So, as we're heading towards the end of this book, there'll be more cliffhangers in the next chapters. I'm still planning to keep updates to every 1-2 weeks, bad Internet or not ;-), so I hope you won't have to wait too long.

If you really don't like cliffhangers, I suggest you wait until a few more chapters are up and read them then all at once.

Chapter 56: Thursday, 5 days after initiation

Tris

Unlike all the other times I've come up here, even at night, the roof now doesn't feel like a place where I can breathe freely and find peace of mind.

On the contrary, I feel exposed as I step outside. The darkness is blinding my sight instead of embracing me, the thin line of light that dawn is painting onto the horizon is threatening instead of calming. I'm running out of time. If I want to carry through with what I want to do, I have to do it now, before everyone else wakes up. Before Tobias wakes up.

Pain and guilt shoot through me as I think of him. I know he'll feel betrayed, but I need to keep him safe, him and Caleb. The others need his guidance to take Jeanine, Max and Eric down, and my brother needs me, and now. I hope I can still be of any help from the inside.

"Tris?"

I'm startled at hearing my name.

This voice doesn't belong to a stranger. I turn around to face him.

Tobias

I slowly drift from sleep to reality. I turn around and extend my arm to pull Tris close to me. But my hand reaches into nothingness.

As I open my eyes, I see that she's not there. Probably she wasn't able to sleep anymore. It wouldn't surprise me, she was worried sick about her brother.

I listen for a sound from her, but there's no running water, no rummaging in the kitchen, nothing. Just silence.

Maybe she went to her apartment to avoid waking me up. I smile. She can be so thoughtful, although I wouldn't mind if she woke me up. I'd be willing to comfort her anytime.

I stretch my arms above my head as I stifle a yawn. It wasn't a very relaxing night. I could need a little more rest.

My eyes fall on the nightstand and on the three things placed there: Caleb's communicator, a small video player I have never seen before and a piece of paper that says 'password: ANCBADE, I'm going to send you a message soon, I love you, Tris'.

Tris

"What are you doing up here?" I ask as he walks towards me.

"I couldn't sleep. Neither could you, hmm?"

"Not very much, no. You startled me."

"I'm sorry. So what are we going to do?"

"I don't have enough time to talk about that now."

"What do you mean?"

"I need to catch the train."

He frowns. "You need to catch the train? Alone?"

"There's something I need to do."

"Okay, now you make me curious. How about I get on that train with you, and you tell me what this is about?"

"Deal. But just because it's you!"

Tobias

I'm out of breath when I reach the top of the stairs and stumble outside. The pale light of dawn illuminates the roof. In the distance, I spot the train which follows a bend in the tracks and disappears out of sight.

Damn!

I have no idea if it takes Tris with it or not. Where is she? I start to panic, I have no idea where to look for her next.

Maybe she's in the cafeteria or the pit? It is a hope against all hopes, something my mind makes up to stop me from going crazy.

I run down the stairs and along deserted hallways until I reach the cafeteria, but she's not there. It's easy to say, as there's only few people awake yet. One of them is Lauren, though. I straighten my back and approach her as unsuspiciously as I can.

"Have you seen Tris?" I ask without further introduction.

"No. Why? Four, what's wrong?"

My panic must be obvious if she can tell right away.

"I think she's on her way to Erudite, to turn herself in."

Saying it out loud makes it more real.

"What? Why would she do that? Four?"

"I don't have time to explain now, I need to follow her."

I have to stop her from doing something stupid. I know my chances to get there in time are low, competing against the train. But maybe, maybe, there's something slowing her down. Hesitation, second thoughts, I don't know.

I hurry out of the cafeteria and jog up the path from the pit.

"Four! Wait! Let me come with you!" Lauren pants behind me, following in my wake.

"Then hurry up," I blurt out and increase my speed. If she wants to come with me, fine. Neither do I have the nerve to argue, nor am I willing to show consideration for her.

Tris

We jump off the train and sneak through empty streets towards our destination. Two blocks away, we stop.

"I need to send a message," I explain and take out my communicator.

"Sure. Can I have it when you're done? To send one, too?"

"If you're still sure you want to join by then, yes."

I take a few steps away from him to have a little privacy. I'm fighting off tears as I push the record-button.

Tobias will hate this.

Maybe he will even hate me now.

