Torn: Sequel to Ruthless

Chapter 13

I jinxed myself again. The morning of the ninth day, the Feast is announced. My stomach churns at the thought. There are eleven of us left—not counting Taylor, whose absence gnaws at my mind like a loose thread. The audience must be craving more action, more death. They want blood.

"A Feast will be held at the Cornucopia at sundown," Claudius Templesmith's voice echoes through the arena. "This time, we plan to be generous hosts."

His words linger in the silence, a promise of violence wrapped in a veneer of luxury. My mind races. A Feast always means supplies—things we need to survive, sometimes even life-saving items. But it also means danger. The Cornucopia is a death trap, and the Capitol knows it. The silence that follows Templesmith's announcement is deafening, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional far-off birdcall. For a few minutes, no one speaks. I glance at my allies, each of them deep in thought, calculating the risks and rewards of going to the Feast. We all know the stakes.

"We're going, right?" Apollo's voice is low, but determined. He looks around the circle, his gaze landing on each of us, waiting for confirmation. "We need to see what's there. It could be something that saves our lives."

Bark, still recovering but more mobile now, nods slowly. "It's risky, but if the Capitol's promising to be 'generous,' we can't ignore that."

Seena, who has barely left Bark's side since the day of his injury, looks torn. I can see the fear in her eyes—fear of what could happen if we go, and what could happen if we don't.

"What if it's a trap?" she asks quietly, glancing at Bark.

"It's always a trap," Kai says, his voice hard. "But sitting here isn't any safer. We need supplies, and we can't rely on sponsors forever."

I know he's right. We've been lucky so far, but the arena is designed to starve us out, to force us into confrontations. It's only a matter of time before we run out of food or water. And whatever the Capitol has planned for the Feast, it's going to be something big. My chest tightens. The thought of fighting again, of potentially losing someone else, is overwhelming. But the idea of sitting here, waiting to be picked off one by one, is even worse.

"We should go," I say, my voice steady despite the anxiety bubbling inside me. "But we need a plan. We can't just walk into the Cornucopia blind."

Apollo nods, and the others slowly follow suit. The decision is made. We're going to the Feast.

The hours leading up to sundown are tense. We prepare as best we can, sharpening weapons, rationing food, and discussing potential strategies. Bark insists on coming, despite Seena's objections. He may not be at full strength yet, but he's determined to contribute. Kai and I exchange looks every now and then, but I force myself to keep my focus on the task ahead. There's no room for distractions.

As the sky begins to darken, we set out, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. The Cornucopia looms in the distance, its metallic shape gleaming in the fading light. The closer we get, the more palpable the tension becomes. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest, adrenaline flooding my veins.

We stop at the edge of the clearing, hidden behind a messy pile of debris. From here, we can see the Cornucopia clearly, its wide mouth open and waiting. Spread out in front of it are several large crates, each marked with a district number. My eyes immediately land ones labeled with the 2, 4, and 7. 

"Everyone's here," Apollo whispers, pointing to the shadows moving in the distance. 

He's right. I can make out the figures of the remaining tributes, each one lurking on the outskirts of the clearing, waiting for the right moment to strike. The girl from District 8 crouches behind a fallen log. The District 3 pair are huddled together near a boulder. Ashlee glances around, tense and alert. 

"Now what?" Seena whispers, her voice barely audible.

"We wait," Kai says quietly, his eyes scanning the clearing. "See who moves first."

Minutes crawl by, each one feeling like an eternity. No one wants to be the first to step out. We all know that the moment someone moves, it will set off a chain reaction of chaos. My grip tightens on my sword, my palms slick with sweat. I try to control my breathing, keeping it steady, but my nerves are fraying. Then, without warning, the girl from District 8 breaks from her hiding spot. She sprints toward the Cornucopia, her eyes locked on the crates.

Chaos erupts.

Tributes surge from their positions, weapons drawn. Shouts echo through the clearing as they converge on the Cornucopia, each one desperate to reach the supplies first.

"We move now!" Apollo yells, and we charge forward.

I keep my eyes on the crate labeled 2, dodging bodies and weapons as we approach. But just as we reach the center, the girl from 8 lets out a bloodcurdling scream. She falls to the ground, her leg caught in a trap-sharp metal spikes clamp around her ankle, blood gushing from the wound. Then a crack appears  in the concrete and she gets pulled through. The Capitol's "generosity" is a lie.
"There are traps everywhere!" Seena yells, but it's too late.
A sickening snap echoes through the clearing as the District 3 boy triggers another trap—a wire snaps around his neck, pulling tight. He gasps, choking, but it's over in seconds. His body slumps to the ground, lifeless. Panic sets in. We're surrounded by death, and there's no safe path to the crates. But the supplies are so close. So close.

