Gamble of Wits

by FireFlower17

The 'Flower of Panem' or 'Angel of Mercy', Seraphine Reza is the jewel and pride of Panem. One of their most treasured victors in the history of the Hunger Games and a favorite of President Snow. While she smiles, comforts and plays her part every time the games start again, in her mind, her own game never ended. She keeps her enemies close and plays the part of the perfect victor.

1. Chapter 1

"We only know war lasts, rain soaks, and cloud sag stormy."

Exposure

- By Wilfred Owen

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Chapter 1: Game of Survival

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"And we're back!" A man with neon pink hair and matching beard walked to the stage. He also wore a neon pink suit which had white stripe. Behind him was a huge screen.

The man clasped his hands and skipped to the stage in excitement. Around him, crowds of people, all dressed like exotic birds went wild. At homes in the Capitol and the career districts, the energy was the same but for the other districts, it was a different story. They sat in with their hands held in a somber haze, praying for the safety of the survivors.

Grinning ear to ear, the man took center stage just as a man dressed in a simple pastel-rose coloured robe handed him a drink. That man said nothing, it's not like he could. His tongue had been cut off for a crime most heinous, at least that's what the people of Panem' were told when concerning avoxes. The man in the neon pink gleefully took the drink but paid no attention to the avox.

The man in the neon pink swirled the light golden liquid in the crystal glass as he waited for the crowd to settle down. He drained the glass and wordlessly handed it back to the avox. A slow silence fell upon the crowd. They held their hands together in a twisted excitement as they waited with baited breath.

He clapped his hands together. "Happy Hunger Games! I'm Caesar Flickerman here with my 'friend' Claudius Templesmith—" He gestured to another man who had just walked onto stage. His hair was bleached light gold and dressed in a suit that was decorated with a silver laurel pattern against black. "—but—" He paused. "—you all already know that, I'm the host of the 68th Hunger Games!" The crowd went wild and he gestured to them to quiet down once again. "...Now we're on day twenty—" The crowd awed, some cheered while some gasp. "—I know. I know, time flies when we're having so much fun."

"It does. Doesn't it?" Claudius chimed as Caesar nodded.

Caesar walked over to the screen and clicked his fingers. Instantly the screen flashed to five faces, each appearing one by one. The pictures then arranged themselves neatly on the screen. Caesar grinned proudly as he watched the screen. The crowd booed as their least favorites came on and cheered when their favorites came on. Claudius clapped a few times to hush the crowd. At his claps, the crowd quieted a little. He gestured two fingers to the stagehands behind the cameras and two comfortable armchairs started to appear from below the stage.

Without even looking, he and Caesar walked over to their seats. Caesar nodded and then gestured. "Now we're down to our final five." He let out a little laugh. "Can you all believe that? Five!" He held up five fingers to Claudius, the crowd and the cameras. "Wow. To think we'd get this far." He laughed almost maniacally.

"If I may say so—this game is on track to becoming the longest game we've had in a while." Claudius commented with a dazed look on his face. He didn't really care about the game or putting on a show compared to his colleague. He was here to bring balance to Caesar's energetic yet tiring commentary.

"Right!"

"The five—starting with District 1—" He folded his fingers and held up one finger. "Valor. He scored an eleven—yes!—eleven out of twelve in the evaluation. A favorite of those who favor the strong and bold."

"An impressive tribute." Claudius chimed in. "Also from the career districts, they're known for producing victors."

Caesar nodded and turned around in his chair as Claudius mimicked him. He gestured to the picture of a handsome but muscled teen with golden blonde hair and blue eyes that looked as if he was sculpted by the gods or at least that's what his fans said. The boy was from a career district. The district, known for luxury. Gems and precious metals, that was District 1. Perhaps the closest a district ever got to being alike to the Capitol. That district was awarded for their cowardance during the dark days. They were one of the firsts to surrender. In turn, the Capitol treated them and some other districts well while ignoring districts that surrendered late.

"And he's not alone!" Caesar howled. He gestured to the girl on the screen, a little younger than Valor. She had silvery blonde hair and dark blue-purple eyes that almost looked like gems. She had a heart shaped face and doll-like eyes but a sadistic yet flirty smirk painted on her face. "Amethyst. She scored an impressive ten and I had the most loveliest time interviewing. Witty and agile, a perfect pair. Aren't they? District 1 never disappoints." He announced. "Ladies and gentlemen, Amethyst and Valor from District 1. Both Panem favorites."

The crowd clapped and cheered for the two as Caesar grinned. "Now moving on to the other 'Five'—another district that never disappoints District 2." He held up two fingers. "District 2, Gaius. Look at him." Caesar pointed towards one of his own favorites as he beamed brightly. "He scored ten out of twelve in his evaluation and another memorable interview I enjoyed." He dropped his voice and placed his hand to the side of his mouth like he was telling a secret. "Now you didn't hear this from me but Gaius could give Augustus Braun a run for his money as the victor of victors."

"Only if the odds are in his favor." Claudius added with a sly grin. "After all, Augustus is a mentor this year."

Caesar nodded in agreement. "Ah yes. How could we forget! Augustus Braun's debut as a mentor. I wonder how he will do."

"Well we'll have to see if Valor will carry on his mentor's legacy." Claudius turned to glance at the screen which had switched from the district one tributes to the district two tribute, Gaius.

Gaius grinned in his picture, flashing his canines. His flaming red hair paired with bright yet cold gold-brown eyes truly made him eye-catching. A true Victor, in appearances. Like Valor, he was muscular and gave off the impression that he was a brute but the grin made him look a little more friendlier. As Caesar had pointed out, he had the same energy as last year's victor, Augustus. The victor of victors. The perfect victor, one might say.

"Moving on, District 4!" Caesar hollered. He clapped his hands and the screen behind him changed.

The picture behind him now displayed a boy. His mass of dark curly hair fell to his side, giving a glimpse of his dark eyes. Another set of pictures of him appeared, there he wore some glasses and smiled brightly. He gave off an air of intelligence and kindness but those who had been keeping up with the games knew otherwise.

"Ripley from District 4." Claudius slowly drawled out. "The underdog of this year's game."

"An underdog, indeed." Caesar echoed with a bright smile etched on his face. "And we all love an underdog, don't we?" He turned to the crowd and asked. There was a mix of cheers and jeers resounding around the two. "Despite being handy with a spear, he scored an eight out of twelve."

"An eight. Seems pretty low compared to what he showed us so far." Claudius interjected.

"Indeed."

"But we'll see if the odds will continue to be in his favor."

Caesar sombered for a second before flashing a brilliant smile at the crowd. "We've reached the end of the 'Five', one left to introduce—" The crowd stared at him with bated breath, eager for the next survivor to be revealed. Although they already knew who it was, Caesar had the ability to make someone excited over anything, even stale bread. "—Do you all know who it could be?"

"Hmm. Who could it be?" Claudius played along while the crowd chanted one name. Over and over again until the whole arena was filled with voices chanting her name. Caesar grinned at this, it was the same reaction Valor and Gaius had received which meant one thing. This tribute would survive the top five and may even go on to win. The gamemakers could see it already.

Caesar gleefully scanned the cheering crowds in anticipation. Unlike Gaius and Valor, no one was booing but almost everyone was cheering. "Who's it going to be?" Caesar asked again, slapping his hands together in anticipation. "Well we'll find out after the commercial break and a word from the generous sponsors of this year's games."

---

"Ugh. Seriously!" Twelve year old Nox Fairburn yelled at the old television screen. He sat cross-legged on a worn out rug that had seen it's better days. Sitting next to him was his childhood friend, Clarisse Foret.

Unlike Nox, Clarisse paid no attention to the screen, instead the thirteen year old busied herself with her homework. Her dark curly brown hair covered her dark eyes for a moment as she gently pushed it aside. She hummed under her breath while Nox sat up, glued to the screen, in anticipation of the announcement.

Behind the two, was a faded blue leather couch. Nox's mother, Dahlia sat on the couch and stared down at him with a smile of unease. A once beautiful woman, renowned for her beauty in the whole of District 5 but now illness had taken its toll on her body. She had grown thin as a branch, her once-glossy dark chestnut hair was now greasy and almost brittle with white strands streaked between the fading chestnut. The light green-silver eyes that once shone with hope and joy had now dimmed. Her illness was the bane of her existence, her biggest regret. She sighed as her forehead creased in worry and she licked her dry lips, trying to compose herself. Now and then, she would look around for a sign of her nephew and her niece. "Nox." She warned quietly as she sipped the medicinal tea her eldest niece had prepared. "Don't get too excited." She hushed him with a finger on her lips.

