"Cut! Excellent! That was perfect!"
Gary Ross sounded genuinely thrilled.
Cassius slipped out of character.
A glowing purple orb dropped straight from his body:
[Love's Gaze Expression +7]
He absorbed it instantly. His Eyes stat bar jumped.
After a quick break they rolled right into the next setup.
They'd barely locked back into the scene when the prop guy softly voiced the arena announcement in the background:
"Attention, tributes. Attention, tributes."
"There has been a slight rule change."
"The rule allowing two victors from the same district has been revoked. Only one victor may be crowned. Good luck."
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."
Hope shattered in a heartbeat.
Cassius's smile froze on his face.
He looked up at the sky first, eyes wide with pure disbelief, like the universe had just sucker-punched him.
Then he slowly turned his head toward Jennifer.
The camera was tight on that slow pivot—exactly what Gary had asked for.
Cassius poured every ounce of his Level 5 Emotion into the look: shock, pain, raw love and protectiveness for Katniss, and that crushing sense of helplessness against fate.
"Just do it," he said, forcing a casual tone. "One of us has to go home. They need their winner."
Jennifer's reaction was flawless.
She froze for half a second, color draining from her face. Then her eyes ignited with burning rage—at the Capitol, at the Games, at the whole sick system.
She whipped her gaze back to him, lips pressed tight, chest heaving.
The second their eyes locked again, a bright purple orb exploded off Jennifer:
[Despair in Extreme Circumstances +9]
Cassius stayed locked in as Peeta and absorbed it on the fly.
BOOM.
A massive wave of understanding crashed into him—deeper, sharper insight into how despair actually feels in your bones.
[Eyes Leveled Up! Eyes Lv5 (6/1000)]
The upgrade hit like warm lightning behind his eyes. His control over every micro-expression sharpened instantly.
He looked at Jennifer with even more depth.
Several crew members holding bounce boards actually held their breath, faces tense.
The chemistry between the two leads was electric.
"That's it! That's exactly what I wanted!" Gary was practically vibrating behind the monitor.
Next came Katniss's wild counter-plan.
Jennifer spoke low and fast, calm but urgent, laying out the poison-berries idea.
Cassius's focus stayed on his eyes.
His pupils shrank first—pure shock: Are you insane?
Then belief flooded in. He didn't say much. He just looked at her, really looked, and gave one slow nod.
He pushed his brand-new Level 5 Eyes to the limit. His gaze carried weight, heat, everything Peeta was feeling—love, fear, trust, resignation—and poured it straight into Jennifer.
She clearly felt it. The whole set went dead quiet except for the soft hum of the cameras.
Even Gary forgot to call cut, completely sucked into the silent, crackling tension.
A couple of the female crew members unconsciously covered their mouths.
For the finale they each took half the nightlock berries, palms open.
This was the ultimate middle finger to Seneca Crane and the entire Capitol machine.
"Together?" Cassius asked, looking at her like this really was the end.
"Together," Jennifer answered, voice steady, eyes fierce.
She had the plan. She had the moment.
"Okay."
Cassius didn't hesitate.
"One!"
He reached out and gently brushed her braid where it hung over her shoulder.
"Two!"
Jennifer looked straight back at him, pulled completely into the scene by his eyes and emotion. For a second she couldn't tell if they were acting or if this was real life.
"Three!"
Right as the berries were about to touch their lips—
"STOP!"
The Gamemaker's voice crackled over the hidden speakers, panicked and furious: "STOP!"
Cassius and Jennifer froze, staring up at the sky in confusion.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the victors of the 74th Hunger Games."
The berries dropped to the dirt with a soft plop.
Both of them went limp at the same instant and collapsed into each other's arms.
"Cut!"
"Perfect! One take!"
"Oh my God, what the hell was that?" Gary jumped out of his director's chair, clapping hard.
The whole set exploded with applause and whistles.
The crew who'd been sucked into the emotion were grinning, cheeks flushed, clapping like crazy.
"Holy shit, Cass—that last look was insane!" Jennifer was still leaning against him, breathing hard. "I almost believed we were really gonna eat those damn things. You dragged me right into it."
Cassius laughed, relieved, and let out a long breath.
