The Hunger Games has been proven to test everyone's virtue, not just the young and unfortunate kids plucked from their districts and thrown into the arena. Venus Hummingstill has never cracked under pressure. Regardless of everything being stripped...
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The glimmer in Venus's eyes dimmed as the Hall rattled with the sounds of Dill's cough.
She had grown sicker due to missing the remaining vials of medicine, but, that wasn't what worried Venus. It was the fact that the young girl was alone, mere feet away from where Coral had just killed Lamina and Tanner.
"And who do we have here?" Lucky Flickerman announced, making his way over to Venus's station. "Ah! It's ill Dill. Tuberculosis on legs." He joked.
The Capitol girl's mind went into hyperdrive. Narrowing her eyes at Lucky's tasteless comment, she returned to her seat and out of Coriolanus's grasp. She had a very limited window of time to help Dill and provide her with donations. She knew the girl had to be hungry and thirsty since her illness returned worse than before.
She quickly typed on her comms screen, flipping through to find the various water donations she was given. She placed the order for the drone, selecting the submission button with no results. Venus hit the button again and again, nothing happening until she hit it with more force. The screen had frozen for a brief moment and then began to glitch out, arrows moving left and right as she struggled to understand what was happening.
"Hey!" She called out angrily. "Something's wrong with my comms! I'm trying to send her water and I can't. This isn't fair." She continued to raise her voice.
Coriolanus tried to lay a gentle hand on her forearm. "Let me send her some."
"You've done enough, thanks." Snatching her arm from his, she returned to her screen.
Smacking the side of the tech, her screen went blank only for a millisecond before the ghastly image of Dr. Gaul infiltrated the airway. Her face was plastered on every comm system and the large screen as breaking news was upon them.
"Capitol citizens," She breathed, appearing drained on the monitor. "I'm afraid I must interrupt our Games to announce a tragic loss, one that affects us all. Felix Ravinstill, son of our beloved president, has, this morning, succumbed to his injuries sustained in the rebel bombing."
Venus sank in her seat with grief heavy in her heart. Obviously everyone knew Felix, he was Capitol—as Capitol as you can be since he was the presidents son. They had all grown up with him, just like Arachne, and while he was the more likable of the two, it made her grief hit harder. Venus was so sure that he would pull through just like she and Coriolanus had done.
"Out there in the Districts, they will be celebrating this young boy's death as a triumph." Gaul's nostrils flared in fury. "I will not allow my Games to give our enemy such a victory. I swear to you, here and now, before the sun goes down tonight, a rainbow of destruction will engulf our Arena. Even if it means there's to be no Victor in these Games."
The audience clamored. Coryo's head snapped in Venus's direction. No Victor? What would that mean for her if the entire promise of her life remaining intact was dependent on producing one? She refused to look at him, feeling his gaze burning into the side of her face.
