𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟕𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✔️

𝕏𝕏𝕍

The Arena is still deathly quiet when I awake the next morning. I can feel the tension in the Arena building, bit by bit. Something is going on, and I'm anxious to see what it is. It could be the thing that kills me. Part of me wants them to get it over with already.

"Let's eat as much as we want," I say to Aurora as I unpack our bag. "We'll need to be well-fed today."

"You said that yesterday," she sighs. "Who knows if they're actually up to anything."

We eat in silence. There's nothing for us to say. Over the last few days, we've talked about just about everything we could think of, and now we have nothing left to discuss. The only thing we haven't talked about is the fact that one of us is going to die. And I don't think we're going to.

As I munch on some crackers from one of Nereus' sponsor gifts, a buzzing sound above me makes me pause. It's a barely noticeable sound, but compared to the deafening silence of the Arena, it's like a bullhorn.

I glance up to see a bug fluttering its wings above us. It's quite a large insect, and it buzzes around Aurora and me before landing on a nearby tree.

Behind the bug, another one floats into the vicinity, and then another. Soon a hoard of bugs is flying towards us, faster and with more intensity.

Aurora pulls me to my feet. Something is wrong. These bugs must be muttations - they are black and white, looking robotic just like all the other animals in here.

"Let's go," I tell Aurora, grabbing my spear. I don't have to wait and see what these bugs are about to know they're dangerous.

Aurora nods, grabbing a dagger from the ground. She glances up, gasping.

"Look!" she cries, pointing at the nearby tree where the first bug landed. I follow her finger to see the tree, which is being torn open by the bugs. The bugs seem to be rapidly destroying the tree, exposing metal wires beneath them.

More and more bugs pour in behind us. One lands on my arm, and I feel a searing pain as the bug begins to eat my flesh. I frantically slap my arm, squashing the bug, and the pain ceases. I sprint behind Aurora, closely chased by the swarm. It's no use - the bugs are upon us, and I force myself to keep running as they bite at me. Around me, the black and white Arena is swallowed by the swarm. A cannon shot booms as Aurora and I stumble through the forest. The only thing helping me is the fact that the Cornucopia is glowing in the dark - if we're supposed to run anywhere, it's there. Hopefully, the bugs will leave us alone once we arrive.

"Griff!" Aurora screams as the insects devour a tree ahead of us, sending it toppling to the ground. I have to throw myself to the ground, sliding under the falling trunk to avoid getting crushed. I have no time to recover, quickly scrambling to my feet and running after Aurora. We're so close to the Cornucopia now, just a little bit farther...

I stumble into the clearing of the Cornucopia, and as I come in contact with the light of the Cornucopia, the bugs immediately back away like I hoped they would. The swarm seems unable to pass past the ring of trees surrounding the Cornucopia.

We're the last to arrive - there's already someone else here. It's Phoenix - I guess Phoebe was killed by the bugs. I shudder a bit. As someone who was bitten pretty badly, I can imagine what it would feel like to be eaten alive by the muttations.

Somehow, I'm still tightly gripping my spear in my hand. I'm not going to let Phoenix lay a hand on Aurora, and I'll need my spear to get rid of him once and for all.

Phoenix looks exhausted, but he still sprints towards me as soon as we enter the Cornucopia area. Behind us, the remaining trees topple to the ground, overtaken by bugs.

Phoenix's eyes are cold as our weapons collide. He's fast, but I'm faster. I now realize how important it was that Aurora and I stayed alive as a pair. Not only did Nereus' sponsor gifts keep us well-fed, but we slept much more than the others. Phoenix looks thin and exhausted. He's still a fierce fighter, though. I can't seem to catch a break as he hits me with attack after attack.

I can't keep up. Phoenix is moving so fast, that no amount of food or sleep can help me. I watch in helpless terror as the boy reaches down with his blade, slicing my thigh before I can block the attack with my spear. The searing pain in my leg makes me stumble back. Phoenix grins at me as I try to stand on my injured leg.

I have no other option - I have to kill Phoenix now or he'll win. He'll kill me in seconds, and Aurora will be next. I don't even have any time to think before I rear back, launching my spear at Phoenix with all the energy I have left. As the spear leaves my hand, my leg gives out from under me, and I fall to the ground with a grunt.

A body crumbles to the ground next to me as a cannon shot booms. I look over to see Phoenix laying next to me, his eyes lifeless. My eyes well up with tears as I begin to sob. I've done it. After all this time, after he beheaded Axel, after he slashed my face open... I've done it. I killed Phoenix.

My heart sinks as I turn to look behind me. I know Aurora is behind me somewhere, watching me cry. We have no options left - either she dies or I do. We can't pull the same trick as Katniss or Peeta. That isn't an option anymore.

I look back to see Aurora standing behind me, her dagger in her hand. The dagger is pressed against her chest, and her face is blank. She locks eyes with me as I turn around. My heart stops.

"No," I croak, trying to stand. "Aurora, stop-"

"I love you, Griff," she says, tears spilling from her eyes. "But you have a family back home. I have nobody except you. Remember the boy you were before we came in here. Please forgive me. And forgive yourself."

I'm starting to panic. Where is my spear?! I try to stand, but my fucking leg won't work! I let out a strangled sound of rage as I struggle to move, to stop Aurora from leaving me here alone.

"Please, no! Aurora, please!" I beg. My vision gets blurry from my tears, but there's no mistaking Aurora's body as it falls to the ground in front of me.

A cannon shot booms, and I can't stop sobbing. I collapse on my back, looking up to the black-and-white dome above me, and all I want to do is die. After all the pain, after all the suffering, I failed Aurora.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, give it up for the Victor of the 76th Hunger Games... Griff Cohen!"

I have nothing left in me. I lay practically lifeless on the ground as a hovercraft slowly lands nearby. A man dressed in white appears above me, and he's the last thing I see before I go unconscious.