♘ Be Brave ♘

XV

Zeke is so close to the edge of the roof that I think he's about to fall off the building. I get up, and make my way to him in record time considering the impact of the jump was disorienting. As I get closer to Zeke I see that he is helping a tattooed blond girl pull someone onto the roof.

Cassandra! Her brown eyes are overflowing with tears, and she is screaming. I hold on to her arm and yank as hard as I can, stumbling backwards and bringing her down with me in the process. She's on top of me, her tears soaking my clothes, and the small necklace she's wearing with what looks like a cross around her neck hits my chest.

The blonde girl helps her up and embraces Cassandra. "Thank you." I can tell she's trying to hold back tears. "Damn you! Don't ever scare me like that again, do you understand?" She wipes Cassandra's tears away, and it's surprising how emotional she is, being Dauntless and all.

But I guess I would cry if a friend of mine almost died. Too bad I don't have any... The blonde makes her way to the opposite end of the roof where a crowd has formed, a protective arm still around Cassandra. Zeke and I follow them, and join the handful of initiates who actually got to the roof.

I shiver, even though the sun is as bright as ever right now. Could I really make it through initiation? Or would I end up factionless? No. I would rather die. I turn and see that a middle-aged woman is at the front of the crowd, dressed from head to toe in black.

"My name is Rachel. I'm one of your leaders. And if you want to become Dauntless..." She examines her cuticles. "You're going to have to jump off this roof."