JACKSON
He's definitely not Rosen.
Not my Rosen. Then who is he?
I stared at the door long after he had disappeared through it, my thoughts circling the same question until they became impossible to ignore.
He resembles Rosen. There's no denying that. The shape of his face. The dark hair. Even some of his expressions. But the resemblance ends there.
Those eyes aren't Rosen's.
My Rosen had a quieter way of looking at people. He observed before he spoke. He rarely wasted words, and when he did speak, there was always something restrained about him, as though he was constantly holding something back.
This person?
He talks.
A lot.
Sometimes too much.
And then there were the small things.
Rosen had dimples.
He doesn't.
I frowned.
Maybe I was overthinking.
Maybe seven years was enough to change a person completely. People grew up. Their personalities changed. Their faces changed. But their eyes?
No.
There was something about eyes that time couldn't easily rewrite. And every time I looked into his, I felt the same unsettling certainty.
This isn't my childhood friend.
I leaned back against the wall and let out a slow breath. Whatever conclusion my mind was trying to reach, I hoped I was wrong. Because there was only one possibility that made any sense.
His sister.
Could it really be her?
Could Rose Nightingale be pretending to be Rosen and attending military training in his place?
The thought sounded ridiculous.
Until I remembered everything I had seen during the last few days. The way she avoided certain questions. The way Logan Hawk looked at her.
As if he knew.
My expression darkened.
If it really was Rose... Then what the hell was Rosen thinking?
How could he send his little sister here?
Especially when he knew exactly what could happen if someone discovered her identity.
This wasn't some harmless game.
She was surrounded by soldiers from different districts, living under a false name, pretending to be someone she wasn't.
And Logan Hawk already seemed far too interested in her. I clenched my jaw.
No. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Not yet. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the person I had been spending time with really was Rosen, and seven years had simply turned my childhood friend into someone I barely recognized.
But deep down, I knew that wasn't true.
I knew Rosen. Or at least, I used to.
Seven years.
Seven whole years since I had last seen him.
Seven years since District 10 had closed itself off from the rest of the regions.
No visitors.
No communication.
No explanation.
Nothing.
It was as though Rosen had taken his entire district and placed it behind a wall no one was allowed to cross.
He had disconnected himself from everyone.
Including me.
Why?
That question had followed me for years.
Why did he suddenly cut himself off from the other districts? Why did he stop communicating? Why had he disappeared from everyone's lives without giving a single explanation?
And now, when he was finally supposed to be here... He had sent someone else in his place.
I rubbed my temples.
I needed answers.
But I wasn't going to get them here.
Not while I was surrounded by hundreds of people.
Not while Logan Hawk was watching her with those eyes.
The only way I would get the truth was by going to District 10. Alone.
I looked down at the small photograph I had almost forgotten was still in my hand.
Two boys stood in the middle of a garden. One of them was me. The other was Rosen. We looked younger. Happier. Like the world outside that garden didn't exist.
Best Friends.
I ran my thumb over the edge of the photograph.
Where are you, Rosen?
And why are you hiding?
I folded the picture carefully and slipped it back into my bag. For now, I needed to stop making assumptions. I knew one thing for certain.
The person I had spent the last few days with wasn't the Rosen Nightingale I remembered.
Whether that person was Rose, his sister, or someone else entirely...
I would find out soon enough. But another thought refused to leave me.
If she really was Rose, then Logan Hawk knowing the truth could be dangerous. I had seen the way he looked at her. There was something wrong there. Something I didn't understand.
And I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was happening between them would eventually drag District 10 into something much bigger.
I tightened my grip around the strap of my bag.
Why are you hiding, Rosen?
And more importantly...
Where the hell are you?
I hope you're safe. I hope you're alive.
For now, that was all I could do.
Hope.
And wait until I reach District 10. Then, finally, I would get my answers.
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I was given a car to take me halfway back home. From there, a helicopter from District Ten was supposed to pick me up and take me the rest of the way.
The entire journey in the car was painfully quiet. Which, unfortunately, gave my brain far too much freedom.
I sat by the window, staring at the passing scenery without really seeing any of it. My mind kept returning to Logan's words.
His warning. His threat.
And then there was Jackson.
What exactly was he thinking?
He had a picture. He knew Rosen. Maybe he had already figured out that I wasn't him. Maybe he had known from the very beginning and had simply chosen not to say anything.
Or maybe I was overthinking everything.