I wonder if he's already awake or if sleep grants him a few more hours of peace.

Tobias

I only stop once we're close enough to see the main entrance to Erudite in the distance. I have to give Lauren credit for keeping up with my pace. She's an instructor for a reason.

I lean against the dirty wall of the house next to us to catch my breath. It takes a minute until my heart starts to slow down, only to speed up again when I spot two people walking straight into Erudite. Two people dressed in black, two Dauntless.

I'm so surprised to see Tris is not alone, and I feel betrayed she'd ask him to accompany her instead of me, that the moment to shout out her name has passed too soon.

I want to run after her, but Lauren holds me back. I struggle against her grip, but she's holding me tight. Since I wasn't expecting this move from her, she had the advantage of getting me off-guard.

"Stay, Four, they are already inside. You'll only get yourself in trouble, too. You don't know what they are up to. Maybe they have a plan!"

She lets go of me a few seconds later. I turn to her, furious.

"I know what they're up to, Lauren! They're turning themselves in to Jeanine, so she can experiment with them! I need to stop them!"

Again, Lauren grabs my arm, pulling me back.

"Four, listen! It's too late! If you run in there now, you're giving it out of your hands! Your chances to act are much bigger from the outside. You have all of us to help! We are going to get them out, okay? You said it yourself: Our best option is a strategic approach. We need to think before we act."

"I can't," I shout, although I know somewhere inside me that Lauren is right. But I hate that she is.

Shit! How can Tris do this to me?

Suddenly, I lose all power to struggle, and Lauren lets go of me.

"You're okay?" she asks cautiously.

"No," I say as realization washes over me: Tris is now in the hands of Jeanine. She's somewhere inside Erudite. She's where I can't reach her.

I have to get her out.

What if I can't?

What if this is how I lose her?

A sob fights its way out of my mouth and I cover my face with my hands. This is a nightmare.

Lauren's arms close around me again, but gentle this time, as she pulls me into a hug. I'm overtaxed and thankful at the same time as tears well in my eyes.

Tris.

What if I never see her again?

Lauren holds me until I've calmed down a bit, and she wordlessly hands me a tissue. She doesn't comment on my breakdown. Instead, she continues our conversation as if nothing happened, as if she didn't just offer me her shoulder to cry on.

"So we need to go back to Dauntless and decide what to do together with the others. And you need to tell us what has actually happened. You obviously know more than the rest of us."

"Yes, you're right," I reply, pulling myself together. I haven't lost her yet. But I need to focus, or my biggest fear might come true.

Before we turn around to leave, I glance at the building that Tris just disappeared in. This time, I see two people walking out: Caleb and Marlene.

I raise my arms to wave them over to us. They can tell us more. They can help us make a plan. They know what's happening in there. They must.

They both look at us from afar and then exchange a glance. Is it possible that they are unsure of whether to come over to us? What has happened in there that makes them hesitate?

Lauren starts gesturing, too. After what feels like an eternity, they slowly start walking towards us, glancing around nervously. I can't put a finger on it, but something is off.

The silence once they reach us is awkward. Although it's not Caleb's fault that his sister went to rescue him, a part of me blames him for it. What surprises me is that Marlene just stands next to him, equally silent and with the same lost expression on her face.

"Caleb, Marlene, are you okay? You look shaken. What happened?" Lauren breaks the quiet.

"Caleb and Marlene? Is that how we are called?" Marlene asks, her eyes lighting up at hearing her name.

"Are you joking?" I blurt out. Now is really not the time for that.

"Am I a person who usually makes jokes?" Marlene asks with honest curiosity.

"Well, if you are, they don't look like they like your jokes," Caleb says dryly.

This is surreal. I grab Caleb by his shoulders and shake him.

"Stop this attitude, now! We need information, so we can hatch out a rescue plan. Stop playing dumb, we can't afford to lose time!"

Lauren covers my hands with hers and pulls them away from Caleb.

"Four, can't you see how confused they are?"

I have zero ability to take care of Caleb's feelings at the moment, but I do see now that he looks at me bewildered. The strangest thing is how he still doesn't physically react to my actions. He's all calm, and Marlene keeps watching everything in silence, too.

After a few more long seconds, Caleb eventually clears his throat.

"I'm sorry, but who the hell are you two?"

DISCLAIMER: I own neither the Divergent world nor the characters, they belong to Veronica Roth.