The next morning, I wake up to the buzzer, though my body is sore from last night. After dinner last night, Eric thought that I needed some recreational distraction. In his opinion, that was sex.

It felt good, though it wasn't enough to abate any tension that I had.

"Sore, Stiff?" Eric asks me from his side of the bed.

"Not too badly," I answer. I swing my legs around the bed and stand on my feet. I go around the bed and pick up the shirt that was on the floor.

"Since you're able to move around, I'm going to get showered and dressed as well," he says, and I hear him leave the bed. I shrug on his pair of pants before leaving the bedroom for the kitchen to begin brewing the morning coffee.

I turn on the kitchen light and open the cupboard to get the coffee filters to begin brewing the coffee. Once I got the coffee brewing, I go into the bathroom to begin showering.

Since Eric got in first, he is the one who leaves the shower stall first. After I get dressed and freshen up, I smell him beginning to fry bacon as I go back to the kitchen.

"What do you want with your bacon?" he asks me.

"Scrambled eggs and French toast," I answer.

"Do you want cheese in your eggs or no?" he inquires further, arching his eyebrow.

I smile. "Yes, with the cheese."

He chuckles as he returns to the task at hand. I go over to the fridge to retrieve the eggs, bread, and milk.

"Looks like I'm convincing you to stop acting like such a Stiff," he says with a smirk as I place the ingredients needed on the counter next to the stove.

I snort. "It's not like I fully recovered from being a Stiff, you know." I turn to him. "It's been at least a year since I have transferred from Abnegation. How many years are you going to be away from Erudite? Three?"

"Yes, though I'm guilty for retaining certain Erudite habits," he says.

"You seem to not distance yourself from books," I tell him. "That is one of the few habits you retained."

"As I say, old habits die hard," he replies. For breakfast, we eat bacon, cheesy scrambled eggs, and French toast with pomegranate grape juice to wash it down with. Full and content, I report to my office, knowing that I have to check things over before going over to the control room to analyze the feed.

There were no messages waiting for me on the phone, though I check my inbox to make sure that I might have any new messages, especially from Erudite. Upon going into my inbox, I see that the first thing listed is something from Erudite; from their archive department no doubt.

The message read: Use at your own discretion and I click on the attachment.

The family tree is at least eight generations long, dating back from the founding period to now. The first generation consists of five people. Edith Prior married to George Hawthorne; Nicholas Prior married to Andrea Herondale; then there was Matthew Prior, who didn't marry. All of them Erudite.

I frown. Though certain names can be used for more than one faction, Edith is solely an Abnegation name. However, I shrug it off. This was during the founding of the faction system, so names were most likely not faction sanctified at the time. That would explain it.

I continue to scroll down looking at the generations of the Prior family tree, revealing that while most of the family was Erudite, there were outliers in Abnegation and Candor. When I get to my parents, I notice with a shock that father was born in Erudite.

I snort. That can't be true. Especially since he vehemently despised them and raised Caleb and I to vehemently despise them as well.

Except.

Except: He never talked about his family or his childhood. People who transfer never do.

Except: He does not have the quiet demeanor of someone who grew up in Abnegation.

Except: His hated of Erudite is so vehement it must be personal.

Personal to where he most likely suppressed his intelligence in front of others as to not reveal his Erudite roots. Most likely, he did it out of shame. Shame for the fact that he was born in Erudite. What had happened in Erudite that has caused him to despise the faction and paint every Erudite in one broad stroke?

Looking over at my mother's side, it said that she was born in Dauntless; born to Coleen Wright, who was a Dauntless leader at the time. However, it doesn't show who her father was. The reason why the Erudite are suspicious of her lineage is because there is no trace of her paternal lineage.

If so, where was she born?


I'm greeted by the screens displaying various parts of the city as I enter the control room. Looking at one screen, I see that in one of the zones the factionless sector, the guards are doing their usual patrol, though I see no sign of factionless.

"Apparently there has been no sign of them for a hour," says Gus, who notices that I have been looking at that particular screen. "The other feed showing the factionless sector has been the same."

"Are they organizing or something?" I ask, trying to think of a reason why there is no sign of the factionless at the moment.

Gus shrugs. "Could be, but seeing no factionless for a hour is better than seeing them trying to kill each other."

I don't know but personally I would be more worried with them absent then hearing reports of a botched assault in the factionless sector. Being that they are the group that is stomped on in this city, one would think they would organize and revolt. Unless they are waiting for the right conditions.

Going to a vacant computer, I see that Tobias is in here, concentrating on what he is seeing. He looks away from the screen when I sit two computers away from him.

"Morning, Tris," he greets.

"Morning," I say. I place the headphones on my ears and log into my account.

"The factionless sector is too quiet," he observes thoughtfully.

"You think they are organizing?" I ask, turning my glance towards him.

"Maybe," says Tobias. "Maybe not."

I simply shrug and access the feed. The first feed that comes up is the Abnegation sector. Seeing its immaculate streets chokes me up, as I know that one day in a few months, it will be littered with bodies. The fact that I can't do anything about it as Eric deemed it too dangerous makes it worse. I want to save more people than just my parents.

Seeing that there is nothing wrong with the feed, I move on.

"Any developments from Erudite?" Tobias asks me.

"Nothing," I lie. "What makes you think that?"

"Erudite and Dauntless are on good terms with each other are they not?" Tobias asks.

"Four, no more questions," I say abrasively, indicating that no more should be said. Tobias lapses in silence, though he's probably thinking about what to say or even wondering how to get more information. He's the suspicious type.

I go through multiple camera feeds, correcting the size and resolution of faulty feeds in order to correct them. Once that was done, I log off and remove the headphones from my ears. Now I can go back to my office to start with any paperwork I have.

