-November 6th, Year of the 73rd Hunger Games-

I flip the envelope over in my hand, my fingers idly drifting over the number '5'.

Some kind of beast inside of me claws at the surface, trying to force me into opening it, but every time I'm about to give in I see the message scribbled in ink on the back.

Open only when you are prepared to die for the cause.

I have done as Haymitch has said. In each District, I have given a letter to the Victor I trust most. Some were easy – Mags in District 4, Glynn in District 8. Even Johanna Mason from District 7 – I don't know her well, but I know she is fiercely loyal. She doesn't play by the Capitol's rules. If anyone was going to die for the cause, it would be her. But, some were not so easy.

The room is crowded, people milling about. The TV cameras off, but the crew have been invited to the buffet. Stella squawks loudly to a group of Capitol stylists, before being interrupted by her headset bleeping. She answers the call with exhasperation which quickly changes to seriousness as she leaves the room for some kind of private discussion.

We are in District 3. This is only my third time in the District, and all have been under the same circumstances. I had been eager to stick with Annalee as it is her District tour, but I have a job to do. The job I speak of I have not discussed with Tyga and part of me regrets this, but I have decided that I can't let her influence my judgement. I will tell her when we return home, after all the letters have been given out.

I scan the crowd. I have been searching through my mind, like a labyrinth, trying to work out which Victor I trust the most. District 3 was not one of the easy ones. Across the other side of the room I spot a set of Victors – Surge, Vira, Wiress and a man named Beetee who I have not had much contact with. I head over to them, my hand in my pocket fondelling the envelope and brushing my finger along where I know the ink reads '3'.

'Hey, Connor!' Surge says, his voice enthusiastic – slightly too enthusiastic. I imagine he's trying to cheer up Wiress, who endured yet another year of mentoring two tributes, only to watch them die.

Surge. I think about him. I could give the letter to him – it makes sense. I am closer friends with him than any other Victor from his District. But then he can be rash – he has a temper. It doesn't come out much, but it's there – a fire prickling at the back of my judgement.

'Hi,' I say with a smile, 'Nice District you got here.'

'There's no place like home,' he replies, mockingly.

'They recently re-established the powere network.' Wiress says, her voice somewhat distant. 'Now it runs through underground cables. Saves a lot...'

She drifts off but Beetee picks up, like I've often seen him do. '-of space. Gives us a more productive way of channelling the power you guys produce.'

Wiress. I could pick her as well. Sure she's a little bit vacant, but perhaps that means she can't easily be manipulated. Her judgement is as strong as the day I met her and she keeps her mind closed, often submerging herself in facts and figures rather than opinions.

But neither Surge nor Wiress are the person i want to talk to.

'Can I speak with you for a minute?' I ask Vira.

Her eyes narrow slightly, wrinkled with age, before widening again, welcomingly. 'Sure, Connor.'

'An uprising? And they think this is possible – Haymitch and District 11?' she says, eyeing the letter with suspicious pupils.

'That's what they said,' I reply, 'They really believe it.'

Her eyes squint like a hawk's, examining the envelope and the words written in ink. 'Maybe... The people tried a rebellion before. I was young – only five when it ended. Didn't work – resulted in the Games.' She coughs a deep throaty cough. 'But then, times have changed since then...'

'That's what Haymitch and Seeder said.'

'And the others? Do the others want to help?'

'Johanna seemed keen.' Vira rolls her eyes at this. 'I reckon they'd get support. Districts 9 and 10 were wary, but I think Seeder is working on convincing them.'

'Hmm,' Vira's eyes drift to somewhere in the distance. I see her logical District 3 mind working, just as active as it had been in first Games, I'd imagine.

'But, there is something I need to ask.'

'Go ahead.'

'Districts 1 and 2. They don't want to include them. They think it will threaten the project.'

'And you think they should know?'

'I- I don't know. I think...they have a right to know.' I look to the ground.

'I would agree with you there,' she says, but her voice inclines towards a further point, 'But I think you need to listen to your fellow Victors' judgement.' I raise my head to this – I had expected the logical Vira to agree with my morality. 'Maybe not Haymitch or Chaff, but people like Seeder – they don't get a kick out of being in charge. I've been a Victor a long time and I've worked out that you get two types of Victor, Connor; the Victors who seek vengeance after the Games – they want to have some form of acknowledgement that the Capitol can't get away with this, and the Victors who seek peace – the ones who want the Games to be forgotten. I reckon you can work out who's who.'

