"You're a jerk," I opined from the comfort of the new mattress.

Eric stood before me, freshly showered, with a towel around his waist. He picked out a black outfit and a Dauntless jacket.

"Me?!" he asked, feigning indignation.

"You're the only one who would go to work with the woman trying to kill the love of your life."

He turned to me, a sly smile spreading across his face. "The love of my life? Nice nickname you've given yourself. But if we're being objective, you're the one who wants her dead."

"Exactly! And instead of supporting me, you're a jerk who's going to work with her. You should go and put a bullet between her eyes!" I growled.

"A jerk who saved your life, forgave you for lying, and is protecting you. I should have guessed you'd be in Amity," he scoffed.

With no shame, he removed the towel and began dressing, slipping on gray boxers and then a t-shirt.

"And I appreciate that. I love you, and I love that you take care of me. But that doesn't change anything. I have a goal, and that's to attack Erudite."

"You're not leaving here, Grace. You step out, and you're dead. You can't attack Erudite; they're too strong."

"With Dauntless, they're strong, but they're nothing without you," I reminded him. Eric rolled his eyes, seemingly at a loss for words, a look of guilt in his eyes revealing his intentions. "You agree, don't you? You're still on board with eliminating divergents and opening that box."

"Grace, there's a message from the founders telling us what future we deserve, telling us how to eradicate them. You won't get hurt; understand that."

"But my friends will," I murmured, feeling the sting of pain. "I don't know why we're having this conversation." I shook my head, turning my gaze away. "We always have this talk, and we never get anywhere."

I clenched my jaw tightly. He had to change, to understand that what I wanted was dignity and freedom for the divergents. They weren't different from me or him; he had to accept them.

I was so distracted by my thoughts that I didn't notice Eric walking toward me until he sat on the edge of the mattress and pressed his lips to mine, kissing me unexpectedly. Even though I was angry with him, I couldn't deny him a kiss.

"Don't go out. Going out will be new for you. Dauntless won't hurt you, but there will be some accusing looks," Eric whispered. "But I know you, and I know you'll go out, so just tell me their names, and I'll take care of it."

"Am I the leader again?" I asked hopefully.

"Don't push it," Eric sighed. "Let's just say that for now, not everyone will be looking for you. But if you step out of the faction, I can't be responsible for what Erudite or even Candor will do; they listen to Jeanine."

I bit my tongue to avoid saying something that might anger him. I wanted to work together, but it didn't help, so I had to go behind his back again, to move him out of the way before aiming for my target and keeping him safe.

His hand moved to my hair, gently caressing it before tucking it behind my ear.

"By the way, happy birthday," he whispered with a small smile, knowing full well that I didn't like August 15th. 

"Don't remind me,"

He laughed. 

"Not every day do you turn 19," he shrugged. "When I get back, I'll bring you something." He kissed my cheek and got up from the bed to finish getting dressed, fixing his hair and putting on his jacket. 

I missed when he just wore the vest, with his short hair and that same arrogant smile as he walked through the Dauntless halls. But now, he was a man who knew he was in a war, armed to the teeth with a grenade on his belt. Everything had changed. 

He left the room, leaving me with Horus, who was curled up on the bed. Neither Eric nor I had the courage to move him last night; the cat slept beside me while the blonde occupied the other side. 

So I certainly didn't lack for company. 

Even though I loved having him by my side and missed being with him, it was necessary to go out and find Four, to tell him I was still alive and that the plan continued—with me now at the Dauntless headquarters. 

My urgency was palpable; right now, uniting with the abandoned was the most reliable option, especially since Eric wouldn't want me to take his weapons. I wasn't the leader anymore, even if I still had their respect. 

                               —————

I was no longer comfortable, not even when Max was alive and there was a greater chance of being killed. Everyone had been warned; I was untouchable, and Eric was right—accusatory gazes were all around me, coming from those who blindly believed in Max and swallowed the lies they were fed. 

