𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒕𝒖𝒔; 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒓

𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

Silas had gained victors before, but he hadn't been grateful for them like he is right now. Lilith Monroe, victor of the 66th Annual Hunger Games, his victor.

He watches over Lilith as she rests in the Capitol hospital bed. He watches her chest rise and fall, the only thing signaling her life, other than the relentless beeping from the monitor. Silas is worried how Lilith will be when she wakes up, how she'll get by. But for now, she's safe. That's all he cares about.

Silas had watched every second of her games, he even watched when she was resting. He had heard the conversations regarding the doubt of the Capitol. Lilith hadn't doubted the Capitol at all, not once. That was, until she came here and people started planting this doubt in her mind. He worries about what will happen when she does realize the true nature of the Capitol. She'll feel so betrayed.

But right now, a part of her still believes the Capitol is paradise. The doubt that lingers in her mind is slowly spreading like the fire from the willow tree. Touching every corner of her brain, until it's all she thinks about.

Silas sits in his uncomfortable chair, staring at the floor. Lilith catches his attention when she stirs awake. Shifting in her bed, her face wears an expression of panic as her eyes snap open. She gasps out, her whole body tensing.

"Lilith, it's okay. I'm here." Silas says, comfortingly. He stands, grabbing her hands. Lilith looks over at her mentor, her breath slowing. "You're okay. You made it."

"I won." Lilith says breathlessly. She lets out a small laugh. Thinking she could win and actually winning, are completely different things. "Where am I?"

"Capitol. Well, a hospital in the Capitol." Silas says. Lilith sighs, her mind replaying everything people have told her about her beloved paradise. She doesn't want to believe any of it, but once someone sparks doubt in your mind, it's hard to extinguish it.

"Anything wrong with me?" The blonde asks. She positions herself so she's sitting upright.

"Just some scrapes, bruises, and a concussion. You got off pretty easy." Silas chuckles, making Lilith smile back. "Here." The man says, handing the now victor the chain and ring.

"Oh, I thought you would want it back." Lilith says, taking the chain.

"Nonsense. It's yours now." Silas says, patting her arm. Lilith smiles, securing the chain around her neck, the ring dangling on her chest.

The pair sit in a comfortable silence, nurses coming in every so often to check on Lilith. The blonde can't help but let her mind go wild, she has nothing else to do. She sees William, pushing her out of the way, sacrificing himself for her. Although she has been trained to kill ever since she could walk, no amount of training could have prepared her for the aftermath of actually killing. While in the arena, she had no choice but to kill, and no time to process it. But now, sitting in a hospital bed with nothing else to do, her brain is being forced to process it. The ruthless slashing she did, the relentless stabbing.

She wishes she could've saved William, but his mind was made up. He wanted her to get out, or at least have a better chance than him. Lilith doesn't know why, but he was betting on her. All her life, watching the games from an outside perspective, she thought the immense reeling the Victors went through was silly. They got to live the life of a Victor, so why should they be upset? But now, dealing with the guilt herself, she understands. 

"What does the lotus mean? On the ring?" Lilith asks, breaking the silence suddenly. Her nimble fingers delicately touching the ring. Silas looks up from his hands, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well, its true meaning has gotten lost over time, but its supposed to stand for innocence and purity. People have twisted it to be used in a sarcastic way, using it when someone is being phony or untrue." Silas explains.