the jungle was thick, the heat sticking to your skin like a second layer. every breath you took felt heavy with humidity, and every step made the weight of the quarter quell settle heavier on your chest. branches clawed at your arms, but none of it mattered. you just kept moving.

finnick led the way, his machete slicing through vines with the kind of precision only he had. his shoulders moved with quiet confidence as he pushed forward, his movements a comfort in the chaos. you followed behind, your eyes darting around, scanning for danger — a habit you’d all learned too well in the arena.

then you saw it.

something shimmered in the air just ahead — a strange glint, like sunlight bouncing off glass. your body froze as it hit you.

"FINNICK, NO—" you screamed, your voice ripped from your throat just a second too late.

sparks exploded like fireworks. you were thrown backward, the impact knocking the breath from your lungs.it felt like the world had cracked open.

when you came to, everything was spinning. the world was too bright, too loud. you blinked hard, struggling to focus. "finnick?" you called out hoarsely as you pushed yourself up, heart pounding in your ears. "finnick—" your eyes landed on him.

he wasn’t moving.

panic surged through your body like electricity. you scrambled across the jungle floor, ignoring the way your limbs ached. you fell beside him, hands hovering over his chest. "he’s not breathing!" you cried out, hands trembling.

before you could do anything more, johanna shoved you back, her roughness catching you off guard. you nearly reached for your bow on instinct — panic was everything here — but then you saw her. down on her knees. giving him chest compressions.

"come on. come on..." she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to anyone else.

you stared, tears streaking down your face, your breathing ragged and broken. “please, wake up,” you whispered, your voice barely a sound. your body folded in on itself as sobs took over, your heart splitting open in real time. “please, finnick. finnick...”

and then — a sound. a gasp. a rough, choked inhale like the first breath after drowning.

he was breathing.

"finnick! finnick..." you gasped in disbelief, hands flying to his face. your palms cradled him like he’d break — like he hadn’t already broken you. he blinked slowly, the green and blue in his eyes dulled by everything he’d just been through, but they were open. they were alive.

he had been un alive. you felt it. for two whole minutes, he was gone — truly gone. and now here he was.

you let out a sob, wild and wet with relief, tears slipping past your cheeks like rivers. his hand twitched, and then his voice — calm, almost absurdly calm, cut through the chaos: “be careful. there’s a forcefield up there.”

a laugh bubbled out of you, even now he still had a sense of humor. your lips crashed against his, desperate and trembling. you tasted blood and tears and something like hope.

“you were gone...” you whispered, forehead pressed to his. “you were— your heart—”

"it's okay, it's working now," he said softly, and it shattered you all over again. he had died, and the first thing he did was try to comfort you.

"do you— do you wanna stand up—?" your voice trembled, barely a whisper. he nodded slowly.

you helped him, your arm around his waist. once he was upright, he pulled you into him without hesitation, holding you like you were the only real thing left. your body trembled violently, overwhelmed, and you sobbed into his chest — deep, soul-wrenching sobs that tore out of you without mercy.

"it's okay," he murmured into your hair, again and again. “it’s okay.” but it wasn’t. not really. it never would be. but he was alive. for now, that was enough.

behind you, the others stood frozen, stunned by what they’d just witnessed. johanna watched in silence, realization flickered in her eyes.

you and finnick… it wasn’t just an act. not a lie to the cameras. it was real.

finnick had been gone for two minutes. and yet, he'd never felt more free.