Chapter 1: The Sixth Faction
I lean against the side of the building and try to rub the last bits of sleep from my eyes. I hadn't slept well last night. It was the first Tris filled dream I'd had in months. I'd thought they'd finally gone away (a thought that left me terribly miserable and painfully relived). When I finally did try sleeping again after her death every dream was about her and I woke up miserable and on edge. I almost punched Christina one time after a particularly bad one.
This latest one had snuck up on me for no real reason. It didn't start off too bad, just us on the couch in my apartment talking like we used to. We sat with too much space in between us, and she beckoned me closer to change that. I smiled at her and tried to move closer so I could slip my arm around her waist, but I couldn't move. I was suddenly stuck in my spot not able to reach out and touch her. I watched her face falter when I wouldn't come closer and she reached out her hand to me. I fought as hard as I could to move my arm so I could take her hand in mine again but I still couldn't move. I could see her grow increasingly worried and upset and there was nothing I could do to fix that.
I press my hand hard to the wall and pinch the bridge of mt nose with the other one. It's been three years now and it's still hard for me to move on. I need to get this under control before I walk in. I'm sure I look like enough of a mess as it is. I take in a deep breath, and walk through the glass front doors, fishing in my pocket for my ID to give to Mark at the front desk. He just barely looks over the top of his computer screen before nodding. I shove the card back into my pocket and keep walking. Even now, even here, Tobias Eaton is a very powerful name.
I find my way easily through the halls to Johanna's office like I do every morning. I find her door and grab the handle when I hear voices coming form the other side. I can't make out what they're saying, but it sounds important judging by how fast they're talking. For the first time in a long time I actually knock before entering Johanna's office. The shushed words immediately stop.
"Come in," Johanna calls. I pull open the door to find her sitting across from a dark haired girl who can't be older than maybe seventeen. She has wide green eyes and stark white skin. For some reason I just stand there staring at her, even when Johanna tells me to come in. She stares back her eyes widening playfully as if we're playing the staring game.
"Earth to Tobias Eaton!" someone else calls. I snap my attention over to the other chair by Johanna's desk. Christina sits in the chair waving dramatically at me. I roll my eyes and humor her with a little wave back. Sitting next to her is Zeke. I raise my eyebrows at him and he just shrugs and shakes his head. I turn back to Johanna.
"What's going on?"
"Take a seat, Tobias. We'll explain in a minute." Those words alone have always bothered me, but couple them with the conflicted look on her face, and it's enough to make my stomach clench. I should have known today was going to be a bad day.
Almost a second after I sit down next to Zeke, the door opens again and Caleb is standing in the doorway, and well dressed escort behind him. I look away as he step into the room. Normally I can at the very least be civil around him, but after my dream last night I just can't handle him today.
Once the door has closed and Caleb is sitting down Johanna clears her throat. She opens her mouth to speak, then shuts it again at an obvious loss for words.
"Well. . . um. . ." she gestures to the dark haired girl. "Everyone, this is Wendy. She . . . she came to me with some interesting information that I think you all should hear." She nodded to the mysterious Wendy who smiled and stood up to face us. There is something obnoxious about her. . . she smiles too big, she's too relaxed. It deeply unnerves me, and I want nothing more than to just do some work and not be around her.
"Well frankly there is no easy way to say this, or explain. . . there's a sixth faction. And it's still in existence today."