Sophie froze. She couldn't breathe, move, or even think. She barely processed Keefe shaking her nervously - all she could do is watch. Edaline and Grady both glanced at her nervously, but Sophie didn't notice them. She only noticed the guards closing in on her, and with increasing desperation. She had no idea what to do.

Suddenly, the two bulky guards grabbed hold of Edaline's fragile arms, dragging her along to the tribute's building - they looked like they would snap them in an instant.

"Congratulations, Lady Ruewen. You are our female representative. Take her to the tribute's building!" She crooned, and that pushed Sophie over the edge.

"STOP!" She screamed! Anger clouded Sophie's vision; black, poisonous hatred. She couldn't stop if she wanted to, and she didn't want to. Bursts of purple and pink erupted out of her forehead, spiralling towards the guards before sinking down into them. Immediately they collapsed in cries of pain and terror, before losing consciousness completely. Edaline and Grady shot her worried looks, Keefe and the rest of the crowd's scared looks, but Lady Gisela... She merely smiled and said,

"Well well. Looks like we have the first inflictor since Bronte. Obviously unregistered." She smiled that creepy smile again. The gleam in her eyes looked dangerous. No doubt Edaline would pay the price in the arena. Sophie felt exposed and tried to shrink away. Everyone was looking at her like she was a freak. In a way she was. Well, now she didn't have anything left to lose.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Sophie announced, ignoring Keefe, Grady, and Edaline's shaking heads. Wrong choice. It was too late to take it back now though; Lady Gisela was smiling, and the guards let go of Edaline and grabbed Sophie instead. Her arms felt like they could snap, but she let them lead her to the back before the male tribute was reaped.

"Sophie Foster, age 16 is our female tribute!" Lady Gisela cried.

"Now for the male tribute." She reached inside the other bowl. Finally, she pulled out a tea-stained slip of paper, and Somehow Sophie knew who it was even before his name was called.

"Keefe Sencen, age 16!" she shrieked after merely a moment of hesitation. It broke Sophie's heart that she couldn't volunteer for him, only able to watch his fate be sealed. They were both led up to the stage, as Lady Gisela held their hands into the air.

***

Sophie sat alone in the room. Three loud knocks sounded on the door.

"Come in," Sophie muttered unenthusiastically. Edaline pushed open the door with an upset Grady. They'd obviously been crying.

"I'm so sorry that you had to volunteer for me sweetheart," Edaline apologized, her voice soft and calm. She stroked Sophie's hand affectionately.

"Reach out telepathically sometimes, will you? Or better still, use this." Grady added, handing Sophie a sleek white square.

"An imparter," Sophie whispered. She'd heard of them; they were like human phones, only they could reach anywhere.

"It was meant to be a birthday present for you in May, but now I suppose it doesn't matter..." Grady admitted, but Sophie caught his arm.

"I'm gonna come back, you do know that?" Before they had time to reply though, the guards reached for them, pulling them out of the door.

"I LOVE YOU!" Sophie shouted out the door, and then they were gone. Alone in the empty room. Alone again.

***

The train rumbled on through the districts, the elaborate curtains swaying to and fro. Sophie peered out; district 4 was coming into view, the crystal skyscrapers reaching high in the sky, above the clouds. Little figures were walking through the streets, all but one crying family. Strange. Normally there were 2. Unless the tributes were from the same family, which hadn't ever happened before. One of them probably volunteered, so the other didn't have to die alone. But It's also a guarantee that you lose a child. The rest of the town was covered in a glowing fungus, luminescent and pretty, but just so gross. It was called Foxfire if she remembered correctly. Sophie turned around when Keefe tapped her on the shoulder.

"Tirgan wants you to watch the reapings," he told her, smiling sadly, part of his face longing and wistful, but in a second his face was back to normal. Sophie stared for one more second before turning away, towards Keefe. He smiled encouragingly and held out his arm. Sophie gladly took it. Together they walked into the lounge area of the train where Tirgan was waiting. His olive-toned skin clashed with his dark eyes. A flash of memory circled Sophie's brain; Tirgan adopted a son called Wylie after Prentice was sent to Exile, the most secure prison in existence.

The tributes from District 1 were a pair of twins called Tam and Linh - the Neverseen made twins both go in the arena even if only one of them is reaped, though Sophie got the feeling that one would've volunteered anyway so they could be with the other. The District 2 tributes were called Dex and Stina. From District 3, Jhen and Mylah - neither of which Sophie knew. District 4 was Fitz and Biana. Which made sense - Fitz wouldn't have let Biana go into the arena alone.

From the Neverseen districts (District 5 & 6) were a man called Ruy, who volunteered, and Memmy, who didn't. In District 6, there was a pyrokinetic (A fire maker) called Fintan and a teenage girl called Glimmer. In 7 were Wylie and Maruca, Tirgan's son Wylie. District 8 was made up of some kids called Jensi and Marrela - one was only 12, the other was 15 like her. District 9 was the Ogre and Gnome District - which was especially cruel as they together totalled nearly as many as the humans before most of them were destroyed, and both species hated each other due to an incident a couple years before the Neverseen came to power. The ogre was called Ro and the gnome Flori. District 10 - the goblin district - were Sandor and Grisel. 11 was obviously Sophie and Keefe. The human district, District 12 was John and...

"No!" Sophie shouted. Not Amy. "No no no no no. It can't be!" Amy was supposedly Sophie's sister when she'd lived with humans, and despite her attempts to move on, she couldn't help caring about her. Keefe reached for her hand, and she didn't pull away.

Suddenly, the train began to slow down, jerking Sophie and nearly making her fall over, and she would've if Keefe hadn't caught her.

"We are coming into the capitol," Tirgan told her once she'd steadied herself. "Prepare to meet the crowds."