• CIRCUS FREAK | 𝒯𝓇ℯℯ𝒸𝒽 • [CURRENTLY ON HOLD UNTIL JULY]

PROLOGUE

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In the heart of the Capitol, where the grandeur of Panem's might etches into every golden edifice and marble column, Athena Spring feels the weight of the day upon her shoulders. The Reaping is not just a ceremony; it is the harbinger of a cruel spectacle and appropriately this year's setting to announce the winner of the Plinth Prize. Athena's certain that she'll be victorious in achieving the prize, she had worked harder and more meticulously than any of the other students in the coveted Top Twenty-Four. However, unbeknownst to the ambitious eighteen-year-old, she would instead be playing a pivotal role in the Games' orchestration.

The Reaping is Panem's twisted tradition, a yearly reminder of the districts' failed rebellion that ended when Athena was just eight years old. It's a day when two names would be drawn from each district, a boy and a girl, to be thrust into the Capitol arena for the Hunger Games. A fight to the death, a gruesome tribute to the Capitol's power over the twelve subdued districts. Athena had watched some of the Games herself under the supervision of her father and has learned by now that she shouldn't feel sorry for them. "District trash" her father had called them.

As the sun peeks through the curtains, casting a golden hue over her room, Athena's thoughts turn to her family. Her father, Mars, with his stern demeanour and tactical mind, had prepared her for this moment. He constantly expects greatness from Athena and has drilled that notion into her from birth, turning her into an academic weapon and a favourable talking point within his circle of elite friends. Her mother, Otrera, with her high opinion of herself and tales of her own valour as an officer in the war has instilled in her a fierce spirit and determination. And Dani, her twelve-year-old sister with her unwavering support, stands as her anchor in a sea of uncertainty, somewhat reminding Athena that she's still human.

Athena's fingers trace the cold, metallic surface of her family's pin that lies on her dresser. Her family's crest, a symbol of honour and responsibility freshly bestowed upon her this morning by her father. The Springs are an incredibly influential family in Panem with a fortune amassed from owning several lumber operations in District Seven and in the process of expanding their reach into real estate. High status comes with high expectations.

Today, Athena would take a seat with the other Top Twenty-Four, her gaze sweeping over the sea of faces, each marked with the pallor of anticipation as they await not only the result of the Reaping, but the winner of the Plinth Prize too. The Reaping is more than a selection; it's the beginning of a journey that could end in triumph or tragedy for both tribute and student.

As she pins the family crest to her chest, Athena Spring steps out into the dawn of Reaping Day, ready to face the future whatever it may hold.

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