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Behind him, the word "Dauntless" is spray-painted in red artistic lettering on a concrete wall

"Through your simulations, we have stored data about your worst fears The fear landscape accesses that data and presents you with a series of virtual obstacles Some of the obstacles will be fears you previously faced in your simulations Some may be new fears The difference is that you are aware, in the fear landscape, that it is a sio through it"

That ent in the fear landscape I don’t know if that’s a relief, because I can’t be detected, or a problee

Four continues, "The nu to how many you have"

How ain and shiver, though the air is ware of initiation focuses on mental preparation," he says I reht before he put a gun to Peter’s head I wish he had pulled the trigger

"That is because it requires you to control both your emotions and your body--to coe one with the ee two To keep a level head" One of the fluorescent tubes above Four’s head twitches and flickers Four stops scanning the crowd of initiates and focuses his stare on h your fear landscape as quickly as possible in front of a panel of Dauntless leaders That will be your final test, which detere two of initiation is weighted hted heaviest of all Understood?"

We all nod Even Dreho makes it look painful

If I do well init into the top ten and a good chance of becoht et past each obstacle in one of tays Either you find a way to calisters a normal, steady heartbeat, or you find a way to face your fear, which can force the si is to swiest that you take the next week to consider your fears and develop strategies to face them"

"That doesn’t sound fair," says Peter "What if one person only has seven fears and someone else has twenty? That’s not their fault"

Four stares at hihs "Do you really want to talk to me about what’s fair?"

The crowd of initiates parts to make way for him as he walks toward Peter, folds his arms, and says, in a deadly voice, "I understand why you’re worried, Peter The events of last night certainly proved that you are a miserable coward"

Peter stares back, expressionless

"So noe all know," says Four, quietly, "that you are afraid of a short, skinny girl froation" His mouth curls in a smile

Will puts his arhter And soet back to the dorm that afternoon, Al is there

Will stands behind htly, as if to rees closer to me

Al’s eyes have shadows beneath the Pain stabs rass and sage, once pleasant, turns sour in"Can I talk to you?"

"Are you kidding?" Will squeezes ain"

"I won’t hurt you I never wanted to…" Al covers his face with both hands "I just want to say that I’ with iveto touch my shoulder, or my hand, his face ith tears

So person Soirl who tries to understand what people are going through, who accepts that people do evil things and that desperation leads theined I swear she exists, and she hurts for the repentant boy I see in front of nize her

"Stay away froid and cold, and I a I say, ain"

Our eyes

"If you do, I swear to God I will kill you," I say "You coward"

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

"TRIS"

In my dream, my mother says my name She beckons to me, and I cross the kitchen to stand beside her She points to the pot on the stove, and I lift the lid to peek inside The beady eye of a crow stares back atfeathers pressed to the side of the pot, its fat body covered with boiling water

"Dinner," she says

"Tris!" I hear again I open my eyes Christina stands next to my bed, her cheeks streaked with mascara-tinted tears

"It’s Al," she says "Come on"

Some of the other initiates are awake, and sorabs my hand and pulls me out of the dor clouds fro terrible has happened I feel it with every thump of my heart It’s Al

We run across the Pit floor, and then Christina stops A crowd has gathered around the ledge, but everyone stands a few feet froh space for ed e, hoisting sorunt froht back so the ropes slide over the railing, and then reaching forward to grab again A huge, dark shape appears above the ledge, and a few Dauntless rush forward to help the two men haul it over

The shape falls with a thud on the Pit floor A pale arm, swollen ater, flops onto the stone A body Christina pulls herself tight toto my arm She turns her head into my shoulder and sobs, but I can’t look away A few of the men turn the body over, and the head flops to the side