Divergent: Dead By Daylight

Chapter 25

Tobias' POV

I am still panting madly as Peter rises to his feet, nothing but silence and stillness consuming the air and the dark forest around us.

There wasn't anything to fear at the moment. There wasn't a mad killer running around and stalking you. There was nothing here; but land and abandoned structures.

There was nothing for me to face. At last.

"F-Four..." I suddenly now hear a voice and I turn to see Christina's eyes wide with stupefied shock, as if she had just witnessed the impossible happen.

I bark my voice into the deafness of the world's silence. "Yeah?"

And with this she just swallows hard.

"T-Tobias! You did it!" I now hear her. I jerk my eyes for her and they consume her like water would, spilling over the top of some falls.

"Tris!" I breathe and I am instantly at her side, her eyes all on me and her body as frail as ever.

I relish the look on her face and I relish her essence. I quickly bend down and kiss her, long and passionately until finally Peter clears his throat rather awkwardly from behind us.

I don't care though.

I continue to kiss her and she kisses me. Her lips are beautiful against mine and I cherish every second of our existences becoming one.

Finally though she breaks from our kiss and looks at me, her eyes tired but also withholding a new sense of energy coursing through them after everything that had just happened.

"Y-You did it." She breathes in an astonished tone and all I do is nod. I cradle her with my arms and my heart is still racing. It is racing for her. I didn't care about what I just did. I cared for her.

You're okay. You're alright. You're safe now. I couldn't think of anything else at the moment.

Suddenly though there comes a cough and I turn now to look at Peter, his eyes still looking wild and his hair disheveled from his scrap with Eric.

"W-We should probably open these doors and get moving." He suggests finally and I blink at him in slight bewilderment.

"Eric might be down now, but he won't stay like this for long." He then states before he next grasps at the metal lever again and heaves it downwards.

Instantly there comes a loud noise as the doors begin to shift open. One had to stand there and hold the lever down, or the doors wouldn't open all the way.

"W-Wait, he'll get up? Like soon?" Christina now asks with a horrified glance to me and Tris and Peter just nods. "Yeah. He's only unconscious. See?" He then points to where Eric's figure rests ominously within the dark grasses. He was definitely still breathing. His chest rose and fell with breaths ever so slowly from time to time and I just scowl next.

There had to be a reason for Eric's strength like this. And I wanted this answer. I wanted to grasp it and take hold of it so that maybe I could find a way to weaken him and destroy him once and for all.

Finally though, the doors groan open and once they do, my eyes avert from the heavily wooded area that had become so frightening to be in, and glance within a new looking area of land.

The doors revealed a long dirt trail. And in the far distance I could make out the shape of another large gate, it's two doors concealing new grounds.

What is this? Is this our freedom?

I try to comprehend what I am looking at when finally Tris speaks, and her voice is filled with worry.

"W-Where does the trail lead? Can we get back to the city from here?" She asks as I then help her sit up more, my hands clutching her lightly and sensitively with every movement.

I glance to Peter for the answer next and he just shakes his head drastically before casting his gaze to the ground.

"This doesn't end. This was only one round of survival...." He now claims and I can feel my heart harden a bit.

Only one round?

"W-Wait, what?" Christina snaps next, her posture on the ground due to her still-injured foot.

"Hey, It's not my fault we're in this mess. We're just going to have to keep surviving until we get back to the city. There has to be some kind of explanation to this horrible set-up anyways." Peter retorts with an annoying look and I just furrow my eyebrows and set my jaw at his words.

I didn't want to survive like this anymore. This one night, or 'one round' had already been a living nightmare in itself.

I cast my eyes back down at Tris and she just stares back up at me, my hands supporting her neck and back.

I wanted to keep her safe. I never wanted for her to feel pain or agony again.

I loved her too much. And I would never fail again.

"T-Tobias?" She now stammers and I am all for her.

"Yes?"

She blinks before she reaches a hand to my face and I want to melt from her touch.

"I-I'm.. I'm so sorry... for pushing you away like I did.. and I-" She tries to apologize at last and her voice wobbles as if she were about to cry.

I just cut her off though and finally pull her in for a hug, my arms wrapping around her securely.

"No, it was my fault. I should have never left you." I mutter now.

I then hug her tighter as she sniffles into my neck.

"Never again will I leave you." I state.

I promise.