The Siren/ Finnick Odair

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦

꧁❧꧂

The air hung heavy with humidity, and the orchestrated sounds of exotic birds and rustling leaves added to the eerie ambiance. Their primary goal was finding a source of fresh water. The duo scanned the surroundings for signs of a hidden stream or water source, their senses heightened by the constant awareness of potential dangers lurking in the Gamermakers idea of a jungle. Sereia cut vines down with her twin swords as they walked further into the makeshift jungle.

Damien wiped sweat from his forehead, casting a glance at the artificial canopy above. "God, it's hot," he grumbled, his words carrying the weight of the oppressive humidity in the Gamemakers' fabricated jungle.

Sereia flashed a wry smile, acknowledging the relentless heat. "Welcome to the Capitol's idea of a tropical paradise," she quipped, her voice laced with a touch of sarcasm as they continued their journey through the sweltering jungle.

Damien chuckled, the warmth of camaraderie evident in his response. "Well, their idea of paradise could use a thermostat adjustment," he remarked, sharing a moment of humor amid the challenges of the artificial wilderness.

As Sereia and Damien pressed on through the stifling jungle, their keen eyes caught a subtle shimmer in the distance. Intrigued, they approached cautiously, finding a concealed pond surrounded by overgrown leaves. That's when they had seen two morphlings. A district 6 alliance, something you don't see everyday. Sereia and Damien silently acknowledged them before the younger girl ran over to them her swords at the ready. With one swift swipe Sereia had decapitated the district 6 boy, leaving the district 6 girl frozen in shock.

Normally, Sereia would have left them alone but she remembered her mentors words. Portray the character the capitol makes you seem. And that character was a confident, fearless young girl. Damien called out her name as Sereia went in for the next kill. With ease she stabbed the district 6 girl quickly, so that she wouldn't feel any pain during her death.

"Sereia." Damien whispered as her gaze fell on his. He could sense that she didn't want to do it but she had to, her eyes spoke louder than her words ever could. She quickly straightened her back as a chuckle came out their mouth.

"Dumb place to hide. They had it coming." She taunted. She was playing the Capitols game, not that she wanted to anyway but she didn't have a choice.

"Let's just get you refreshed." Damien smiled at her softly as he pulled her to the pond. With hints of relief covering their face they cupped some water in their hands drinking it and pouring some on their face.

With the pond providing a momentary refuge, Sereia and Damien decided to set up a makeshift camp in a dark cave in the middle of the jungle. Sereia secured the perimeter while Damien gathered branches and leaves for shelter.

Damien, hands full of leaves, quipped, "Who knew survival in paradise would involve so much manual labor?" His voice slightly shaking more and more as he was getting out of breath.

Sereia, arranging the supplies, smirked. "Capitol's version of a vacation, I suppose." As she wiped the sweat off her forehead.

Their banter, laced with humour despite the dire circumstances, served as a counterpoint to the tension that lingered in the air. Once the shelter was complete, they huddled together, their eyes scanning the fabricated darkness beyond the artificial trees.

Damien, breaking the silence, remarked, "At least we've got each other's backs, right?"

Sereia nodded, the unspoken understanding between them solidifying in the makeshift camp. Sereia, glancing into the darkness beyond their camp, turned to Damien with a soft expression. "I'll take first watch. You can sleep on me if you'd like," She offered,

Damien's eyes met Sereia's, gratitude flickering in his gaze. "Sounds like a plan. Wake me if anything goes south," he replied, acknowledging the unspoken trust that had grown between them. As he settled in for some much needed rest, the night unfolded with Sereia as guard while the older boy leaned on her in his sleep.

Hours had gone by and nothing seemed out of place while Sereia kept guard. That was until she heard a branch snap behind her, she shook Damien awake and stood up while they boy immediately shot up following her. Strange sounds starting echoing through the dark night, and soon, a group of large snakes, their scales glinting unnaturally in the dim light, slithered into the camp.

As the snakes circled the camp, their hisses resonated with a sinister tone. Damien wielded his spear which set the snakes off as they started lunging towards the pair spitting acid. The acid hit Sereia in her leg burning her bare leg as she was wearing black shorts. She howled in pain which alerted Damien. He looked back at the younger girl but she kept fighting the snakes, her twin swords slicing snakes in half.

"Sereia!" Damien shouted with a pained expression as he too continued fighting, her thigh was oozing blood.

With an opening in the snake-infested perimeter, Sereia seized the opportunity. "Let's go!" she shouted to Damien, the urgency in her voice underscoring the need for swift action. The pair, evading the relentless assault of the snakes, sprinted toward the fabricated jungle's edge. Leaving the sinister hisses of the artificial serpents echoing behind them.

Having found a moment of relative safety, Damien guided Sereia to a secluded spot within the fabricated jungle. Gently, he sat her down, a sense of concern evident in his eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." Sereia muttered as she winced in pain. "Like what, Ice queen." He replied with a chuckle, Sereia couldn't respond as the pain started to get worse, as if the acid was travelling through her leg.

With a careful touch, Damien retrieved one of the bags he had managed to secure during the chaos. Focused on tending to Sereia's injuries, he began extracting medical supplies, soothing ointments, and bandages from the Capitol-provided kit.

"We should be safe here for a while, why don't you rest for a while." Damien offered as he pulled the girl closer so her head could rest on his shoulder. She smiled softly at him before closing her eyes, struggling to talk due to the amount of pain she was in she softly left a kiss on his cheek.

"Reia, there's kids watching." Damien joked as he teased the girl who laughed in response. He always managed to make a joke or two even at the worst possible situations there could be.

As the fabricated sun rose in the orchestrated sky, casting a surreal glow on the artificial jungle, a sponsor's parachute descended from above. Sereia and Damien exchanged curious glances before retrieving the package, they unwrapped it to reveal a bounty of food and much-needed medicine.

A note accompanied the supplies, and as Sereia unfolded it, she read aloud, "Be safe." The signature at the end revealed the sender: Finnick Odair. "Thanks Finnick!" She grinned talking to no one in particular but she had hoped he was watching.

Her wound had gotten better and it was easier to walk on now, which was good for the pair as they desperately needed to keep moving, so that they wouldn't get spotted by anyone and come to their death.

As they ventured deeper into the labyrinth of the Hunger Games arena, Sereia couldn't help but reflect on the note from Finnick. "Strange how alliances are formed in this place," she mused, her eyes scanning the surreal landscape.

Damien, spear in hand, nodded in agreement. "Survival breeds unexpected allies," he replied, his gaze focused on the fabricated horizon.

"True." She muttered as she pulled her two twin swords from her back swiping vines away. From the shadows emerged two tributes, one from District 7 and the other from District 9. Their armed and determined appearance made it clear this encounter was not a chance meeting, but a confrontation sought out in the heart of the Hunger Games.

"Seriously? Can I ever get a day off?" Sereia grunted as Damien chuckled at her, of course she would be the only one to complain about having to go into battle when they are in an arena that was made for battling. The district 5 pair stood strong and started to get into their defensive stances.