In the 49th District Natural Man Park, Della had two choices: wait to be drawn, or actively enter the death game.
She is the daughter of a death row prisoner. She has tattoos on her face that cannot be washed away, and she is holding a broken bow used for hunting. Her adoptive mother is in a coma, her sister has just turned thirteen, and the family never has enough food. She needs to win - because only one out of a hundred people can survive, and the one who survives will be given eternal life and endless wealth and stay in the capital forever.
The nobles in the capital called this live fight "The Gift of the Tree of Life."
Della called it her only chance.
Ever since she was fourteen years old when she learned that the capital's medical technology could save her adoptive mother, she had been preparing for this day. She practiced bow and arrow hard, fought wild beasts in the jungle, and traded prey for food on the black market. She was called the "Archer". She silently collected all information about the death game, analyzed previous players, and waited for the draw day.
But from the age of thirteen to seventeen, she was not selected every time.
This year, she turns eighteen. My sister, Beth, also happened to be in the lottery. Beth gave her a Flamebird Medal and prayed that she wouldn't be drawn. The flame bird is the auspicious bird of District 49, symbolizing rebirth in desperate situations. Della pinned the medal to her chest and said sorry to her sister in her heart.
No matter who is drawn, she will walk into that tribute.
And her secret is far more than this.
Intention: When a person is defined as a "sacrifice" by the system, how does she refuse to become a sacrifice and in turn declare war on the system.