Nocturne

〜Chapter 2〜

The ride back to the academy was filled with awkward silence, except for the hum of the car's engine. Samuel drove while Tris sat silently in the passenger seat, looking out the window. His mind raced as they sped through the streets of London. 

It's been a long night, and the events at the warehouse still lingered in Tris's head. His shoulder was still throbbing, but at least the bleeding had stopped. He shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, but the pain in his shoulder continued to linger. 

"You're too reckless, you know that?" Samuel said suddenly, breaking the silence. His tone was light, but there was an edge to it that Tris couldn't identify. 

"Me? Reckless? If it weren't for me, that vampire would've continued to kill more people," Tris protested. 

Samuel shot a glance at Tris, his brow furrowing in frustration. 

"I'm not saying what you did wasn't necessary, Tris. But you can't keep throwing yourself into danger like that. You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

Tris frowned, turning away from the window to meet Samuel's gaze.

"Well, if someone would've showed up on time," Tris snapped. 

Samuel's expression and grip on the stirring wheel tightened, and he clenched his jaw. 

"That's not fair, and you know that, Tris. I got held up fighting off Valois's goons. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park."

Tris shook his head, frustration boiling over.

"Then why are you getting on my case about this? I did what I had to do! If I didn't step in, that vampire would've killed again. I wasn't going to sit there and wait!"

Samuel let out an exasperated sigh, gripping the steering wheel even tighter. 

"I get that, but you don't always have to do everything by yourself! You've got me, the team, my dad—we're all here to help. But if you keep going off on your own, you're going to get yourself killed. And then what? What would your parents think?" 

"That's a low blow," Tris hissed. 

Samuel's expression softened, but his tone remained firm. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Tris. I'm just trying to get through to you. We've lost too much already—none of us can afford to lose you too."

Tris clenched his fists, the mention of his parents cutting deep. He took a slow breath, trying to steady his emotions. 

"You know I can't just sit back and watch when I can do something. It's not in me."

"I know," Samuel replied, his voice gentler now.

The two fell back into an awkward silence. The hum of the car's engine filled the quiet, the city lights flashing by outside the window as they neared the academy.

Tris leaned his head against the cool glass, trying to push away the swirling thoughts in his mind. He knew Samuel was right, but admitting it felt like giving up a piece of himself. He had always been the one to charge ahead, to take risks others wouldn't, because someone had to.

As they pulled into the academy's driveway, the imposing stone building coming into view, Tris couldn't help but wonder if his cousin was right. Maybe there was a different way to fight, one that didn't leave him on the edge of losing everything. Or worse, getting bitten. 

As they parked, Samuel cut the engine and turned to Tris, breaking the silence.

"Get your shoulder checked out, we'll talk more in the morning,"