The Hunger Games is an annual survival game held in a futuristic, dystopian nation known as Panem. The rich Capitol city of Panem rules 12 Districts with varying degree of poverty in tyrannical / authoritarian manner under an army called Peacekeepers.

As a reminder / punishment for the 12 Districts’ rebellion against The Capitol in the past, every year, one boy and one girl from each district (age 12 to 18) must be offered for The Hunger Games. There, they have to kill each other to come out as the sole victor.

Every 25 years, The Capitol hosts a special Hunger Games titled the “Quarter Quell.” This is designed to be much more lethal / difficult than the usual Hunger Games.

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In her 17 years of life, Seulgi hadn’t seen such lavish, glamorous city.

She hadn’t even imagined its existence.

How could she? When the luxury here, so overly done it was bordering on obscene gloat, was such a different picture from the mud and ash in District 12?

Here, the high-end skyscrapers towered over the earth proudly as if they were on a race towards the sky. While in District 12, coal mines collapsed daily and took people down with them.

Here, people in extravagant party dresses took emetics so they could throw up and stuff themselves with more food, while in District 12 children died every day because of hunger.

Here, people with wealth beyond her imagination watched kids slaughter each other in sadistic Games for entertainment, while in District 12 parents and siblings mourned over their lost family.

Here, Seulgi was assigned to die.

She shook her head and received a protest from her stylist. “No, no. If you move your head one more time, young lady, you will end up looking like a clown instead of the queen I’m trying to make you.” Heechul fixed her eyeliner and finished his job with a fake pair of lashes that felt entirely too heavy on Seulgi’s eyelids.

Seulgi could barely keep her eyes open.

“This is stupid. I don’t need to doll up for my own funeral.”

“You are dolling up so you will not be going to your funeral.” Minho, her mentor, appeared in their makeup station with a sympathetic smile. “Remember, when you are in the Games and you are starving or bleeding to death, who is going to be able to help you?”

“The sponsors.” Seulgi grumbled quietly, grudging to herself.

“Exactly. So, you should know why you need to dress up and impress those ers.”

Seulgi smiled at that last brazen bit. Minho was once in her position many years ago, when he too, was unluckily drawn by the lottery to join the Hunger Games. Clearly, they shared the same bitterness towards Capitol people.

The only difference was, Minho was able to come out of the massacre as its victor.

Would Seulgi be able to?

Both to not get killed and to kill others?

She didn’t know which one was harder to do.

“Look. Snow is on.” Kai, the male tribute from her District, scoffed beside her. The poor guy was just as spiteful as she was for the so-called President Snow.

The man behind this yearly, sickening bloodbath in Panem.

Snow appeared on their TV screen followed by a round of applause and loud cheer from the citizens of The Capitol. Seulgi felt ill.

“Welcome! Welcome, everyone! To the 100th Hunger Games, the very special and much anticipated: Fourth Quarter Quell!”

The crowd boomed with cheers and clapped their hands thunderously, as if they weren’t being excited about 24 kids maiming each other.

Seulgi would never understand the sick thought process behind that.

“Tonight, we welcome the brave young tributes from the 12 Districts to our lovely city! We celebrate their courage and sacrifice for this nation’s greater good. The Hunger Games, as everyone knows, is a very important event that serves as a reminder to all of us that no one should try to undermine or betray The Capitol ever again. The rule here is simple but fundamental. The 12 Districts offer various resources to The Capitol and in return, The Capitol provides order and security. By remembering this, we wish for our nation to never fall back into the Dark Times again.”

Kai growled, looking as equally ill as Seulgi. “What a load of bull.”

“The fourth Quarter Quell is particularly meaningful. It marks the 100th year of Panem hosting The Hunger Games successfully. To make this Game as special as it deserves, we are creating a lot of new twists that will be unveiled to you during the tributes’ three days of training. One revelation for each day,” Snow paused, making the audiences edge out of their seats with anticipation, “Starting from tomorrow.”

