AU: Journey to Redemption (Coriolanus Snow)

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

Aurora left the principal's office with a heavy heart, the accusations still echoing in her mind. Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. She needed answers. In the nearest room, she found Coriolanus, immersed in his studies, oblivious to the world around him. "Coryo!" she called out.

"What's wrong?" The coldness in his voice was something she did not expect.

"I just wanted to talk to you," Aurora said, her voice trembling.

Coriolanus finally looked up, and the frustration and distrust in his blue eyes were clear. "About how you were caught vandalizing the school? I don't have time for this."

"Are you really treating me badly because of that?" Coriolanus approached, his expression hard, a reflection of the storm raging within him.

"I don't know what to think anymore, Aurora. This made me question my own choices. And the conclusion is clear: I need to do what is necessary to protect you, even if it means distancing ourselves." Coriolanus's eyes met hers, and in that moment, she could see the tumultuous torrent of emotions swirling within him. Frustration, confusion, distrust, all reflected in the depth of his blue gaze.

Tears threatened to appear again as she struggled to defend herself. "I don't understand," she whispered, the pain in her voice palpable.

Coriolanus shook his head, an indecipherable expression crossing his face. "I can't continue like this with you, Aurora. Not now." He was obviously reluctant with the words coming out of his mouth. "I care about you a lot, Aurora. And I know this will be my downfall. So I prefer that we end everything here."

"You can't just discard me," Aurora retorted, the determination in her voice contrasting with the fragility of her expression. "I'm not a toy to be thrown away when you get tired."

"This transcends us both. We're talking about our future, our lives! Do you understand the weight of a tarnished reputation? At this moment, during the games. If they associate me with this event, I, you, and everyone we love will end up dead!"

"So that's it?" Aurora challenged, taking a step forward. "Is this how it ends?"

"Yes," Coriolanus said, and his voice was almost a whisper. "You have to understand that it's not just about reputation," the frustration evident in his voice. "It's about the university, about winning the Hunger Games. Clearing the Snow name from the mud. I can't risk all that! For Tigris, my grandmother, and Lucy Gray. They also depend on me, they are important lives. It will be the best for both of us."

"Don't you think I should have a say in what's best for me?" Aurora spoke, the words coming out harsher than she intended.

"It's not about you," he said, his voice low and firm. "It's about protecting all of us. Circumstances have forced me to reconsider everything at stake."

"I never thought of playing with you," Coriolanus continued, his voice rising in frustration, he seemed more sincere than ever. "Sometimes, we have to make tough choices. And if keeping distance from you for now is what it takes to protect you and those I love most, then that's what I'll do."

Aurora understood, with painful clarity, Coriolanus's reasons. She knew the stakes were high and that the weight of a legacy and the expectations of many rested on his shoulders. Yet, even with this understanding, Aurora couldn't help but be consumed by sadness. She understood, but it didn't ease the feeling of abandonment, it didn't heal the wound opened by rejection. After all, as much as she respected his decision, the heart doesn't follow logic, and hers was broken by the loss not only of her first love but of a piece of herself that might never be recovered.

"We can no longer see each other, Aurora." It seemed to hurt him a lot to say this, his gaze was indecipherable, "I will always be grateful for having met you, for everything you taught me. You made me see the world differently."

There was a maturity in the way they faced each other, recognizing the pain and the need to move forward, even if it meant going separate ways.

"This sounds like a goodbye," Aurora murmured, the reality of the situation beginning to settle in her heart.

"It's a pause," Coriolanus corrected, his gaze now calm, "I know I said it's over, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends again in the future." It was a farewell hug.

Back in her dormitory, Aurora felt crushed by the weight of an unfulfilled mission. Aurora questioned whether she had done enough. Anger simmered within her, a silent storm threatening to overflow. She wished Coriolanus had believed her, had seen the sincerity in her eyes, had not pushed her away with cold words and unilateral decisions. The hurt was a shadow stretching across her heart, each beat an echo of the pain she felt. And she didn't know if she would be able to forgive him. He had been, after all, the person she had let in, who had messed everything up inside her. And now, with her heart in tatters, Aurora decided to lock it away, swearing to herself that this would be the last time she allowed someone to cause such turmoil in her soul.

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the darkness of the room seemed to reflect the darkness of her thoughts.

"Did I fail him?" she wondered. "Was there something more I could have done to guide him away from the path everyone fears he will follow?" The responsibility weighed on her.

She had gotten close to Coriolanus, seen his complexity, and for a moment, believed she could influence the course of his destiny. But the cruel reality of the situation separated them before she could see the fruit of her efforts.

Aurora turned in bed, the pillow damp with tears. "I just wanted the best for him," she whispered into the night. "But maybe, in the end, I wasn't the right person for that task." With those thoughts, Aurora finally fell asleep, hoping that somehow, tomorrow would bring new hope.