When they wrapped for the day, Gary walked straight over and clapped him on the shoulder. "Cass, you blew every expectation I had today. That last sequence with Jennifer? Textbook stuff. Lionsgate's gonna lose their minds when they see this footage—they'll be smiling in their sleep."
"The Hunger Games—District 12 and arena sequences are officially complete!"
"Wrap!"
Gary's voice boomed through the bullhorn, tired but buzzing with adrenaline.
The entire forest camp erupted in cheers.
Hats flew into the air. People hugged and jumped around. A couple of young PAs who'd been tortured by mosquitoes and rock-hard beds for months actually dropped to their knees and kissed the muddy ground.
They were finally getting the hell out of here.
Cassius exhaled, grinning. After months of mosquito raids, Jennifer's injury, environmental protests, a goddamn shooting scare, and endless days of mud, green-screen, and wringing every last drop of emotion out of himself… it was over.
He looked around at all the familiar faces he'd bled with for months and felt a weird wave of affection.
Spring, summer, now fall.
He hadn't been home once. Had barely left these woods and the handful of other locations.
It wasn't unheard of in Hollywood, but for him it was a first.
Total immersion.
Exhausting as hell.
But the payoff was massive.
He pulled up his panel:
Acting Attribute Panel
Lines: Lv4 (688/800)
Body Language: Lv5 (145/1000)
Expression: Lv4 (680/800)
Eyes: Lv5 (6/1000)
Emotion: Lv5 (120/1000)
Rhythm: Lv4 (760/800)
Aura: Lv4 (534/800)
Three stats at Level 5, the rest more than halfway there.
He was easily twice the actor he'd been when they started shooting.
"Hey, big hero, what are you spacing out for now?" Jennifer's voice pulled him back.
She'd already changed out of the filthy Katniss costume into a simple white tank top and cargo pants. A little makeup smudge still streaked her cheek, but her smile was bright and her eyes were sparkling.
She bumped his elbow. "We're about to get yanked out of the arena and tossed back into the real world. You gonna be okay?"
"Feels like I just woke up from a dream," Cassius said, glancing at her leg. The sprain was completely gone. "Your leg one hundred percent?"
"I could probably run five miles now, but dancing? Hell yeah, I'm good."
She rolled her ankle, then leaned in closer, voice dropping to a mischievous whisper.
"There's a little wrap party in the mess tent tonight—Gary and the producers will drone on forever. Wanna ditch? I've still got some good snacks in my room."
Cassius caught the flicker of reluctance in her eyes—the same "this is ending" feeling he'd been sensing.
He nodded. "Yeah. Lead the way."
That night the basic mess tent had been dressed up with a few streamers and way better food than usual, plus whole cases of beer.
Gary, the producers, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, and the rest of the main cast were all there. The vibe was loud and warm.
Cassius and Jennifer made the rounds, clinked glasses with Gary and Woody, soaked up another round of sincere praise from the director.
Then, the second everyone started breaking into smaller groups and the party hit full swing, they slipped out together.
The forest night was still cool, but the camp glowed with lights and distant laughter and music.
They walked back to the dorm area side by side.
The second her door shut behind them, the noise from outside was still perfectly clear.
These damn modular walls had zero soundproofing.
The room was a mess—suitcase open, clothes and gear scattered everywhere.
Jennifer turned, back against the door, and looked at him.
Camp light filtered through the curtain cracks, cutting across her face in soft stripes.
She didn't speak. She just looked at him. The playful energy from the party slowly melted into something deeper.
Cassius read her perfectly.
Months of living and working side by side—on camera and off.
His Level 5 Emotion let him feel every shift in her mood like it was his own.
Who moved first didn't matter.
Jennifer came at him hard, almost desperate, like she wanted to burn through every feeling they'd built up over the last few months.
Cassius matched her completely. Level 5 Body Language let him keep up and then take the lead in their wild, wordless dance.
The cheap dorm bed let out a long, protesting groan.
A long time later the storm finally eased.
They were both drenched, breathing hard.
Neither had the energy to talk.
They just listened to each other's heartbeats slowly settle.
Jennifer's leg was still hooked over his, her fingers idly tracing circles on his sweat-slick chest.
Outside the window, the sky was just starting to show the faintest hint of gray.