General TW for this chapter.

Sienna Asher, District 12, 14

Cal and I both woke up early the next morning, early enough to watch the sunrise. Apparently, he'd had as hard of a time sleeping as I had. We sat in silence for a while, watching the dusky sky shift to morning. Something like an hour passed until the sun was high enough in the sky to peek over the pointy treetops.

I was trying to pull myself together. I'd never been so scared in my life. Not when I was Reaped, not during the Bloodbath, not the night I saw Cal across the lake, not running from the Careers, not even when I killed that boy. The end had never felt so close, and I was terrified that I would lose it. I was terrified that I'd never wake up from this living nightmare. The idea of having to kill my friends today made me want to throw up.

But as much as I didn't want my friends to die, I still wanted to live.

Does that make me a horrible person?

No matter what, though, I needed to go into this with a clear head. I knew I'd die if I didn't. Everyone else was older than me, bigger than me, stronger than me, and using my head was my best chance. It had gotten me this far. Even if my allies were willing to die for me, at least I'd convinced them to ally with me in the first place, right?

I looked over at Cal. His eyes were on the sky, and he chewed his lip as he thought. He didn't seem to notice me looking at him. He had to be planning for his confrontation with his friend Sadie. The biggest obstacle standing in our way.

This whole situation was still strange to think about. Salome's killer was my best chance at escaping the arena. And the fact that we were actually friends? Friends who danced and played games and laughed and spoke of home? I wondered what Salome would think.

I think she'd be proud of me, I thought. I really hoped I was right. Her death felt like ages ago but also yesterday at the same time. I missed her a lot. I wondered if I'd even be here if Salome hadn't died at Cal's hands. Honestly, probably not. I wasn't grateful for it, though. I'd known her less than a week, but somehow, she'd become just as close of a friend as Cole and Penny during that time. Something about the Games led people to cling to one another. It wasn't something I was expecting. I'd always thought of the Games as lonely, and in a way, they were.

Maybe I was just lucky. I was definitely lucky. But no one made it this far without a little luck.

Was a little more luck so much to ask for?

Eventually, Cal looked over at me. "Are you ready to start heading over there?"

"As ready as I can be," I replied.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Aren't you?"

"A little," he said. "Mostly focused, though. This is it."

My chest tightened. "This is it," I murmured.

We both stood, Cal hefting his backpack onto his back. I'd lost all my supplies fleeing the Careers at the lake, so I was only carrying the knife Cal had given me. Cal immediately started walking, but I hung back a little, taking a deep breath to steady myself. To push down the fear and hold the little optimism I had left close.

We arrived at the Cornucopia a while later, the sun close to midway in the sky. We stopped several yards from the edge of the trees, letting them camouflage us for now. We'd followed the path, but hadn't actually used it, putting some distance in between us and ourselves. It wasn't worth the risk.

"All right, so here's what I'm thinking we'll do," said Cal, turning around to face me. "I'll approach the Cornucopia-"

"What?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice down. "Are you serious? That's a huge risk!"

"There could be something that'll help us," he explained calmly. "If there is-"

"But if there isn't?"

"There's only one way to find out," he said grimly. "And not just that. Sadie will approach the Cornucopia as well. She'll want whatever's there, no matter what it is. Even if just to keep the rest of us from getting it. It's the perfect opportunity."

"The perfect opportunity for what?"

"Sienna," Cal said, not unkindly, "it's okay. I'll be okay." His expression didn't shift as he spoke, and I studied him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was thinking. If he was afraid, he was masking it well.

"I'm- I'm just nervous," I said.

"I have a plan," he reminded me. "Sadie will want to talk, and I know where she'll be. You just need to sit tight and stay out of trouble until I get back. Even if you hear a cannon, don't move, okay? Just in case it's mine."

"Okay," I said softly.

"Okay," he echoed. He gave me a reassuring smile, although it didn't quite meet his eyes. "I'll see you soon?"

I nodded. He turned to leave.

"Wait," I said.

He turned around, listening for what I had to say.

"Be safe," I said.

He nodded solemnly. Then he turned around, sliding between the trees and into the clearing.

Sadie Wilson, District 2, 18

Per the announcement last night, I made my way back to the Cornucopia as the morning began. Just as I had yesterday, I gathered my things and packed them into my bag, leaving knives in my boots, belt, back pocket, and hands. A few more were stowed in the outside pockets of my bag for easy access, and my machete was within arm's reach. I ate most of the food I had left, drank some water, and then I was off.

