When all the initiates stand on solid ground again, Lauren and Four lead us down a narrow tunnel. The walls are made of stone, and the ceiling slopes, so I feel like I am descending deep into the heart of the earth. The tunnel is lit at long intervals, so in the dark space between each dim lamp, I notice faint glimpses of people reaching their hands out to touch someone else to see where they are going but for me the darkness was something I was used to.
The whole crowd stopped, and our three leaders stood in front of us, arms folded.
"This is where we divide," Lauren says. "The Dauntless-born initiates are with me. I assume you don't need a tour of the place."
She smiles and beckons toward the Dauntless-born initiates. They break away from the group and dissolve into the shadows. I watch the last heel pass out of the light and look at those of us who are left. Most of the initiates were from Dauntless, so only nine people remained. Of those, I am alongside the familiar faces of some Erudite transfers, there are no Amity transfers. The rest are from Candor and, surprisingly, Abnegation.
Four addresses us next. "Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few weeks, I am your instructor," he says. "My name is Four."
Sarai asks, "Four? Like the number?"
"Yes," Four says. "Is there a problem?"
"No."
"Good. We're about to go into the Pit, which you will someday learn to love. It—"
Sarai snickers. "The Pit? Clever name."
Four walks up to Sarai and leans his face close to hers. His eyes narrow, and for a second, he just stares at her.
"What's your name?" he asks quietly.
"Sarai," she squeaks.
"Well, Sarai, if I wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths, I would have joined their faction," he hisses. "The first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?"
She nods.
Four starts toward the shadow at the end of the tunnel. The crowd of initiates moves on in silence.
"What a jerk," she mumbles.
"I guess he doesn't like to be laughed at," I reply.
From the reaction of others, it seemed like they understood that it would probably be wise to be careful around Four. He seemed placid to me on the platform, but something about that stillness makes many wary, I think I was the only one who was smart enough to see that his intimidation was an act.
As an Erudite born we learn the key stages of sociology, psychology, math, science, engineering and the history of our faction. Which in return gave me the knowledge to understand the emotion and reaction of others, through time, I was able to manipulate their emotions and find a scientific route to the research I was doing. And for four, well, he didn't scare me one bit.
Four pushes a set of double doors open, and we walk into the place he called "the Pit."
"Oh," whispers Sarai. "I get it."
"Pit" is the best word for it. It is an underground cavern so huge I can't see the other end of it from where I stand, at the bottom. Uneven rock walls rise several stories above my head. Built into the stone walls are places for food, clothing, supplies, leisure activities. Narrow paths and steps carved from rock connect them. There are no barriers to keep people from falling over the side.
A slant of orange light stretches across one of the rock walls. Forming the roof of the Pit are panes of glass and, above them, a building that lets in sunlight. It must have looked like just another city building when we passed it on the train.
Blue lanterns dangle at random intervals above the stone paths, like the ones that lit the Choosing room. They grow brighter as the sunlight dies.
People are everywhere, all dressed in black, all shouting and talking, expressive, gesturing. I don't see any elderly people in the crowd. Are there any old Dauntless? Do they not last that long, or are they just sent away when they can't jump off moving trains anymore?
A group of children ran down a narrow path with no railing, I saw Sarai from the corner of my eye looking panicked, as though she wanted to scream at the children to watch out.
"If you follow me," says Four, "I'll show you the chasm."
He waves us forward. Four's appearance seems tame from the front, by Dauntless standards, but when he turns around, I see a tattoo peeking out from the collar of his T-shirt. He leads us to the right side of the Pit, which is conspicuously dark. I squint and see that the floor I stand on now ends at an iron barrier. As we approach the railing, I hear a roar—water, fast-moving water, crashing against rocks.
I look over the side. The floor drops off at a sharp angle, and several stories below us is a river. Gushing water strikes the wall beneath me and sprays upward. To my left, the water is calmer, but to my right, it is white, battling with rock.
"The chasm reminds us that there is a fine line between bravery and idiocy!" Four shouts. "A daredevil jump off this ledge will end your life. It has happened before, and it will happen again. You've been warned."
"This is incredible," says Sarai, as we all move away from the railing.
"Incredible is the word," I say, nodding.
Four leads the group of initiates across the Pit toward a gaping hole in the wall. The room beyond is well-lit enough that I can see where we're going:
"The centre of life here at Dauntless." Four spoke up.
As we scanned the room, not long after, Four followed us back the way we went and into a room filled with beds.
"You're going to be sleeping here for the next ten weeks."
A Candor spoke up, "Girls or boys?"
"Both."
Most of the boys chattered among themselves wooing and repeating the phrases, 'nice,' and that works,'
I continued to ignore them.
"If you like this, you're going to love the bathroom."
Following Four in a straight line he showed us the bathroom. With a view of open toilets, with damp-looking toilet rolls and showers that weren't hidden.
