Chapter 6: Broken Promises


Sky was painted in vivid shades of grays, dark blues with burnt orange and light strokes of pale yellow intertwined with pale purples. There was also a subtle chill in the air that made Sera freeze and huddle under her soft, plush and warm but borrowed covers.

It was still very early but she was wide awake. All night she tossed and turned. Every time she fell asleep, Sera could feel cold frost-bitten hands wrapped around her neck as she struggled to breathe and hot tears sliding down her face. But when she woke up, she was alone in the big dimly lit room, lying in the middle of a bed covered in satin sheets.

The night passed in this nightmarish cycle and she couldn't get any sleep. She could picture her face without checking the tall mirror nearby, gaunt and haggard with bloodshot eyes that begged for rest.

Tiredly, her eyes fluttered closed. Maybe one more try couldn't hurt. She promised herself she would be awake soon anyway. In three hours. Just three hours of sleep should be enough. That was all she wanted. Three hours of rest without any interruptions. The moment she shut her eyes, her head felt heavy. She chased sleep and fell into a quiet but short slumber.

Cold.

Sera could feel the freezing chill in her bones. It was like she was submerged in icy water. She felt her head sink into the pillow and her body being sucked into the mattress underneath. Then she fell. Despite it being early autumn, it felt like it was dead of winter. The chilly wind whistled as it passed through her and she huddled close to her sleeping bag, pulling at the cover.

Nearby, she could hear the soft snores of her temporary allies as they all blissfully slept in the next rooms. It only sound Sera could hear in between the sound of still silence. It was comforting in it's own way and reminded Sera of her home.

It had only been a month or so since she was reaped and not a day had passed since she missed her aunt and cousin but most of all she missed her older siblings. She missed how she would lie awake waiting for them every night. How her sister would come home late from her apprenticeship at the apothecary and tell her stories of her mundane adventures or her brother would ruffle her hair whenever she won a game of chess.

Sera desperately wanted to go back so she did what she thought she would never do. She stilled her movements whilst feigning unconsciousness. In the distance, she could hear some rustling. Someone was awake. Despite her small trust in her allies, she clutched a small knife under her pillow.

"Sera..." She heard a quiet voice call out to her. "Seraphine." The voice called out again as she started to stir. A few strands of her hair were moved away from her face as she turned, trying to get the person to leave. "Wake up." The voice said, shaking her gently.

Sera tossed and turned away from the stranger, keeping her eyes firmly shut. Her grip on the knife tightened. The shadow of the stranger covered her body as she saw a figure tower over her.

"Wake up." He commanded.

Cold, rough and hard hands gripped her shoulders and flipped her to face towards the cracked ceiling of the building her allies had taken shelter. Sera shivered under the cold grip. A hand let go of one of her shoulders and held it under her chin, tilting it up.

"Come on, Sera. Open your eyes." The voice whispered, close to her ears.

Now Sera was alarmed. Against her best judgment, she opened her eyes wide. They fluttered open and close. Her silvery eyes tried her best to get used to the dim moonlit room that she and her fellow district partner had made their shelter in. The first thing she did was check on her partner. His sleeping bag was gone.

There was nothing there.

The air in her lungs started leaving as fear started to set in. Gene was gone. She had been left behind. She started thinking as panic bubbled in her chest. She couldn't breathe. Her heart hammered hard against her chest, knocking the air out of her.

No. No. No.

She was going to relapse.

The district 5 tribute let go of the knife under her pillow and moved to grab the sponsored medicine that her mentor had gotten her.

The small container of medicine was not there. It was gone, just like Gene. Did Gene take it? Her mind was buzzing with questions as she clutched her chest in pain. Where was he? She asked herself.

It was then that she saw it. The small metallic container shone brightly in the moonlight, catching her eye. But it was open and empty. No. Her heart dropped. The medicine that was her lifeline was gone. No.

Tears formed in her eyes as she swallowed down a sob. No. No. No. Huxley worked so hard for those. She let out a sob as she stared dumbly at the empty container. There was nothing there. It was all gone. Just like her district partner. Suddenly, she remembered the shadow overhanging over her body.

"Gene..." She called out. "Eugene." She quietly called out for the sixteen year.

"Shh. It's okay. I'm here." Gene's voice quietly tried to comfort her. It only agitated her more. There was an edge in his voice that immediately put Sera on her guard. There was something wrong with Gene. She froze when a thought passed through her mind; he knew. He must have found out what Sera had been doing but how? No, it was not possible for someone like Gene to know. It wasn't.

The figure above her shifted around. She could see him now a bit more clearly. Gene was here. Letting out a breath of relief, she held out her hand to touch Gene's shoulder, only for him to flinch and move back. "Are you okay?" Sera breathed out in between her gasps of pain. Gene didn't say anything.

Clouds parted and moonlight slipped into the decrepit room. Gene's pale and bony face was illuminated by the moonlight. Sera could finally see her district partner more clearly now. His short jet black hair blended into the darkness. It was slicked back as water droplets were dotted around his face.

Water? Sera was confused. Why was there water on his face? Gene's dark eyes were emotionless and bloodshot. There was a deep cut underneath his right eye that seemed to bleed bloody tears.

"Seraphine." He smiled coldly. His eyes were trained on her as if he was hypnotized. Dark and bloody eyes peered down at her before he let out a small chuckle. He dragged his index finger from Sera's forehead to her lips before stopping at her throat. "You're awake!" He exclaimed. Sera swallowed nervously while slowly shifting in her sleeping bag. "Good. Good. I need to apologize."

