Revelation | ✓

Chapter 6

Two days go past without a single word from the factionless. I've avoided Ryde at all costs- I don't think I can face him yet. Not to mention the fact that I feel dirty, as if my Divergence- whatever that is- is a disease.

"Dad?" I sit down at the table across from him.

He doesn't look up from the reports that the Erudite sent over. "Hm?"

I bite down on my lower lip. "What's Divergent?"

My dad freezes, his whole body tensing. "Where did you hear that word?"

I shrug, tracing a circle on the table with the tip of my finger. "School, I guess. I don't know."

Dad sighs and pushes away the reports, running his hands through his hair. He rests his elbows up on the table. "You know that you only get one faction in the aptitude tests, and that that's the faction that supposedly best suits you. But you also know that they also mean nothing."

I don't say anything.

"Well, the Divergent are...different. W-They have significant differences, mostly mentally, from others. Some people, before the war, were scared to death of the Divergent. Take Shauna, for example- she, Lynn, and Hector grew up believing that the Divergent could move things with their mind and other bullshit like that."

"So then what can they do?" I ask. "What makes them so special?"

He sighs again. "The Divergent are aware that they're in a simulation. Not only that, but they can easily manipulate them. Sometimes they can even resist a serum altogether. It'll just go unnoticed into their system and it'll do nothing. But that's only the stronger Divergent."

"So the Divergent are basically the strong-willed people?" That must make Ryde like me.

"No. Not quite. It's kind of hard to explain, really. But there's something else about the Divergent." He looks at the table. "When I said about the aptitude tests, I brought them up for a reason. You see, the Divergent don't have aptitude for one faction- they have it for two."

"Two?" I feel the skin between my eyebrows scrunch up. "How is that possible?"

"It means that they have two different mindsets. They can think two different ways."

"Has anyone ever had three?"

"Yes." He doesn't seem ready to elaborate.

"Dad? Can I ask you something else?"

He nods. "Sure."

I look at him. "Are you Divergent?"

"Yes." He doesn't hesitate to answer. "You can't tell anyone, but yes."

"What factions did you get?"

"Abnegation. But my father taught me how to hide it well."

I nod slowly, processing this. For all I know, my father had all five factions. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. "Is Mom?"

"Yes."

"What were her factions?"

"Dauntless, Abnegation, and Erudite. She was the only person to ever get three factions, as far as we know. Her Divergence was really strong. She could resist almost every serum, except for the peace serum."

I cock my head to the side. "Do you think I'm Divergent like you and Mom?"

He shrugs again. "Maybe."

"Has anyone gotten all five factions?"

"No."

"Do you think maybe I might have aptitude for all five factions?"

He narrows his eyes at me. "You know the answer to that already." He stands up. "Didn't we tell you to stay in the room? Or did I forget to tell you not to come?"

I wonder if he only just understood now that I was pretty much dropping hints the whole time, or if he only just noticed. "Don't I have a right to know what my results were?"

"Not until you're sixteen you don't." He leans against the table, his hands supporting most of his weight. "How many times do we have to tell you not to do these things?"

I shrug. "You will until I'm sixteen." I reply. "Quick question- is Ryde Divergent?"

"Probably." He says. "Uriah's Divergent, and Marlene is Divergent too, though hers is sort of weak."

"Really? Marlene is Divergent?"

He nods. "She had Candor and Amity for her aptitudes. Do you know what that means?"

"They're opposite factions. So that means that the difference must have diluted her Divergence. Right?"

"More than likely. I don't doubt it, because she was pretty aware during the simulations that I administered during initiation."

"So I'll definitely be aware then?"

"Yes. But Vae, you can't tell anyone, got it? Not even Ryder. As a Divergent, you automatically lose your right to trust everyone. There is no one you can trust now, except for your mother and I. I don't care what they say, but unless they're another Divergent, do not trust them."

I nod. "I won't. I swear."

"Good." He checks his watch. "You should probably get ready for bed. I have to go meet Tori."