I walked to the cafeteria, and a chill ran down my spine. I was the center of attention, and Eric wasn't there to protect me. I guess he was right after all; I shouldn't have gone out to order food in Eric's name. 

But I wasn't here to please anyone, not even myself. I had breakfast casually, pretending that the people around me didn't exist. I avoided the leaders' section; I didn't want to enter that place and make myself even more miserable. 

It would be hard to go in and see that Hill was gone, or worse, that France was there without the love of his life. 

"Grace?" The voice behind me took me by surprise. 

I stopped in my tracks, ready to slip out of the cafeteria and out of the faction unnoticed. Eric was the new leader now, and he officially had eyes and ears everywhere. 

I turned around to find Zeke, who had a questioning look on his face. Despite that, I didn't respond. It was difficult for me to trust the Dauntless who chose to stay, especially him, who remained even though his brother was missing. 

"I heard about the announcement, but... God, you're really here." 

With his hands, he ruffled his hair in surprise, then lunged at me, hugging me joyfully. 

"What announcement?" I asked, still in his embrace, unable to accept it. 

He let me go, maintaining a close distance. "Eric announced that you're no longer a threat and took down your photo. He practically threatened us, saying that if we said anything, he'd make sure to silence us." He sighed. "But it doesn't matter; you're safe. Have you seen Uriah?" he asked, showing a glimmer of hope in his eyes. 

"You don't know where you are, and yet you still chose to stay," I murmured distrustfully.

And my comment was necessary for him to understand that I didn't agree with his decisions, so he looked to both sides and took me by the arm, leading us away from the people. "Do you think I'm one of the bad guys?" he whispered.

"Then why did you stay? You didn't look for us." 

"If we're judging decisions, why don't you take a look at your own?" he spoke through clenched teeth. "Very suspicious, don't you think? Suddenly, you're here under Eric's protection, Max is nowhere to be found, and Four is still a fugitive." 

"You make a good point." I twisted my mouth, looking away. 

He sighed exasperatedly. "They made sure to brainwash us in this place. We woke up, and they told us their version of the story. Some left, and we followed them, but I don't believe anything they say. I know there's more to it."

He was Uriah's older brother, the man who always knew his brother was Divergent and wanted to help him get through the stages. And suddenly, is he conspiring against us? His eyes showed a deep desperation for me to believe him; there was a transparency in his face, making it clear that maybe I had judged him wrong.

"Dauntless caught us by surprise," I whispered. "They were about to capture you, and I diverted their attention. Four and Tris made it out alive. I killed Max before he could kill me, and here I am," I summarized.

"You killed him?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It was necessary," I shrugged.

"And Uriah?"

"He's fine. He's smarter than us," I replied."He's hiding in plain sight."

"Do they already know what he is?" he murmured.

"Oh, Zeke. So much happened when they attacked Abnegation," I grimaced. "But I can't tell you. I have to go. I'm going to find Four."

The guy seemed confused, his mind struggling to process the information, trying to fit pieces that didn't quite match, and I wasn't helping since I left things half explained. 

"And what's this? Eric regained his conscience? Is he a good guy now?" he asked impatiently. 

I snorted. "Of course not. I get the benefits, but no one else does. And if Eric doesn't plan on doing things the right way, I'll make him do it," I shrugged. "Help me get out. Distract the guards at the back door." 

"I want to go with you," he hurried to say. 

"Not today. If they see you with me, you'll be on Jeanine's blacklist too."

                       ——————————-

Forcing Eric to do the right thing, is that really good? 

They say loving someone means accepting them as they are. And loving Eric means accepting that he wants to destroy the Divergents. But there has to be a limit, right? Because he loves me too, and he should accept that I want freedom for those he wants dead.

I don't know how it's possible that we're still one, that we love and protect each other with our lives. But walking through the forest, with the sun at its peak, made me realize this is just like a race. We'll both fight for our ideals, and whoever wins first will save the other. If I win and Jeanine dies, I'll protect Eric—Four knows and accepts it, or at least he tries. But if Eric wins, Jeanine will be victorious, and maybe we really are the plague. That moody blond will fight for me and seek an agreement with the leader of Erudite.

