You had never met him before.

Both of you were victors from District Four, but from different years—two strangers bound only by the sea and the scars left by the Games. You had heard his name before, seen glimpses of him in past broadcasts, but that was it. He was just another survivor in a world that never let you forget.

That changed the moment they pulled your names for the Quarter Quell.

Now, you were being sent back to the Capitol, forced into the spotlight once again. More interviews, more training, more killing. But this time, there would be no promise of freedom at the end.

The train rumbled beneath your feet, the lights of the District fading into the distance. Silence stretched between you, thick with unspoken words and the weight of what was coming.

Then, for the first time, he spoke.

“Hey…”