I feel like I haven't updated in a while because keeping up with my exams and supporting my favourites (especially Switzerland) in Eurovision has been using up a lot of my energy. Now exams and Eurovision are over I will have a lot more free time so I will be able to write a lot more.

Binah Katayanagi, 21, District 3 Mentor POV

Fawkes' speech made me cry.

A few hours ago, I'd received a message from Plutarch Heavensbee saying that it was all over. Now that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark were dead, rescuing anyone from the arena just wasn't worth the trouble. I'd returned to my screen to watch Silver trying to piece Fawkes back together and tried to hold onto the small scraps of hope I had left.

But Silver found out that Peeta was dead and tried to kill his allies and Fawkes made his speech. It shocked me. I really thought, after suffering for so long, Fawkes would give up. He would just shut down, let himself fall asleep and never wake up again. But now he seems to be powered by false hope and wasted potential.

I don't know which is worse. Watching the boy I love fall apart or watching him build himself back up from nothing and knowing that it won't last. The plan that Fawkes is relying on will fail without help from outside the arena.

Blinking away tears, I tap a few keys and my computer screen changes from a sponsor list to a feed of news. I want to see if the rebellion really is going to die without Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark.

Soon, I see that the rebellion's as dead as I am.

There are riots across the districts, more violent and chaotic than ever. The more I read about, the more footage I watch, the wider my smile gets.

This is Fawkes' rebellion. The crowds are chanting his words. I see a wall with "THIS is what the losers are capable of!" sprayed onto the soot-stained bricks. Another with a picture of a bird and the words "The Mockingjay has fallen. The Phoenix rises!"

I have an idea. An idea that could save every tribute in the arena.

"Ramona," I turn to my friend. "Can you watch Fawkes for a second? I have to make a call."

Ramona nods. I grab my communicuff and run to the elevator. Even though I've disabled most of the bugs in the Control Centre I can't talk to Plutarch about Fawkes when there are loyalist victors around. Then I dial Plutarch's number.

"Hello," I say. "It's me. Is it safe to talk?"

"Yes," Plutarch Heavensbee says.

"You need to convince District 13 to go ahead with the plan," I say. "You saw Fawkes' speech. There are riots everywhere. Imagine what he could do when he's not trapped in an arena."

"But we don't have a Mockingjay anymore," Plutarch says.

"We don't," I say. "We have a Phoenix."

There's a long silence on the other line before Plutarch speaks again. "I'm not sure about Fawkes Chau. I'll admit that his private session was entertaining and his interview showed some promise but there's no big 'I volunteer as tribute' moment. He's not a victor. He doesn't even have any direct kills. And he used to support the games. I think he'll have more of an impact in the Capitol than where it matters. I'm sorry, Miss Katayanagi, but-"

"You can't just give up," I cry. The words start pouring out of me, a worried, desperate stream. "It's true that Fawkes isn't a volunteer or a victor or a killer but that's not who we're trying to get to rebel. All the selfless heroes are already on our side. We're trying to get ordinary people to rebel, ordinary people who don't believe in sacrificing themselves for anything. Ordinary people who think they won't make an impact because they're not a victor. Ordinary people who are selfish or scared enough to keep their heads down and do everything the Capitol tells them. Fawkes was one of those people. Then the Capitol took him away from his home and hurt him so much that he turned against them. Now he's one of us. And if you don't give him a chance to prove himself then... you're just as bad as them. You're telling all those ordinary people who are flip-flopping between our side and their own side that they don't matter to you because they're not the Mockingjay. Do you want that?"

Plutarch is stunned into silence but I'm not finished.

"If you give up now then, clearly, I made a mistake believing in District 13," I snap. "You'll have to make do without your best hacker."

"You make an excellent point," Plutarch says. "But you seem to be pretty attached to your tribute, Miss Katayanagi. Could that be clouding your judgment?"

"Read the news. Look at all the people rioting for Fawkes. Ask yourself how clouded their judgement is."

"Okay," Plutarch concedes. "I'll try to pull some strings. If the boy dies, there's nothing I can do."

"If he dies, there's nothing anyone can do."

I hang up and sink to the floor of the elevator, shaking with relief. I did it. I made sure that District 13 will never give up on Fawkes as long as he's alive.

Now I just need to keep him alive.