"For what?" Sera croaked out. Fear was starting to replace the soft pain as she took breaths. "Gene, you're scaring me." Sera tried to push him off of her but felt her strength leave. His hands held her down by her shoulders, forcing her to stay down.

Gene's eyes started tearing up but his smile stayed on his face. "I'm sorry, I destroyed those tablets." He said, gesturing to the battered container of medicine in the corner of the room. "I had to make sure you would properly..." He drifted off.

Sera swallowed again as her vision started to blur, she could feel hot tears sliding down her face. She didn't know if it was her tears or his. "...Please." Sera begged. Gene moved his head side to side, his hands letting go of her shoulders. She felt her shoulders feel lighter.

But the solace lasted only for a second before Gene's cold and rough hands wrapped around Sera's neck. His hands tightened around her neck, pressing down on the fabric of her shirt. She thrashed and tried to reach for her knives again but much to her dismay she found them out of her reach. Her stomach dropped.

"Gene, please." She begged again, reaching for his face. Her hands found his face as she cupped them. The boy melted into the gesture but made no motion to stop his actions. She tried to appeal to the boy she met at the reaping hall in their home district. The sweet, shy and kind boy who flashed her a caring smile while promising to take care of each other on the train. "...You promised." She breathed out.

The boy let out a sob and his crazed smile stretched even wider. He grinned from ear to ear, showing off his sharp teeth while tears slid down his face. "I know." He cried out. "I know." He repeated while pressing down on Sera's neck. Black spots danced in her vision as her arms fell to her sides. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He cried out. "I need to go back." His grip slackened for a moment before he pounced on her once more with a tightened grip on her neck. "You know I have a little brother. I'm the only one he has, if I'm gone, I don't know what will happen to him. He'll be all alone. You understand, don't you?"

Exhausting her options, Sera blindly listened to the boy ramble on. She understood where his mind was but what about her? She had a family too. A sickly aunt, two siblings and a younger cousin who she promised to go back to. She promised her siblings that they wouldn't lose her, not after their parents. It was selfish but the promise to her siblings was the only thing that kept her going.

Sera let out a strangled sob as she started to scratch at Gene's wrists. "This is for the best." He said, one hand loosening as he pushed a stray piece of her hair out of her face. "You're going to die anyway." He said with a laugh. "So please..."

In desperation, Sera reached for her jacket under her covers. Gene's loosened grip returned some sense into the girl. She fumbled around the pockets of the jacket while the boy above her ranted about his younger brother.

She couldn't take it anymore, she didn't have much time left. Nothing. There was nothing of use she could use but just when she thought it was over, she felt it. Cotton like flower petals with a hard thorny stem.

The snow cotton.

She almost laughed but held herself back. The stem would be the ideal weapon to most with it's hard and thorny texture. It would leave a nasty scar at best. She could use it to stab the boy, loosening his grip on her and she could run. Then what? Sera wondered. Gene would recover quickly and follow her before she had a chance to get to their other allies.

No, Sera couldn't think like others.

She had to use something else. The flower petals or pollen, more specifically the pollen. The pollen could drive a person insane if used correctly. Her sister's words echoed in her mind as she recalled an old memory around the time her mother had passed. She remembered picking this plant, thinking it was edible and almost being foolish enough to attempt to eat it without washing. The seeds along with the roots were edible but the petals and pollen were not.

Up until now, she had been in charge of preparing this plant for food and she had taken the utmost care to ensure that her allies including Gene were not harmed. Despite being part of a game of life and death, she didn't want to kill or hurt anyone but now she had no choice. It was either dying quietly as Gene wanted or driving Gene to his death.

She had no choice, she reasoned before she ripped out the petals one-handedly and crushed them in her hands, mixing it with the pollen.

The gamemakers and the people of Panem would never see this. The thought of it filled her with some reassurance. Once she felt the half-frozen petal feel like dust, she brought her hand out of the covers, reaching over to grab her knife again or pretending it. Instead she grabbed a handful of half-melted snow. It mixed with the crushed pollen. She balled the mixture in her hand and threw it in Gene's face.

Gene backed up immediately as the petal, pollen and ice mixture hit his eyes and he accidentally swallowed some. The boy fell onto his back coughing violently, there was no use it was too late. Sera pulled herself off her sleeping back, grabbing her jacket and backpack. She didn't want to kill him, instead she ran for the exit, hoping that one of her allies was awake.

To her surprise and relief, she ran straight into a familiar couple. "Seraphine." Acadia from District 6 asked as she grabbed the younger girl by her arm to steady her. "What happened?" She asked, her eyes inspecting the younger tribute. Sera could imagine her current state. Messy black hair, bloodshot, teary and scared silvery eyes that were darting around everywhere.

Pushing his lover aside, Thyme from District 11 grabbed Sera's shoulders and tried to calm her down. Sera flinched at the mere touch of another and drew back. Seeing this Thyme hunched over her. "Breathe. Seraphine, breathe." He commanded in a low and quiet voice. "In and out." Sera followed his commands as she slowly relaxed her back and breathing returned to normal.

"Did you take your medicine?" Acadia asked. Sera shook her head and turned back to look at the door-less room she had ran from. Acadia followed her gaze before glancing at her lover. The two shared a look before nodding.

