Chapter 16:
Slowly, Draco removed his gown, letting it fall onto the marble floor. Next, he ripped away his bandages, revealing patched-up injuries. There was a long line made diagonally of his chest, as Draco glanced down on it.
Moving wasn't the best decision, but Capitol's medicine was quite a leap above Earth's. He would be as good as new in a matter of a few days, thus he decided to simply leave the hospital for now.
He lifted his eyes, staring into the mirror. He looked different now. His hair had grown longer, stretching behind his back into a mullet. There was a little beard covering his face, making him look a few years older. And, Draco realized that he simply looked older, more mature.
Sighing, Draco stepped into the shower, letting the water begin pouring down. He stood unmoving, waiting till it heated up, until stepping forth. Warmness spread along his body, as he stared down at his feet, where red water constantly flowed down.
Draco saw the huge scar from that shark and a lively injury from those wolves. Eventually, Draco raised his head back up, suddenly turning off the heating, causing cold water to attack him from above. It was chilly, refreshing, reminiscent of the coldness he had experienced during the game.
Suddenly, he was back in that field, staring at the burning flames. Seneca's face popped inside of his mind, followed by a fit of rage. Before he even realized it, Draco punched the wall before him, cracking the tile. Then, he turned around, kicking at the glass wall surrounding the shower, cracking it immediately.
Draco grabbed the sink with his two hands, ripping it off from the wall and throwing it at the wall nearby. Then, he punched the mirror, cracking it into little shreds. Only once the entire room was utterly destroyed did Draco halt his actions, breathing unstably.
Putting on a shirt and some trousers on his wet body, Draco opened the door towards the bedroom, acting as if nothing had happened. It was the same room where he had been staying previously, with a huge window overlooking the Capitol.
He opened the window, putting his chin on his forearms as he leaned against the frame. Staring off into the distance, Draco took out an MP3 player from his pocket. He had bought it for 1 coin in the shop, for he thought that it was quite a deal.
Unlimited Spotify was imprinted in it, after all.
He pressed on it, putting in the headphones, as music overwhelmed his system. His favorite song, Exit Music by Radiohead, was being played. As he was staring off into the distance, Draco took out a pack of cigarettes. He had gotten it from a nurse after a few requests.
Taking out one cigarette, Draco lit it up, putting it into his mouth. He wasn't a big smoker, but he felt like making an exception today. Tendrils of smoke stretched out into the dark sky, as Draco released a cloud after a cloud.
His nostrils picked up the disgusting smell, but it was whatever. He barely registered what was happening around him, for he was too deep in his thoughts. Yet, even then, it was impossible to not feel those disgusting eyes upon him, especially after increasing his perception.
"I guess you didn't come here to join me for a smoke," Draco mumbled, turning around. Hidden in the shadows, Draco could see President Snow sitting on a chair, staring back at him.
"You guessed right, Draco Ashvale." Snow's voice was low, threatening even. "I have come here to apologize on behalf of the Gamemaster and check up on the winner of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."
"Apology accepted." Draco turned back around, taking another hit of the cigarette. "Now, would you mind leaving me alone?"
"That's quite harsh of a welcome." Snow continued to speak, smiling slightly. However, Draco wasn't scared or intimidated. He knew that the man wanted to have everything under his control, but Snow wouldn't kill a winner. Other than that, Draco was going to leave this world in 12 hours anyway, so it barely mattered.
"Listen, old man, I don't know what you want of me, but you aren't going to get anything of me." Draco shrugged, continuing to stare off into the distance. "There is simply nothing that you can threaten me with."
"There is always something, Draco." Snow's smile disappeared from his face. "What if something happened to your precious mentor? What if something happened to Katniss's family, whom you have been so desperate to protect?"
'This guy...' Draco mumbled to himself, exhausted.
Draco threw the cigarette away, turning off the music. His eyes gleamed with a bit of redness, killing intent radiating from him. "If I wanted to, I could easily kill you right this instant, and those men standing behind the door wouldn't save you in time."
Snow slightly raised his eyebrow, but Draco continued. "Next time you come to threaten me, perhaps you should consider choosing a place more secure for yourself, or you might not know what I am going to do."
Snow frowned, standing up. "I believe the games have taken a toll on your mind. Perhaps I should visit you a bit later. I hope you will be ready for the ceremony tomorrow, anyway."
Draco ignored the man, staring off into the distance. Knowing that Snow couldn't do anything to him right now made him not fear the man at all. After all, they already fucked up with the games, they couldn't bring a tortured man to the ceremony as well, could they?
Draco heard the door click and he sighed, falling onto the bed and dropping asleep immediately. He was angry. He wanted to rip Seneca apart, limb by limb, but, more than that, he was angered at his weakness.
He swore to never feel shitty like this again.
