THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

015. goodbye

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
GOODBYE
｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

SUNDAY EVENING AT Heavensbee Hall and the carefree mood that had settled onto Aurora during her lunch vanished. It was time to say goodbye to Sol.

Nervously fidgeting with her hands (that were totally sweaty, by the way) she walked towards their little table.

Sol was already waiting, her sad blue eyes looking for Aurora. Her mouth immediately formed a smile at the sight of her mentor.

"Sol!" Aurora greeted the young girl with the same smile. It was crazy how attached you could get to a person in less than a month.

She fell on the chair, leaned over the table, and breathed out loudly.
"I know you're scared and I'm too," she told her, "but I'll do my best to help you from outside. You got gifts! And we'll work with that."

Sol's eyes got even sadder. She grabbed one of the pencils and scribbled something onto the notebook.

It's fine, I know I won't win, stood there.

"No, Sol, we have to think positively about this. You've got Hy, you're not alone," she replied.

Aurora could feel her heart breaking. Sol had already made peace with her death. And suddenly her big blue eyes, that were always filled with tears, looked so much like Arachne's in her final moment.

The girl shrugged her shoulders and with a glance at Hy, who was coughing uncontrollably from time to time, she scribbled something down again.

You remind me of my older sister.

Reading these words was her last straw. She had to concentrate extremely hard or otherwise she would burst into tears any moment.

She used to always protect me, just like you did.

Aurora shook her head. She wished she could've protected that little girl from all the cruel things in the world. But she had failed, only winning would prove that wrong, but Sol had made peace with never going back home.

"I'm so sorry, Sol," Aurora whispered, now having tears in her eyes. But the girl only shook her head.

"Just remember: stick to Hy and find a place to hide and I'll get you food and water." The two were now standing in front of each other, having not much time left before the Peacekeepers would escort her away.

Aurora guessed that the Games would still happen in the amphitheater, so Sol had really the chance of getting away from the others once the Games would begin.

She wanted to say more encouraging words, but Sol shot forwards instead and hugged her.

Aurora was baffled at first, but she wrapped her arms tightly around the little girl, not wanting to let go of her. Because embracing her meant keeping her safe, at least for a moment.

A Peacekeeper arrived quickly, but before he could pull the two girls apart, Aurora took a step back, smiling sadly at the girl. That was the closest she would ever get to being a big sister.

They weren't the only ones who'd gotten the Peacekeepers' attention. Turmoil was going on at the last table, two Peacekeepers were pulling Coryo and Lucy Gray apart, they've been kissing apparently.