Ageis Sacro, 18, District 8 Tribute POV

As Silver's trying to make some crutches for Fawkes and Sankie's fiddling with the wire she'd picked up in the bloodbath, I sit down next to Régine. She has a bruise on her throat from when Silver tried to kill us. I was so scared. For a few moments, Silver was suffocating her and there was nothing I could do.

Régine catches me looking and presses her hand to the bruise. She looks sad.

"Sorry," I say. "You still look gorgeous. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Régine says. "It doesn't hurt much. I've been worse. It just reminds me of something that happened in my games."

"What?" I ask.

"Dio tried to strangle Ramona about three days into the games. I saved her. I wanted him to let her go and most of my allies backed me so he just let her go without a fight."

"You saved your ally," I say.

Régine laughs, bitterly. "This was after she'd set fire to our supplies. And then she'd go on to poison everyone and stab me. I probably would've been better off if I'd just let her die but... I loved her. I still love her as a friend, even after everything she did. I know that, if she could've saved me, she would've. Just... falling for one of my opponents made me so weak."

"You're not weak, Régine."

"But I'm doing it again. It might kill me again."

There's something unspoken in her eyes. She knows that there's a chance we'll escape the arena together. But saying it will give it all away to the Capitol. I know that Régine is afraid of what will happen if we fail, a fear that was brought into sharp focus when Silver attacked us.

We could all die in this arena.

"Would you really die for me, Régine?" I ask.

She nods. "I'd die for you. And I'd die for Fawkes and Sankie. I don't deserve to take an ally's life just so I can live. Not after everything I've done."

"It doesn't mean you should punish yourself by dying," I say. "Have you ever done something for yourself, been your own person?"

"It's not about punishing myself," Régine says. "I just can't face winning this games and living in District 3 after I tortured one of their tributes to death. It's a miracle that Ramona and Fawkes have moved on but I know that a whole district won't. If I can't save Fawkes, I won't be able to live with letting his district down."

There are tears shining in her eyes. She looks so scared, scared she'll never be able to escape her past.

I realise that, if we can't break out of the arena, she never will. If it comes down to one victor, Régine will either let herself die or she'll be trapped as a guilt-ridden victor for the rest of her life. She'll be an empty shell, exactly what I'm terrified of becoming.

But I've already escaped my past. My mentor and my allies were the ones who broke the chains and set me free. I just want to live, to have every opportunity that I was never given in my first life. I'd rather live as a rebel but, if someone has to leave the arena alone, I'd want it to be me.

"I love you," I say. "But I'll kill you if I really have to. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Régine says. "I know you'll be happy as a victor. I won't. If we make the final two... kill me."

She looks like she might cry. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and let her lean into me. I hate myself for wanting to kill Régine if everything fails. She's so kind and beautiful, a much better person than she'll ever give herself credit for.

But I can't save her from herself. And I'm not selfless enough to give up my life for her. I've spent so long without a self, I never want to be selfless again.

"I understand," I whisper. "I'll make it quick."

Régine smiles, sadly. Suddenly, I understand what she was warning me about before the games began. This arena is no place to fall in love. One of us could die and the other one will be broken.

I promised Régine that I wouldn't let her death break me. I know I'll keep that promise. If Régine dies and I live, I'll just be grateful that I'm still alive. I just worry that she won't be able to keep her own promise. I worry that, if one member of our alliance dies, she'll fall apart because she couldn't save them.

All I can do is hold Régine close and hope that everything will be okay. Or, at the very least, I make this moment of her life a little brighter.

The rebellion still lives! I knew that one of the rebel victors would convince Plutarch to continue with the plan. It was originally going to be Lumas but then I realised that it would be a much better moment for Binah. She knows Fawkes a lot better than Lumas does and she hasn't had much to do this story besides being Fawkes' emotional support. Now she's one of the catalysts behind making Fawkes the rebellion's new figurehead.

Fawkes being the new face of the rebellion is something I've been hinting towards for a few chapters. I always knew that he'd be the one to help the rebellion recover. It's not because I like him but because it lies exactly within his set of skills. Fawkes is good with people, which makes him exactly what the rebellion needs.

Because this chapter was a little short, I thought I'd add a little romantic moment between Ageis and Régine. Then it turned dark. Régine is selfless enough to sacrifice her life for her allies but Ageis isn't. She believes in the rebellion but she also really wants to live and make the most of her life. I didn't expect that side of her to come out until I wrote this chapter.