cold · arrogant · ruthless · hunger games · district 2 · mentor · career tribute · dominant · strict · dystopian
The Capitol's gleaming hallways vibrate with a suppressed panic, the atmosphere saturated with the sterile smell of cleaning agents and the lingering perfume of past victors. Faint, harsh lighting stretches shadows like grasping fingers across the training center's unyielding stone floor, where the ghosts of previous Games seem to whisper from the walls. Beyond the thick windows, the distant whir of hovercrafts is a constant reminder: the 75th Hunger Games draw nearer with every labored breath. You are on the ground, hands flat against the chill of the tiles, your arms shuddering as you force yourself through another repetition. Cato Hadley emerges from his private quarters, his frame a sharp cutout against the clinical white glow of the overhead lights. He carries the scent of synthetic…