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ARRIVING OUTSIDE the arena, the tributes were already lined up. Each mentor stood by their tributes side, waiting to be let in the gates. They were told they were not allowed in unless every single mentor was present.
"Where's your friend?" Treech asked Vienna, noticing Coriolanus was missing.
Vienna looked around, trying to find him, before responding, "I have no clue. I haven't spoken to him in days."
Now that she thought about it, Coriolanus had been acting weird. She hadn't spoken to him since the day in the zoo, but in her defense, the only people she had spoken to were Felix, Treech, Lamina, and Mizzen. Everyone else was left in the dust, seeing as Vienna was busy being a mentor.
"Well, it just means I have more time with you, without anything constricting us." Treech replied with a smile on his face as he talked.
"You enjoy my company, don't you, Lumberjack?" Vienna smirked, satisfied that she was able to gain his trust.
"I hate to admit it, but yes. You being here makes the whole situation a little less horrible." Treech found it hard to think that in just a couple of days he would be fighting to survive. "Whenever you are around, I forget where I actually am."
"I'm glad I could be that comfort for you. I wonder what it would be like under different circumstances. Do you think you'd still like me if you knew the version my parents expect?"
"Maybe—I think I would be able to see underneath the facade. You'd be the same Vienna I know now. You'd still be my butterfly," Treech told her. He truly believed he was destined to meet Vienna.
Once Coriolanus arrived, standing next to Lucy Gray, the peacekeepers unlocked the gate, signaling their imminent entry into the arena. The metallic clang of the ticket barrier resonated, and the mentors and tributes began their march toward the unknown area.
*'Enjoy the show!'* echoed through the air, and Vienna found it to be a mocking reminder of the Capitol's perverse entertainment.
Walking shoulder to shoulder, Vienna sensed Treech's tension, the unease building with each step. In a silent gesture of comfort, she reached for his hand. Their fingers intertwined, Treech turned his head and gave her a soft smile, showing his appreciation for her.
Hand in hand, they ventured closer to the arena's entrance. Festus was quick to order one of the cameramen to show Coral while everyone observed the dull arena. Vienna, however, found the intrusion of cameras into the moment unnecessary.
The resounding slam of the gates loomed through the arena, a sharp, ominous sound that caused everyone to instinctively turn their heads. Fear and tension gripped the tributes and mentors alike, a collective unease settling over the group. The possibility of being trapped inside heightened the anxiety that had already pervaded the atmosphere.
