• Athena Spring has spent her entire life carefully curating the perfect image. Perfect grades, a proud family, and the Plinth Prize nearly within her grasp, Athena has it all. However, when her plans are derailed by an unexpected twist of events, s...
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Athena's eyes flutter open, the sterile white of the infirmary blinding her for a moment. Her head throbs in protest, a dull ringing echoing in her ears. She blinks rapidly, trying to orient herself, her gaze finally focusing on the sleeping figure beside her bed. Persephone's head lolls as she sits in her chair, looking thoroughly exhausted and weary. Athena gently reaches over to shake Persephone's arm, waking her up with a slight grunt of surprise.
"Athena! Oh, thank god!" Persephone exclaims as her expression instantly brightens, her voice a mix of laughter and tears.
Athena's voice is hoarse, barely a whisper, "Persephone? What...?"
"The arena, there was a bombing," Persephone's smile fades as she speaks, her eyes darkening with the memory, "You've been out for hours".
Athena tries to sit up, wincing as pain shoots through her head. Persephone helps as much as she can, supporting her as she does so.
"My family?" she asks urgently.
Persephone shifts a little uneasily, frowning sympathetically.
"They didn't come. They've locked themselves at home, everyone's scared of the rebels," Persephone replies, her hands wringing together nervously.
"Rebels?" Athena's confusion deepens.
Persephone nods gravely, "Dr. Gaul announced it was a rebel attack on the arena, saying... saying they dropped bombs. They'd been planning it for months".
"I didn't see any aircrafts," Athena wrinkles her nose, starting to suspect something's amiss.
Persephone sighs a little, nodding slightly in agreement as she replies, "It doesn't matter anyway, the Games are still going ahead. We still have to attend the other meeting tomorrow and the presentations".
Athena wonders what Treech thinks of this-
"Treech? Is he—" her question comes out in a rush, gripped by panic. The last she remembers of him is seeing him half-buried in rubble.
"He's okay," Persephone cuts in quickly, trying to soothe her friend, "I checked on him at the zoo an hour ago, if anything he was more worried about you".
Athena perks up a little at this, unable to hide the faint blush appearing on her cheeks, "Really?"
Persephone laughs a little, joking, "Honestly, I thought he was going to fight that Peacekeeper guarding the gate, he was fuming when they refused to tell him where you were".
Relief washes over Athena as she chuckles slightly - the mental image of Treech being angry just seems so far-fetched - but it's quickly replaced by another concern, "And Mizzen?"
"He's fine too," Persephone assures her, a soft smile on her face, "He saved my life, you know. When all that rubble was falling... I tripped, but he ran back for me, practically dragged me to safety".
