Torn: Sequel to Ruthless

Chapter 14

The arena is shrinking. I know this because I woke up this morning with the shimmering of the force field in my face. It was so close, just a few feet away, like it had silently crept toward us overnight. Panic surged through me as I jolted upright, the reality of the Capitol's latest trick sinking in. They were driving us together—pushing us toward another inevitable bloodbath.

"Wake up!" I hissed, shaking Apollo's shoulder. "We need to move."

Apollo groaned, blinking the sleep from his eyes, but when he saw the force field shimmering behind me, he shot to his feet without another word. The rest of our group stirred as I hurriedly nudged Seena and Kai awake. Bark was already sitting up, his eyes sharp and alert despite his recent injuries.

"The force field's closing in," I explained quickly. "We have to get out of here. Now."

Seena's face paled as she glanced toward the nearly invisible barrier, her hand instinctively reaching for Bark's arm. 

My heart's pounding as I quickly began packing up our supplies. The food and water we had fought so hard for were scattered around our makeshift camp, and I stuffed them into my pack as fast as I could. The others did the same, everyone moving with a sense of urgency.

"We need to get onto the train," Kai said, his voice low and tense. "If the arena is shrinking, that might be the safest place. At least for now."Apollo agreed with a nod. "The train tracks extend far enough. We might be able to keep ahead of the force field if we stay on it."

Without wasting any more time, we gathered everything we could carry and headed for the train. The tracks were about a mile away from our current location, but with the force field closing in, every second mattered. The platforms around us were eerily silent. The tension in the air was thick, pressing down on us as we moved as quickly and quietly as we could. My heart was racing, the fear of getting trapped by the force field making every step feel like it could be my last. As we reached the train, we all exchanged wary glances. It had been Apollo's idea to use the train for mobility, and now it seemed like our only option. The Capitol had left it operational, a twisted game piece in their sick arena. Bark was the first to climb aboard, his movements stiff but determined. Seena followed him, then Kai. I lingered for a moment, glancing back at the shimmering force field inching closer. It was like a wall of death, slowly but surely pushing us toward the center of the arena.

"Octavia, come on!" Apollo urged, pulling me back to reality.

I scrambled up onto the train just as the force field edged even closer. I exhaled a shaky breath, feeling a temporary sense of relief as we put more distance between ourselves and the force field. But I knew it wouldn't last. The Capitol wouldn't let us escape for long. As we settled into the train, the silence between us was heavy. No one wanted to talk about what was happening. About the shrinking arena. About the fact that there were only a handful of us left. I stole a glance at Kai, who was sitting across from me, staring out the window. His face was tense, his jaw clenched in thought. My chest tightened at the sight of him, a familiar warmth bubbling up inside me. Despite everything—the death, the fear, the endless chase—I couldn't deny the way I felt about him. But I couldn't let those feelings surface. Not now. Not when survival was the only thing that mattered.

"What's our plan?" Seena finally asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft but steady, her hand resting on Bark's arm as if seeking reassurance.

Apollo looked at her, then at the rest of us. 

"We ride the train for as long as we can. But eventually, we'll have to face the others. The force field is going to keep pushing us all together."

"We can't run forever," Bark added, his tone grim but resigned.