𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒 | hunger games ✓

chapter 12

━━･❪ 🌸 ❫ ･━━

The first thing Daphne did in those fleeting sixty seconds before the gong sounded was take in her surroundings. This was not a typical arena setting.

The tributes were in what seemed like an old, abandoned ghost town of towering adobe buildings. The cornucopia was stationed in the middle of a giant, circular cobblestone plaza. The tributes were standing on podiums at the edges of the plaza. There were various weapons and supplies scattered across the plaza and inside the cornucopia. Daphne eyed a belt of throwing knives resting yards away from her.

The next thing she did was survey possible exits. There were alleyways everywhere, snaking between the cracked buildings. She could already tell it was like a maze. She wondered how big the arena was. Was the whole thing dominated by tight alleyways and massive beige towers?

That was all she had time to contemplate, even if it was the longest sixty seconds of her life. The sound of the gong rang out across the sky, and all hell broke loose.

The plaza suddenly exploded with action. A good amount of tributes sprinted straight for the cornucopia, snatching whatever weapons available and tearing into each other. Within seconds, the arena was filled with screams and the clang of metal on metal, metal on flesh, the cobblestones flowing with spilled blood.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Theia had told Daphne to run from the cornucopia, but her mentor had also said that she should get her hands on knives as soon as possible. Aedon had managed to snatch some blades from the cornucopia five years ago. If Daphne didn't run for that belt right now, she may lose her chance at a weapon for good.

Without giving it another thought, Daphne sprinted for the belt, the soles of her boots gripping the cobblestones and assisting her balance. She tried to tune out the sounds of battle as she ran parallel to the cornucopia, where the belt lay astray from the chaos.

Adrenaline pumped through her blood as Daphne seized the belt, then made a break for the nearest alleyway. Right as she was about to reach the safety between two buildings, something barreled into her. The impact knocked her off her feet. Her shoulder banged painfully against the cobblestone ground. The belt flew from her grasp like the breath from her lungs.

Daphne barely had time to pop back onto her feet before her attacker slammed her against the wall with enough force to rattle her teeth. Small but strong hands were wrapped around her throat in an instant, crushing her windpipe.

Daphne let out a strangled sound as the stars cleared from her vision and she took in her attacker. It was the scrawny girl from District Eight, Mellie Alta, who'd received a two during her assessment. Fire raged in her dark blue eyes and she squeezed harder, a vein bulging in her neck.

Daphne grabbed Mellie's wrists in a crushing grip, attempting to pry her fingers from her throat. Mellie didn't budge. Daphne tried to kick and thrash, but her body was beginning to grow numb. Her throat felt as if it were being crushed to pieces, and her lungs screamed for air that she couldn't intake. Panic seized her brain.

No way she was going to die, right here, right now. At the hands of Mellie, the little girl whom she'd severely underestimated. Up close, Daphne realized those deceptively thin arms of Mellie's hid rock hard muscle.

Suddenly, Mellie's hands loosened around Daphne's neck. Daphne vaguely felt liquid splash her face as she took a sharp inhale, coughing and sputtering as her windpipe reopened. Mellie's face was locked in wide-eyed surprise. Daphne realized why a second later.

The tip of an arrow protruded from Mellie's chest, blood streaking from the wound. She slumped to the ground, unmoving, and didn't get back up.

Daphne looked up, still hacking from her near strangulation, and found Caelum. He had a haunted look in his green eyes, and his mouth was set in a tight purse as he lowered a polished wooden bow. There was one less arrow in his quiver.