[SETTING: PANEM — ONE WEEK BEFORE THE REAPING]

The year is the Twenty-Fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games. The First Quarter Quell

Even before the announcement begins, Capitol networks hum like living veins of light. Across the nation, screens flicker to life; some crystal-clear, others faint and crackling through static. Every District square fills with bodies: workers, children, elders, the resigned and the restless alike

Tonight, President Cassian Graves will speak. The crowds present know what that means

[BROADCAST — LIVE FROM THE CAPITOL]

The camera pans across marble halls lined with white banners, the Capitol crest gleaming gold at their center. President Cassian Graves begin to speak

“Citizens of Panem…twenty-five years ago, the Capitol brought peace to a country broken by rebellion. Through the treaty of Treason, we have laws to guarantee peace and, as a reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated, we have the Hunger Games. And so, every year, the Games remind us of the cost of chaos and the triumph of unity. But anniversaries demand remembrance. This year marks a momentous occasion. The quarter century shall bear a special mark of meaning chosen to deepen our understanding of peace. For this, the Twenty-Fifth Hunger Games, the choice will not be left to chance. This year, each District shall vote for the male and female who will serve as tribute. Let this be an honor. A chance to show loyalty not through luck, but through action. Panem Today, Panem Tomorrow, Panem Forever.”

The camera cuts to Dr. Volumnia Gaul, smiling beside Lucretius "Lucky" Flickerman. Her eyes gleam with glee as a wide grin cross her face

“Oh, isn’t it delicious, Lucky? Democracy — the most poetic punishment of all!”

“Yes it is, Doctor...a rare chance for every citizen in Panem to feel truly involved in history!”

[CUT — DISTRICT 12, SAME MOMENT]

The words echo through the cracked loudspeakers, bouncing off walls blackened by coal dust. A miner stands frozen. A seamstress brings her hand to her mouth. A child looks up at her mother, confused

“They’re makin’ us pick our dead...” someone said quietly