A/N: Based on the PM's I got, I think some of you may have misinterpreted my announcement in the previous chapter. We're getting very close to the end, but this isn't the final chapter yet!

June 15, 2251

Johanna

Graham Reyes embraced his middle child stiffly. "You were born Candor, and you will always be one," he told her quietly. "Never forget that."

Johanna wriggled out of his grasp, feeling the confusion mount within her. "But I—"

"Let's not give her a hard time," Mrs. Reyes chided from behind. "After all, it's her life."

"She ca—" Mr. Reyes opened his mouth to argue, but his wife dragged him away to find seats.

Yvonne squeezed her older sister as hard as she could. "Please don't leave like Freddie did," she begged, tears welling in her eyes. "Then I'll be the only one left!"

Johanna groaned. "I don't know what to do, Vonnie! I don't like being Candor…"

"But how can you even think about leaving Mom and Dad?" asked the young girl, her eyes wide.

Her older sister patted her head one last time. "It's really hard to explain. You'll understand when the time comes."

Johanna watched with a sinking feeling as her sister walked over to sit with their parents. What should I do? The Amity have such wonderful lives, but I value justice too…

Andrew

Well, this is amusing. Despite the solemnity of the occasion and the knowledge of what he was about to do, Andrew couldn't help but notice how out of place his parents looked among the other initiates-to-be and their families.

"Ugh," Iris groaned as the crowd buffeted her back and forth. "I don't remember this hall being so crowded when I was sixteen."

"The population of the city's risen by 23% in the last thirty years," Leon reminded her.

"True." Mrs. Carr turned to her son. "Now, your choices today carry great consequences not just for yourself, but for the future of the city, Andrew. Remember that."

For the first time in months, Andrew agreed completely with his mother. They think this is why I must stay in Erudite. But I know now that it is precisely why I need to leave.

"Make us proud," Mr. Carr flashed him a rare smile and clapped him on the back. "See you later."

"Tell me all about initiation at dinner!" Perrier chirped, clearly thrilled to finally be seeing the Choosing Ceremony.

Andrew watched his parents wave hello to Jeanine before braving the sea of people to get back to their seats. My father and mother haven't the faintest clue I'm about to betray them. They think my choice was set the minute they told me about Operation Convergence. But I am the unforeseen variable that will , with luck, destroy that plan.

Evelyn

Evelyn closed her eyes as her father wrapped her in his arms, trying to remember as much of him as she could.

"Good luck, my dear," Viktor whispered to his daughter. "Go someplace where you'll be happy."

"Goodbye," she mumbled shakily.

Mr. Johnson smiled at her reassuringly and said, "I'll come visit you when I can."

Evelyn watched her father walk away through a haze of unshed tears. What a strange position I'm in, she mused. I know I'm going to leave my faction, but I don't know where. She thought of Zachary, how he'd asked her to reject all the factions and join him in the run-down suburbs. Did she have the courage to do that in front of all these people? Next, she thought of Marcus, how he made Abnegation sound like such a wonderful place. Everybody helps each other, and nobody is ever mean, he'd said. More than anything, Evelyn longed to live in a place where everybody could be accepting of her. But am I selfless enough? Last, she remembered Johanna, and the brilliant picture of life in Amity she had painted with her words. That could be my life too, singing and picking apples in the orchards. But could I always be so happy?

Tori

"Let's get this over with quickly so you can start dinner, alright?" Naomi Wu put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking sternly into her eyes.

Stupid mother, thought Tori, feeling the heat of rebellion rising within her. Stubborn to the end. She just won't accept that I'm leaving.

"Alright, Mom," she muttered, deciding to humor her just this once. In five minutes, it wouldn't matter anymore. Tori would be free at last. Free to pursue the life of danger and thrill she had been longing for since before she could walk. "I'll try not to trip on the way to the choosing bowls."

George stepped forward and whispered in her ear, "You'll go through with it, right?"

"Of course," said Tori, a glint in her eye. "I'll wait for you there, I promise."

"Okay."

Natalie

I can't believe I'm leaving them, lamented Natalie as Mr. and Mrs. Prior took turns hugging her. Through the years, she had imagined her Choosing Day so many times, always as the joyous day in which she would be able to become a true member of Dauntless at last. Now, she felt a hollow, aching pain that blocked out all other sensations.