Taking out his makeshift weapon, Thyme pushed the girls behind him. He waved the rusted sickle in front of him defensively as he slowly crept into the darkened room. He paused, turning back to put a finger up to his lips.

Acadia nodded as she took out a rope of metal chain from her bag and held it in her grasp. With each step she took, she let a link of the chain fall with an echoing clank. Her coffee colored braided hair swung with each step she took and her skin was glistening with sweat from her silent fear. Despite her protective role, Acadia was afraid.

With a deep breath, Thyme marched into the room. He paused immediately when he saw it. On the floor, Gene rolled around the dusty and snowy floor. The boy from five rubbed his eyes violently. Simultaneously, he took sharp breaths in and out.

"You're gonna pay for this!" He exclaimed. "...Couldn't just die quietly." He kept rambling.

"Gene?" Acadia breathed out. The chain of metal unfurled and ready to use. She paused, furrowing her brows she took in the sight of the room.

At the said of an audience, Gene immediately stopped mid-action and sat up. Taking his hands away from his eyes, he revealed a glare pointed at the meddlesome couple who had taken on the parental roles of the group. He hated them.

"I'm sorry." Sera cried out, clutching her throat.

Gene paused and glanced at her. His gaze softened and despite the angry tears that slid down his face, he didn't mean anything he was saying. He had to do what he had to do. For his brother.

He nodded and stood up, grabbing the rusted metal pipe he had been using as a weapon so far. Thyme and Acadia looked back and forth between the two from five and tried to complete the puzzle of what had happened. But they never would.

Clouds parted once more, showering the boy from five in the bright moonlight one again. His dark hair glistened in the light as he stumbled over to the makeshift window. He paused, gripping a broken piece of concrete of the building before turning around.

Gene stared straight at Sera and his lips stretched wide from ear to ear as his bloodshot eyes with scarred eyelids opened wide. "I'm not sorry." He let out a crazed laugh before throwing the rusted pipe at Thyme. "I'll never be sorry."

Taken by surprise, Thyme grabbed Acadia and moved out of the way while Sera ducked. The pipe bounced off the floor and hit the wall with a loud bang. Sera could only hope the other surviving tribute didn't hear the noise. But that should've been the least of her concerns.

When she looked up, Gene had climbed over the broken piece of concrete wall and was looking down. He had taken advantage of the sudden mayhem to do so. One more glance back at Sera he laughed again as he ruffled his black hair.

"Eugene, get down from there!" Thyme ran towards the younger boy and attempted to grab him but Gene pulled away from him.

"Eugene..." Acadia called out carefully. Her arms were spread out while the metal chain in her hands was over her shoulder. "It's fine. Just come down."

Gene shook his head. "I'll never apologize for what I did." He said once again, ignoring the two as he faced Sera.

Blood dripped down from the scratches on his face mixed in with the tears. Before Sera could react, Gene let go. Time seemed to stop around them as she watched him let go and push himself off the ledge. She went numb, watching her district partner fall backwards down the tall building.

Gasp.

Sera woke up clutching her throat as she breathed in and out, trying to steady her breathing. Her short hair was wet and stuck to the back of her neck with strands sticking to her forehead. Bright rays of light attacked her eyes causing her to shrink back into the soft plush bed. Outside, it wasn't snowing nor was it night. Instead, the sky was a clear light azure mixed with a sunshine yellow. The sun was up, not a cloud in sight. It was morning, not night.

It dawned on her then what had really happened. She had survived. She kept her promise to her siblings. But Gene didn't. The young victor let out a quiet shaky breath as she let go of her unmarred throat and threw off the covers. It was inevitable. This was part of the games and not everyone could come back. She tried to tell herself that as she dragged herself out of the bed.

Now she had to fill the time that she stole from the others. Closing her eyes, she let out an audible breath. It felt so real, seeing her former allies again. Gene. He didn't deserve that. No one did.

After a moment of silence, she got up and marched to the showers and quickly washed off the sweat, slathering on some orchid scented liquid soap that felt like silk on her skin. When she was done, she immediately turned off the water and watched as the remaining water dripped down to the cream and gray marbled floor.

Sera leaned back, her head hitting the back of the glass wall of shower as she stared down at her hands. They were stained in red. Thick viscous, crimson liquid dripped stained her hand. The heavy iron scented liquid dripped down on the floor of the shower before the entire floor became coated in the liquid.

Blood.

Her stomach churned in disgust and she quickly turned the lever for the shower back on. Icy cold water rained down on her as she vigorously scrubbed away at her skin. It wouldn't disappear no matter how hard she scrubbed. In frustration, she slammed her fist at the controls of the temperature.

Only then did she notice that her hands were clean. She paused. Bringing her hands in front of eyes, she waved the beet red hands in front of her eyes.

The blood was gone.

Sera let out a tired breath and covered her eyes as her teeth chattered, suddenly reminding her of the icy cold water that she was washing herself with. Immediately, she increased the temperature, choosing to stay just as long as it took to warm herself up before turning the water off completely and getting out. This was the second time that something like this had happened to her. Unlike the first time, she did not feel the need to cry anymore.

At the tender age of fifteen, the young girl from five was running out of tears. She chuckled sarcastically as she picked up a soft towel and cleaned herself. She dried her hair and quickly finished getting ready before checking herself in the mirror above the sink.

A circular mirror hung above the sink. It's frame was gold with lines of gold reaching outwards like metal golden sun. The golden sunburst mirror emitted light from behind, mimicking a real sun. She wouldn't lie and say she wasn't fascinated by the design of the mirror. It was quite beautiful and perfectly suited the luxurious nature of the Capitol while still representing what District 5 was known for; power.

