Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you - a new POV. Maybe I listened to last year's winner of Eurovision a bit too much. Everyone who is not familiar - please check it out! It's called Arcade and was the entry from the Netherlands by Duncan Laurence. This is also not the last chapter! This story will continue for a few more weeks from Cyo's POV!

Second of all, thank you for the flood of reviews for the last chapter! I'm really happy you liked Val's ending. I thought it was fitting for her. One of the Guest-reviews gave me another idea: Everyone who has time, please write me a review with your favorite moments inside the arena!

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me present to you...

Every breath hurts, but I try to focus on her beautiful blue eyes, on her soft lips telling me a strange story.

The light from above is blinding me, way too much, dreadful. I want to close my eyes again, but then I'm afraid I'd be lost in the pain. Instead, I look back over at Val. She's calmer than before, maybe she has accepted now that I'll have to die.

I swallow and try to blink away my tears. Everything hurts. Suddenly Val leans forward, coming closer to me. I feel her lips on mine, the softness embracing me. Before I can react, she pulls away again.

What did she just say? She loves me? Will she finally stop the pain, finally end it?

I blink a few times. She has stopped talking, looking up again. Will she plead for help, that is not coming, once more?

Her words only register seconds later.

I love you, mom. But he is needed more.

Wait... no... what is she doing? She's supposed to go home!

Suddenly shock hits me, adrenaline rushes through my whole body and the pain becomes the least of my worries within a second. I somehow manage to sit upright, when Val falls into my lap.

Panic rises up inside me. I feel her hand go limp in mine. This can't be happening... No... She is going home to District 2. I swallow, the pain in my chest coming back, I shake her shoulder, "Val..."

There's no reaction, my hand starts shaking and I can't help but scream, "NO!"

Then there's a cannon. I never dreaded the sound of a cannon that much. I feel like I'm not in control of my body, sobbing uncontrollably. I feel sick more than anything else.

Carefully I lift Valeria's still form up, to keep her close, to not let them take her away from me. I almost fall back down when I see her.

Her porcelain skin is ripped open, bleeding cuts all over her cleavage. There's a gash on her cheek, just below her closed eyes.

That's when I realize - I'll never see those blue crystals shine again. She's gone, she's dead.

My eyes fall on the knife that has killed her - still embedded in her chest, like it belongs there - but it doesn't. It has taken her away from me, it has taken everything away from me.

That's when Claudius Templesmith's voice breaks the silence, rips through my sobs, "Ladies and gentlemen! Let me present to you - the victor of the Third Quarter Quell! Cypress Donner from District 12!"

Then I hear them cheering, the people at the Capitol. WHY? Why are they cheering? She's dead, they are all dead! How is it a good thing that I'm the only one left?

Tears make their way down my cheeks as I pull Valeria closer, managing to hold back a scream as the pain from my shoulder sends shockwaves through my body again. I won't let them have her! She belongs with me, she can't be gone.

I feel my body shaking, can't control what's happening. There's a new sound from above, the light of the sky that has illuminated the tunnels before is now duller. A hovercraft circles above.

As I look up, my headache intensifies, my vision a bit blurry. No. I can't be weak now - they'll take her away from me. Protectively I cradle Val, hold her tight.

Slowly a ladder is let down through the hole, but I don't grab it. I know they would pull me up, but not her. So I just wait. My eyes feel so heavy, everything feels heavy. I swallow hard and fight my urge to just fall asleep.

I feel like I have to say something, have to say it out loud to stick to it. My voice comes out shaky, "Don't worry, Val... I'm not leaving you here - with him." I send one quick look sideward where Rex is on the ground.

I did that. I took a life.

This makes me sick again and I bend over, retching, nothing coming out. A deep sob emerges from my throat at last and a figure appears before me - it's a woman, the smile on her face as fake as possibly can be.

She's holding onto the ladder when she starts talking, "Congratulations to your victory. You need to hold onto the ladder with me now, so we can go up to the hovercraft."

I stare at her, shaking my head. "I'm not leaving her behind..."

Her smile is unwavering as her eyes dart down to Val before she looks at me again, "We are getting her too, we just need you first."

I feel my hands shake harder again. There is no energy left to hold onto Val, but there is no chance I'm letting go, so I try to shift my weight on my legs to keep her close. "No..."

Her smile slowly fades and she sighs. "I need a team here..."

It takes a moment for me to register, she isn't talking to me anymore. Whatever this team is going to be, I'll fight with everything I have left (although that isn't much).

A few seconds later I see two peacekeepers coming down on something that looks like a stretcher. As it touches the ground, they step off and walk over to me.

I know it's time to go, get out of here, but my legs won't move. I try my best to stand up, to move my body towards the stretcher in any way, but I just can't. One of the peacekeepers eyes me up, then turns to the other one. "Let's carry them over, it's faster."

The other man nods and then I feel hands on my arms, on my back. It burns like fire, like they are cutting me open all over again. A scream escapes my mouth and I almost let go of Val, but I manage to hold on.

The next thing I know is that I'm on the stretcher on my side. I can see Val's body next to me and feel the tears coming again as I pull her as close as possible. There's wind all around us, it's cold until it isn't. The wind stops in the blink of an eye and a luke underneath us closes. We have reached the hovercraft.

I feel something like relief in between all the sadness and the pain. I'm no longer in the arena, it's over... I hear myself sob again. I'm the only one left.

Then I feel the hands again, more hands, more pain, pulling me away - away from Val. My instincts kick in again and I scream, trying to hold onto her, trying to shake them all off.

Someone's voice clashes against my scream, "Someone get a needle! Do something!"

I can't let them win! I scream again, scream as loud as I can, "No! No! Get away from her! Go away!"

There are more voices, one sticking out, "God's sake! Pull them apart, we can't have a dead victor here!"

I swallow down another scream. What does he mean? Is he talking about me? I'm a victor now, I'm out of there. Then they pull again, harder this time and I scream again.

"Stop this!"

Suddenly all of them pause. They let go all at once and I fall back down onto the ground. Confused I try to blink away the dizziness and look up. The peacekeepers step back and stand at attention, making space for one of their own who is walking towards us now.

As he reaches us, he falls to his knees and removes his helmet. It's a man, maybe in his late 40s, blond hair, already ashy, completely grey at the roots. He stares down at me and I stare at him. Tears shimmer in his eyes, but he doesn't let them fall. Then his eyes move down to Val's still body.

I swallow and whimper, "Please... please don't take her and... and throw her in a box like trash."

The man starts shaking his head and takes an audible breath. He runs one hand over his stubble. He swallows and his voice comes out surprisingly steady and strong, "No... don't worry, son."

He carefully touches Val's hand, then faces me again, "Listen, Cypress. You are injured, you need help right now or you will die too. She wouldn't want that, she would want you to get well again... Let me take care of Valeria."

His words trigger something inside me, his voice has a familiar undertone to it and suddenly all strength I had left leaves my body. I let my head rest on the hard ground and swallow. All I can muster as an answer is a weak 'Okay'.

The world starts spinning again and I close my eyes, and everything fades to black.