𝙰𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗 ✪ 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙾𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚛

- ȶաɛռȶʏ ֆɛʋɛռ

"I counted eight," Willa said, once the four of them retreated to a safe spot in the woods. Brutus let out a sharp exhale, stretching his shoulders.

"That means we still have a lot of work to do." His eyes gleamed in the dim jungle light, his lips curling into something that almost looked like excitement. Willa didn't let herself react. Gloss wiped a streak of water from his cheek, his expression unreadable as he surveyed the jungle around them.

"We should rest while we can," he said, though his stance remained tense, like he was waiting for something to jump out at them. "The others will be regrouping too. We need to be ready."

Brutus let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"Let them. We'll cut them down one by one." His fingers flexed around the hilt of his sword, eager, impatient. "This arena's a death trap, but I like our odds."

Willa didn't respond. Instead, she crouched near the base of a twisted tree, inspecting the damp earth. Footprints, fresh ones, pressed deep into the mud. Someone had passed through recently. Maybe more than one person. She looked up at Cashmere, who had been quiet since they left the Cornucopia.

"We're not alone," Willa murmured. Cashmere's golden brows furrowed. She moved closer, careful to keep her steps light, and followed Willa's gaze to the tracks. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Two sets," she confirmed. "And not ours." Gloss moved beside them, eyes sharp.

"Think they're close?" he asked. Willa stood, gripping her twin blades tightly.

"Only one way to find out." she shrugged. Brutus grinned.

"Now you're talking." he said. They moved as a unit, slipping between the thick foliage with careful steps. The jungle around them was alive, the distant hum of insects and the occasional rustle of leaves filling the silence. Willa's heart pounded steadily, her muscles coiled, ready. Then—voices. Faint but unmistakable. She raised a hand, signaling for the others to stop. The Careers fell into silence, listening.

"There's no way we can stay near the lake," a male voice muttered. "They'll pick us off."

Willa exchanged a glance with Cashmere. The voice was unfamiliar, but the words weren't surprising. The weak were already running.

"We need to find somewhere safe. Just for the night." A second voice, softer. Brutus smirked, adjusting his grip on his weapon.

"Safe?" he echoed, voice barely above a whisper. "Not in here."

Willa inhaled slowly, steadying herself. It would be an easy kill if they struck now. But something in her hesitated. She wasn't sure why. Willa felt Brutus tense beside her, ready to lunge, but she held up a hand before he could move. He huffed, barely restraining himself, but he stopped.

"Wait," she whispered. Gloss raised an eyebrow at her, but he didn't question it. Cashmere, however, gave Willa a sharp look.

"What are we waiting for?" she murmured. Willa's eyes stayed locked on the figures just beyond the trees. The voices were clearer now. The male tribute was wiry, his clothes still soaked from the lake. The girl beside him clutched a small pack, her knuckles white. Both of them looked exhausted. They weren't a threat. Not now.

"We let them go," Willa decided. Brutus scoffed under his breath.

"You're joking." he said.

"No." Willa tightened her grip on her blades, not as a threat to her allies, but as a quiet statement. "They're not worth wasting our energy on. Not yet."

Gloss gave her a considering look, then shrugged.

"She's not wrong. We've already thinned the herd. Let the jungle deal with the rest." he said. Brutus muttered something under his breath but relented, stepping back. Cashmere hesitated a moment longer before exhaling softly.

"Fine," she said. "But if they come back to bite us, it's on you."

Willa nodded once, watching as the two tributes slipped further into the jungle, completely unaware of how close they had been to death. When the others finally turned to leave, Willa lingered for just a second longer. She wasn't sure why she let them go. Maybe she just didn't want more blood on her hands tonight. Maybe she knew the arena would take them soon enough, and she didn't need to be the one to do it.

Either way, she wasn't sorry.

"Come on, Willa," Gloss called softly. She exhaled and turned away, stepping back into the shadows of the trees. The night was far from over.

short chapter yup