Damnation

Night had descended, it seemed to come quicker than it had the previous day and with it came the announcement that had fallen. The face in the sky that stood out the most was Tethys, who had most likely been slain by the mutt. Hero recounted who was left: himself, Regal, Berthold, Hippolyta, Kaito, Terra, Declan and Selena. Only eight tributes remained. Hero hoped that he could make Terra the last one to remain.

Hero had thought that it would be harder to emerge from the chams, but only after a short effort of seeking, did they find another staircase carved into the rock. It was as if the arena wanted them to climb back into the open. The ascent was a difficult one, their journey seeming longer than their descent into the darkness. There was also the matter of where they were headed, and the recklessness of what they intended.

You wouldn't be in this situation if you just continued down your destined path

Perhaps destiny isn't all it's cracked up to be

Desperation consumes you, you could have avoided this

It was unavoidable. By following the right path it was unavoidable

They emerged closer to the Cornucopia than expected; a distant outline was visible on the horizon. It was beckoning them to approach it. A becoming that they would obey, despite the risks that it involved. Slowly the Cornucopia drew closer and closer. With the crossing of each plateau Hero's dread grew. It was crawling its way into his soul

There's still a chance to fix things

Fix what? Fix it how?

It's just a matter of repeating what you did in the bloodbath

No. That would break things further

It had returned, the voice of doubt that had been eating at their mind ever since his actions of the bloodbath. The voice told him to continue as things have been, to 'correct' things. Hero had hoped that he was rid of it, though in all likelihood he was denying it. It had probably never left him. So why has it returned now? Could be that had realised how he doomed himself and that should -

No. It was a test. To see if truly would act in a heroic manner, if he did return to his old ways then it would prove that he had failed. Every Hero had to face trials of the heart, those were the ones that mattered more than facing off against foul beasts.

The Cornucopia lay but a couple of bridges crossing away. Hero quickly scanned the surrounding area to see if there was anyone else in the vicinity. He noted no one. No one in sight anyway. If they had a shot at stealing from the Careers, it was not. It was underhanded and dishonourable but it was an unfortunate necessity.

Rain began to fall and thunder began to rumble in the sky, another storm was approaching, fitting really. The rain fell heavier, and thunder grew louder. Spears of lightning pierced their way through the clouds and struck the ground below, scorching it. A mist fell over the arena, heavily obscuring their vision. Hero could just make out his hands as he outstretched his arm and placed them in front of him. Regardless of the conditions, they came this far and there was no point turning back now. They crossed the final few bridges, supplies needed were within their reach.

"How do we know what get, we can hardly see ourselves," Terra said

"We just grab what we can carry and go through it later, a way from this fog"

"What if we don't get what we need"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, this is the best chance we've got"

They began to approach the Cornucopia and the bounty that lay within it. Another shadow Hero was sure of it - one belonging to one of the Careers. Another. Another. Were they the same? Different? One thing was certain and that was that Hero and Terra were not alone. The Careers had been lying waiting, they knew that would come. They got here quicker. A trap and Hero had walked right into it. He pulled Terra close to him. They were taunting him

"You can't protect her!"

"We'll kill you both!"

"Trying to steal from us, that low you even for you."

"You're a traitor."

"A fool who sided with weakling"

"You're nothing."

"You are no hero"

You are no hero. You are no hero. His mind repeated the last taunt over and over. It was maddening. It was deafening. Without thinking he lunged out widely, at the other shadows in the mist. At anything that lay between him and his spear. It found its target as it clashed against a sword - Berthold's it had to be.

A dagger flew past him, which Hero swirling dodged. Regal was here two. Kaito and Hippolyta were also likely hiding somewhere. He had to get out. Get out with Terra, fight them off and wonder then run. He calmed himself, he would not let rage consume him. Their taunts meant nothing, he told himself.

Terra! During his rage, he lost sight of her. He couldn't fail again. He couldn't let her die. He had to find her, the fog making his task near possible. Hero blocked and varied Berthold's blows, taking the first opportunity he could to break away. He glared into the fog, trying to piece through, attempting to make out Terra. He could get a short time before Berthold, no it was Hippolyta's late attack, he ducked as Hippolyta's axe flew over him. Someone else began to emerge from the shadows, Kaito. Another knife - Regal.

