Omniscient Narrator

It's an addiction. A drug that's hard to quit and forget, she can't let go of it. Even though she knows she's not the one in his heart, even though it's not her name he calls out when he's asleep.

But the three weeks by his side were enough to leave her in love, and she knows she shouldn't love him.

However, Eric doesn't have a plan, he doesn't know what he's doing with her, but he doesn't want to let her go. His way of captivating women is innate, it's part of him.

And he believed that Grace had taken away that habit, but they're no longer together. Eric went back to being the only thing he knows, just like before she arrived.

So Alexandra, or as Eric used to call her, Alex or Alexa, was standing in front of the mirror, fixing her outfit on what was a normal morning for her. Since she started seeing Eric, she has been putting more effort into her appearance, wanting to look pretty, worthy of him. But she didn't plan on wearing a dress, they were in the middle of martial law, a war that seemed endless, and she didn't want to be the odd one out. She just wanted him to notice her among all the women.

"Aren't you scared?" her best friend asked in a whisper from the bed, sitting comfortably while sharpening her knives.

"What?" Alex asked, not understanding. "Wearing long sleeves? It's hot, should I wear short sleeves?" she asked, looking at her black blouse with a slight lace decoration at the neckline.

Her best friend, Rosa, rolled her eyes. "No, I mean Eric." she snorted with some annoyance. "What are you two? One day to the next, you're a couple? Doesn't that scare you?" she asked incredulously.

"Nope." she shook her head. "We're not a couple, nothing formal. It's just..." She didn't even know what it was herself, but she liked it. She couldn't say they were getting to know each other because he wouldn't let himself be known, and it felt cheap to say they just shared a bed because it was more than that.

"It's sex, right? Haven't you wondered if maybe he's just using you? Don't get your hopes up."

It was already too late, Alex thought with a grimace, hoping her friend wouldn't see her expression in the mirror.

"It's not just sex." the redhead announced, trying to justify herself.

"He's not trustworthy."

"How do you know?" she asked, frowning. "You don't know him."

"He's a leader, and his background precedes him. He's a fool who thinks he's a Greek god." she let out a frustrated sigh, seeing her friend still lost in the clouds. "Aren't you scared? Are you serious?"

The redhead shook her head at her question. "It's like you've forgotten everything." she complained.

And who could blame her? Eric has that effect, he makes women forget all the bad things he once did. His bright eyes and dangerously delightful character enchant anyone who witnesses him.

"Have you forgotten what happened with his former partner?" Rosa asked, looking at her friend.

"No, of course not."she murmured. "I don't know more than you, we were told she betrayed the faction system and is now a fugitive. Eric is hurting, he's very wounded by it."

Jeanine managed to manipulate everyone, nobody knows what really happened. When they woke up, they were told they had been betrayed and the main culprit was Grace.

Alex never got involved in leadership and the top position. She just worked as a nurse in the public hospital. So, she believed that lie because she never noticed anything unusual, or maybe she didn't want to notice.

"We've been in Dauntless for four years, a year less than Eric. We both know how he was before and the change he went through when he was with his girlfriend, Grace. Alex, maybe you don't remember or didn't see it, but he had her on a pedestal. And now he's suddenly after her. Doesn't that seem strange? It's obvious she's going to be executed, and Eric will do it without hesitation."

She closed her eyes partially, watching her friend turn and look at her intently, waiting for a point. "I bet he loved her, but it seems to make no sense to him now."

"It must have been something huge that she did, she betrayed him, Rosy." she shrugged uncomfortably.

"You worry me!" Rosa exclaimed with frustration. "I don't want you to suddenly do something that, by some twist of fate, Eric doesn't like and have him come after you to kill you. I don't want anything to happen to you. He's not known as the most sadistic leader in Dauntless for nothing. I bet they invented that term because of him." she snorted.

Grace, a name she has heard Eric mutter more than once in his sleep. Alex had only seen her a few times as a leader and Eric's new girl, but she always stayed indifferent to the hierarchical issues in Dauntless, not getting involved beyond that, until now.

"Hey, nothing will happen to me." the redhead murmured with a certain confidence in her words. "I'm just a nurse. It used to be torture spending almost all day and night in the public hospital. Now, thanks to Eric, I'm here. There's no way I would betray him."

Rosa knew something was wrong. She saw how Grace was Eric's wonder, and now they say she betrayed everyone. It doesn't make sense. She brought them victory and fought for Dauntless during the Divergent rebellion. Nothing makes sense, and now it seems that Jeanine is the faction leader, and Max is just a simple lackey following orders.

She doesn't want to do anything to prevent them from cutting off her head, but above all, she doesn't want to put her friend, who is in a very delicate situation, at risk. A wrong step could provoke her death.

"Fine." Rosa rolled her eyes in resignation. She was completely smitten and knew it would be impossible to make her understand. "I have to go, Zeke must be waiting for me, we're going to practice knife throwing."

"See you for lunch?" the redhead asked.

"Of course, love you."

"Love you too." the redhead murmured before her friend closed the door.

She felt a pressure in her chest as she closed the door. She walked away from the hallway with the intention of finding Zeke, he knew Grace. If she could just learn a bit more and understand if her intuition was correct and her friend Alex was indeed in danger, it would be a big step forward.

She had never behaved so infatuated with someone until now, and it left her in total uncertainty. Alex is not just her friend, they have a sisterhood since childhood. They were born in Candor and coincidentally ended up in Dauntless after the aptitude tests. They know each other better than anyone. It was understandable why Rosa worried about her.