And while fate keeps us in suspense, I spend my time wandering the hidden corners of Chicago. Trying to find the factionless and secure a future alliance, ensuring that Four and Tris are still alive, and telling Hall that war is coming. I have so much to do, the places are far apart, and the pressure is building.

"I knew I'd see you around here soon," his voice made me sigh with relief. I turned on my heel, letting go of the idea of climbing down the bridge.  "Hey, gorgeous," Edgar smiled, crossing his arms.

I ran toward him, and my first instinct was to hug him, a gesture he returned before unexpectedly lifting me off the ground. 
"You're hurt. What happened to you?" I asked once he let me go and saw his face. 

"I met the great Tobias Eaton in person," he muttered bitterly. 

"You saw Four?" I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment, relieved. "How is he? Where is he? What do you know about him?" 

"As far as I know, they're fine," a third voice came from the bushes. 

Evelyn stood in front of us, and as she cast a look at Edgar, he took a step back, lowering his head slightly, distancing himself from me. 

"I offered him the deal again. We have an army; we're strong, and we have weapons. But he refused, just like you did. He decided to look for the other Dauntless," she said, lifting her chin. 

"They're really alive?" I raised my eyebrows. 

"Yes. Edgar could accompany you. From what I can see, you two get along very well." She crossed her arms. 

"What?" My reaction was one of surprise at her behavior. 

I turned to Edgar, who was watching Evelyn with a hint of regret. I felt confused, like the third wheel in this situation, the one who didn't belong. Should I be worried? Evelyn was older than both of us. 

"Evelyn..." Edgar whispered. 

"You betrayed me," she interrupted coldly. 

"I never would. You misunderstood what Tobias said—" 

"You promised me loyalty, and then you went off to follow someone else." 

"Stop." I raised my voice. "What are you two talking about?" I interrupted them. 

"Tobias told her that you and I were meeting to settle Dauntless matters. Evelyn thinks I'm switching sides and betraying her," Edgar murmured bitterly.

I frowned. If I think about it, in theory, he did betray her. He kept a lot of secrets from Evelyn about me and my intentions, following my whims to the letter in exchange for a heated kiss in the ruins of Dauntless. But I'm not in a position to expose him, not when I can still use Evelyn as an ally. She's jealous, but not because of any attraction between us—this is about loyalty. 

"I don't think, I know." she growled. 

"I've run into him in these areas at least two or three times," I admitted. "But not because we had a plan. If we weren't having sex, he was trying to convince me to join you. His damn strategy was to lure me in with cheap illusions. He stopped trying to convince me that you were the only solution when I found the Dauntless." I lied, and with such confidence that I saw Edgar nod in agreement. "I keep my plans to myself, and you, more than anyone, should understand that. I didn't care what Four believed—I have a different goal than his."

Evelyn lifted her chin, still showing signs of distrust, but I could see a hint of regret reflected in Edgar. She cleared her throat, looked away, and I noticed from where I stood how she swallowed hard. "Fine... I suppose I'll abandon my intention of killing you," she said, crossing her arms.

"Thanks... I guess," I murmured.

"Tobias and his girlfriend went to Candor. Just be careful—he's angry and doesn't trust you. He thinks you betrayed him."

______

That Four is upset with me doesn't surprise me, it's like a routine for us. It's part of our relationship as friends, and going to save him is also part of me, even though I was willing to sacrifice my freedom in exchange for them to come out alive. In fact, he has no right to be angry, not when I almost died at the hands of Max and Eric, who saved my life.

I will save him if he's in danger, he's not aware of the seriousness of walking the streets in Candor's territory. And for his sake, I hope for some regret.

I had to circle around, walking through streets and avoiding downtown Chicago, where Candor has the privilege of being right in front. From the corner of an abandoned branch, I stopped in an empty alley with unreliable structures, and although it's very dangerous for many, for me, at this moment, it's my best hiding spot.