I think about this. Vengeance and peace – is this really what we come down to? Some were obvious – Haymitch, Johanna, Vice – vengeance. Glynn, Cecelia, Annie – peace. And me? Where do I fit into this? I'd like to think I hope for peace, but then I've defied the Capitol more than any other Victor I know. Maybe I am seeking vengeance? Some form of revenge for what the Capitol put me and my family through.

'Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Seeder is not one to look for vengeance. She is one of the peaceful ones. But one thing we all have in common, as Victors, is a survival instinct – stronger than any you'll find in anyone else – and we've got the scars to prove it.' She's old, but those eyes gleam with such intelligence. 'Seeder will make the sensible decision. Peace and survival – that's what she cares about – and if she makes a decision, it's because she thinks it will bring us as close as possible to that. If she has chosen to withhold information from Districts 1 and 2, she has done it for a reason.'

Me and Vira stand in silence for a while before she breaks it again. 'You should be getting back. I imagine your train will be leaving soon.'

She reaches in for a hug, which I return, but as she moves away she looks me in the eye. 'The right decision is seldom the easiest one, Connor.'

And then she smiles and walks back inside. I follow her into the warmth.

Stella has finished her conversation now and within the next twenty minutes we have returned to the train, gliding off to District 2.

There is only one envelope left in my pocket as the train slows to a halt at the District 5 platform. Mine.

I feel awful because two days ago I looked Miami straight in the eye, smiled, and didn't say a word about what I should have. I didn't tell her about Haymitch, Seeder, the rebellion, the letters – none of it. Whether it was the right decision is still to be decided, but if it was, Vira was right about it not being easy – it's tearing me apart and it's only been two days.

But now, at least, I can slip back into the regular mundanities of the District 5 routine. It should be easier to forget the betrayal then. We stand at the doors in the same formation we always stand in. The Victor – Annalee – at the front. The mentors – me and Tyga – behind. And then the escort – Stella – taking up the rear. The doors hiss open.

We are swamped in congratulations, stepping out onto the concrete floor. Bodies move with celebration. The sky is a white emotionless mass of cloud and the air is cold. Most of the people are wrapped up in scarves and thick coats, their cheeks red and their hair windswept. The energy is pulsating around us, yet I sense something. Something...not right. Behind each smile there is a little doubt. Behind each cheer there is something hollow.

I want to ignore it, but it's there, staring me in the face. Annalee can't see it and neither can Stella, but I look at Tyga and her face reflects my own doubt. But we are on camera, so we smile and wave. The insect-like cameramen chase our every move up to the stage, where Annalee takes to the microphone, whilst we wait at the sidelines, the lenses briefly off us.

'Something's wrong,' I hiss through my smile at Tyga.

'I know,' she replies.

The crowd is quiet as Annalee addresses them. It's brief – she'll speak again at the banquet later – and soon she's offstage again. Tyga and I separate from her, as she joins her family again, and we walk with Stella, away from the crowds.

When we are far enough away from any camera – or even anybody at all, Stella speaks. 'Listen you two,' she says, 'I have some news.'

Her voice is not of its usual irritating perkiness, but I almost wish it was, because this Stella is much more worrying. Her hands clench and she fidgets uncomfortably. I don't know this Stella.

'A few days ago, I- I got a call. From District 5. I got...a call from the hospital.'

My heartbeat suddenly magnifies, beating loud in my chest, resonating through my body.

'W-why?' Tyga asks, her voice unsteady.

'Wait one minute, you,' Stella's laugh is squeaky, dry and uneasy, as if trying to make light of a terrible situation, but failing. She recovers her composure, but her voice is still shaky. 'I...I didn't tell you, because we were in the train and on the tour and I didn't want to distract you and we coudn't do anythi-'

'Stella, what is it?' Tyga says with force.

'It's Tobi.' she says, her voice steadying. 'He...he had a heart attack.'

My blood is replaced with ice, my mind is an emotionless blur, my heartbeat is an earthquake.

'The- the doctors did everything they could but...but it wasn't enough.' Her candy pink lips quiver, before piercing tightly, 'I-I can't-' She tries to say something but she can't think of anything so instead she just says what they all say – what they always say: 'I'm sorry.'

And that's all there is. Tobi – my mentor – the man who kept me alive through the worst time of my life – is dead.

He's dead.

My mind goes blank and the only thing I'm conscious of is my shins hitting the ground as I drop to my knees.

A/N: So, there we go! Did you see that coming? Let me know in the reviews! Sorry it's a day late by the way but it's up now so yeah :) please Please PLEASE review! I read them all and appreciate your comments SO much! So, yeah - I'll see you next week! :)