𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 - 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

𝑿𝑰𝑰𝑰. 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

Just survive. That's what she keeps telling herself. Survive. Breathe. Live.

It's so goddamn cold. She's not used to it. District four is the fishing district. Has to be sunny and warm most of the time to fish, right?

She's heard two more cannons go off since the beginning of the games. The Capitol is bound to start showing the fallen projection in the arena soon.

Nico had told her to run, and so she did. She ran until she was sure she was safe, even if it was just for a second.

She'd found refuge in a small alcove on the mountain, and had proceeded to stack rocks in front of it to hide her position. If you're not hidden, you die. If you're sloppy, you die. If you light a fire at night, you die.

There are so many simple things that can ultimately lead to your death in the games. There's no ifs, ands, or buts. There's no second chances, no start over.

If you die, you stay dead. She knows that. She's know that her entire life. Which is why she can't screw up. She can't get killed.

Because she made promises. To Silas. To Ivana. To Bryony. She swore to them she would win. She can't let them down now.

Nova finds herself thinking of all the little details now. What her last test grade was. Their last activity on field day. What she had for dinner last week.

They had seemed so important then, but now? They were so much more insignificant now. They didn't matter anymore. Nova's old life of living in district four was gone.

Not that it was all sunshine and rainbows, of course. What, with the looming threat of President Snow and the Capitol. The feeling of utter dread at every reaping. Picking through trash bins because your family was broke and starving.

The life wasn't much, it wasn't good. But it was home. It was familiar. But not safe. Not comfortable. It just happened to be the place they resided.

She wished they could get away. But it just wasn't possible. Not with peacekeepers constantly lurking in the shadows, and President Snow having cameras in every corner.

They wouldn't even make it a mile. They'd be punished. They'd have their tongues cut out, or be flogged at the whipping post. Or maybe just killed immediately.

There were rumors of what the Capitol did to those who disobeyed, and nobody wanted to find out if they were true.

The Capitol was a cruel tyranny that would stop at nothing to continue their control over the districts of Panem. They would wipe out everything and everyone if it meant they would keep their power.

She's broken out of her thoughts by the sound of the Capitol's anthem blaring throughout the arena. The fallen flash one by one.

Portia Ingram. District six.

Khora Saunie. District nine.

Lucius Darcy. District five.

Ribsy Quill. District ten.

She had killed two of them. Portia and Khora. Not off to a bad start, considering the circumstances.

Nova only had a limited amount of supplies that she had gotten from the bag she'd grabbed, and depending on how long the games lasted, she would most likely have to venture back out to the cornucopia.

She dreaded that more than anything. Who knew how many tributes would be guarding it?

Back at the Captiol, the mentors and stylists alike are settled into a couch watching the games. Not because they enjoy it, of course. But it's better to know if their tributes are even still alive.

Finnick, Mags, and Calix are joined by a few from district twelve, Haymitch, Effie, and Cinna. He supposed it made them feel less alone.

It was later in the night, both in the games and in the Captiol. They'd been watching since it had begun.

Haymitch had commented on Nova and Nico's impressive performances. They were the only two who had killed anyone yet.

Nova had killed the girl from six, and the girl from nine. Nico had killed the girl from ten and the boy from five.

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵... 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭."

"𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥."

"𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦."

Nova had beheaded the girl from nine, and slit the throat of the girl from six. Nico had snapped the neck of the boy from five, and gutted the girl from ten.

Brutal was one word to describe the way they went about killing. But that was the thing about the games; being that brutal was part of survival in the arena.

Currently, Nico is hiding out in a tree, and Nova has cleverly hid in a cave, and covered the entrance with rocks so it simply looks like another ledge on the mountain.

Haymitch's tributes, Flint and Wisteria were still alive, hiding out together by the river. As for the rest of the tributes, they were all over the place.

Calix was worried for the two. Not only because he'd seen the toll the games took on victors, but because he knew if it came down to just the two of them, one would have to die.

Mags didn't react, simply sat and observed. She hated killing, of course. But if it meant the girl she considered family could live, she was all for it.

Haymitch was pretty damn impressed with the district four tribute performances. They hadn't produced a tribute that impressive since Finnick. One of them could actually have a shot at winning this thing.

They all know how sick and twisted it is. But then again, they'd rather know if their tributes are dead or alive.

They're all hoping their tributes made enough of an impression to get sponsors if and when they need it.

Because if not, they could be absolutely screwed. As much as Finnick likes Nico, he's hoping if it comes down to just then, she'll be the one who makes it out.

Maybe it's selfish. But, hey, you can't help your feelings sometimes. Even if they hurt others.