Game of Survival - A Tobias Eaton Story

- 3 -

Kaitlyn's POV

I glanced back one last time, catching a glimpse of my mom and brother before I left with the Dauntless. They stood together, wearing small smiles that seemed almost... proud. I met my mother's eyes, holding her gaze for a fleeting second before the wall between us became permanent.

As soon as I was out of the hall, the Dauntless around me erupted into wild cheers and laughter, their energy contagious. I felt a rush of adrenaline and couldn't help but laugh along with them. Freedom. This was it.

We tore through the streets, running like we were invincible. The sound of our pounding footsteps echoed in the air, and for the first time in a long time, I felt wild and alive. Eventually, we reached a train yard where the others began climbing up the pillars. I followed, feeling the pulse of excitement as I pulled myself up to the platform, my heart racing.

At the top, I caught my breath just in time to see the train speeding toward us. Without hesitation, they began running toward it, getting ready to jump. My pulse quickened as I followed their lead, the rush of adrenaline overtaking my nerves.

When the train finally met us, I took a deep breath and leaped, grabbing onto a rail and hauling myself inside. Just as I landed, a girl with short brown hair tumbled in after me, bumping into me. I grabbed her arms to steady her, and we both caught our breath, laughing at the chaos.

"Hey, thanks," she said, grinning.

"No problem," I replied, still a bit breathless.

"I'm Christina," she introduced herself, extending a hand.

"Kaitlyn," I responded, shaking her hand.

She glanced around the train, then back at me with a disbelieving chuckle. "Is it just me, or are they trying to kill us?"

We both laughed, shaking our heads at the madness of it all. The city began to blur past us as the train sped along, the towering Erudite skyscrapers shrinking behind us. The wind whipped through the open doors, and for a moment, I felt completely free.

After some time, one of the Dauntless women stood up and yelled, "Get ready!"

I immediately stood, brushing off my dress as I leaned out to get a view of what lay ahead. We were approaching a massive glass roof below. People in front of us were already leaping from the train.

"They're jumping," I said in disbelief, watching the first of them take the plunge.

Christina came to stand beside me, her eyes wide. "What?"

"What if you don't jump?" a guy said to the Candor boy behind us, concern etched on his face.

"What do you think? You'll end up factionless. Good luck with that, Al," the Candor boy retorted, glancing at me before turning away, his bravado evident.

Without hesitation, they both leaped from the train, leaving Christina and me alone in the car.

"Together?" Christina asked, her eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

"Yeah," I replied, mirroring her anticipation as we both stepped back from the door.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and began to count down.

"One, two, three!" I shouted, and in unison, we sprinted toward the edge and jumped.

For a fleeting moment, I experienced the exhilaration of weightlessness before suddenly crashing down onto the roof. I instinctively tucked and rolled, protecting my head as I skidded to a stop on the gravel. Christina landed next to me, and we erupted into laughter, adrenaline coursing through our veins.