Rampant: A Divergent FanFiction (Book Two) ©

Chapter 35

                Stage two of initiation began as any other day would; I woke up, got dressed, had breakfast, and then awaited my initiates. However, while everything might’ve appeared to be the norm on the outside, internally I was still roiling with the new information I’d discovered the previous night.

                Deceased, deceased, deceased; the single word kept replaying in my head. How was it possible? Already my life had turned into a web of lies and deceit, and this had only helped to further tangle my thoughts. There was too much to think about, too many loops and hidden agendas that I was still completely in the dark about.

               “Follow me,” I said when all of the initiates had gathered around.

                Though they were all silent, I could feel the nervous energy that they emitted as they shuffled behind me. I could remember being in their shoes; this stage had been where I’d really run across problems, where I’d involuntarily shown –not only Amar– but also Banks that I was divergent.

                Once we arrived at the dark hallway that led to the simulation room, I left them to go ahead and prepare the machine. While I’d initially thought Banks would’ve wanted to do this portion of the initiation personally, I was relieved when he’d instead said that he’d leave me to it.

                “I have things to do,” he’d said absently as his eyes got a far-away look to them. “You’ll be in charge of this stage. Mind yourself though, I will be reviewing the recordings of the initiate’s fears.”

                If I’d thought his words were cryptic before, well, it was nothing compared to what I thought now. All I could think was, who the hell was he? How I’d wanted to just stride over to him and shake him, demanding answers. But no, I’d held my composure and simply nodded.

                Even now, as I sat prepping the syringes and fear simulation program, my thoughts kept flitting back to Banks. Dan and I had combed through various other folders, and even miscellaneous files in the computer, but other than that half-torn picture I’d found –there’d been no sign that Banks had ever existed.

                With a sigh, I determinately pushed my confusion to the back of my mind. Right now, I had to concentrate; from what I’d read in Banks’s computer, he still had high suspicions about Ally, Iris, and Wayne.

                Once everything was set, I got up and made my way back to the room I’d left the initiates in. There was little chatter heard when I opened the door, and as soon as they saw my face, an immediate hush spread throughout their group.

                “Zane,” I said.

                And so it began. To be honest, I hadn’t the slightest clue how Amar had been able to stand it; how he’d been able to see other people’s fears without feeling the need to stop the whole process.

                Though he’d been cocky and arrogant -as usual- at the end of his simulation; Zane had left the room pale faced, with sweat trickling down his temples and his hands shaking. In his simulation, he’d been held above a pit of sweltering embers; left to slowly burn, his skin peeling away as he cried out for help.

               Unwelcome empathy automatically filled my body as I watched uselessly from my own seat. Even though his personality rankled and irritated me, a voice inside my head kept telling me to do something. My initiate, my responsibility.

               Before he left, I couldn’t help but speak; I had to say something, even if it was banal, to settle his nerves.

               “It’s not real Zane. None of it is,” I stiffly reassured him.