As if she had summoned him, Eric's presence became apparent. He had turned the corner with the intention of entering the hallway Rosa was leaving. They almost collided but stopped immediately. Rosa would never be afraid of a leader, and he was no exception. He was the very danger threatening her friend, and she hated him for it. She looked up, meeting Eric's gaze, who gave a half-smile and a nasal laugh.

The dark-haired girl stepped aside, wearing her characteristic serious and distinctive expression, unafraid to show him the repulsion she felt. Eric paid no attention, walking past her and continuing on his way.

But as she had already said, Eric had reverted to the man he was before meeting Grace. So, without shame, he turned back to look at the dark-haired girl's body, who witnessed his brazenness.

"Idiot." she thought as she walked away in anger.

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

"You knew the girl Grace, right?" Rosa asked suddenly, holding a knife in her hand.

Her question made Zeke throw the knife incorrectly, it landed at least five centimeters away from the target. The boy turned to look at her as if she had a horn on her face.

"Since when are you interested in the leaders?" he murmured, puzzled.

"Since Alex is hypnotized by that idiot Eric." the dark-haired girl replied. "Tell me what you know." she asked with a slight pout.

Zeke shrugged, remembering the brunette meant remembering Uriah, and he couldn't bear it.

All he knew was that Grace was helping her brother. Suddenly, he wakes up, and she's the enemy of the faction, and of course, Uriah was no longer there.

There are loose ends, inconclusive information, incoherence in everything. But he prefers to stay in the only faction he knows, primarily in case his brother returns and secondly to protect him. Something is happening; the leaders look at him with suspicion as if they know something he doesn't.

He knows he's on the wrong side of the war, knows he's with the bad guys, but he doesn't care, or at least he believes he can help more by being here than by risking Four and Grace.

"What do you want to know? Eric has always been like this, he hypnotized Alex, and let me tell you, it will end very badly." Zeke said, taking a fourth knife and throwing it at the target again.

"What do you mean it will end badly?"

"Do you really think Eric isn't deceiving her? She's at least the first in a long list, and although they all know it, it doesn't seem to matter to them."

"How disgusting." Rosa frowned at the situation. How is it possible? She hated that guy. If Alex finds out, it will devastate her. "Was he like that when he was with Grace?"

"Their relationship was complicated, I don't know much." Zeke shrugged. "I know he cheated on her, but after that, it was just her. The last time I heard he cheated, she dumped him and found someone else, but as expected, they got back together. Four told me that Eric finally felt something; he loved her, he really did love her."

"And what happened?"

He turned to her with a serious expression, glancing around to ensure no one else was listening. Noting they were alone, he decided to speak.

"Nobody knows. They just say she betrayed everyone. But did she really? She was very loyal to Dauntless, but she had one problem, and that was she had kindness in her heart." Zeke whispered. "We woke up in the middle of Abnegation with a gun in our hands, ready to shoot at a different faction, with half of them dead. Now Grace and Four have disappeared. It doesn't make sense. So many leaders, and they couldn't handle them?" he scoffed.

"You're saying that Alex is in danger." Rosa murmured, terrified.

It wasn't a secret at all. Alex's friends knew her for her big heart and her need to save lives. They also knew her character, the girl could be a real headache when she set her mind to it.

"I don't know, Rosy." Zeke shrugged. "If she does something Eric doesn't like, he'll get rid of her without hesitation. But you say she's lost enough in him that I doubt she'd dare contradict him."

"I can't ignore things and let Alex date that guy. He's not just a womanizer, he's the damn virus of the city."

"What do you want me to do? There's no way to stop him. You'd need an army, but that doesn't matter when you have your best friend who might give her life for him."

"At least I want her to open her eyes."

"Piece of cake." Zeke rolled his eyes sarcastically. "You should search the whole city for Grace and have her tell Alex what a disgusting human Eric is, or start a war with her, fight evil with the power of good. No, even better, bring her here and let her put him in his place. Wouldn't be the first time she's done it. Maybe that'll get your friend to leave him." he added with a sarcastic tone that made Rosa roll her eyes.

"Although..."

Zeke glanced down at the floor.

"It's not a bad idea." she shrugged, tilting her head.

"No, Rosy. Even if you found her, I guarantee you won't solve anything. You don't know Grace, let alone Eric. Let Alex open her eyes on her own. Don't get involved in whatever happened between them."

"You don't understand, we're in the middle of a war. I fear for my friend. I don't understand anything, and I'm scared." Rosa exclaimed.

"Well, you should. Despite her kindness, Grace is not a reasonable woman at all. Just ignore this and keep an eye on Alex. Follow the damn orders they give you and stay alive." Zeke growled, gripping her shoulders. "A fierce war is coming. Grace won't sit idly by, she loved being a leader in Dauntless. Anyone who took her away from here is as good as dead."

"What will happen to Alex if Grace finds out she's with Eric?" Rosa murmured.

Zeke sighed. "That depends on what happens between them two, but basically, Eric would be the one in trouble, believe me." he nodded. "Now go and take care of yourself."

The dark-haired girl nodded, feeling a lump in her throat. She had never felt such a strong need to meet someone until now. She had never cared about remembering the leaders, except for the important ones—Max, Freya, and Eric. And now there was a girl who was once a leader and seemed to be either the solution to her problems or the beginning of more.

In some way, Zeke knew what he was doing. He understood that Rosa wouldn't be satisfied and would try to investigate further about Grace, but discreetly. It was merely a means to find Uriah, because once Rosa found Grace, she would go to Zeke to inform him and they could reunite with her. If it came to fighting, she would do it, but on Grace and Four's side. Girl gossip held no relevance for him right now, he saw an opportunity and seized it.