I'd concluded after everything that happened yesterday that I was the Capitol's pick to win. The more I thought about it, it just made sense. Why else allow me to outrun the wolves? Why else keep them on the ground? I'd seen mutts climb before, including wolves. If the Gamemakers wanted me dead, I'd be dead. And since I wasn't dead, they wanted me to live. The whole idea made me shiver with excitement. Suck on that, Mom, I thought. Love the Capitol, and they'll let you live. It's that easy.

I was determined to end this today. It would be the perfect chance. Everyone would be there, as the "consequences" portion of the announcement had guaranteed. If they weren't, I was sure they'd be dead. I'd seen enough Games, and enough feasts, to understand what happened when you didn't play by the Gamemaker's rules. And since everyone would be there, I'd have a shot at taking everyone out. Maybe the items at the feast would help with that. I was intrigued to see what they were. Even if they were useless- and they occasionally were- they were bound to lure someone out.

As for who that someone would be, I had a good feeling I already knew he'd show his face. It was a feast, after all, and he was on a mission. I'd seen how Caligula was when he became focused. Granted, this new mission was very different from the usual: in the past, it had always been about training. When we were younger, he was always training. He didn't love letting it show, but the boy was always analyzing, observing, hypothesizing. He'd done it to me when we first met- I wasn't in the wealthy party-girl circle, and his assumption that I was just another hopeful but harmless trainee had been difficult to shake. While Cal had apparently "changed," I knew you couldn't fully make a change like that in a week. Deep down, he'd be the same Caligula Van Zandt. Which meant I knew how to take him down. Even better than that, though, was that he'd already hurt me. We weren't friends anymore, not after his betrayal.

That meant I'd have no reservations about what I wanted to do. He was going to die, but not before I hurt him worse than any knife ever could.

I wasn't sadistic. I was ready.

I followed the path back to the Cornucopia, walking briskly back to our old camp. Good times, I joked to myself. Thank God Glowla and Muir weren't in the mix anymore. Dealing with Cal was enough to handle. Eventually, after another minute or so, I could see where the trees ended and the grassy clearing began. The Cornucopia, the same old wooden roof held aloft by poles over our six picnic tables, came into focus.

Except something was different. This time, there was a seventh table, sitting a few feet outside the Cornucopia, off to the side in the grass. I caught a glint of metal and smiled to myself. More weaponry was always welcome.

Before approaching the feast, though, I looked around. No need to rush into this. The sun was high in the sky, and I'd heard no cannons or other disruptions- that had to mean that everyone was nearby. None of them were by the feast, as far as I could see. No shadows lurking in the trees, either. Since Cal preferred close-range fights, and the other two girls weren't trained, I decided to go for it, walking up towards the seventh picnic table.

I arrived quickly, surveying the provisions of the feast. On the table sat four gleaming blades, along with a small notecard, which read:

Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

I smirked. Classic Gamemakers. I took a look at the four knives: now that I was up close, I could see how beautiful they were. Each was shiny and clean and new, with a sparkling blade and leather handle. In each blade, from left to right, the Gamemakers had engraved each of our last names in a flowery font: Van Zandt, Wilson, Viscose, and Asher. Before I could reach for one, though, a voice crept up behind me.

"Hey."

I turned around smoothly, pressing my lips together. Cal and I locked eyes as I said, "Hello, Caligula. Fancy seeing you here."

He snorted, smirking at me. He was alone, which disappointed me a little. I glanced at his weapon- in his left hand was his signature harpe, clean and sharp. He was wearing a backpack, his jacket presumably stuffed into it to help with the heat. I'd done the same, leaving the black t-shirt open to the sun. His hair was a little more tangled than usual, and he had some dirt smudges on his face. Even his expression had changed; he'd lost some of his infuriating arrogance, and softness- weakness- had snuck into his eyebrows. But the eyes… the eyes were the same, looking me over just as I was doing to him. Analyzing, observing, hypothesizing.

Same old Cal.

"I suppose we have some things to talk about," I said, crossing my arms.

"I suppose we do," he replied.

Levi Viscose, District 8, 18

I'd managed to catch a few hours of sleep last night, which was good. A whole two hours- lower than normal, but better than nothing. Hopefully, a little sleep would be the push I needed to get out of here.

As soon as it was light enough outside to see, I'd pulled out the map Senna sent me yesterday. I knew I was decently close to the lake, so I decided to use that as my landmark. Jess had taught me and Ianto, city people at heart, how to read the sun once. "Rises in the east, sets in the west," she'd recited. "In the morning, the sun points directly east, and in the afternoon, directly west. It's the compass of the sky."

It hadn't seemed very relevant at the time- after all, we never left the cabin- but I was grateful for that information now. According to my map, if I was where I thought I was, I needed to head directly west to get back to our cabin. From there, I could use the path to get back to the Cornucopia.

