𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔 ⤷ the hunger games .

[ 𝒗. ] FIRST LOOK

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five.
「 FIRST LOOK 」

Behind the academy is a dirt field that probably used to have grass. Dalia's only ever known it as the mud range, the place that Atticus makes her go to when she talks back or where he sends the class if he wants them to suffer. She's learned how to navigate the uneven terrain and the slippery substances, how to take down an opponent twice her size in an area that's actively working against her in the mud range, but she doesn't remember it because of the countless hours she's spent in there.

On the train, she's sat on her bed with her knees to her chest. Her shoes are discarded by the metal door and she's gazing outside at the passing landscape as the train whizzes to the Capitol. Her head's tilted over on her right shoulder, emptiness gnawing its way through her ribcage as she waits for her mentors to come pull her when they want to talk. The reaping is probably happening in District Ten or Eleven and they probably won't want to speak until they're all done.

Her mind's been wandering for the past forty-five minutes, drifting from memory to memory until outside, she sees a muddy range in the blur and she's reminded of the mud range. Her birthday usually falls three months after the games and her seventeenth is her first year without her sister.

The day had been tough, Dalia unable to focus on anything for longer than a few seconds at a time. Atticus wasn't happy with her, grilling her in front of the class and assigning her extra training at nighttime. She'd come after dinner expecting to be alone, but Eros was waiting there for her alongside Atticus. He had told her later that night as they were walking home covered in mud that they were partners and if she was suffering from the mud range, he'd be suffering too. He then promised that he'd always be by her side through everything as if he hadn't been already doing it.

He's been by her side through everything, even before the mud range. Eros has been there through every big moment – when she learns to ride a bike, when she started her period when she dislocated her shoulder and got yelled at in front of the entire class. There's never been a punishment she's had to do alone, no trek she's had to take by herself and no sacrifice she's had to make without him there to have her back. She doesn't know when he really made a silent promise, but he's never left her side.

Her smile from the memory fades as she looks around at the bare bedroom. She's all alone.

There's a knock on the door not too soon after she casts her gaze downward and she turns her head, announcing that it's unlocked. An Avox is at the door in uniform, tongueless and wordless as he motions for her to follow him. She gets up from her place, grateful that she's changed out of the tight dress and into something a little bit more comfortable. Still in black, she's covered in something a little more casual than before which allows her to move much more freely.

The Avox leads her into another train car that's one massive living room. It reminds her of one of the rooms in Brutus's house in Victor's Village. She's only been once, but she swore that day she'd live in that luxury one day. Now, it seems like such a trivial thing to swear about, the interior designed to be sleek, cozy and modern all at once. At the end of the train car is a massive, glass dining table that's occupied by four other people.