A/N

Greetings, we are here with the final prologue of Mask of Shadows! A little behind schedule, but the festive season has been a busy one. I hope everyone who celebrates has had the most wonderful time and I'm sending you all my best wishes!

As for MoS, this final prologue brings us to a point in time further than the previous chapters. This is set six months before the 87th Games, which is also four and a half years after the end of CoT. This will focus on Risa, our previous Victor, and we'll see how she is doing after all this time.

Risa Delmare, Victor of the 86th Games

The winter's air was fiendish and relentless. It clawed at Risa's skin, tearing across the delicacies of her cheeks as her sturdy boots stepped where countless others had stepped before. Where there had been a crisp, thin layer of snow lining the streets, the consequences of daily life had reduced it to a dreary sludge which squelched unpleasantly beneath her soles.

Risa shivered as she tugged her scarf higher up her neck, gently covering the bottom of her chin with the soft fabric. District Four was paradise to many in the summer, with golden beaches and long hours of pure uninterrupted sunlight; yet in the winter the harsh winds that swept from the waves sent chills to the bones of those who left the comforts of their own homes. Risa's mother, Rania Delmare, had frequently complained about the winter, and with her job keeping her by the side of the ocean for many hours, it was no surprise. Riley Delmare, Risa's father, seemed somewhat indifferent to the colder months, though he tended to keep himself indoors where the walls and central heating could fend off the harshness of the outside.

Risa, as ever, lingered somewhere in between.

As she made her way from the Victors Village, which was surprisingly still intact despite it approaching yet another year without the Hunger Games, to the centre of the District, Risa passed a number of different people going about their daily lives. Despite the world around them, life continued on. Of course there had been noticeable changes; crime was increasing at an alarming rate, unemployment was on the rise and factions were scattered around both District Four and the rest of Panem. The ever-watchful eyes of The Candid kept anxieties simmering at a low enough temperature for people to at least pretend that things were normal, but high enough that everyone was also sat just ever so slightly closer to the edge of their seats.

If Risa had learnt anything in her years, it was that one could never be truly prepared for what life may have hidden up its sleeves. Unfortunately, it was a lesson she had been taught on more than one occasion.

"Good mornin', Risa," a middle aged woman with a thickly padded coat on and a basket clutched tightly to her chest smiled warmly at her. It was the kind of smile that could melt the snow and the ice that clung to the District. Risa did not recognise the woman, though even four and a half years following her Victory in the Games, people still appeared to recognise Risa.

"Good morning," Risa nodded back politely. "It's a cold one today, isn't it?"

The woman agreed. "They say it's meant to be gettin' warmer soon. I bloomin' hope so! Can't be dealin' with this cold no more. You headin' up to the library? I've been meanin' to bring the kids along –they're just refusin' to come out in the cold! Lazy lot, I say. Not like you –I see you out and 'bout near every day, been like that since you came outta that arena all those years ago. Good on ya, girl. A lot of folk couldn't handle what you can."

Thanking the woman and wishing her well, Risa pulled her scarf a little further up her face as she walked the final distance to the library, cautious not to slip on the slushy terrain.

The sight of The Delmarian was both familiar and foreign to Risa. The library looked somewhat similar to the one that had stood before; with a double-doored entrance and large bay windows, though the stonework was not the same as the bricks that had formed the original building and despite the efforts to look a little more rustic and homely, the new library still seemed a little too new.

But it was certainly preferable to the pile of rubble and ashes it had once been, and having that comforting space to be herself in was more than Risa could have wished for in her new life.

Climbing up the steps to the entrance –a ramp had also been built beside the stairs for her father's ease of access –Risa flicked a flake of snow from the tips of her eyelashes before pushing open one of the large wooden doors and heading inside.

The warmth hit her first, followed by the comforting smell of leather and paper.

Riley Delmare had insisted on replicating a few of the original features of his library, such as the spiral staircase and the bay windows which made the perfect reading spot; though he had also requested a few changes. One of those changes were that were no fireplaces. Risa admitted to herself that she was fond of that change; having faced two fires within a year of each other, one which had brought down the original library as well as her own brother, and the other a nauseating replica in the arena, Risa was keen to avoid flames as much as possible. With the money that came with Victory, even after the Games ceased, adding central heating wasn't too far of a stretch financially; though regardless of price, Risa would have spent her last coin if it helped to put her father at ease.

