"I can't believe he was capable of doing something like that, I mean, killing you wouldn't accomplish anything, Eric wouldn't listen to him." the redhead continued stroking my hair while I lay in her lap.

It was already night, I skipped dinner, and planned to skip supper until the girls came to support me because rumors were spreading, and they already knew what had happened.

"Even more so because of Ian, it could have gone unnoticed, but it's time we know where he is, and it's even more evident that he did it."Andrea sighed discontentedly, sitting on the other bed we had joined.

"He's a damn coward." Tiana remarked. "He knows he wouldn't get away unscathed, both you and us would have castrated him."

"Yeah." I whispered."I bet even Jade is involved." Tiana murmured with a growl in between.

Jade, I had forgotten about her. In fact, since the war games, I haven't paid her the attention she sought.

"Do you know what will happen to Genesis?" Andrea asked.

I looked at her from Tiana's lap, she had a grimace on her face and seemed sad, worried about my condition. Four hasn't told her.

Should I tell them that I will have the pleasure of killing her? They might behave like Freya and ask me not to do it. I don't think I can tolerate another lecture on morality. "I don't know yet, I know she's in the cells but I'm not sure." I shrugged.

"They'll kill her, that's what the rules say." Tiana asserted. "That behavior won't be tolerated, especially with her history. They have to do it because it's clear she won't stop."

"I hope they do." Andrea agreed. "Otherwise, we'll file a complaint."

"Eric wouldn't allow it." Tiana spoke. "Grace is the future leader."

I sighed. "I think I'll go to sleep." I struggled to sit up as the pain in my leg was becoming more pronounced. "I'm very tired."

"Of course, darling." Tiana got up, adjusting my pillow and pulling back the sheet to tuck me in.

"It's not necessary." I chuckled.

"Oh, please, Grace. Let yourself be cared for." the redhead scoffed.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of you."

"Thank you." I pouted, receiving smiles and support from both of them.

My mind was elsewhere, so much so that I hadn't noticed the dampness and underground pressure that was advancing on each floor. The elevator was rusted in some parts, the only light flickering constantly as I tried to wake up from the dream I was still subjected to.

"Can I give you some advice?" Four broke the silence beside me.

Yesterday I had slept with the security of Tiana and Andrea, I collapsed on the uncomfortable bed and disconnected from reality until Four came to wake only me up. I got up, and he handed me a couple of pills with a bottle of water, the only thing he said was "Sent by Eric.

The pain in my leg had subsided, and now we were going to kill a human being, someone not loved.

"Mmh, yes." I shrugged. "In fact, I have a couple of questions to ask you. Yesterday I found out that you have the obligation to kill the criminals that Dauntless gives you, do I just have to shoot or can I also hit her? I would be interested in using a torture method before."

"Don't do it."Four intervened. "Don't kill her, let me handle it."

I rolled my eyes. "I want to do it myself." I growled.

"Do you think you can handle it? Taking someone's life isn't for you. For your own good, go back to sleep, I'll take care of it." Four insisted.

"Coming from Amity doesn't make me sensitive. I want to be the one to kill Genesis." I crossed my arms.

He sighed, clearly unhappy, searching until the last second to prevent me from taking the gun and staining my hands."I'm just warning you, it's the beginning of a spiral of evil that Dauntless subjects you to. They'll see you as a bold and innocent one, or you won't have to end her life because Max is ordering you to." there was bitterness and resentment, as if killing an innocent had been part of his past.

"Don't worry, I'll get over it." I shrugged.

From the corner of my eye, I could see him shaking his head disapprovingly as he crossed his arms. I let out a chuckle.

"Where did you put Ian? I need to talk to him."I turned my head to look at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he denied, but he kept his gaze straight ahead without looking at me.

"He's nowhere to be found." I shrugged. "You hid him once, why not do it twice? Or does Raphael have him? He's too cowardly not to show himself after trying to kill me..." I got worked up, letting anger take over.

"Hey, calm down." he intervened. "I don't know if it was him, there's no evidence, I don't know where he is, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Damn hypocrite." I spat with a furrowed brow. "If it was him, he'll try again, he won't stop, and he might succeed next time, and you'll be responsible for my death, you'll have blood on your hands just for hiding a damn coward like him."