"Mother!" Nox whined, trying to get Dahlia to understand his behavior. But Dahlia knew the reasoning behind her son's behavior all too well. "Look, Se—"

"Nox." A honeyed voice called from the front door. A tall woman with tan skin and jet black tresses strutted over to the living room. In the background, the sound of the front door being closed and locked was heard. "What did I say?"

"To not get too excited." The boy quietly answered as he sat back down on the floor. He was calmer now than he was before in the presence of his mother. "But Lissa!"

"I know. I know." Talissa Reza calmed her younger cousin with a soft smile while she removed her coat and hung it up on the metal coat rack.

From where Dahlia sat, she could smell hints of medicinal serums and the scent of disinfectant from the newcomer. "How was work?" She inquired as she started to get up. Talissa gestured to her to a stop. Seeing this, Dahlia slowly and weakly sat back down. Her niece didn't respond and instead wandered over to the kitchen with the package in her hand. She sighed and tried again. "I...uh already had my dosage today."

Footsteps echoed in the Reza-Fairburn house as Talissa walked over to her aunt with a relieved smile. "Really?" She asked, hope springing up in her chest.

"I saw her drink the whole thing." Clarisse answered in a small voice before Dahlia could muster up enough strength to say anything. Dahlia flashed a thankful smile at Clarisse and turned to glance at her niece. In response, Clarisse nodded, happily before returning to her work.

"Ugh. Can't believe they went on a break without telling us!" Nox complained. Talissa shook her head at the boy and slipped a piece of paper into her aunt's hands while the children were busy.

Another set of footsteps were heard and everyone turned to stare at the newcomer who had come out of the kitchen. Ramiel Reza, the nephew of Dahlia and Talissa's younger brother glanced tiredly, at the cluttered make-shift living room. He sighed, seeing Nox glued to the screen and pushed his jet-black hair back. Like his sisters, he too had inherited their father's dark tresses.

"Dinner's ready." He simply announced before turning around.

Ramiel started marching out of the room but Nox ran over to him and grabbed his arm. "Can we eat here? Please?" He pleaded with his cousin with wide eyes.

"Nox..." Ramiel started.

"Miel." Dahlia weakly called out as she pushed her hair back. "It's okay. I want to eat here too." The whole house stood still at Dahlia's statement. The strict guardian of the house who in the past would never have allowed such a thing was now requesting to eat in the living room. Her nephew nodded once before turning around and going back to the kitchen with no arguments.

It wasn't like Ramiel to talk back, he liked his quiet, his peace, a trait he shared with his absent younger sister. However, his older sister was different. Talissa was headstrong and stubborn, and would fight to her last breath. She was also impulsive but she meant well. Like now, Talissa hastily moved to check on her aunt's condition but stopped when Dahlia gestured to her to go help Ramiel instead. The two siblings stared at each other before shrugging and disappearing off to get the pots and plates.

Ramiel reappeared with a pot of lamb stew while Talissa trailed behind her younger brother carrying the plate of rice. She placed the rice down first before going back for the cutlery and plates. Seeing the Reza siblings, the two children on the floor, moved fast to clear the floor. Nox rolled the ancient rug and gently dragged it under the table. While Clarisse ran off to the kitchen, her feet hitting the hard concrete floor. She returned a few moments later as she dragged something behind her. Nox ran over to her and helped to open the portable metal table that half rusted. It was still better than what most of the impoverished districts had.

With the table set, Nox and Clarisse ran off again to get some chairs while the Reza siblings started setting the table. The two children came back with the chairs just as the food was plated. Talissa didn't waste any time handing her aunt the first bowl of stew and rice while her brother handed Clarisse a bowl. Nox made himself his own bowl, refusing his older cousin's help. Finally the two siblings took their share and sat down.

Just as everyone got comfortable, Nox let out a small sob. Ramiel turned to look at his younger cousin in pity. "...I'm scared." He began. "I'm scared she's not gonna make it." He confessed to the room. His mother gently patted his back in an effort to comfort him.

"Nox, she'll be fine." Ramiel tried. "She made it this far. I know she'll survive. Right Lissa?" He turned to his older sister for reassurance.

But Talissa's face was cold, devoid of all emotions. Yet her eyes betrayed her. She held in her tears and quietly nibbled on a piece of lamb while holding back her words. She too was worried but as the eldest, she couldn't tell them that. "She'll be fine." Clarisse spoke out. Everyone turned to stare at the youngest in the room. Nonchalantly, she continued to eat. "I believe in her. If my older brother can come back then I know she can too."

"Yes but Huxley was different." Talissa angrily bit back. "He wasn't born sick."

"Talissa. Cough. Please—" Dahlia tried to placate her niece but much to her horror, her fits returned. Panicked, Talissa sprinted to grab her work bag while Nox ran to get his mother some warm water. He came back and handed it her whole Dahlia gratefully accepted.

She drank it all in one go. When she finished, she stared blankly at the metal cup in her hand with a sad smile. Her illness was getting worse. She knew it. The whole house knew it too. Despite her best efforts to shield her son from the inevitability of loss, she had failed. Her illness was first, the reaping of her younger niece was the second. Now she only prayed she'd live long enough to see her younger niece, the image of her own sister come home, alive.

"Here." Talissa handed a capsule to her aunt and refilled her cup. "It's a new thing we've been working on. It's not perfect but—" She didn't say anything more as her aunt reluctantly took the capsule from her.

The familiar tune of the Hunger Games broke through the haze as the host and game announcer appeared again on the screen. They quickly apologized for the technical difficulties as they took their seats.

"Oh." Ramiel clicked his fingers as he remembered something. "I forgot a dam from the Clemensia water plant broke recently." He mentioned while spooning some more rice into Clarisse's bowl. His sister leaned in, interested and gestured for him to continue. "There might be power shortages throughout Panem." He finished quietly.

Talissa and her aunt shared a look oblivious to the younger children. "Will we be affected?" Dahlia breathed, her brows creasing into a frown.

"Not that I know off. That plant mostly supplied power to District 1 and 10 along with the Capitol—but the Coriolanus 9 solar plant and the Boreas wind plant do most of the heavy lifting for the Capitol."

"...A shame." Dahlia croaked out. She froze when she felt the eyes of her niece and nephew on her. She forced a weak smile onto her face. "For district 10."

Ramiel grinned as he placed his empty bowl down. "Really?" He teased, knowing his aunt's rebellious feelings and thoughts all too well. "You don't feel bad for District 1 or the parts of Capitol."

"Miel." His sister warned while Nox looked on with wide-eyes.

Dahlia laughed weakly. Her laughs turned to soft coughs as her eyes stayed down on her food. It was a luxury in some districts to even have food on the table and this house was lucky. The lamb itself was a luxury. She smiled at how far they had come. Her own flower shop had always generated a meager fortune, not enough to move out of this concrete shell but enough to fill the stomachs of four children now five with the added responsibility of Clarisse. Now Talissa and Ramiel were old enough too. They both were smart. Very smart. She always knew her sister's children were bright just like her. Her sister was a simple healer but her sister's eldest had become a chemist and the second eldest son was following the path laid down by his father of becoming a power plant engineer. And if the odds were in their favor, her sister's youngest could be one of the younger victors.

Yes, their life was good at that moment. But it wasn't always like this. She knew it all too well. She remembered the starving nights where she could only feed them stems and petals of flowers, boiled and salted. Winters back then were colder, harsher and felt like they would go on forever. Nox was just a baby but she persevered. Even then, she knew District 5 was one of the luckier ones. Unlike most districts, they were allowed access to their woods. It was mostly to allow for more plants to be built or houses but it was enough. District 5 was also abundant with edible plants and animals. She knew most districts didn't have that luxury. That's why she had no pity for them, those in the glass castles in the Capitol.

"District 1 and the Capitol will be fine but District 10 might not." Nox spoke out nonchalantly as he licked his spoon. Ramiel grinned at his cousin and ruffled his hair while his cousin glared at him. Dahlia looked on with a proud smile. Yes, they would be fine, she thought.

The loud symphony of the Hunger Games interrupted the Reza-Fairburn household as the 68th Hunger Games logo flashed onto the screen. The logo rotated around on the screen as everyone in the house craned their necks to take a look. Nox got up from his seat and ran off to wash his hands with Clarisse following. The two children took their original seat at the table, they shifted around their chairs to allow better access for Dahlia who thanked them as she spooned another mouthful of rice with stew.