The crowd broke into a whiny, excited protest, making Seulgi rise from her chair and head for the TV remote because she couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m turning it off. These people are insane.”

“No, don’t.” Minho stopped her before she could, motioning his hand at the large screen. “Don’t you want to see who you will be going up against? They will be announcing the tributes’ identities soon.”

Seulgi flopped back on her chair, shoulders drawn in with dejection.

“You should beware of the –”

“The Careers pack from District 1 and District 2? Who literally trained for this competition since they were little and then volunteered like this is a prestigious championship?” She interrupted Minho miserably. “Yeah, I know.”

“Those Capitol’s lapdogs.” Kai chipped in hatefully. “They basically have a hand in murdering our people all these years. Especially the ones from District 2. They are the origin of all Peacekeepers and the supplier of The Capitol’s weapons.”

Minho smiled bitterly. “It’s just their job. All districts have their job to produce something. District 1 luxury items, District 2 weaponry, District 3 technology. It doesn’t matter. They are just like us, trying to survive.”

“Except that when they supply jewelries or weapons to The Capitol, they are favored by Snow and are prone to forget the rest of their dying countrymen in coal mines.” Kai sniggered and then turned sad after a moment. “They are going to bash our heads in, aren’t they?”

“Kai.” Seulgi reprimanded him slowly, her face turning green. “Please, I don’t need any more of visual nightmare than I already have.”

“Oh, come on, Seulgi.” Kai threw his hands up, looking fraught and distressed. “You are way too good at archery to die. Everyone back home is saying that you will win, that District 12 will finally have a victor again but it’s not going to be me. If anyone should be having a mental breakdown right now, it should be me.”

“I shoot animals, for God’s sake.” Seulgi’s voice rose slightly, her face disbelieving. “And I only do it because my family need something to eat, not because I enjoy it. How could you possibly think that I could do it easily to people?”

Kai lowered his head, his eyes full of guilt. “I’m sorry. That was – that was stupid. I wasn’t thinking straight –"

Minho pulled both of them into a side hug and motioned to the TV in front of them sadly. “Let’s just watch the TV and sit down for now, guys. Shall we?”

The two of them obeyed, but Seulgi couldn’t register anything broadcasted on screen because her head and heart were deep in the gutter.

She wiped her tears and lifted her gaze just in time to catch a perfect, aristocratic face appearing on TV. It was a girl, looking down on the rest of the world with no emotions as if all of its clamor was beneath her.

“That one looks like she belongs to The Capitol and not to any of our district.” Minho supplied.

Seulgi read the letters at the bottom of the TV which wrote ‘District 1 Tribute: Bae Irene.’

“There goes the first of The Careers pack.” Kai’s shoulders slumped weakly.

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Seulgi didn’t know anything about fashion, but she certainly thought Heechul had outdone himself with their chariot ride costume tonight.

They were standing in line behind a giant gate with the other tributes, waiting for Caesar Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games, to finish his lively, ceremonious opening with the audience.

Once he did, the gate would open and they would parade down the street in their chariots, waving to thousands of ecstatic Capitol people as if they were on a beauty pageant.

The point was to attract attention and to make themselves people’s favorite. Still, Seulgi thought Heechul went too far to get attention.

“You put us in clothes that would literally go up on fire?” Her face was ashen.

Kai looked equally perturbed beside her.

His suit and Seulgi’s gown, both coal black with flickers of orange to resemble fire, would actually go on flame later on when they were halfway down the parade.

“It’s to show everyone that you are from District 12! The coal mining district! Press this button to start the fire when you’re ready. I have designed the fabric to be fire resistant. You won’t even feel a prickle, I promise.” Heechul was excited. “I can try setting your gloves on fire first if you want to try?”

He held the small, palm size remote expectantly, and after much internal debate, Seulgi decided to try it. It would be better to freak out now than later in front of the entire Capitol.

Her elbow-length black gloves lit with fire the second Heechul pressed the button. The bluish, orange flame her forearm all the way down to her fingertips.

