Ana and Caleb, nothing more than two grey dots in a bright sea of blue and white. They walk in sync, fingers still intertwined like vines. Their jaws hang low in absolute awe. Nothing in their entire lives come close to the spectacular view before them. Boring and plain walls to glass chandeliers and marble floors. Ana's head tingles at the echo of clicking heels. Noisy shoes.
"Look at the Stiffs," a Candor boy says. Ana glances before turning her full attention to the little Erudite woman in the front. Even with high shoes she stands barely five feet.
"Transfers," she speaks, pressing her lips. Ana takes a quick notice at her soft voice, but can't help to sense the underlying arrogance it holds. "I'm Cara." She removes her glasses and sticks them in her pocket. "If you'd follow me."
Ten teens in all form a respectful line in front of Cara, Caleb first. She scoffs for a second and mumbles a few words under her breath. Of course. Ana expected no less.
"Erudite value one's privacy. While most factions enjoy the company of others, we enjoy the company of one's self. It provides us with a sufficient amount of quietness." A large number of doors are sprawled out with large black numbers.
"We get our own dorm?"
"An Erudite would have figured that out by now," Cara sighs, eying the Amity girl. The girl nods, fading back into the line.
Ana smiles, wondering which dorm will be hers to call home.
"You may choose." Cara steps aside, and the ten transfers bustle to the closed doors.
"Want to choose the two end ones?" Ana nods, and walks to the last door. She pulls out a card with the number thirteen.
"The cards are your keys. You only get one. Don't lose it."
"She's pleasent," Ana says, sighing. Caleb chuckles, pressing the card onto the scanner. With a beep, the door opens. Ana does the same.
The dorm is nothing grand, but nicer than her dinky room back in Abnegation. This desk wears pant that isn't chipping and stands on stable legs. Books filled with knowledge are already neatly placed on a cherry wood bookshelf. And the bed is soft. The dorm also provides a small bathroom and a one person kitchen.
"Enter name," a robotic voice says. Ana turns to her desk. A tablet blinks. "Enter name."
"Please tell me this is real!" Caleb says from the doorway, a tablet pressed to his chest.
"It's amazing!" Ana types her name: Ana Eaton. And without warning, the table scans her fingerprint and a laser runs over her eyes. A small picture of Ana rests in the corner.
"Try to use mine!" Caleb laughs, handing her his tablet. Ana does.
"Access denied. Access denied. Access denied."
"A cellphone is also provided. Top draw." Cara stands, hands folded neatly over her stomach.
"Enter name," the same robotic voice says. She does and the phone becomes hers.
"Now, if you will," Cara sighs, turning her back. Caleb grabs Ana, and together they walk. "Tomorrow, I expect to see all of you in the lobby by seven. No excuses."
"What will we be doing?" A Dauntless asks.
"An IQ test. That will determine your ranking," she explains, pausing to put her glasses back on. "You will be ranked separately from the other initiates for this stage. Next stage we take exams on the general studies of Math, English, Science, and History. That will determine your field of study. You will then take another exam on a specific branch of that subject. For the last stage, regardless of your prior scores, you will write an essay on a thesis and create a presentation. That presentation will be presented in front of me and five other people. Of course, Jeanine Matthews herself will be one of them."
"At the end of initiation, your scores will then determine what job you move into. The first ten initiates will get the chance to choose jobs based on their field of expertise while the rest have choices such as minor assistants, maintenance and custodial, and working retail. Minimum wage jobs."
"Now, if you excuse me, I have to go. I expect your old clothing to be trashed. You may buy new clothing with your cards. Be careful. Nine hundred points go quick. It is to last the month."
"We should change," Ana says, darting her eyes away from the mirror. A small blush tints her cheeks.
"Where do we start?" Caleb asks, rasing a brow.
"I want noisy shoes," Ana says. She strides over to the shoe rack, smiling as her eyes scan over all the shoes.
"You two look lost. Transfers, correct?" A tall man wearing dark rimmed glasses hands Ana a pair of blue flats and a white dress with a blue belt.
"Ana," Caleb whispers, eying the price tag.
"Sir, I can't afford this!" Ana says, putting her hands up. The man nods, pushing them into her hands.
"But-"
"Take it. It is a gift."
"A gift?" Ana questions, raising her brow. She holds the clothing close to chest, and nods. "Thank you. I don't know what else to say."
Ana picked up a blue dress with white dots, a white blouse, a blue cardigan, a blue pencil skirt, a blue blazer, and a necklace with a pendant.
"You forgot noisy shoes," Caleb says, sitting on her bed. Ana nods.
"Maybe tomorrow."
"What else did the man give you?"
"Just the dress and shoes," Ana shrugs, laying out her outfit for tomorrow and hanging the rest. "You?"
Caleb presses his lips together before saying, "nothing. Maybe he felt bad?"
"Maybe."
"You're not going to wear it?"
"Should I?" Ana thinks for a moment before switching the clothing on the ironing board with the white dress with the blue belt.
"I wonder how Beatrice is doing," Caleb comments, looking out the window. The bright sun disappears into the night. Ana rubs his shoulder.
"Faction before blood," Ana chokes, and he nods.
"Faction before blood."
Faction before blood is a simple term that holds a deep meaning. One may say it with ease, but it takes an abundant amount of strength to follow through. Even for Ana who has no blood she cares about.