Kai trudged through the mud, feeling bogged down by his damp surroundings. The sun was completely blocked by rustling green foliage, but he could still feel its constant heat. He wanted to lay down in the mud. Maybe that would cool him down.

In his peripheral vision, he saw the remains of the young girl from 9, the parts the hovercraft didn't bother with picking up. He met her several times after arriving in the Capitol, a constant smile on her face, framed by a sheet of blonde hair and skin the colour of ivory. When he saw her in the Arena, her skin, glistening with sweat, glowed red, and her hair was a tangled mess, frizzing from the humidity. She was still recognisable by the shining smile on her face. He could never bring himself to kill her, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he saw the little parts left of her body, half buried by the mud and leaves. He knew who killed her, the only other contender in the Games.

His name was Callum Sparks.

The twisted mind from 5 cut her into pieces, and grabbed out her intestines. The ground around her was more red than brown, and tears would have come to his eyes, if it weren't for the dehydration. This girl was the kindest soul Kai had ever met, and she was killed so brutally. The man - the 18-year-old was no longer a boy, in Kai's eyes - from 5 was sick. Kai was filled with a fire.

He would avenge this little girl's death, as well as anyone else the brute viciously murdered.

He needed to think. He needed to do something. What did Peeta say?

"Killing takes up a lot of energy, but an attacker may be on an adrenaline high. The best time to strike is while they're asleep, or a couple of hours after their last kill."

"You need different strategies for different people. If they're a thinker, do something they would never expect."

"Sparks? Stay away from him."

These words swirled through Kai's head. What wouldn't 5 expect?

"Hey, super-genius! Over here!" Kai yelled, turning his head slowly to figure out the best angle of attack.

"You want to win? You want to kill me? Come and get me." His voice had a clear edge, powered by his hatred of Sparks, his hatred of 22 children dying, his hatred of the Capitol.

Maybe he wasn't here. He yelled through the jungle, not wanting the Gamemakers to push them together for the final showdown. He tried to stay entertaining, a "natural" disaster was the last thing he needed. It was an impulsive decision, but Kai wasn't going to back down. After half an hour, Kai reaped the seeds of the recklessness he sowed.

"About time." A low voice said behind Kai. His tread was impossibly light, Kai didn't know how close his enemy was. He quickly spun himself around, grasping at his head and blacking out momentarily. Focusing his eyes, Kai saw a knife, coated in wet, red blood. He centred himself, taking a couple of steps forward, hoping his plan wouldn't be too obvious. Then he ran at full speed towards the man. His aching head caused him to wince in pain, just for a moment.

Callum was shocked. He was frozen still for the first, and last, time in his life. Kai tackled him to the ground, grabbed the bloody sword, and stabbed him in the gut repeatedly.

"This is for Heather."

Kai reached Callum's heart, plunging the sword through it.

The man tried to answer, but his cannon sounded before he could speak.

Trumpets began to play, and Kai heard the immortal voice of Caesar Flickerman.

"Congratulations to Kai Meitan from District 12, Victor of the 96th Hunger Games!"

Sunlight touched his head for the first time in a week, and the wind from the hovercraft gave him relief from the humid climate of the jungle. Kai felt his eyes burning. He was relieved, he won a fight to the death, after all. But you can't win a fight to the death without killing someone. He wanted to cry, mourn the twenty-three lives lost. The twenty-three sparks, eternally extinguished, four by his own hand. Still, he could not cry.

So, I'm doing an SYOT because why not? Please give me constructive criticism and feedback because I don't know too much of what I'm doing! Rules and forms for characters are on my profile, and I hope you guys will read and enjoy it!

P.S. Give yourself a pat on the back if you know where the name comes from.