"Do you really think I have him? Haven't I shown you enough support, friendship, and protection to earn your trust? Go cry to Eric, have him get you an inspection and enter my room, we both know that if Eric is the leader, it's because I didn't want to be."

"They tried to kill me!" I raised my voice. "It was horrible, painful, and in the infirmary, the only one who believed me was Eric. You just refused and almost labeled me as crazy. If you want to do good, go ahead, seek a perfect balance so that everyone is happy, but let me tell you, you chose the wrong faction."

His jaw clenched, it seemed like he had bitten his tongue to refrain from speaking and continue arguing. The doors opened, revealing a long dark corridor with dim light illuminating it, showing a row of doors, and Hill was there in one of them. We exited the elevator without saying another word, walking towards the woman who had her arms crossed, looking at me with a grimace.

"Thanks, Four, you can go. I don't think you're interested in seeing one more corpse and a Dauntless becoming a murderer." the same expressionless voice and gaze that characterized her were present, looking at me.

Four glanced at me, a look I couldn't decipher, and all I could notice was that it was empty and dark. He turned around and went back into the elevator again.

Hill continued to stare at me, her gaze so penetrating and intimidating that I simply chose to look away.

"Max told me he asked Eric for a leader, to train her so that it would be worth giving him the promotion and not end up being useless like Mike would have been. Genesis's paranoia took over, and she believed Eric was replacing her with you. She was foolish enough to misinterpret it." she sighed. "Pure drama, but my intuition tells me otherwise, and my gut feeling never fails, and it won't now. If you sleep with Eric, it's not my problem, I don't care where he puts his penis, what I do care about is having a good leader, for your sake, I hope he chose well." she crossed her arms. "And that's why I got up very early, I want to see how skilled Grace is with the weapon." she scoffed.

"I'm very good with the weapon, I assure you I'll hit the target." I shrugged disinterestedly

"I hope so, it would be very disappointing not to shoot her, especially after being so foolish and admitting to having something with Eric." her smile was pure malice.

I was speechless, unsure of what to say or if I could say anything. The seconds felt like an eternity to me, I messed up.

"Stop intimidating her, Hill." Eric's wonderful voice sounded behind me, accompanied by his footsteps.

"I'm just having fun." she smirked. "After all, it's the first time an ex Amity kills someone."

"She's Dauntless now, she's one of us." Eric joined us.

"To me, she'll still be an ex-faction initiate until she passes the initiation." she shrugged. "When she becomes a leader, I'll personally give her a tour of Dauntless."she licked his teeth, glanced at Eric. "She looks good, your taste is improving. I hope she's the one who heals your abandonment wound."

"Just like France did for you, right?" Eric smiled. "As far as I know, Ronald left you wounded enough, how poetic and pathetic to be on the verge of suicide at the abyss."

The emotionless gazes of both individuals felt like being in the midst of a war, they killed each other with just a glance while saying the cruelest and most hurtful things.

"Let this be a lesson to you, when you dump Grace, you'll be responsible for her suicide, and I only hope the knight in shining armor is there to save her."

Their stares were too intense, it seemed like one of them would pull out a weapon and end the other's life at any moment. However, Hill smiled, pushed Eric away with both hands, and they both grinned. "You're an idiot." she complained.

"Just me?" the blond asked mockingly.

"Ugh, let's leave this conversation for later, we need to deal with the scorned one." she said, turning to grab her key and open the door.

Confused, I turned to Eric, who looked at me with a half-smile and winked. A council leader discovered, because of me, that Eric and I had something going on, though I didn't know what it was exactly, but it definitely went against Dauntless rules. Eric seemed relaxed enough about the situation, unconcerned about Hill, and I could swear their staring war was quite common between them. He opened the door, and Hill entered first. Eric let me in afterward into a dark room, closing the door behind us.

"Good morning, darling," Hill greeted with cheerfulness and sarcasm. Then the light turned on, revealing a chair with Genesis inside."We have visitors."

