Fun Fact of the Chapter: How the Mentors Won Their Games, Part XIV. In the private training session chapter, Gamemaker Claret notes that "in the entire history of 191 years worth of Games, there has been exactly one victor with a sweet disposition that hadn't gone insane by the end of her Games, and she had been surrounded and coddled by her more powerful allies." This victor is D9 mentor Audhild, who won the 153rd Games at age 14 and is now mute.

…..

Idina Carrin, Gamemaker

"Career battle," Amata says over the intercom, for once managing not to stutter. Let's see how long that lasts. "No—problems with—the list—so—we can let—this alone. Pericles—get the life sim—simulator tech-"

"Got it, Fay," he cuts in.

Thank God. No more long-winded speeches about "the list" and how to make the tributes go insane or die as many times as possible. Now I can sit back and watch my Careers duke it out.

I glance at the broadcast monitor again, which is replaying Honeycomb's stabbing of Marius Sheer, the satisfying cannon shot. Lysander's jaw had dropped when he saw. He'd put ten grand on the Two boy, a "safe" but boring bet. "Fork it over, kid," I say with a stretched-out palm. The cinematographer hands me the money. I grin. "Told you Honeycomb was going places."

"Not fair," Revir comments from the side. "You bet on two tributes. That makes a good chance that you'll get twice the money."

"You're one to talk, Pond," Helena says. "Remember last year, when you personally sponsored three?"

"Ugh! There were circumstances, you motherf-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP. THE BATTLE'S STARTING," I say. "GO HAVE YOUR GODDAMN SPAT SOMEWHERE ELSE."My fellow Gamemakers probably say something after that, but it's not like I give a damn. The Careers are fighting.

Honeycomb had leapt to her feet right after the stabbing and is now throwing knives at the Fours, both of whom had sprung up immediately to advance on Honeycomb. The girl—Correen Haggerty or something—deflects the knives with her spear as her district partner tries to circle around and get the Two in the back with his sword. Honeycomb sees this coming a mile away and turns on the boy. She throws another knife, which lodges in Four's right leg.

Amata intercoms us again. "Pericles—are—the chemicals in—Marius—yet?"

"Activating them now."

To everyone's surprise except ours, the dead Two boy's arm shoots up in the air and grabs Honeycomb's wrist. Luka Saroque has gotten over his shock by this point and immediately goes after his unfaithful ally, who is now stabbing the undead corpse as many times as possible. Saroque launches himself into the air and stabs down on Honeycomb's shoulder. She stabs his stomach in turn, then sends yet another knife at Haggerty.

It lodges in her throat, and as she tries to pull it out, she rips her own jugular by mistake. Cannon.

Her district partner, Maddox, runs straight for Honeycomb and Saroque, but the undead Marius reaches him first, and they start grappling with each other. Haggerty's body, still bleeding from the throat, rises and attacks her killer, but Saroque, in a moment of characteristic theatricality, turns to glare at the corpse. "She's busy, do you mind?" He stabs it, then Honeycomb in turn. The first falls immediately to the ground, but the girl from Two keeps fighting. She's already dealt him a serious blow in the abdomen. All she needs to do now is keep herself alive until he dies.

Cut to Maddox, who by now has slashed down the Two boy's corpse and is heading for the others again. Honeycomb jabs at his chest, a puncture deep enough to rupture one of the veins near the heart. Maddox doubles over but manages to return the jab, but his sword penetrates even deeper, and soon the blade slices through the skin of her back. Cannon. Cannon.

"Congratulations—folks, we have—reached the—final—eight."

"And Luka is still alive," I say, grinning. "Which means I win all the bets on Careers, second year in a row."

With impeccable timing, another cannon sounds, and something sinks in my stomach. Luka has collapsed. I had been counting on him surviving another couple of hours so someone could get medicine to him in time, but he hadn't even lasted ten seconds. The final eight has become the final seven.

All the Careers are dead. For the first time in Hunger Games history, no Careers have survived past Day Seven of the Games.

This changes everything.