-
The next day, Draco woke to the sight of an atrocious dress being presented to him. Haymitch and Effie hovered above, smiling pitifully, not really knowing whether to feel good that Draco survived or feel sad that Katniss was no longer with them.
Draco promptly dressed up, his attire consisting of a black sweater with a bit of gold embroidered within it, and a long manly skirt that stretched out till the ground, hiding his feet. Not a comfy one. Not fashionable either, but it was whatever.
Soon, Draco was in an elevator, accompanied by numerous Peacekeepers. He was being risen to the podium. Staring through the elevator's glass walls, Draco saw hundreds and thousands of people awaiting his arrival, along with multiple huge screens.
As he waited to get to the top, Draco glanced at the clock. Just 25 minutes remained till his disappearance from this world. Draco couldn't wait to get out of this place. He was exhausted from the Capitol.
Eventually, the elevator stopped and Draco stepped out of it with a huge round of applause. It slowly turned into sheer excitement, as Draco stared at the Capitol people basically trampling upon each other just to take a closer look at the winner.
Draco didn't smile, nor did he have, remaining stoic.
President Snow appeared by his side, smiling at him. Draco rolled his eyes, seeing Snow step forth and stop in front of the microphone. His voice resounded through the Capitol. "The 74th Annual Hunger Games has come to an end and, as everyone can see, its winner Draco Ashvale is alive and well."
The audience sighed in relief and Snow continued. "I understand that a lot of people were disappointed in the Gamemaster's questionable actions, but I assure you that this will not repeat itself in future games. In Hunger Games, every district will be given an equal chance of becoming a winner. This has always been and will continue to be the main policy of the games."
"Draco Ashvale...an orphan from District 12 is now standing as the winner." Snow took his moment of silence, pointing at Draco standing behind him. "Everyone has seen his bravery and commitment. He proved himself to be worthy of this title, and thus he should be rewarded accordingly."
Draco stood on the spot, the words barely registering in his mind. Snow nodded to a Peacekeeper, who opened and held out a box, from where Snow took out a golden crown. Slowly, Snow made his way to Draco, smiling at him.
Draco dipped his head slightly, letting Snow crown him. Then, Snow walked back, talking into the microphone. "Now, we shall celebrate the-" Snow was in the middle of continuing his speech when Draco's hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him.
"As the winner, I believe everyone would want to hear me say a speech as well before we wrap this up," Draco smirked at Snow, causing some irritation to surface on his face. "Don't you agree, President Snow?"
Draco stood near the microphone so that everyone would hear him, not letting Snow even decide in the first place. "I, most definitely, agree," Snow said, taking a step away from Draco.
Yet, before that, Snow leaned a bit closer to Draco, mumbling. "Don't do something you will regret in the future."
In response, Draco simply shrugged, grabbing the microphone into his hands, beaming a fake smile. "How are you doing, great people of Capitol? Was the Game to your liking?!"
The entire city exploded into shouts, voicing their excitement.
"Of course it was, how could it not be, right?" Draco's smile deteriorated slowly from his face, as he looked up at the shining sun. "I have been contemplating the entire night what kind of speech I want to give, or do I want to give one at all. However, in the end, I decided that it was crucial...in order to reassure myself."
"That's right. The speech I am going to give will be for selfish reasons, but perhaps some people might earn some inspiration from it as well." Draco said, staring at the camera hovering above, addressing the Districts. Then, Draco took a deep breath, exhaling into the microphone. "Ever since I was young, I had one dream and one dream only. However, no matter what I tried to do, it was impossible to achieve."
"Yet, of course, like every cliche story, I received an opportunity. A chance to make that dream come true. I was excited, ready to do everything just to get a bit closer to my goal, yet I was met with failure on my very first prospect." Draco sighed, looking over the Capitol people. "Doubts began to rattle in my brain. Perhaps my dream is truly impossible to achieve. Are such hardships even worth it? Maybe living a normal was my destiny?"
Draco grabbed the crown from his head, staring at it as he continued. "However, I have discovered that this is exactly what I have sought. Life of unpredictability. It's not exactly the power that I wanted, but it's the process of getting it. I have come to the realization that I have never felt so alive, never felt so mad and frustrated."
Draco stretched out his hand, dropping the crown on the ground. "Failure is just an obstacle in the path of success. Thus, just as sure as the tides start turning, just as sure as the night has dawn, I will keep on trying, until I stand on the top."
Draco brought three fingers to his lips and then raised them into the air, smiling. "So, keep on trying and trying, for it is impossible to succeed without experiencing failure first."
And, then, Draco vanished from the spot. He disappeared like he was never there, leaving all the Peacekeepers utterly confused. On the other hand, Snow was frowning, staring into the spot where Draco previously stood.
This was the second time in two days that he felt so out of control of the situation, and he hated it.
