Raylic Chevalier (17) Escapee of 72nd Games

Anya had led us, the four tributes from the Games, into a van that had heavy curtains on its windows. We were all blindfolded despite our protests, and she sat with us as the driver drove on. It was a rough terrain, very rocky, and we were thrown up from our seats many times. Roslin swore beside me, and I resisted doing the same. I knew Anya wasn't happy about what was happening. While everyone was working to get the rebels out, she had the misfortune of being stuck with us, the escapees, and escorting us to safety.

"Will you stop cursing?" she had muttered.

"Will you remove the blindfold?"

"No," she had replied icily, "Just shut up for some time Roslin. I request you!"

That had been a while back. Now, we were all in a weird room, with lots of computers. It was a cave by all means, and I wondered how the computers were powered. Nikona gasped.

I followed his gaze and almost screamed. Near one of the computers, the floor was covered with dried blood, blood so old that I wondered what its story was. Soon, we were all looking at it, attracted and repulsed at the same time. Anya looked at it too and frowned.

"This has been here since years," she said, reading our thoughts, "No matter how much anyone has tried to remove it, it just doesn't go."

"What had happened here?" Ryder asked, the only one who wasn't unnerved by this.

"During the Sixtieth Games, there had been a rebel named Samara Elvin. She had died here, and it is her blood. For some reason, it just can't be removed."

"Is this place haunted?" Nikona asked, and I detected a slight fear in his voice.

"No no!" Anya exclaimed, "It's a safehouse. The only thing that this story has done is to keep Snow and his people away. This place has been… unlucky for him. but it's completely safe for us, because they'll be certain to not visit here."

"That's a relief," Roslin and I said together, although I wasn't entirely convinced. Something about the dried blood was unsettling, something told me we shouldn't be there. A person had died here. If I remembered correctly, Samara Elvin was the victor of the Fifty Eighth Games, who had mysteriously passed away. And now, after more than a decade of her death I found out what had happened.

"There are only computers here," Nikona pointed, "and there seems to be no other room here."

Anya grinned at him, smiling probably for the first time in days. She casually walked over to a very large machine that rested against the far right wall, and entered some code. The machine, that looked so huge and immovable, simply slid aside, revealing a doorway.

"This is where you'll stay till things calm down."

Third Person POV

A few hours ago

Regal Winter simply marched into the Vice President's mansion, knowing very well that he would be caught. And sure enough, Peacekeepers surrounded him, and soon he was handcuffed while one of the Peacekeeper ran to inform Nerissa.

"Come on guys, that's you treat your guest?" Regal asked, looking around. Nerissa was certainly fond of swords, for they hung on every wall as decoration. There were a lot of them, and Regal was reminded of his beloved father. He scoffed.

He heard clicking of heels, and he looked in amusement as Nerissa Verity appeared, her golden hair tied up in a bun, her beautiful slender frame giving the aura of confidence. Her eyes, amethyst due to lenses, burnt hard at seeing Regal.

"Hello Ms. Verity!" Regal greeted cheerfully, "How're you?"

"How come you're alive?" she asked in her slow voice, as if she measured every single word that she muttered.

"That, madam, is your grace. I come here in good faith though, and am really upset with the way I'm being treated."

"You've walked into your enemy's den."

"Oh no no no," Regal replied, his cheerfulness intact, "I'm here with an offer."

"An offer?"

Nerissa's eyes widened slightly as she regarded the boy in front of her. She wasn't so sure; not only was he alive, he was the same age as the time he had died, which was more than twelve years ago. But he was here, and right now she needed to finish him off.

"Sure, let's go to my study and discuss it."

Nerissa's study was almost like a library in itself. Rows and rows and rows of books were neatly stacked, and right now Regal wondered how many books were available there as he was made to sit across the large wooden table, facing Nerissa.

"So, tell me. What's your offer?"

"Release the citizens you've wrongly convicted. You know whom I'm talking about."

"They're rebels."

"No," Regal said calmly, "They are ordinary citizens whom I brainwashed into doing this. It's not their fault."

"Whatever."

"I mean it. No rebel activity will take place at all."

"I can't just release them, Regal. What can you offer in return?"

