The walk to the hub is a long and silent one. Nobody utters a word.

The streets are filled with every sixteen-year-old and their parents in the city. The colours from the factions merge in the streets.

I look around at all the different factions, I study the way they walk.

Erudite side of me for sure.

Abnegation members stroll down the streets nodding their heads at other members.

Amity families giggle and skip down the streets.

Candor members are deep in conversation with each other.

The Erudite walk with perfect posture pretending to talk about things like maths and cellular structure.

But it is the Dauntless that catch my eye. They shout and ran down the streets some hanging all over each other. Out of all the factions, they are the freest. They are what I want to be, but I can't.

My lungs are burning when we finally reach the top of what felt like hundreds of stairs to the hub. As we walk into the room the echo of the hundreds of voices swarms around me. 

My eyes rake over the sea of colours. The factions are seated in separate rows of seats. Dauntless first by the door then Candor, Erudite, Amity, and Abnegation at the far end of the hall.

The stage of pure white marble stood in the front. On it stood a podium. In the center stood the five bowls each containing the different elements for the different factions.

Hot coals for Dauntless
Water for Erudite
Stones for Abnegation
Soil for Amity
Glass for Candor

As our names are called we will step up to the stage cut our palms and place a drop of blood into the faction of our choosing.

We take our seats with the other Abnegation families and wait for the ceremony to start.

I glance over at Caleb. He is looking down, rubbing his palms like crazy.

When everyone is seated the ceremony starts.

" I love you, no matter what." My mother whispers to me, taking my hand in hers for a few seconds.

The Hub quietens down as Jeanine Mattews leader of Erudite takes her place on the stage. Her curvy figure fit tightly around her blue dress and blazer. Her hands clasp a folder against her belly. Her straight blond hair sits above her shoulders.

"Today all of you will be making an important decision. The most important decision of your entire life. The future of this city depends on where you choose to go. The future will thrive on how well you know yourself. Choose wisely, faction before blood."

"Faction before blood." We all repeat the saying.

It is a saying we are taught from a young age. A saying that means that our faction's needs are to be held above everything else even family. 

As Jeanine steps down and takes her seat among the Erudite Marcus steps up.

"When you leave this room you will be official members of the society. As per tradition, we will start with Abnegation," he unfolds the first card," Duncan Alberts."

Duncan stepped up and retrieved his knife. He sliced his palm and without a second thought let his blood drip into the third bowl. 

"Abnegation!" Marcus's voice booms across the room.

I blacked out through most of the A surnames. Luckily there aren't so many.

"Robert Black," Robert walked up, retrieved his knife, and cut his palm.
"Abnegation, Susan Black,"

Susan shakes with nerves as she walks up. She has always hated being the center of attention.

As soon as she got her knife she cut her palm and drops her blood into the third bowl.

"Abnegation."

She smiles as she walks back up to us and takes a seat with her family who are smiling and whispering to her.

Once again I zone out. Everyone so far has chosen Abnegation. This isn't at all surprising. Nobody from Abnegation has transferred out of Abnegation in nearly thirty years.

But sometimes people can transfer out of their birth faction. People transferring to a different faction wasn't unheard of but it was rare. People normally stay in their birth faction. And if you do transfer there is a huge chance that you will be outcasted by your family and labeled a traitor. 

"Caleb Prior,"

My parents stand up and allow him to pass them. My mother squeezes his arm and my father pats his shoulder.

He slowly strolls down the stairs and to the stage. Marcus hands him a clean knife, the silver blade shines in the sunlight that is sneaking in through the windows. He ran the blade across his palm. He raises his hand over the bowl and his blood drops in.

"Erudite,"

What!

That hits us all like a ton of bricks. Gasps arose from the Abnegation while the Erudite clapped for their new initiate. 

Abnegation transfers were so rare especially and an Abnegation transferring to Erudite. For the past two decades, Erudite and Abnegation have been fighting. Caleb transferring there will open up a lot of old scabs. 

I look over at Susan who is trying not to cry, Robert is consoling her. My father leans back in his chair his eyes wide with shock, and my mother as well. None of us were expecting this.  

"Beatrice Prior," Marcus called out. I could hear in his voice he was angry about Caleb leaving.

I take a deep breath before standing up. My parents move to let me pass. My mother gave me a small smile as I walk down.

I can feel everyone's eyes on me as I walk down to the stage. Everyone is probably wondering if I will leave like my brother just did.

When I reach the stage Marcus hands me a clean blade. I look up into his eyes. They have changed to dark blue almost black. They are asking me, more like demanding me not to leave, to not disappoint my family and faction. 

I quickly move to the bowls and look at each of them. The water in the bowl for Erudite now has a touch of pink from Caleb's blood.

How could he leave us?

With a shaky breath, I slide the knife over my palm. The metal is cold as it severs my skin. Dark red blood slowly oozes from the cut which is stinging like hell.

I have to stay in Abnegation.

I have to stay in Abnegation.

I have to stay in Abnegation.

Whilst I repeat that over and over my eyes stay fixed on the simmering coals of Dauntless. As if my mind and my body are two separate things I slowly move my hands to the coals. Dauntless is what I want, but I can't leave my family not after what just happened.

Forcing my hand to move away from the coals I tip my hand and let my blood drip onto the grey stones. 

"Abnegation!"