The Cornucopia… the idea of returning there scared me, but the idea of dying here scared me more. Either way, I wasn't looking forward to what was coming next. I'd never been great at remembering who or how many people were left, and I wasn't sure what it was now- six? Five? I'd always been surrounded with people who knew those things. Even then, I didn't know who was alive. I knew there was something I was forgetting, but I couldn't quite grasp it. It had been lost in the chaos of the past few days. As far as I knew, the entire Career pack could be waiting, ready to kill me. Well, not the entire Career pack. One of them was definitely dead…

So with that in mind, I began to walk. For once, I was glad that I'd woken up so early; I had a ways to travel, and I didn't want to be late. The way the announcer had said "'significant consequences'" made me shudder despite the heat. I spared myself from dwelling on the details of whatever that was. I knew it would send me spiraling, and I couldn't afford to spiral right now. I didn't have Ianto to hold me up this time. I was alone, truly alone, and I had to hold it together.

Walking towards the Cornucopia, a deep understanding settled over me, sinking into my heart. I wondered if my mother could see me, wherever she was: part of me hoped so, because I'd never understood her more. This feeling of walking towards my doom, of desperately hoping I'd make it out the other side… it was something she'd felt in her own arena once, her fear overcoming her hesitation to kill. Just as it had for me.

I had to win so she could rest in peace. I had to win so Ianto didn't die in vain. I had to win so Owain wouldn't be alone in this horrible world. There was no room for failure, because everything was about so much more than me now.

I shoved my fear and anxiety and depression down as far as they would go, spending the rest of the walk to the cabin putting them aside. Once I hit the cabin, I turned left, letting the path carry me to its end. On the way there, as the sun climbed higher in the sky, I gathered my strength and adrenaline, everything I had left in me, preparing to make a stand. The clearing to the Cornucopia appeared up ahead, and I veered right into the trees, unwilling to head for the center right now. I could make out two Careers standing and talking. I hoped that if I waited, they'd take each other out, and then I could deal with whoever was left.

There's something you're forgetting, I thought. Something important. But whatever it was, it was just out of reach, at the tip of my tongue but not a coherent thought. So I kept walking, circling the Cornucopia to try and get a good view of the Careers. If they started fighting, I wanted to know about it. I kept my eye on them as I walked, which meant the voice calling my name caught me off guard.

"Levi?"

I turned my head, startled, just in time to see a small figure with loose blonde braids rush into my arms, hugging me tightly.

Reflexively, I hugged her back, holding onto her for a long time while I regained my composure. Because inside, my brain was screaming, fuck, I knew I was forgetting something, what am I supposed to do now, she's always been kind to me-

After a long moment, Sienna pulled away, studying my face as always. "Are you okay?" she asked. "Did I hurt you?"

"How- how are you still alive?" I asked, both stalling and genuinely curious.

"I found a new ally," she said, pointing over at the Cornucopia.

I looked over at the Careers, doing a double take from her to the Careers and to her again. It didn't matter which one it was. The whole idea was difficult to comprehend. "What?" I hissed, trying to keep my voice down.

"Yeah, I know," she said. "A lot has happened."

"They're born killers!" I said.

"We all have blood on our hands," she replied. "I assume."

I hesitated, taking a moment to get a better look at Sienna. Since the Bloodbath, she'd lost a little of her cheeriness, but even since the last time I'd seen her, she'd become much more serious. The look on her face was one much older than her years, and there was something different about the way she carried herself. She wasn't the crying girl I'd comforted on the first day while Jess and Ianto bickered in the cabin anymore.

My throat tightened at the thought of Ianto. "She killed Ianto," I said. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"I would've done the same," she answered. "And I'm so sorry. I really am."

"I know," I said, trying not to let my surprise show. Assuming she was telling the truth- and I knew she was- she'd killed someone, and was willing to again. I wondered who she'd killed, but even more than that, I started to realize how dangerous Sienna actually was. When Ianto and I had first allied with the rest of the Dream Team, we'd never expected Sienna and Salome to last very long. It was harsh, but true. The fact that Sienna was still around meant we'd underestimated her.

Sienna cleared her throat. She glanced over at the feast, and then back at me. "I have an idea," she said. "We already have Cal with us. We could ambush Sadie, and then we wouldn't have to worry about her. What do you think?"

"It sounds like a good plan," I said. It was true. But I was starting to get nervous about this serious, ruthless new Sienna. Even if we succeeded in killing a Career, what came next?

She smiled at me, soft and shy. It made my heart hurt just looking at her. "Okay, then. You have a weapon?"