Now both boys and girls were disappointed.
"You should feel right at home, Candor," Four spoke as he referred to Sarai, walking away as he shoved my shoulder.
"Get changed."
A boy spoke up, "Right, a shower anyone?"
As we got the uniforms for dauntless, we spread out across the room and began unchanging. As I tried to pull my leggings up, I heard Peter from the other side of the room.
"Nice legs, nose."
I turn to him with a blank expression on my face. Ignore it I thought. Without hesitation I took my blazer and top off, revealing a black bra as I replaced it with a white tank top and a tight black jacket.
Later, as we passed along the same path as before we threw our clothes in the pit with gleaming fire. I stared at the vibrant blue outfit once more before I threw my clothes away.
A dining hall full of people and clattering silverware. When we walked in, the Dauntless stood inside. They applaud. They stamp their feet. They shout. The noise surrounds me and fills me. Sarai smiles, and for me I remained focused.
We look for empty seats. Sarai and I discover a mostly empty table at the side of the room, and I find myself sitting between her and Four. In the centre of the table is a platter of food.
Four nudges the girl beside him with his elbow.
"It's beef," he says. "Put this on it." He passes the girl a small bowl full of red sauce.
"You've never had a hamburger before?" asks Sarai, her eyes wide.
"No" the girl says. "Is that what it's called?"
"Stiff's eat plain food," Four says, nodding at Sarai.
"Why?" she asks.
I shrug. "Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary in their faction."
She smirks. "I guess you learn something new."
"Yeah, I suppose," I say, rolling my eyes.
The corner of Four's mouth twitches.
The doors to the cafeteria open, and a hush falls over the room. I look over my shoulder. A young man walks in, and it is quiet enough that I can hear his footsteps. His face is pierced in so many places I lose count, and his hair is long, dark, and greasy. But that isn't what makes him look menacing. It is the coldness of his eyes as they sweep across the room.
"Who's that?" hisses Sarai.
"His name is Eric," says Four. "He's a Dauntless leader."
"Seriously? But he's so young."
Four gives her a grave look. "Age doesn't matter here."
I can tell she's about to ask what I want to ask: Then what does matter? But Eric's eyes stop scanning the room, and he stares towards our table, squeezing in where the abnegation girl sat at and drops into the seat next to Four. He offers no greetings, so neither do we.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce me?" he asks, nodding to Sarai and me.
Four says, "This is Quinn and Sarai."
"Ooh, a nose," says Eric, smirking at me. His smile pulls at the piercings in his lips, making the holes they occupy wider, and I wince. "We'll see how long you last."
I mean to say something—to assure him that I will last—but words fail me. I am too focused on staring at him in a serious and curious way to find the reason why I recognize him. I know him from somewhere or something, but how?
He taps his fingers against the table. His knuckles are scabbed over, right where they would split if he punched something too hard.
"What have you been doing lately, Four?" he asks.
Four lifts a shoulder. "Nothing, really," he says.
Are they friends? My eyes flick between Eric and Four. Everything Eric did—sitting here, asking about Four—suggests that they are, but the way Four sits, tense as pulled wire, suggests they are something else. Rivals, maybe, but how could that be, if Eric is a leader and Four is not?
"Max tells me he keeps trying to meet with you, and you don't show up," Eric says. "He requested that I find out what's going on with you."
Four looks at Eric for a few seconds before saying, "Tell him that I am satisfied with the position I currently hold."
"So, he wants to give you a job."
The rings in Eric's eyebrow catch the light. Maybe Eric perceives Four as a potential threat to his position. My Mother says that those who want and gets power, live in terror of losing it, but my mum never faced such an issue of that.
"So, it would seem," Four says.
"And you aren't interested."
"I haven't been interested in two years."
"Well," says Eric. "Let's hope he gets the point, then."
He claps Four on the shoulder, a little too hard, and gets up. When he walks away, I continue to stare at him. I had not realized that I was so concentrated.
"Are you two...friends?" Sarai says, unable to contain her curiosity.
"We were in the same initiate class," he says. "He transferred from Erudite."
I immediately found my way back to reality and faced Four, now staring at him without saying anything. He looked over to me curiously at my tense expression but before he could ask Sarai spoke up again.
"Were you a transfer too?"
"I knew I would only have trouble with the Candor asking too many questions," he says coldly.
"It must be because you're so approachable," I speak up flatly. "You know. Like a bed of nails."
He stares at me, as I challenged him back. His intimidation didn't scare me.
But he just says, "Careful, Quinn. And you Candor."
Before either of us could reply, a Dauntless member at another table calls out Four's name, and I turn to Sarai. She raises both eyebrows.
"What?" she asks.
"I'm developing a theory."
"And it is?"
I pick up my hamburger, grinning, and say, "That you have a death wish."