Hero began to run, whether it was towards the Cornucopia or closer to the edge he was unsure. He dared not look back.

Another figure again.

It suddenly seemed so natural, Hero crashed into the figure, not by accident but with the full intention of doing so. He hoped that they were near to the edge, that he sent one of his attackers into the depths below.

But it was with that thought that he realised.

The figure was a small one. A short one. It could only belong to one person. Terra.

A scream.

A cannon.

What had he done? Failed. Not just that he had sewed his own destruction and caused his own damnation. Killed the person who supposed to protect

The fog subsided, with thunder and the other echoes of the storm. The careers went as if they were but illusions.

Were they just illusions? A fabrication? Just part of the show? No, it couldn't be. The careers, the fog, the chaos - it had clouded his vision and his mind. It was the only way he would have taken the actions that he hid. There was no other way that would have -

Would have -

Hero had to force himself to finish the sentence in his mind- Would have killed the very person he was trying to protect.

He fell to his feet, staring down into the abyss. He stayed there for hours. Anyone could come and kill him, he almost hoped that they did. But one did. Eventually, he forced himself to stand to his feet. He walked over to the cornucopia and picked up a single small bag. He walked off into the depths of the arena with only sorrow in his mind.

He did not know what he should do. What was he to have failed his greatest trial? Perhaps the arena took his life. But for what? Earlier he had a purpose but now he had nothing. Nothing but sorrow and regret.

This is how it would always end.

Maybe that was true.

You were just denying the inevitable before.

That could have been correct as well.

This was all avoidable.

It was. He had lost sight of who in those fatal moments. He was no hero, he did not deserve to bear the name that he did. Hero wandered the arena, aimlessly until his legs and feet no longer bear it. The physical pain that he felt amounted to only He longed to cross paths with one of the tributes who remained and they would kill him. Hero lay down on the cold stone, staring up at the sky. If another tribute did not take his life he that the elements and forces of the arena would.

The moment when he crashed into Terra kept replaying in mind. His mindset and thoughts of those seconds haunting him just as much as the wicked deed itself. He was nothing. He was no hero.

Night came again and with it the face in the sky. He had to force himself to look, to stop himself from turning over. Terra's face was the first one shown. The others were just a blur, but just made out the face of Terra's district partner Delcan and the face of a girl with 'District 8' written beneath. A Career would be going home this Games even if they were undeserving. The alliance was guaranteed to have split by now, Hero doubted that parting was honourable. They had probably run off injured and bloodied after they all had the same idea. It was befitting that they crawl and lick their wounds after making such an underhand move. Befitting for what villains there are.

But was Hero not the same? He killed two others. Two innocents. Two people incapable of defending themselves. One of those was the very one he swore to protect, allowing himself to be distracted by shadows and illusions. Allowing his mind to be clouded as the Cornucopia had been on that day. Hero's sins stretched further back than that to the first moments of the Games. To the bloodbath, where killed the District Eight boy, Louis. And for what? What was the purpose and reason for it all? The doubts and regret that followed; consuming him and tearing him apart every preconceived notion that he had and that had continued and not decided to ally with Terra. But a form of denial, to block out those doubts. Hope for redemption and absolution. Though he was foolish to think that he had found any absolution or redemption for his actions. He could not reverse his actions in the bloodbath. He could not reverse anything,

—

Hero's aimless wanderings continued.

Sorrow. Regret. Damnation.

Hero wallowed in his agony.

Who would the others be targeting, him? Whoever was to first cross their path. It was a quiet day in the arena, giving Hero all the more time to hide away in his mind. Night came yet again, and Hero's mind remained drenched in pain and regret.

—

The next day began with cannon. A villain and slain another villain. Hero found himself not particularly caring who it was evil was evil regardless of what other name it bore and it was fitting that they were picking each other off. Whoever it was would be revealed come night anyway.

He replayed his and Terra's attempt to steal from the Career alliance yet again. The storm. The fog. The shadows. No. The entire remaining members of the alliance attack him, who lay in wait to ambush him and Terra. Their cowardly and brutal attack, their machinations to separate him from Terra so could kill her. That was what occurred that day, a foul attack by a group of villains and monsters. And who was their leader? Berthold. Hero found himself wishing that the cannon had not been Berthold's. After all, what did the hero do if not defeat the villain? He could do that at least. The others could fight amongst themselves, but Hero wanted to face Berthold himself. A trip into the abyss would be a fitting end for someone who set in motion the events that caused an innocent to die in the same way

This is just a new form of denial.