A slow recap of the games so far, flashed onto the screen. The game had gone on so long, it was on track to becoming one of the longest games in history yet the Capitol didn't care. After all, unlike the past games which were drawn out and long, this one was at least entertaining. The anti-career pack of Districts 5, 6, 11 and 12 were one of the main draws to this game. After all, there was a pair of lovers from District 11 and 6 and the cruel spectators of the Capitol loved a tragic romance.

Ramiel flinched as he saw the male tribute from 11, Rye, he vaguely remembered. He watched as Rye stumbled upon the shredded body of his lover and fellow tribute from District 6. He broke down in hysterics as his fellow surviving allies including Ramiel's younger sister and his district partner tried to placate the seventeen year old. Rye clutched his lover's bloody hand as Ramiel watched his younger sister wiping the blood from the body and even attempted to give her a proper send off before the hovercraft came.

Next, the older Reza siblings re-watched with horror as their younger sister sobbed over the body of her surviving ally as he lay dying. Rye had taken a poison arrow meant for her and now he was dying. Delirious and on the verge of death, he begged his last living ally to kill him and she did. She granted him death with some reluctance while tears clouded her vision and blood stained her hands. Then a loud boom of the cannon pounded.

The angel of mercy. They called her after that but Talissa knew better that her frail but cunning sister was anything but. She didn't dare say it out loud but she and her brother knew their younger sibling well. What she lacked in strength, she made up for it with her mind. Just like their mother and father. She swallowed back a sob as she watched the scenes with her younger sister suffering, always on the edge.

Then the screen faded. The recap had ended. The logo of this year's games flashed on the screen once more before switching to the host and the game announcer.

---

"And we're back again!" Caesar announced. He adjusted his tie and waited for the audience to quieten down. "What a recap? Am I right? This has truly been an unforgettable game."

Claudius sat next to his colleague bored and looked like he wanted to be anywhere. But here but the moment the focus landed on him, the man beamed and laughed along. "Yes. Yes. Now we should move onto the final of the top five." He reminded his colleague as he shifted in his seat.

With a jovial laugh, Caesar clapped his hands. "Yes, we should. I know our audience at home are 'dying' to know." The crowd stared at him with bated breath, eager for the next survivor to be revealed already. Again they already knew who it was, but Caesar's ploy always worked. "Are you all ready?" He bellowed out loud as the audience around him went wild with anticipation.

A series of 'yeses' mixed with the chants of a name were heard around the venue. "Hmm. I don't think they are ready. Do you?" Claudius played along while keeping the crowd in their seats. Over and over again until the whole studio was filled with voices chanting her name.

The two hosts shared a glance and beamed brightly at the crowd, grinning with their unnaturally white teeth barred for all to see. Caesar was excited. He and his colleague had done their job well despite the slow games that year, they had done more than their part. "Alright. I think they are ready." He leaned towards the cameras and then turned around to face the huge screen behind him. He made a gesture and the screen flickered from the logo of the games to a number. The big bold number 5 was in the center of the screen. "Five is an important number here folks." Caesar commented.

"Yes. Indeed it is." His colleague chimed in as he nodded. Caesar beamed brightly as the crowds went even wilder. "Shall we look who's behind that number?" Claudius asked.

"We shall." Caesar clapped his hands together and the image on the screen changed.

The big bold number 5 was replaced with the image of a girl. She looked young, after all she was only fifteen, fourteen when she was reaped. What drew the people on was the contrast between her eyes and the rest of her. Her skin was a pale gold shade that married well with her raven black hair which was cut short reaching just past her ears, stopping short near her neck. But it was her silvery gray eyes that stood out. They made her look distant but the soft and weak smile on her face made her seem comforting.

"Seraphine." Cladius introduced.

Caesar nodded. "That's right. The one you've all been waiting for. Seraphine—Sera to her family and friends." He gestured wildly at the screen behind him. "One of my favorites. Truly a kind and gentle soul, that one." The crowd awed and swayed at Caesar's words like puppets on a string.
"Remarkable—she scored an amazing ten out of twelve and her knife skills are something to be talked about—phew. Don't let her pretty face fool you, she's a force to be reckoned with. And the fact she's made it this far with a weak heart! Remarkable!" He stood up from his seat to calm himself. "Seraphine from District 5!" The crowd cheered and chanted Seraphine's name even louder as Caesar watched the jovial cheering from his stage.

Slowly, the cheers died out as the two men watched everything quieten. "Well if I was allowed to have favorites, she'd be mine." Claudius commented calmly. At his words. Caesar sat down, interested in the words of his colleague. He gestured to his colleague to continue. "She's dubbed the angel of mercy—for a reason—and as someone who has been commentating purely on the games, it's the quiet and weak ones you have to watch out for." He placed his hands under his chin and craned his neck to look behind the screen.

Caesar nodded. "Ah yes but I'd hardly call her quiet and weak—her knife-throwing skills got her a ten, Claudius and I do remember her being quite sociable too, nothing like the lovely Amethyst but she had a charm of her own."

"I agree. That 'quiet and weak' would be more accurate for Ripley."

His collegue clapped his hands in agreement. "Exactly. Ripley from District 4 was the perfect underdog—but I think it would be 'the Gladiator' Gaius who'll take the crown."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Strength is not everything. Seraphine or—Amethyst might still stand a chance here. There's also fan favorite Valor."

The two men paused, as behind the cameras, the screen giving their cues flashed red. Their commentary time was almost over. Night in the arena had passed and the day had begun. It was another day. The official start of the twentieth day of the 68th Hunger Games. Caesar nodded at the people behind the screen, in the editing room as he held a finger to his in-ear. "Well, the only way we'll be sure is to see the games. Now back to the games." He and Claudius clapped lightly and the cameras turned off as the Capitol media team hurried to get the game arena onto the screens of the millions in Panem.

---

Inside the arena, Sera stared at the 'sky' with an unreadable expression. She stood on top of a thick branch of a tree, far away from the abandoned ghost of a village or small town. No doubt, a relic of a place from the ancient days. From where she stood, she could see the snow-covered roofs of huts, manors and cabins. It looked picturesque against the uprising sun but Sera knew better.

She knew that the streets were not only covered in snow. Underneath the snow was frozen blood and whatever was left behind by the fallen tributes. But the snow had done a good job at masking the morbid scent and sight. She shivered and huddled against the tree where she was hiding, tired as she looked down the tree.

Below were the remains of the frozen herbs that she had found and tried to treat her fallen ally. Rye, from District 11 was one of her only allies that had made it to this close and she honestly believed he could've made it to the end. He could've if his reasoning for carrying on, his lover and the female district didn't die early. The death of Acadia was hard on Rye, he never recovered. Sera still remembered how Rye had broken down for the first time since the game began. She felt bad but she knew this was a game of life and death. Unfortunately, the guilt and remorse along with any other emotions would have to wait.

Sera took another glance down and sighed. The herbs near the tree was the only sign that someone had been there. That too was now being submerged under the cold white blanket. She remembered it now, when they came to take his body away. It was a few hours before dawn broke, in the dead of night. They came silently in their hovercrafts and took him away. It wasn't her first time seeing that thing. She saw it on the first day and when they came to get the rest of her allies.

Even though she knew all that, Sera still couldn't help but get emotional over the losses. They were all so young. She vividly remembered the face of the young boy from District 3 who was only thirteen, only a year older than her younger cousin. He passed on the fifth night. Thinking about it, she closed her eyes and rubbed the sleepiness mixed in with sadness out of her eyes.

Snap. Snap.

Sitting up straighter, Sera carefully hid herself among the trees. The tall spruce trees gave her an excellent refuge from where she could safely stay and keep watch. It wasn't as warm or comfortable as the abandoned homes in the snow-covered town but it was something. Footsteps were heard and the crunching sound of fresh snow being stepped on lightly echoed in the woods. Someone had come to the woods. Fear seized her body as she shifted in her position. There weren't many of them left. Only five tributes remain, the voice of Claudius Templesmith echoed in her mind. It was mostly the careers. Not a surprise to anyone.

Right now she didn't care who it was lurking around or where they were. She just didn't want to be found. Quietly, she waited in the shadows for the sounds to fade. She kept her ears open and eyes peeled for a sign of an attack. Her heart hammered against her chest violently while she held onto her backpack. If there was someone out there, she needed to be ready.

But there was nothing. The sound faded and Sera was left in the safety of silence yet again. Sighing in relief, she carefully pulled her backpack into her lap and unzipped it. It was almost morning and she needed to eat before sunrise. The snowy landscape meant the days were brighter than usual and allowed one to be spotted more easily.

