1 - Uncharted Waters [Hunger Games]

8 - Under the Surface

Chapter 8

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞

Mira took Thalassa's suggestion and spent most of the day with Mags. Destan hadn't left his room since his quarrel with Finnick, the other mentors lounged around placing bets on the first casualties of the initial bloodbath, and Finnick, the Capitol's darling, was still mysteriously absent.

On the couch beside Mags, Mira felt a rare moment of comfort, weaving together makeshift bracelets from beads and bits of thread her mentor found around the room. Mira's thoughts turned to her family, her Nana's warmth, and, for a fleeting moment, the tension and fear of the past few days faded. She marveled at how Mags, despite everything she must have endured, exuded a quiet kindness. Unlike Adrian and Eldoris, who saw her as just another District tribute, Mags felt like a glimpse of home—a lifeline in a brutal, unpredictable world.

Lost in thought, Mira jumped slightly when Mags murmured something, her eyes fixed on Mira's ankle.

"Pardon?" Mira asked softly, catching the tender expression on Mags's face.

"She was the crafty one, your mother," Mags murmured, her finger tracing the pearl on Mira's anklet. "A beautiful pearl...ruined too soon—Marilla." At the sound of her mother's name, Mira's heart tightened. Mags was the first mentor to speak of her mother here, and she leaned in, hanging onto every word.

"What was she like?" Mira asked in a whisper, fiddling with the anklet as Mags met her gaze.

"She was fierce," Mags replied with a gentle smile. "A volunteer. Marilla didn't care much about appearances, but she was still beautiful. There's a strength in your family that's rare." Her eyes gleamed with a bittersweet pride. "She won in a way only she could have, though no one in the Capitol liked to talk about it."

Mira's heart ached with longing, the thought of her mother's untold strength filling her with both pride and sorrow. "People never talk about her back home," she admitted.

Mags's eyes darted around, as if she feared the Capitol might catch them. She leaned closer and whispered, "One day, my dear, you'll learn everything. Just... not here. Not now."

Before Mira could respond, her attention shifted to the silent, uniformed attendants clearing and setting food on the glass table. She watched them with furrowed brows, and Mags noticed her interest.

"They're the Avox," Mags explained in a low voice. "Servants with no tongues. Punished by the Capitol."

"Why—why would they do that?" Mira whispered, horrified. The idea of someone cutting away another person's voice sent a chill through her, and she had to blink back tears as she watched the workers move soundlessly. Mags squeezed her hand, and Mira looked up to see a young Avox girl staring back at her in quiet curiosity. The girl quickly looked away, retreating to the shadows.

Mags nudged Mira toward the table, guiding her to a chair as she piled food on Mira's plate. Mira hesitated, glancing down the hallway toward Destan's room, wondering if she should invite him to eat. But before she could act, the loud voice of Adrian snapped her out of it.

"Perfect timing! Lunch is served!" he announced, striding into the room with Eldoris.

"Bet you can't eat as much turkey as me," Eldoris challenged, and Adrian stopped mid-step with a smirk.

"Oh, you're on, old man," he replied, the lighthearted competition a jarring contrast to the bleakness Mira felt.

The meal was interrupted by footsteps and voices in the hallway, and a moment later, Thalassa appeared, her sharp features stormy as she strode in with Finnick on her heels. She stopped short, clearly surprised to see everyone seated and eating, and for a moment looked completely out of place. Finnick, however, seemed unfazed, striding into the dining room with a sly grin, all too aware of the attention on him. He casually took a seat and piled food onto his plate as if he'd been there all along.