The smell of blood alarmed me, a combination of dampness and blood that was far from pleasant. Genesis was sitting, tied with her head down, breathing irregularly.A few meters away was a table with a firearm, along with knives, scissors, tweezers, screwdrivers, and a rag, all stained with blood. The blonde raised her head with difficulty and pain, she had been brutally beaten and tortured.

Hill approached her with confidence, touching her hair affectionately. "We had a conversation last night, I looked for motivation, but nothing. She resisted like a warrior." she scoffed.

Genesis had a look of hatred and terror, seeing Hill as the Devil incarnate while the raven-haired woman enjoyed what she had done to her."She's all yours, Grace." she walked towards me, positioning herself behind me and taking hold of my arms to bring me closer to the table. "Freya and Shira always argued to just give her a shot between the eyebrows so she can rest, but....." she whispered behind my ear. ".....they're not here, are they?" she chuckled.

She stepped away, and I turned to look at her, then at Eric, who had a slight smile, shaking his head. He rolled his eyes at Hill, who positioned herself beside him, away from me and Genesis. I couldn't back down now, and to be honest, I felt no pity whatsoever, on the contrary, I was thinking about what else I could do to her that Hill hadn't already done. I felt the pressure behind me as two leaders expected something from me.

Genesis's weak laughter made itself heard, I turned to look at her, her head tilted as she shook it. "Seriously, you?" she asked with disdain. "Eric, are you sending your helpless little lamb to kill me? I doubt she can even lift the weapon without trembling."

Eric remained silent, giving me the opportunity to be the one to respond and enjoy it. "You're battered, bleeding, and still acting like a bitch." I laughed.

"I know I'll die, I'm not afraid of death. I'm just a little disappointed that I didn't achieve my goal, I wanted to take you with me to hell."

I took the knife, running it between my fingers with ease as I approached her. "I'm not here to please you, and even though you're going to die, it'll be when I decide." I smiled.

She had small cuts on her face and body, her clothes were torn and stained dry with blood from the wounds, she was tired, looking exhausted from the same position as the ropes were tight, and the chair she was on had metal spikes that, although not sharp at first sight, were uncomfortable."Look, girl, my training was more advanced, and I'm fully capable of enduring all kinds of pain. And if Hill, who's much more sadistic than you, couldn't get anything out of me, what makes you think you can?" she scoffed.

I moved in front of her, observing her, and without further thought, I plunged the knife into her leg, in the same spot where she had done it to me. She let out a cry of pain. I began to move the knife continuously from side to side as blood flowed from her leg."I don't want to make you talk, the last thing I want is to hear your voice again." I scowled disdainfully. "I'm going to have fun, and I'll truly enjoy seeing you scream and suffer, not because you deserve it, but because I will teach you how we punish in Dauntless."

I relished every word that came out of my mouth, every grimace she made, and how she suppressed her screams, it was totally energizing."I just have one question." I said, rising and pulling the knife out of her leg.

I placed the blade's edge on her chin, forcing her to lift her face."You said you were going to move on with your life, that what happened was a mistake, and you apologized. But no, that wasn't enough. Why?"

"Rot in hell." she spat.

I grimaced. "That's not what I want to hear." I sighed, rolled my eyes, and drove the knife's tip into her chin until it reached the bone. "Last chance. Why ruin your life for me?"

She remained silent, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried not to flinch away .I withdrew the knife and with a swift motion, I removed the ropes binding her shoulders and legs, leaving her tied at the hands and feet but separated from the chair. I grabbed her by the scalp and forcefully pulled her from the chair, her strength was minimal, so she collapsed onto the floor.

"I want you on your knees, now." I kicked her ribs insistently.

She turned to look at me, tears on the verge of spilling, with a pout. "Eric saw you like he never saw me, and you did nothing, you just existed." she whispered. "You're that girl who's nothing but has everything, that's why I hate you."

I crouched down, locking eyes with her, displaying the most expressionless face I could muster at that moment."And... why don't I see you on your knees?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

I won't deny it, my heart pounded fiercely. She managed to show me an opportunity with him for being different from her, but it wasn't the time.

