Blaine's legs were numb from kneeling on the floor. He started shaking again when the cannon fired a few minutes ago. Earlier in the Games he had somehow known that Kurt was safe whenever each death was signaled. This time Blaine felt something else in his heart. His confidence had been completely shaken and panic started to set in. What if that had been Kurt? Blaine knew his boyfriend was weaponless when he disappeared. And the tributes from 1 had been in alliance since training. What if they caught up to him? Blaine's stomach churned and he started dry heaving. By the time he stopped coughing, Blaine's face was hot with tears. Had he really come this far only to fail in the final hour?

Burt felt sick as he watched Blaine suffer another breakdown. He knew exactly what the boy was thinking right now. The cannon had signified another death, and Blaine had no way of knowing that Kurt was safe. Burt knew he had to do something. He collected the rest of the donations from sponsors and prepared a final gift to be sent into the arena.

Blaine was beyond caring. He was contemplating taking his own life just so it would be over when a silver parachute landed directly in front of him. He sat there staring at it for several minutes before he finally forced himself to reach for it. He fought the urge to throw it against the wall. Blaine didn't want to know what gift Burt had sent him when all he could feel was guilt that the man had lost his son because Blaine failed to protect him. His hands opened the parachute mechanically and he felt his hope regrow as the item rolled into his hand. Closing his fist around the gift, Blaine smiled at the simplicity of the message. Kurt was alive. Blaine opened his hand again. He was holding Kurt's mother's wedding band. Burt kept it on a chain around his neck with the promise that he was holding onto it until it was time to pass it onto Kurt for his own fiancee. With one simple gift, Burt sent Blaine hope. He let himself picture their lives in a world without the Games. Blaine smiled as he imagined writing a song to sing for Kurt on their wedding day. A chilling voice behind him shattered the image and brought him harshly back to reality.

“‘Sup homo?”

Kurt screamed in frustration as he walked into yet another dead end. He knew he should probably keep quiet in case Karofsky was lurking nearby, but Kurt would rather draw the monstrous boy to him than let him find Blaine first. He didn't even realize he was crying until he tasted the salty tears that had pooled in the corners of his mouth. Kurt hastily wiped his face and started to backtrack to his last turn.