Again.
Either way, I had messed up.
Really messed up.
By the time the car finally came to a stop, I was more than ready to get out.
I stepped outside and immediately spotted the helicopter waiting for me.
Home.
The sight of it should have made me feel relieved. Instead, I noticed several people nearby staring at me.
Of course.
Was staring at people some kind of tradition in District One?
They kept looking at me with such intensity that I almost felt like they were trying to determine whether I was human or some alien creature that had accidentally landed in their district.
I resisted the urge to stare back.
Without giving them the satisfaction of a reaction, I walked straight toward the helicopter and climbed inside.
"Uncle Joe?"
He turned toward me.
"Why did you come here yourself? You could've just sent someone else to pick me up."
He gave me a small smile.
"It's alright. Besides, we're almost home now."
Home.
That one word loosened something inside me.
I nodded and leaned back against my seat.
"Fine," I murmured. "But next time, send someone else."
Uncle Joe chuckled softly.
I closed my eyes.
For the first time since leaving the training grounds, I allowed myself to stop thinking.
No, Logan.
No threats.
No Jackson and his suspiciously knowing eyes.
No pretending to be Rosen.
Just home.
At least for the next few minutes. A week.
And as the helicopter lifted into the air, carrying me farther away from District One, I kept my eyes closed and waited for the moment I would finally see my brother again.
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DALE Hawk
"Darling, who are you waiting for?"
I didn't bother looking at Rennes. She had been hovering around me for the last several minutes.
"Rennes, my love," I said, forcing patience into my voice, "I'm waiting for my son."
"But they're already home."
I finally looked at her.
"I'm waiting for Logan."
"Logan?"
The way she repeated his name was enough to tell me where this conversation was going.
"Now go and get some sleep."
But, naturally, she didn't listen.
"That son of yours never comes here without a reason. It's been three years, Dale. Three years." Her expression hardened. "There must be something he wants."
I sighed.
Of course. Another one of her speeches.
"I don't trust him," she continued. "That boy has bad intentions when it comes to this district. He's just like his mother."
She scoffed.
"Son of a bitch."
My patience finally ran out. I had neither the time nor the interest to listen to her tonight.
"Enough."
Rennes went silent.
"Didn't I tell you to leave?"
Before she could respond, a servant entered the room and bowed slightly.
"Master."
"What is it?"
"General Logan has arrived. Shall I bring him in?"
A small smile appeared on my face.
Finally.
"No." I leaned back in my chair. "Tell him to wait for me in the meeting room."
"Yes, Master."
The servant bowed once more before leaving.
Rennes looked at me, but I ignored her.
Whatever Logan had come all this way to tell me... I hoped it was useful.
After three years of silence, he hadn't returned to District One simply to visit his father. And if my instincts were right, tonight might finally give me the information I had been waiting for. Information that could change everything.
I rose from my seat.
"Now," I said without looking at Rennes, "go to sleep."
Then I walked toward the meeting room.
It was finally time to hear what my son had brought home.
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"LOGAN"
I am sitting inside a meeting room to meet my father. This could be the joke of the day. I should go in and out as I please, as I'm also the son of this family, but who am I kidding? As the day I turned 8, I knew that I could never expect anything from this father of mine. My mother on her death bed made it clear to me to never depend on my father.
"How are you doing, son? It's been three years. I missed you."
If only you had.
"Why don't we cut to the chase rather than being lovey-dovey here?" I crossed my legs, looking him in the eyes.
"As you wish. What information do you bring?"
Now, this is the father I've known and know.
"First, tell me what you did to District Ten seven years ago."
For the first time since I entered the room, my father said nothing. He simply looked at me. That silence bothered me more than any answer could have.
It made me think back to what she had said at the gymnasium.
Even if there were no Rosen, I still wouldn't choose you after what your father did to District Ten. To me.
At the time, I had been too angry to think about it.
Now, sitting across from my father, those words wouldn't leave my mind.
What had she meant? And why had my father never told me anything about it?
"Son," he finally said, his voice calm, "it's been seven years. Everyone has forgotten about it."
I leaned forward.
"Not everyone."
His expression shifted slightly.
"Tell me what happened between us and District Ten."
The room fell silent again.
This time, I didn't look away.
"I want to know exactly what happened."
My father studied me carefully, as though trying to understand why I suddenly cared about something that had happened years ago.