It is the heroic path.

Still clinging to that old story, are we?

What else is there?

Sweet oblivion.

Later. After this

Hero did not know where to begin searching for Berthold, the arena was a vast place and he did not have an idea which part of Berthold lay. He sure was that the Gamemaker would be looking to draw them closer together soon for their finale. But could he wait for that? How could ensure that Berthold would survive that long? The earlier cannon could have been for him. He decided that Cornucopia at the arena was a good place to head towards. If Berthold needed anything it was just about the only place that Hero was aware of, that had held anything useful. It was also made an excellent stage for a finale, so the remaining tributes would soon find being drawn towards that place anyway.

The trek back to the Cornucopia was a long one. A rumbling sound of rocks crashing into the ground and each other. Looking behind revealed that the plateau had begun to break apart, falling into the abyss below. A sound cannon. The finale was approaching. Hero picked up in lest he is lost in the rock fall as well. His arrival at the Cornucopia would reveal who remained.

–

He was almost there, he was exhausted from the journey and from earlier wonders his mind had not allowed him to get much rest. He saw his opponents, Regal and more importantly Berthold. So it was Hippolyta and Kaito that were the ones that had fallen earlier and who would not get a place in the finale. He did not want to risk fighting both of them at the same time and Regal's dagger could take down him and Berthold from a distance.

Hero took the amount to consider his next actions. Berthold was the target, but how he would deal with Regal was at this moment equally important. He could just attack Berthold without care, for actions Regal would take. However, there was the possibility that Regal and Berthold would team up to defeat him first before they would battle it out. He had been one to betray them first. Though just laying what didn't seem like an adequate option either. Regal could surprise Berthold with a thrown knife to the chest. Though slaying he would be his District partner would also be slaying a villain even if she weren't the most despicable out of them. He had to take action, waiting around was the perfect set-up to let the opportunity slip through your fingers. He quickly noted the positions of Regal and Berthold respectively. Regal was waiting, hoping to strike from a distance. Berthold was around the other side of the Cornucopia, out Regal's line of sight, waiting inside.

He ran towards Berthold. He had to seize the opportunity that lay in front of him and if he fell to Regal's knives then so be it. In response, Berthold ran towards him. His sword was raised and ready to strike. Hero raised his shield to block the blow. As sword clashed against shield Hero raised his spear in preparation for a counterstrike. His spear landed in Berthold's leg, reopening the only wounded Hero and putting it there as well as creating a new one.

Regal decided to make her move, she threw out a pair of daggers at Hero. Hero just managed to raise his shield to block them. Another, this Hero could not stop, it lodged itself in Hero's shield arm causing him to drop. Was this their plan all along, to lure him in? Regal decided to move in closer.

Berthold's attack came again. Dodge and withdraw. Take what few moments possible to reassess the situation. He dashed around the side of the Cornucopia. Berthold began to taunt him.

Hero peeked around the side.

He threw the spear. It flew past Berthold and into Regal's chest. More blood in his hands, more than he intended in coming here. He now had no weapon. Berthold began taunting him, he wanted to draw him out.

Hero emerged into Berthold's view. He looked at the spear which lay in Regal's body. Should he try and run to retrieve it? Hero made his decision. He ran past Berthold and towards the spear. Berthold chased after him. Hero grabbed the spear and turned to face his enemy. He ran towards Berthold once more but this time seeking to run past him. Hero grabbed his arm, as he passed him. Berthold was slow to react and move due to the injury he had sustained on his leg. He wriggled and writhed in Hero's grip as he was dragged closer to the abyss. Just as they fractions away from the abyss Berthold managed to release himself, but fell to the ground in doing so.

It took a single kick as Berthold struggled to drag himself to his feet for him to fall into the chams. A light one. Hero watched as Berthold fell and was consumed by darkness. The final cannon sounded.

"Congratulations Hero Sol, you are the victor of the 91st Annual Hunger Games!"

Is this what you wanted?

The villains were slain, were they not?

What about yourself?

Heroes kill villains.

Evil can evil. Just as much good and you which one you are

Evil. A villain.

Hero considered throwing himself into the chasms alongside Berthold, but quick death was too good of a fate for him