𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 ❀ the hunger games

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

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chapter eighteen: mad world

HIS BLUE EYES OPENED WITH fear, gasping for air as he shot up from the hospital bed. His shaky hands grasped onto the side of the bed with such force, the man's chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.

"Hey, hey, hey," a calming female voice soothed, two hands being placed on his shoulders to prevent his shaking from worsening. His vision was slightly blurred as he regained himself, but it wasn't hard to figure out who's voice it was. The only woman on the planet that could sooth him. "Finnick, it's okay."

Finally regaining his sight fully, his eyes sharpened onto the girl in front of him. A wave of relief almost flooding through the blonde's system as her kind smile lightened the room.

"Phina," he breathed out, his posture calming down after the shock had left him. Finnick closed his eyes for a moment, then looking back at her to take her all in.

Her gorgeous brown locks were in its natural waves and skin clear of makeup, untouched by the Capitol's tools. Her deep brown eyes were bright and her smile true. Seraphina Faye.

"Hi," she almost laughed at him, sitting by his bedside with a knowing look on her face.

"I thought you— I thought we—" he paused at himself, reaching over to touch her shoulder. His blue eyes filled with concern, searching her face for any form of discomfort or deception. "You're okay..."

Letting out a short breath, she cupped his face in her hand, her thumb lightly caressing his cheek. The fear in Finnick's chest slowly began to ease as he looked into her eyes, their depth grounding him in the present. He took a deep breath, trying to let her calm him. The dream had been so horrifying that it felt like reality, a cruel extension of the arena's torment.

And with that, she ceiled their lips in a kiss, a light and tender kiss that made his heart flutter. Finnick didn't hesitate on returning the kiss, a hand on the back of her neck as he smiled into it.

Pulling apart, Seraphina's head went to rest on his chest as he pulled her in. The two grinned widely as they laid back in the single hospital bed of one of District 13's rooms.

There was a calm and blissful moment between the two, the yellow lighting making Finnick tired once more as he felt his body growing warmer at the feeling of hers beside his. He had never felt anything like how he felt with her. It was refreshing to have her with him, like a weight off his shoulders.

"You should probably get up," Seraphina commented, her voice vibrating off his chest as she spoke.

The man just shrugged, his hand running up to her hair to play with it. "I just want to stay here a little longer, here with you."

"Finnick," she sent him a sad smile, lifting her head from his chest to look into his blue eyes that had dulled. Her eyes told a story he couldn't understand. "You know I'm not really here."

It was like a punch in the gut. The overwhelmingly true realisation of the fantasy he had created, nodding the truth. The truth being that Seraphina Faye was not here with Finnick, nor was she in District 13 at all. The warmth of Seraphina beside him was comforting, but it was not a certainty. The Capitol's cruelty had not just been a nightmare; it had been a reality. The arena had taken Seraphina from him, and his mind had been playing cruel tricks in the aftermath.

The room's dim light illuminated the stark reality of their situation. Finnick's breath caught as he remembered the true sequence of events. The nightmare was not just a figment of his imagination—it was a distorted reflection of the horrific truth. The Capitol had torn Seraphina away from him, and he had been left to endure the aftermath.