Looking at her face, she looked miles better than what she imagined herself to look like when she awoke before dawn. The dark circles underneath her eyes did not bother her, they never did yet she knew Rietta would easily cover them up with that strange cream she had first introduced to Sera on the day of her first interview.

Eos and Rietta could handle her face.

The redness in her hands had all but disappeared thanks to the cold water. Sera's short hair was dry and she now longer looked as sickly as she did before the games. There was a natural glow to her face that made her seem more alive despite her inner thoughts and feelings. Whether it was the food or the Capitol soap, Sera didn't know. She didn't care. As long as she maintained this somewhat healthy glow in front of her family, she would be happy.

Nodding once at the mirror, Sera slapped her cheeks to add some color in before walking out of the bathroom. She closed the door with a quiet click. It was still fairly early in the morning, Sera knew that by now breakfast had not been served yet. She could use that time to finish packing her meager belongings. There wasn't much.

She had just one cotton dress that was pale yellow with puffed up sleeves made of white scratchy mesh and some plain brown boots that looked like dirt compared to the shoes and dresses she had worn in her time in the Capitol. Still she cherished those more.

The dress along with the shoes were already neatly packed away in a small leather bag. No doubt, a work of Eos. Sera placed the bag on the floor next to the door before she glanced around the room once more. This was it. Her last day here. There won't be a next time in this room. After all, the next time she will be on this floor will be as a mentor. She was not looking forward to that.

Sera flinched as she remembered that fact, she was not ready for that responsibility and prayed that she would not have that duty for at least another year or so.

She pushed those thoughts away before picking up the bag once more. It was light and easy to carry for the young victor who easily carried it to the dining room. The halls were brightly lit with a warm yellowish glow coming from above, mimicking sunlight as the orchids Emilia had placed around the halls were swapped with artificial but realistic flowers, indicating it was time for her to go.

"Good Morning, young victor!" Emilia greeted Sera with a wave as she sauntered over to Sera and engulfed to a hug. Sera felt suffocated as she tried to pull back from the grips of the District 5 escort. Emilia thought otherwise as she tightened her grip on Sera, wrapping her arms around her like a snake. "I'm so excited for today." She carried on.

Finally she let go and Sera could breathe. She swallowed the air into her lungs and let out a tired breath as she mustered up a convincing smile. "Morning, Emilia." Sera greeted back. "Huxley." She nodded her head at her mentor who nodded back. He gave her a tired smile and a look of pity. It seemed he too was once a victim of Emilia's hugs.

"Sit down. Sit down, both of you." The escort gestured wildly to the seats at the table. "Leave your bags over there." She pointed at an empty spot near the double doors that led to the halls, right next to the water fountain.

Huxley quietly followed her instructions and along the way, he grabbed Sera's bag. She loosened her grip and passed the bag to her mentor who trudged along the marble floor before dropping the bags on the floor.

"Now breakfast," With a flourish of her hands, food started being served. "Sit down." Emilia beckoned them once more as avoxes brought forward plates and plates of food stacked on small polished wood and metal carts.

The avoxes quickly placed the plates of food on the table while keeping their eyes down. These ones were different from the ones that had been serving them in the past few days, Sera and Huxley noticed that but made no move to comment on it. When they were done, the avoxes mechanically stepped back and blended in with the pillars nearby, standing so still one could mistake them for statues.

Huxley made no acknowledgement of Emilia who had started chattering on about the itinerary whilst trying to get the mentor to interact with her. Instead, he grabbed a couple of fruits from a large ceramic that was decorated with swirls of gold paint and some flat cakes before placing two fried eggs onto his plates.

If he was to be tortured this early in the morning by the escort then he would rather do it on a full stomach. A part of him acknowledged that what Emilia was saying was important but after going through these motions for once, he already had them memorized. He knew what to expect and it was an uneventful day unlike what Emilia was telling Sera but the mentor knew better not to interrupt Emilia.

A simple eye contact was all it took for the two old friends to silently appreciate the older woman who was doing her best to keep a light mood. Sera couldn't help but play along.

She nodded along, piling on her plate with some fried eggs, three flat cakes, some strawberries that Sera knew were not in season anymore and what looked like pieces of charred roast beef cut into small discs. Topping her flat cakes with some honey, she grabbed the bowl of red sauce and placed a spoonful of it on the side before starting her breakfast.

Sera made a note of everything the escort was saying while taking bites of her meal. Emilia chattered on even more while eating, going on to describe Sera's final departure from the Capitol before the victory tour.

A few months from now the tour would start and in her words; the gap in time was to allow the victor to rest and appreciate their own district before going around Panem. Sera didn't exactly understand that nevertheless, she made sure to remember it.

"—And remember, keep a smile on your face as long as the train does not leave the platform, even then, keep a smile on or at least don't glare at the cameras." Emilia finished while giving a pointed look at Huxley who averted his eyes in response, his mouth full with his meal. "Otherwise, you will be fine."

"Will you be coming with us?" Sera questioned as she nursed the warm camomile tea between her hands.

"Unfortunately. No." The escort reached out towards the victor to give her wrist a small but comforting squeeze. "But you will be seeing me the week before the tour starts along with the stylist team, so it will be me along with Eos and her team. Rumor has it, Ovid may be excluded from said team but you didn't hear this from me. I don't like to gossip."

