EREBOR PIERCE, DISTRICT ONE

10:56 AM, DAY OF THE REAPING CEREMONY, DISTRICT ONE JUSTICE BUILDING

Erebor hadn't felt like a kid in a long time. Not since his sons had been born, at the very least. But there was something about being hugged suffocatingly tight by his parents that made him feel like a little boy again. It was only for a split second and as quickly as Erebor had acknowledged the feeling, it had left him. Saying goodbye to his parents had been no easy feat. He had been trained for this his entire life and his odds were promising, but it was important that he keep in mind the reality of the situation. With twenty five other competitors and unpredictable influence from the efforts of the Gamemakers, it was possible he wouldn't return. Erebor wasn't foolish enough to convince himself that he was untouchable.

However, his drive to return home was a variable that none of his opponents could factor in. Erebor was fixed on returning to District One to see his family again. He was going to be there to see his sons utter their first words and take their first steps. He was going to be there to wait at the altar for Wynnie to walk down the aisle toward him. Most importantly, he was going to be there for whatever the people he loved needed. Erebor had every intention of coming back home.

After his parents left the room, his brother stormed in through the door. Thorin, who was rather bookish and timid in comparison to Erebor, had never really been one for showcasing his emotions. Though, there seemed to be a considerable shift in his attitude today, as he instantly came in and threw his arms around his older brother. Erebor held him for a moment, patting him on the back. No tears were shed from either pair of eyes as they stood together. When Thorin slowly released him, they locked eyes.

Thorin wore a sad smile, but the tears that threatened his eyes didn't roll down his cheeks, "It's funny… No matter how much I knew this day was coming, I don't think I ever could've been ready for it."

Erebor placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "Aw, c'mon, Thorin. I know you're upset because now you'll have to help Wynnie with the boys."

His brother laughed, his tears nearly spilling over as he relished in his brother's unfaltering optimism. Even in times of precariousness, Erebor could be found cracking jokes. It was one of the things that Thorin admired him most for—His drive to make the people around him feel more at ease, regardless of his own feelings.

"Besides, I'll be back. There's no way I'm going to miss out on seeing you all dressed up to be my best man." Erebor assured him.

"I know," Thorin said softly.

"I just need you to do me one favor, alright?" Erebor started.

Thorin nodded, "What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll take care of Wynnie and the twins… You know, if something happens and I—"

"Let's not entertain the idea." Thorin cut him off before he could finish his thought, "You have my word. I promise."

The doors opened at the other end of the room and the Peacekeepers stood tall as they waited for Thorin to leave. He gave his brother a final hug before departing. The doors closed behind him and after a few moments, Wynnie entered with both of the boys in her arms. She was the picture of distress. Her eyes were red and swollen, her forehead was creased in worry, and her bottom lip was trembling. Erebor approached her, wrapping his arms around her and the boys as she buried her face in his chest.

This felt far worse than it had the other night. Seeing Wynnie in this state was wrong. It felt wrong. Erebor's mind was on the brink of reeling as he tried to reassure himself that this was the right choice. There wasn't time for him to wonder if he had made the correct decision. Right now, in this moment, he needed to be there for Wynnie while he could. He needed to be there for his partner until he could see her again. Erebor pulled away, taking the boys from her arms and holding them close.

"We were supposed to build a life together," Wynnie eked out as she looked at Erebor with an emptiness behind her eyes.

"Wynnie…" He took a step toward her, to which she promptly took a step back.

Erebor felt his eyes widen slightly as Wynnie looked at him with an unreadable expression. He couldn't help but wonder how it had come to this. He remembered just a year ago when he and Wynnie were attending the Academy together. He remembered how driven Wynnie was to earn her rightful place as Designated Volunteer. He remembered countless conversations they had shared discussing how their Games would unfold. All of that changed, as did Wynnie. The young woman who stood before him now didn't look any degree of certain like she once had.

And it was Erebor's fault.

"We can still build a life together, Wyn. I'm only going to be gone a while. You'll see me again… You believe that, don't you?" He asked.

