The chariots moved slowly out of the remake centre and out in front of the crowds of Capitol citizens. I plastered a false smile on my face and gripped Aiden's hand, determined not to fall. As I looked out it seemed to me that no one looked particularly happy. The cheers of the crowds sounded forced and fear was on most of their faces. I wondered if maybe it wasn't only the districts that were afraid of the Hunger Games.

I could feel Aiden's hand shaking as we entered the circle in front of the training centre. All of the chariots pulled up, facing the building where President Paylor would usually stand. Instead, in her place stood a man with dark hair and dark eyes. It was easy to see he was the leader of the rebellion- even the way he stood showed power.

I wondered where Paylor was, if she was dead or captured. Even though it didn't matter, I couldn't help but worry for her.

The man made a speech that I didn't listen to and then we were taken inside the training centre. The minute the chariots stopped moving Ash was at my side, helping me down and steadying me when I stumbled into him.

A guard began to walk towards us and I grabbed Aiden, pulling him towards me- they would not take him away from me.

"It's okay," Ash whispered in my ear "You get to stay together."

I exhaled a sigh of release and let go of my little brother. The guard wordlessly removed our collars and replaced them with similar things which went around our ankles.

The moment he was gone, Ash (and my brother's stylist) led us towards the lifts and pushed the button which said 12. I got a glimpse of the other tributes' frightened faces and then we were flying upwards.

The lift came to a stop and the doors slid open. A small gasp escaped my mouth at the sight of the luxury apartment in front of us.

The doors had opened into what I assumed was the living room. A plush white carpet spread across the floor and large couches made of gold material faced a screen hanging on the wall. There was almost too much for my eyes to take in. In my lifetime, District 12 had never been poor but no one could afford anything like this.

My brother was in a similar state of awe at the luxuries surrounding us. Ash began to speak, offering us food, but my mind was blank. So much was happening and I was really this amazed by furniture? It made me a little sick that despite everything the Capitol still had this hold on everyone.

Time slipped by slowly after that. I ate food without tasting it and I was led to bed, not even noticing the view I got from my window or the softness of the pillows in the bed.

I woke up the next morning calmer than I thought I would be. This would be my chance- I could learn the skills I needed to save me and my brother. As I lay in bed waiting to fully awaken I remembered flashes of conversations that I thought I hadn't even heard. My heart sank as I thought about it- instead of three days of training; we would get one and then a slot the next day for our individual sessions. One day to learn all the skills to survive.

"Cassia? Are you awake? Hana says we have to go."

I looked round and saw Aiden standing in the doorway, dressed an all-black outfit that he would obviously be able to move easily in. I smiled at him and jumped out of bed.

Ten minutes later, we were standing in the training centre in a room full of different areas designed for different purposes. I could already see the sections I was going to run to first- the essential life skills, not the weapons.

A trainer was talking to all of the tributes but I couldn't bring myself to listen. Instead I studied each of the faces of the tributes, trying to work out who was strong and who was weak.

Many of the faces were familiar to me and I realised that most of them had had parents in the same games as my own parents or had been part of the rebellion.

It wasn't until Aiden jerked my hand that I realised that everyone had dispersed, running off towards the different sections.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, eyeing up the swords. Amazingly the station was empty and I pushed him towards it. He needed to learn how to fight.

I watched as he walked towards the trainer, speak to him briefly and then pick up one of the weapons. I turned away as he took his first swing- I couldn't bear to watch him turn into a fighter.

I already had enough skill with a bow and I was pretty capable at handling a sword as well. When I was younger, me and my dad would use sticks and pretend to be pirates. In later years I had realised that my skills with the stick could be used with a sword. There were other weapons I could use in an emergency in the arena- daggers and axes which didn't take much precision at close range, only strength. I would have to avoid 'throwing' weapons. Despite my skill with a bow and arrow, I was useless at accurate aiming with anything else.

I walked towards the snares station. I knew it would be the one thing my mother would tell me to do- learn how to get food. When I was younger she had taught me the basics, but not enough to catch anything worthwhile in.

I spent a chunk of time with the trainer there, until I was capable of making the most effective snares. Even the trainer was impressed. I spent the rest of the day flitting between stations, desperate to learn enough to survive. Camouflage, knot tying, identifying edible foods and more. By the time the day ended I was exhausted but proud- I had mastered at least enough skills to survive.

Aiden had spent most of his time at the weapons' stations, and only a little at the other ones. I berated him a little, but in reality it didn't matter- I didn't intend to lose him in the arena and if I knew it, he didn't need to.

Dinner that night was quite. Ash and Aiden's stylist, whose name turned out to be Flora, asked us how everything had gone. I realised that though Effie had been the one to announce the Games, she was not here as our escort. It made me think about the gun pointed at her head, and I worried about what they had done to her. It also made me respect the stylists a lot more- they were acting as out stylists, mentors and escorts all in one.

I looked at the smiling faces of the two brave people across from us- "you know you're going to die," I thought, "Yet you still help us as much as you can."

Maybe there was a chance we would all survive this. Not for me, but for Ash and Flora and Aiden and the tributes forced to fight and die for revenge. Maybe we could prove that revenge never works….

A/N- Hi! So, what do you think? Next chapter will be the private sessions and the interviews… Please, review- I'd love to hear what you think :)