Dauntless Born

3. Yes, Father

New update already! :) Happy Fourtris day by the way <3

~•~

Four/Tobias

"Are you ready?" my father asks, his heavy hand resting on my shoulder.

I wanted nothing more than to shrug it off. His touch was rough, like sandpaper scraping against my skin. It felt less like comfort and more like control, the weight of it sinking deep into my bones, almost as if a blade was pressing into my shoulder.

"Y-yes," I stammer, my voice barely holding steady. 

But the truth was, I wasn't ready. Not really. A part of me felt guilty, like leaving him would be a betrayal. I was torn—what kind of son abandons his own father? It felt wrong. But at the same time, staying under his roof felt just as wrong, maybe even worse.

I was so tired. Tired of the bruises, the lashes, the constant fear of what I might say or do to trigger his anger. I wanted more than anything to know what it was like to live without looking over my shoulder, to go just one week without feeling the sting of his belt or the weight of his fists.

His voice, harsh and overbearing, echoed through my mind, the words pounding like a drumbeat.

This is for your own good. This is for your own good!

Those words had been drilled into me for years, but now they only made my head throb. Something inside me shifted in that moment, something I couldn't ignore any longer.

I realized, standing there beneath his oppressive hand, that I might betray him. And for the first time, it didn't feel wrong.

Our relationship had been shattered long before this moment. He was never truly my father—just a man who had let me down over and over again. If anything, this would be the first real act of honesty between us.

This wasn't an ending. It was the beginning.

~•~

The porcelain tiles beneath my feet clacked with each step, the sound sharp and echoing as I walked beside my father down the long corridor. The atmosphere felt thick with tension, each footfall a reminder of the confrontation that was looming ahead.

"You know what you're choosing, right?" His voice was gruff, already tinged with impatience.

"Yes, Father," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart racing in my chest.

This was my moment—my one shot at breaking free from the weight of his control. But could I really seize it? Could I leave behind everything I knew, everything I was expected to be?

"This way," he instructed, and I trailed after him, feeling like a lost puppy, my head down as the uncertainty of my decision gnawed at my insides.

I had taken the faction tests yesterday, and of course, the results had come back as Abnegation. He had manipulated every aspect of that process, ensuring I fit neatly into the box he had built for me. There was no escaping his plans, no room for rebellion in his eyes.

"I have to give the annual speech on stage," my father explained, dismissing me with a wave of his hand. "You just go sit in the Abnegation section. Save me a seat. I'll join you shortly."

I nodded, though my mind was elsewhere, lost in the whirlpool of choices that tugged at my conscience. If I did leave, what faction would I choose?

Erudite was a definite no—smart mouths and relentless logic were not for me. Amity's overbearing cheerfulness felt fake, too far removed from the struggles I've faced thus far. That left Dauntless, a faction that intrigued me despite the flutter of fear it ignited. Their daring lifestyle promised a break from my dull life, but I worried about whether I could survive the initiation. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down my spine, stirring a blend of excitement and fear.

As my father's speech droned on, I struggled to focus on his words, drowning in my worries.

Then it happened—my name was called. The room fell into a heavy silence, as if the air had thickened and time had frozen. Tobias Eaton.

This was it. The moment that could change everything. My heart raced, a mix of exhilaration and fear surging through me. This was my chance to choose—to step away from the darkness of my father's shadow and carve out a life that could finally be mine.

~•~

It feels like Tobias is almost a different character because I am writing his story before he met Tris. Tris changed his life so much. Agghh Fourtris feels.
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Xoxo, hx7680