I nodded silently.

She pulled a knife from her pocket. She gave it a grim look before nodding at me. "Let's go."

Sienna turned around, heading towards the treeline. Exposing her back to me.

I didn't want to betray her like this. She didn't deserve this. But then I thought of Ianto, of my mother, and steeled myself. I couldn't underestimate her again.

It would have happened eventually.

I tightened my grip on the knife, pulling my hand up and back as I aimed. I swallowed hard. In front of me, Sienna began to whisper something.

"If I go left-" she began.

I brought the knife down.

Caligula Van Zandt, District 2, 18

Sadie stood in front of me, her arms crossed.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well, what?" I replied.

"Where's your little sidekick?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "Getting ready to sneak up on me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said evenly.

She smirked. "Oh, please. You can't lie to me, Cal. And last time someone said that to me, it didn't go so well."

"Isla?" I guessed.

"Virgil," she answered.

"I was wondering about that," I said.

She cocked her hip. "Virgil tried to backstab me," she said. "It didn't work. And Isla was in on it, so she had to go too. Happy?"

"Very," I replied.

"It doesn't matter now," she said. "What matters is this: backstabbing doesn't work on me either. So don't try it again."

"I didn't backstab you, Sadie," I said, trying to be gentle.

She pursed her lips. "Then what were you doing?"

"Coming to my senses," I answered, even though I knew she wouldn't like it. No sense in lying now.

She scoffed. "Real nice, Cal. Real nice."

"You deserve honesty," I replied.

Her eyes hardened. "I know."

"I know that I hurt you, and I really am sorry about that," I said.

"If you were so sorry, you wouldn't have done it in the first place," she shot back.

"People make mistakes."

"So you admit it, then? What you said was a mistake?"

"The mistake was dragging you into it. You're my friend, and I didn't mean to hurt you," I said. Part of me wanted to talk about the Capitol, how messed up everything was, but I held my tongue. I knew she was wrong about the Capitol, but she was right about something else: if they heard me talking like that, they wouldn't hesitate to kill me. Possibly Sienna as well. And I couldn't mess that up for her, not when we were so close.

"Well," she said, taking in a deep breath, "you did."

"I know," I said. "And I'm saying that I'm sorry."

She gave me a look. "You know this doesn't change what's going to happen, right?"

I took a step back. "What?"

"I'm still going to win," she said, pulling her hip back in so that she was standing solidly in front of me. "And I'm still going to kill you."

"Sadie-"

"I appreciate the apology, but it doesn't erase how I feel," she said. "It doesn't erase your choices. And I know you're still going to try to kill me, so let's begin, shall we?"

"Sadie, we don't need to do this," I said.

She waved her hand, eyes narrowing. "There's a lot of things I know you're about to say. I don't want to hear them. I've moved on. You're nothing to me anymore."

"Please-"

"Don't. Bother," she said. "If you care about me the way you say you do, then move out of the way while I pick out my new knife."

"Muir said you were willing to listen," I said.

She gave me a sideways glance, caught off guard. If I hadn't known her so well, I would've missed the slight downwards tilt in the eyebrows that gave her away, but it was there. Her voice was low as she responded, "Muir was wrong."

"Sadie-"

"I'm done talking," she snapped. "I know you're only doing this, talking to me like this, so you can fight the way you like. Isn't that right?"

"I…" I hesitated. The weight of the knife stashed in my pocket seemed to increase as her eyes bored into me.

"Good thing I didn't accept your apology," she said. "Looks like it was all bullshit anyway." She reached around me and picked up a silver knife, her last name engraved in the blade. I took another step back, bringing up my harpe and keeping my eyes on her.

"For the record, I don't want to do this," I said. "You're my friend. This feels wrong."

"Feels just right to me," she snarled. "Drop the nice-guy act already, would you? It's exhausting."

"You don't need to accept it. It's me now," I replied.

She laughed again, a cold, humorless thing that rang dissonant with my memories of her. "You're no better than me, Cal. If you were, you'd be dead already."

"Sadie-"

"I said I'm done talking," she snapped again. She raised her knife. A glance at her other hand told me that she had more ready to go. I shifted into a fighting stance with a sigh.

It looked like our final fight had finally come, and there was nothing holding us back now.

Sienna Asher, District 12, 14

"If I go left-" I said, turning slightly over my right shoulder. Before I could say anything else, a flash of metal blinded me, and pure agony erupted in my shoulder. I screamed, twisting away with the knife still in my back, facing Levi with tears blurring my vision. I held my knife tightly, my hands shaking. It was a miracle I'd managed to hold onto it. In front of me, Levi was reaching into her backpack, and it wasn't long before she found another knife. She took a step towards me.

