Denari's grasp with such ease.

"Promise me, Denari!"

"I promise!" An empty promise, no doubt about it. Denari had broken plenty of promises. What's one more matter?

The ride from the Town Center to the train station is longer than Denari expects, or maybe it just feels that way. Sat beside Kade, they say nothing to each other despite the fact they both have so much on their mind.

Shockingly enough to Kade, Nadia had paid his room a visit after Denari's only to tell him what he already knew. What he already planned on.

"You keep her safe, you hear me?" Kade could only nod in response.