Dinner was a quiet affair. We watched the replay of the interviews while we ate in silence. Lolly made a few comments here and there, but even she had gone silent after mine. This could be the last time that I would ever see these people.

Mari, Aldo and Lolly all had to go to the Games Headquarters in the morning. There, they would be signing up what sponsors we had acquired, and work out what gifts to send and when. Xavier and I would be with our stylists, who would be seeing us of in the Launch Room, right below the arena we would be fighting in.

I hug Lolly first, telling her how grateful I was to have met her. She had been such a comic relief these days that felt so heavy.

Mari came second, and she said that if she had a little sister, I would be it. She told me she loved me and that she would do her best to keep my alive.

Alta and Beagan said their goodbyes right after, but since I had time with Alta tomorrow, she made it quick. She knew that the person that I needed to say my last goodbye to was Aldo.

Aldo walked towards me after giving Xavier a quick hug of assurance. I have never seen my brother weak, and it came as a surprise to me to see his eyes red, and his face with a look of defeat. Before I could speak, he pulled me into a tight hug. I hugged him even tighter.

“Get to the Cornucopia as fast as you can. You’re quicker than most of them, and better at handling a weapon. Shoot straight, aim precisely.” It was odd, hearing advice from my brother to kill another person, but I bet he would rather see me doing the killing than being the one killed. “I’ve talked it out with the other mentors. District 1 and 2 will protect you for as long as you can manage. Their tributes know this. They won’t kill you during the first day, that’s certain. You will protect them as well, while the alliance is intact. For some degree, you are protected. Since Xavier isn’t going to take part in it, I made him swear that if they broke that alliance and killed you on the first day, he would kill them. Xavier will protect you as much as he can. You’re both from District 4. He’s the only one your can trust. It will be highly unlikely that you will end up in a position where you have to kill him. Don’t worry.”

It would be the worst form of treachery if Xavier ended up killing me, and he emerged as the victor. Our district would despise him for it. Aldo would never let him forget it.

“Don’t have any reservations about killing anyone, do you understand me?” He held onto my arms and looked me directly in the eyes. There was a manic look about it that terrified me. “Your romance with Slate can only go so far.”

It did. It dawned on me that if the time came, I would end up killing him without hesitation. Whatever I told myself before, I knew that my top priority was to go home. The manic look on my brother’s face decided it for me.

“Come home,” he said, echoing what Eula and Mags said. “Never give up inside the arena, no matter how hopeless it seems.”

I nodded, putting my arms around him again. “Tell Mother and Father that I love them. I love you, Aldo. Thank you.”

We stayed that way for a few minutes. It might have been the last hug that we would ever share. Aldo had to say goodbye though, and he went to his quarters, his figure hunched. He looked like he was trying to keep himself together.

I tried to keep myself together as well, as I rushed to the elevator. In no time at all, I was out at the balcony, and I found Slate already there, looking in a foul mood than he did earlier. When he saw me, he couldn’t wait for me to take my place next to him, and he took me in his arms quickly. He buried his face in my hair as I buried mine in his chest. It would be a sleepless night for both of us, and we knew it.

“Stay with me?” I asked. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

We went up to my bedroom and made the most of this last night that we had our privacy from Panem. I didn’t care if anyone else disapproved.

Having him next to me, warm with his bare skin next to mine, eased my nerves. I slipped into the crook of his arm and wrapped my arm around his chest. He made me feel so tiny, having me wrapped around him completely.

We eventually fell asleep, and it was going to be the only decent one I would ever get for the remainder of my life.