I thrusted my knife at her, holding it with both hands. I gritted my teeth, trying to keep myself from passing out. The pain was making me dizzy and overwhelming me and it burned and oh my God it was still in my back-

Levi took another step towards me, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"Please," I gasped, trying to stall. "We're friends, we're the Dream Team, right?"

"I know," she said quietly. "And I really am sorry, okay?"

Tears dripped down my cheeks. I wasn't sure if they were from sheer pain or Levi's betrayal. Probably both. I drew in another ragged breath, my uninjured shoulder bumping into a tree as I continued stumbling backwards. Cal was busy with Sadie and wouldn't be of any help. I needed to think of a way out of this.

"What would Ianto say?" I asked. "Or Jess? Or Salome?"

Levi pressed her lips together tightly. "They're gone, Sienna. We have to make the best choices for ourselves now."

It hadn't worked. I needed to stall more, to distract her with something else. My next idea made my heart twist, but I tried it anyway. I couldn't die here, not when I was so close to the end.

"Levi, please, I don't want to die," I said, letting a few more tears fall. My lip trembled, and I wiped at my eyes with a shaking hand. My voice cracked as I said, "I just want to go home."

Levi hesitated. "I-"

I didn't let her finish her sentence. I darted forward, plunging the knife deep between her upper ribs before she had time to react. I rapidly backpedaled out of her reach in case she swung at me, but she didn't. She just stared at me, shocked, as blood started pouring down her chest.

The horror of what I'd just done began to wash over me. Levi started to crumble, her knees giving out as she fell to the ground stiffly, her eyelids fluttering.

"No!" I screamed, running to her for the second time. We crashed to the ground together. Blood was everywhere and it was all my fault-

Levi coughed, focusing her eyes on me. They were such a pretty shade of blue. She tried to say something, but the words wouldn't quite come. She began to stiffen and tremble, only making me cry harder.

"I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean it I'm so sorry-"

Levi brought a shaking hand to my face, her fingertips grazing my cheek. When she pulled them away, they were glistening with my tears.

"Please don't die," I cried, wrapping my arms around her. The motion sent a new wave of blood down my back, but I didn't care.

Levi mumbled something. I didn't quite hear what it was, so I leaned in closer, hoping she had enough strength to say it again.

"I'd rather… you… than them…" she whispered. She mustered up a tiny smile, tinged with sadness and defeat. "Go… home, okay?..."

I pulled away in time to see her eyelids flutter again. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she went limp, her soft smile fading with her.

"No!" I screamed. "Please! Levi!"

Levi exhaled, and then she was gone. I pulled away, shaking as I took in the sight of what I'd done. A new wave of pain hit me shoulder-first, and I bent over, whimpering until the burning finally passed. I pulled my knife out of Levi's dead heart and Levi's knife from my shoulder, barely able to keep myself from screaming as I did so. Then, I dizzily got to my feet, my mind racing.

I couldn't do this again. I couldn't do that to Cal. I looked through the trees- I could make out the District Two pair by the table, weapons drawn. An idea started to form, fuzzy at first, but eventually whole.

I helped him once, I thought to myself numbly. I have to help him again.

Sadie Wilson, District 2, 18

Boom.

"What-" Cal said, turning to look over his shoulder. "Sienna?" he called, panic seeping into his voice. There was no response.

I'd never been one to waste an opportunity, and this moment was no exception. I lunged forward, stabbing Cal in the back. Served him right for his fake apology. But it didn't matter to me: I'd already taken Glowla's advice and stopped caring. I didn't care what he thought or did, as long as he ended up dead.

Right?

Cal shouted with pain, twisting around to confront me. He swiped at my abdomen, and I dodged him in the knick of time, stepping out of his range.

"Really?" he growled.

I narrowed my eyes. "Really."

The fight was on.

I swiped at Cal again, but he was ready this time, and I had to arch backwards to avoid his harpe. I could try throwing a knife, but he was so close, and he'd see it coming. And while I was holding them already, they were all in the wrong hand. So I reached backwards, pivoting to avoid an attack from Cal, and pulled my machete free from my backpack. I twirled it around, leveling it at his eyes. He withheld another attack, but didn't back off. We began to circle another, slowly stepping to the right as we both eyed each other. A sense of deja vu hit me once again; how many times had we sparred like this over the years?

