rating: PG

genre: dystopian au ( drawn from the Divergent trilogy, written by Veronica Roth )

word count: approx. 1,200+

Our city is divided in five factions. Five factions. Five separate beliefs. Five different groups of people. There is Abnegation, the selfless; Candor, the honest; Amity, the peaceful; Erudite, the intelligent; and Dauntless, the brave. I was born in Candor, living in a world of black and white, taught that there was no such thing as gray in between. There's no such thing as a half-lie or a half-truth in Candor. There is only the truth. And anything otherwise or withheld would simply lead to dissension—and then, most presumably, destruction.

It either is, or it isn't. You either do, or you don't. It is either the absolute truth, or an absolute lie. It doesn't matter who you hurt, or who you offend, because most often the people in Candor are already well accustomed to brutal honesty. Myself included.

When I was a kid, I believed that I would always be in Candor. There simply couldn't be another faction for me. I wasn't selfless, I wasn't brave. I didn't actively pursue knowledge, nor did I actively pursue peace. I was just Candor. There are two points in my life when I started to believe otherwise—the first being my sister's Choosing Day; the second being the day of my simulation test.

Each year, our city's school—it's the only school we have, really—conducts a special test. A simulation test. All the sixteen-year-olds, no matter what the faction, have to take it as it so-called advises which faction an individual “belongs” to. Then, on the day right after the test, is Choosing Day; the day in which the aforementioned sixteen-year-olds choose which faction they want to live in for the rest of their lives.

It sounds easy. And I guess it was made under the assumption that it would be. Take a test, pick a faction, undergo initiation in that faction, and then you're good to go.

The thing is, it isn't that easy at all.

I was only ten-years-old when Jessica took her simulation test. Up until that point, I didn't know much about what it meant to get tested, choose a faction, and the like. My parents explained the whole thing to me in words that at least a ten-year-old could understand. Jess is going to take a test, and whatever grade she gets on that test will help her choose which faction she's going to be in.

She's gonna choose Candor, though, right? I want her to choose Candor.

It's not up to us, Krystal.

Why not?

Because it's up to Jessica.

But Jess won't leave us— She can't leave us. Right, Jess?

After taking her simulation test, Jessica wouldn't talk to me, let alone face me. She didn't say a single word to me, but I knew. I hoped that she would have stayed with us. Hoped that she would have ignored whatever result she got on that stupid test and chose us, our family, over a stupid faction. I told her that I wanted her to stay.

But she didn't.

I was sad at first, but a few days later, my sadness turned into anger. How could she leave us like that, after spending her entire life before her Choosing Day as a part of our family? How could she let a single test determine which faction she would live in? How could she let a stupid test influence her into prioritizing herself over our family?

I just didn't get it. And I still wouldn't until years later when my own Choosing Day was soon approaching. The thought of ever being put into another faction never occurred to me until I took the simulation test—which, up until that point, I thought was an actual written test. Instead, the test took the form of a simulation serum developed by the Erudite, and once injected into your system, the simulation took you through several incredibly realistic stages that, by process of elimination, determined which faction was most ideal for you. Or rather, which faction you were most ideal for.

These tests were hardly made to cater to the ideals of the people. If they were, I don't believe they're doing a very good job.

The result of my test came out as Dauntless. Me, Krystal Jung, a Dauntless. I understand that it takes bravery to be honest, but a part of me couldn't help but question the credibility of it. Was it still bravery if I was taught to be truthful? Controlled into thinking that honesty wasn't just the best policy—that it was the only policy. Could something like that be considered true bravery?

So many questions flooded my mind, and I only had less than twelve hours to come up with a decision. Choosing Day was the day right after the simulation test, and I had little time—if any at all—to weigh in all the pros and cons. To choose between faction, or family.

It should have been easy. The choice should have been easy.

But it wasn't.

Now I know what my sister had to go through, the weight she had to carry all by herself. I could have just as easily stayed with my parents, lived the life of a typical Candor, spent my time debating with other Candors, doing Candor things. Believing that black is black, white is white, truth is truth, lie is lie.

