The night grew steadily colder and Raine pressed closer to his side in her sleep, shivering a bit.
He sighed. He wasn't getting any sleep tonight. Even though they were hidden at the top of a building, they were still out in the open all things considered, and someone had to keep an eye out.
He looked up at the sky that he knew was superimposed. The arena was all created by the Gamemakers and there was a dome over the whole arena, allowing them to control the weather and everything else in the arena. The weather in the arena was probably different than what was actually happening outside. For all he knew, it could actually be midday.
He wondered what his family was doing. Was it mandatory viewing time back home? Was his dad at work? Was Ada asleep? Was anyone he knew watching him right now? Was Ada crying for him?
Just the thought of Ada not understanding where he was and her being upset made him sick to his stomach. It physically pained him when she was upset. When his parents had brought her in to say goodbye after he was Reaped, she had wound her arms around his neck and held him tight. She knew something was going on. His parents and Ada had been the last in to say goodbye.
"This wasn't supposed to happen," he muttered, holding Ada close. It was his last year. He was supposed to go home with his family and have their celebratory Our Family is Safe lunch and play with Ada and hang out with his friends and carry on with his life. His name was only in there seven times. This wasn't fair.
But was it ever fair? Why did he deserve to live more than anyone else?
His mother sniffled and pushed his hair off of his face, tears shining in her eyes. "I know,"
"You'll… look after Ada for me, won't you?" He wasn't a trained career, there was no way he was coming home. The Games were more of a physical test than an intellectual one. If he made it through the Bloodbath, it would be a miracle. Three's victors usually won because they figured out some way to harness electricity before anyone else, sort of sheer luck aided by intelligence. If they even made it that far.
"Of course we will, Pas." His father replied quietly.
"Thank you,"
His mother sat beside him on the couch and kissed his head before hugging him. "Oh, my baby,"
"Don't let them change you, Pascal." His father said suddenly, in a stern voice. His father was a friendly, easy-going man. The difference from his usual tone made Pascal look up in surprise. "They're going to try. Remember who you are, son."
"I will," If he was going to die, he wouldn't die as a monster. He would die as Pascal, the friendly, funny, well-liked boy from District 3. To do that, he'd have to avoid any alliances. He had to be himself.
"We love you," added his father, in his usual softer tone.
"I love you too," Pascal replied, swallowing hard.
"Time's up," announced a Peacekeeper.
Pascal quickly kissed his crying mother's cheek and stood to hug his father. His mother tried to take Ada from him, but she held on tight and started to scream.
"No! No!"
Pascal tried to untangle her arms from around his neck. "Ada, you have to let me go now."
"No, Daddy!"
The Peacekeeper approached the family gruffly. "I said, time's up."
"Ada, you have to let Daddy go." His mother said on the verge of tears, holding onto Ada.
Ada's grip was tight. The Peackeeper roughly pulled Ada from Pascal's neck and thrust her into her grandmother's arms. Pascal's father was agitated at the behavior, but didn't dare speak up, he wrapped his arm around his wife. Ada screamed and reached her arms out towards her father and her grandmother had to clutch her tight to her body so that the child wouldn't fall out of her arms.
The Peackeeper pushed them out of the room, Ada still shrieking.
"I love you!" Pascal called after them before the door slammed shut. "I love you, Ada Grace! Always!"
The last he saw of Ada was her little face bright red with tears streaming down her cheeks, screaming for him.
He collapsed to the ground in tears. He could still hear his daughter. "I'm sorry, Row. I'm so sorry," he choked out. The first moment he had held Ada in his arms, he had promised Rowena, wherever she was, that he would always take care of her baby girl. He couldn't now. That promise was broken.
He didn't have much time to cry before he was yanked to his feet by the same Peacekeeper who had shoved his family out of his sight. He was lead to the train, where the escort greeted him with a high pitched voice that made him clench his teeth. His district partner, Agnes, a broody fourteen year old his brother didn't care much for, glared at him from the couch. Beetee Latier, his mentor, greeted him with a curt nod from the table.
He pushed his glasses up on his nose and dropped into a chair opposite his mentor. No one spoke until the train started rumbling and jerked to a start.
"This is the beginning of where it ends." Agnes sneered, crossing her arms tighter across her chest.
"Now, Agnes-" Beetee began.
"Neither of us have a chance, look at us." Agnes hissed, looking out the window. "Don't waste your breath,"
Pascal met Beetee's eyes. "Tough crowd," he muttered.
Beetee cracked a smile.
The anthem started playing and Raine started awake. It was loud. They both turned their attention to the sky. Nine tributes had died that day, eight in the bloodbath based off of the canons from earlier. Agnes was one of them. Flint, the boy from 12, another lost. Raine whimpered at the sight.
It was only day one. Looked like Agnes was right, it was the beginning of the end after all.