The corners of Wynnie's mouth twitched. It was clear that she wanted to say something, but she couldn't quite manage it. Instead, she closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around Erebor's waist. With his hands full, he stood there, acting as an anchor for his family to cling to in what could prove to be their final moments together.

"I love you," Erebor told Wynnie.

Wynnie barely managed to choke out, "I love you, too."

When she released him, Wynnie retrieved a small velvet box from the pocket of her dress. She opened it to reveal a ring, one that Erebor instantly recognized. Wynnie slipped the thick silver band onto his finger, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. Erebor leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss. It was short, but he had never known a kiss so sad. When they pulled away, the Peacekeepers were opening the doors again. Wynnie hugged him tight before taking the twins from his arms.

As Wynnie slowly left the room, Erebor flashed her a winning smile, "Hey… When I get back, I'm taking you on the best date of your life. Keep your schedule free."

The last thing he saw before the doors closed was a tearful smile from Wynnie. The moment that he was alone again, Erebor slumped down into the leather armchair behind him. He buried his face in his hands, and for the first time in what was likely years, he wept.

ELESA CHASE, DISTRICT SIX

11:25 AM, DAY OF THE REAPING CEREMONY, DISTRICT SIX JUSTICE BUILDING

Elesa was rattled.

As she sat on the plush sofa that faced the window in the room, she could only register the terror that she felt. It was almost palpable. The fear that was dwelling within her was unlike anything she had ever felt. It was suffocating. It made her chest feel like it was caving in, like she couldn't take in enough oxygen no matter how hard she tried.

Elesa hadn't realized that her hands were clenched as tightly as they were. She hadn't noticed until she felt the skin on her palms threatening to break from how hard her fingernails were pressed against it. The fourteen year old slowly relaxed her hands, looking at the crescent-shaped indentations she'd left in her own flesh. Her hands were trembling.

She wasn't going to cry, though. Elesa was going to fight back the tears for as long as she possibly could. If she cried, she would undoubtedly feel worse. The last thing she wanted was to feel even worse than she did right now. Elesa needed to try to keep a clear head, she knew that much. The Games had begun the second that her name was called. Any missteps now could be the difference between life and death.

The District Six Tribute took a deep breath through her nose. It didn't matter. It felt like there wasn't enough air in the room. The walls might as well have been closing in around her. Elesa felt like she couldn't even rise from her spot on the couch. Her body felt like it had gone completely stiff, save for the shaking in her hands.

Much to her relief, her body finally moved when the doors behind the couch opened. Elesa craned her head, twisting her body to get a look at her visitor. She wasn't sure what to feel when her eyes came to rest on her father. In some ways, she felt relief coursing through her. In others, she felt dread. Was there anything her father could possibly say that would make her feel better in this moment? Elesa wasn't even sure that she wanted him to say anything.

She got to her feet as the doors were pulled closed. Her father approached, standing before her with a grim look on his face. It was clear that he was equally unsure of how to conduct himself in this situation. Father and daughter stood in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time before Toren finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry… For the argument that we had this morning. The one about the dress," He said.

Elesa didn't understand why he was apologizing over something so trivial. Did he even understand that there were more pressing matters at hand? Had he even been present for the Reaping Ceremony that she had just been selected at? Elesa felt like she would never be able to understand her father's thought process. He prioritized the strangest things and worried about the most meaningless trifles.

She couldn't think of anything to say. Normally, her responses toward her father came so naturally to her. She was able to shield herself from the things he said with virtually no effort. Right now, though, she was too far out of her element for such a thing. It was like grasping at straws that didn't even exist. Her lips twitched, but no sound came out. Elesa's father reached into his pocket.

"I brought you something, too." Toren continued, extending his closed hand to her and opening it to reveal a rusty screw.

Elesa looked at him, as if to check if he were pulling some sort of joke on her, before redirecting her gaze toward the rusty screw in his hand.

