"Ironic ain't it? The one woman I can't get enough of, is the one I'll never be able to have"
Delyth Bardott grapples with unexpected emotions for her tribute, straying from the expected norms of a Capitol girl drawn to a District boy.
Meanwhile...
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Following the bloodbath, all the surviving tributes found refuge in their hiding spots. Lucy Gray secluded herself with Jessup, who muttered to himself, his entire body trembling. The camera then shifted to Treech and the pack briefly emerging from the tunnels, surveying the remaining weapons.
The audience and mentors seemed collectively disinterested as the broadcast continuously flickered between the tributes, none engaged in combat. It wasn't until Lucky's voice resounded that everyone appeared to perk up again.
"And what's this?" he questioned. The sound of rubble preceded the emergence of a red-headed figure. Lamina climbed out from beneath, prompting Pliny to tense up and sit straight in his chair. Delyth heard him mutter, "Lamina," expressing concern.
Lamina's gaze fixed on Marcus, her face reflecting sympathy as she began to ascend the beam to which he was strung. Upon reaching the top, Marcus turned his head slightly, and the camera zoomed in, revealing tears streaming down his face.
Delyth's hand instinctively rose to her lip, eyes welling up at the scene, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach. In a silence that needed no words, everyone observed as Marcus gave Lamina a subtle nod, signaling his desire to end his suffering. Lamina, in response, stroked his head for comfort, prompting Delyth to avert her eyes towards the ground, anticipating what was about to transpire.
The swing of the axe resonated, accompanied by gasps from the audience, and then came the sound of Marcus's body falling to the floor.
Delyth found it bewildering how the Capitol perceived mourning. Shockingly, Lucky cast doubt on her intentions, questioning whether it was murder or mercy. It seemed absurd to her, as if her actions could be anything other than acts of kindness and mercy.
Delyth entered a state of total detachment as Lucky started to demonstrate with Pliny, who displayed absolute disinterest, the demonstration emphasizing the straightforward reality: the drones don't work.
As the audience and most mentors departed, Delyth bid farewell to Lyssie and Festus. However, she noticed Coriolanus lingering, his gaze unwavering from the screen, even though Lucy Gray remained motionless.
"Are you okay, Coryo?" she questioned softly, wondering if the boy had something planned. The nerves from Tigris's warning made her reluctant to let him out of her sight.
Her words jolted him slightly as he'd assumed everyone had gone, he looked at her, nodding slightly.
"Yeah, I was just about to head out" he spoke, the words were a lie, he planned to stay all night, Delyth had a suspicion he did.
