Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.

It is almost midnight. Dark shadows creep over the walls of the prison located deep in Dauntless headquarters. Soft moans and faint cries leak through the openings in the stone. A lone guard patrols the hallways by himself, like a prowling cat searching for prey. But at this hour, no one's looking to escape, only to sleep.

Suddenly, the front buzzer rings. The Dauntless man who runs the prison, Harrison, leaves his workstation and approaches the door. He leans in close to the speaker mounted to the wall. "State your name and what you've come for," he addresses whoever's outside.

A formal-sounding voice, an older man's, answers. His accent's strange, Harrison notes. But his identification checks out. He is a priest from Abnegation, known only as Father Vincent. He's here to minister to the troubled souls in the prison, so they can achieve peace before leaving this world.

Harrison isn't particularly religious, but he believes there's honor in the priest's mission. He lets the Abnegation man in, then directs him toward Caleb Prior's cell.

It's a pity, Harrison thinks, that the Dauntless sentenced that young man. Better if he were let go to commit another petty crime, than be executed for this one.

Harrison leaves the young Erudite with the Abnegation priest, then he quickly walks away. He's seen enough of the horror of a coming execution, he won't stick around to see it in that boy's face.

Tris

It's time. I approach the railing that overlooks the chasm, my heart pounding in my chest.

Sure enough, Eric's there, and to my surprise, he looks less sure of himself than the day before. He paces next to the railing, gripping it with his hand, as if holding on for dear life. The way Christina did when he forced her to hang over the chasm.

I slowly approach him, and the water roars in my ears, drowning out the sounds of my footsteps. I feel like I'm in the presence of a hulking giant. And I'm not referring to Eric, but the river. It spits fat droplets of water onto the metal railing and the floor. I have to resist the urge to step back.

Once I'm close enough, I call out to Eric. It takes a few tries before he hears me.

"Tris," he says, sounding more than a bit distracted. "You came early."

"I did," I say. "So what'd you decide?"

Eric just looks at me for a moment. In the background, the foamy water continues to splash against the railing. "Your brother can't live," he says at last.

I sigh, lowering my head in defeat. Well, I tried, I think to myself. I'm about to turn and walk away when Eric speaks up again.

"Yet he might get to live," he says loudly. "Till next year's initiation. Or the one after that. Or even as long as you or I might live."

"Under the sentence you gave?" I ask tentatively. I'm not sure what he's getting at.

Eric nods. "Yeah," he says.

"Till when?" I walk all the way up to him, so I won't have to shout over the din of the river. "Please tell me, so I can tell him. He's Erudite. He'll want to know."

At this, Eric chuckles darkly. "So you want to calm him down… after the cowardly thing he did? No. I don't think that's necessary."

"Maybe not, according to Dauntless law," I argue back, "but real life's different from the law."

"Oh, you say so?" Eric suddenly turns to face me, and I see a devious glint in his eyes. "Then quick, answer me this. Which would you rather have, that your brother bravely goes to his death under the law, or, to save him, you commit an act of cowardice similar to what he did?"

He taps his foot on the ground, waiting for my answer. I think it over in my head. I can't tell if Eric seriously means it or not, but just in case, I need to be prepared. "Believe me when I say this," I tell him. "I'd give up my life, but not my beliefs."

And it's true. I'd never compromise my values as a Dauntless leader, nor as a girl who loves God.

There's silence for a moment, except for the sound of the waters churning in the background. Finally, Eric speaks again. "Then answer me this. As the one who represents the law in Dauntless, I say your brother has to die. Do you think there could be bravery in a cowardly act, as long as it's to save this brother's life?"

"Well," I say hesitantly, "if you'll agree to it, I'll take the consequences. It's not cowardice at all, just charity."

"And if you'll take the consequences," says Eric, "the cowardice and charity even out."

I muster a smile. This negotiation's actually working. "Okay," I tell him. "If it's such a cowardly act for me to beg for his life, I'll do it. And if it's a sinful act, I'll pray that I'm forgiven, and that God forgives you, too."

"No," Eric snaps. He gives me a dark look. I'm surprised at the sudden turn in the conversation, so much so that I take a couple steps back. "You don't get what I'm saying," Eric continues. "Either you're being ignorant, or you're pretending to be, and neither of those are good."

I can hear the venom in his voice. It's why I continue to back away as I respond to him. "It's fine if I'm ignorant," I say carefully. "I picked Dauntless, not Erudite."

I expect Eric to soften, but he doesn't. He continues advancing toward me, like a big cat on the hunt. "And that's how a person shows how smart she is, by denying she is," he says matter-of-factly. "Just like how the Stiff women in their robes and head coverings look more beautiful than if they showed off their bodies in full. But just so we're on the same page, I'll speak clearly. Your brother's gonna die."

"So?" I respond. I've already been told that.

"You're going to pray for him, because you believe in God," Eric continues.

"True," I say.

"I assume you do as your religion tells you, which means you've agreed to protect your virginity till your wedding day," Eric continues. "And that shouldn't be an issue for you. You're in a relationship with Four, who believes in the same God, and he's not that experienced, either."

