𝙄𝙆𝙏𝙀 ━━ Peter Hayes

: ̗̀➛ˏˋOneˊˎ

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Chapter One
"The Test"
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AS I ENTERED the room, my attention was immediately drawn to the expansive mirror spanning the left wall. Pausing in my steps, I gazed at my reflection, taking in the sight of my cascading brown waves framing my face and flowing down my back.

Across the room, a figure caught my eye – a member of Dauntless, clad in sleek black attire, exuding an aura of intimidation. Strands of vibrant green peeked through her dark locks, adding to her enigmatic presence.

"Come on, Candor, time's ticking," her voice cut through the air, startling me out of my reverie.

Approaching her cautiously, I settled into the chair, my eyes drifting to the array of wires and machinery nearby, poised to commence the test.

"I'm Tori," she introduced herself briskly, her demeanor exuding authority. "I'll be administrating your test today. You'll face a series of choices to determine your aptitude for each faction until one result is determined."

Nerves fluttered in my stomach as Tori positioned me against the chair, her actions brusque and efficient.

"Don't worry. Ninety-five percent end up in their original faction," she reassured, handing me a small vial.

"What's this?" I inquired, eyeing the clear liquid with suspicion.

She only smirked in response, "bottoms up, Candor."

I hesitated for a moment, looking at the vial before bringing it to my lips. Its lack of taste was worrying, but I swallowed it down nonetheless, under Tori's impatient gaze.

The room around me shifted, and when I turned back to face Tori, she was gone. Confusion prickled at the edges of my mind as I scanned the room, searching for any sign of the machine or the exit. But all I saw were mirrors – endless reflections stretching into infinity.

A chill crept up my spine as I stood up and approached the nearest mirror, my reflection staring back at me with an unsettling stillness. I reached out tentatively, my fingers grazing the cold surface, but the image remained unmoved.

"Choose," the reflection whispered, its voice echoing in the silence.

I frowned, my gaze flicking to the side where I saw a knife and meat laid out on a table. "What are those for? Why?" I demanded, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

"Just choose, before it's too late," the reflection urged, its tone urgent.

I shook my head, determination coursing through me. "Not until you tell me why," I insisted, my voice firm.

But then, a low growl filled the air, and I spun around to see a dog, its teeth bared as it advanced towards me. Panic surged within me as I frantically searched for the knife and meat, only to find them gone.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, my heart racing as the dog charged towards me.

With a deep breath, I suddenly remembered that this was only a simulation. There was no dog. So I closed my eyes tight, repeating to myself, "This isn't real."

When I opened them again, the dog had turned into a puppy, its whines replacing the growls. A smile spread across my face as I sighed out of relief.

I knelt down to its level, "aren't you beautiful," I whispered, reaching out to stroke its fur.

The sound of a child's laughter drew my attention, and I turned to see a young girl in Candor clothing, her eyes bright with innocence. But as I looked back at the puppy, it morphed back into the snarling dog, its gaze fixed on the girl.

Without hesitation, I lunged forward, racing after the dog as it bounded towards the girl. As it raced after the girl I jumped in a last attempt to save her, and slowly we both plunged through the ground into darkness.

With a gasp, I jolted upright, blinking rapidly as the familiar surroundings of the simulation room came into focus. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath, the memories still lingering in my mind.

My senses slowly returned to me, muddled by grogginess and confusion as Tori's urgent voice penetrated the fog. "Jesus, second time today. Get up, now," she urged, her grip tight on my arm.

With a groan, I struggled to comprehend her urgency. "What?" I mumbled, my head spinning with disorientation.

Tori's urgency only intensified as she pulled me upright, her fingers digging into my arm. "Go out the back door, before a supervisor comes," she insisted, her words driving me into action.

I attempted to resist, my mind reeling with questions, but Tori's strength overpowered my feeble attempts to break free. "But what was my result? Wait!" I pleaded, halting our movement with a desperate tug.

"Candor... and Amity, and Dauntless," she revealed, her words hitting me like a tidal wave of disbelief. "Dauntless..." I whispered, the revelation sending shockwaves through me.

"You're going to tell your family the serum made you sick and I sent you home early," Tori instructed, her tone leaving no room for argument.

Confusion clouded my thoughts as I struggled to make sense of it all. "That doesn't make sense, that's impossible though, how could I have multiple factions?" I asked, my gaze falling to the ground.

Tori's grip tightened on my arm, forcing me to meet her gaze. "It's not impossible, just extremely rare. It's called divergent. You can't tell anyone, not even your family. If anyone asks, you received Candor because that is what I manually entered."

I finally broke free after another tug and took a step back from her, "So what am I supposed to do at the choosing ceremony? This was supposed to tell me what faction to choose, the test-"

"The test didn't work on you okay? You have to trust yourself, now go!" She said, grabbing me once again and pushing me out the back door.

The door slammed shut behind me, leaving me standing alone in the echoing hallway, my mind swirling with uncertainty.

This didn't make any sense, how could I be inconclusive? What did being divergent even mean? Why couldn't I tell my family? I turned and began to navigate the long corridors, searching for an exit.

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