Kai grabs my arm. "We can't stay here!" he shouts over the chaos.

I nod, my mind racing. We have to move. We have to survive. But the crates, the supplies—they're right there, and we need them if we want any chance of making it through this.With a deep breath, I make my decision.

"We go for it," I say, my voice firm. "We'll split up. Grab what we can and get out."

Kai hesitates for a second, but then he nods. "Be careful," he says, his eyes locking with mine for a brief moment.

"Same to you."

And then we move. With my heart pounding in my ears, I dart toward the crate marked with a 2. The ground feels unstable beneath me, every step a potential death sentence. I try not to look at the fallen tributes around me—the girl from District 8, the boy from 3—because if I do, I might freeze. I can't afford to freeze. Apollo is just ahead of me, moving like a shadow, quick and precise. He reaches for a crate labeled with a 7, his eyes scanning for traps as he moves. Seena and Bark are close by, working as a team to cover each other's backs, while Kai goes for a crate further up near the Cornucopia.

We don't have much time.

I skid to a halt in front of our crate, my hands trembling as I fumble with the latch. It's heavy and stubborn, but after a few tense moments, it finally gives. The lid pops open, revealing a stash of supplies: food, water, bandages, and—thank the heavens—some weapons. My hand closes around a set of knives, and I quickly shove the supplies into my pack, grabbing as much as I can carry without slowing myself down. Just as I'm about to turn, a scream pierces through the chaos. I spin around to see the District 3 girl—the one who had been hiding with her partner—caught in another trap. A metal wire has wrapped around her ankle, dragging her toward the Cornucopia like a puppet on strings. Her eyes are wide with terror as she struggles to free herself. I can't help her. I can barely help myself. I bite my lip and force myself to focus. We need to get out of here, now. The chaos is only growing as more tributes rush in, and the Capitol's traps are springing up everywhere. The clearing is a minefield of death.

"Apollo!" I shout, spotting him a few feet away. He's managed to grab a handful of supplies, but he's still exposed. "We need to go!"

He looks at me, nodding grimly, and together we start to back away from the Cornucopia. Seena and Bark are doing the same, each of them weighed down by packs full of supplies, but they're moving fast. Bark, despite his injuries, keeps pace, gritting his teeth against the pain.Suddenly, a flash of movement catches my eye. From the corner of the clearing, the girl from District 12 lunges forward, heading straight for Kai. My breath catches in my throat. She's fast, and Kai hasn't seen her yet—he's too focused on the crate in front of him.

"Kai, behind you!" I scream, but the warning comes too late.

The girl from 12 tackles him to the ground, her knife flashing in the dim light. They struggle, rolling through the dirt, each one fighting for control. My heart skips a beat as I see her blade dangerously close to Kai's throat. I'm running before I even realize it. Without thinking, I grab one of the knives from my pack and throw it. It sails through the air, barely missing the girl from 12's head, but it distracts her long enough for Kai to flip her off him. He scrambles to his feet, breathing hard, and looks at me with wide eyes.

"Thanks," he pants, grabbing his sword. He doesn't need to say anything else.

We regroup quickly, moving as a unit toward the debris. The chaos around the Cornucopia continues—shouts, screams, and the sickening snap of traps—but we keep our focus on one thing: survival. We have the supplies. Now we just need to make it out. I stay close to Kai, my body tense and ready for any attack. I can feel the Capitol's eyes on us, watching our every move, waiting for the next moment of bloodshed. But I won't give them what they want. Not today. Just as we're about to reach the cover of the platform, the anthem plays.

The sky darkens, and faces start to appear one by one. First, the District 3 girl. Then, the District 3 boy. The girl from 8 follows. Finally, the girl from 12. Four faces, all gone in the span of minutes. My chest tightens, and I glance at my allies, grateful that none of their faces are up there. We're still here. Still fighting.

"We did it," Apollo whispers, his voice filled with disbelief as we huddle together in the shadows of the trees.

"For now," I murmur, but there's a flicker of doubt inside me.

There are 7 tributes left. 5 are in our alliance. The other two are Ashlee and Wonder. I may need to betray them soon.