𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘, 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑, 𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐘 || 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈

"And so is Pup Harrington. Thank you, Pup." Lucky continued as he watched Pup walk away clearly disappointed.

The tension in Heavensbee Hall heightened as they watched Lucy Gray seek refuge inside one of the ducts, shutting it tight against Coral's probing fingers.

"Now, I wish we had a camera inside of the duct, but we don't. But we will next year." Lucky acknowledged the limitation of not having a camera inside the duct for the audience to see through.

Seraphina's gaze shifted to Coriolanus, who wore a subtle smile at Lucy Gray's successful evasion. Seraphina's thoughts swirled with a mix of frustration and disdain.

The unpredictable dynamics of the Games frustrated her, especially when it involved Lucy Gray, whom she despised.

The unspoken acknowledgment between her and Coriolanus lingered, both aware that Lucy Gray's survival was an unwelcome complication in their shared narrative.

Despite her personal feelings toward Lucy Gray, Seraphina couldn't shake the growing tension and attraction she sensed between Coriolanus and the elusive tribute.

She hated it.

As the scene unfolded before them, Seraphina's emerald eyes fixated on Coral, who started a heated argument with her Pack over the remaining water Lucy Gray left behind.

The tension escalated as Coral clashed with Tanner, and frustration grew evident on Tanner's face at Coral's questionable leadership.

Tanner, towering over Coral in a moment of disagreement, caught Seraphina's attention.

She observed closely as Coral, rather than backing down, giggled before abruptly driving her trident into Tanner's stomach.

The act shocked the room, and even Seraphina couldn't suppress a gasp at the unexpected betrayal.

The remaining members of Coral's Pack, now under Coral's merciless command, set their sights on the little girl, Wovey, and chased her into the underground tunnels.

The water bottle Lucy Gray left remained untouched, and Seraphina noted Coriolanus's visible frustration, almost as if he needed them to secure that resource for some undisclosed reason.

"Seven tributes remain. Merciless Mizzen, Cunning Coral, Treacherous Treech, Dill, Reaper, of course... and the lone wolves, little Wovey, and Lucy Gray," Lucky Flickerman recapped, concluding the events of day two in the Games.

Seraphina couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that the coming days would only intensify the competition, and she wondered how the intricate web of alliances and betrayals would continue to shape the unfolding narrative.

The night enveloped the city as Seraphina, shrouded in a cloak that concealed her identity, once her car arrived, she immediately directed Leo to the hospital.

Her steps were silent, and the hood shielded her face from any prying eyes. The hospital, dimly lit and relatively quiet, became her clandestine playground.

As she glided through the shadows, Seraphina's thoughts echoed her father's voice.

He had drilled into her the importance of securing her path. He wanted her to marry Festus Creed, however, she desired to become Coriolanus's First Lady.

Abraxas reminded her that Felix had a chance to survive and if she really desired to be First Lady, that she should marry him instead.

Seraphina has no desire for Felix Ravinstill. Just as she has no desire to be President herself. She could if she wanted to, however, she found it too taxing of a job to have.

Felix Ravinstill, lying still and battered in the hospital bed after the rebel bombing, posed an obstacle to her ambitions.

If he survived and pursued the presidency, President Ravinstill would undoubtedly manipulate the odds in his son's favor.

Seraphina couldn't allow that.

At Felix's bedside, Seraphina contemplated her plan.

She gently retrieved her rainbow snake mutt from its place around her neck, she turned its head towards her and tilted her head.

"Remember, no biting. We don't want to get caught, now do we?" She was reminding the rainbow snake mutt not to bite.

Seraphina contemplated on letting it bite Felix, however, Clemensia Dovecote served as a reminder that one bite would not ensure his demise.

It would only make him really sick and give him identical rainbow scales which Seraphina cannot have because they would trace it back to her and Dr. Gaul, for they are among the few who had access to the mutts.

The sensory limitations of the snake mutts made it a discreet accomplice in her scheme.

With calculated precision, she placed the snake mutt on Felix's abdomen, knowing its keen sense of smell would lead it to the target.

In the dim light, Seraphina watched dispassionately as the snake, heeding her unspoken command, slithered towards Felix Ravinstill's neck.

The coils tightened, constricting the life out of him, and within a few minutes of just tightening and tightening— the monitor displayed the ominous flatline.

Seraphina's expression remained stoic, devoid of any emotion as the ringing continued to echo in the room.

The snake returned to her awaiting hand, and as silently as she had arrived, Seraphina melted into the shadows.

With Leo waiting in the car, she vanished into the night, leaving the hospital behind, her secret intact, and her ambitions one step closer to fruition.

As the car sliced through the city streets, Seraphina sat in contemplative silence.

The dim glow from the passing streetlights occasionally illuminated her features, revealing the small smirk that played on her lips.

In the privacy of the car, her mind whirred with a combination of satisfaction and calculated reflection.

She pondered the repercussions of her recent actions at the hospital. Felix Ravinstill, once a potential threat to her ambitions, now lay silent as ever, his existence erased by the covert intervention of her rainbow snake mutt.

The successful execution of her plan left Seraphina with a sense of accomplishment, a tangible step towards securing her envisioned future.

The smirk deepened as she thought of Dr. Gaul. The perplexing scientist, with her experiments and machinations, held a key role in Seraphina's intricate plans.

The proposal outlined in the letter she had sent to Dr. Gaul not long ago carried the weight of inevitability.

Dr. Gaul would surely agree with her proposal now.

Seraphina knew that with each strategic move, she positioned herself as an indispensable player in the unfolding narrative of the Hunger Games.

Her thoughts circled back to Coriolanus, the unwitting central figure in her elaborate game.

Despite the vexation, Lucy Gray brought into their dynamics, Seraphina remained resolute in her pursuit of power and influence.

The events of the night only solidified her belief in the necessity of such actions.

As the car navigated the labyrinth of the city, Seraphina's mind was a mosaic of ambition, calculation, and a touch of amusement.

The night had been a chess move played with precision, and she reveled in the satisfaction of a calculated victory.