"The future belongs to those who know where they belong."- Jeanine Matthews
Gage POV:
Once the train stopped at the Dauntless compound everyone started jumping off the train at once. The initiates were jumping off the train and onto to the roof of the compound. I was almost one of the last people to jump since I was standing close to the back of the train.
There was around five other people on the train, and they looked like they were too scared to move. I backed away from the open doors of the train, and I ran off train with my feet ready to touch the ground.
I jumped onto the roof effortlessly using all of my leg muscles and strength. I noticed a few of the females in the group staring at me, and I just brushed it off.
"Good evening initiates. My name is Garrett and this your instructor Echo Till." Garrett said directing his hand toward the female standing next to him.
She had short brown hair, pale skin, dark brown eyes, and a narrow plain face. Echo probably was around my age. I guessed she was about 5'2 in height. Regardless of how short she was her facial expression showed that she was untouchable.
"Hello initiates." Echo replied and her voice was just as strong as her face.
"We will give a tour and discuss the rules of training, but first you have to jump off of the roof to enter inside the compound." Garrett said. I stopped staring at Echo, and I noticed Garrett had dark brown skin, large dark brown eyes, and a bald head. I figured he was close to being middle aged.
"Any volunteers." Garrett replied putting an amused grin on his face. Only I could pull off that grin.
"I guess I'll take one for the team." I said and moving through the large group.
"Woohoo!" One of the guys cheered. Obviously coping with what I said earlier.
"Yeah! You can do this." A girl encouraged. I assumed she was trying to get attention.
I walked toward the edge of the roof, and Garrett eyed me suspiciously.
"This should be a piece of cake." I murmured.
I took a deep breath and stood on the edge of the roof. I glanced at the trampoline beneath me and the long distance my made my vision blurry.
I shook off my sudden doubt and jumped knowing that this could be the end.
The wind from the free fall almost took my breath away, and I liked it. Before I could collect my thoughts my body bounced against the net.
I laughed while I recovered from my adrenaline rush. I noticed someone else was falling off the roof, and they were about to fall on top of me.
My smile faded and I instantly moved off of the net. The person was screaming like a wounded animal.
They finally landed onto the net, and I noticed it was a girl. I rushed toward the net to help her.
She was breathing heavily, and she had a shocked expression on her face. She had thick, blond hair that fell to her shoulders, expressive blue eyes, almond colored skin, and a round face.
She looked over at me.
"Hey look up." I said and she saw someone else was jumping off of the roof.
I held out my hand and she grabbed it quickly.
She jumped down still holding my hand. She looked into my eyes, and I thought she was mesmerized.
I smirked at her, and she surprisingly smirked back at me.
"Thanks for the save." She said breaking eye contact. "My name is Alexa Vale."
"Well, my name is Gage Eaton. I see you're from Abnegation." I said looking at her laughable attire.
"Yeah, and I see you're factionless." She said pointing at my normal clothes.
"You stand correct." I replied and a smile spread across her face.
"So, your grandfather used to be a leader of Abnegation? Alexa questioned.
"Yeah, I don't really know him, but my parents told me about him. He is an asshole, and I'm glad to not have him in my life." I said feeling angry all of sudden.
"Ok." Alexa replied looking amused.
"Ok." I said just staring in her eyes. Alexa walked closer towards me and I heard somebody whistle.
I turned my head around to see all of the initiates standing around us.
I did not realize we had an audience.
Our instructor Echo walked toward us. "Enough chit chat or whatever it is you were doing. It is time for us to discuss the three stages of training. I need all of you to follow me." Echo instructed using her manly voice.
We all followed Echo into the center of the dim lit compound. Echo stood beside Garrett, and I saw a glass bowl full of small pieces of paper beside Garrett's feet.
"This is the room where you will fight each other physically. Whoever wins the fight will receive points on our scoreboard." Garrett said with his usual kill glare.
"There will be changes in store for two of you, but we will review that later." Garrett said.
"I will train the Dauntless born initiates while Echo will train the transfers. Now, training is separated into three stages. The three stages are the physical, mental, and emotional. In the physical stage you will be forced to participate in physical combat with another opponent. In the second stage, you will be put under simulation and you'll have to face your fears. During the final stage of training, you must face each one of your fears in a fear landscape. If you do not pass the first two stages you will receive a low score on our score board, and then you will become factionless. Does anybody have any questions?" Garrett said finishing his long discussion of the training.
Alexa raised her hand. "When are we going to go on a tour?"
"As soon as Echo discusses this new form of training." Garrett said looking at Alexa.
"Alright." Alexa replied.