Saying a quick prayer, she rummaged through her backpack for any leftover rations or even game from last night. But there was nothing. She cursed under her breath and looked up. A brown bird stared down at her innocently. It was a mutt. It had to be. What she knew from her aunt was that most birds couldn't survive the harshness of winter. Thinking about it now, it didn't matter. She was hungry. Her stomach gnawed and growled quietly as she stared at the large bird.

Carefully she took out a set of knives she kept tucked in the covers near her trousers. She watched the bird intently as it blissfully hopped from one branch to another. Breathing in, she watched as it jumped another and now sat on a thin branch just above her head. Perfect.

She sucked in a breath and closed one eye, aiming for the head of the bird. Bringing her left hand back, she held a small throwing knife in it. The smooth but sharp metal was freezing in her hands but she persevered. Before the bird could flap its wing once more, Sera's blade flew through the air and landed straight on the bird's head with a soft thud and squeak. The bird was now nailed to the trunk of the tree just above her head. She watched as it spent it's last seconds flapping around, trying to get free before it stopped.

"I'm sorry." She muttered under her breath. She didn't mean it but she knew they were watching. Swallowing her hunger, she carefully got up from her seat and reached over to pull out the knife and grab the now dead carcass of the unknown bird.

Grabbing the bird by its throat, she cleaned the blade with its feathers before she put the blade away. Then she looked down the tree. She would have to go down if she wanted to eat. First she drained the blood of the carcass by holding its neck on a thick branch nearby. She watched with bated breath as the warm blood took some time to freeze. Then, she tied the carcass securely around her bag and started packing up her sleeping bag. The sun was rising soon. She would have to hurry.

With a deep breath, she climbed down the tree while keeping a hand on her throwing knives near her thighs. She couldn't afford to let her guard down just yet. Using the fleeting cover of darkness she made a break for the snowy town. She reminded herself to avoid the town center where the Cornucopia this year was set. She knew that the careers would be camping out there.

That left her with two options. The abandoned coal mines or the 'San-orium', which she presumed was an old hospital. Both were terrible options, she thought. The mines were unstable and in these heavy snow conditions, there was no warning of a cave-in, she could get trapped there and die of starvation or thirst if whatever that lurked in those mines didn't get to her first. As for the 'Sanorium', she feared going near it simply because of the ominous moaning she heard while trudging past it a few days ago. There could be some unaccounted mutts lurking around there. A risk she didn't want to take at all.

Sera paused in her tracks. There was one place she could try. The abandoned lodge on the east mountain. It wasn't that far. The closeness of the lodge and mine did scare her but dying was scarier. Without a moment to waste Sera started marching towards one of the mountains surrounding the little town.

Jumping over the fallen snow covered trees, she jumped over boulders and was careful to avoid frozen streams along the way. All the while, she kept an eye out for a sign for any other tributes. She would pause and go for her blades any time she heard a creak, rustle or rumble in the distance, only to be met with nothing. Halfway through her journey she decided not to stop as the sun rose completely, bathing the arena in it's light. In the bright daylight, it would be easier for to be spotted and she didn't want to be a sitting duck.

Sera stopped in her tracks after what felt like hours as she reached the foot of the mountain. The sun was now directly above her head. Ducking down, she crept over to some fallen tree trunks and took cover near it for a quick break. Her throat was parched and her lips felt dry as her teeth chattered lightly, feeling the effects of the early morning chill. Carefully, she brought her bag in front of her and unzipped it. She took out her water bottle and threw a glance at the carcass of the bird she had killed beforehand. It was now frozen. She smiled in relief. At least, this would preserve the meat and stop it from rotting.

Lightly massaging her parched throat, she uncapped her bottle and put her dry lips to the mouth of the bottle. She chugged the water in desperation as the slightly warm water ran down her throat, almost reviving her. Briefly, she closed her eyes for a small break which she knew was luxury she shouldn't be able to afford at this moment but her mind begged for a rest after almost twenty days of being on it's guard. However, she couldn't give into her mind's desperate pleas.

Instead, she reached over to the low branches of the tree. With her gloved hands, she scooped up a handful of fresh snow and dumped it into her empty self-warming water bottle. This should be enough, she thought. However, seeing the snow melt from the mouth of the bottle, she decided it wasn't enough. From a separate branch, she scooped up another batch of fresh snow and filled more of the bottle.

She waited a while for the snow to turn to water. Once all the snow was melted, she carefully took out a small jar of iodine tablets that came with her bag. Uncapping the small metal jar, she took out a tablet and dropped it into her bottle. Then she closed it and put both, jar and water bottle back into her bag. She slung her backpack over her back and looked around before she started walking again.

Up ahead, she knew there should be a path. The mountains near her district also had paths built onto the faces. Looking around she grinned with pride as a small set of winding paths were found. The walking path seemed to be blocked off by a big wooden sign. It must've had some warnings or the like but now the paint had chipped off, leaving a plain piece of wood. She paused in front of the paths. The wider one would be easier than the narrower one but it would leave her open to mutt attacks or any tributes.

In the end, she chose the wider path. She did initially want to take the narrower path but one look at the thorn infested path told her otherwise. The narrower path was easier and gave her more room to move around, even if left her out in the open. Sucking in breath, she started walking up the path, being sure to pace herself.

There weren't many obstacles in her path so it was an easy climb for her. Now and then she'd encounter a stray tree trunk or pieces of metal fence. She was careful when she faced any obstacles, being careful to avoid them or climb over them when faced with them.

By the time she reached her destination, it was almost noon. Her stomach rumbled loudly much to her displeasure but she carried on. Before her stood a dilapidated lodge. The windows were almost all shattered or missing. The wooden exterior looked to be rotting and the stairs leading to the entrance were missing steps. But it was something. It was isolated enough that she wouldn't have to worry about any threats but still close enough to the town to make a quick getaway.

Sera ducked and ran towards the dilapidated building as she grabbed onto the straps of her bag. She paused near the entrance of the lodge and watched as the snow fell. Pulling the hood of her jacket over her head, she jumped over the steps and ran in.

Carefully closing the door behind, she inspected the building. First she checked the foyer, then the living room, the bedrooms and bathrooms. Lastly she came downstairs to check the kitchen. Most of the rooms were similar if not identical. There weren't a lot of useful things left in the building. It was clear age had taken its toll on the old lodge. The only useful things she found were in the kitchen and what appeared to be a workshop. In the kitchen, she found some rusted pots and utensils along with what appeared to be unopened bottles of soap. That might be useful later. In the workshop, she found some more blocks of wood and some wooden shavings in a box which would be to start fires. There were tools there too but it was too rusty for Sera to use.

She decided to set her camp in the storage next to the kitchen. There she had discovered a path to the cellar hidden behind some empty wooden crates. Those wooden crates might be useful for some firewood or making barricades, she thought as she unpacked her sleeping bag.

With her sleeping bag laid out, she stood up and walked down to the cellar. There she had set up a small fire pit. In her hands were some makeshift firewood. She had broken down some of the crates using her knives and carried them down here. Then, without a further thought she dumped them down. The fire crackled and danced wildly as it ate up the wood. She watched in silent awe as the fire calmed down before going up the stairs to the storage room and grabbing the newly cleaned pots.

She ran down the stairs again and placed a small pot filled with snow on top of the makeshift stand above the firepit. Carefully, she balanced the pot and waited. It didn't take long for the snow to melt. Before she knew it, the snow melted, leaving behind water. This time, she didn't add the iodine. She made a mental note to keep this separate from the drinking water and carried up the stairs to the kitchen. She placed the pot of now-warm water next to the sink, making sure to cover it with a pot lid.

Leaving the pot of water on the sink, she went back to the cellar and placed another pot on the stand before dumping in the chopped up pieces of the bird she had killed earlier. She waited a while while occasionally stirring the pot, even adding a little bit of drinkable water and herbs she had collected in the woods. Then she covered the pot with a lid and sat back down as the pot bubbled away.

Tired, she sat back down and shut her eyes for a small rest. She almost drifted to sleep but the fragrant smell of the food shocked her back to reality. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she hunched over in pain over the prolonged hunger. Pushing herself off the ground she walked over to the pot. Seeing the contents done, she quickly killed the fire and slipped her thick snow gloves back on.

Sera waited a few moments before dragging the pot back with her up to the storage room where she spooned some into a bowl. She sat down on a dusty burlap sack and used a crate nearby as a table as devoured her first meal in days. After finishing, she got up and took the used bowls and utensils to the kitchen and washed them up with the soap she found and the water she boiled a few hours ago. She went back to the storage room and emptied the pot with the food. She ladled the leftovers into a container that came with her bag and placed it back into her bag.

