𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬

𝟎𝟐. 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧

— 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐬 —

━━━━━━ ☽【❖】☾ ━━━━━━

Taking a life was much easier than I thought it would be. A single knife had ignited the chain reaction of death to come. One cut deep enough to stain the snow. It was mesmerizing to watch the white powder melt and then freeze an entirely different color. But I wasn't smiling... not like Rena was.

They never tell you how much it stains when it comes into contact with your skin. That no matter how hard you scrub the callouses from years of training, the blood remains ingrained. Now part of you for all time. They never tell you how much the arteries spray. They never tell you that death doesn't always come before your body betrays you and has nothing left to offer as you drown in your own blood. They taught you how to remain stone faced, they didn't teach you how to deal with the dirt that now marred your conscience.

Lux and Halo were breathing heavily as they joined us. The canon echoed for the fourth time. Whatever stragglers remained from the bloodbath of the cornucopia wouldn't stay awake much longer. Either the blood loss would take them or the hypothermia claiming each of our lives.

"We should find shelter," I noted, keeping my eyes toward the horizon... or wherever I assumed the horizon might be. The snow flurrying around us continued to act as a blinding factor.

"And what about the Queen?" Rena asked, spitting toward the ground as she did. Only once I furrowed my brow, showing no recognition to her statement, did she consider explaining what she'd meant. "You said we'd get rid of district nine first. And you missed."

"I didn't miss," I contradicted. I'd felt the resistance of the blade cutting against skin. "It just wasn't a death-dealt blow."

"Besides," Lux whistled, a sound that was immediately covered by the wind. "I doubt we'll find anyone else tonight. We've each gotten a kill, we'll regroup with the other two and make camp."

Halo agreed with a nod of her head then laughed as she nudged Rena to loosen up. "Enjoy the moment. We have time. Take a cue from your partner, it takes more than just killer instinct to win. You need showmanship."

"He's as much my partner as Lux is yours," Rena didn't hesitate to contradict the assumption.

"Right," Halo quietly agreed as if not convinced. "But you still made the choice to be here."

"That was before we were dropped off in an arctic wasteland," she snapped and hissed. "I'm freezing."

"Then shut up and move," I finally voiced my annoyance with her complaints. "If you walked faster than you talk, you'd be warm by now."

Halo snickered as she turned to catch up with Lux who had returned with Beckett and Joule. I made the mistake of turning my back—my intention to join the others. That's when I felt the tip of a dagger lightly pressed against my side.

Rena breath was hot as her lips brushed against my ear with a venomous whisper, "Watch your back."

She passed by as if the moment hadn't happened, placing that twisted, sickly-sweet smile on her lips while leaving me behind. I touched my side, pulling my fingers away to reveal the drop of blood she'd drawn—digging the dagger just deep enough to prove her point without doing harm.