The siren's cry carried through District 12 like a blade. Every footstep fell in rhythm with it — slow, reluctant, final.
Vince walked with the crowd, trying to keep his breathing steady. The System's faint overlay followed him, lines of light only he could see.
Objective: Attend selection event.
Status: Mandatory.
He wanted to laugh at how casual it sounded. Mandatory, as if the threat of death were a bureaucratic formality.
Children filed into the square. The air stank of coal dust and cheap perfume from Capitol officials. Two stages stood ahead — one for Effie Trinket's glittering absurdity, the other for the mayor's hollow words.
Vince's gaze swept the crowd until he saw her: Katniss Everdeen, standing tall despite the fear pressed into her bones. A single braid over her shoulder, eyes already scanning for exits that didn't exist.Something in him steadied. So it's real. All of it.
The System pulsed faintly.
New Variable detected: Subject K.
Potential synergy: 78 percent.
"Synergy," he muttered under his breath. "You're reading people like code now?"
No answer, only a small hum — as if the world itself was holding its breath. Effie's voice chirped through the static of the loudspeaker, brittle and cheerful: "Ladies first!"
Names were drawn, folded paper trembling in her hand. Then she said it.
"Primrose Everdeen."
Vince felt the air snap. Katniss moved before the sound even faded, a blur of motion and love. "I volunteer!"
He'd seen this scene before — in ink, in film, in imagination — but living it was different. The world went utterly silent except for her voice echoing against stone.
The System flickered.
Event detected: Narrative anchor achieved.
Optional Substitution available.
The words didn't make sense until Effie turned the bowl for the boys. A dozen names waited inside. Vince knew what came next. Peeta Mellark and this time he didn't hesitate.
"I volunteer."
Every head turned. The crowd murmured like wind through dry grass. The mayor blinked, unsure of protocol. "You— You wish to volunteer, son?"
"Yes." His voice came out calm, firmer than he felt. "I volunteer as tribute."
Katniss stared at him, shock mixing with suspicion. She'd never seen him before; District 12 was full of forgettable faces. But something in his tone — quiet, sure — made her stop shaking.
Effie's painted smile wavered, then returned, bright as broken glass. "Two volunteers! How lovely!"
Vince stepped onto the stage beside Katniss. From this height, the district looked smaller than ever, a cage pretending to be a town.
The System flared again, warm against his vision: Quest Complete: Alteration Confirmed. Branch timeline initiated.
He whispered under his breath, "What did I just do?"
Deviation +100 percent. Plot stability decreasing.
The words felt alive, almost excited. He ignored them. Katniss's hand was trembling, and without thinking, he reached out. She didn't pull away.
When the anthem began, he looked at the Capitol emblem burning across the sky and thought, I've just broken history.
The crowd dispersed slowly, stunned. Mothers wept quietly, fathers stared at their boots. Vince caught a glimpse of Peeta — wide-eyed, pale, a mixture of relief and guilt crossing his face. Vince nodded once, not in comfort but in understanding.
Backstage, as Peacekeepers herded them toward the train, Katniss finally spoke. "Why did you do that?"
He didn't know how to explain destiny, or systems, or the feeling that the world itself had been waiting for him to interfere. So he just said, "Because someone had to."
The door shut behind them with a metallic click.
Main Objective Updated: Survive the Capitol.
Vince exhaled. "Yeah," he muttered. "One step at a time."
Outside, the siren faded into silence. Inside, the train waited — gleaming, hungry, and fast.