"𝒩𝑜 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝒷𝓁𝒶𝓏𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇."
"𝐼'𝓂 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑒𝓉."
An ambitious girl with anger bigger than herself and even more confidence was unfortunate enough to be reaped for the 73rd hunger games. Daphne Westef...
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Everything about the mansion felt off. Each room was too big, the decoration too much. It was beautiful in a disturbing way, Daphne's skin crawling and aching with discomfort. She couldn't wait until they could leave. She didn't belong there, had never belonged anywhere but in seven. Daphne wasn't quite ready to go back there, though. She was afraid of what it had become. What if there was nothing left but ruins?
Still, it was better than staying in the Capitol. Fuck, she'd rather live in the woods than stay between the colorful houses, the loud people, and the terrible memories. Neither would she ever go back to thirteen. She was ready to leave it all behind, to start a new part of her life. A part without games, a life she could make her own.
She would never forget what had happened, what she'd been through, but she could live for tomorrow instead of yesterday. There would finally be peace in her life.
And she still had Johanna. They'd both made it, and though nothing was perfect, it felt like that was within reach. They were all rough edges and dark corners, but they had each other, and for Daphne, that was enough.
They'd spent the past few days together. Mostly, at least. Johanna wasn't ready yet to talk about what had happened on their mission, but Daphne collected bits and pieces from the others. Finnick had died, there lived Mutts in the sewers and the streets were full of traps meant to kill. That was hardly all. Beetee and Gale had worked together on smaller bombs, which they'd dropped in front of the mansion. Between children with grabby hands, just excited to receive something.
It didn't even really surprise her, and she cared less than she would have liked. Daphne was just empty. It was done, but what was left now? She wanted to live for tomorrow, but now that she could search for her own peace, she didn't know how to.
A light at the end of the tunnel was Snow's execution. She wanted to watch him die, the burning hatred deep in her bones a feeling she knew, something familiar in the new tranquility she felt. It gave her pace a purpose, kept all the horrible things inside her head at bay.
Just a few more days, she told herself. Then it would truly be over.
***
The round table was large, on either side of her people were sitting. Johanna to the left, Peeta on the right, and still, if she extended her arm either way, she wouldn't be able to touch them. Daphne didn't know what this was all about, but it was the first time all the victors were in the same room.
A silence hung in the room, not entirely surprised, but Daphne was shifting uncomfortably in her chair. Coin had declared herself the new president. For now, she'd said, but Daphne didn't believe her. She'd ruled in thirteen, she wouldn't give away power. Wasn't this all she'd dreamed of for years? Perhaps it was more than she'd ever dared to think would be possible.
It wasn't a comforting thought, but who else was going to do it? She had years of experience, and perhaps it would be temporary. Daphne had bigger problems and more important thoughts.
