"She's ... she's going to bring it all down," Alex said, her mouth going dry.

There was a huge knot forming, in the pit of her stomach. And yet ...

And yet there was something else, larger, threatening to consume her. A wave of ... pride? Awe?

No matter what came next, Katniss was ending this on her own terms.

She was horrified that some part of her was congratulating a teenager on what could very easily be a suicide move. But this arena was a death trap, and this was an exit that no one could have anticipated. Maybe the blaze of defiance was worth it.

The screen was getting blurry, so she had to blink her eyes once or twice, very quickly.