Chapter 8: Allies and Enemies

As the day wanes, Finnick and Aria retreat into the dense jungle. They move quickly, knowing the Careers will be hunting down any surviving tributes. The foliage is thick, but it provides them some cover, a natural shield against the Capitol's cameras.

They meet a pair of familiar faces—Katniss and Peeta, bruised but alive. Finnick steps forward first, his trident lowered. Katniss's gaze shifts between him and Aria, suspicion etched in her expression.

"We can help each other," Finnick says, his tone calm but urgent. "We're stronger together."

After a tense moment, Katniss nods. She understands the dangers they face, and though she doesn't trust easily, she knows the value of alliances. The four of them form a wary alliance, huddling under the twisted branches as they share stories of the horrors they've seen. For the first time, Aria feels a faint kinship with others who bear the same scars, the same wounds that run deeper than physical pain.

Katniss mentions the whispers she's heard from District 12, stories of people who are starting to resist the Capitol's grip. Aria feels a spark of hope she hasn't felt in years—hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a way out of this nightmare.

As the day wanes, Finnick and Aria retreat into the dense jungle. They move quickly, knowing the Careers will be hunting down any surviving tributes. The foliage is thick, but it provides them some cover, a natural shield against the Capitol's cameras.

They meet a pair of familiar faces—Katniss and Peeta, bruised but alive. Finnick steps forward first, his trident lowered. Katniss's gaze shifts between him and Aria, suspicion etched in her expression.

"We can help each other," Finnick says, his tone calm but urgent. "We're stronger together."

After a tense moment, Katniss nods. She understands the dangers they face, and though she doesn't trust easily, she knows the value of alliances. The four of them form a wary alliance, huddling under the twisted branches as they share stories of the horrors they've seen. For the first time, Aria feels a faint kinship with others who bear the same scars, the same wounds that run deeper than physical pain.

Katniss mentions the whispers she's heard from District 12, stories of people who are starting to resist the Capitol's grip. Aria feels a spark of hope she hasn't felt in years—hope that maybe, just maybe, there's a way out of this nightmare.