THE END IS NEAR ? TREECH

When The Sirens Sound

Evie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She glanced over Coryo's shoulder to the screen to see Sejanus in the arena, kneeling over Marcus while sprinkling breadcrumbs on top his body.

"Breadcrumbs," Evie grumbled. She should've known he would do something like that, especially after his behavior that afternoon.

"Why doesn't she send in peacekeepers?" Evie asked. It seemed the most logical and the most safe. They could keep the tributes away while they fished him out before he could be harmed.

"She thinks he'll run and hide the second he hears them. She thinks that he'll listen to us and said she would freeze the screens for an hour which is just enough time for us to get in there and get him out." Coryo explained.

The reasoning made sense, and she knew Sejanus couldn't stay in there. Those tributes were angry, and they would jump at the first chance they got to kill a capitol student.

"Are you coming?" Coryo had already side stepped her and was making his way to the door.

Evie followed without another word.

___________________________

Standing outside of the arena at night was even more daunting when there were tributes armed with weapons inside. Especially when one knew they would be aiming to kill anyone and everyone.

Coryo and Evie stood side by side outside the gate with two peacekeepers stood behind them. Evie clutching her leather school bag's strap in her hand. The bag was almost empty now, but she didn't know if she might need it. Better to have it just in case.

Evie let her eyes flit to Coryo, who didn't say a word, but Evie could tell he was just as nervous as she was. Maybe even more than her.

So, with a deep breath, she grasped his hand and began pulling him into the arena. The gate closing loudly behind the pair.

Coryo spared a glance over his shoulder at them, but Evie kept her head facing straight. The red lights in the tunnel illuminating her figure.

The two made their way to the turnstiles, grimacing at the woman's voice as they walked through, "Enjoy the show!"

They shared a fleeting look and continued forward. Once out of the tunnel, the open area of the arena floor was covered in shadows around the edges from the light of the moon pouring in from the gaping holes in the roof.

It was silent, save for Coryo's heaving breaths next to her. She looked up at him to see his eyes were locked on the beam above them. Where Lamina lay asleep.

Sejanus was easy to spot, still kneeling beside Marcus on the floor. Among all the rubble and leftover weapons surrounding the space.

"Sejanus." Evie whispered, moving forward and letting her hand fall from Coryo's grip. He had been squeezing her knuckles from nerves.

Sejanus didn't move.

"Sejanus!" She tried again, and this time Sejanus glanced behind him to see his two best friends.

"I thought they'd send my Ma." Sejanus muttered.

"Yeah, I wish they had." Coryo retorted. Evie shot him a look that said 'really?'