𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫, Finnick Odair

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕

This chapter is long cause I chose to put 2 chapters together. Sorry <3

Aphrodite stepped through the door, feeling a strange weight lifting off her shoulders after spending Christmas day-filled laughter at Finnick's house. Otto had been happy, and she felt lighter than she had in a long time. Her lips curved upward in a quiet smile as she walked inside the house.

Otto bounded up the stairs ahead of her. Aphrodite stood still at the foot of the stairs, letting the happiness settle deep in her chest. Her thoughts drifted to Finnick and Otto, and for a moment, she could almost forget the looming darkness that had always been there, just out of sight. The heaviness of the Capitol was far from her mind, at least for now.

But as she entered the kitchen, the light smile on her face faltered. The warm, inviting glow of the room suddenly felt cold. Her eyes fell to the counter, and her breath caught in her throat. There, on the countertop, was a pure white rose, pristine and delicate. But it wasn't the rose that chilled her to the core—it was the envelope beneath it, bearing the unmistakable, elegant cursive script of President Snow's name.

Aphrodite stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest. Her breath hitched, the room growing colder with every passing second. She felt an icy chill seep into her bones as she reached out, almost mechanically, to pick up the envelope. Her fingers shook as she unfolded it, her eyes scanning the words, each feeling like a blow to the stomach.

Dear Aphrodite,

Your Presence is immediately required in the Capitol. The time has come for you to do your job. Head to the train station as soon as possible. All the best.

President Snow.

The world seemed to tilt around her. She could barely feel the cold terror creeping through her veins. Instead, a red-hot wave of pure, unrelenting rage rushed through her, burning hotter than anything she had ever felt before. She clenched the letter in her hand, crumpling it as she tried to breathe through the fury that clouded her vision.

"OTTO!" she screamed, the sound so raw, so unrestrained, it was like madness had taken over her body.

The echo of her voice played through the house, and a moment later, Otto appeared at the top of the stairs, his face full of confusion. He paused, frozen at the sight of her, his eyes wide with fear.

Aphrodite didn't even realize the depth of her anger as she locked eyes with him. She wasn't thinking about the damage her rage might cause, only that she needed to do something—anything to regain control. To do something for Otto.

"OTTO, COME HERE NOW!" Her voice was like a whip.

Tears filled Otto's eyes, and despite the fear in his gaze, he slowly descended the stairs, stepping toward her. He didn't understand what was happening, but he could feel the storm in her—he had seen it before. The coldness in her demeanour, the fire in her eyes.

Aphrodite placed a firm, trembling hand on his shoulder, her grip tight and unyielding. "Go to Finnick's. Tell him I have to sort something urgent with Mum. And I said you need to stay there for the night." Her voice was ice-cold—hard, like a command. Like her mother.

Otto just nodded, with confusion. Without another word, he turned and bolted out of the house, with the door slamming shut. Aphrodite stood there for a moment, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She couldn't let him see what was inside her, the rage that she couldn't control. Not this time.

Turning back to the counter, her eyes locked onto the rose. It sat there, its petals pure and innocent, its white colour a stark contrast to the fury bubbling inside her. She reached out, slowly, and picked it up. The delicate stem pricked her thumb with its thorn. Her eyes narrowed as the blood began to bead on her skin, mixing with the softness of the rose.