Ghouls, And Their King

JOHN KEATING : Then you have to talk to him before tomorrow night.

NEIL PERRY : Isn't there an easier way?

JOHN KEATING : No.

NEIL PERRY : [He laughs nervously, knowing he is doomed. He has always been doomed. There is no escape from the situation he is stuck in; he's been playing a game he cannot win.] I'm trapped!

Some people called her the princess of District Four.

With her long blond hair, wide brown eyes, sun-kissed skin, and clothes that seemed to glow with colour, Evelia Vane carried the appearance of a princess. And with that appearance came the life everyone assumed went along with it.

You see, the Vane family was the richest in Four. They didn't live in the Buldges, where families scavenged for scraps of food and sent their frail children to collect tesserae every month. No, the Vanes lived in the Gulls, sprawling seaside estates named after the birds that circled over their perfectly trimmed lawns. Their wealth came from the family's restaurant, renowned across Panem: The Lighthouse. Every generation took its turn at the helm, travelling district to district to serve meals that were expensive, and unforgettable. The Capitol itself ordered from it for their extravagant parties.

When Evelia would turn twenty-three, once she'd finish her studies at the Academy, she'd be expected to step in and lead The Lighthouse, like the perfect little Vane she was meant to be.

Or so everyone thought.

Because Evelia had never fit within the rules of the Vane family. In truth, she hadn't fit anywhere at all.

Her mind shifted like restless tides, her thoughts and ideas cutting sharp as a trident, yet her family never failed to judge her. And Four, ever suspicious of the girl they saw as haughty and untouchable, never truly let her belong.

She felt trapped in her own house, in her own mind, held in place by walls that were supposed to shelter her but instead tightened around her like a quiet punishment. The rooms were filled with polished surfaces and careful silence, yet she could never breathe in any of them without feeling Coral's expectations pressing against her ribs. Every step, every word, every breath belonged to someone else's version of who she should be. And still, she forced herself not to care. Every morning, at the first pale light of dawn, she would steal a few dishes from the restaurant, cradling them carefully before mounting her bike. She'd ride to the O'Dair fish shop to gather supplies, the early air biting at her cheeks, then pedal toward the Buldges. There, among the cramped, weathered houses, she delivered the food to the families who struggled the most, those whose children went hungry while the world outside carried on without noticing.

You might be wondering: how would the Peacekeepers react if they found out? Although helping other families wasn't forbidden, doing it every day was, as it would disturb the tesserae system and therefore the reaping.

Answer: Evelia paid for their silence. It wasn't too complicated, and if they didn't want money, she could guarantee them small privileges around District Four—access to the beach near Seafarer's Quay with its clear view and clean sand, skipping the endless queue at the Lighthouse... Peacekeepers weren't an issue.

Her mother was.

Coral Vane despised her daughter. Always had, ever since her husband had been taken away when Evelia had freshly turned four years old. She blamed her daughter for it.

Every small mistake from Evelia was the perfect excuse for Coral to pour all of her anger and hatred onto her. Evelia never said anything when it happened.

It was grief, she told herself. Her mother was grieving the love of her life, grieving his possible death; no one in Four knew if the Peacekeepers had executed him or not. He had simply disappeared, and so Coral was grieving the way he lived on through his daughter. Although Evelia looked exactly like her mother, she acted like her father.

Her father, who was a rebel.

Coral wanted Evelia to redeem herself, to find a way to manage to fit in her shoes.

But Evelia was a rebel.

And rebels never lasted long in Panem. So Evelia wouldn't redeem herself for her mother.

But perhaps she would for herself.

Evelia Vane. 16. District 4.

Haymitch Abernathy. 16. District 12.

Delta O'connor. 17. District 4.

Haldin Silverfall. 15. District 4.

Griffin Mackere. 18. District 4.

CastingMckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner <3Ben Wang as Wyatt CallowM̶o̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶M̶c̶C̶a̶n̶n̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶L̶o̶u̶e̶l̶l̶a̶ ̶M̶c̶C̶o̶y // Iona Bell as Louella "Lou Lou" McCoyLili Taylor as Mags FlanaganRalph Fiennes as Coriolanus SnowElle Fanning as Effie TrinketCourtney Eaton as Mollie CorsairJuno Temple as Zephyria BloomAngelina Jolie as HephaiaThe rest of the cast as themselves

WarningsWell this is a thg fic so the usual?? Major character death, violence, mental illness, CORIOLANUS SNOW, war themes, injury and alllll thattttt

DedicationsQuite a bunch of people wanted a dt for this book and this makes me SO happy :')) I did not expect so many people to be thrilled for this book's comeback. We're back to our roots people!So, this book is dedicated to gummogirls duable maisiekelly15 ettarivers thatteenwriterevie smcllvilles thatonehamiltonfan_ G1rlwhosb0red NepheraW_ snowboundgirl catsleftfrontpaw dazzlingstrlet svwansong _midniights finnicks_wifey xoberei coubalt _liloureynolds_ -soapyflms jjmaybanks_s lunarnightt

Author's noteWELCOME BACK BORN TO DIE!!!!!! MY FIRST CHILD!!!!!!!!

For those confused; I first published born to die back in june 2024, right after sotr got announced! I tried my best to build this book around the small crumbs regarding Haymitch's left in the original trilogy, but after sotr came out in march (and broke my heart mind you, the movie will fucking kill me) I got attached to so many characters (maysilee) and wanted evelia to interact with them (maysilee x evelia). Also, I wanted to make this book more canon compliant. So here we are.

The original plot of born to die remains the same. Some arena scenes I came up with shall stay (there's one I REALLLYYYY loved writing,, iykyk, I attend to make it better) and the oc's I created stay the same!! Welcome back Delta, Haldin and Griffin! (I did change their fcs so they fit the hunger games universe better) Also, Delta and Haldin do not happen in this book. I changed everyone's age and 15x17 is just odd and disgusting. Besides he's gay because I said so.

What else? Enjoy? I guess? I hope you'll love the maysilee & evelia interactions because these two girls will keep clocking everyone. No one shall be spared. (And if you're a maysilee hater gtfo, I mean it, I'm her biggest fan and understander I get her like no one else does. I could write a whole essay about her and how much people mischaracterise her. But instead I have to write essays about the Puritans' influence on American society bruh (I don't mind I love my major but ugh))

OKAY THAT'S IT ENJOY GUYS!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH IM SENDING YOU VIRTUAL HUGS AND KISSES LMK IF YOU RECEIVED THEM