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THE HALLWAY ECHOED with the resonance of Vienna's cries, her grief reverberating in the emptiness surrounding her. The distant sounds of the ongoing games seemed a world away from her anguish, accentuating the stark contrast between the Capitol's cruel entertainment and her genuine pain.
Abandoned and unheard, she grappled with the weight of Felix's loss, a heavy burden that threatened to crush her spirit. Vienna's desperation and overwhelming feeling for closure drove her to the hospital, where she clung to the hope of finding solace in Felix's resting place. The hospital, however, harbored its share of secrets, a young girl she never expected to see in her condition.
Walking through the gloomy infirmary corridors, only one door stood wide open, causing Vienna to grow with curiosity. Inside the room, she saw Clemensia, the mentor, who was said to be home with the flu. The patient turned towards Vienna, revealing the unsettling change that had overtaken her.
Her once-perfect skin was now intertwined with snake-like scales, a grotesque transformation that nearly brought Vienna to tears. As she walked into the room, the initial shock gave way to a surge of sympathy for the mentor, who had fallen victim to the Capitol's games.
"What happened to you, Clemmy?" Vienna inquired, her voice laced with concern and disbelief.
Clemensia sighed, her voice trembling with anger and resignation. "Dr. Gaul's mutts, as she calls them," she explained, her eyes reflecting the trauma she had experienced.
Vienna listened intently as Clemensia shared the harrowing details of the snake attack, describing how Dr. Gaul had set her up for failure. "She has a tank full of snakes who attacked me after I lied about writing the plans for the Hunger Games."
"What do you mean? Why would they attack you?" Vienna asked, her eyes filled with both concern and disbelief.
Clemensia, with a bitter laugh, responded, "Those snakes don't attack if they recognize your scent. Dr. Gaul placed Coryo and I's paper in the tank, and instead of letting Coryo take the credit, I did. Only my scent wasn't on the paper, so as I tried to grab it from the tank, they bit me. I've been here ever since."
Vienna's expression shifted from confusion to shock and anger. The cruelty of Dr. Gaul's schemes became clearer, and Vienna couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy for Clemensia's predicament.
Overwhelmed by the unfolding tragedy, she expressed her gratitude for Clemensia's honesty before quickly exiting the room. So much had happened in the day—her parents giving her false hope, Felix's death, and now the truth about Clemensia's whereabouts. It was as if everything was happening at once, and she couldn't control anything.
However, there was one thing she felt like she could control—her future. To ensure her freedom, she knew she needed to rescue Treech. Leaving the hospital with a heavy heart, Vienna's mind raced with thoughts of the cruelty inflicted by the Capitol. The once familiar surroundings of the Capitol now seemed like a labyrinth of secrets and suffering, and Vienna couldn't shake the feeling that something even more sinister was at play.
