𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒕𝒖𝒔; 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒓

𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝑩𝒊𝒌𝒆

The morning of the first day of training, Lilith is a bit nervous. She hopes all of her Career and Peacekeeper training will come back to her. It'll be like riding a bike. But, it's been so long since she has done combat, she hopes it's muscle memory.

"Darling, why don't you eat some more?" Ember says during breakfast.

"Too queasy," Lilith mutters, setting her fork down and heading to her room. Everyone watches her leave, but continue to eat their own breakfast.

Lilith decides to change into the proper attire. The outfit that the Capitol had designated for the tributes this year, consists of a black fitted tank top with capris. Both the top and the bottoms have grey details on them.

On the way to training, Silas tried to make small talk with his sister, but she is already in the fighting mindset.

"You're going to go straight for the swords, aren't you?" Silas asks once they get closer to the facility.

"No. I was going to scope everything out first," Lilith retorts.

As they enter the training room, the tributes that are already there turn their heads to look. Lilith puts her game face on and walks over to the center of the room.

Once every tribute is accounted for, the main trainer gives the same speech they do every year. The tributes are then dismissed, each one going to different stations. Lilith finds herself walking around, debating on where to go. Lilith spots Finnick at the rope knotting station. She decides to go over there.

"Hey," Lilith says, grabbing a piece of rope.

"Hi," Finnick responds. "Want me to show you a knot?"

"Sure," Lilith smiles.

Finnick goes step by step, weaving the rope upwards and downwards, until he gets the finished product. He makes it look so easy. His fingers rough from years of tying knots, yet so gentle and delicate.

"Okay, mine looks nothing like yours," Lilith complains as she compares her knot to Finnick's. His is tight and firm, while hers is loose and flimsy.

"Well, I've had years and years of practice," Finnick chuckles. "But yours is horrible." Finnick bursts out laughing, he rests his hands on the table to keep himself from falling over.

"It's not that funny!" Lilith says, but she can't help but laugh with him.

For a moment, the pair are in their own little bubble. They seem to be in it more and more as time goes by. It's peaceful there, in the bubble. Nothing else matters. As their laughter dies down, Lilith begins to look around the room to see where to go next. She spots Johanna with an axe, so she decides to pay her a visit.

"I'll see you later, okay?" She tells Finnick before walking away. Finnick just nods his head.

Lilith makes her way across the room to Johanna.

"I see you haven't lost your touch," Lilith says when she reaches her friend. They officially met when Johanna became a Victor.

"Why would I? How's it going Miss Peacekeeper?" Johanna sets down her axe and steps closer to Lilith.

"I'm actually not a Peacekeeper anymore. Got kicked off a couple of years back," Lilith briefly explains.

"Well, that sucks. That just leaves more time for yourself," Johanna shrugs.

"Yeah, the time that has been recently taken away from us," Lilith says, her voice clearly showing her anger.

"You think it's their fault?" Johanna questions, nodding her head at Peeta and Katniss.

"Definitely. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for them," Lilith states.

All of this is Katniss's fault. She just dragged Peeta along with her. Lilith has a growing, burning hatred for the District Twelve girl. She'll be damned if she wins the Games.

"I'm still good with an axe, but the question is, are you still good with swords?" Johanna challenges, changing the subject.

Lilith smirks in response. She struts up to the stand that holds twin blades. When she unsheathes them, the all too familiar ring fills her ears. She's missed that. Lilith steps up on a podium and presses a button. The button signals the holograms to begin forming.

One by one, the holograms run up to Lilith, and one by one, they fall. She whips her swords around, still agile although the years have passed. It feels like she is fifteen again, training for her first Games. Turns out the weapons are just like riding a bike.