There was nothing else left for her to do now. By the time she had finished her meal, night had fallen again. She had found a decent shelter with plenty of firewood, had some food left over. All she had to do was wait. There was a sense of unease in the air. Like most days in this year's game, this day also passed without hearing a single cannon. She was surprised to say the least. She already knew the careers didn't care about her or see her as a threat. She made sure of that during her training and interviews to not stand out but not completely blend into the crowd. She was average somewhat but not enough, her training score was proof of that. After all, she needed some sponsors to survive. Most of her sponsors had sent in medicine which had kept her alive so far.

Sera was grateful but she was still surprised that the careers hadn't started going at it with each other yet.

Maybe they do see you as a threat.

A voice in her head whispered. Drowsily she shook her thoughts off and tucked herself into her sleeping bag.

---

"Day twenty one of the 68th Hunger Games. Tributes." Claudius Templesmith announced just as Sera got up and cleaned herself off. She now sat down in the brightly sun-lit kitchen as she nibbled on last night's leftovers. Quietly, she listened to Claudius' greeting.

Sera didn't even know she had made it to day twenty but Claudius Templesmith had reminded her that she had made it quite far despite all the odds. Finishing her breakfast, she got up and went to the storage room to pack up her sleeping bag. Then she opened her backpack and checked how much food she had left over. It wasn't much. She knew she would have to go hunting again. She had quite some mushrooms and herbs but she knew she couldn't survive on mushrooms and herbs alone. She needed more.

Sighing, she packed her bags and set off to hunt. Unfortunately she didn't get very far. She only made it halfway on the bridge connecting the town and the lodge before she came face to face with them. The careers stood on the other side of the bridge. They didn't notice her at first. Slowly, she tried to stealthily walk towards the other side of the bridge. Snap. Her foot almost went through the broken step. She was safe from falling but she didn't feel safe at all.

Hearing the loud noise, the girl from District 1 stopped arguing with the boy from District 4. She grinned sadistically as she licked her lips before sprinting towards Sera while pulling at her bow and an arrow from her quiver. "Amethyst. Don't!" A boy with bright orange hair yelled out. His hair reminded Sera of rusted copper but she didn't have time to dwell on those thoughts. "The bridge's not stable." But Amethyst didn't listen. She shot an arrow at Sera which the District 5 tribute narrowly dodged. The arrow missed her and landed on a rope holding down a peg.

"Let her go, Gaius. She's clearly got a death wish." The boy from District 4 shouted excitedly. "What an idiotic bitch." The moment he finished talking, he was tackled onto the floor by Amethyst's district partner who Sera actually knew of. Valor. His huge frame shook in anger as he pummeled his ally to the ground.

"Take that back, Ripley." Valor shouted before going in for another punch.

Gaius and Amethyst paused in their actions to take a look at what was going on. Seeing them both distracted, Sera took out one of her blades and held it tight. She didn't throw it at them, instead she threw it at Amethyst's quiver. The fabric holding the quiver exploded and all the arrows spilled out onto the floor. Amethyst turned around again but instead of glaring at Sera, she tried to salvage the situation, only to fail.

Choosing this moment, she ran past them. Gaius ran after her, while warning Amethyst of the bridge again while she yelled curses at Sera and ignoring her ally. The trio on the bridge stopped as they heard loud creaks. All five tributes turned to look at the other end of the bridge. The huge rope holding one end of the bridge snapped and Amethyst's arrow that she had shot at Sera went flying off to the chasm below. Sera's eyes widened and she tried to make a break for the other side.

The bridge collapsed as she sprinted. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it. In fear, she clutched onto one of the handles made of rope. She gripped it tight and shut her eyes just as the bridge completely gave out underneath her. She expected to have fallen to her death but she didn't. When she opened her eyes, she was hanging on for her life.

Holding on tightly to the old worn out rope, her hands started bleeding. The ice-cold rope cut into her hands like blades as Sera held on for her dear life. She could barely see Gaius holding onto Amethyst next to her. While the three held on for their life, a cacophony of metal clashing against each other echoed above our heads.

"Stay down!" She heard the boy from four scream out as another round of metal clashing echoed. "...Please. Please just stay down." He begged.

Sera pulled herself on the rope, pushing her chest up. Her core felt like it was on fire. Adrenaline kicked in, as she struggled even more. Kek. Kek. Kek. The sounds of fighting and struggling ceased as everyone's eyes went wide. They all knew that sound. Kek. There was a sound of hissing heard then followed by a familiar moaning sound, Sera knew too well.

Kek. Kek. Kek.

Amethyst cried out. "Spultures!" She started screaming hysterically as she gestured to the flock of mutts in the 'sky'.

"Amy! Shut up!" Both Gaius and Valor screamed out at their ally. But Amethyst simply ignored them, she started breathing heavily as a Spulture swooped down next to her.

The Spultures travelled in flocks but Sera knew from day eleven, they wouldn't hesitate to attack their own for a chance at securing a prey. She and the rest of the tributes knew that the mutts weren't actually called 'spultures' but they couldn't afford to care about such trivial things. Sera waited for another one to swoop down and like she predicted, another spulture.

The huge black birds almost blended in with the night in itself. However, it's iridescent neon green-yellow eyes gave it away. Each bird had five small beady eyes on their head. It's whole body was a shade of black that looked almost like darkness itself. It's head was smooth and red that looked almost black. It's sharp claws were the only thing that lacked the pigmentation of the feathers and skin. Sera swallowed back her fears and tried to push herself over. She huffed in pain as her weak heart finally started feeling the strain of all the days she spent in this arena.

A shriek echoed throughout the chasm as Sera took a brief pause. From the corner of her eyes, she could now see Amethyst clawing at Gaius's hands while a spulture pecked viciously down at her exposed wound. The bright scarlett leaking from her wounds on her heels drew in another as it fought the previous one for a best of the blood. Sera swallowed heavily and tried to push herself up to the top.

Gaius grunted and groaned next to her while Amethyst's pleas turned more frantic. Hearing her, Sera could now hear some shuffling above me. Soon two heads popped up. Both Ripley and Valor looked down at their fellow tributes from above the chasm. Ripley's hands were empty, his spear was noticeably missing. However, it didn't take long for Sera to find it. Valor held it in his right hand, he held it down to his fellow district partner to grab onto while kicking Ripley to the floor as the district 4 boy tried to stab him from the back. But he was no match for Valor, Ripley fell onto the snow with a loud thud.

"Hold onto the spear, Amy." Valor gently coerced his fellow victor. His tone was gentle but Sera could see his face was not. There was a deadly look on his face that told her enough of his sincerity. "Come on. Come on." Amethyst grunted and moaned in pain as more mutts pecked out at her.

By now, Gaius looked tired. He was ready to tear his former allies. He and Sera shared a look that was missed by many, even the eagle-eyed viewers around Panem. Gaius simply blinked once to signal to Sera and she sprang into action. Without wasting a moment, Sera used her free hand to grab a blade. She watched carefully as two or three mutts fought over the bleeding Amethyst, circling her. Sucking in a breath, she waited until they were just close enough to the otherside of the broken bridge before she pulled her arm back and let the blade fly through the air. The mutt landed on the hanging broken wooden panel of the bridge opposite her. She did it but it was not the time to celebrate.

The mutts smelling fresh blood drew back. They stopped circling Amethyst and dove straight at the carcass of their fallen fellow mutt. "Are they—"Sera started.

"Eating their own?" Gaius breathed out tiredly. Sera and he stared at each other in silent horror. "Yeah. I think there are."

Horrified, Sera scrunched her nose and looked away. The shrieks and screams faded as Amethyst slowly regained her senses. She looked up at Valor and grabbed onto the spear with everything she had left, pulling her whole body weight onto it. Effortlessly, Valor picked up the spear with his partner but not before throwing a mocking grin at Gaius. "Valor!" Gaius screamed out at his former ally, only to be ignored. Valor mouthed a quick 'thanks' to Sera but didn't bother to help as the two District 1 tributes disappeared over the chasm. That left Gaius and Sera alone in the chasm. The two victors knew the district one tributes would not come back for them. In fact, they were counting on it. They didn't even know if Ripley was still conscious.

In silence, the two bloodied tributes waited for the footsteps to fade before making their next move. Sera looked back at the dead spulture. It was halfway from being reduced to just bones. The body of the dead mutt was wrapped in what looked to be spider webs. In fear, she huddled closer to the rope. The capitol had done it again, going against nature to splice together a spider and a vulture. The thought of it disgusted Sera.

