─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ─── Chapter Two "Ceremony" ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
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THE HALLWAY STRETCHED out before me, dimly lit and eerily silent. My footsteps echoed as I made my way towards the exit, each step laden with the weight of Tori's words. Divergent. The word buzzed in my mind, a secret too heavy to carry but too dangerous to share.
I finally emerged into the cool night air, the city lights of Chicago flickering in the distance. The familiar sight did little to calm my racing thoughts. I needed to get home, to process everything that had happened. I pulled my jacket tighter around me and started walking, my mind replaying the simulation over and over.
As I neared my family's apartment in the Candor sector, I tried to steady my breathing. The truth serum and its effects were real, but so was the trust we placed in each other. How was I supposed to lie to my family? My parents, such believers in honesty, would see right through me. I had to find a way to keep this secret without raising suspicion.
Opening the door quietly, I slipped inside, hoping to avoid a confrontation. But there was no escaping my mother's keen eyes.
"You're home early," she observed, her brow furrowing in concern as she looked up from her book. "How did the test go?"
I hesitated, forcing a smile onto my face. "The serum made me sick. They sent me home early."
My mother's eyes narrowed, searching my face for any sign of deceit. The seconds stretched into an eternity before she finally nodded. "Are you feeling okay now?"
I nodded quickly. "Yeah, just a little tired. I think I'll head to bed."
She watched me for a moment longer before returning to her book. "Get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning."
Relieved, I hurried to my room, closing the door behind me. The familiar surroundings brought no comfort. My desk, covered in books and papers, the bed neatly made, everything felt the same, yet my world had shifted irrevocably.
Throwing myself onto the bed, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. Divergent. The word echoed through my thoughts, filled with ominous implications. What did it mean for my future? How could I choose a faction now, knowing I didn't fit neatly into any one of them?
A soft knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts. "Elowyn, it's me," Rachel's voice came through the door. "Can I come in?"
I sat up, wiping my eyes quickly. "Yeah, come in."
Rachel slipped inside, her face mirroring my own anxiety. Her brown waves, so similar to mine, framed a face that was both familiar and comforting. She closed the door behind her and sat down on the edge of my bed.
