𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙡, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙊𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙧

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 25: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒞𝒶𝓅𝒾𝓉𝑜𝓁'𝓈 𝐵𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒫𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒𝓀𝑒𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓇

"What's wrong?" Finnick asks, once he's finally calm enough to form coherent sentences. 

       "Nothing," Raven claims, straightening her back. "I should be asking you that," she tries to say in her most confident voice, attempting to waver her heart slowly breaking into tiny pieces. 

        Finnick leans back against the railing. "I just can't have them kill anyone else I care about," he admits. "Those two people were my best friends. They were the only ones who understood before..." He stops again, leaving just the ravens to fill the silence between them. 

       Raven stands up, not being able to handle it anymore. "You should get some sleep," she says. "Goodnight," she hastily bids, leaving the District 4 quarters. Finnick doesn't have the energy to call for her, and stays in a ball, her knees tucked into his figure. 

        She quickly makes her way back to the District 6 floors, and immediately slides onto the floor when she reaches her room. Numbness is the only thing she feels. She doesn't know much about having friends, but she's pretty sure friends don't kill their friend's loved ones. Just when she thought she was done with being a screw up- 

        Raven screams in agony, as she hits her head against the wall in her room, trying to stop all the terrible pain causing her pulsing headache. Sounds of ugly tears leave her throat, as her mind further collapses.  

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

"Remember what I told you two, we'll be going over hand to hand combat today after training. Try getting a lesson at the training center if it isn't completely filled," Raven advises. She moves her hand, motioning for them to leave. "Go on. Shoo." 

        The two tributes stand up and rush to leave, eager to learn more that day. Raven sighs, leaning back in her chair. All she wants to do is lay back and close her eyes, allowing the world to disappear around her. However, she instead hears a knock on her door and is upset at the interruption. She makes slow, rigid movements to the door, opening it to a man she doesn't know, wearing all black. 

        "Hello, Miss Celeste," he greets. "May I come in?" He asks, though it doesn't sound much like a question, rather a command. 

        Raven purses her lips together, before forcing out a "yes." 

        He enters, glancing around, before his eyes land on the now clean dining table. He takes a seat, and motions for Raven to sit across from him. "Raven," he begins as she sits down uncomfortably. "President Snow wants to express his utmost happiness with your performance with the task he gave you." Raven's face twitches ever so slightly. "And he has a- request for you." 

       "Request?" Raven scoffs. 

        "Yes, a request." He leans forward on his elbows, a small smile playing on his face. "He would like you to do another assignment for him during your time here in the Capitol." 

         "No," Raven immediately says. "No way," she blurts out, standing up in anger. "I did what he asked to save my brother. It was a one time arrangement. I left a whole damn mess anyway in the house." 

         He chuckles, leaning back. "He wants a mess, dear." Raven's face scrunches together, feeling as if she just walked into his trap. "And if you would like your brother to stay safe, I'd recommend you do as he says," he softly threatens.  

         Raven ponders for a moment, thinking about how she should get something out of this. "Answer one question for me," she says, sitting back down across from the man. He raises his eyebrows, motioning for her to go on. "Did you send me to kill them because they're Finnick's friends?" 

         He smiles. "Let's just say... it was one of the deciding factors when choosing a traitor that needed to be gone."