"I'm ready to offer myself."

"Well," Nerissa smirked. Now she was liking how this was going.

"I've been organising it, all these activities, and they just followed. It's all my doing."

"But they still participated."

"Nerissa, if anything I've learnt anything from my late father, President Winter, it is getting things done. Believe me, I've more than many ways to persuade ordinary people into doing things."

"Are you trying to persuade me into releasing them?"

Regal smirked. "I said ordinary people, Nerissa. You're not ordinary by any means."

"So you're basically surrendering yourself?"

"Yes. You can do whatever you wish to do with me. Just let them go. Please."

Nerissa regarded him coldly, before a smirk broke on her face. She reached out and touched his cheek lightly, and it took all of Regal's will to not cringe at her touch.

"Very well, I accept it. Jacob, send a message. We will release the rebels. Also, inform President Snow that a guest will be joining him soon."

Both Nerissa and Regal knew she wasn't going to release the rebels. He just needed a distraction to get them out though, and he slightly tapped the dial of his watch thrice before changing the time by five minutes. There, his friends would know what to do.

"Are you ready to meet the President, Mr. Winter?"

Regal smirked again.

"My pleasure."

Sagittarius "Sage" Ryans (18) D4M

I was not happy to be back in Victor's Village.

This just reminded me of the Games so vividly, something I wanted to avoid. However, at least I had a large painting of Kitty painted on the wall of my room, at which I could look at comfortably from my bed. And she was actually smiling here, so that helped.

I had not heard much from the rebels. Haley had visited once, and she had refused to say anything on it. Rather, she wrote on a piece of paper that the rebels had been rescued and that Regal had surrendered, before burning it.

I regretted how I had treated Regal for not being a human. I was broken, and I just thought that he couldn't understand my emotions, that he was mocking them. But I was wrong. That guy sacrificed himself for everyone who supported him. That was a big thing.

"Oh Kitty," I sighed, as I stared at her smiling face, "Why did I think so wrong of him? He might even be dead to save our necks."

She, obviously, did not reply.

"You know," I continued as if she could listen, "I wish Cress could return to Victor's Village. But he has to go into hiding. He is fun.

"You know Kitty, I was wrong about him too. I always blamed him for my cousin's death. Her name was Virgo. But Kitty, he made the arena a good place for her, the way you did for me."

I sighed as my eyes moistened.

"But I lost him too. I don't have anyone with whom I can share all this. I just-I just wish that everyone from the Games is safe and doing well. It's kind of sad that they can't meet their families. I'm lucky in that regard."

As I stared at her portrait, I wondered what Regal must be doing now, where the rebels were, and how the escapees were handling things. A lot of action was certainly going on, of which I wasn't a part. I wished I could help them in some way though. They needed all the help they could get, and the Capitol deserved every bit of it. they called us anarchists, terrorists, but we were here for freedom. Sadly, I hadn't been able to contribute much.

The doorbell rang suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts. Who would visit me at such an hour?

I cautiously walked to the door, a knife clutched in my hand, and slowly opened the door, only to find a bewildered looking Haley standing there. She pushed me aside and entered my house, and gestured me to close the door.

"What happened?" I asked, worried.

"I got news from our source in the Capitol."

"What is it?"

She looked at me softly, before looking around to make sure nobody was there. It wasn't necessary, I would have warned her had that been the case. She let out a deep breath, and told me something that shocked me and gave me relief simultaneously.

"Regal escaped!"

Aye, I ended it with a cliff hanger :) I just had to. And with this chapter, however lousy it is, we come to the end of Dawn of Light.

I can't believe I'm going to put this to Completed, but that's good too. I really, really loved to write this story, and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much. Again, a very heartfelt thank you to each and everyone of you who submitted to this, who read this and who reviewed this. It honestly means a lot to me.

Please let me know the final thoughts on this story, if you remember it. Also, what do you think the rebels are up to? Like, what do you guess will happen next?

In case you guys didn't get who Samara is, she was there in Surviving the Sea. You may check it out if you want ;) (that was shameless self-promotion).

But again, thank you for sticking with the story and with me.

Have a great day!