That night, sleep wouldn't come. The rhythm of the rails thrummed through the walls like a pulse. The train lights glowed warm and golden, but it only made the darkness outside feel deeper.
Vince sat alone in the corridor, staring out the window. He could still see faint traces of smoke rising from District 12. The same coal dust, the same silence. He wondered if anyone would even remember his name once the Games began.
Footsteps behind him — soft, careful. Katniss. She hesitated before sitting across from him, knees pulled to her chest. Neither spoke for a while.
"Can't sleep?" he asked finally.
She shook her head. "Every time I close my eyes, I see Prim standing there."
He nodded. "You did what no one else would've done."
"So did you."
Vince smiled faintly. "Yeah. But my reason wasn't as pure."
The System's faint text drifted across his vision: Emotional honesty detected. Adaptation progress +5.
He sighed and leaned back. "In my old life…" he stopped. The words felt foreign already.
"Let's just say, I used to think I could control everything. Plans, outcomes, people. But here? I can't even control my own heartbeat."
Katniss studied him for a long moment. "Then stop trying. Just survive."
He turned toward the window again. The Capitol lights were visible now — towering, shimmering, impossible. They burned like a different world.
"Survive," he repeated quietly. "Yeah. Maybe that's the first step." A faint hum filled the air as the train crossed into Capitol territory.
The System's glow intensified, its tone almost eager.
New Region Unlocked: The Capitol.
Observation protocols activated.
Vince felt something shift deep inside — not fear, not excitement. Just a calm acceptance, almost resignation. This is my world now, he thought. And if it's a game, I'll play it until I break it.
Beside him, Katniss watched the glowing skyline, her face half-lit by gold and shadow.
"Do you think it's beautiful?" she asked.
Vince hesitated.
"Yeah," he said. "And that's the problem."
The train plunged into the Capitol's bright heart, and the night vanished behind them — swallowed by light.