"Be safe, sweetie," Ruth murmured, stroking Natalie's cheek. "Don't do anything suspicious."

I don't want to go to Abnegation! Natalie wanted to shout. Why do I have to leave just because of some stupid personality test?!

Instead, she simply took a deep breath and nodded. "I won't, Mom."

"No matter what your aptitude is or where you go," her father told her, "to us you will always be a true Dauntless."

Natalie gave her parents a watery smile. They knew she was Dauntless at heart, but to the rest of the faction, especially her friends, she would forever be remembered as a coward. Her only consolation was that at least she would have Andrew for companionship.

Marcus

Unlike the many other parents having a last word with their soon-to-be-initiate children, Dexter and Zoe Eaton showed hardly any emotion as they stood before their youngest son.

"You know what to do," said Mr. Eaton, fixing Marcus with his steely blue eyes.

"Don't disappoint us," Mrs. Eaton added. The three people stood still for a moment, looking at each other. No words were required; years of torment had had made it painfully clear precisely what the Eatons expected of their son.

In truth, Marcus had long ago given up the notion of transferring somewhere else; his father's near-constant physical abuse and ranting had burned into him a deep hatred of the other factions. Besides, it's not like I have to keep living with my father if I stay Abnegation, Marcus reflected. After initiation, I'll get my own house.

"Greetings, everyone. I am Jerry Lloyd of Amity, and I will be hosting the Choosing Ceremony today. Welcome."

The babble in the auditorium died down as a middle-aged man in a yellow shirt walked up to the podium.

"Here the class of 2251 stands, about to enter a new stage of life," he announced. "It seems like just yesterday that they were young, lively toddlers going to the Lower Levels building for the first time. Yet these individuals are now sixteen, and it is time for them to decide what role they want to play in life.

"Generations ago, the world was torn apart by violence. The founders created this city to save the last of the human race. Those who dedicated themselves to serving others formed Abnegation. They lead the city and help the poor. Those who wanted peace became Amity. They provide us with sustenance. Those who valued honesty founded Candor. They are responsible for upholding the legal system within our community. Those who appreciated bravery created Dauntless. They guard our streets and keep them safe. And those who strove for attainment of knowledge above all else became the Erudite. They make technological progress possible. Each faction, working to perfect the virtues after which it was named, has contributed to the great peace of the past centuries. Today, these young people will be choosing one of the five factions to become a permanent member of. Let us welcome our initiates-to-be!"

A smattering of applause echoed around the circular room. Jerry cleared his throat, gingerly picked up the ceremonial knife, and began to call out the names…

"Tori Wu!"

The dark-haired girl strode quickly and purposefully forward, took the knife from the Amity man, swiped it across her palm. Before she made her choice, she paused a moment to look towards the back of the auditorium. For sixteen years, Tori had been a minor, a dependent, a not-quite autonomous human, but longing to be one. Now, she looked to her family as a child for the last time. Her mother, amazingly, seemed almost sleepy, while her brother gave her a thumbs-up. Tori pulled her hand over the lit coals, watching in satisfaction as her mother's face turned white as a sheet. George smiled.

That's right, Mom, she wanted to announce. I'm not Erudite, never was, and there's nothing you can do about it. And I'm certainly not coming home to cook pasta.

"Johanna Reyes!"

Johanna felt a jolt as the man called out her name. Somehow, she drifted forward from the arc of teenagers, cringing as hundreds of pairs of eyes swiveled to focus on her.

How am I going to choose? she wondered in panic. Is faction before blood really right? Johanna cast a glance at her stern-faced father, her anxious-looking mother, and Yvonne, who studied her with a curious expression. They sat amidst a checkerboard of solemn visages and furrowed brows. The Candor value justice and truth in everything, which I believe in. But they are also far too harsh.

She then looked over at the brightly-dressed Amity sitting just to the left of the Candor. Though they had, for once, quieted down, they still wore sunny smiles and postures that suggested absolute ease. From one of the front rows, Frederick winked at her. The Amity have the right spirit of kindness within them, she thought. But is peace really the most important thing in the world?

