THE END IS NEAR ? TREECH

When The Sirens Sound

He gave her a look back that said 'what?'

Sejanus slowly stood from his spot, turning to face the boy and girl who had followed him into the most dangerous place in the capitol, "You both need to go."

"I'd like to. I really would-" Coryo stepped closer, but Evie cut him off, "We came to get you out."

"Why?" Sejanus asked.

"Because you're our friend." Evie answered earnestly.

"I have to do this. I had to go where the cameras were." Sejanus tried to explain his intentions.

"You think anyone watching this? Gaul cut the feed. If the tributes kill you in here she's just gonna say you died of the flu." Coryo cut in.

It was true. She would never let this get out if he died in here. He would just disappear.

A sharp sound came from above the trio. Lamina was awake now, staring down at them, her axe in hand. Evie made eye contact with the girl and almost had the urge to smile. She had missed seeing her face.

"You need to decide right now." Coryo said to Sejanus as Evie stared up at Lamina. The younger girl stared right back, their mouths saying nothing but their eyes communicating on their own.

"Do you wanna fight these tributes? Or do you want to fight for them? Because if you wanna make a real change, you need to stay alive." Coryo's voice rung out in the empty space, coming out louder than he probably intended it to be.

"How can I make any change from out there?" Sejanus spat, gaining Evie's attention again.

"You're smart, Sejanus. So smart, and you care. You're one of the only ones who stood up to Gaul in that classroom, and you would do it again. We need people like you." Evie grabbed his arm, trying to make her words mean something to him.

A loud noise from the shadows of the arena had them all turning their heads, but they couldn't see anything from the darkness. Lamina still observing from above.

"We're dead if we don't leave right now." Coryo announced, keeping his eyes on where the sound came from.

"Come with us." Evie insisted, giving the boy's arm a tug.

"Please. Trust us."

Sejanus thought for a moment before nodding his head. Evie took another peak up to see Lamina watching the darkness as well. She turned to the trio and opened her mouth. For a moment, Evie thought she was going to give them away so they could be killed by the tributes. But she didn't.

"Go." Lamina whispered, holding eye contact with Evie.

Evie remember something. She quickly reached into her bag and took out the oranges from the lunch sack. She prepared herself before promptly throwing them up to Lamina, who caught them with ease.

"Thank you." Evie whispered back, received a nod from Lamina.

The sounds of Bobbin charging at them from the shadows had Coryo, Sej, and Evie sprinting out of the arena in record time.

"Go! Go!"

Evie missed how Lamina threw a stray rock at Bobbin's back in an attempt to distract him for a moment, trying to give the capitol trio more time to escape.