* Author's note: I'm incredibly sorry for how late this chapter came out. The next chapter will be out in August because I'm busy in these months. I appreciate your reviews.
She watches the wave of snow running and pouring down from the cliffs and mountains rapidly. It brings along its cold and freezing breath of air. Her lungs feel like burning, even though she has layers of thick clothes. Standing next to her, James hardens his body. He is just as amazed as her. An avalanche, coming right at them with tons of heavily snow ready to bury them down. She coughs, feeling the grease coming out of her hands but she wipes it out, knowing it is blood. The warmth of his hands slides through her palm and intertwines with her fingers. And just like that, James pulls her with him. She quickens her pace and follows James, but she knows they can't survive even if they could manage to run faster than the animals. From the end of the mountains, she can see the line of orange color, coming up slowly.
"James!" She says under her breath. She knows she must be careful, because her throat is in pain, and she can't even shout any louder than this. "The cave! We can stay there until the snow slide is over." She rests her hand on her knees. The thought of lying down on the snow is so tempting that Thalia has to close her eyes for a minute to stop the dizziness.
"Are you okay, Thals?" The odd isn't their favor, not at all. James looks at her worriedly, but she knows he agrees with her too. She gives him an assured nod, looking up.
"We still have enough times to run there. We can make it." She says. James knows better than to say no.
"Okay, but we must hurry!"
"Come on."
It's difficult to run on the snow. She tries hard not to trip a few times. Under the denuded trees, Thalia can recognize the cave she has been staying with James. Just a few steps away,she tells herself. She has to look down because they are running right at the sun's direction, and the light dazzles her eyes. Black spots are running in her eyes. The place where they used to stand is now nothing but a snow hill. The avalanche has nearly reached them, so they don't have times to admire the view anymore. James stops in front of her so sudden that she bumps into his back.
"What the h-?" Her heart is racing as the force of snow is coming from behind them. Mike, who stands next to the dead body of the female tribute she saw earlier, holds a bloody spear. The girl looks even younger than Thalia, with an innocent face and a frown. The girl must have died painfully.
"Stand out of the way before I knock you out." James grumbles. The clingy noise he make when he takes out his sword makes the guy in front of them takes a step back.
"I'm not going to let either of you win. The victory is mine." He glares at James. She wonders if his hatred has blinded him from everything. James looks like he has held his resentment for too long now. He jumps right at Mike and punctures with his sword. Mike takes out his spear in front of James. For a minute, her heart almost jumps out of her chest.
"Be careful!" She shouts, but it isn't necessary. James's power doesn't seem to drain at all. He swipes the spear to one side angrily and points his sword toward Mike's neck. Thalia takes the first arrow up, pointing it toward Mike to make sure he doesn't do anything.
"Let's go." James reaches his hands toward her and pulls her with him. To be sure, she keeps the arrow aimed at the tribute from district 4, but his glare makes her uncomfortable. He looks at her like she is the one who betrays him, not the way around. She ignores the look and follows James inside. They steps through the hard ground outside the cave and struggles their way inside. She kicks and pushes a few rocks away, trying to breath.
"We shouldn't leave him outside, should we?" She asks James when he is building a wall of snow on the cave's entrance.
"He tried to kill us twice." Even though the weather is colder than usual, she can see he is sweating from far away. Thalia kneels down next to him, scrambling through the rocks. After taking a peek outside the cave, she doesn't see Mike anywhere. She sees the wall of snow coming right at them, and no time to waste now. The lighting inside the cave is weakened as she can vaguely see James. The rush of adrenaline inside her is flowing so quickly that she doesn't notice the ceiling is shaking. She grabs all of her supplies on the ground and searches for a spot to stay. What is she thinking? This is a cave, where can they go?
"I don't think this cave can hold any longer." James's serious expression makes her feels even worse. She can't die. Not like this.
"There is literally no where to go." He says, almost like yelling. A huge piece of ice falls down on James and knocks him down. The ice isn't sharp or thick enough to make him injured or unconscious, but he has trouble getting up.
"Wait." He runs his fingers on the ground, like he has discovered something. She bends down next to him. "Can you feel it?"
She nods. The ground is supposed to be cold from the weather, but there are interstices beneath them. So thin and small that they can barely see it in the dark.
"It's… hot."
"What do you think it's down there?" He takes out his sword and runs it on the pattern. The cave shakes again. The situation has become life and death, but she can't help but looking at what James has discovered.
"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to go in here." She sighs.
"We didn't have much choice then." He tries to lift something up. "Help me, I think it's a trap door."
She ignores the crumbling ceiling or the weak light inside the cave and holds what seems to be a heavily round rock. The ice is melting around it, and she feels slippery holding it up. On the surface of the rock carved a symbol - a triangle.
"Delta… The symbol of Daedalus." She murmurs. It's impossible.
"What is it?" He looks at her.
A crack. A cold runs down her spine. She hears lightning, and the cave shakes stronger than ever.
"We should- " Too late now. Pieces of ices are falling down to them. She curls up her body waiting for an impact, but the ground is faster than them. It cracks down a hole and brings both of them down. All she feels are the hot air and the infinity falling. Her throat is unable to make a sound. She reaches for James as he reaches back, but her vision turns black again.