As Johanna accepted the ceremonial blade with numb fingers, she realized that her indecision wasn't entirely due to fear of leaving her family. According to the Aptitude Test, part of her believed in the values of Candor as well as Amity. She stood at the center of the concentric circles, eyes flicking from the dark earth to the clear glass. I CAN'T DECIDE! she wanted to scream.

As the seconds slipped by and the crowd began muttering darkly, Johanna simply stood there, trembling. Somewhere inside the fog of panic in her mind, she wondered vaguely if there had ever been a child who just could not choose. Were they simply tossed back to their home factions, or the one the Aptitude Test said they were suited for? Or did they become factionless? Somehow, Johanna knew she did not want to be the one to find out for herself.

At last, something in the smile of encouragement the Amity man was giving her sparked her resolve. Gritting her teeth, Johanna sliced through the skin on the palm of her hand and flung the ruby drops over the bowl of soil. Don't look at your family. That will only make it harder, she commanded herself as she walked over to join the Amity. You've made your choice now and there is no turning back.

"Natalie Prior!"

The words were barely out of the host's mouth before Natalie had stepped out of the circle. The faster I do this, the faster I can be done with it, she thought, taking the cold steel blade in her hand. I know what I need to do. There's really no reason for me to hesitate. Still, as she turned to face the bowl of gray stones, her eyes flickered briefly towards the basin of lit coals beside it. Choosing Abnegation has got to be the bravest decision I have ever made, she mused. Ever since she could walk, Natalie had been doing daredevil stunts: jumping off roofs, climbing trees, swinging by fraying electric wires from telephone poles. She thought she was brave for never flinching from these dangerous acts. But transferring to another faction would require another kind of courage altogether, the courage to leave her friends, family, and everything she had ever known behind to start over in a completely unfamiliar place.

Closing her eyes, she pulled the knife across her hand and shoved it blindly forward over the gray stones. I would give anything to be able to stay in Dauntless. But there is no other way.

"Jeanine Matthews!"

The Erudite girl stepped carefully off the circular step and walked calmly past the other sixteen-year-olds. I don't understand why the others looked so terrified, she thought. To Jeanine, there had never been any doubt as to what faction she would pick when her Choosing Ceremony finally came. Erudite is the only place for me. My destiny was decided for me long before I was born.

To her, the other factions seemed hopelessly illogical. The Dauntless are idiotic adrenaline junkies simply begging for an early death. The Candor think they are looking for truth, but they are really just arguing over subjective opinions. The Amity have some degree of sense when it comes to bioengineering, but at the end of the day they're just happy-go-lucky hippies singing and dancing on a flowery hillside. And the Abnegation, well… Jeanine couldn't think of an insult bad enough for the Abnegation. They were the bottom feeders of society, no better than the factionless. It was the rotten Abnegation baby that killed my parents.

Jeanine pressed the blade into her left hand, making a small incision that immediately began to ooze blood. Wincing in pain, she allowed the scarlet drops to drip into the Erudite bowl, forming strange spiral patterns as they dissolved. The Erudite are the only people sensible enough to see that knowledge is power, Jeanine told herself as she walked over to join the other Erudite initiates. Unfortunately, they insist on diluting that power by sharing all their discoveries with the entire city. Hopefully, I will be able to make them realize that information must be kept secret.

"Evelyn Johnson!"

Evelyn didn't react until the person next to her nudged her in the ribs. A black cloud of terror had descended on her mind and blocked all rational thought. She stumbled forward, her legs giving way beneath her like jelly. Despite years of pondering the problem, Evelyn still did not know what to do. How can I possibly choose a faction when the Aptitude Test itself says that I don't belong in any of them? I'm not even Divergent; I'm simply Factionless!

Before she knew it, she was standing before the Amity host, who was offering her the cracked wooden handle of the accursed blade. Evelyn had rehearsed the scene all night in her head. After she took the knife, she would cut her hand and allow the blood to spill all over the wooden floor, declaring in a loud voice, "I belong to none of the five factions! I choose to be factionless!" Ignoring the gasps of shock from the audience, she would march straight to the exit at the back of the auditorium and head out to the dilapidated suburbs.