"So you say while gossiping." Sera quipped. Emilia let out a little gasp and put a hand over her heart in faux offense. The older woman then placed her other hand over her head, rubbing it gently before breaking out into a smile. "Are you done?"

Emilia nodded, placing down her utensils and making a gesture. The plate along with the empty mug of coffee vanished as the avoxes worked hard to clear the table. She picked up the napkin and patted her mouth clean before standing up. "Now, we only have few hours left before you set off to District 5 and we must prepare you for it."

"Prepare me for what?"

"The cameras, darling." Emilia squealed as she clasped her hands together. Huxley let out a deep and audible sigh as he shot Sera a sympathetic look. "Even on your departure, you need to look your best. Eos and her team will be here soon."

"I'll be in my room."

Huxley got up and left while Sera watched helplessly. She met Emilia's excited gaze as she forced a polite smile on her face, waiting for her next instructions.

Eos stood in the center of Sera's room, her eyes trained on her second in charge, Ovid. The man with long azure hair whose hair was in an elaborate braid with strings of silver braided in between. He had a stylus in his hand and a tablet in the other.

He avoided Eos' gaze and acted as if he was deep in thought while sketching away ideas for the tour which would take place in the next few months. Eos was not pleased with the man.

It was tense in the room, so tense that even the ever-joyful Emilia had to take a step back and ultimately, leave the room once or twice to escape the current atmosphere. Sera's eyes drifted from Rietta, who seemed to be applying some clear ointment on her face, to the head stylist Eos.

The head stylist had her hands on her hips and stood so still she almost looked like a statue with her tall and imposing figure dressed in a plain draped silvery coat and flowy grey trousers.

Harp glanced at Eos and ducked her head when Ovid looked at her. The bird-like woman was afraid of Ovid and it was clear that she missed his absences with her clumsy steps and clammy hands as she accidentally grabbed Sera's scalp tight instead of her hair.

"Harp!" Ovid snapped at the hair stylist.

Harp flinched at his loud booming voice and she ducked. She quickly muttered a quick apology to Sera whose eyes narrowed at Ovid. "How many mistakes will you make before you get it right?" He barked. The man stomped towards the frail and tawny woman, grabbing her by her arms and pulling her away. "That's enough for you. You can go get the serums and sprays, I'll handle her hair."

"Ovid." Eos snapped her fingers at the azure-haired man. Ovid lazily turned his towards Eos and nodded in acknowledgement. "Behave yourself, it is my job to discipline them not yours and you have no right to snap at Harp like that."

Teary eyed Harp let out a few hiccups, breathing heavily like she was going to cry. Rietta stopped and placed the bowl of ointment on the dresser before moving to comfort her friend. The lavender haired woman glanced at Ovid through narrowed eyes and she stroked the tawny woman's hair comfortingly. Harp sniffed quietly while Sera's eyes darted around the room.

Ovid scoffed before laughing. "I have no right? I? I'm your second-in-charge." He pointed. "I have every right to speak up and bring up mistakes that someone like her makes." He finished with a subtle glare at Harp who had ducked out of the way.

"Someone like her? And what do you mean by that exactly?"

"You know what I mean."

Eos' face tightened as she gritted her teeth in silent anger. "I won't have that kind of discrimination in my team." She quietly strutted towards Ovid and stood in front of him with her arms crossed.

The two towered over Sera whose eyes darted between the two. She was tired. The lack of sleep was getting to her. It did not help that the conflict between the stylists had come to its limit.

"Where have you been for the past couple of days?" Eos balled up her fists in a silent fury and circled the man. She breathed heavily without taking her eyes off him.

"I was busy."

"Doing what exactly?"

"I can't tell you."

"You can't tell me?"

"I can't and I was at victor's interview prep."

"Congratulations you did one thing right." Eos clapped loudly.

It echoed in Sera's room as the avoxes nearby flinched visibly. She could imagine that the little spat was dredging up bad memories for them.

"But you failed to attend the call for the impromptu President's dinner prep or the other schedules we had. If anyone has been slacking, it's you and not Harp so quit acting like a child blinded by their childish prejudices and get to work—or you can leave."

Ovid clenched his jaws and his eyes flared up. "Is that so..."

Sera had enough of the two. With one hand on the white sheet that covered her and the other on her lap, she pushed herself off. The young victor shut her eyes for a second before opening them to reveal her silvery orbs that gleamed with faux innocence.

"Eos." She gently called out. The head stylist breathed out roughly but her breathing calmed at Sera's call as she turned to face the young victor. "I'm going to be behind schedule." She pointed out. "Ovid? Can you and Eos put aside your differences until this and the victory tour is over, please." Her eyes coasted towards the two woman huddled together in a pile of lavender and yellow.

Ovid looked down and shut his eyes in agreement. Eos simply nodded, strutting over to Sera and pushing her down. There was a light smile on Eos. It was different from the ones she wore before but Sera didn't question it neither did Emilia who had just walked back into the room.

Eos looked serene while she calmly delegated tasks to the rest of the team and the team followed obediently as if the conflict before had not taken place.

Curious, Sera snuck a glance at Ovid, seeing as he seemed to have stayed out of her sight after her request. He was busy scribbling on the tablet with shaky hands. His grip on the stylus was tight and his gaze trained on the tablet but his eyes seemed to tremble at every move Eos made.

