"they're going to torture you with her," he says, sitting back as far as possible in the leather couch, "they know and they want you to suffer for defying them. you weren't supposed to come here and make love to a stylist, you were supposed to come here and make love to women who had money overflowing in their pockets, to make them believe you wanted only them."
cyrus's arrogance, while the mask most often worn, is visibly absent when heph tells him this and instead, there's a sliver of fear in his voice, a demonstrative crack in the monster's hard exterior. "i know, i know why they're doing this, i know they knew that in the case you were reaped, i would volunteer. i only have her to live for, heph. you have a wife and kids and i know you would be okay in there, old man," he smiles, the sign that he's still himself, "i couldn't live with myself if i kept living and you had died, not if there's more i can do."
cyrus had always known heph would be the male tribute reaped and while max or heph could be saved by cyrus's selflessness, he would allow it to be so. bluebell was his whole world but there was more to life than just the girl he accidentally fell into. moving towards the window, cyrus peaks out on general capitol life. how long has he wished for it? the ability to wake up next to bluebell, to dress in capitol fashions and follow trends, to be excited for the games and sponsor tributes, the world could be his, the bloodiest victor in the game's seventy-five year history, turned into a capitol citizen.
"cyrus. they don't want you to live, that's what i'm saying," heph finally says. "this is not a game for you to win, this is a game for you to lose horribly."
cyrus turns away from the window and faces his mentor.
"this is always a game for me to win. i killed half of a field of tributes the first time and i'll do it again. none of those other victors terrify me in the slightest. they might have nightmares, they might be strong or brave but when i meet other victors they're scared of me. terrified. they might never say it but i know what i am - a cold-blooded ruthless killer. and i'll do it again, heph."