"I thought maybe you might want something to remind you of being back here in District Six… This is a screw that I had to pry out of the most disagreeable hovercraft I ever worked on for the Capitol… Damn thing took me ages to get back into working order." Toren explained as he handed it off to Elesa, who turned it over in her hands.

It was a blunt screw with significant damage. It had been stripped pretty badly and there was rust coating most of it. Elesa examined it a moment longer before tucking it into the pocket of her dress.

"Since you don't seem to want to have a conversation, I'll be frank…" Her father said, "I think we both know that you don't have a real shot at coming home. That Arena is a death sentence to just about anyone outside of a Career District..."

Elesa felt like the world was coming to an end. Was this really happening? It had to be a nightmare. How could her own father possibly say those things, knowing full well that they could be the last things he'd ever say to her? Elesa's stomach was in knots as she stood there, paralyzed by everything that had happened in the short span of the last hour.

"My advice to you is to make the best out of that week in the Capitol, Elesa. If I were in your position, that's what I would do. Being out there is the closest thing you'll ever know to being a Capitolite… Anything there has to be a hell of a lot better than anything here in Six. Make the most of it. That way, when you get into the Arena, you won't have any regrets." Toren suggested, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Just… Do what you can to enjoy it."

The doors to the room were opened and Elesa's father was escorted out by a Peacekeeper. After he had gone, Elesa stood before the window and stared out at the people who had the luxury of exiting the square. The fourteen year old stuck her hand into her pocket, taking the stupid rusty screw between her thumb and forefinger. Elesa gripped it harshly as she felt herself coming undone, finally allowing the tears to fall from her eyes.

CHERRY GOLDEN, DISTRICT SEVEN

11:37 AM, DAY OF THE REAPING CEREMONY, DISTRICT SEVEN JUSTICE BUILDING

Cherry's parents hadn't stopped crying since they walked through the doors of the goodbye room. She could only stand there in their arms as they wept. Cherry wanted so badly to cry with them, but she couldn't. Her mind felt blank. She was in a state of disbelief that was once alien to her. Now, she stood in the grasp of her sniveling parents as she somehow managed to refrain from falling apart entirely. Cherry had never known a stranger feeling in her life.

"We love you so much, Cherry…" Her mother said over and over again.

Her father didn't seem to have the ability to find the right words. His sobs were choked and restrained, as if he was trying to hold them back altogether with little success. The sounds of her parents' cries pained Cherry to no end. It filled her with the most foul and unpleasant ache in her chest. Cherry hugged both of her parents as tightly as she could before they were forced to leave by the Peacekeepers beyond the door.

Cherry hardly had the time to breathe between the departure of her parents and the arrival of her boyfriend. Chase entered the room with a hurriedness that she'd never seen from him before. The blonde pulled her into a hug and held her tight. Cherry breathed in his scent. It was the essence of familiarity. Cherry had been breathing in that same scent for years. There wasn't any way for her to know if she would ever be able to experience that smell again after this. It was strange how something so small made Cherry feel so hopeless.

The District Seven girl wasn't allowed to dwell on it for too long, as Chase slowly pulled away from her and took both of her hands in his own. Cherry could see the sadness in his face that he kept thinly veiled behind a half-hearted smile. His thumbs brushed over the back of Cherry's palms as he looked down at her hands.

"There's so much I want to say to you," Chase said, "But, now that I'm here, I can only think of, like… Two things."

He lifted his head, meeting Cherry's gaze again as she softly replied, "You don't have to say anything, Chase… I'm just happy that you're here."

"No, no, no… I got something I have to say. Here, sit." Chase nudged Cherry toward the sofa.

She sat down on the far right cushion, her gaze following Chase as he sat beside her. Chase clasped his hands together and gave her a genuine smile, one that looked the most happy he'd been in months.

"Last night at the party, I couldn't help but notice how happy you were when you were with Bonnie… When you were dancing and talking all night. I'm not an expert on romance, but I know what I saw. There's a spark there... And I think that you should be honest with yourself, Cherry." Chase said, "You need to live for yourself… You need to make yourself happy, not everyone around you. Doing things for yourself isn't selfish, you know? You deserve to be happy."

