Chapter 3
False PerfectionKyungsoo forced himself to slow down and take measured steps as he walked over to the section that belonged to his new faction. Lifting his head, he stared straight ahead, unable to look over at the sea of blue that had been all he'd known for the past 16 years. He knew, without looking, that he'd see the expression of shock and betrayal on the faces of his family as well as those close to him, those who hadn't questioned their heart and went through the turmoil that he had.
Worse yet, though, he could have stared at the stony faces of his parents who either didn't care or knew, even before he did, what his decision would be.
Sitting down, he was silently greeted by a friend from his faction -- ex-faction now. He forced a small smile, and sat up as straightly as he could. The ceremony continued, and Kyungsoo was thankful once again that it ran reverse-alphabetically. Less time to think now that his fate was sealed. He watched as dependent after dependent walked up to the platform, cutting their hand and spilling their blood into a bowl before returning to a seat. In time, the ceremony ended and they were herded
From this point on, the only thing he could control would be himself.
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Kyungsoo was hustled away from the Hub with the new initiates. Eight, including himself. He'd done his research prior to his decision, and he knew that it was a better choice than another that he could have made.
What he read wasn't important. It was what he hadn't read that'd served to unsettle him further. There was barely any information known about the Dauntless initiation, aside from the dropout rate and the first initiation test. But not knowing was worse than knowing to an Erudite, and even if he were to change his faction, that part of him would remain unchanged.
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"What?!" screamed Kyungsoo over the roar of the wind, hoping he'd heard incorrectly.
"Jump onto the coming train. If you can't get in, you're out."
One kid called out, "Isn't that illegal?"
"Only if you get caught."
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"Get ready!"
Kyungsoo could feel his stomach start to knot, causing him to grimace. But he fought down the feeling of unease after a few seconds. Dauntless were like animals; they could sense fear and fed on it. To survive, Kyungsoo would have to play their game their way.
The train roared by, the wooden tracks creaking as if they'd give out any minute. In his peripheral, he noticed multiple figures clad in black make their way lightly onto the train. But at the same time, he noticed the frightened looks on the other transfers' faces.
"If you don't jump now, it's over!"
Thanks, Kyungsoo thought sarcastically. As if that wasn't implied from the start.
He took a few steps back before running quickly, willing his feet not to stumble. His hand shot out, grasping the railing and pulled himself on board. But he hadn't taken into account how quickly the train would be traveling around the turn.
"Oof!" a voice moaned, moments before Kyungsoo felt himself heaved onto the floor.
"I'm so sorry!" Kyungsoo blurted out, eyes going wide.
He turned in the direction that he came to notice the boy that'd thrown him off. He was certainly attractive, with his blonde hair mussed by the wind and his tall stature.
"I swear to God, if you pull a stunt like that again during initiation, I'll make you regret the day you were born."
Or not. Of course, he's an . Born Dauntless and probably never bought a train ticket in his life.
Kyungsoo merely glared at the boy before turning back to the city. Behind him, he heard a huff of annoyance.
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It seemed like only a few seconds had gone by before the order to jump came again.
"If you think the train's going to stop, I have some news for you!" came the shout from the back of the train. "Life's one long train ride and there aren't any stops! You either jump off or die trying!"
If the man had been trying to calm their nerves, he really at it.
Kyungsoo watched as the city whipped by, buildings separated by the roads and tracks that cut around the skyscrapers. The buildings gleamed in their modern glory, so different from the reasonably-sized buildings of the Erudite.
What the heck could they have in those buildings that require them to be so flipping tall??
"Now!"
Kyungsoo shook his head, clearing all the thoughts inside. He eyed the rooftop that was approaching fast and gripped the railing until his fingers ached. Using the momentum that came with the train as it turned, Kyungsoo threw himself over the railing. For a few glorious seconds, he felt like he was flying. That is, until his feet slammed into the concrete surface, causing his upper body to fall forward and somersault. Groaning, he picked himself up, dusting off the gravel and sand that'd accumulated on his palms and knees.
This pain is nothing compared to the pain I'd have to endure as one of the factionless, Kyungsoo told himself.
"My name is Tao and I'd like to welcome you all to Dauntless!" The man's voice boomed, carrying across the rooftop without effort. "This is where you overcome your fears or die trying."
His words are met with the cheers of the Dauntless-born initiates, their wide smiles stretching their faces. Even that of the sullen boy Kyungsoo had run into on the train. It threw him off to see the boy with any emotions on his face.
"The only way off this roof is by jumping. Who'd like to do the honors?" The initiates clad in black swarmed towards the edge of the roof, cheering on one girl with cropped hair.
"Amber! Amber! Amber!"
She threw them a grin before hurtling herself off the rooftop, her blonde hair disappearing into the abyss. Kyungsoo strained to hear anything that'd cause him to turn away. Anything like the crunch of bones on concrete or a cut-off scream. But nothing reached his ears aside from the whoops from some of the initiates.
"That's the example you all should follow," Tao said, motioning into the space between the buildings. "So who is going to go next?"
Kyungsoo silently walked forward, swallowing down his fear of the unknown. As he neared the edge of the roof, he broke off into a run, startling the other initiates into parting. He jumped off the roof before his mind could comprehend his decision.
The other initiates gaped, stunned both by the sudden challenge and the small boy who had jumped. He heard the gasps as he fell, light consumed by the darkness that seemed to swallow him whole. Moments that felt like an eternity slipped by before Kyungsoo felt his body cradled by the mesh of a large net.
"Wow," a deep voice resonated. "Never seen a challenge like that before."
Kyungsoo rolled off the net, accepting the hand held out to him. Standing, he realized that he was staring at the collarbones of a taller, tanner male. Looking up, he was surprised by the first genuine smile he'd seen since he'd left the Hub.
"What's your name? Choose wisely because this is your only chance."
Thoughts became a jumbled mess in his mind as his mouth moved silently. Finally, he took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "D.O."
"Well, D.O., welcome to Dauntless."
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Four months later, here we are. ;; I'm a bad author for not updating for so long. I know it's no excuse, but I had a bad case of writer's block and nothing I wrote seemed right to me. It's been years since I've read Divergent, so excuse any mistakes.
It's not very long, but I hope this update was worth waiting for. I promise to update more quickly next time! ^^
The first chapter is up! Shorter than my usual chapters, but I wanted to get it out before AP exams.
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