Before I start this chapter, I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed this story :') It's real motivation to keep writing. So thank you so much c:

My head spinning, I absorbed this information, staring at Kieryan numbly.

"She... She loved you?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

"Yes," Kieryan replied, simply.

"She must... She must have loved you a lot, to die for you when her boyfriend and baby girl were waiting for her at home." I whispered.

"She must have," he agreed, sadly. And only then did a tear finally trickle down his cheek.

"Kieryan?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, Amber?"

"Why did you tell me all this? What was the point?"

"The point? The point was that I promised I'd protect you. That was my last promise to her, the first and last thing she ever asked of me. When I came back, your father had gone mad after watching your mother die. I wanted to take you off his hands, but he wouldn't have it. He took off with you. I had failed.
But then, a year or so ago, a young girl entered the academy. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place her. I decided it was her eyes. They were hauntingly familiar.
Then she chose a name; the name was Clove. That's when I realised who you were.
Your mother always smelt of cloves, you know."

"I know," I murmured, sadly.

"I had been given another chance to fulfil my promise; another chance to save you. And I'm going to take it. You will win the Hunger Games. I promise."

"But what if I'm not strong enough?"

"You are."

We stood in silence, until I sighed and looked him in the eye.

"One last question, Kieryan?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you just call me Amber? My name is Clove."

And with that, I left the room. I didn't look back.

As I approached the girls' dormitory, Dylan and Cato shot past me, dashing in the opposite direction, towards the boys' quarters. Running to the end of the corridor, I saw Clara whip around the corner, her breathing heavy. A door slammed, and I cautiously crept around the next corner.

Araya lay on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

"Clove?" she murmured, tears mingling with the sweat and blood coating her face. I blinked away the tears, kneeling down beside her.

"Who did this to you?" I whispered, horrified. But I already knew the answer.

"They were angry with me," she told me, softly, a moan escaping her lips. I took her hand in mine. "I beat them."

"You're safe now," I lied, comfortingly. She smiled wistfully.

"I'm not. I'm dying, Clove." She told me, tears falling thick and fast.

"You're not dying. I'm going to go and get Kieryan, okay?" I told her, keeping my tone calm, while inside I panicked. Because honestly? I knew she was right. They had killed her.

"Don't leave me." She sobbed. I hesitated, then nodded. It was too late. By the time I found Kieryan, Araya would be dead. The least I could do was ensure she didn't die alone.

I pushed the hair back from her forehead, gently stroking her hair with my free hand. She moaned in pain, as the blood continued to flow.

"My name isn't Araya," she told me, desperately, "It's Sara."

"You beat them, Sara. You were better than them. And I won't let them get away with this." Was all I said.

"Promise?" Sara clung to my hand.

"I promise." I told her, as her grip loosened and the light left her eyes. And only then did I let the tears flow. Because Sara didn't deserve to die, not now, not today. None of us did. But thanks to the Capitol and the cruel Games they played with our lives, the happy life she deserved was torn away from her. And it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all.

I let out a moan, an animal sound, as hot tears soaked my cheeks.

Sara, sweet, innocent Sara, was gone forever.

And I knew that Amber was too. Because I would fight for her. I would not let Sara's death go unavenged, or Kieryan's promise go unfulfilled.

Because in that moment, I knew that I had a tool, essential to winning the Hunger Games. Something I didn't have before.

Something to fight for.