Blissfully ignorant of the weather outside, the library was pleasantly full of visitors. Almost every chair was occupied, and a small queue had formed by the counter, where Risa's father was chirpily signing out books for eager borrowers. His face lit up a notch brighter when his eyes caught Risa's as she made her way across the central room.

"Busy morning already," Risa observed as she slid behind the counter.

Her father nodded in agreement. "Quite! Would you mind taking over for a moment?"

"Sure," Risa smiled, sliding her arms out of her winter coat and hanging it up on the coatrack behind, along with her scarf.

"Thank you, angel," her father said gratefully, planting a small kiss on her cheek. "I won't be long."

Risa nodded, watching as her father took his two walking sticks in each hand and began to slowly shuffle away. Since returning from the arena, Risa had sought out the best physical therapist she could afford to help her father to walk again. It had seemed an almost impossible dream at the beginning, but now Riley was able to walk for short distances with only the assistance of two sticks. It was unlikely that he would ever walk entirely unaided again, but being able to take steps at all was enough to bring joy to both his and Risa's hearts.

The scars on his face would never fully heal, but neither would those on Risa's palms. Each time she looked down at her hands, Risa would remember the searing pain as she had tried to retrieve her golden weapon from the clutches of the flames. She would remember the sizzling sound of her skin blistering, and the scorching sensation at the back of her throat would return. Flashes turned into moments relived; though with time the nightmares had lessened and the pain became just a memory. But memories were immortal, and they lived on in the mind.

Risa knew she could never escape the traumas of her past, but she tried her best not to let it control her present.

"Hi, welcome to The Delmarian," Risa greeted the first visitor at the counter, taking the two books from their hands and opening up the covers, where she scanned the inside. "How long would you like to take these two out for?"

By the time the queue had whittled down to its last visitor and Risa's face was aching from smiling and making pleasant small-talk, her father returned. His jaw seemed tense as he hobbled behind the counter, his knuckles white from gripping tightly onto his sticks. Yet, as proud as ever, he did not wish to appear weak as he took a seat beside Risa, placing a brown paper bag on the counter and nudging it towards her.

"Thank you for your visit," Risa bid farewell to the final visitor in the queue. "Be careful on your journey home; the roads can be icy."

"I will be," the young boy nodded. "Thank you, Risa –Miss Delmare!"

The young boy skipped heartily back to his parents, who were waiting dutifully by the door for him. The three of them waved towards Risa and her father before bundling up and heading back into the winter's day.

"Go on –open it," Risa's father gestured towards the bag on the counter. "It'll go cold if you leave it."

Risa opened up the bag carefully, the tips of her fingers soon greeted by a small waft of steam as she dipped her hand into the bag. She plucked out the offering, which turned out to be a sweet raspberry and almond muffin; one of her favourites.

"Freshly baked," her father told her. "Consider it payment for the morning's work."

Risa broke off a bite-sized piece from the top of the muffin. "You know, some would say that you underpay your staff."

"Some would say that a Victor has enough of her own money before demanding pay from her crippled father," he returned wittily.

"Touché."

Risa smirked as she nibbled at the muffin elegantly, enjoying the sweet zingy taste of the raspberries and the deliciously flaky texture of the almonds. For a moment it was almost as though time had reversed and they were back to a winter morning before the Games; before the fire that had torn their world apart. A time when Riley could walk without reliance on a stick and the creases in his skin were from age and not scars; a time when Risa could close her eyes at night without the fear of what her unconscious mind would conjure.

Though even times before the fire and the Games weren't as perfect as Risa tried to imagine they had been.

Rex had been a source of conflict; a boy drowning in his own envy that he was blinded to the consequences of his actions. Risa had loved her younger brother dearly, and though whilst she often longed to have him back in her life, she wondered whether she was simply seeking to ease her own guilt.

Perhaps not having lost Rex would have kept her mother closer too. Since returning from the Games, Rania had continued to keep her distance. It was clear that she was pleased to have Risa back, and there was still an endless love between them, but the death of her youngest child had never left her and Risa's brush with death herself seemed to only amplify that earlier loss. Maybe her mother had figured out the truth herself? Risa could vaguely remember shouting during the fire in the arena –what had she said? Had she given away her own guilt and involvement in her brother's death?

