FIRE ON FIRE ( cato hadley! )

chapter thirty-seven

——☆ FIRE ON FIRE
chapter thirty-seven: ghost of you

WEEK AFTER WEEK had passed and time in the cell blurred into an endless cycle of torture, starvation, and silence. Lilia had lost track of the days, trapped between the stone walls with nothing but her own thoughts to accompany her. At first, she had fought it. But soon, everything began to slip away.

Sleep became impossible, her mind keeping her up. Her thoughts drifted in and out, and the faces of the people she'd lost flashed before her. Finnick, Cato, her family. But most of all, Adrian.

One night, as Lilia lay curled in the corner of her cell, her head resting against the ground, she heard a voice.

"Lilia."

She jumped, her heart leaping in her chest. That voice. She knew that voice. It was impossible, but there it was. Slowly, she turned her head, and there he was.

Adrian.

He stood in the other corner of her cell, his familiar face soft and calm, just as she remembered him before the Games had taken him away. He wasn't covered in blood, like the last time she'd seen him at the Cornucopia. Instead, he looked real. Alive.

"Adrian?" she whispered. "How...?"

Adrian smiled, stepping closer to her, his eyes full of warmth. "I'm here, Lilia. I've always been here."

Tears spilled from her eyes as she scrambled to her feet, running to him, reaching out with trembling hands.

"You're alive. You're really alive." Her breath came in deep gasps as she clutched at his shirt, her sobs breaking through her chest. "I thought I lost you. I thought-"

"It's okay," Adrian said softly, tightly wrapping his arms around her. His voice was soothing, just like it used to be.

It felt so real, like she could hold onto him and never let go.

But something wasn't right. His touch felt cold, distant, as if he wasn't really there.

"Adrian..." she whispered again, pulling back to look at him. Her fingers trembled as they hovered over his face, the disbelief sinking in. "Is this real?"

Adrian's smile faltered. "I'm sorry, Lilia."

"What? No, no, please don't go," she pleaded, her voice rising in desperation as his figure began to fade. "Stay with me. Please. I can't lose you again."

Adrian's face softened, and he replied, "I can't stay, Lilia. I never could."

Lilia's heart shattered, the pain ripping through her like a knife. She reached for him, her hands passing through empty air as he faded into nothingness.

"No!" she screamed, collapsing to her knees, her fingers clawing at the cold ground.

The room was empty again. Just as it had been before. Lilia's sobs echoed off the walls as she rocked back and forth, clutching her chest, her cries filled with a raw, unrelenting grief.

He was gone. Just like before. But this time, it felt so much worse.

"Adrian!" she screamed again, her voice breaking. But there was no answer. No one left to comfort her.

She was alone.

"I lost him again," she whispered to herself, continuing to rock back and forth. "I lost him again, I lost him again-"

The door to her cell slammed open, and before Lilia could gather herself, Peacekeepers were already on her. Strong hands gripped her arms, pulling her to her feet.

"No, no, no!" Lilia bellowed. "Stop!"

One of the Peacekeepers muttered something under his breath, then she felt a sharp sting in her neck. She barely flinched. It wasn't the first time they'd injected her with something to keep her calm.

"I lost..."

Within seconds, her thoughts grew sluggish, the panic that had taken over moments ago now sinking away as the drug spread through her veins. It didn't stop the pain in her chest or the weight of her aching stomach, but it made everything feel far away, like a bad dream she couldn't wake from.

Without a word, they dragged her down the hall, her bare feet scraping against the floor. The Capitol was preparing her for another interview. Another performance. She barely registered what was happening as they stripped her down, dressing her in another gown.

The makeup team worked frantically around her, trying their best to cover up her suffering. But no amount of makeup could hide the dark circles under her eyes, the sharpness in her cheeks, or the way her bones pushed against her skin. She was starving. Hollow.

Lilia caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her reflection startling her. She looked like a ghost — eyes sunken, her face pale and lifeless.

The Peacekeepers came in again, pulling her from the chair, and as they led her to the interview room.

"Alright, you know the drill," the Peacekeeper muttered to the girl.

The lights were blinding as they shoved her into the familiar chair across from Caesar. The cameras were already rolling, the Capitol citizens ready to see the broken girl who once owned the spotlight in the arena.

Caesar smiled that same smile, but Lilia could barely see it through her blurred vision. She wasn't sure if it was the drugs, the hunger, or the grief weighing her down, but everything felt far away, like she was watching herself from outside her body.

"Welcome back, Lilia," Caesar began, his voice smooth. "It's good to see you again."