Cherry hardly knew what to say. Chase had just entered the room to throw her a curveball, but had done so with such grace that Cherry could hardly even comprehend it. His kindness never failed. Cherry had always known that he was one of the sweetest people in her life, but even she hadn't expected this. All the time she had spent worrying about the status of her relationship with Chase was rendered completely meaningless so quickly. With that acknowledgement, though, came an undeniable wave of relief.

"Tomorrow isn't promised to any of us… I don't want to be bleak, but from here on out, you're on borrowed time. Don't waste it, Cherry. Live for you… Try to come home for you. You owe yourself that much." Chase said as he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Without saying a formal goodbye, the blonde rose to his feet and left the room. Cherry sat there as she tried to sort through her feelings. She hadn't expected to make much progress, but any that she might have made was interrupted by the doors swinging open again. As they clattered shut, Cherry turned to see Bo standing just beyond the edge of the couch.

The dark-haired girl looked like a husk of her usual self. Her posture was tense and stiff, her jaw was clenched impossibly tight. Cherry could see how white her knuckles were, even from her spot on the couch. She and Bo stared at each other for a long time. Cherry had no idea what to say and it seemed that Bo struggling all the same. It felt like an eternity had passed by the time that Bo crossed the room to sit down next to her.

Bo took her hand, clasping it between both of her own as she brought it to her lips. She placed a gentle kiss to the back of Cherry's palm. Closing her eyes, Bo held the other girl's hand against her chin, relishing in the contact. Cherry's head swam. Her brain felt like it was pulling her in so many different directions. She wanted to be present with Bo, but the back of her mind was insistent on reminding her of the things she had once looked forward to being rendered futile. Finishing school, turning eighteen, getting a job… None of it mattered anymore.

Right now, this moment with Bo was the only thing that mattered. Cherry had never appreciated a presence more in her life. Bo didn't even need to say or do anything to bring Cherry comfort. The fact that she had come here at all meant everything to her. Cherry was certain that Bo had plenty that she wanted to say, but Bo always knew the right time to say things. Cherry sometimes teased her about her left-sided brain, but it was instances like these where she appreciated Bo's ability to put feelings on the back burner in favor of approaching a situation from the best angle possible.

So, the two girls sat in silence, wordlessly exchanging everything they'd felt for each other for the past few months. When it came time for Bo to leave, she rose and gave Cherry the best smile she could muster before the Peacekeepers removed her from the room. Only then did Cherry realize that she hadn't said a real goodbye to anyone who had come to say goodbye to her.

In a strange way, knowing that made her feel better.

CLARUS FARLEY, DISTRICT TEN

11:41 AM, DAY OF THE REAPING CEREMONY, DISTRICT TEN JUSTICE BUILDING

The room for goodbyes was much bigger than Clarus would've imagined it to be. It held a couch and two arm chairs, as well as a small credenza. Near the door, there was an end table with an antique lamp resting atop it. Clarus wondered why the room had been made to look so nice when people only spent a few minutes in it before they were asked to leave. He pondered whether the fancy decor was supposed to make him feel better about what had just happened.

It didn't.

Clarus stood idly in the room as he tried to distract himself with whatever he could. When the room's layout wasn't enough to keep his attention anymore, he directed his focus to the sounds coming from beyond the door. There were distant voices and footsteps. Clarus hoped that they belonged to people who were coming to visit him. His heart hadn't stopped hammering rapidly inside of his chest since his name had been called. Seeing his family or Eliza would surely help him to relax as much as he possibly could, he figured.

Much to his relief, the doors opened to reveal his parents. His mother hurried to him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Dwarfed by her son's stature, Chiara could only cry softly against Clarus' arm as she held onto him. Clarus was brave for his mother, gently patting and rubbing her back in the same way that she used to do when he was little to soothe him. His father stood off to the side with his hand covering his mouth and tears stinging at his eyes. He appeared immeasurably sullen as he watched his wife experience an anguish that no mother deserved to endure.