As always, questions weighed on Risa's mind.

The rest of the day passed by quickly, but pleasantly. Risa remained in the library; helping behind the counter with checking books in and out, returning books to their designated places on the shelves, and talking to the variety of people who passed through the doors of The Delmarian. It was a humbling way to pass the time; since the library's rebuild had been finished last month after a few years of construction and time collecting enough books to fill the shelves, Risa had found herself at a loss. Aella had disappeared to live with Cascade, though she kept in touch with letters and Risa would regularly send her books to read. Garcia's hands were full with his job as a trainer in the Academy for those who still attended, and as adulthood raged on, the two of them had somewhat drifted apart. And with the Hunger Games no longer in existence, Risa had no need to spend her summers as a mentor. Throughout the years, she had begun to feel like a spare part –until now.

Despite the chaos that raged outside the walls of The Delmarian, spread throughout Panem like a wildfire, Risa felt as though perhaps she could finally begin to start living again.

As the day drew to a close and the last books were returned to their shelves, Risa bid her father goodnight. She had offered to walk him home, but he had kindly turned her down, indicating that her mother was in fact due to meet him after her shift. Their relationship was strained, that was unavoidable, though there remained enough love and determination between Riley and Rania that they refused to fully break apart. Risa couldn't lie to herself and pretend that it didn't bring a small smile to her lips to know that her parents were still trying after everything the Delmare family had endured.

After leaving the library and braving the cold once more, Risa made quick work of her walk home. Despite not needing to train for anything, she still preferred to keep her fitness levels up and took frequent runs around the District, and so walking with a fast pace to keep exposure to the winter's night to a minimum barely made her heart beat any faster.

Though, the moment Risa stepped into the Victors Village, she knew something felt different.

Approaching her house with caution, Risa held her breath as she pressed her palm against the front door, pushing against it lightly. Proving herself to be right as the door slowly opened when she had left it locked on her departure earlier in the day, Risa felt her heartrate quicken.

Over the years there had been a few attempted breaches to her home; mostly protestors wanting her to side with their campaign either for or against the return of the Games, or the occasional conflicted person who had lost their way and believed that striking against someone they believed to be more privileged than they were would somehow solve their own problems. Yet this time it felt clean –too clean.

Risa reached instinctively to her back, even though she hadn't had a ranseur strapped to it for years. Her hand felt nothing but the back of her coat, which was crisp from the cold. She would have to make do with whatever she could find inside the house.

Adopting a defensive stance, Risa nudged open the front door and slid silently inside.

The lights were on. The entranceway was empty.

Her hand reached out for the small vase on the shelf beside her, her fingers clasping tightly around the top. Hearing small murmurs from the lounge to her left, Risa approached slowly, steadying her breathing as much as she could.

She sucked in a breath as she held her free hand out towards the door…

…and quickly withdrew it as the door swung open.

"Miss Delmare."

Risa lowered her arm, the vase hanging in her grip by her side.

"President Castellanos," Risa returned the formal greeting whilst stifling a gasp.

"Shall we drop the formalities?" the President suggested. "I'd prefer you to call me Ivo, if you don't mind? Do you mind if I call you Risa?"

"Go ahead," Risa replied, a little unsure. She placed the vase on the nearest surface and stepped into her lounge as the President gestured for her to join him.

Ivo Castellanos lingered in the centre of the room, looking between the selection of chairs.

"I wouldn't want to be presumptuous about where you'd prefer to sit, so please direct me to where you'd like me to be," said the dark haired and smartly dressed man.

Not in my house, thought Risa.

"Erm, anywhere is fine," Risa shrugged, taking a seat on one of the sofas beside the fireplace –which contained no real fire at all, just false flames that emitted heat but were void of danger or the smell of smoke that acted almost like a trigger for Risa.

"I'm terribly sorry for breaking into your home, Risa," Ivo began to talk. "It was horrifically cold outside and I was concerned about any publicity this visit may bring."

"It's…ok," replied Risa with slight hesitancy. "Can I help you?"

Ivo sighed. "Unfortunately no, you cannot help me. I am afraid that no one can. However, that is not the purpose of my visit."

Risa maintained a straight and unassuming facial expression, but within her mind she was both perplexed and quite nervous about the President being sat in her house.