It was actually quite beautiful.

“That looks awesome.” Kai admitted hesitantly. “But how do you turn the fire off? Do you push the same button?”

“With this other remote –” Heechul reached into his pocket and then his face turned whiter. A quiet second passed before he searched into his pockets one more time.

“What?” Seulgi could sense that something was going wrong.

“Umm…I think I forget the Off remote in my other suit pants.”

“Are you kidding me?” Seulgi’s eyes widened. “What the hell? Where is it now?”

“In our dressing room…?”

Trying not to laugh, Kai snorted repeatedly beside them, sounding like an idiot.

“Oh, shut up, Kai. Help me find it!” Heechul sprinted away to their dressing room, while Kai, refusing to help his flustered stylist, cracked with laughter.

The other tributes turned to look at them curiously, and some showed mockery. A tall pair – seemingly from District 2, judging from the unnecessary huge swords plastered on their backs as the symbol of weaponry – was giving them a particularly derisive laugh.

Seulgi’s cheeks seemed to go up on hotter fire than her hands.

This is so not the time to appear stupid.

“If you are not going to, I’m going to run after him and put an end to this shame. Thanks.” Seulgi grunted with low voice.

She barely whipped around to run when she accidentally crashed into something – someone – harshly.

The impact was so strong, in fact, Seulgi actually fell on her behind.

Unholy hell.

“Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t see you!” She rose to her feet immediately and reached out to help the person she had just knocked out.

“Don’t!” Her victim cut her off instantly, using a soft voice with such a surprising force to it, Seulgi’s hands actually halted midair before her brain could think.

“Are you trying to set the rest of my gown on fire?” The voice asked matter-of-factly, and Seulgi lifted her head to meet an icy, steady gaze.

It took her a second to recognize that the girl was Bae Irene – the regal-looking tribute from District 1 – and also to realize that her gloved hands were pretty much still on fire.

Did she just try helping the person she knocked out with her hands aflame?

Unholier hell.

“Irene, your gown!” A hysterical voice shrieked from behind them, followed by a woman in rainbow-colored, fluffy dress running towards them in horror. “It’s burnt!”

Seulgi soon realized that she was District 1’s stylist.

“Calm down, Sunny. It’s just a small hole no one will see.” Irene said disinterestedly without taking her eyes off Seulgi. It gave Seulgi an indescribable chill down her spine like she was being watched by a silent tigress.

“Just a small hole no one will see? Honey, I could see it from 100 feet away! Right there on your thigh!” Sunny looked appalled. “Do you know how much time and effort I poured into this masterpiece? I spent months on the design alone!”

Now, Sunny was throwing vengeful looks at Seulgi.

Seulgi winced.

Now that she got a better look at it, Bae Irene’s gown was a masterpiece.

It was a creamy white gown sewn with tiny, glassy fractals that reflected the light on each surface, looking like a gleaming sea of beautiful diamonds. Off-the-shoulder and slim-fitting, it extended all the way down to Irene’s heels.

With a long, nearly translucent cape dragging five feet behind her and her dark brown hair braided to one side, Bae Irene looked like a complete goddess befitting of District 1’s luxury title.

Well, until Seulgi burned a hole on her gorgeous dress.

“If you are done staring at your wrongdoing, perhaps you care to put that fire away and avoid more troubles, Miss – whoever you are?” Irene’s voice pulled her back to reality, dripping with the faintest, but strongest hint of sarcasm.

Seulgi sobered up immediately. “Sorry. I’ll be – I’ll be looking for my stylist to put it out. I’m sorry.”

Sunny grunted. “Heechul, isn’t it? From District 12? That hopeless guy. Ruining my masterpiece. I will be sure to bring this matter to –”

“That’s quite enough, Sunny.” Irene cut her off impatiently, not having the mood for this little ruckus. Still with a cold, hard-to-read expression on her face, she reached down to the knee-high slit on her dress and pulled out a small dagger from the black thigh-band unexpectedly hidden beneath her dress.