When his mother finally released him, Clarus looked to his father. Harris Farley placed a hand on his son's shoulder and looked at him in a way that made Clarus feel small. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, but it certainly wasn't a familiar one. He watched his father's face as he seemed to cycle through a variety of feelings. Sadness, uncertainty, remorse, and then acceptance.

"Son… I…" Harris shook his head slowly.

Clarus pulled him into a hug, "It's alright, Dad. It's gonna be okay."

Much like his mother, his father was reduced to tears. He held onto Clarus like the boy might disappear from his grasp if he didn't hold tight enough. Clarus was brave for his father, holding him up like a crutch as he allowed him to cry. By the time that they pulled apart, Clarus' shirt had been stained with tears.

"I believe in you, Clarus," His mother told him, squeezing his arm gently, "Anything that happens in that Arena doesn't matter, as long as you come home. You can make it home… You will make it home."

"Whatever it takes, Clarus. Do whatever it takes, son." His father urged him.

"I will," Clarus told them, "I promise I will."

As the Peacekeepers entered the room to usher his parents out, Clarus felt his heart sink. They frantically exchanged goodbyes as his parents called out whatever advice they had for him. Clarus waved at them as they were moved toward the door. For a few moments, he was alone again. Silence enveloped the room and allowed Clarus the opportunity to take a deep breath. He had no idea how he had been able to hold himself together in the presence of his parents, but he had succeeded in being strong for them.

There was no stopping the tears once Eliza entered the room, however. The second that he saw her face, Clarus couldn't hold back any longer. He let the tears come forth as he pulled Eliza into a fierce hug, holding her as close as he could. He ran his fingers through her hair as they cried together. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Clarus wondered if this would be the last time that he would comb his fingers through her gorgeous black locks. He didn't want to entertain those sorts of thoughts, but they were an inevitability.

"I love you so much, Clarus," Eliza told him, her voice barely a whisper, "I've never loved anything in my whole life the way that I love you. I never want to lose that."

Her words sent a ripple of agony through Clarus' chest. He didn't want to lose what they had, either. Clarus felt the same way that Eliza did. They were always on the same page, no matter what. Eliza was his best friend. In the coming days, he wouldn't be allowed to see her, or talk to her, or remind her how wonderful she was. Clarus could hardly stomach the thought. A pained sob was pulled from his throat as he rested his head atop her own. After taking a moment to relish in the comfort of having his girlfriend close, Clarus drew in a shaky inhale through his nose.

"I love you, Eliza… I love you so, so much. I'm going to do everything I can to win. I promise you that." He said.

Eliza slowly loosened her grip and took a step back from Clarus. She reached up and smiled at him, despite the fact that her eyes were filled with tears. Her hand found his cheek and she cupped the side of his face, brushing her thumb below his eye to dry his tears. Clarus lifted his hand, closing it gently around her wrist and nudging her palm with his cheek. Eliza got onto the tips of her toes and placed a long, tender kiss on his lips.

When they parted, she lowered herself back onto the soles of her feet and reached into the pocket of her skirt. Clarus wiped at his eyes as Eliza folded up a small slip of paper and neatly slipped it into the single pocket on the front of her boyfriend's button-down shirt. She patted the pocket and looked up at Clarus. The pair were about to share another kiss when the doors to the room were pulled open. Eliza glanced over her shoulder at the Peacekeepers who lingered in the doorway.

Returning her gaze to Clarus, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "I'll see you again soon."

Clarus squeezed her hand back before it slipped from his grasp. Eliza walked toward the doors, looking back at him one last time before his view was obscured by the Peacekeepers. The doors shut loudly and Clarus reached into his shirt pocket. He carefully unfolded the little piece of paper as he sat down on the leather arm chair beside him. Smoothing out the slip, he instantly recognized his girlfriend's handwriting. He bit down on his tongue as he read the simple words over and over again.

I love you. - Eliza