𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍 | E.C

ONE

ALEXANDRIA

'Divergent'

The word echoed through my head as my feet crunched against the stone pathway. The sun was beginning to set and the streets were quickly emptying, the mumble of passersby fading with each step I took. My mother was expecting me home soon but I wasn't sure if I could face her, my anxiety growing to form a pit in my stomach as the wind blew around me. Pulling my blazer closer, I sniffled as the cold air turned my nose numb at the tip and stopped infront of the Erudite compound.

Primarily made of glass, I saw many faction members in the library, noses deep in books as they struggled to meet their deadlines. I couldn't think of anything worse than becoming them, dull and empty. They didn't have lives outside of work, their families struggled to thrive and the passion between couples was almost non-existent. I was expected to stay and join my mothers cause but it felt surreal now.

I wasn't safe in Erudite, I never would be, so I'd have to leave. 'Erudite, Amity, Dauntless. Divergent.' The words echoed once more but I ignored them and made my way into the building. I was greeted by a few faction members as I walked through the building, each one knowing who I was because of my mother. "Hello Alexandria, how was your test?" Dr. Fitz, an older man who worked alongside her, asked.

"It went well, thank you." I replied with a coy smile before entering the elevator up to the top floor, where my apartment was. The question had made my heartrate quicken and I blew out a sigh as soon as he was out of sight- I needed to control my reactions infront of my mother. She was extremely talented at reading people, able to sniff out a lie from a thousand miles away.

I entered the apartment quietly, taking off my shoes before moving into the kitchen. The apartment was sleek and modern, white walls and black marble floors ran throughout and nothing was out of place. My mother was a bit of a neat freak. "Alexa, there you are." She greeted, sat at the kitchen island with papers splayed out infront of her. "You're late."

I took my blazer off, hanging it on the back of a chair. "I'm sorry, I went for a walk." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady and even. She looked at me through the top of her glasses with an eyebrow raised before sighing and putting her pen down.

"How was your test?" She asked in a demanding tone and expressionless face.

"It went well." I answered vaguely. She continued staring at me expectantly. "I got Erudite."

She paused, looking me up and down, searching for tell-tale sign that did not exist. "Good. Now go to bed- I'll see you at the ceremony tomorrow." She waved her hand as a signal for me to leave and I let of a breathe if relief before grabbing my blazer and running up the stairs to my bedroom.

As I laid in my bed with nothing but the light of the moon through my window, I began to think of Eric- I often did. My heart ached whenever he came into mind, the weight of not knowing bearing down on me. I didn't know if he was okay, if he was doing well, I didn't even know where he was. I had half expected him to return to Erudite the day he left, hoping that his feelings for me would have changed his mind but they didn't- perhaps he never had any feelings for me in the first place.

People do things they don't mean because they are scared of regret, perhaps he would have regretted leaving without trying to form feelings for me. I hate not knowing. I hadn't so much glanced in the direction of another boy since he left, nobody would compare to him and I would have rather run into a burning building than to live through the heartbreak again. I regret it, not trying to connect with other people because of fear, maybe I would have been happier if I spent the last year with other people.

Deep down, I knew that I would never loose feeling for Eric and that nobody would compare to the way he made me feel. But I also knew that I'd probably never see him again. He'd live on in the back of my mind as a distant memory, every so often I'd remember him as if he were a sunrise and then forget again as the sun set. I was okay with that- I think.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep that night. My mind was overrun with thoughts and feelings I thought I had moved passed, it was like living the heartbreak over and over again until my head ached and my cheeks were sore from the bitterness of my tears. I was scared, alone and confused.

With the Choosing Ceremony edging closer, my choices were played out infront of me clearly. I had to pick a faction, if I chose wrong I'd die- simple as that. I'd be safe in Amity but the idea of tree-hugging, peace serum junkies made shivers run down my spine. Erudite was not even an option, I'd be discovered almost instantly- same goes for Candor. Dauntless and Abnegation seemed the most viable options, though Abnegation had always given me the creeps.

Entering the Hub in my nicest, Erudite approved, outfit, my mind was made up. At the end of the ceremony I'd have become a member of Dauntless, the warrior faction. Glancing around the room, people were sat in their allocated spaces with their family and friends around them. My heart felt heavy as I sat, no family or friends around. Eric had been my only friend in Erudite, my mother, being the faction leader, was seated elsewhere and I was alone- again.

People held each other tightly and I wrapped my arms around my shoulders, holding myself tightly. The crowd settled down swiftly has my mothers steps echoed throughout the auditorium, the clack of her heels against the stone were silencing. "The faction system is a living organism made up of cells, all of you." She began, gazing around the room at the various anxious expressions. "The further belongs to those who know where they belong."

Did I belong in Dauntless? "There is no place for those who do not." Her sharp words cut into my brain, almost flicking a switch inside of me. I had to belong, I'd make sure I did, no matter what.