Cal lunged, breaking my train of thought. He jabbed at my torso, but I caught the hook of his blade with a clang and blocked him. I flicked my wrist, attempting to twist the harpe out of his hands and into the grass, but Cal was ready for it and held on, using my motion to disentangle his blade. It was my turn to go on the offensive; I lifted my machete over my head, elbow behind me, and lunged toward him. He was ready again, and caught it with a crash before I could bring it down. I pulled back, and the circling began anew. We eyed each other again, looking for any weakness to exploit.

Cal went for the distraction angle again. "I wonder who's still alive," he ventured. His gaze didn't leave my face.

"Hoping it's your little sidekick?" I replied.

Cal gave me a look and opened his mouth to reply. "She's-"

I didn't let him finish his sentence, though. I lifted the machete over my head again, aiming for his head. He was a little slower this time, but still reacted in time to stop the attack. Or, he would have, if I didn't feint and swipe to the left, taking a chunk of his thigh with me.

Cal choked out a haggard breath as he stumbled backwards, his empty hand immediately pressing against his wound. His gray shorts grew dark, and his exposed shin began to turn red.

I smirked. "I thought this was your thing, not mine."

For once, the dingus learned from his mistakes. This time, instead of replying, he popped forward in a quick stabbing motion, aiming for my gut. He nicked me, but I got away without any serious damage. My shirt wasn't even wet. He didn't wait for me to reply, though; he sent a flurry of attacks my way, jabbing me several times before I stumbled back. I took a quick second to examine myself- I had several new marks on me. I hissed as they began to sting, but I wasn't going to be stopped that easily. Cal was sustaining two deep injuries, and he'd be much less likely to move. I had the upper hand. I pulled back and we circled again, and after a moment, he had his back to the Cornucopia. An idea began to form.

There's a trap over there, I remembered. If I could get him in it…

It was almost too perfect.

Cal stopped circling. Before he could circle away, I lunged again, pushing him backwards. He hobbled a few feet away from me as he parried successfully. My blows didn't land, but they didn't need to. I doubted I'd get many more hits; he was serious now. He was losing, and that makes people fight harder. I'd seen it for myself yesterday. So when he launched another flurry of attacks, I was prepared, focusing all of my attention on defense. The clash of our weapons sent harsh clanging noises through the clearing as metal scraped against metal. He managed to nick me a few times, but nothing serious.

I stepped back, grabbing a breath. Cal didn't step forward to continue, watching me warily. That was good. I didn't want to lose any ground.

As we stood there for a moment staring at one another, for a moment, everything was silent. There was nothing but our breath as we both heaved with the physical exertion. Two weeks ago, this would have been nothing, but the arena had taken its toll on both of us- in more ways than one.

A small breeze tickled my neck, making me frown. It was a still day, no wind to dispel the heat I'd come to associate with the arena. Cal wasn't moving, and neither was I.

I looked at Cal. I'd thought he was looking at me, but he wasn't. He was looking over my shoulder.

I put the pieces together quickly. I'd been right about him all along. His apology wasn't real. His entire presence was a distraction, as painful as that was. My left hand, which was loose at my side, still clinging to two knives, acted on instinct. I stepped back, thrusting my blades directly behind me.

He will die, but not before I hurt him worse than any knife ever could.

And sure enough, metal hit flesh.

Caligula Van Zandt, District 2, 18

How had everything gone so horribly wrong?

Everything was happening in slow motion.

As Sadie and I circled each other for the third time, a pale, light-haired figure had emerged from the treeline. Even from the distance, I could see that she was covered in blood. It took all I had to not react. I wanted to call her name, see if she was okay, but I kept my face as stony as I could. I'd stopped circling, desperate to keep Sadie from seeing her. After another round of fighting, we were standing there. I don't know what Sadie was thinking, but somehow, she knew.

Now, Sienna was crumpling to the ground, two knives buried up to their hilts in her stomach, fresh blood pooling around her as she curled into a broken little ball.

"No!" I screamed. Sadie began to turn, and I attacked again, more desperate than ever. I was tired of this fight, and it needed to end right now. It needed to end before the worst happened.

This time, I gave her no room to parry. I swiped at her over and over, as quickly as I could, quickly finding my groove as terror and fury and desperation and betrayal fueled me forward. My flurry of blades overwhelmed her, and attacks finally started to land. I cut her shoulder, her knee, her hip, each cut deeper than the last. She cried out with the last one, hobbling away from me while she tried to pull a knife from her belt.

There were so many things I wanted to say. How could you, and I thought you were my friend, and so many more. But then Sadie looked up at me again, and I caught the satisfaction on her face. That was no reflex- that was purposeful. She knew what she was doing.

That was the push I needed to end this.