"You breathing?" Gaius questioned, as he swung from his rope. Sera looked up and nodded. "Good." With that, he swung harder, going side to side before pushing himself upwards. He used the force to grab onto a rocky ridge closer to the surface before he used his other arm to grab onto the surface. Then he pushed his weight above and jumped up. "Okay. Oh. I—uh." He huffed and panted loudly, trying to catch his breath while Sera tried to mimic him.

Determined, she pulled at the rope and started to use the ridges to climb up, only to pause after a moment. Another set of ropes fell down next to her. This rope was un-frayed and looked far more stronger than the old rope Sera held onto. She debated grabbing onto it and using it or trying again. Sighing, she chose the former against her better judgment. Without any more time to waste, she tentatively grabbed the new rope and held onto it. But before she could use it to climb up, it started to pull her up. Seeing this, Sera tightened her grip on the rope.

The moment she reached the surface, she collapsed onto the soft cold ground. Gaius sat on the floor with the rope next to him as he huffed tiredly. "Thank you." Sera breathed out.

"No." He shook his head, getting up before walking over to Sera. He offered her his hand and with some hesitation she accepted it. Seeing this, he smiled boyishly as pulled her up to stand. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved our lives."

Sera let out a tired laugh. Saving lives in a game of death was not uncommon but it was a foolish move. "Ironic right?" She gasped out, almost falling back to the floor but Gaius caught her before she could. "Oh. Thank you. Again."

"You seem pretty weak." He hunched down opposite her and took a seat on the cold ground.

"I have a heart condition."

"Huh. How'd you manage to make it this far?"

She smiled sadly and hobbled over to a nearby tree. "The odds were in my favor, I guess." Leaning against the tree, she quietly observed the red-haired tribute and waited. She waited for the time when he would show his tree colors and kill her.

But instead, Gaius got up and walked over to the destroyed bridge. He leaned over slightly and watched the spultures. "We need to move before they finish." He stated, walking back over to Sera. On his way, he picked up a fallen backpack, labeled with his district number.

"We?" Sera questioned, confused as to why a career tribute was showing her kindness. Was it all a ploy to get her killed? She didn't know if she could trust him even if he saved her life.

Gaius sighed. "You don't trust me."

"No offense but you're a career."

He laughed, cutting her off. With a grin on his face, he ran his fingers through his rust-colored tresses before offering his hand to Sera. "I understand. But it doesn't hurt to try being allies." For a second, she stared at his outstretched hand, indecisively.

Cough. Cough.

The two tributes stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the source of the coughs. A meters away, Ripley got up and rubbed his head as he got to his senses. "Yeah, I lived." He announced to the other two tributes. "Thanks for noticing."

"How...fortunate." Gaius dryly stated before unsheathing his sword and pointing at his neck. "Don't try anything."

In defense, Ripley put his hands up to show he was not a threat. "Look! Look! I have nothing on me. Just a backpack. Nothing else. No weapons. Nothing." He pleaded. Sera held herself back from cracking and laughing. She and Gaius and anyone who had been watching the game so far would remember that this was exactly how Ripley acted earlier in the games. In fact, she remembered vividly how the moment the buzzer went off, he got his spear and speared some tribute.

For Sera, Ripley reminded her of her own district partner. Just the thought of him made her sick. It was the last time she decided to trust anyone in the games. She still remembered waking up in the dead of night to find his arms wrapped around her neck. If it wasn't for Rye and Acadia, she would be dead. Unconsciously, she rubbed her neck.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Gaius questioned with a knowing grin.

Ripley shook with anger. "How do we know we can trust you?" He echoed back at the taller boy.

Sera pushed herself to stand and stared at the boys. She had one hand gesturing to the three of them while the other near her thighs where she kept her blades. "Again 'we'?" She asked, confused why either of the boys would want to ally with someone like her. All she had were her throwing knives.

"Yeah. We. Work with me here." Ripley turned to look at Sera.

Gaius grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground. The District 4 tribute's body dug through the thick layer of snow and fell to the stony ground. "She's not gonna work with you." Gaius spat out.

While the two were too busy arguing, Sera turned around to get her things in order. She had her backpack and her weapons along with her water bottle. She had everything she needed. Sighing in relief, she looked up. She paused, her eyes wide and her hands immediately going to her blades. The spultures were almost done with their prey. They didn't have much time left. She had to make a choice fast. She could leave them here right now while they were too busy arguing or she could save them.

"Stop!" Sera yelled out, grabbing both of their attention. "Look!" She gestured frantically to the flock of mutts who were almost done feasting on their fellow mutt. "We don't have time to be going at each other's throats."

Hesitantly, Gaius released Ripley and started walking towards the District 5 tribute. He gestured for her to follow him, not caring about the other tribute on the ground. "Sure, just leave me here. After I gave you the rope. You're welcome." He gasped out, clutching his throat.

"That was days ago." Gaius bit back.

"Doesn't matter! We have to move." Sera against her better judgment, walked over to the tribute on the ground and wrapped one his arms over her shoulder. She used her small frame to support his tall one which was not a good idea. Stumbling against the weight of Ripley, she almost fell down to the ground but she never hit the floor.

When she opened her eyes, she found Gaius mimicking her. He placed Ripley's free arm over his shoulder while muttering threats of violence to him. Ripley bickered back, annoyed that it was Gaius who was holding onto him as Sera looked on dumbfounded. "Coming?" The boys asked, accidentally timing their questions. They both scowled at each other noticing this.

She shook her head and walked ahead of the boys. "We should find some shelter." Without a thought she pulled out her compass and held it up. The compass pointed behind her, indicating that she was heading south.

"Agreed." Gaius answered, solemnly.

Cough. Cough. "Avoid the town." Ripley chimed in much to Gaius' anger. The two got ready to bicker again, only to stop.

Kek. Kek.

The trio froze as calls of the mutts echoed around them. They shared an identical look of fear before Gaius barked some orders at Ripley and then used his free hand to grab onto Sera. In that time, Sera merely managed to put her compass away. Without a second to waste, Gaius dragged his new allies to a safe location.

---

Sera rubbed her gloved hands together as she stood inside one of the places she was desperately trying to avoid. The Sanorium. The faded sign read out 'Sanorium'. It was clear that some of the letters and words from the sign were missing but that was the least of her concerns.

In fear, she wrapped her arms around herself. Her breath fogged up when she breathed indicating the drop in temperature. In front of her, the two other tributes bickered between themselves. For some odd reason, they'd decided to ally themselves without Sera's approval or opinion. Despite being allies, they'd bickered all the way to this place. Although their argument seemed harmless, Sera couldn't take that risk. Every now and then, she would glance at the boys as they walked inside the old building.

Sucking in her fear of the unknown, Sera hesitantly followed them inside. She had been here before, earlier in the game. The memories of this place were fresh in her mind. Everything was the same as before. In the reception area, there were wheelchairs scattered around and some metal seats bent in bizarre ways. There were carts of medicine vials and syringes laying around. Some abandoned hospital beds with straps attached to them.

She watched carefully as Ripley walked over to one of the beds and played with the straps. He had a horrified look on his face but his actions said otherwise. "This is your idea of a safe place?" He complained, letting go of the worn out leather strap and walking over to the middle of the reception.

"You have a better place?" Gaius sat down on the floor next to the entrance and huffed tiredly.

"Maybe not an abandoned hospital." Ripley retorted. "Hospitals scare me."

Gaius chuckled. "I don't think you should say that out loud." He made a gesture with his eyes as he tilted his head to look up. The gamemakers were listening. Sera immediately caught onto what he meant and made a mental note to not talk about her fears. She didn't trust the two career tributes but she knew they knew things she or any other non-career tributes did not. After all, they trained for these games their whole life.

Ripley grumbled under his breath and rolled his eyes. "What are they gonna do? They've already done their worst."

"I don't think—" Sera cut herself off when she heard it. That awful moaning sound. It sounded distant and almost echoey. She had heard it before too. "We need to get out of here." She stated, reaching for her blades.

Confused, Gaius jumped to his knees and took out his axe. "Why?" He questioned, bringing his axe in front of him defensively. The moaning got louder and more echoey. They could all hear it more properly. It sounded like thousands of voices in pain, all distorted.

"What was that?" Ripley questioned, fumbling around his bag for something. He took out a coin-shaped metallic disk from his bag. Then he pressed it, the coin unfolded into a metal staff.

