Tw: All through the fic, mentions of an abusive relationship between father and child.
July 9th, 2425
The Deep Abyss
Day ten of the arena
13:00 hours
A shimmering light batters down upon Kalo from above, Illuminating half of her face. They glance up momentarily - to the source of the light. It is glimmering through a collection of enormous, jutting stalactites on the cave roof. The light filters through at her, like someone reaching for a hug, and beckoning them to climb towards it.
No. Not yet. Her demons still await
Kalo's teary eyes sink back down to the girl cradled in her arms, fighting to take her last breath.
(Nisa Acropora - the girl who Kalo thought was a mirror to someone else. It's only now that the mirror has become more transparent.)
Nisa's mouth shakes, and she begins stammering a few words which slowly grow more audible as the moments go on. "Kalo, just promise me one thing?" The dying career from Four reaches to tighten her grip on Kalo's hand. "Don't let him win, don't let yourself be what your father made you. Will you promise me that?"
Kalo Swallows. "I…"
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Nisa chuckles, bitterly. "I thought for a second, we had a chance."
"Me too," Kalo agrees, half smiling.
Nisa's hand begins to slip from Kalo's. "No, don't go yet! Just a little longer, please… just a little-"
But then a cannon sounds. Kalo closes Nisa's eyes softly, eyes that were once bright but have now gone out entirely. Then Kalo's own eyes travel up above them to the source of the light. A boy stands in front of the light…. the boy from Fourteen… Jorah Levigi, standing on the crystal platform; just above her own platform. A dark chasm into an abyss waits on either side of their platforms from where they rose. The only lights that shine from below are the faint light of the vast underground city.
Jorah's voice cuts through Kalo's thoughts. "It's just like I said, the final two… you and I. We can't escape our pasts, we can only fight them. Together, what'd ya say?"
His voice is coarse and guttural. His eyes are glowing yellow in the light, wide and demented like a cat's in the night that is stalking its prey. Blood drips from the boy's face, staining his pale skin, and dripping down from his cheeks. Nisa's blood and his own also decorate his brown hoodie, from where he stabbed her. He looks as thirsty for blood as Kalo looked only days ago.
Kalo stares at the open wound in his chest and then back into his eyes. She shakes her head.
"Revenge isn't in our hands," she murmurs. "But they won't let us live. Not both of us. It's one of us or neither of us."
Jorah tilts his head and clenches his fist tighter around his dagger. "Then, let's not waste any time!"
Jorah braces his legs to pounce! Kalo gasps, placing their hands against the crystal surface of the platform as the earth shakes. Her eyes travel up to the giant stalactites tumbling directly toward her.
This is it. It's time for Kalosani to face her demons. Their eyes dart to Jorah as he lands in front of her. Then, lifting her katana, she charges to meet her equal, evading the rain of collapsing stalactites all around them.
June 20th, 2425
Train to the Capitol
21:00 hours
Kalosani Blandate's life is a joke. She can finally see that now. The seventeen-year-old from District Seven is staring at their jet-black eyes in the reflection of the train mirror, since there's nothing but blackness on the other side. The pink highlights in her curly hair are barely visible in this dim light inside the train.
She finds that despite everything, her reflection is smiling back at her with an ironic grin. She lost count of the number of times she wanted to ditch everything and everyone - because everyone ditched her. They lost count of the number of times they wanted to pluck her father's eyes out of his skull after he screamed at her and tried to gaslight her or manipulate her. She lost count of the number of times she wanted to inflict all the pain and loss that they'd felt onto someone else.
(Now, they finally can. She is going to a place where that is the goal, and people will be cheering her on as she does it. This could not be more perfect.)
So, that is why they are currently grinning maniacally at themselves like some kind of court jester. It all makes sense now. They won't have to suffer anymore; only others will.
Footsteps rattle against the train floor, and Kalo turns to find her District partner has plonked down opposite her. At the reaping, she learned his name is Jack. He is a very plain-looking boy, with brunette hair, dark eyes, and smooth olive-coloured skin. She hasn't spoken to the boy much yet, nor does she see the point. She doesn't need to get to know him. Especially when all she's been doing is plotting a multitude of ways to murder him in the arena.
The boy blinks innocently and clears his throat to speak. "Well… this really sucks, huh?"
Kalo stays silent. They lean back in their chair and reach into a shining glass bowl that contains an assortment of chocolates, wrapped in plastic. Then, with the same grin plastered on their face, they shove a whole chocolate into their mouth.
