Shoving his fingers down his raw throat, Eden vomited the remaining contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl he clung to. Throughout the last hour, stylists have been fitting him into various outfits for photoshoots while asking him questions about himself to publish in magazines since there were no interviews. He engorged so much during the supper that his stomach was bloated. Feeling nauseous, he excused himself and began puking and has been for the last ten minutes.<br/><br/>With a groan, he leaned against the stall wall and breathed heavily. The nausea wouldn't go away albeit the sourness in the back of his throad did. He began to think that it was the anxiety that prolonged this sickening feeling. With that in mind, Eden got up and groggily left the stall and washed his hands in the extended sink with squiggly, technicolor faucets. Lowering his head, he slurped the water in his hands, then splashed his face with it. With his hands on the edges of the sink, he stared at the dripping-wet face in the mirror. That man's dark skin was paler than Eden's; the scleras of his eyes were scribbled with red; and, somehow, his guantness was even more distinct than Eden's.<br/><br/>"If you can't get through this day," he muttered to that man in the mirror, "how the<span style="font-style: italic">hell</span>do you suppose you can get through the Game?" He sighed and closed his eyes.<br/><br/>"You won't." Eden jumped and looked over at another man in the mirror behind the other. Stark walked passed Eden and leaned back against the sink. He picked at his fingernails as he said, "I've watched you, seen how you train and everything; and I can tell you now..." He looked at Eden and smiled. "... you have absolutely no chance." He almost laughed as he said that. Eden glared at him as though what he said was nonsense, but he didn't believe that himself. "I mean," continued Stark with an amused look, "even that bitch who scored 4 has a better chance. She looks like she could run fast or even climb. You on the other hand... are strong, but you need more than that. You need to learn how to use that strength to help you. You need skill. And, unfortunately, that's not-"<br/><br/>"Are you going anywhere with this?" asked Eden with a frustrated sigh. "Or are you just insulting me?" Stark continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "... something you have. However, I have a proposition. If you surrender yourself to me, I<span style="font-style: italic">promise</span>I will make your death quick and painless." Eden huffed and turned to leave, but Stark grasped his arm, twisted it behind him, and shoved him into the mirror, breaking it. "You know!" yelled Stark as he held Eden's face against the mirror. "It's a lot better than it sounds! Better than starving to death or getting eaten alive by maggots!" Eden tried to struggle against him but Stark only twisted his arm even more. Eden cried out and shouted, "Stark! Please, let me go!"<br/><br/>"Only if you hear me out," said Stark, perturbed. He pushed on Eden's head even harder, cutting his cheek with the serrated cracks in the mirror. "People are gonna go crazy. Their animal insticts will kick in and they will do<span style="font-style: italic">anything</span>to survive." Blood seeped from Eden's cheek and filled the clefts with red. "My offer will sound ridiculous now, but it will become a lot more attractive as the Game progresses. You'll see." There was a knock on the bathroom door and Stark released Eden immediately. Eden gasped and pulled away from the mirror, holding his aching arm.<br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">E</span>den!" shrilled Fallon outside the door. "What<span style="font-style: italic">are</span>you doing? Get out here this<span style="font-style: italic">in</span>stance!" Stark grabbed a towel and threw it at Eden, saying, "Here, fix your face." Glaring at him, Eden put the towel to his bleeding cheek. Stark smiled and said, "See you in the battlefield." Saying nothing, Eden turned away and walked out. Outside the door, Fallon cried, "What on<span style="font-style: italic">Earth</span>happ<span style="font-style: italic">en</span>ed to your face? Oh, never<span style="font-style: italic">mind</span>. It makes you look tough for the<span style="font-style: italic">ca</span>meras."<br/><br/>Turning toward the sink, Stark put his hand to the bleeding crack in the mirror thinking,<span style="font-style: italic">So easily broken. Just like him.</span>