We were both bleeding. I still had a knife in my back, and Sadie's hands were covered in sticky redness. I knew she was expecting another swordfight-style attack, and that's why I didn't give it to her. Instead, I rushed her, tackling her to the ground before she knew what was happening. We both wheezed as the ground crushed our lungs, fresh blood staining our clothes, but there was no time to rest. We immediately began to grapple. I didn't dare look over at Sienna and break my concentration. Her cannon hadn't fired, so she just needed to keep holding on.

I couldn't lose my chance to make this right.

After a few horribly long moments, I pinned an arm above her head. She continued to squirm, attempting to loosen my grip, and she delivered two sharp punches to my diaphragm. I choked, but didn't let go enough for her to free herself. I shifted my weight forwards, putting the pressure on her ribcage. I reached for her other hand. As soon as I got close, though, she stretched her head forwards and tried to bite me. I pulled away with a second's margin.

I couldn't fully pin her, and she couldn't free herself. We were in a stalemate, just like always.

Sadie seemed to know it, too. She smirked at me again, all warmth evaporated from her lips and replaced with blood. "A draw?"

I finally spared a glance at Sienna, who was barely moving in the grass. She was a few yards away, her head tucked into her chest, and it was obvious that she was barely breathing. On the ground, Sadie shifted, her free hand wriggling around behind her.

The realization hit me: she had another knife. How would she not? This was Sadie, and knives were her first love. We locked eyes, only making me more sure of my assumption. Luckily for me, I had a hand free as well. The knife, so heavy in my pocket before, seemed weightless now as I freed it.

It was time to use her signature move against her.

Sadie's brown eyes widened, recognition flashing in them as she realized what was happening. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came. Without hesitation, I plunged the knife into her forehead. Her eyes unfocused as the blood began to dribble down her face.

Boom.

A wave of nausea struck me as I took in what I'd done. My friend, my ride-or-die ally, my district partner, Sadie, was dead.

But I didn't have time for that right now. I scrambled to my feet, sparing a wince at my aching back and leg wounds, and ran the few paces to Sienna as quickly as I could.

It was bad.

A small puddle of blood had pooled in the grass around her. Another wound on her back, which looked scarily deep, was also bleeding everywhere. Her hair was a tangled mess, her skin paler than ever, and her eyes half-lidded as she took in shallow, shuddering breaths.

"Sienna," I said, desperation twisting the word in my mouth.

Her eyelids fluttered, but she opened them enough to look up at me. She lifted her head a little, her face tight with pain.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice faint.

"No, no no no no no," I said. "Don't give up on me. Sienna. Sienna, listen to me. It's time."

She stared at me. For once, she didn't respond. She didn't need to: the horror was evident in her eyes. "No, I can't…"

"You have to," I urged.

"You deserve to win too," she whispered.

"No, I don't," I said, shaking my head fervently. "We've talked about this, remember?"

She squinted, her eyes far away as she thought. For a moment, I was afraid she'd leave me. But she returned to the arena, her eyes focusing on me again. "I don't want to."

"We can do it together," I promised.

"Cal…" she pleaded.

I reached around, finally pulling the knife out of my back. The pain made me grunt. It had been a deep wound, and I pulled the knife around to examine it. It was beautiful, really. But it wasn't clean anymore. The engraved letters, reading Wilson, had pooled with blood, the font shifting from a cool gray to a deathly shade of red. I pressed the blade into Sienna's hands.

"Cal," she whispered again. "I won't. Not again."

"Don't think about it," I said. "Just do it."

"I can't," she said, a single tear pooling in her eye. It dripped horizontally down her face. "I did horrible things and I can't do any more, please…"

"Better things than me," I said.

"No, no," she cried. "We're equal. Let yourself win, this was your dream."

"Was," I emphasized. "And if you won't…"

I didn't finish the thought. I didn't need to, and we didn't have time. I reached for the weapon in Sienna's hands.

"Let yourself win!" she repeated, trying to raise her voice. But she was too weak. She was dying too quickly, and I needed to act right now.

"I won't let that happen," I said. I wrapped both hands around the handle, angling the tip of the blade towards my heart. Years of training had guaranteed that I wouldn't miss.

"Wait," Sienna said. She reached a trembling hand towards me.

"Sienna?"

"The lesser… of two… evils," she said. "I'd rather… the alternative…"

"Together, then," I said quietly. I moved as close to her as I could, my hands layered on top of her bloody ones layered on top of the knife. I angled the knife towards my heart again, taking a deep breath. I let the tension leave my body.

This was it.

I looked at Sienna again. Her face was twisted with anguish. I met her gaze, her shallow blue eyes clouded with pure pain.

"Thank you," I said. "For letting me do this."

