𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 ༄ 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝗇𝗂𝖼𝗄 𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗂𝗋

chapter thirty three

- A PRICE TO PAY -

⚠︎︎ i feel this chapter needs an extra warning as the *blood/gore/death* aspects are amplified quite a bit. please be cautious if you're easily bothered by these topics. viewer
discretion is advised ⚠︎︎

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EVERY TIME SHE thought things couldn't get worse, it's like Nadia was hit upside the head with a rock and shown exactly why Snow was feared to the extent he was.

     "No, no, no." Nadia's lips moved but nothing came out, all the air in her lungs was gone and lined up before her with their wrists tied above their heads was Sylvian and two other unmasked Peacekeepers who she promptly decided were Cowen and Harvey.

     "Calix, what's going on?" Her voice shook as she tried to rush towards them, but she was held back by the firm grips that kept her in place.

     He tilted his head at her like she was foolish for asking, but her eyes remained on the three individuals. All with bloody faces, weary eyes, and sweat traipsing down their temples. All hanging on by a thread to even stay conscious.

     "For someone who's caused The Capitol such havoc, you sure aren't the brightest." Calix scoffed in disbelief, stepping closer and gaining her attention when he stood right in her eye line.

     He looked like he was about to scold her or mock her for all her 'evil deeds', but a retched cough interrupted him followed closely by Sylvian's weak voice.

     "I should've known..." He struggled to make out even those few words, his injuries palpable and bleeding into the air with every shaken breath.

     "Yeah, you should have." Calix approached him, stepping away from Nadia with rage in his strides. "You've known me for years and you really thought I'd go against The Capitol for some whore?"

     Nadia wasn't hurt by his words, they didn't mean anything coming from a person whose opinion meant less than dirt to her. A few tears seeped past her eyes, though, when she could see how this was going to end. It was the same thing over and over.

     "Honestly? I thought you had more potential fighting for a winning cause in Thirteen than to be some piece in a game guided by a sadistic old man who kills children to keep people scared."

     Sylvian's voice oozed disappointment with an underlying sense of betrayal and it was obvious he didn't see this coming. He was confident with his plan and trusted the people he confided in. But now? He found himself questioning every last moment of planning and scheming with his supposed friend.

     "The districts are rebelling, my friend." Nadia watched Calix carefully as he paced back and forth, but his gaze never averted from Sylvian's. "No sane man would agree that you're fighting for a winning cause. Hell, even morally you can't justify your actions and that is why you're here."

     Sylvian let out a loud yet staggered scoff at that. "You're just as brainwashed as the rest of The Capitol."

     "Save your breath, Thane. You've only got so much time left." Calix replied, a glare striking all of his features and it only heightened when he spun on his heel and faced Nadia again.

     "Calix, just let them go. They didn't do anything wrong." Nadia pled, but she felt like a broken record as his tongue clicked inside his mouth and he shook his head, playing with her like this was all a joke.

"You're all here because your actions have consequences and it's time you learned just how fatal your rebellion can be." His breath hit her face with a little saliva too, his eyes so close they looked almost inverted.