I already knew he was hiding something. I could see it in the hesitation in his eyes. And that only made me more determined to know.
"Father," I said, my voice lower now, "don't make me ask again."
Because whatever had happened seven years ago... It was clear that someone hadn't forgotten. And I had a feeling her hatred for me had begun long before she had ever met me.
"You know it. They killed thirty people of ours. Our innocent people, and in return we weren't even able to do a single thing. They even killed my brother, your uncle Ray, your favorite and my personal bodyguard." And also how they took away that golden land from me. It should have been only mine.
"Father, is this true? There's nothing more to this story, right?"
I still asked, maybe because I had never actually trusted my own father.
"No, son. No more."
Father's voice hardened.
"We should have avenged our people's deaths a long time ago. And even now, if I find a single fault in District Ten, if I get anything authentic against Rosen Nightingale, I'll destroy that entire district."
There it was again.
Rosen Nightingale.
I hated hearing his name. The more it was mentioned, the more something inside me twisted.
Rage.
Hatred.
Or perhaps something even uglier.
All I knew was that every time I thought about him standing between me and Rose, I felt the overwhelming urge to remove him from the picture entirely.
Permanently.
I leaned back in my chair.
"I can tell you something."
Father's eyes immediately shifted toward me.
"Something that might give us a reason to go against them."
For the first time since our conversation had begun, he looked genuinely interested.
"Go ahead, then."
I shook my head.
"Not yet."
His expression darkened slightly.
"I'll tell you everything," I continued, "but first, you have to agree to my conditions."
A brief silence followed.
I knew my father well enough to understand what would convince him. If I had information about District Ten, he would listen. He had been waiting for an excuse to move against them for years.
Father leaned back in his chair.
"Fine. Tell me your conditions first then."
Then a smile appeared on his face.
"And if what you have is useful enough, son, I'll give you whatever you want."
I raised an eyebrow. "Whatever?"
"You've spent three years away from District One. You've served as general, proven yourself, and earned the respect of the people." His gaze sharpened. "If you want the throne, I'll make sure you get it."
I stared at him.
"You'll become the next ruler of District One."
A quiet hum escaped me. "I'll think about that one."
Honestly... It wasn't the worst idea. If I became the ruler, I would have power.
Enough power to protect her. Enough to make sure no one could touch her. Enough to take her away from whatever mess District Ten had trapped her in.
Maybe becoming the ruler wasn't such a bad idea after all.
I leaned forward.
"There's someone in District Ten that I want."
Father's expression immediately changed.
"And?"
"You won't harm her."
His eyes narrowed.
Her. I knew my father would join the dots later when I told him in detail.
Good.
At least he hadn't missed that.
"No matter what happens," I continued, "you leave her alone."
Father studied me silently. I continued before he could interrupt.
"Secondly, we don't attack immediately."
"Then when?"
"Seven days from now."
Exactly one week. Enough time. Enough time for her to return home. Enough time for me to figure out what exactly was happening inside District Ten. And enough time to prepare.
Father's expression grew thoughtful.
I raised a third finger.
"And one more thing."
He waited.
"When the attack begins, your army follows your orders."
I paused.
"I won't be going with them."
His eyebrows pulled together. "Then where will you be going?"
"I'll take my own squad."
I looked directly into his eyes.
"We'll enter their residential area separately."
Because there was one person I wanted to find myself. And there was another person I wanted to deal with personally.
Rosen Nightingale.
I wasn't going to leave him to someone else.
Father remained silent. For several long seconds, neither of us spoke.
I didn't rush him. Unlike Father, I knew how to wait.
So I sat there, watching him carefully, allowing him time to consider every condition.
Finally, he spoke.
"Fine."
I narrowed my eyes.
"Fine?"
"I agree."
There was still one problem.
Father looked at me carefully.
"But who is this person you're so determined to protect?"
I leaned back.
"That isn't your business."
His expression hardened.
"Logan."
I held his gaze.
"Deal or no deal?"
Silence.
For a moment, I thought he might refuse.
Then, slowly, a smile appeared on his face.
"Deal, son."
I studied him for another second.
I didn't trust him.
Not completely.
But I had what I needed.
"Good."
I reached for the microphone.
And turned it off.
The conversation was over.
Now all that remained was to prepare.
Seven days.
District Ten had seven days before everything changed.
And Rose... She had no idea what was coming.
So I finally gave in the knowledge he was desperate enough to know.