I leave the control room and when I approach the elevator, I see that Tobias is walking beside me.

"Four, I don't have any time to discuss initiation plans," I stress, not bothering to look at him. "Maybe later today but not now."

"It's not about initiation," he insists when we stop at the elevator door.

"Then what?" I snap, as I jab the button to the tenth floor. "This better be worthwhile because I don't want you to waste my time."

"You must know something is going on," Tobias says. "Especially when Jeanine showed up a few days ago with only three of her head scientists."

I bite my lip. The cameras of the conference room were decommissioned that day because Jeanine didn't want anyone eavesdropping on what they were going to say. What was it about her presence that gave away the idea that Erudite is up to something?

"I can't answer that," I tell him stiffly as the elevator door opens. "It's highly classified information."

I step into the elevator, only for Tobias to follow me in. "Then give me a hint. It's not like they'll find out."

Is Tobias really that stupid? Doesn't he know that my career and my life could be jeopardized even if I do give a hint? Jeanine would kill me and stage it as an accident as a result.

"For someone born a Stiff, you are very selfish to even say that," I say, imitating Eric's passive aggressiveness and to see how the slang sounds coming from my mouth. "Let alone think that."

Tobias steps back. "I see that Eric has been a bad influence on you. You're not the same girl who jumped first."

"You didn't even know me when I jumped into the net," I point out in agitation. The elevator doors slide open and I walk out into the tenth floor. "Just because I originated from the same faction as you does not mean you know me well."

He lapses into silence before saying, "Still, I need to know what's going on. You're the last person who would react on the defensive."

"Drop it, Four!" I shout. "Go back to the control room or we'll both be in trouble for not doing our work."

I go into my office and slam the door on his face before locking it. I go straight to my desk and sit down, opening my manila folder to begin today's paperwork. As I get out my pen, I think about my argument with Tobias. Perhaps I should tell him what's going to happen. He should know if it's bothering him.

However, concerning that Jeanine threatened Eric that she go after me and his mother if he rebelled and that no one else is supposed to know, it puts my position and my life in jeopardy.

Therefore, it's not safe to tell him. Nothing will be safe after Jeanine is certain that most of Abnegation is annihilated. There will be no peace either.


"In a couple of months, this would be a year since we've been here," says Christina during lunch. "I feel older then I was when I stepped in here."

"Do you mean a year since we arrived as initiates or a year since we became full-fledged members?" Will asks her, like a typical Erudite wanting specifics.

Christina elbows him in the ribs, her facial expression a mixture of irritation and amusement. "What is it with the former Erudite retaining some of their habits?"

"If you were raised with loose lips or reading everything in sight, it's going to be hard to keep that habit," says Lynn bluntly. "Even if you transfer and change factions."

"Loose lips?" asks Christina. "Is that supposed to be insulting?"

"I never understand the Candor in the first place," scoffs Lynn. "I'd rather get into my fear landscape then telling people what was on my mind all the time."

"Loose lips aside, did you hear that the factionless sector was devoid of factionless for a hour and half?" Shauna asks me.

"Yeah," I answer, putting down my fork. "I noticed it this morning when I went to the control room to analyze the feed."

"You think they were organizing?" asks Will. "We're overdue for a factionless revolt."

"Why would the factionless revolt?" asks Lynn, like the idea was ludicrous. "The Stiffs give them food and clothing. Not to mention that we have to protect them from themselves."

"I have to agree with Will on this one," says Eric, who sits beside me. "I find it peculiar that they haven't rebelled yet. One would think they would after years of oppression."

"Maybe they are waiting for the right time to revolt," Jocelyn chimes in. "Maybe they are waiting for a time where the factions are too busy to even pay attention to what they're doing."

"That is most likely possible," says Eric. "Right now it would be dangerous to start a revolution with the Dauntless in the factionless sector."

Coming to think of it, I wonder if the factionless sense that something is going to happen and they are beginning to organize for when the Abnegation genocide starts or after even. It's going to be a dangerous environment if the factionless revolt, especially when you know that the factionless consists of former Dauntless members. The former members of Dauntless probably taught the factionless how to take apart weapons and even how to use them.

Jeanine's ruthless scheme will open a can of worms for the city. It's only going to lead to war.


After dinner, I decide to throw some knives in one of the training rooms before going back to the apartment for the night. When I enter, I see that Tobias is already in there, throwing knives.

I consider leaving the room to give him his space when he notices me. He turns his body to face me, his features quite stern. "Came to finally talk?"

Is he still irritated about me keeping secrets? It's dangerous to tell him, especially since we're in here; in a room that's monitored by the control room.

"Shouldn't you know better than to ask that information here of all places?" I demand. "There are cameras in this room. Someone could be watching the feed at any moment."

"Whatever you are hiding, whatever the five of you are hiding, is serious," says Tobias. "It seems selfish of you to hold that information."

"Selfish?" I demand, feeling stung by that accusation and feeling offended that he is overstepping his boundaries. "Do you know that you are talking to one of the Dauntless leaders? Also, why are you accusing me of being selfish when you don't know what's crossing my mind?"

Tobias opens his mouth to argue but holds what's in his mouth. His features soften and he takes a deep breath. "You're right. It's not my place. And I don't know what you're thinking."

"No, you don't," I say, crossing my arms. I sigh. "Whatever information you're seeking, I'm sorry, but it's not in my place to tell you classified information. It will put us in danger if I do."

Comprehension dawns on him. Did it have to take him twice to realize that it's dangerous for me to reveal this sort of information?

Deciding that I should give him his space, I step back and say, "I'll be leaving."

I turn my heel and walk out of the training room.