"You're right," I say quietly. Is he getting at what I think he's getting at? If I were to knowingly commit that type of sin, would Tobias forgive me? For the right reasons, I think he would.

But to knowingly sin in the sight of God, that's another matter entirely. I swore to love the Lord, my God, with all my heart, my mind, and my soul. And I swore to never dishonor that vow, no matter what.

Eric confirms what I'm thinking. "Suppose there's no possible way to save Caleb's life," he says, inching closer to me, "except you're being pursued by, say, the judge, and that judge makes you an offer. Either you let your fear control you and give him your virginity, or be brave and watch your brother die. What would you do?"

I think long and hard about my decision. I know Eric's probably about to tell me the name of this judge, if he isn't standing in front of me right now. So I decide to say the truth. "If my life were on the line, I'd let myself get beat up by both Peter and Molly, I'd agree to hang over the chasm for ten minutes, and I'd let myself be injected with truth serum in front of all of Dauntless, but I'd never, ever give my body to you."

"Then your brother's gonna die," Eric says with finality.

"And it'd be better that way," I tell him, hoping he's convinced that I actually intend to let Caleb die. "Better if my brother dies with honor, than if I sin against God, making myself a coward forever."

I cross my arms and stare defiantly at him, so he'll think I'm a hundred percent serious. He believes it. "How cruel of you, Tris," he mocks. "I guess you can't criticize me or the Dauntless, then."

"Stop being manipulative," I snap at him. "The Abnegation give charity out of their own free will. They always follow their own laws, unlike you."

"You were just saying that the law's too tyrannous," Eric retorts, "and suggesting that your brother's crime doesn't make him a coward."

"Well, sorry," I say, shrugging my shoulders. "Sometimes I don't say what I mean. We're taught to do that in Abnegation, excuse the crimes we hate, because it's selfless to do it for the people we love."

Eric smirks a little. "And that's why we call you Stiffs weaklings," he mutters. "Now I want you to prove to me that you're really Dauntless. That is, if you're Dauntless, you can't be a Stiff. So show me that you're a Dauntless woman, not a Stiff one, by showing me how bold you can be."

I'm aware of my back hitting the railing. He's backed me into a corner, literally. The water surges forward and splashes my clothes. "Talk to me like I'm Dauntless, not Erudite," I say to Eric. "Tell me what you mean."

Eric suddenly lurches forward, and I flinch. I feel myself about to tip over the railing, and for a moment, I panic. But then Eric's hand shoots out and seizes my wrist. Relief rushes through me until I realize Eric's pulling me closer to him. I want to tear myself away, but his grip's far too tight.

"Fine," he hisses, a ghost of a smile on his face. "I want you, Tris."

He pulls me closer until my forearm brushes his chest. I feel sick. Would anyone hear if I yelled for help? No, the water's much too loud.

"My brother wanted the same from Maria," I shout angrily at him, "and you're telling me he'll die for it."

"He won't, Tris," says Eric, "if you give me what you'll give to Four."

My brain's in panic mode. I frantically try to think of what to do next. "I know you're trying to test me," I say, though I don't actually believe it. "You want to see if I'll be brave, or if I'll give in like a coward."

"Oh, I'm being serious," Eric says without missing a beat. "With all the honor that's in me, I swear I'm telling you the truth."

"Ha!" Now I find the strength to wrench myself away from his grasp. I lean against the railing so he can't grab me again. "There's no honor in you, Eric," I snarl at him. "You're just as bad as I thought you were in initiation, and then some. Now I'm telling you to sign a pardon for my brother, or in my loudest voice, I'll let all of Dauntless know what a miserable coward you are."

Eric just stares at me for a minute. The waves crash against the rocks, and the sound's deafening.

"Who would believe you, Tris?" Eric finally asks. "I'm the Dauntless leader, I've been here two years longer, and I'm not a Stiff like you. My word ranks higher than yours. Now I'm not afraid to say to you that I want you. Give me what I'm thirsty for, stop with your blushing and your Stiff manners. You can save your brother, but only if you sin against your God and give your virginity to me. Or, with how selfish you're being, I'll make sure Caleb doesn't just get killed, but also tortured. You have till tomorrow to answer me, or I'll be more of a tyrant to him than any council member ever could. By the way, you can say what you'd like. This isn't Candor, my lies are stronger than your truth."

He spins on his heel and walks away. Soon, it's just me in the vast space, along with the sound of the crashing waves. I put my face in my hands.

God, how'd I get into this? I wonder if this is to test my faith. It's true, even if I told, the Dauntless wouldn't believe me. I wish I could curse them, those Dauntless hypocrites. The ones who're always telling us to speak up, but who refuse to speak up against injustice themselves.

I decide to go visit Caleb. Yeah, he might've messed up, but he's still my selfless brother. He'd never ask me to sin against God, or hurt Tobias in this way, even if it's to rescue him. That's why he deserves to be spared. I'll tell him that, no matter what, I'll still find a way to save him. I'll just be taking the law into my own hands.

AN: Wow! That was an intense chapter, anyone else agree? Next up is an elaboration on Father Vincent's character. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!