"I won't kneel, just kill me." she whispered.

I rolled my eyes again, then crouched down to grab her by the neck, squeezing it tightly as I lifted her forcefully, making her kneel.

"Do you really think Eric and Max want you as a leader because you're strong?" She raised her voice, brow furrowed, tears threatening to spill, her voice faltering with a lump in my throat.
"You're here because they think you're stupid, a foolish Amity, easily manipulated. You're disposable just like everyone else here, and..."

I interrupted her, driving the knife into her belly button, burying it forcefully without caring about getting blood on me as I made a slow, vertical cut down to her stomach.She was close enough for her forehead to rest on my shoulder as she tried to bear the pain.

"Your words lost their sense and value the moment I found out your family was a disgrace to Dauntless. You're just a crazy person who doesn't know what she's saying." I whispered in her ear. "And it's really curious because the pain prevents you from hearing me and paying attention, so it puts you in a state of shock. You resist life when clearly you have none left, and if you were crazy before, now what comes out of your mouth will be even more incoherent... and blood, of course." I laughed.

I stood up, pulling the knife out of her stomach, watching as she tried to stop the gushing blood with her bound hands, along with an intestine that seemed to have been severed.

"That's enough, Grace!" Freya's shout made my spine tingle.

I hadn't noticed when the door had been opened, she and Max were near the entrance, she with a look of terror, watching me."That's enough." she ordered authoritatively.

I observed Genesis, who was defiantly resisting life with her mouth full of blood, choking on it. She didn't have much time left, so I approached the table, grabbed the firearm, loaded the cartridge, and kicked her to the ground again. I aimed at her face, her eyes I'll never forget, her face reflecting pain, fear, and suffering with tears streaming down. I fired before the wound I had inflicted earlier killed her, then fired twice more in the same spot between her eyebrows, feeling my heart pounding. I lifted my head, looking for the only two who had witnessed everything from the beginning. Hill had a smile on her face, she seemed to have seen something entirely satisfying and was pleased with it, while Eric maintained a serious and expressionless expression, observing my chaos and looking at me with curiosity.

I just killed a person. I tortured her, I killed her, and I enjoyed it.

I had to incinerate the clothes, Hill forbade me from taking the elevator with bloodstained clothes. I practically bathed in the small bathroom on the floor, the blood was difficult to remove, and I got new clothes thanks to Hill, who saved me from Freya.

"You're quite bloodthirsty, although you could polish up a few details and increase your imagination, but you really made her suffer. She said she wasn't afraid of death, and you managed to make her fear it. Maybe we'll switch to Four." she said. "Now you can go, leave before Freya scolds you. You put on an excellent show, and just for that, I'll distract them so you can take the elevator." Hill said.

That was the only thing Hill said before entering the room with Freya, Max, and Eric. As for me, I left thanks to Hill.

Now I found myself on the rooftop, the same one I jumped from several months ago when I first joined Dauntless. I had been hiding there for two hours, contemplating the cloudy sky and the smell of rain. The rainy seasons were approaching, they were my favorites, and I would soon turn 17.

I try to distract myself, to think about something else, but I can't seem to do it. Her eyes still linger so vividly in my mind, and it scares me not to feel remorse. I don't feel unhappy for ending her life, quite the opposite—I feel relieved, as if a great burden had disappeared. The big fish had finally fallen, and only the rest remained. I hope that both Jade and Ian and the others involved will learn from this. And that's why I'm distressed.

Joanna wouldn't have approved of that kind of behavior, not even Freya, who is from Dauntless. Maybe evil is slowly consuming me, or it might even be a product of my fear, I killed her out of fear. I don't want to give Four the satisfaction, I refuse to accept that he might be right and that I could be the next executioner of Dauntless.

Can I kill an innocent?

Maybe I can, as long as I don't know them and avoid looking them in the eyes. I don't want my mind to be filled with pleading gazes before ending their lives, and if hell exists, I already have my reserved place.

I enjoyed the fresh air, the cold and damp breeze constantly tingling my skin, and I tried to ignore the obvious fact that I hadn't eaten and was starving. I didn't want to go down and have everyone see me, I feel like everyone will see me, and I'll have engraved on my face that I killed Genesis.

