𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓵𝔂 - (𝓕.𝓞𝓭𝓪𝓲𝓻)

05.

vol ii
☼ chapter five ☼

His continuous knocking does not seem to cause a reaction, and Rafael Whitlaw is left standing distressed.

The group had boarded the train hastily after the party at the president's mansion had ended. Their victor had quickly taken to her room, not willing to converse with any of them.

At first, they simply believed that Theia was exhausted from the festivities and needed some space to recuperate. But as the hours droned on and she failed to make an appearance, it became clear that something was amiss.

After not attending either breakfast or lunch, Rafael decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Kid. I don't know what's happened, but you can't leave us in the dark like this. We're here to help you."

A muffled response is uttered from behind the door. "There's nothing you can do to help."

He sighed; at least she was speaking. "Theia. Open the door."

Her appearance is deeply concerning. The dark circles and reddened pupils gave the impression that she had not slept at all. But her expression is one that the mentor can hardly recognise, and for the first time, the girl looks defeated.

"Theia.. I-"  She's shaking her head, refusing to look at him. "At least come and eat something."

Reluctantly, she follows him into the dining car, and her state sends the escort into a frenzy. "Dear.. what on earth, you look awful. What is going on with you? Too much alcohol last night?"
Rafael shakes his head at Ambrose, signalling for him to discreetly stop his ramblings.

Raising a groomed eyebrow, he takes in Theia's disposition. "What is it? You seem like you've been deflated—extinguished, if you will. I thought you would be rather excited to return home."
The girl tenses at the statement, her knuckles turning white as she holds onto the cutlery.

"Theia..?" She makes the mistake of looking her mentor in the eye. It was clear he was troubled, desperately wanting to help fix whatever the problem was. Rafael had been a lifeline to her; he was always there, never letting her take anything on alone.

"I met with Snow last night. You were right, Rafael; there were always going to be consequences." She takes a deep breath. "I have two days in District Three to complete the tour and say my goodbyes."

The mentor feels his breath get knocked out of his lungs. "What do you mean by saying your goodbyes?"

"I'm to live in the Capitol permanently, working as a puppet for the President to manoeuvre."

Theia had not stopped the tears from flowing during the night, allowing herself to mourn for the life she once had. The president's sentence would mean a loss of her autonomy; her worst fears had come to fruition: the Capitol would gain control over her brain.

She had thought that winning the games had granted her freedom and a life away from constant scrutiny, but instead it had caused her captivity.

No longer would she be able to dedicate her time to helping those in need, working to improve the lives of those who desperately needed saving from their ruling government.
Now she was under their very command, forced to strengthen their defences and build their weapons, aiding them in their fight against people like her.

It went against every fibre of her being—her existence.

"Theia.. I am so sorry. This isn't fair. It's not right. Surely there is something we can do about this?"