Only, if I were to stay true to the Candor lifestyle, I would have said that it wasn't the lifestyle I wanted to live at all. Before being true to others, I needed to be true to myself. I didn't want to be in Candor anymore, and if I were to be genuinely honest with myself, the only reason I wanted to stay was because Candor is where my family is. It's where I grew up. It's where I could still grow up, but at what cost would it be to myself if I chose something that I didn't truly want?

The opportunity was there. I could transfer just like Jessica did. I could lead a whole new life in a place where people didn't give a damn about whether or not I was telling the truth. And I wanted that.

Was I scared? Of course, I was.

What exactly was I scared of? Several things, actually.

Once a person transfers from one faction to another, there is no turning back. The choice you make on Choosing Day isn't something that can be changed, exchanged, or excused. There are no refunds, no second chances, and most certainly no takesies-backsies. The faction you choose is the faction you will live in for the rest of your life. And to choose a faction that isn't the one you're originally from means to relinquish everything—your faction, your friends, your family, everything—for the faction you, most likely, know absolutely nothing about. I knew nothing about the Dauntless other than the fact that they're a bunch of foolhardy, tattooed, excessively pierced individuals who know how to jump on and off a moving train really well.

And I could be one of them. At least, according to my test.

But in the occasion that I couldn't be one of them—that is, if I didn't pass initiation—then I would have to be sent to the factionless. To be factionless is just as bad as death itself, if not worse, because the factionless are the cast-offs. They don't belong anywhere. They don't even live within the city. All the factionless live in a gray and grimy slum located in the outskirts of the Abnegation compound. Living, but just barely. Breathing, but with no purpose. Surviving, but not thriving.

I didn't want to become factionless, even more so than I wanted to remain in Candor. I didn't want to say goodbye to my family, but I didn't want to lie to them by giving in to my fears and putting away my own desires. 

In a way, I suppose the simulation was only the first half of the test. I was given my options; and now, I had to choose between them.

Dauntless.

Or Candor.

Candor.

Or Dauntless.

I've already made my decision. From now on, I will be Dauntless; but that doesn't mean I will ever forget Candor. To forget Candor is to forget my family, and that is something I can never bring myself to do. My only hope is that whatever consequences that might follow, whatever trials that I might have to face later on, won't make me regret the choice I've made.

author's note: I've been meditating over the idea of writing kaistal within the Divergent universe because - one, I finished the series a couple weeks ago, and it really resonated with me; two, I think writing fanfics in the alternate universe of a book that I love is fun; three, Divergent-the-movie is coming out reallyyy soon; and four, I just wanted to try something new, so just run with me - and make sure both of your shoes are tied /o/

And so comes my explanation for the prologue. While I could have just immediately told the story right when Krystal was in the middle of Dauntless initiation, I couldn't just you guys into a world that you may or may not know much about. That's just rude, and it makes for a really, really, really bad story. Like at first I was writing the one-shot under the impression that everyone has read Divergent and knows the world that I'm talking about - but then I remembered my cousin, who hasn't read the Divergent trilogy at all. I dunno whether or not it's obvious, but that presented a very real and very serious problem.

BUT NEVER FEAR - SUPER-PROLOGUE IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY. Okay, well, calling it a "super-prologue" might be an exaggeration, but the basic purpose of the prologue was to introduce to you 1) the character, who in this case is Krystal, and 2) the world in which Krystal lives in - which, by the way is larger than I could ever begin to express. If you haven't read the Divergent trilogy, I stongly suggest that you do. ( Unless you have certain inclinations that influence you to do otherwise. There is kissing, there is violence, there are lots of character deaths - SO PROCEED WITH CAUTION. )

Hopefully I was able to clearly and concisely provide a decent intro to what comes next. And just so you know, it's a giant ( at least, for me). I've only finished the rough draft tonight - having started writing it yesterday - and it's already a whopping 4,555 words. The number might fluctuate between now and the time I post it, what with editing and revising and etc., but be warned! Other characters will be introduced as well, so please, please, please look forward to it! I hope to have it up by Sunday - or Monday, at the latest. So until then, everyone! - Ella