Gaius stared at the District 4 tribute in anger and disbelief. "No weapons?" He echoed back to Gaius' pleas earlier in the day.

"Clearly I lied." Ripley smirked, twirling the metal staff between his fingers.

The boys stood against each other, ready to go at each other's throats again. "Oh." Sera sighed and poked the inside of her cheek in frustration. "Boys! Come on, let's not start ag—"

Grrr. Tek. Grr. Tek. Tek.

The trio stopped mid-action. They all shared a look at each other. Ripley mouthed a question to Sera who just shook her head. It wasn't her that made those sounds. Gaius also shook his head. If neither one of them had made those sounds? Then who? The three clutched their weapons around them tight and turned to face the source of the noise.

Tek. Grrr. Tek.

From the shadows, a human-like figure dragged itself out. At first, the three assumed it to be one of the District 1 tributes. Ripley even started walking over to it but stopped and retreated quickly. The thing dragged itself to the light ever so slowly. When the three could finally see it, they almost threw up. It was covered in what looked and smelt like blood. It's head was smooth, red and bloody. No ears. No eyes or a nose, only a mouth. It's hands were a pair of long blade-like objects. It was so long that it dragged on the floor. The closer it got, the more Sera realized that was what was making the sound. It then opened its mouth, revealing it's razor-sharp monstrous teeth. From a distance, it looked like its mouth was covered in just teeth. It moaned again.

Grr.

And something else moaned back, Gaius turned his head towards the opposite direction and froze. Sera followed his line of sight and gently pulled Ripley back. "It's calling the others." She whispered.

"I noticed." Ripley replied. "We should—"

"Run." Gaius pulled Sera's arm and sprinted out the door of the place, leaving Ripley out by himself. Ripley followed the pair outside. Without a moment's hesitation, Gaius shut the doors behind him and Sera ran over to pick up something to barricade the door with. She handed it to Gaius who quickly started using it to make a barricade.

The door was securely locked and barricaded. Sera fell into the snowy ground next to Ripley and clutched her chest in pain. "You okay?" Ripley asked, concerned. Sera nodded as she reached into her bag and took out a small metal cylindrical tube. She took out a tablet from it, given to her by one of her sponsors and slipped it into her mouth before washing it down with some water from her flask.

"I am now." She answered, feeling the effect of the drug kick in. "Don't blame yourself." She said, looking at Gaius whose eyes were trained on the door. "...There's a...uh...lodge a few distance away. We can try there." She offered her last night's hiding spot in sympathy.

Gaius and Ripley stared at her. "Is it safe?" Gaius quietly questioned as he pondered over the safety of the place. Sera didn't blame him at all. Up until today, everything had been quiet. The mutts only appeared occasionally and most were harmless. This only meant one thing, the gamemakers were trying to end the games quickly.

"It should be. I stayed there last night." She answered reluctantly before leading them to the lodge. Along the way, she convinced the boys to help her fish and hunt, gather some food for the remaining day and the eventual night. She stopped in front of the dilapidated lodge and gestured to the boys to come inside.

Ripley marveled at the sight of the new shelter while Gaius went to investigate the rooms, like Sera had done the night before. It didn't take long for Gaius to come back, again not finding anything. Ripley, staying behind, had decided to help Sera set up a cooking station. Together they used the cellar space again to make a firepit and a frame for the pot. Ripley helped to boil some water for washing up while Sera chopped up some mushrooms. After returning, Gaius set to work helping Sera take apart the deer that she had caught and he killed. Sera then threw in the herbs and meat into the pot as Gaius picked it up, carrying it down the cellar.

"Seraphine." Sera quietly introduced herself as the pot continued to bubble and smoke. "I'm Seraphine, District 5." She tucked her hair behind her ears and stared at the two boys.

Gaius nodded. "Gaius, District 2."

"Are we doing introductions?" Ripley asked with a grin. "In that case, I'm Ripley and you are beautiful." He joked while staring at Sera. Gaius rolled his eyes and gave Ripley a look telling him to behave.

Sera smiled awkwardly before addressing all of them. "Let's try to work together and not kill each other. Yet." Gaius nodded.

The three worked together to make the meal and after it was done. They killed the fire and took the meal upstairs to share. Gaius being the oldest of the three, quietly served the meal while Ripley tried to crack a joke here and there. Sera would smile faintly while the eldest boy would barely show a response. It wasn't like Sera found Ripley's jokes amusing but more so on the fact that she was reminded of home during this time.

---

All Sera remembered was a bright light. She was sleeping in one of the bedrooms upstairs in the lodge they had taken shelter in then she found herself on the cold snowy ground. Cough. Cough. She coughed weakly as the cold finally hit her. "Good morning, tributes!" The voice of Claudius Templesmith boomed above her. She looked around while getting up. Around her, the other remaining tributes were scattered around. Amethyst. Valor. Gaius. Ripley. They were all there scattered around.

"Wha—what's going on?" She barely heard Amethyst question as she jumped to her feet and took out Ripley's stolen spear in front of her.

Valor followed his partner and held his sword in front of him defensively. "Where are we?" He asked, looking around. "How di—"

He got caught off by Claudius who carried on like nothing had happened. "You're all probably wondering what's going on—well—we thought we would 'mix' things up as they say and bring you all in one place. The arena has been changed to accommodate the final battle."

"The final battle?" Gaius echoed, taking out his axe.

"They're trying to wrap things up." Ripley chuckled.

"Now. Let the final battle begin and may the odds be ever in your favor, tributes." With that, silence took hold of the arena. Sera swayed side to side as she got up. Her hair felt wet and her head heavy. Carefully, she brought her hand over to the back of her head and touched it. She then brought it forward. In the dim moonlight, she could barely see it.

Before Sera could react to her new allies, a spear flew past her. She narrowly dodged it and jumped out of the way before taking out a blade. Amethyst cursed out loud and sprinted in her direction with a knife in her hand. She aimed and tried to throw the knife with some accuracy, only to fail like Sera knew she would. Sera knew her skill set and knife-throwing and spear wielding wasn't on the list. She admired the blonde girl but she knew Amethyst only had a talent for the bow. This gave Sera the upper hand.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see the boys fighting among themselves while Amethyst kept trying to hit her. She didn't attack back, instead she started running backwards and creating distance between the two of them. If she had the right idea of all the remaining tributes, she knew only Amethyst saw her as a threat, the boys not so much.

"Aw, are we pretending again?" Amethyst called out to Sera as she followed closely behind. "I wonder how your little cousin is going to react when he sees your lifeless eyes. Those pretty silver eyes. I'm gonna carve them out." She taunted.

Sera didn't respond, she clutched the blade tight in her hands. She kept her anger in. She heard it again. Amethyst kept taunting her with Sera's sickly aunt, her older sister and brother. She snapped, stopping at a cliff overlooking a frozen lake. "End of the line, angel." Amethyst grinned as she twirled the retrieved spear in between her hands. Sera could tell she had less skill than Ripley. Her movements were almost clumsy. Sera glared at the blonde before she threw a blade straight at her right hand. Amethyst's screams rang through the new arena.

In pain, Amethyst dropped the spear and fell to her knees. The blood spilled onto the snow, dying the white, a vivid scarlet. Sera watched conflicted as Amethyst tried to nurse her wound only to hiss, scream and cry out in pain. She tried to get up and pick up the spear again. Her hands curled around the spear, painting the weapon in blood before she threw the spear onto the ground in pain.

"Amy!" Valor yelled out from where he was. Sera tried to get out of the way before he came and witnessed what she did but it was too late. He broke through the woods and sprinted towards his district partner. There was no sound of cannon heard following his reappearance. Gaius and Ripley were alive. "Wha—" He cut himself off, seeing her bloody hand. He paused to scan the wound before turning to glare at Sera. "You!" He hissed. Sera thought he was going to come for her but instead he dropped to his knees and started to bandage his partner's hands.

More footsteps were heard. Sera turned to look at the woods again. Ripley and Gaius emerged, bloody and bruised. "...Come back. We're not done yet." Ripley slurred as he dragged his feet and used his staff as a support.

Valor got up and glared at the two newcomers. But before he could say anything. Gaius yelled out. "Spultures." He grabbed Sera and sprinted in the opposite direction. Valor and Amethyst looked on in horror. The District 1 boy snapped out his daze and grabbed his partner's hand. He tried to drag the girl to safety only for Amethyst to trip due to blood loss.

