They were shown to suites that looked more like art pieces than rooms. A soft bed, walls that changed color, food that appeared at a whisper.
Vince touched the pillow and felt nothing. The comfort was alien. He sat on the edge of the bed until Haymitch walked in — sober, for once.
"You settling in?" the man asked, lighting a cigarette.
"Trying," Vince said.
Haymitch studied him for a moment. "You volunteered for a reason. I can smell purpose when it walks into a room."
Vince hesitated. "Maybe I just didn't want to die a coward."
Haymitch snorted. "Kid, everyone dies a coward. Question is, do you make it mean something before it happens?"
Smoke curled between them, pale against the bright walls.
The System pulsed faintly in Vince's eyes.
Dialogue Event Triggered — Mentor Interaction.
Choice: Reveal Truth (High Risk) / Conceal Intent (Low Risk)
He blinked hard. You're not making this a choice tree.
"I don't know what it means yet," he said finally. "But if I get a chance to change something, I will."
Haymitch leaned forward. "Careful with that word — change. The Capitol hears it, they turn you into an example."
"I'd rather be an example than a ghost."
A long silence stretched between them. Haymitch's eyes softened, just for a moment. "Then you better learn the rules before you try to break them."
He left without another word.
Vince turned toward the mirror. His reflection stared back — tired, determined. The System flickered again.
New Directive: Learn the Rules.
He whispered, "You're listening, aren't you?"
Always.
He froze. It wasn't just text this time — it was a whisper, soft and mechanical, like a thought not his own.
Vince stared at the reflection until the shimmer faded. Then he laughed quietly, more out of exhaustion than amusement.
"Fine," he said. "Watch me learn."
He walked to the window. The Capitol stretched endlessly below — glowing, false, alive. He could see the arena towers in the distance, silver and cold against the stars.
The System dimmed to silence, but the words stayed in his mind.
Learn the rules.
He smiled faintly, the kind of smile born from resignation and resolve. "Then I'll learn them," he murmured, "just so I can rewrite them."