I flexed my knees and squatted down, resting my arms on my legs to secure my position first. Then I observed the faction, they are all from Candor, there's no clothing that says otherwise. Wherever the Dauntless are, at least I know they're not at the entrance.

I've always felt blessed by my sight; I've never needed glasses, my vision is perfect, and it's something the doctor from Cordialidad taught me to appreciate. So I can be at a great distance and see the Candor faction easily.

There were certain armed Candor members, which made me frown, Erudite equipped them, all with the help of Dauntless, who probably taught them how to shoot. I pressed my lips together, feeling trapped, there's no way to get in, and if Four managed to notice, then he isn't here, or if he is, there's no way to save him, at least not by myself.

And who would have information is Dauntless, if they have Four and Tris, Eric will know, from what I've gathered about rummaging through the leader's new toys in the faction. I got up with a grimace on my face, feeling defeated by this. I walked in the opposite direction, heading down the street where I entered, and as I turned the corner, I regretted it.

"Stop!" shouted one of the Candor members, raising his weapon.

There was a group of at least five Candir members, probably taking their routine walk, they really thought of every hiding spot. But they are Candor, I doubt they know what it means to shoot correctly. They were born for justice, to tell the truth, and to dress formally, courage does not come naturally to them.

It's too risky, I know, but if I run the other way, I doubt they even know how to handle a gun. And that's what I did, I didn't think, I didn't reason, and I didn't value my life, I turned and spun around, running and zigzagging down the street. However, I underestimated them. A fiery and painful sting settled in my calf, causing me to fall face down.

I had been shot.

"They missed," I grunted as I was subdued, my weapons taken from me and being lifted without any gentleness, my leg in the air because it really hurt.

"We have orders, we can't kill anyone before doing a test," explained one of them who was holding my arm.

And that's how they took me against my will, walking me toward the Candor faction while I continuously struggled. Eric is going to kill me when he finds out I did the exact opposite of what he asked me.

"Let's talk, okay?" I pleaded. "Take me to Dauntless, they will take care of delivering justice."

However, I was ignored, taken inside their facility, and placed in front of a desk where a Candor member watched me, and we all sensed his fear.

"Your fingerprints." requested the guy on my right, the one holding me forcibly.

A fingerprint reader was on the desk, with a flashing blue light inside it, ready to read any hand and identify the person.

"Rot in hell." I insulted.

Seeing that he wasn't complying, he forcefully took my hand. I tried to resist, but I couldn't, the numbness in my calf completely weakened me.

"It's Grace Cyprian," murmured the girl sitting down. "Fugitive and responsible for the attack on Abnegation."

"We have to take her to Erudite."muttered the guy on my left.

"I'm asking for Dauntless," I said.

"It won't do you any good when you're bleeding out here," the girl spoke with a bit of courage in her eyes.

"You're right, Gemma." The voice of Jack Hang echoed from afar, and in the echo produced by the facility, we all heard it. "Hello, Grace, long time no see. One day you were a respected leader trying to kill those responsible for the homicides, and now you're one of them."

The Candor members brought me in front of the leader of Candor. I smiled bitterly. "I got tired of the routine."

Jack smiled. "I disagreed with the news from Dauntless, they took you off the most-wanted list. Are you involved in Eric's decision?"

"I'm not the villain in this story, Jack."

"Is that what you think? If it's not you, then who is?"

"Jeanine."

He slightly furrowed his brow, raising his chin a little, interested in my words. "It's funny, you're already the third person to tell me that."

"And what are you waiting for? For the sixth person to tell you?" I scoffed.

"Your friends, Tobias Eaton and Beatrice Prior, are here. They made a proposal to clear your name, and I accepted," he explained.

"What is it?"

"The truth serum, of course. You refused once, I don't think you're in a position to do so again. Of course, if you want to clear yours."

I pressed my lips together, it was clear that Four would clear his name, just like Tris. But I can't, not when I was really part of the attack, I did help Jeanine make sure Abnegation no longer exists.

"Take her to them and treat her wound. If Jeanine is really the one to blame, I want her to confirm it," Jack ordered the Verdad members after several seconds of silence on my part.