He was still angry. No, he was furious. Sera assumed that whatever had happened between the two was more than him dodging his duties. It was personal an she didn't dare ask, after all, there was nothing to gain from prying into the lives of her stylists. She was done with the games and there was need to play mind games.

At least that's what she wanted to believe.

Time ticked by and before Sera knew it, it was just before afternoon. Sky shifted in colors, now it was enveloped in grayish-blue clouds, warning onlookers of heavy rain and wind. She stared at the ever-familiar sky, knowing it was the only thing that was constantly different yet the same every single time.

Sera slipped on her old brown boots underneath the chiffon skirt that Eos had forced her into. A small compromise on her part, she agreed to wear the sunshine yellow skirt and the beige georgette shirt as long she was allowed to wear her old boots. Eos had reluctantly agreed much to Ovid's dismay.

He was clear about it too, glaring at her shoes as he left. She didn't care then. She checked herself in the mirror, it was a habit she formed since she came to the Capitol to check her appearance before leaving.

In the past, she rarely left her home. When she did, she went to school or she would wander around the forest surrounding District 5. Sometimes she would go down to lake Leuce and stay there for hours on end.

Lake Leuce, the vast body of water situated on the borders of District 4 and 5 and it was surrounded by mountains and trees of all kinds. It was also the only place that did not have electric fences as no one was insane enough to swim through the lake.

She often thought that for District 4 citizens it would be easy to swim across, they rarely almost never passed by the lake. She understood why.

Why would anyone settle for a lake when they had the ocean?

Though the ocean too had some sort of fence too, she was sure of it.

"You're forcing yourself too much." Huxley greeted her with a weak smile as the two walked through the halls together. Sera grinned at her mentor before reverting to the ever-present soft smile she would have on her face.

He was worried again. Though he didn't voice his concerns, one look at her childhood friend and mentor told her so. His eyes blurry, fists clenched with nails digging into his skin. It was all the signs pointing to his anxious nature. Yet from his face, no one could tell.

Huxley looked as if he was made from stone and even dressed the part in all the varying shades of black as if he was an obsidian statue. It was no secret to the young victor that her mentor was handsome.

Had it not been for his stoic personality and unappealing manner of speaking, he would've been much more popular. She remembered it clearly when he had first won, he was popular and very-much well loved.

The hollow love and affection, he received from the Capitolites were so excessive that her own sister had become possessive over him, often cursing at the television whenever there was excessive praise of him.

That all changed with his first victor's interview. It was so bland that Emilia joked that she had fallen asleep mid-way. She later apologized but Huxley didn't care.

He was more concerned about the wrath of Talissa than what people thought of him and it made Sera chuckle because she knew how terrifying her sister could be when she was angered. She knew it too well.

Huxley patted Sera's back once before drawing his hand back, looking ahead as he continued to walk. "Did you remember to take your tablets?" He asked, taking a short pause between his question, distracted by a specter.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see something moving. His guard immediately went up as he balled up his fists. He relaxed when he saw it was just an avox. He carried on as if nothing had happened, repeating his question.

Sera answered his question and pushed open the doors leading to the living room. There was no one there. Not even Emilia who used to hover around the tall windows, staring wistfully at the city skylights or any avoxes. They scanned the room for any other life before Huxley settled into his usual seat in front of the fireplace. He ushered Sera to sit down as he placed his luggage next to him on the floor.

"We still have some time?" Sera wondered out loud as she slid into her seat, crossing her legs and gently putting her own luggage down.

"Unfortunately." Huxley breathed out tiredly. "Did you manage to sleep last night?"

Sera looked away, embarrassed. She nervously laughed, pulling at her sleeves to avoid the question. "I wonder if Talissa is going to take the day off for us." She tried to change the subject and shift focus onto her sister. One of Huxley's weaknesses. "What do you think?" She asked with a sly grin on her face.

He tilted his face and narrowed his eyes at her before shaking his head in disbelief. This behavior was normal to him but he still hated it whenever Sera acted like this. "Lissy always takes a day off on this day." Huxley reminded her. "And don't avoid my question."

"Well, you already know the answer. I don't know why you even bothered to ask."

"Because I was worried about you." Huxley replied. His voice was softer than it had been before, taking a tone he used on only on his younger sister, Sera and her cousin Nox. Hearing the familiar tone in his voice, Sera calmed down and her eyes softened. "I'm asking because I need to know if you're okay."

"I'm not." Sera admitted. "I had a dream," She uncrossed her legs and sat straight onto the sofa. "I was back in the arena. It was night...I was half asleep. Someone was calling me. It was Ge—Eugene. At first I was relieved, then I was scared. He became hysterical and tried to strangle me. If. If Acadia and Thyme were not there and the pollen was not enough I—"

Sera stopped herself when she felt her eyes tear up. She wouldn't cry. Not again. She promised herself that she would not cry anymore. She wasted enough time crying.

"Look you made it through." Huxley calmly stated, leaning forward in his seat. "Sera—"

"I know. It's over. It's done but I can't help but think why? Why did he suddenly snap when he was fine during the day."

"That's how it always is. This is what the games are about; you either kill or be killed."

His words echoed in Sera's mind as she shut her eyes, trying to prevent herself from breaking down again. She knew he was right. By now she should have been accustomed to the brutality of the games but still she hoped, no, she wished things were different. In another life, Gene and her would have been allowed to live on as normal children whose worst worries were school and a future job but instead they were forced to fight in a twisted game of life and death.