Instead of following his new allies to safety, Ripley picked up Sera's blade that she used to attack Amethyst and his old spear, both coated in Amethyst's blood. He picked the two items and ran towards a huge tree with an alcove in it. The spultures followed the objects with Amethyst's blood like the predators they were. Ripley smirked seeing this. He ducked as the flock started spinning a web in the alcove. Then he threw the bloodied spear into the web and dodged as some spultures dove into their own trap. Taking a step back, he watched the two tributes from district one struggling. He smirked as he twirled Sera's blade in his hands.

The rest of the flock still hovered above. He looked up and then looked at Amethyst again. He grinned at the thought of revenge for his former allies' betrayal and threw the blade straight down at Amethyst's uninjured hand. Luckily for Ripley, Valor just so happened to hold that hand. Valor and Amethyst both fell to their knees in pain. Another round of screams rang out as tears of anguish slid down Amethyst's face. In anger, Valor ripped out the knife and glared at Ripley. He got up and took at his sword before he sprinted towards his former ally.

Ripley grinned mockingly as he ran backwards. But before Valor could do much, Amethyst's screams became more frantic and more pained. Shocked and horrified, Gaius and Sera stopped running. Concerned, Gaius decided to run back to the edge of the cliff to check. Sera, not wanting to be left alone, followed behind. The screams echoed through the arena, making Sera's head ache as a mind-numbing headache started to form.

All four of the tributes froze as their eyes scanned the sight in front of them. Cautiously, Sera took a few steps back and hid in the cover of darkness near the trees. Horrified at the scene in front of her, she covered her mouth in disgust and shock. Amethyst lay on the ground, rolling on the snow and the spultures dove down on her and ripped at her skin. They viciously tore off the skin from her hands as she tried to protect her face. In pain, she moved her hands. That was a big mistake. A spulture saw that action and ripped her once beautiful eyes out.

Sera almost felt bad. Carefully, she checked how many knives she had left. Twelve knives. She had twenty five before, fifteen from the cornucopia and ten more she had picked up from an abandoned hunting shop and a nameless fallen tribute whose backpack was left behind when his body was taken. This would be enough. She thought, counting the spultures attacking Amethyst. There were five spultures. She'd have more than enough to go after them or she could only take one out and let the rest pick at the dead one. By then the boys could take out the rest. Though she disliked the blonde girl, she pitied her as a fellow tribute.

With shaking hands, she closed one eye and pulled her left hand with the blade back before launching the blade at the closest spulture. It landed on the ground with a thud and a cry. She sighed in relief knowing she got it in one shot but now was not the time to celebrate. She kept her eyes on the remaining mutts, wondering if they were gonna go after the dead one. The mutts like Sera waited a moment before circling around the tributes and diving into the carcass of their fallen.

Seeing them distracted, Valor took the moment to kill off the remaining mutts just like Sera had predicted. Gaius turned to the woods and flashed a grateful smile at Sera as he nodded appreciatively. He turned his attention back on Valor and clutched his axe tight. Sera knew Gaius wouldn't attack the distracted tribute. If she was correct, then like his mentor he would put emphasis on honor. Gaius didn't attack Valor, he simply waited on the outskirts.

Booom.

A loud boom of the cannon was heard as they all froze. Everyone turned to look at Amethyst. Her empty bloody sockets stared off into the distance as her arms were spread out on the ground. Her ripped out eyes were half eaten near her body. Half of her flesh along with her skin was gone and now so was her life. Hearing the cannon, Valor rushed to Amethyst's body and fell to his knees next to her. He cradled the body and screamed at her to wake up. That was something Sera had not predicted. She thought that Valor didn't care for his fellow tribute and was willing to keep her alive as an easy final kill but clearly she was wrong. Not everyone was like her and Gene, Sera thought, staring at the pair with pity.

Valor clutched her body and sobbed wildly. He shook her, trying to get her to wake up while begging her not to leave him alone. All of a sudden, Gaius rushed forward and shouted. "Ripley! Don't!" Ripley seizing the opportunity, picked up his staff and twirled it around before trying to attack Valor with it. He missed. Valor in anger turned around at the last second and grabbed the staff before it hit him. He gripped the rod so tight that his hands turned bloody. Then the staff broke apart in his hands. He threw away the broken half of the weapon as Ripley's gleeful face drained of color.

Fear took a hold of the District 4 tribute as he slowly tried to back away. He didn't get very far as the District 1 boy got up from the floor and towered over him. Valor grabbed Ripley's head and picked him up. With all the anger he had in him, he pressed Ripley's head tight as the boy thrashed wildly against his grips. Ripley tried to kick and bite Valor, only for Valor to stop. Valor stopped for a moment, instilling a false sense of security in Ripley before he grabbed the boy by the neck and ripped his jaw off. He then resumed holding the boy by his head and squeezed it until his eyes burst out of his skull, leaving empty bloody sockets behind just like Amethyst's.

In a calm anger, Valor grabbed the now almost dead tribute by what was left of his neck and threw him off the cliff. Sera watched in horror as Ripley's body went flying through the air. She never saw his body break the ice of the lake. She only heard a loud crack and a splash. Ripley's body was now below the frozen lake.

Boom.

A loud cannon resounded above the arena signaling another dead tribute. Sera swayed as Ripley's death made her stomach churn. She almost dropped to her knees in fear and sadness but she didn't have that luxury. Instead, she took out the remaining blades from her bag and started placing them near her thighs. She clutched one of the blades in preparation that Valor would come for her next.

But he never did.

Instead he stomped towards Gaius and picked up his sword near Amethyst's corpse.

He swung the sword at Gaius, only for it to be blocked by his axe. Gaius held off Valor's sword strikes with his axe. He only defended himself and looked for an opening. He dodged and ducked every one of his former ally's strikes, not making any offensive moves just yet. Then when Valor's adrenaline had finally started wearing off, he went for Valor's non-sword wielding hand. Valor fell to his knees next to his decapitated hand as blood spurted out from the clean cut. He screamed out in pain and reached for something. His hands traveled to the corpses of the dead spultures next to him.

Without much thought, he ripped off one of their legs and stabbed Gaius with the poisoned claw of the spulture. He tossed away the leg while he laughed maniacally. Gaius fell to his knees as his skin turned a pale gray as light green veins appeared in his face and hands. The poison coursed through his body like a fire in a forest, spreading quickly. He gasped and clutched his stomach in pain while thrashing on the ground.

With a loud growl, Gaius barely got up to his knees and picked up his axe. He swung it only twice before Valor's head went rolling mid-laughter. Another loud boom echoed throughout the arena signaling another tribute was dead. Valor was dead. Then it was quiet. Gaius fell to the floor again and threw his axe, almost forgetting Sera.

Sera seeing the carnage stepped out of the shadow and ran over to her ally. "Gaius." She breathed out. "What?" She gasped, cupping his face in her hands. He moaned and groaned in pain as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, only to come back a few minutes after. He twitched and bit down hard at his lips in pain. "...Poison. The spulture must have poisonous claws." She mumbled under her breath while bringing her backpack forward and letting go of Gaius' head. She took out a few containers of medicine and herbs, holding them up in the pale moonlight to see.

"Ser—" Gaius moaned out as he slowly tried to come to his senses.

Noticing Gaius coming around, she put down her things on the floor and cupped his head. "Shh. It's gonna be okay. I'll fix this. Don't worry." She tried to comfort him as her eyes fogged up with oncoming tears.

A tear slid down her face and landed on Gaius. He laughed quietly and painfully picked up his bloodied hands. He caressed Sera's face gently and smiled. His cold hands moved from her face to her lips before he tucked a stray piece of hair behind her years. "A—y—kill me." He tried to say something. "—Kill me." He kept breaking apart whenever he tried to speak. The poison made him slur his speech.

"What? You want me to kill you." Sera cried out. "I can't!"

"N—no—d—kill me."

With tears in her eyes she got up and took out a blade. She leaned down and hugged Gaius, whispering something to his ears before pulling back. Gaius stared at her with wide eyes, an effect of the poison. He thrashed around more. "I'm so sorry." She cried out before plunging her knife straight to his heart.

Above her, the 'sky' rumbled above her the moment Gaius stopped breathing. A loud boom echoed throughout the arena. Sera jumped back at the sudden sound. The loud cannon was followed by the sounds of trumpets blaring. She covered her ears and swayed to the side weakly. Painfully, she swallowed and clutched her chest in shock.

The excited voice of Claudius Templesmith announced above her. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the winner of the Sixty-eighth Hunger Games. Seraphine Reza!"

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Author's Note: This was just a concept I had in my mind for a while about a game set in an abandoned snowy village/town but it kind of grew into something. Hope y'all enjoy and leave a review if you do :D