"I dunno, I've been watching some of the previous games and they've been giving me some neat ideas. Like that time a few years ago when the Two girl burnt the Four girl alive or the Six boy hung the Four boy by the neck," Kalo says, still munching casually on the chocolate.
Her District partner's eyes narrow in confusion, before he purses his lips. "That's sick," he remarks.
Kalo's smile disappears. Her fists clench in anger at his accusation, but she manages to contain it for now.
(He sounds just like her father with his poisonous accusations, and her father always made her feel violent.)
Just as Kalo's glare into their district partner's soul couldn't get any more intense, they are suddenly interrupted by their escort's excited voice! "How ya getting on?" he asks.
Kalo's District partner turns to the plastic-looking man. "S-she's crazy!" He stammers.
(That does it. That is her father talking!)
Kalo reaches across the table and seizes the boy by the jacket. "You wanna see crazy?! I'll show you crazy!" They growl.
Their District partner begins to gasp for air as Kalo's grip constricts around his neck, and Peacekeepers rush in to prise their hands off of Jack. He yells several taunting threats, pointing at her as he is dragged away. Kalo simply sticks her middle finger up in response as she is pulled away in the opposite direction. Their hands brace out as they are pushed against the train wall in the corner.
Kalo's mind begins replaying the events of the last few minutes. She yells in irritation, slamming her fist against the train wall.
Just then, footsteps approach from across the train. Kalo turns from where they were leaning up against the wall, to find their mentor standing in the train carriage. He is an unusually plain-looking man; for a victor at least. He has gelled, dark hair, and rosy cheeks and seems to hide under his glasses when he speaks. His clothes are plain as well; since Kalo first met him, all he has worn is grey pants and a grey jacket with a brown sweater underneath. Kalo wonders how he even won his games; he has all the charisma of a wet sock and doesn't seem to be the most physically capable.
"C'mon Kalo, you can't be attacking your District partner," he says, placing his hands in his pockets, and leaning against the door.
If his voice hadn't been so placid and gentle, then Kalo would have been tempted to yell at him too. But his mild demeanor is enough to calm her heart down enough to allow him the chance to speak again.
(No one has riled Kalo up like Jack since she last spoke to her father.)
"So what is it?" Their mentor continues. "I know this must be a strange situation but Jack is just as scared as you are, trust me."
Kalo smirks at that. They are not scared! This is the only thing that makes sense, the only place they belong at the moment.
The middle-aged mentor sighs. "Kalo, I can't help you if you won't talk to me."
Kalo simply rolls her eyes. So, the man brings out a screen and begins flipping through it with his finger. "Kalosani Blandate. Mother passed away when you were only Three. Lived with your Father and siblings until your siblings all moved out. Now only lives with father…"
"Alright, stop!" Kalo interrupts him.
His eyes dart up from the screen to her.
"What do you want?" They ask, folding their arms.
"Well, I got you to talk, didn't I? That's a start."
A slight smile forms on Kalo's lips. Maybe this past victor does truly want to help them? They wouldn't exactly say they trust him but they will hear him out. Still, thanks to his little "file" - he knows everything about her. Yet, she doesn't even know his name.
"Prunus Kane," he states, as if he's reading her mind.
"Don't worry if you don't remember my games, they were… pretty forgettable. Just like me," he smiles. "Can you just agree not to attack anyone again… until the games start?" He requests, offering out his hand.
Kalo rolls their eyes. "Alright… deal."
They shake hands. Then, Prunus places his hands back in his pocket and strolls back down the carriage.
Kalo is now fully at ease. They are finally allowed to think more clearly. But then Kalo remembers why they don't want to 'think.'
As she closes her bedroom door behind her and sinks down into her bed, her mind fades steadily away into a dream…
Rain crashed down over little Kalosani Blandate's thick, black, curly hair, and soaked her clothes. A graveyard lay before her, stuffed in a tiny overgrown clearing in the forest. The grave that three-year-old Kalo's eyes were fixed on like glue read the words: "Acadia Blandate. Loving Mother and Wife."
Her father was next to her, visiting the grave with her; however, his eyes appeared cold and vacant. Kalo reached over to try to give him a hug but he hastily shoved them away. The last part of this memory that is intact is the sight of the back of his black coat as he disappeared away into the forest - not even looking back at his daughter for a second.
Kalo isn't quite sure how this memory has stuck in her mind all these years or even if it's entirely accurate and not corrupted by their dream state. Either way, that is the only memory evoked when her mother is mentioned. Kalo isn't even entirely sure how their mother died; she can't communicate with her father without it resulting in a fight…