————-

They treated my wound, removed the bullet, and bandaged the hole they made. Then they took me down corridor after corridor, the same two guards holding me tightly since I had tried to escape more than once.

They let me go, but not before leaving me in a dark room where I immediately identified my surroundings, and they closed the door behind me.

"Grace," Four whispered.

"They're here," I sighed, dropping my shoulders in relief.

"What happened? Where were you?" Four asked, crossing his arms.

"After I jumped on Eric and prevented them from capturing you, Max took me to the torture room. I won't go into details, I'll just say that Eric prevented my death," I explained. "Now Max is dead."

"And Eric has become the leader of the faction," Four murmured, looking alarmed as he glanced at Tris.

"Yes, he removed my plaque. But he doesn't plan to do the same with you, so he doesn't know I went to look for you," I took a deep breath.

"It's no use for Dauntless to stop looking for you if Jeanine is the head of the council, she still wants you dead," Tris remarked.

"Both of you, dear," I corrected. "But yes, I don't know what she intends to do, but I still have my plan in motion, and it's to kill that bitch."

"Then there was no betrayal," Tris nodded, processing my words.

"No," I shrugged. "And now you two, what made you think of coming here and using the truth serum? It's the stupidest plan I've ever heard," I grunted.

"It's the only way to clear our names; no one is guilty. Candor will stop showing devotion to Erudite, and we'll have them on our side," Four explained.

"I am guilty, Four."

"Jeanine caused all this; she is responsible for all these deaths. Grace, try it, just try, and Erudite will be unprotected," Four pleaded. "Concentrate, more than anyone, you know Jeanine. Tell them what she's like, the plan came from her."

I pressed my lips together, feeling desperate. I had never been honest, it was far too easy to lie to everyone, and now a serum would force me to speak. Eric managed to avoid the serum, keep Jack Hang happy, and come out victorious. I need the talent Eric has for getting his way right now.

I turned to Tris, noticing that she looked just as bad, if not worse, than I did, she was uncomfortable with the decisions Four was making.

The second door opened, and three Candor guards entered, taking the liberty of treating us like prisoners and pulling us out of the room.

"Grace." The whisper from Uriah froze my blood.

The room was round with spectators on the sides and a platform in the middle. One of the spectators was Uriah, who had been detained by Lynn, and beside him was Marlene.

Jack Hang was already there, waiting for us patiently, and next to him was a case of syringes.

"I don't want to do this," I grunted, struggling against the grip, but it was useless.

"Grace, don't fight it," Four whispered. "It's the only way." He spoke naturally, understanding that I hated the idea of being vulnerable.

"If you're not guilty, then you have nothing to hide," Jack said.

Then I was ignored, Four was the first to be injected with the help of a Verdad member. The needle didn't seem to affect him. "May the Truth set you free," Jack murmured.

Four walked to the center of the platform, his head down and his lost gaze worried me, it was clear that the serum was affecting him, and as the atmosphere grew tense, both Tris and I couldn't handle the detonating paranoia in our eyes.

"Tobias Eaton," Jack Hang spoke authoritatively. Four turned in response. "You have been accused of conspiring with the other Dauntless in the attack on Abnegation. Is that true?"

The beads of sweat reflected on his forehead, from a distance, I could see how his breathing was irregular and he couldn't control any part of his body.

"Conspire, no, but I did attack. I was in a simulation controlled by Jeanine and the rest of the Dauntless she controlled. Tris saved me, shortly after coming out of the hideout that Grace organized for us," he emitted a faint groan. "She got me out of the simulation, and together we fought to escape."

"What do you mean 'Grace organized the hideout'?"

"She knew they were going to attack Abnegation. I helped her save several of them and hide so that no Divergent would be discovered."

"You're saying that Jeanine organized the entire attack."

"Yes."

"To conclude, if you knew that Jeanine had corrupted Dauntless, why didn't you leave? Why did you stay?"