In one swift, practiced motion, she spun the dagger in her hand and then stabbed it onto her own thigh, shocking Seulgi at first. But, scratching no skin of its wielder, the sharp, shiny blade only ran smoothly atop the thin fabric to cut a slit down from the burnt hole, creating a longer, now thigh-high slit.

Irene leveled her gaze with Seulgi again and they seemed like they could pierce her just as easily as that dagger would if Irene wanted to.

“There. Done nicely for everyone. Now, if you both excuse me.”

She slipped her dagger back into her thigh-band easily and then brushed past Seulgi and Sunny without words. The thin cape of her dress flowing behind her like queen.

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When the clock went off the next morning, Seulgi jolted up with red eyes and a terrible headache.

She was unable to sleep. What with all the morbid thoughts flooding her mind.

Heechul’s highly dangerous dress succeeded in stealing the show last night and attracted the audience’s attention to her. However, Seulgi wasn’t sure that attracting the other tributes’ attention was also a good idea.

The Careers pack from District 1 and 2 was especially something she wanted to avoid.

Those kids trained to kill since they were little and volunteered for the Games when they were of age. They willingly – desperately – asked for it while kids from other Districts would beg to not be taken away.

Now, they were aware of Seulgi because the audience cheered way too loudly over her fiery dress and Caesar Flickerman decided to call her ‘The girl on fire.’

Seulgi’s life was difficult enough.

“Wake up, sunshine. It’s the first day of training, go kick some !” Minho shouted and pounded on her door from outside.

Rustling down her bed with unwilling steps, Seulgi proceeded with her quick morning routine before heading for the training station with Kai and Minho. Kai tried to look solid beside her but Seulgi knew that he was trembling with fear too.

The training center they were living in was a huge skyscraper with each district occupying a different floor level for sleep. However, the training stations were shared.

Stepping out of the elevator, Seulgi and Kai were welcomed by the sight of 22 other tributes already lining up for the instructors.

The male tribute from District 1, Suho, smirked at them for coming in last and nudged his two other friends to whisper something. The tall pair from the night before, Seulgi noticed.

People called them Park Joy and Park Chanyeol. A pair of siblings, apparently, which explained the similar intimidating looks and threatening height.

Irene was among them, looking unperturbed and focused on the instructor.

Seulgi’s eyes lingered on her for a little too long.

When Irene looked back at her, Seulgi turned away.

“Welcome, tributes! Welcome! Today marks the first day of your three days training.” An instructor lady commanded their attention. “Before we begin, as announced by President Snow yesterday, there will be a revelation regarding the fourth Quarter Quell’s special rules.”

The lady turned around and switched the giant screen on walls on. “President Snow, you are live.”

Snow’s characteristic white hair appeared on the screen with a leisure smile, looking as if he was enjoying his morning coffee in his grand patio.

Seulgi balled her fists.

“Good morning, tributes. Welcome to your first day of training. Today, I will reveal one of the three special rules the Gamemakers have created for you in order to make this Quarter Quell more memorable.” He put down his coffee, a crooked smile growing on his lips.

“In the previous years, The Hunger Games could take weeks to finish itself. This could happen because many times, tributes could hide with the essentials they had gathered from the wild and decided to wait it out until everybody was dead. They were, quite literally, waiting for The Games to finish itself off.”

The twisted smile gave Seulgi a heavy, unpleasant feeling in her stomach even though she didn’t know yet of what was going to be said.

“Well, this year, you can bid farewell to such a shameful, cowardice act. I hereby announce that for the fourth Quarter Quell, there will be no tools, no gears, no self-defense weapons and no easy food placed in the arena. There will be no Cornucopia as you know it. You will have to personally kill a tribute to receive something from the sponsors. A life you take away, for an essential item or weapon given to you.” Snow smiled slowly, as the shocked murmur and gasp filled the training station.

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