"You've given me… no other… choice," she said. Her eyelids fluttered again, and her voice became even softer. "I'll miss you… and… I'm so… sorry…"

"Don't be," I said. "Ready?"

"Never," she said.

"Three," I counted. "Two."

I tightened both of our hands around the blade. Sienna was starting to go limp, the life fading from her fingers.

This was really it.

I looked at the sky one last time. Then, I closed my eyes.

There wasn't time to think. There wasn't time to reflect. I'd made my choice, and I was sticking to it.

"Three," I whispered.

Everything went dark.

Piers Morgan, District 6 Mentor, 20

Boom.

Per tradition, the Mentors- at least, most of the Mentors- had gathered to watch the end of the Games. We all wanted to see who would be joining our ranks next year, and as noon had drawn closer, the room was abuzz with nervous tension. Senna and Godric were beyond anxious. Aurelia was nowhere to be seen. We'd all taken our seats, watching raptly as the end began.

Now, the room was silent.

"Someone go get Aurelia," said Finnick.

Braun gave him a wordless nod and headed off towards his apartments.

*Eulogies:

4th: Levi Viscose, D8F (knifed by Sienna): Levi is a character I've always held close. Beyond being a lovely, genuine person, she was so human. She didn't always get things right, but she tried so hard to learn and grow and connect. Levi's growth- of learning to communicate, of relearning how to be a friend, of gaining closure around her mother's death- was one of my favorite arcs of the fic. This is without a doubt one of the hardest good-byes for me. Levi, wherever you are, I hope you know that I'm so proud of you. You deserved the world, and I'm sorry things ended like this. I wanted you to win so badly. To ladyqueerfoot: I hope you're proud of your daughter. Her form was a work of art, and I'm so lucky to have received her. Thank you.

3rd: Sadie Wilson, D2F (knifed by Caligula): Where do I even start with Sadie? I loved Sadie from the second I read her form, and she's never been difficult to write. She was my victor pick for a long time, and I'm not sure when that changed, but I'm so sad to see her go. Her time in the arena- between Cal's betrayal, dealing with her alliance, and her feelings of abandonment- was a rocky ride, but there's no denying how tough this girl is. She's a stubborn badass and I'm terrified of her. She was the villain in many tribute's stories, but never in mine. To chcolate: this girl is fantastic. She had one of my favorite concepts of the group, and I'm so thankful you took the extra time to make sure she was just right. Thank you.

2nd: Caligula Van Zandt, D2M (teamwork?): I've known this was how it would end for Cal for a long time, but that didn't stop me from crying about his death. I think it's safe to say that in the beginning, he didn't stick out much. When he hit the arena, though, everything changed. His world turned upside down, and he made the decision to do what he thought was right. All Cal wanted to do was figure out who he was and what he stood for. He left behind everything he knew to seek his redemption, and he found it in the form of Sienna Asher. His friendships with Sadie and Sienna were some of my favorites, and they represented two parts of him: who he was, and who he could be. To TyrantrumOfAstora: As horrible as it is, he did it. He achieved everything he wanted. I'm so proud of him and I hope you are too. Thank you.

1ST: SIENNA ASHER, D12F: Sienna! I hate to say it, but there was a time I was among your doubters. For the longest time, I had you falling in the finale, but I couldn't do it. There were too many ideas for you moving forward, and I knew your story wasn't finished. I'm not done with you yet, Sienna Asher. To glimmerglint: Congratulations! I hope you're proud of her, because I am. She's a wonderful character, and thank you so much for sending her to me. We'll catch up with Sienna in the epilogue...

Final Kill Count:

Glowla Lush- 3 (Ianto, Ethan, Jess)

Caligula Van Zandt- 2? (Sadie, Salome)

Sadie Wilson- 4 (Virgil, Ainsley, Deltro, Journie)

Damion Cloud- 1 (Halley)

Muir Jansen- 4 (Damion, Isla, Parker, Dale)

Travis O'Quinn- 1 (Samuel)

Chaney Hallows- 1 (Reese)

Levi Viscose- 1 (Glowla)

Journie Teffs- 1 (Travis)

Alula Callahan- 1.5 (Cataleya, but also Alula)

Sienna Asher- 2? (Muir, Levi)

This was a lot, so I'll keep the A/N short. Blog updated in a moment as always, epilogues and summaries will be up 4/4, and Gilded Cage: The 88th Annual Hunger Games opens tomorrow for subs, all info will be on my profile. Very much looking forward to your thoughts on this one. I'll save the rest of my thank-yous and final closing thoughts for the epilogue.

Special thanks to timesphobic for beta-ing this chapter!

-r-b*