Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: What is the fate of Lucy Gray?

The fate of Lucy Gray in "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" is left uncertain. After winning the Hunger Games, Lucy is returned to her district but later attends an Academy party with Coriolanus Snow, the main character. During the party, Snow is confronted by Game Makers who present evidence that he aided Lucy by feeding her and taming the genetically modified snakes in the arena. As a result, Snow is forced to become a Peacekeeper in District 12, while Lucy's fate remains unknown.Despite their separation, Snow and Lucy still have strong feelings for each other. Snow develops empathy towards the district residents and grows closer to understanding Lucy's wild and defiant nature. Discovering a plot by Sejanus, another Peacekeeper, to help District residents escape to the North, Snow secretly records evidence and sends it to Dr. Gaul, a powerful figure.However, the plot is jeopardized when the Mayor's daughter and another citizen stumble upon a conversation between Sejanus and a rebel named Spruce. To protect the plot, Snow and Spruce kill the intruders and bury their remains. Unfortunately, their actions prove futile as Spruce dies from suspicious injuries and Sejanus is hung for treason.In the midst of chaos, Lucy decides to leave for the North despite the risks. Snow, conflicted and influenced by his desire to regain his family's honor, contemplates a betrayal. He stumbles upon the buried guns used in the murders and realizes that destroying the evidence would ensure his reputation remains untarnished. With a change of heart, Snow shoots into the forest, hoping to kill Lucy. However, he is left uncertain whether she was struck.In a rush, Snow disposes of the guns and returns to District 12 before being transported back to the Capitol. There, he is praised by Dr. Gaul for his information on Sejanus but is unaware of Snow's involvement in his death. Snow accepts a position to train as an officer and is practically adopted by Sejanus's father.The novel's epilogue reveals that the Hunger Games were the brainchild of Dean Highbottom, with the help of Snow's father, Crausses. Snow poisons Dean Highbottom, marking the beginning of his lifelong signature of poisoning his enemies. Snow becomes a Game Maker and implements his own ideas into the games. The fate of Lucy Gray is never revealed, leaving readers to wonder if she died in the forest or escaped Panem.Overall, "The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" leaves Lucy Gray's fate open-ended, allowing readers to interpret her destiny in their own way.