Devotion (Four/Theo Eaton x OC) [COMPLETE]

Chapter 8: The Final Test

When I opened my eyes, the testing room blurred before me and I breathed heavily. I looked at Four with pain in my eyes. Even though it wasn't real, I felt like he had ripped my heart out. After everything we'd been through together, he had turned his back on me.

"Swift," he tried to soothe me by placing his hands on my arms, but I recoiled from his touch and walked out of the room, leaving the door wide open.

A few more days passed and I avoided Four, but I couldn't understand exactly why I didn't want to talk to him. Normally he was the only one I could confide in. Now, I was on my own.

"Attention, all initiates report for final testing," an announcement ran over the speakers. "All initiates report for final testing."

The Dauntless-born were included in this number so I reluctantly followed the instructions and walked to the testing room. Once there, I took a moment to look around at the series of screens covering the walls. Now everyone will be able to see inside my head. Great. I wasn't nervous about facing my worst fears, but revealing them to the world was far more disturbing. They were my deepest, darkest secrets. Private. Personal.

Four approached me carefully, but I wouldn't run away from him now. "Hey," he said quietly with a gentle expression on his face. I could tell he wanted to be wise with his words.

I smiled a little and hugged him. My sudden craving for human contact was unexplainable, but I needed one of his characteristic hugs then, the ones where I always felt so safe.

He seemed taken aback a little but recovered as he gently put his arms around me. "You okay?" he whispered in my ear.

"Yeah," I said as I broke the embrace, looking up at him. "I think I'm ready."

"I know you are."

I stepped up onto the platform and sat in the chair with a deep breath to try to slow my heart rate. These are only hallucinations. They're not real. I tried to convince myself that this was just another test.

One of the Dauntless injected the serum into my neck and darkness surrounded me.

The same fears of the shark and being left behind appeared again, except I ran even harder after the truck. Seeing Four look after me with the same expression of disgust on his face encouraged me to keep running. Four wouldn't do that. My hand grasped the tailgate and I pulled myself over and inside the truck's bed.

Suddenly, the scenery changed and I was surrounded by darkness. "You'll never amount to anything," a voice echoed throughout the room.

I groped in the dark, but it was pitch black; I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. Thinking I might have a weapon in my pants, I patted my legs to check my pockets.

"You killed your father and mother, you're a murderer."

My hands finally found a dagger in one of my sheaths, but I had no idea what to do with it. I couldn't see an enemy, the only evidence there was any actual threat was a voice, but no physical figure I could stab.

"You deserve to be Factionless, Maria Marisol."

I then understood. My worst enemy was myself. No one knew my true name or the fate of my parents. Only I would know the deepest thoughts that taunted my soul every night. Knowing what must be done, I took a deep breath and plunged the knife into my heart. There was no pain as the dagger sank into my flesh, but a moment of silence passed before the scene changed again.

This time I was in an empty room filled only by a chair where Four sat bound tightly to it. The ropes were so securely bound around his body that they chafed his skin. His eyes searched mine pleadingly, but he said nothing.

"Kill him, Swift," I looked to my left to see Eric holding out a gun to me. "After all, think of all the times he's hurt you. He never cared for you."

I slowly took the gun and looked at Four. He didn't open his mouth to protest, but his eyes revealed his thoughts. They always did.

"What about that fight with Tom?" Eric continued to press me. "He didn't stand up for you. He didn't fight beside you. He walked away and left you to be beaten. He is your threat."

I pointed the gun at Four's head, but his eyes continued to drill into my soul. I swore to protect him no matter what happened. Sure, he had hurt me before, but everyone is human. Everyone makes mistakes. He is part of what made me who I am.

"No," I said, looking at Eric and cocking the hammer of the gun. "You are my threat." I then pulled the trigger and watched as Eric's body fell to the ground.

When I awoke, I was back in the testing room, sitting in the same chair where I fell asleep. I stood and walked down from the platform. As I passed Eric, our eyes briefly meet. A chill ran down my spine to see his familiar expression of ice-cold hate. Loathing. Malice. 

Desperate to escape the judgment of everyone, I quickly left the room and climbed onto the roof for fresh air. There was a comforting silence as I looked out over the city from the edge of the building. I would never tire of this sight because all my fears seemed so small compared to the endless sky and I felt I could go anywhere I wanted. I truly was Dauntless whether I passed the final test or not.