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THE TANK OF snakes was much more horrid than Vienna had previously imagined. As she watched the ginormous container from behind the wall, she took in the sheer number of snakes and the potential havoc they could wreak.
Vienna's widened as she noticed the vibrant, rainbow-colored scales adorning the snakes within the tank. The surreal and unsettling sigh added an eerie layer to the already ominous atmosphere. The snakes writhed within the confines of the container, a macabre display of their deadly capabilities.
The haunting reality of the impending danger only strengthened Vienna's resolve to ensure that Coriolanus's plan succeeded, whatever it entailed. The stakes were high, and the unsettling presence of the snakes loomed large over the two mentors.
Vienna spun around, meeting Coriolanus's eyes with curiosity and anxiety. "Alright, spill it. What's your plan?" Her words hung in the air, a tense undercurrent underscoring the situation's urgency.
"Well, the snakes," Coriolanus began, only to be interrupted by Vienna's sharp retort.
"They're dangerous to those whose scent they are unfamiliar with, as I already know. But what are we going to do about it?"
Coriolanus rolled his eyes at Vienna's impatient tone. "Give me Treech's bracelet," he demanded, holding out his hand.
Vienna hesitated, still uneasy, and questioned, "What exactly are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to put it in the tank along with the handkerchief Lucy Gray used," Coriolanus replied matter-of-factly.
Vienna took a deep break, the gravity of their actions sinking in. With each passing moment, the tension in the air thickened, mirroring the anticipation building within Vienna and Coriolanus. The distant hum of an approaching Capitol drone intensified, and the weight of their decisions pressed heavily on their shoulders as they prepared to execute their plan.
Vienna scrutinized Coriolanus with a mixture of disbelief and frustration. "You're seriously going to cheat?"
"Look, Vienna," he paused, an undeterred look on his face, maintaining a confident demeanor. "You want to win, don't you? This is our chance to prove ourselves to the Capitol."
Vienna's gaze wavered between the bracelet in her hand and Coriolanus's assertive expression. She couldn't believe she was even considering the act of deception, but the reality of the Hunger Games pushed her to the brink. "I thought Hawthornes would do whatever it takes to secure victory," Coriolanus reminded her, his words a bitter truth that stung.
Resentment welled up in Vienna, not just towards Coriolanus but towards the ruthless reality of the Capitol and her parents' compliance with it. She hated that he was right and that she had to compromise her ideals.
