─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ─── Chapter Five "Belonging" ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
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THE WALLS WERE rough and unadorned, the lights dim and flickering, casting eerie shadows as Four guided us through the Dauntless hallways.
Eventually, we came to a stop at a vast, open space that seemed to drop into the depths below. Four gestured broadly with his arm. "This is The Pit. The center of life here at Dauntless."
I stopped and placed my hands on the rails, peering over the edge. The sheer drop made my stomach flip. Just then, Peter walked past me, leaning in close enough that I could feel his breath on my ear. "Careful, Wren. Wouldn't want to fall over the edge," he whispered before continuing on his way. His closeness sent shivers down my spine, and I stiffened, gripping the rail tighter.
We continued on our path, moving away from The Pit and deeper into the compound. The oppressive feeling of the place started to weigh on me, but I tried to focus on Four's words and the path ahead.
Eventually, we arrived at a large, dimly lit room lined with bunk beds. "You're going to be sleeping here for the next 10 weeks," Four announced, his voice echoing slightly in the enclosed space.
Everyone looked around, taking in the sparse accommodations. A boy, standing a bit ahead, raised his hand. "Boys or girls?" he asked.
"Both," Four replied. At this, the boys began to whistle and one of them muttered, "Nice."
I scrunched my nose in distaste at their reaction, and I could hear Liv groan next to me. The thought of sharing such close quarters with everyone, including the likes of Peter, was far from appealing.
"If you like this," Four continued, a hint of amusement in his tone, "you're going to love the bathroom."
I exchanged uneasy glances with both Liv and Rae, this was not going to be fun.
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After we had changed into more suitable Dauntless clothing, we were forced to burn our old clothes. Watching my Candor attire go up in flames hurt more than I wanted to admit. As we held onto our food trays, Christina led our group to a table near the middle of The Pit. The sound of laughter and clinking glasses was deafening, much louder and rowdier than what I was used to.
"Shall we sit there?" Christina asked, gesturing to an empty spot surrounded by other members of Dauntless. I nodded, settling down between Liv and Rae, with Tris next to Rae. Christina and Al occupied the other side of the table. The aroma of food wafted through the air, making my stomach growl. The choices were surprisingly plentiful: burgers, grilled meats, and even a lone fruit bowl that seemed to go unnoticed by most. I reached for an apple from the fruit bowl just as Christina spoke up.
"Have you never seen a hamburger before?" she asked Tris, who looked like a deer in headlights.
"No, I've seen one. I just have never eaten one," Tris replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. This didn't surprise me, knowing that Abnegation were known for their plain, plant-based diet, which never appealed to me.
A boy sitting next to Christina chimed in, "Abnegation eat plain food. Plant-based diet with no sauces and a minimum of seasoning."
"Which textbook did you swallow?" Christina quipped, making us all laugh, the tension easing slightly.
"Nice to meet you too. I'm Will, Erudite," he said, offering a polite smile.
"Ah, see that makes sense. Honestly, though, I'm surprised Abnegation eats at all. Your whole thing is being selfless, right?" Rae added, her tone teasing but not unkind.
"You gotta be pretty self-confident to be friends with a Candor," Will shot back, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Al, Christina, Liv, Rae, and I all looked at him with slight offense. "What is that supposed to mean?" Christina asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You have no filter. You say the first thing that comes into your head," Will explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"You mean like, 'You're an idiot'?" Al retorted, making us all chuckle.
"Nice one, Al. At least we tell the truth," Christina said, smirking.
"Erudite can tell the truth because we have the facts," Will countered, his tone smug.
Four, who had been sitting not too far down from Tris, suddenly spoke up, "I don't want to hear about your old factions. You're Dauntless now."
At this, our smiles faded, and I looked down at the food in front of me. He was right. We were Dauntless now, and there was no point in talking about our old factions since we wouldn't be going back.
Tris then spoke up to Four, her voice steady, "Were you a transfer too? Or Dauntless-born?"
Four looked at her with almost shock. We all turned to see what would happen next. "Are you kidding?" he asked, incredulous.
"No," Tris replied simply, her gaze unwavering.
"What makes you think you can talk to me?" Four asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Unable to help myself, I scoffed and muttered, "Rude." I froze at my words, and Liv elbowed me in the ribs to tell me to shut up, but if Four heard me, he didn't acknowledge it.
"It must be because you're so approachable," Tris said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Careful," Four warned, taking a sip of his drink before someone called his name, pulling his attention away.
"I swear you have a death wish, Tris," Rae muttered, shaking her head before taking a bite out of her burger.
"You know, he was first in his class. They tried to recruit him for leadership twice, but he said no," Will mentioned, his tone thoughtful.
"I wonder why he said no?" I questioned, tilting my head in confusion.
Suddenly, a loud alarm rang out in the room, making us all look up in confusion. People next to us started banging their cups and fists on the table as a Dauntless leader stood above everyone else near the rails where we had been just before.
"Initiates, stand. You have chosen to join the warrior faction tasked with the defense of this city and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery and the courage that drives one person to stand up for another. Respect that. Do us proud," Max declared, his voice echoing through The Pit.
All the members in the room, besides us initiates, started clapping and cheering. I looked around the room in awe as we stood and watched them clap for us. I had never felt this supported back in Candor, and it made me realize something. I was no longer Elowyn of Candor. I was Wren of Dauntless. And I was ready to prove that I belonged here.
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