𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 | 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

TWO

ii. Reunited

Nothing had stayed the same for Aurora Evans following her games. Everything she feared of becoming, she became. The bright and blinding fame that encompassed nearly every moment of her life was the terrible consequence of survival. If she had even considered for a moment a future where she won the games, she would've surely let herself be slaughtered at the hands of the tribute who murdered her brother.

For the adoring fans and cameras that followed her everywhere stripped her of any sense of safety and privacy. Her life, including the suffering and torment, turned into a form of entertainment for those who slept safely in their beds every night, without the worry of being reaped of their free will.

They all adored everything about her. From the slight freckle on her nose to the tear stains that burned bright through the pounds of makeup plastered on her face at any given moment she found herself in the spotlight. They wept along with her as she watched her brother get murdered, and cheered in delight and triumph as she chose to give her life away with a simple silver knife that landed in the heart of her last victim.

Everyone's absolute adoration for her strength and beauty labeled her as the Pearl of the Capitol. She was the epitome of perfection. If such a thing existed, it was her in their eyes. After her games, she remained shined and untainted in the public eye. But behind the curtains, she'd been completely shattered.

It was only inevitable that they'd wish for a moment alone with the Pearl of the Capitol. And Snow wasn't one to pass up on such an opportunity. Men and women paid the highest amounts, from highly valuable jewels to the secrets of their beloved President that only traveled through whispers in return for an intimate night.

The idea itself horrified Aurora to the point where her impulsive reactions of disgust and anger ultimately led her farther down a pit of depression and grief. A single act of defiance created ended with an entire lifetime of regret and self-pity. A lesson was learned to not provoke the man who had the power to end her life in a single moment.

Aurora came home to an empty house. The only thing found was a white rose and the photos that tortured her soul with memories of a life she had taken for granted. President Snow was to blame. He had ruined every aspect of her life, leaving her with nothing but the slow beating heart in her chest and the bundles of riches that had replaced her family.

Despite the terrible terrors that plagued her mind at every waking moment, the public hadn't batted an eye. They knew nothing of what the silence could do to her. Nightmares were common when spending a night in her lonesome house; her only company was the dust bunnies that were littered throughout each corner of each room. Finnick had stayed with her most days, otherwise, it'd be Mags or Annie.

On this particular evening, she stayed with Annie.

Annie Cresta, winner of the 70th Hunger Games, and the Capitol's proclaimed "crazy victor." Though she was only slightly more mentally unstable compared to any other victor, due to her witnessing the beheading of her own district partner, and the unpredictable spasms of laughter and tears that she presented in moments of major anxiety. She was rather calm, however, in the presence of her close friends.