i need humanity [marcus; post 8th]

he has been suspended in a reality that he is not familiar with. the edge of what it probably meant to lose his own sanity. all he can think about, dream about, is his will to make it out alive. to see his father once more, and to see his brother. marrow is in his way and he knew that. he swung, and swung until finally, he heard a large bang.

a part of her head went flying, a little piece, a glimmer, just like her hands moments before. marcus delivered what he promised to her, and her screams were viloent and wistful. he is delirious for a moment, but then remembers that luja died by this girls hand. she mustve. a part of him hoped that luja would have been his final opponent, poetic in an outright matter. the capitol had to be capable of making something like that happen.

but marrow would do too. he knew that.

from there, all he could hear were murmurs and whispers of sounds that sounded like they were congratulating him. telling him that he had made it out of the maze, the lone survivor.

everything went black moments after, the adrenaline causing a sensory overload and eventually led marcus to faint.

the sword has been removed from him, he feels nothing in his hands as he drifts off into a slumber.

---

he wakes up drenched in sweat and covered in bandages. he did not dream of marrow, or luja, or anyone else for that matter that he had killed in the arena. all he could see was black. it was like his brain was keeping all of that stored for another time. the trauma dump would come eventually, his body needed to heal.

he looked up to see a nurse penciling in some notes as they greeted him. they told him they werent sure when he was going to wake, and that some of his wounds had almost gone to sepsis. they were able to pull him out of the hole that he was almost put in, but the nurse shared with him that he might be here for a little while.

"how long has passed." marcus asks, his arm searing as he tried to move it. "a week." the nurse said quietly as they enter a few more notes on the paper, and then ask marcus to take it easy. they ensure him that he will get the best care they can provide, seeing as he is the newest victor to join the ranks.

"no one thought there would be another district with two victors in a long time." the nurse shared with him, then they pointed to the glass, noting there had been a couple of people waiting for him to wake up. he recognized only one of them.

terra.

"i didnt think i was going to make it out either." marcus shares, being truthful in this moment because he really did have nothing to hide. "the moment you started hacking that girl, one hand at a time?" the nurse posed a rhetorical question. "never mind, rest up." the nurse exits the room and leaves marcus to stew on his own thoughts.

he tries to sit up, expecting them to let people in to see him, but was he ready for that?

that was still left to be determined.