"It's not so hard to find you anymore, you're predictable in your hiding spots." Eric spoke behind me, breaking the pleasant silence.

Inhaling deeply, I spoke without taking my eyes off the gray clouds. "I like it here."I said. "I like the rain." I sighed.

I felt him behind me, his chest pressed against my back, his hands on my waist, his cheek resting against my temple. It was such a simple and pure gesture that made it magnificent and wonderful just because it was him. I closed my eyes, letting myself feel his presence and inhaling deeply to smell his cologne.

"How do you feel?" he asked in a murmur, then cleared his throat, indicating that the question had been difficult for him to ask.

"Fine." I whispered, and he nodded, satisfied with my response.

"Freya is upset with Hill, with you, and with me." he continued. "I talked to Max, he said he would talk to her to prevent her from bringing it up with the council and lowering your position on the board. He hasn't said anything yet, it's just precautionary."

I chuckled softly. She won't demote her daughter, I know that. She admitted she wanted me as a leader and is trying to make up for 16 years of neglect. I just have to endure a litany of both the good and the bad, and there may even be some resentment for a while."I'll talk to her, maybe I can apologize." I shrugged.

He spun me around, his hands on my waist, revealing his incredible face sculpted by the gods. His serious face was so familiar to me, his expression forming a barrier of ice. I hoped one day to break through that impenetrable barrier and see who Eric Coutler really was. He lifted me onto the ledge, positioning himself between my legs as I wrapped my hands around his neck, enjoying the feel of his skin.

"Should I feel bad?" I suddenly asked. "I mean, I don't feel any guilt for what I did, and I can't help but think that Joanna wouldn't have approved of my behavior, not even my father, who is a monster."

"You can live with the burden of having killed her." he shrugged. "You're from Dauntless, you're not an Amity anymore."

"Not only did I kill her, Eric. I tortured her, I opened her stomach, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed watching such a despicable human being suffer." I laughed bitterly. "Does that make me a bad person?" I asked.

"No." he chuckled. "You're a survivor, you won, and that makes you a warrior."

I nodded, leaning into his neck, touching and caressing part of his nape, observing his Adam's apple and how he swallowed. Having him so close was a complete delight, I would never tire of his presence. To me, he would be the most perfect man there is, and I loved having him with me while he caressed my hips and part of my waist.

"I would do it again; I don't regret anything." I smiled.

He chuckled. "Yes, I would also do it again. I didn't know you had that dark side." he bit his lip. "It was even fascinating."

He bit his lip in an attractive way, so much so that I wished to kiss him, to take the initiative and wait for him to respond. The last time I took the initiative, he backed away. What assures me that it will be the same?

He chuckled softly. "You think too much." he said, taking my cheek and leaning in to join our lips.

I smiled during the kiss, getting a smile from him in return, and yet we kissed eagerly because we didn't have the chance yesterday due to a couple of cameras in the training room.

"Hey." I stopped the kiss. "What about Hill? Nobody from the council was supposed to know about you and me..."

I left the words hanging in the air, I didn't know how to describe what we had, if there was anything. He laughed. "Hill is loyal to Max, in her own way. She's quite clever, she found out about us a week ago and confronted me. We argued for a while, and she really doesn't care." he shrugged. "She only cares about having a good leader."

"She let me know that she knew and that I was stupid enough to have confirmed it to her."

"She was just messing with you." he chuckled. "She was testing you, and she'll keep doing it."

"Why will she keep testing me?" I asked.

"Hill and I believe that since Freya and Shira have opinions on Max's decisions, he's become softer, and Dauntless is losing the firmness it's known for. We're looking for an expressionless leader, a soldier who never gives up and is cruel enough to handle difficult situations. She'll keep watching you and testing you to see if I only chose you for your good looks or if you're what we're looking for." he shrugged casually.

"And which one is the truth?" I asked, suppressing my fear of either of the two possible answers, I don't know which would be worse.

He smiled, biting his lower lip. "Both."

Damn Eric Coulter and his sexy gaze.