Game of Survival - A Tobias Eaton Story

- 1 -

Kaitlyn's POV

My name is Kaitlyn Morgan, and I was born into the Erudite faction. My mother serves as second-in-command to our leader, Jeanine Matthews, and my brother, Thomas, much to my dismay, has followed in her footsteps. He chose to stay in Erudite, completely embracing the life I feel so out of place in. Me? I've never known where I belong. I've struggled in school, struggled to make friends, to be selfless, or to stand up for myself. But today, I'm taking the aptitude test, hoping it will finally give me clarity about who I'm meant to be and why I feel so lost.

The founders of our city built the wall to keep us safe, to protect us. Inside, they divided us into five factions, each one designed to maintain peace.

There's Erudite—the intellectuals, the ones who value knowledge and logic above all. That's where I'm from. Erudite knows everything.

Then there's Amity. They're the farmers, the peaceful ones who value kindness and harmony. They always seem so happy.

Candor values honesty and order. They speak the truth, even when it hurts to hear it.

And Dauntless? They're our protectors—soldiers, police, fearless and brave. I've always admired them, free and wild in a way I could never be. Some think they're reckless, but I think they're amazing.

Lastly, there's Abnegation. People call them "stiffs" because of their selfless, modest way of life. They're dedicated to helping others, feeding the Factionless. Abnegation also runs the government because of their public service. The system works, and everyone seems to know their place. Except for me.

My mother always says there's an art to losing yourself, but I haven't figured out what that means yet. Especially not today, as I follow her through the city to take the test that will decide my future.

"Mom, did you always know you'd be Erudite?" I ask her softly as we stand in line, waiting.

"No," she replies, her voice sharp but thoughtful. "I thought I'd stay in Candor, but I wanted a change. I followed my heart. That's what I want you to do."

"I'm nervous," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't be, sweetie," she says, pulling me into a rare hug. Despite her strictness, I know she loves me. So does my brother, though he couldn't be here today. He's busy with Erudite matters, as always. She gives me one last squeeze and tucks a loose strand of my black hair behind my ear.

"I love you. Good luck," she says before turning and walking away, back toward the gleaming glass skyscrapers of Erudite.

I watch her disappear into the distance, my eyes drifting toward the Abnegation sector. In the street, a Candor boy is messing with someone, and I roll my eyes. A girl my age tries to intervene, but her brother holds her back. Our eyes meet, and I give her a look of sympathy before glancing away.

That's when I hear the train—the Dauntless. Dozens of them leap from the train cars, sprinting to join the line. They seem so alive, so free. I wish I could be like that, fearless and untamed, instead of standing here, waiting to be judged by a test I don't even understand.

Soon, we were crammed into a room where a woman began lecturing us about the history of the war and the purpose of the aptitude test. After her speech, we were divided into lines and led to the testing rooms. When I entered mine, I nervously smoothed down my blue dress. The woman waiting for me had brown hair parted to the side and wore black, which immediately made me think she was Dauntless. As she turned away briefly, I caught a glimpse of a tattoo on her shoulder.

" Welcome. Sit in the chair," she said, her tone firm but not unkind.

I walked over and sat down, feeling my heart race as she adjusted the chair for me.

" My name is Tori and I'll be administering your test. You'll be offered a series of choices to test your aptitude for each faction. Until you get one result. I wouldn't sweat it." She smiled slightly. "95% get the faction of their origin and by the looks of you..."

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just nodded. Then she handed me a glass filled with a strange blue liquid.

"What is it?" I asked, eyeing the substance warily.

"Bottoms up," she said simply.

I hesitated for a moment, but the liquid had no noticeable smell, so I took a deep breath and drank it. As soon as I handed the glass back to her, I leaned back and closed my eyes.

When I opened them again, the room was completely empty. I was still sitting in the chair, but everything else had vanished. Confused, I glanced around and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. As I stared at my reflection, more versions of me appeared, filling the mirrors around the room. It was unsettling, but before I could react, I heard a voice—my own voice.

"Choose."

I turned to see another version of myself standing nearby.

"What am I choosing?" I asked.

Suddenly, two pedestals appeared. One held a steak, the other a knife.

"Choose. Before it's too late," my doppelgänger repeated.

Without fully understanding why, I instinctively reached for the knife. No sooner had I picked it up than the other me vanished, and in her place, a wild dog appeared, growling fiercely.

I froze for a second, panicking as the dog barked and charged at me. I jumped to the side, holding the knife out defensively. The dog lunged again, and I swung the knife, grazing its side. As it whimpered and backed away, I suddenly noticed it had transformed into a small, harmless puppy. A soft smile tugged at my lips.

"Puppy!" a little girl's voice called.

I turned to see a young girl standing a few feet away. She looked like a younger version of me, and I felt an instinctual need to protect her. But before I could say anything, the dog reverted back to its feral form and bolted toward the girl.

I chased after it, knife still in hand, desperate to stop it from reaching her. Just as I caught up, I plunged the knife into its side. The ground beneath me gave way, and I fell through, tumbling into another simulation.

One after another, I fought through a series of tests, each more challenging than the last. Finally, I awoke, disoriented and drenched in sweat.

"Congratulations. You made it," Tori said, her voice calm and reassuring.

I sat up slowly, my head spinning. She handed me a glass of water, and I gulped it down, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

"What's my result?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"Dauntless," she said with a smile.

"Dauntless... wow," I whispered, feeling a strange mixture of disbelief and excitement.

Tori grinned. "Looks like I'll be seeing you around."

"I guess you will," I said, standing up with her help.

As I left the testing facility, I took the long way home, lost in thought. I couldn't believe I'd been chosen for Dauntless. For the first time, I felt like I knew where I belonged. But tomorrow, I'd have to make the choice—to stay with my mother and brother in Erudite or leave them behind to start a new life in Dauntless.

Could I really leave everything I knew behind? The thought weighed heavily on me as I walked through the city, feeling both exhilarated and terrified of what was to come.