"The Erudite leader Judith has formed an agreement with the Abnegation leader to start an experiment. In the experiment or as I call it training, it will test you in ways you never thought possible. One male and one female from all five factions will have to pass the three trails to determine if they will become a member of their chosen faction. If you do not pass all of the trails you will die. Keep in mind that the trails will be rigorous, and they will test everything you think you know about yourself. I have the bowl with all your names written on a separate sheet of paper. I will call the female's name first." Echo said.
I briefly felt sorry for those chosen people, then I realized that I was just ready to start training.
"Alexa Vale." Echo said and Alexa's mouth dropped. She stood there frozen in place.
"We do not have all day, Vale." Echo said harshly, and Alexa stood beside Echo.
"The male name is… Gage Eaton." Echo said and I did not know how to react. I did not expect to be a part of some new form of training. I am no one's test subject especially not when my life is on the line. I sighed from agitation, and then I slowly walked beside Alexa.
"Alright, I will send the rest of the initiates on a tour, while Echo will walk you two onto the train." Garrett said and both of us nodded.
Garrett directed the rest of the initiates around the corner.
"Come with me." Echo told Alexa and I.
We walked around the corner of the training room towards the compound's entrance. We walked passed bathrooms and the area where the initiates eat until we finally arrived at the building's entrance.
Once we made it outside, Echo walked towards the train quickly. The train doors were already opened and the train began moving.
All three of us ran towards the train. Echo was the first person to board the train, and I followed right behind her. Alexa was running slowly, and I was about to grab her hand but she jumped onto the train before I could grab her.
After Alexa got on the train, I turned around to see the other chosen initiates from the four remaining factions.
They were all dressed in their original faction's clothes, so I could not tell which new faction they belonged too.
My eyes fell on one faction member with long, tightly curled dark brown hair, dark brown almond shaped eyes, and dark brown skin.
My eyes were fixated on her, and I noticed she was wearing a black and white outfit.
Candor. I thought. Then I remembered who she was.
Mara POV:
We stood on the train leaving the Dauntless Headquarters, and I wondered where we were going.
My instructor Paxton stood several feet away from me, and I wanted to ask where we were going.
I figured I should have just ran out of the train's entrance when the door was opened. My thoughts of suicide were interrupted by the same brawny male I saw at the Choosing Ceremony.
He had expressive blue-gray or cobalt colored eyes, thick, luxurious chocolate brown hair, thick arched eyebrows, peach colored unblemished skin, and a muscular body.
The males eyes locked with mine and just like in the Choosing Ceremony, I instantly recognized him.
A girl with blond, thick hair touched his arm, and he turned his head around hesitantly. I looked away from him, and my thoughts were interrupted again by a distant voice.
"I wonder where we are going." Axl said.
"I don't know." I said with I shrug. "I was just thinking the same thing."
"Well, my guess is we are going to the outskirts of the city." Axl said looking out of the train's window.
"Considering the fact that we have passed all of the faction headquarters, I would agree." I said wishing he would stop talking to me.
Axl looked away from the window and gazed at my face. His stare made me uncomfortable, and I turned around and glared at him as well.
This was the first time I really looked at him. I saw that he had flawless tan skin, big almond shaped eyes, plump averaged sized lips, thick, wavy black hair, and hazel colored eyes. I noticed his eyes were covered by thick black framed glasses.
Axl stared at me like he was studying my soul. He did not even blink once.
"What made you chose Erudite?" Axl asked out of nowhere. He voice was barely audible.
My eyes widen at his question not from shock but because it was question I never understood. I always aspired to be a part of the Erudite faction but I never knew why. I assumed it was because I needed an escape from the Candor faction.
"I don't know. I guess I decided to join because I've dreamt about being an Erudite member since I was a young child. I was never like anyone in the Candor faction at least not when I was a kid. I also have always taken pride in my intelligent traits. I have an excellent memory and I am very perceptive. I can read someone like pages in a book."
Axl nodded. "I guess we chose to be Erudite members for the same reasons." Axl said and I frowned.
I frowned because he probably did not retain anything I said and because I wanted to jump off the train and save myself the trouble.
I decided to pretend as if Axl was not there, and I was hit with a sudden realization. My fate was sealed when my name was called at the Erudite compound. I could be sure of one thing, my innocent childhood dream would mostly cause my life to end in tragedy.
DivergentDemigod125: Thank you so much. I hope this story gets better and better. Also, I was just thinking about deleting my story Beneath the Veil but if you want to read more I will definitely update it! I am starting summer school next Monday, so I will not be able to update as often. Summer school will hopefully end at the beginning of July for me, but I will update as soon as I can. Beneath the Veil will be one of the first story I try to update.
Sam: I will try to update as much as possible because I love writing. I really want to be a good writer, and I want my stories to be enjoyable. My summer school class will consist of me writing nothing but essays, so hopefully I will not be too busy.
Authors Note: I hope this chapter was ok. I should be able to do one more update, so the next chapter will end with a cliffhanger. Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading /
