Fany refused to come back, she didn't feel worthy of returning because Dauntless was too much for her, or at least that's what Hall told me since Eric sent him for her. Hall tried to convince her, let her know that I was waiting for her return, but with tears in her eyes and dressed like one of the factionless, she refused. She has to accept her fate.

So, when I passed by the cafeteria and saw Tris, not only did I see her with annoyance, but I also understood something very important: Fany didn't have enough spirit for Dauntless, but Tris did. She was adventurous, she took risks, she got on the train even with the risk of being taken off, and she won. Tris took the flag and managed to make Four's team win.

After all, maybe Tris does deserve Dauntless. Even if she's not one of the top spots, at least she'll make it past the cut at the end of the stages.

Returning from the cafeteria with two breakfasts, Eric was already in the living room getting ready as he would be going to Erudite. Taking care of Jeanine scares me, I don't understand it, but it doesn't concern me. The less I'm in her faction, the better for me. Therefore, Eric will deliver what I did yesterday.

"You have terrible dark circles." Eric remarked with a grunt. "Didn't you sleep?" he asked, approaching the kitchen island where I left the breakfasts.

"No." I replied with a groan. "Even the cook gave me a piece of ginger. She said when she was pregnant, she couldn't sleep because of nausea, and ginger was her solution." I rolled my eyes, leaving the plant on the kitchen island.

"And why didn't you sleep?" he asked, taking a bite of his breakfast.

I sighed. "I've been awake since 3 in the morning because of that message. It completely robbed me of sleep, and I couldn't shut my eyes." I explained. "Do you remember that explosion that killed the factionless?" I asked, to which he nodded. "Well, I have an appointment. They want to see me today without weapons at 10." I showed him the message. "If I don't go, they made it clear that Norman will suffer the consequences."

"Congratulations on the new addition to the family and happy birthday." he repeated from the message. "How do they know about this?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"I don't know. In the explosion, we were able to gather some evidence, and all of them are pictures of me. They've been spying on me since I ascended to the position." I explained, placing my phone on the table.

"Photos of you?" he asked in surprise and annoyance. "And by any chance, Grace, did it not occur to you to tell me that you're being stalked and they want to set you up?"

"Maybe."I diverted my gaze, trying to think of something else, but it's useless, his penetrating gaze cut through me.

"Grace." he said firmly.

"No, Eric. I didn't think of it because you wouldn't let me go. No one cared that that building exploded, and no one cared about the deaths of the Abnegation. There was no cooperation from anyone, and I'm not going to ask for it now." I crossed my arms.

"Yeah, you're right. You're not going. I didn't care that that pile of rubble exploded, and I cared even less that those useless people died, but this is personal now, and it's about you." he sighed. "Don't go out. When I come back, we'll figure it out."

"But Norman..." I started.

"Don't you understand?" he interrupted. "We can't compromise our current plan with this. You're pregnant. I'll be back at 10, and I'll have a team. Send me the coordinates."

I grimaced, looking away with annoyance. Desperation invaded me, the need to tell him that I could handle this overwhelmed me, and I hated even more that he was right. I heard him walk away, felt his hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. "But please, don't go out until I come back. We'll figure it out."

*****************************************

I have to trust him, think like him, and be as intelligent as him. I'm divergent, Erudite is part of my makeup, I just need to practice it, work on my intellectual side since I've been making the wrong decisions from the start. Eric kept me away from Jeanine for a reason, and I refused to listen to him. Now I have to be stealthy so she doesn't find out that not only am I not pregnant, but I'm also divergent.

Now he asks me to do nothing while Norman's life is in danger, that he'll handle it, and I'd like to handle it myself. But who guarantees me success? It could all go wrong. For brute strength, strategy in attack, and winning a war, I'm very good, I admit it. But for intelligence, I'm bad. I should spend more time with Jeanine, adapt to her way of thinking, and I would be able to control her... But I can't be around her for long.

But anyway, since my initiates have the day off, so do I. I don't have much to do, and today is my birthday. I plan to distract myself, and here I am in the training room looking for a "light" workout that a "fake pregnant woman" can do.

I came across Lynn in front of a punching bag, alone, hitting it with evident fury. She seemed blinded by anger as she continuously pounded the heavy object. I approached her, keeping a considerable distance, enough to notice a couple of tears running down her cheek, biting her lower lip.

I did nothing, letting her rage consume her completely and her pain turn physical. I shifted my weight to one leg, crossed my arms, still wearing one of Eric's hoodies, patiently waiting for Lynn to release her fury. I didn't intend to interfere; someone angry is capable of anything, and if she attacks me, it'll end badly, at least for her.

She let out a gut-wrenching scream full of rage, delivering a final blow to the bag, glaring at it with anger, pure hatred, and disgust emanating from her eyes. She breathed irregularly, letting her hands drop.

"Want a tip?" I asked, making her turn with surprise. "Next time you want to vent your anger, I recommend wrapping your knuckles, it saves you a lot of scars." I shrugged. Lynn raised her hands, seeing her bloody knuckles, as expected.

I chuckled.

"Sit on that bench, I'll treat you." I pointed to the nearest metal bench and walked to the opposite side for the first aid kit. I took the aluminum box and approached the girl who was sitting where I indicated, her gaze low with both hands on the table giving me access to them. I sat in front of her, opened the kit, and took a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide to gently dab her hand.

"Who made you angry?" I asked as I continued to spread the cotton over her inflamed, red, and open skin.

"It doesn't matter." she murmured.

"It always matters, Lynn." I raised my eyebrows. "And if you don't say it, I assure you that you'll never be able to let it go."

She sighed deeply. "Why am I number 3?" she asked distressed, raising her gaze to show her dissatisfaction.

"Because of Peter's skills. You couldn't beat Uriah, neither could Peter, but he put up more of a fight than you." I replied casually.

"I haven't even fought Peter. They don't know if he really deserves the place." she laughed bitterly with annoyance. "I want a fight with Peter." she demanded, not bothering to feel the pain in her wounds.

"The physical training is over, Lynn. You should focus on overcoming your fears with skill, and then you'll beat both." I spoke, leaving the blood-soaked cotton on the bench and taking another cotton ball.

"It doesn't count, I need to prove that I'm better than Peter."

"Why do you need to fight?"

"Otherwise, I'll continue to be weak." her eyes began to well up again, she looked away.

"Who told you that nonsense?" I asked sharply.

"My mom." she murmured, lowering her gaze. "She's disappointed, she hates me. She says no one in our family has ever dropped below second place. She always told me that I would never beat Uriah, but it wasn't necessary because I would be in second place, and that's fine."

"Forget about your mother, Lynn." I furrowed my brow. "I'm tired of all of you and your need to meet your parents' expectations."

She looked at me, her downcast face squeezing my heart. Uriah and Lynn's mothers were the witches who suffocate their kids. I shook my head while continuing to clean her wounds.

"She's right." she whispered.

"No, she's not right. Don't you get it? She conditioned you to lose to Uriah because she said you wouldn't be able to. You have to meet your own goals, not what your mother wants."

I placed a bandage over her hands in silence as her eyes followed my movements. She was distressed, and I hated seeing her like this. She's not like this; she's strong.

"I want to be a leader." she murmured.

"Are you sure you want to be one?" I asked cautiously, finishing treating her wounds and looking directly into her eyes.

"Yes, I want to be a leader. I want to see my name in the first place."

I bit my tongue, nodding as I looked at her with evident interest. Should I forget about Uriah and focus on Lynn? Uriah doesn't want leadership but wants to be first, and Lynn wants to be a leader but also wants to be first.

"I'll arrange the fight with Peter. You have today and tomorrow to practice, and I want to see that broken nose again." I sighed, putting things away. "In the second and third stages, I won't help anyone. Uriah and you will compete for the first place. Okay?"

With a half-smile, she nodded, her eyes filled with a layer of hopeful sparkle as she got up from the bench at the same time as me.

"Thank you, I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't."

Then her next move took me by surprise. She approached me, wrapping her arms around my body in a hug. Slowly and hesitantly, I reciprocated the hug, my lip trembling slightly.

The last times I hugged a woman were with Freya and Tiana, that feeling of mutual protection and friendly affection overcame me once again. She let go of me, as if realizing she had let herself be carried away by her emotions, smiled, and turned to leave.

I pressed my lips together and took the first aid kit to put it back in its place and threw the cotton balls into a trash basket. They say remembering is living, but for me, it just kills me. Reliving the image of Tiana and her smile consumes me, her voice and charisma kill me inside.

The sound of footsteps began to echo, and I looked up to see Hill running towards me, stopping when she saw me. She sighed.

"I've been looking for you all over damn Dauntless, Grace."she informed me with annoyance.

"What's wrong?" I frowned, approaching her with confusion.

"Eric had an accident. His truck crashed, he's in the infirmary right now..."

My heart sank, my breath caught, and a slight tremor in my hands appeared. "Is he okay? Who did it?...." I started jogging towards the exit with Hill following closely behind.

"He's okay, didn't suffer a major injury, but that's not the problem. Damn it, Grace, stop." Hill scolded, grabbing my arm to prevent me from running. "You're pregnant, for God's sake. Calm down."

"What's the damn problem then? What could be more important than Eric?" I couldn't think clearly, asking with obvious frustration as I pulled away from Hill's grip.

"They were looking for you, he couldn't identify anyone, just kept hearing your name. I have orders to keep you safe..."

"Then you do it in the infirmary." I turned around, trotting back toward it.

"Grace!"

****************************

Hill stopped me, and in my hysteria, she agreed to take me to the infirmary, holding my arm to prevent me from running. I was desperate, the Dauntless corridors had never seemed so endless until now. The memories of Eric being beaten and shot by the rebellion that Andrea had organized were haunting me, and Hill swore I looked pale, so she explained in detail what had happened.

It wasn't just Eric, Jina was there too. Their truck crashed, and they forcibly dragged Jina out while Eric struggled with his seatbelt, hearing a perfect "It's not Grace, let her go." before they fled as fast as possible, dressed in black with ski masks. They were in the middle of nowhere.

As I was about to enter the infirmary, I was alone, with no one else around except for an open door to one of the rooms. I ignored Hill's orders because once I saw him, I would be locked in the room until we caught them.

I cautiously entered the infirmary. It was terribly silent, which didn't help my nerves. My heart was pounding so hard it hurt, and I could hear my racing pulse.

From the doorway, I could see Eric's back. He was standing in front of a gurney, everything seemed normal, which made me sigh with relief. The gurney was occupied; Jina was sitting on it, her eyebrow bleeding, her face scratched, and her eyes showing pain. Eric was tending to her, passing cotton over her eyebrow, and the sight filled me with jealousy. But that wasn't all, Jina, sitting on the gurney, could see me, and it only took seconds for her to turn back to Eric and cup his cheeks, pressing her lips to his. And to my surprise, that kiss lasted longer than expected because Eric reciprocated it.

A shiver ran down my spine, sending chills through my body. My stomach twisted along with my heart. My body reacted on its own, and a gasp of surprise escaped my throat, drawing the attention of the one who hadn't noticed my presence until now.

He turned quickly, almost pushing Jina away, his eyes widening with concern and surprise. I started backing away, shaking my head in confusion and disbelief, while he walked towards me and I moved in the opposite direction. I turned around, feeling my eyes welling up with tears.

Hill was at the entrance, arms crossed, frowning at both of us, confused. I passed by her, and she stepped aside, choosing not to interfere, which I appreciated. I was too wounded, I couldn't articulate a word without letting the tears that were screaming to come out.

"Grace, wait, let me explain." Eric pleaded behind me.

I stopped for a moment, looking down. It was a moment of opportunity and little reasoning. I grabbed the gun hanging from Hill's waist and quickly turned around, aiming it at Eric, who stepped back with his hands up.

"What the hell are you going to tell me?" I shouted hysterically as tears streamed down my face.

He opened his mouth, his jaw trembling, trying to say something as he retreated while I advanced with the gun raised.

"Lower the gun, Grace." he whispered.

"What explanation do you have? Huh? How do you justify this?"

He seemed undecided, embarrassed without having a sure answer. He shrugged while muttering incoherently, and that was the last straw. I shook my head with a furrowed brow.

"That's what I thought," I nodded.

I turned around, placing the gun on Hill's chest, who took it by surprise, witnessing an event she couldn't decipher entirely, although she could afford to guess, as Jina had followed Eric.

The atmosphere was stifling; I felt the air hitting my face forcefully as I ran through the corridors, but it wasn't enough. My breath was cut off, and the need for air or oblivion overwhelmed me. I had no destination, I just knew I didn't want to see Eric or any other Dauntless. I wanted out. My room wasn't an option, he could come in.

Jumping off the chasm was stupid, he didn't deserve it.

Suddenly, I was outside, the damp atmosphere of the evening, the light drizzle, and the black clouds made me feel small. The lightning drowned out my sobs, and the raindrops masked my tears.

Why did I think he would change?

Because he showed me he would.

Then why did he do it?

I felt betrayed, confused, and hurt. The trembling of my body couldn't be explained by the cold.

I looked up, and uncertainty flooded me. I had to ignore my pain and face what was in front of me, because the guard lying on the grass with what looked like a dart in his neck confused me.

In the distance, I could see another person crawling, and my instinct made me run towards that person, who was far away. I wiped my tears and continued jogging until I reached the man. He looked terrible, his clothes were those of an Abnegation, and his face was covered in mud. He raised his head and looked at me with his lost, bloodshot eyes, swollen from crying, probably like mine.

Then he smiled once I knelt to help him up, a look of victory that sent shivers down my spine and filled me with fear.

"It's you." he laughed. "It's you!" he shouted ecstatically.

I stepped back with a furrowed brow, remembering where I was and what was happening. I was being hunted, and I was at a distance far from Dauntless.

And as if that wasn't enough, the barrel of a gun went off, shattering the man's face, and he fell horribly. I felt his blood splash on my face, and his disfigured head was replaced by the blood.

"Grace!" Eric's shout made me jump in fright. His cry was loud enough for me to see him in the distance. He didn't have any weapon, which led me to understand that he wasn't responsible for the old man's death, and that worried me even more. "Run!"

It was enough to understand that my life was in danger, and I couldn't afford to find out what was next. However, my attempt to flee was shattered, the sting in my arm startled me as I saw the dart in it.

Everything was in slow motion, torturous, with black silhouettes emerging from a manhole, grabbing me as I faded away. Eric's distant cry let me know that this was definitely the worst birthday of my short life.