Gene's final plea echoed in her ears. "He wanted to go back home to his younger brother." Sera said absentmindedly.

"Well what's done is done. You can't tell me you regret what you did, not when you watched and picked apart all sixty seven of the past games, well, at least the ones that were available for viewing anyway." Huxley pulled his sleeve and glanced at the watch on his wrist before switching his attention back to Sera. They still had time. "Even Eugene didn't know about that."

Sera shook her head. Eugene had his own strategies and Sera had hers. She was fortunate enough to get some extra help from her childhood friend and a victor himself who just happened to be her mentor. While Eugene was stuck with Leora who had her own problems to solve. "You're saying it like I deliberately hid what I was doing from him and it's not new for a tribute to re-watch past games."

"Not in the way you did it. You took notes, watched each and every one of the tributes, took their skills into account, their mannerisms, how they died, the victors, the mutts that came out that year and even the arenas, to the point you even predicted what the arena for this game would be." Huxley stopped and leaned in, dropping his voice a few volumes. "Admit it, you wanted to live more than anyone in that goddamn arena and don't you forget that or let anyone convince you that you didn't deserve to win. You deserved to win, to survive and go back home to your family."

Guilt of depriving Gene's brother of his only family also weighed heavy on her mind and nothing would ever erase that. All she could do was live. Huxley's words pierced her deeply and she couldn't argue against it. He was right. She worked hard for her win.

Countless nights she spent analyzing, inspecting and dissecting each and every one of the games to the point that she could almost recite a summary of each of the games from just her memory. She did put a lot of effort into surviving. Huxley was right.

Sera finally looked at her mentor and smiled, signalling to him that she would be fine or at least try to. He gently patted her head. Despite his comforting gesture and the soft alien expression he wore at that moment, he was anxious.

There was a growing ball of anxiety deep in the pits of his stomach every time he thought of Sera. It wasn't because of the girl itself, she was amazing and lovable as always. No. It wasn't because of her. It was because of the president's sudden interest in her.

From Huxley's short experience, the President rarely took interest with any victor these days. The last time he Snow took a personal interest in a victor was Finnick Odair, the boy from District 4 who won a year earlier than Huxley despite being younger than him and he was ruthless.

It wasn't long before Finnick was summoned by the president, Huxley had heard stories of it from Emilia who was very adamant about him staying under the radar. Everyone knew Finnick Odair had lost his entire family in a tragic fishing accident, almost a year and half after he won his games.

The official Capitol news claimed it was an accident but everyone suspected foul play and by the end of Huxley's games, Finnick had changed. He became more and more different from the brief impression he had of the victor as kind but mischievous who like all others that came before him did what he had to. Then he changed into the Capitol charmer that they were calling him these days.

Though Finnick wasn't the first victor to catch the eyes of the president. He had heard of Gloss and Cashmere, the sibling victors whose beauty did not match their prickly personality. Despite being victors from a district so loyal to the Capitol, they too were not spared.

He had seen them once at a charity gala last winter and though they looked radiant, they seemed to lose their shine as the night went on. He didn't know the extent of that job; those three and many others may have been forced upon. He didn't want to know. Emilia had told him never to pry with her usual bright smile but her eyes were sad and pained. He did just that. He never pried since then.

It did motivate Huxley to do whatever he could to protect Sera. He wouldn't lie and say there wasn't a selfish thought behind his actions. Of course there was. Although he loved Sera like a younger sister, he knew if she was to do anything that Finnick did in his first year, her family too would perish in a tragic 'accident'.

Talissa would die too.

The thought of Talissa dying gripped him with a great fear that he didn't know he possessed. A greater fear than the fear of his life in the arena. He couldn't imagine a world without her and he didn't want to. She was the only one who reached out to him when he and his sister lost their parents, the only one who stood by his side through all ups and downs of life. The only one who always came back for him. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't lose her.

A bitter smile made his way onto his face when he thought back to his game. Porter did the bare minimum. Though she did more than him as a mentor, her kindness and care were also hollow.

It was Emilia, a Capitolite and the escort of District 5 who warned him of all the dangers to come post-victory. In the beginning, he entertained the idea of asking Porter about the 'job' and what happens to those victors like Gloss, Cashmere and Finnick but he decided against it. Porter definitely knew more than she let on, that much he knew.

Emilia had also once 'accidentally' called the old victor a coward. She apologized later. Huxley still vividly remembered the color draining from Porter's face as her hands started shaking violently before she asked a few avoxes to escort her away.

Concerned, Sera glanced at her childhood friend. He had no choice but to smile reassuringly and put away the book he picked up. One day, he'd have to tell her everything he knew. He vowed that he would never be like Porter.

Besides Sera knowing would also relieve some of the burden he had. She was more crafty than him and should something happen, she would be prepared not only for herself but for him too.

"You know I miss Miel." Sera began, looking away and leaning back. Huxley nodded. "I can't wait to go back home and beat him in chess again. He beat me last time but I promised him that I'd come back and settle my score. Right now I have about a hundred and twenty three wins and he just beat me by that one game. I'll get my record back. I mean I don't just miss the game of chess." She continued, trying to make small talk and break Huxley out of his dark thoughts. "I miss his cooking too, I miss that. I also miss Nox..."

Her eyes trembled, her smile faded and she drifted off into her thoughts. Would her younger cousin still see her the same? She wondered. No, probably not. Would he think of her as a coward for not being as brave as the others or would he think that his cousin died in the games and refuse to accept her again? She didn't want to know. She clasped her hands together and stared down at them.