-
Draco woke up for the third time in a matter of 24 hours. This time, Draco wasn't in a hall, but instead in some sort of forest. Soft grass brushed the back of his head and a cerulean sky opened up before him, a few birds chirping in the distance.
Slowly, Draco rose from the ground, inspecting his surroundings. Everything was green and colorful. He heard the peaceful chirping, carried down by the wind. For instance, Draco closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation.
When he opened them, a screen was lingering in the air before him.
-
[World: The Hunger Games]
[Mission Conclusion: Failure]
[Mysthrals Hunted: 3/4]
[Evaluation: B+]
[You have received 230 Coins]
[You have received Medium-Grade Equipment Gacha Spin(The Hunger Games)]
-
Draco stared at the screen, multiple questions popping inside of his brain. For now, Draco removed it, deciding to find out where he was first. Draco thought for a few moments, choosing south as the path where he would go.
He had some PTSD of forests from the Hunger Games, so he hated the feeling of being in one again. After a few minutes of walking, Draco stumbled upon a huge waterfall. The water was crystal clear and there was that fresh smell that accompanied it.
Glancing down, Draco remembered that he was still dressed in the same gown. He stretched his legs, ripping the skirt in the middle. Draco was about to continue in his wandering, when a little fish popped out from the surface of the water.
Draco stared at it for a long time, before mumbling. "Cal?"
The fish lingered in the water for some time before suddenly shifting and growing bigger. Before even knowing it, Draco was standing opposite Cal, who was still white as ever and had no face.
"How did you know it was me?" Cal asked, turning its head to the side as if surprised.
"I don't know. I just guessed." Draco was honestly as surprised as Cal. He just thought Cal could do something as dumb as transforming into a fish to play a prank, and turns out that he was right.
Cal shrugged and smiled, before taking a seat on the ground, just a few feet away from the water. "So, how was it? The first mission is usually a shock for most employees, for they start realizing that it's not a mere child's play."
"Yeah, it was indeed...difficult." Draco sighed, taking a seat on the ground as well.
"Don't worry. Surviving is worth more than succeeding." Cal raised a finger, explaining. "Besides, your situation was extremely fucked. Usually, most employees only face white worms till their third mission, yet you had to face both an Umbralis and a Psionist on your first one. It's a miracle you are here."
"I guess." Draco shrugged, not knowing what to add.
"And, don't worry, the system is fair. You might have failed, but I believe you got better rewards than most employees on their first missions." Cal stated, staring off into blank space. "Oh, yeah, you definitely did. A gacha spin and so many coins? That's bomb. You are also level 6 - that's above average after the first mission."
Draco nodded. It seemed like his struggles weren't for naught. He might have failed, but he did everything he believed to be possible. Thus, he received rewards for that. "What exactly is that gacha spin?"
"Well, in your case, you got a Medium-Grade for Equipment, which will basically give you some sort of Equipment from the Hunger Games. Since it's Medium-Grade, it will probably be something useful but not overly overpowered." Cal mumbled. "That's a good reward."
Draco nodded. This was indeed not that bad. Still, Draco had some lingering questions that he had been holding off ever since the end of the Hunger Games. "What exactly does it mean to fail a mission? I mean, after all, my mission is to kill all of the Mysthrals, but what if they just start running away? Would that not be considered a failure as well?"
"No. The system is perfect. It accounts for all of that." Cal stated, not adding anything. "If Mysthral ran away before finishing up their mission, then it won't be considered a failure. Yet, if they do afterward, then, unless you kill them, it will be a failure like in your case."
Draco put a finger up to his chin. "Alright, that makes sense. And one more question - you said only main characters couldn't get infected by Mysthrals but wasn't Peeta one of the main ones?"
Cal scratched the back of his head. "I didn't tell you something like this? By main characters, I meant only the protagonists."
Draco opened his mouth slightly, wanting to punch Cal in the face. "You didn't tell me something as important as this?"
"Sorry, must have slipped my mind." Cal laughed it off, scratching its head.
"So, is there only one protagonist in one world?"
"Usually, yeah, but there are different cases. For instance, the world of Naruto has two: Naruto and Sasuke respectively. Marvel Universe is a bit of a dump. Depending on which movie or series you get transported to, there can be different protagonists." Cal sighed. "Honestly, I did make a bit of a mess when I was still young."
Draco sighed, guessing he would just have to go with the flow. He looked around. "Alright, so where are we right now?"
"Oh, this is my domain, I am sure you will like it here." Cal stood up, looking up at the sky. "I would have loved to give you a tour, but I am not done swimming. My companion will show you around."
With that, Cal snapped its fingers, causing a little brown monkey to appear on the ground. Its eyes were round and black, appearing extremely cute. Even Draco wanted to take it by the cheeks and strange it to death.
"Show him around." Cal waved, jumping into the water.