"May I ask why you are here?" asked Risa, suddenly realising that she was still wearing her coat and scarf, but knowing it was too late now to remove them.

"I'm here as a matter of courtesy," replied the President. "I thought it would be a kindness to break the news to you directly, before it becomes public."

Risa remained silent.

"The Hunger Games are returning, Risa."

A sudden tension gripped Risa's stomach. She found herself unable to control the disturbed look on her face as she stared towards the President, who displayed an almost regretful expression.

"This was not what I wanted," explained Ivo. "Believe me, Risa, I was happier without the Games. It was what Aurelia had wanted and I truly believed that I was honouring her memory by cancelling them."

He sighed, and Risa could tell by the slight glazed look in his eyes that he was telling the truth.

"But Panem has gone down a path we did not expect it to take," he continued. "With the absence of tesserae, poverty in the outer Districts has increased, and the surplus of grain in Nine has almost crippled its economy. Crime is up everywhere and without the Games, the Capitol is losing its influence. We are at breaking point."

"Why are you telling me this?" inquired Risa, a small frown twitching at the nerves in her forehead. "Why me?"

"For a few reasons, actually," replied Ivo, pulling at the cuff of his shirt beneath his blazer. "Firstly, after how your Games ended, I thought you would like some time to process the return of the Games before it is made public knowledge."

Risa couldn't disagree that finding out this way would have been preferable to finding out in a public setting. The memories were bad enough, but having to relive them year after year was something Risa had begun to accept she'd never have to do. Having the safety net that had kept her going suddenly torn away was almost crippling. Yes, she was a Victor and a Career, but she had never truly wanted to volunteer in the first place and hindsight had taught her why.

"Secondly," Ivo carried on. "You are a smart woman, Risa. I believe that you are one of the few people in this country who would understand my situation. And thirdly, I would like to propose an alliance between us."

"An alliance?" Risa asked warily.

Ivo nodded. "I'm sure you are aware of the circumstances in which I became President, and I can say that despite the years that have passed, maintaining such a position has not been an easy ride. There will be those who will disagree with my decision to bring back the Games and those who may seek to use this as an opportunity to bring my influence to an end."

"So you want me to help you keep hold of your power?"

"Not for the selfish reasons you suspect," Ivo insisted. "Change is dangerous, Risa. I fear for who may come after me and until Panem has stabilised, I am afraid I am not willing to take the risk of finding out."

"Where do I come into this?"

Ivo's eyes found Risa's directly. "I need your support, Risa. Whether you agree with me or not, I need you to convince those who listen that bringing back the Games is the right choice. You may be the only person who can do that."

Risa stared straight back at the President.

"And why should I help you?"

Ivo stood up, took a few strides across the room towards the door, where he paused and glanced back towards Risa.

"Because the fate of Panem depends on it."

A/N

With that, our prologues are complete! For those who haven't read CoT, I hope that this chapter gave you a decent insight into its Victor, Risa Delmare. She is truly a wonderful character and I love that I am able to continue her story!

A lot to think about with all three chapters, I hope! Each character has a substantial amount to deal with and each seem to be in very different predicaments. Ivo is trying to maintain his precarious position as President whilst doing his best to remember Aurelia; Cascade is wondering how long she will be able to keep living in her safe bubble and protect Linden from the chaos of the rest of Panem; Scout is struggling to cope with living a life he shouldn't have been given; and Risa has finally settled into a comfortable life which is now threatened by the return of the Games and the potential alliance with Ivo.

What will the future have in store for these characters? We will find out in between the fun of the Games and our tributes!

For those who haven't seen, the full list of tributes is available on my profile, as well as the link for the MoS blog. A huge thank you to all who submitted, regardless of whether your tributes were accepted or not. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support and attention MoS received, so thank you! I am very pleased with the final cast and I cannot wait to get stuck into each and every one of their stories!

The next part of this story will be the tribute introductions. This will consist of eight chapters, each introducing three tributes. A full schedule of the order of POVs is available on the MoS channel in the Verses discord server, though for those who do not wish to join discord you are welcome to ask me to send you the schedule if you're curious about when to expect each tribute. I am so very excited to introduce these incredible tributes to you; they are each so unique and will bring something different to the story.

A big thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing and hyping on discord -you know who you are! (I'm also too lazy to type out each and every name right now because there are too many great people). Much love!

Until next time,

Firefly