"I wanted to leave, I thought about it. But Grace didn't want to come; I had to protect her, I promised Andrea that I would." He whispered, closing his eyes. "Then I fell in love with Tris Prior, I couldn't leave her, I needed to protect her, even from Grace."

I immediately felt a chill, a bitter taste settled in my mouth, and swallowing saliva wasn't enough. I averted my gaze and ignored Jack Hang's. Was I that bad?

Jack Hang lowered his gaze for a few seconds, with the harsh reality that he had only been used as a puppet, that Jeanine had lied to him to his face, and he must feel foolish for believing her.

"Thank you for your honesty," Jack Hang nodded. The spectators followed, grateful that Four agreed to speak before them. "Tobias Eaton, this trial has concluded, and you are found innocent of the attack on Abnegation."

Four stepped down from the platform and joined the others. "Beatrice Prior," called the leader of Candor.

___________

It was the last trial, and we were all witnesses to Tris's misery as she cried on the platform. She hated herself; she couldn't cope with the death of her friend Will, nor with Hill's death. She couldn't forgive herself, biting her lips, and for a few seconds, she looked at me, let out a sob, and whispered, "forgive me."

She blamed herself for her parents' deaths; she was not happy, scared, angry, and filled with pain. And Four was under the platform with a face full of regret.

"Beatrice Prior, you are found innocent of the attack on Abnegation," Jack murmured, once again facing the harsh reality that Jeanine was never an honest leader. "Grace Cyprian."

There were just seconds while Tris stepped down from the platform when the Candir guard jabbed the needle into my neck.

As soon as the liquid entered my system, I felt how hot it was; the burning sensation rose to my head, and I felt dizzy immediately. I swallowed and moistened my lips with my tongue, dragging my feet across the platform while contemplating my unusually blurry surroundings.

"Grace, Four said you knew about the attack long before it happened. How?"

I lifted my gaze; his eyes bore into me, waiting for my response. Sweat droplets ran down my forehead, the heat emanating from my body was overwhelming, painful, and it felt like pins were pricking all over my head.

"Jeanine offered the idea to Max. It was a project, confidential and highly secure. I got involved because Eric kept the secret from me, and I wanted to find out what was going on."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Divergent, and my safety and that of others was my priority; I needed to be one step ahead of them."

"You were a leader and you're Divergent; how is it possible that no one noticed?"

"They  noticed," I nodded. I tried to close my throat, but it was useless, and with every attempt to hold back, the burning in my body made me let out a small cry of pain.

"Don't resist," Jack murmured.

"Eric always knew I was Divergent," I whispered painfully as the first tear rolled down my cheek. "He should have turned me in, but he didn't. He protected me from everything and made me a leader."

"Who participated in the attack?"

"Jeanine was the boss, Max answered to her, Jina was involved for a while. Hill too," I pressed my lips together, holding back a sob. "Eric and I."

"You are accused of the attack on Abnegation; how do you plead?" he asked authoritatively, raising his voice.

"Guilty." I let out my first sob.

"No, stop." Four tried to intervene, attempting to come closer, but the Candor guards blocked his way.

I saw Four, though with difficulty since my vision was blurry. I could only distinguish how he shook his head from side to side, refusing to let me continue, but there was no escape, not when the serum forced me to keep talking.

"Jeanine asked me for a strategy; she had all the Dauntless at her disposal who would be in the simulation. I organized a perfect attack; there were no flaws, and no one was going to survive. I couldn't handle the guilt, so I saved a group of Abnegates—women and children. That's why I tried to save Uriah, Four, and Tris. I needed solace; I had to do something right even if it was against Eric's wishes. I had to do everything Jeanine wanted; I couldn't let her find out about my Divergence."

"Thank you for your honesty," Jack Hang whispered.

"I just want to do things right," I said, emotions running high.

"Grace, this trial has concluded, and you are found guilty of the attack on Abnegation," he spoke sternly.

"No." Uriah's voice rang out from the back. "She's innocent," he shouted.

"You will be handed over to the council, you will be held here until a member of the justice system takes you to them."