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°¤.~ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 ~.¤°
* ˚ ✦
The Capitol was suffocated in the eternal misery and darkness that was known as 'The Dark Days.' The ground was covered in snow as the weather became colder and colder by the day. The Rebellion was escalating quickly and it was only a matter of time until someone would have to surrender.
Verity shivered as she leaned against Leander, her older brother, for support. She wasn't cold, far from it as they had a fire burning, but the fear of what was happening made a cruel shiver run down her spine. Shots being fired could be heard outside, resulting in Leander tighten his grip on the riffle he held against his body.
"Ver, could you duck down for a few seconds." Leander said, making it sound like a question when in truth it wasn't. Verity hesitated, worried about what he was going to do, before listening to her brother and putting her head in between her legs.
It was silent for a few seconds before Leander shot two bullets into the Courtyard in the middle of the Capitol and could audibly hear two bodies drop to the floor. She gasped in shock, but he quickly shushed her before kissing her head and sitting down next to her.
"Ver, look at me." He whispered softly as Verity slowly looked up at him. Since the beginning of the rebellion, Leander had changed drastically. His dark brown hair that used to be styled to perfection was now messy and unruly, and his eyes that'd been filled with curiosity and joy were now filled with anger and ambition. "Listen, things are going to be different for us soon. I can't tell you the details, but I can tell you that we're never going to have to worry about money ever again." Confusion washed over Verity as she looked at her brother, she paid attention enough to know that any sort of deals he made would have to have be done with the Districts. Something that would be incredibly frowned upon.
Despite how much she wanted to question what he was doing, Verity knew her brother was a smart man who didn't make bad choices and if he thought being allies with the District's was the way to go then that's what they would do. He was almost five years older than her and had attended University, where he had been incredibly successful and popular. A true Madden through and through.
"How much longer do you think this'll last?" Verity asked softly as she began picking at the skin around her nails. It was a bad habit their parents had tried to diminish, but now that they were both dead, their father dying while serving as a soldier in one of the Districts' and their mother killing herself because of his death, there was no one to force her to stop. Leander didn't care nearly as much as they did about whatever bad habits she had and as long as she wasn't hurting herself too much he didn't have a problem with it.
Leander sighed at her question, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "Not too much longer I think, a few more weeks at most." Leander said, biting his tongue as he looked at her nervously before moving closer. He wrapped his arms around her, pushing her light brown hair away from her face. "You didn't hear this from me, but one of my friends told me that District Thirteen has made a deal with the Capitol. I don't know the specific details, but I do know this'll be great for us and the rebellion will end because of it." Leander whispered, an almost gleeful look in his eye and it scared Verity slightly. A few years ago, he would've been disgusted with the mere idea of what he was proposing, but like most people in the Capitol since the Dark Days he was changing and not in a good way.
Coriolanus Snow was a perfect example of this, or as she knew him Coryo. While he was still very much the same kind and incredibly intelligent boy she'd known since birth, every time she caught a glimpse of him struggling to find food he looked different. Not in looks, although he was getting skinner by the day, but different as in the aura around him was changing. It became slightly darker and more intense every time. However, that didn't diminish his ability to be the most charming boy in the Capitol.
"Can I buy some chocolate?" Verity asked, making Leander chuckle as his face broke out in a smile, the first real one she'd seen in a long time.
"Don't worry about that, trust me when I tell you I'll take care of it." He dismissed her with his words and Verity frowned before leaning back as she closed her eyes. If only this whole thing could be over in the blink of an eye...
Leander stared at her for a few minutes, contemplating something before looking straight ahead. The more Verity thought about it, the more she felt bad for the people in the Districts. They would be punished harshly for rebelling against the Capitol and she could only hope they wouldn't suffer too much. While most people would despise them for what they were doing and the affect it was having on their personal life, Verity knew that they were suffering as well. There was a part of her, the part that hung onto the hope of humanity and belief that no one deserved to suffer for something they didn't do, that made her reluctant to blame anyone but the people who started the Rebellion themselves.
Verity had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually she fell asleep. The next morning, everything was different to say the least. Leander was practically jumping with joy at the news of how District 13 was bombed to ash and little by little the other Districts were surrendering. A few of his friends had stopped by as they discussed business before leaving. This continued on for the next few days until an agreement was passed with the Districts and the Hunger Games were born as a result.
The Dark Days had come to an end and Verity wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing.
* ˚ ✦
That's the end of this chapter! Was it good? Bad? Meh?
This honestly kinda sucks, but it is what it is. This book will follow the movie and the book, depending on which scene I like better that's what I'll put. Plus, it'll have some Coryo pov bc Snow lands on top (of me 😏).