Standing before the five huge bowls in the bright spotlight, however, Evelyn could find no trace of the courage she thought she had. What's there to be afraid of, you idiot?! she scolded herself. If you choose a faction now, you'll just end up getting kicked out again, anyway.

Yet, somehow, she was unable to bring herself to say the words. All her life, Evelyn had been taught that being factionless was even worse than death. While she had seen otherwise, the ever-present pressure to fit in felt as strong as ever, choking her of her rebellious spirit.

What should I do? Still she hesitated, paralyzed with indecision. Should I just try my luck somewhere? Maybe I might survive in Amity…but I'm way too gloomy…or Abnegation…

After what seemed like hours, Evelyn's mind somehow came to a decision. I'm so sorry, Zachary, please forgive me, Evelyn pleaded internally as she watched herself slice the skin of her hand and fling her blood onto the cold gray stones of Abnegation. I need to feel included somewhere. Like a zombie, she stalked away from the bowls and joined the small line of teenagers behind the seated Abnegation members. Evelyn looked across the room to the line of sixteen-year-olds still waiting to be called up, catching Marcus's eye. She glared at him, hoping he would get the message: Abnegation life had better be as good as you told me it was.

"Marcus Eaton!"

The plain-looking boy stepped stiffly away from the line, marching quickly to the metal wells without the slightest trace of hesitation. By this time, the gathered crowd had watched over seventy kids choose their factions, so few of them paid attention to this gray-clothed, nearly anonymous child as he grasped the heavy metal blade in his right hand and plunged the tip into his other hand.

That's right, folks, nothing to see here, Marcus said in his mind as he calmly held his bleeding left hand above the Abnegation bowl. I know my duty and I'm not making any crazy switches. The only person in the room who had any significant reaction to his choice was Johanna, who seemed shocked that he hadn't taken the opportunity to escape his abusive father. I'm staying in Abnegation because it would be suicide for someone like me to transfer to Erudite. More importantly, while everyone tends to overlook this plain little faction, it is actually where all the power lies, for they control the government. If there is anything my father's whipping has taught me, it is that one must always be in power to avoid being trampled.

"Andrew Carr!"

For the first and what would probably be the last time in his life, Andrew was glad to have his rather unusual last name. Its proximity to the beginning of the alphabet had allowed him to ensure that both a) Jeanine really did choose to remain in Erudite, eliminating all possibility of him staying, and b) Natalie didn't make a spur-of-the-moment decision to return to Dauntless.

This makes matters extremely simple, really, Andrew told himself as he willed his legs to carry him forward past the few remaining children waiting to be called. I must go to Abnegation. There is no other choice.

As the teenage boy took the knife, however, he felt sick about what he was about to do. For the rest of his life, Andrew would only be able to sneak glimpses of the computers and books others were enjoying, not being allowed to own any himself. If he asked people questions, they were likely to shrug him off with a "Learning for the sake of satisfying curiosity is self-indulgent." How could he possibly survive Abnegation with his sanity intact?

But then he remembered the horrors of Operation Convergence. His mind flooded with scenes of death and destruction yet to come, culminating in a certain former acquaintance completely demolishing the city. Erudite may be a wonderful place now, but it'll soon be a nightmare with that inhuman monster running it. You need to get out of here.

With immense willpower, Andrew made a gash in his hand and stuck it resolutely over the Abnegation bowl. In spite of himself, Andrew scanned the crowd for his family. His father was visibly trembling with rage, fists clenched tightly to his sides, while his mother appeared to be dazed with shock. Sitting between them, Perrier gave him a questioning look.

Please, Perrier, please do the same when your time comes…

"You had me worried for a moment there," Natalie whispered to Andrew as he slid into line next to her. "You kept glancing at the Erudite bowl."

Andrew felt his doubts melting away as he looked at her. I don't care how much I have to lose. It'll all be worth it if we can be together. "I'd never leave you," he whispered back, taking her hand. "Listen, it'll be hard for both of us, but we'll help each other get through this, okay?"

"Of course." Natalie gave him a watery smile as the Choosing Ceremony ended. Together, they passed through the back doors of the auditorium, toward an uncertain future.

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