There was a growing ball of anxiety in her stomach that felt as if she had eaten still-live venomous insects and they were now tearing her apart, inside out, hollowing her out. That tortuous feeling almost made her scared to go back home. Not only would she face her family again who would clearly know the truth of what she had done, maybe not Nox but Talissa and Ramiel would know. Even if her aunt pretended not to know, Sera would know.

Huxley picked up his discarded book again, knowing Sera was lost in her thoughts again. She always used to speak in that manner. She would start talking about one thing before she lost her focus and her mind drifted off elsewhere but she would always come back to finish what she was saying with a soft smile on her face. Huxley knew her well, that's why he didn't think too much of it and took his attention off her.

A boyish laughter echoed in her ears all of a sudden. Her eyes darted around the room to see the source but to find nothing. She swallowed and sat up straight.

"I have a brother. He's around your age—"

That shy but friendly voice echoed in her head. The boyish laughter turned into a strangled cry before a sob was heard in the background.

"You know I have a little brother. I'm the only one he has—"

Cold frost-bitten hands wrapped around her neck from behind as the air in her lungs started to escape. Remember. A silent voice echoed in her head. Gene's voice stuck in her head like those old broken records from ancient times, from before the war. Then it faded, she breathed out in relief once. Her relief didn't last long.

The icy grip moved from her throat to her shoulders and it felt as if someone was behind her, whispering something in her ear. She shut her eyes and tried to drown out the voice harshly whispering against her ears. It felt like she was going mad.

She heard Gene's voice clearly in between the harsh whispers. "You know what you did."

No.

Sera didn't want to hear it. She knew all too well what she did. Her hands unclasped. The whisperings grew louder. No. She kept her eyes shut and counted backwards while trying to focus on herself. Only it didn't work. Gene's words kept echoing in her mind.

Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

In desperation, she dug her nails into her palms. Short bursts of pain disrupted the noise before it began again. She pressed harder onto the flesh under her skin, not caring if she drew blood but the voices only grew louder. Her eyes opened wildly, she found the pale image of a dead boy standing over her. He was dressed in the same black uniform with the familiar shade of ripe eggplant brown patch on the side of his shirt's arm that had a large '5' above the slightly smaller 'District'.

Gaunt face, hollow and misty black eyes and dark hair caked in blood from the fall. What scared her the most was the way his neck hung. It was bent at an angle with a bone sticking out through his shirt.

Her breathing grew shallow as the icy cold grip on her shoulders tightened. She made eye contact with him. Clear silvery eyes looked up at him with tears sliding down her face as he grinned ear to ear. He opened his mouth but this time no voice came out.

His figure glitched. He faded in and out of existence. Then the vice-like grip on her shoulders tightened even more as she felt someone shake her. No. She wanted to be left alone. Afraid. She shut her eyes again and opened them once more but the ghostly apparition didn't leave her once. He flickered again.

For a moment, his pale skin had darkened and she could swear that she saw Huxley.

"—era. Seraphine!" Huxley shook her harder as a few tear drops rolled down her soft cheeks. "Seraphine!" He called out to her again, attempting to pull her back from the nightmarish reverie that she had trapped herself in. "Come on! Sera!"

Gasp.

Sera jolted awake. Her eyes fluttered rapidly like she had just seen the light after a long time in the darkness. She noticed the distraught face of her mentor leaning over her. His hands were gripped tightly on her delicate shoulders. They slackened when she awoke and he took a step back. Confused and terrified of the phantom, her eyes darted around the room wildly. They inspected each corner of the room, looking for the smallest sign of anything amiss.

"Take it easy. It's just you and me." Huxley gently tried to coax her to calm down.

He motioned for her to take deep breaths according to his gestures. It took her a moment before she started following his instructions. Breathing in and out, she could finally breathe freely. The air returned to her lungs as did the warmth. She kept her eyes on her mentor whose dark eyes were trained down on the floor. Was he disappointed? She didn't know.

"I—uh—sa—"

"I know." Her mentor smiled sadly before patting her head. He picked up the opened book that he had laid page-side down on the table to keep track of his progress. He closed the book with a quiet thud and placed it back into his bag.

Huxley turned back to Sera to say something but the two victors froze when they heard a quiet click. Someone was coming. Sera shut her eyes for a second and opened them once more as her mask slipped back on just as the double doors leading to the halls opened wide.

Loud hurried clicks echoed against the marble floor. Emilia strode in wearing a lime green and dusty rose jumpsuit with huge puffy textured sleeves. Her pastel coral wig was up in an elaborate bun. She wore a small hat that barely covered all of her head and a small rose colored lace net attached to the hat covered her right eye.

A plastic smile on her lime lips while her eyes were red as if she had been crying or maybe it was her makeup, Sera couldn't tell. Her eyes were also hardened but they softened, the moment they landed on Huxley and Sera. She beamed brightly. Huxley and her shared eye contact before she nodded at the duo, it was time to depart. He got up first and held out a hand for the young victor who gracefully took it.

The trio waited for a small moment before Emilia took the lead and escorted them all outside where the car was waiting for them. Sound of her heels clicking, silent shuffling avoxes passing by and the quiet sound of music was all that she remembered hearing that day.

She remembered the vivid afternoon sky that was painted in colors of blues, reds, oranges, yellows and purples against a clear white sky but there were some black clouds on the horizon, indicating that the perfect weather was not to last long.