hope | c. snow

prologue

THE MOON FAMILY WAS THE CAPITOL'S ROYAL DOG.

Everyone in all of Panem knew that.

Even if they tried to cover it up by calling themselves the "Knights of Panem" or "Protectors of Panem," everyone knew the ugly truth.

They weren't knights or protectors.

They were merely hunting dogs, used for the hunt and nothing above that.

They were notorious for their ruthlessness, their willingness, and eagerness to kill and follow the Capitol's orders to conquer.

Many of them rose high in the ranks, and many more were considered the war heroes of Panem from the striking performance they had given during the Dark Days.

But that didn't mean that everyone knew they were merely the loyal dogs of the Capitol-a follower, not a leader. A soldier, but not an officer.

They couldn't be.

But they needed to be.

How long were they going to be the Capitol's dog, after all?

They had heard the whispers behind his back, even after they had just spoken to them.

Even if they had pretended like they respected the Moons, even if they looked like they believed that they were an honorable family, it was all a lie in the end.

There were jeers in the back about how they could sell his body without a blink of an eye if President Ravinstill ordered them to, and how "they're not one of us" because they weren't them. The Moons didn't have a family history dating back hundreds of years. They didn't have a long line of politicians or higher-ranking citizens.

No, they had only risen this high because they were the loyal dog of the Capitol, and at the right place and time, took the opportunity and gained wealth and reputation, although they were merely middle-class citizens.

Not a rebel.

Not a leader.

But they were smart, intelligent, and knew that soon, their family's reputation and wealth would fall as quickly as it rose if they continued to go down the same path.

After all, there was a reason their family saying was "Kill the dog after the hunt is over."

The dog would be dead after they had ran like their lives depended on it, hunted and chased the animals down to please their masters.

Because in the end, that was all they were, weren't they?

Just a loyal dog, not knowing its future.

Except they did.

And within a few years' time, the Moons had taken the Capitol.

President Ravinstill longed for every single word coming out of Arthur Moon's mouth, searched for his insight, his views, and everything on every single thing related to Panem.

Nobody knew why, or how, but Arthur Moon had taken control of Ravinstill, and everyone knew that the real president of Panem wasn't Ravinstill, but Moon.

How would they not, when all Ravinstill did nowadays was to keep Arthur Moon by his side and follow whatever he said?

Everyone knew at that moment that no, the Moons were no longer the Capitol's loyal dog.

Instead, they were the invisible hands behind the Capitol, the invisible minds that controlled what happened, and who had power over it.

And that was why Moon always shone on top of everything, everywhere, every single time.

That was why Moon was always in the sky, never willing to look down.

Why would they, when all they had to do was stay?