Empty With You

The wind blew through my hair as Eric gathered everything off the rooftop, so no one knew we were here and could sneak back in without anyone knowing we were gone. I stood on the edge of the quiet building, looking out into the quiet night when my eyes lande on it. Not too far off in the distance was a tall worn down building with worn down letters etched across it. My eyes squinted to try to read the words but I failed to make out what it was, it was just something I haven't seen before.

"What are you staring at?" Eric wrapped his arms around my waist.

"That building," I nodded into the distance. "I haven't seen it before."

"Really? A building you haven't seen in your years of running the city at night?" Eric mocked with a smirk on his face.

"Shut up," I rolled my eyes and looked back at him for a second.

"We should go check it out," I smirked as I felt his chest stiffen for a second.

"Ari, we really do need to get back, before anyone notices we're gone," Eric pointed out.

"And we will," I smirked at him. "Come on, don't tell me you're not the slightest bit curious too?"

"Alright fine, but if I have to run my ass off and miss lunch because we got caught-" Eric started as I turned around to kiss him.

"Then by the end of this whole inititation, you'll be super hot," I smirked and took his hand.

Eric just shook his head as we walked down the stairs of the building we were on to head into the direction of the run down building that caught my attention. It was maybe a block or two and not many people were on the street around the building. Not even Factionless which was weird since normally you'd find one or two but for some reason, not many people were around anywhere.

The street was actually quiet run down, like streets that were slightly tore up and crumbled like no one had been down this way in a while. We quietly stepped over the piles of asphlat that were moved up towards the surface to stand in front of the tall old building with cracks in every part of it's walls and pillars.

The words on the sign of the building were mostly worn off except for the last words: IC LIBRARY

"What's an IC Library?" Eric questioned as I just shook my head.

"I think it says Public Library," I stepped over a crumbled stair. "I heard Jack Kang talk about one of these before but we don't need one of these cause your old Faction knows everything."

"You can take the girl outta Candor but not the Candor out of the girl," Eric smirked as I shot him a glare. "You won't admit it, Ariana, but you're more Candor than you might think."

"Yeah well, I'm Dauntless now," I mumbled as I walke up to the door of the building. "None of that matters."

I went to open the door but it was still locked or jammed, either way the door wouldn't open. I looked around to figure out a way to get in as Eric sighed and moved me out of the way.

"Well stubborn Dauntless girl," Eric grumbled. "Move."

"Of course, you think you can do any better, than go fo-" I started as Eric picked the lock on the door and it swung open.

"And who's the better one now?" He smiled that stupid cocky smile as I rolled my eyes.

"You make breaking and entering look hot," I mentioned as I walked past him only to hear him chuckle.

As we walked through the hollow halls, our footsteps echoed off the walls. Dust was everywhere, there cobwebs hanging from fixtures and the ceilings, dim moonlight poured into the windows as we both walked.

I walked a bit a head of Eric and took a pathway down an aisle which was nothing more than a long row of shelves with books. My eyes traveled over all the books then read the shelves. There was so much knowledge here. Rows marke with fiction, non-fiction, romance, classics, everything.

Signs hung from the top that said which way to the study or quiet rooms as well as places to do research. I made my way to the middle of the library where I found books stacked on a table that had information about the city. Not the city now, but the city of the past, blueprints, everything.

"Ariana?" Eric questioned as I sat down in a chair and turned pages in a book that showed images of a once built Chicago, filled with light, colours, and water in the now dried up lake bed. The the images of the city at night, it was even more beautiful than it is now at night.

"This city," I scaned the pictures as he stood by me. "It was amazing, before the war, before the Factions."

"We have to go," Eric half ingored me as I looked up at him.

"But there's so much we can learn here," I pleaded with him. "So many things that were kept from us."

"And if we're not in our bunks by the morning, we'll pay for it," Eric reasoned as he looked down at me and sighed. "It means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "For years, I was taught that this city didn't have structure before us, that it was a terrible place, but look at it." I pointed down to the pictures around me. "It looks peaceful."

"We do have to get back," Eric looked at the pictures. "But if we go, I promise, I will bring you back here and we can make this our date spot."

"Well, let's not get too carried away," I smirked at him as I stood up. "Promise to come back here with me at least?"

"Of course," Eric kissed me quickly. "Believe it or not, this is actually more interesting than Erudite research facilities."

"No, that I believe," I smirked as he held out as his hand.

The two of us raced back to the Dauntless dorm room and to our beds as fast as we could. Granted my body really craved a shower, it was late and if anyone really used the showers now, at least two of them, people would notice. I quickly pulled my shirt over my head as I felt a tug on my hand only to see Eric's eyes as we stood in the dark of the room.

"No one will pay much attention if we use the shower together," Eric he looked serious like he was thinking of a valid plan.

"But-" I started as my eyes flashed towards his.

"I know I really want to do other things to you in the shower, but right now, it's our only other option so we can get a few hours of sleep," Eric reasoned as I nodded.

"Just," I sighed as I followed him. "Don't make a big deal about the scar."

"I never do," He kissed me quickly. "Come on."

After our quick shower, the two of us made our way back to our beds to pass out from exhaustion. It didn't seem like much longer afterwards that the two of us were woken by Amar and the banging against the wall again.

It was another day of training, only on this day in particular, it was the first day of hand to hand combat. I wasn't really lookng forward to it, even though I could stand up for myself. I just didn't want to watch Eric get hit by anyone. Watching someone having to take punches at him or even Four, just the thought of it made my blood boil.

"Alright, welcome to your first day of hand to hand combat," Amar stood on the mat in front of us. "The rules are, the fight is over when I say to stop or if one of you concedes."

The low murmur of nervous initates rumbled through the room. "You will be ranked by the end of the week with the Dauntless born on your performance this week and will be observed throughout the rest of traning."

I watched as people shifted in their spots and Amar scanned the crowd.

"Alright first up is first jumped, Ariana!" Amar annouced as his eyes met mine then looked for the other person. "And Four!"

"The Stiff?" Eric scouffed. "Should be easy."

"Shut up," I grumbled as I made my way to the mat and felt eyes on me.

"Nice scar, Candor!" Some mouthy girl shouted. "Where'd you get it? Telling too many truths?"

I bit my lip to hold my tongue in place as I knew if I said anything about the scar, I'd snap. "Only Candor I'm seeing is you out there. Why are you in Dauntless again?"

"Enough," Amar stopped the fight between me and this girl from happening as he turned to look at me and Four. "Four, Ariana, now!"

My heart half sank as Amar called us up to the mat and I really didn't want to be up here in front of Four. Not that he was a bad fighter, he was quite good, it's just I personally didn't want to fight him. And I knew he didn't want to fight me, at least not in front of everyone.

"Winner will be declared if the opponent is down for 5 counts," Amar mentioned as he looked between the two of us.

I seen the look in Four's eyes, ones filled with that feeling that he didn't want to fight me or hurt me. He knew when I taught him what he knew that it was training and it was different from now. Even for me, it was different, there were people watching, we were being ranked on how well we fought.

My eyes caught his for a second and I mouthed "sorry" quickly as he shook his head slightly and I tried to give him a faint smile. I seen Eric out the corner of my eye smirk slightly but he hide it with his fist. I swear, it was almost like he was enjoying seeing me fight Four for some unknown reason, like he wanted me to hit my friend of something.

"Any day, you two!" Amar bellowed as my attention went back towards Four.

It was now or never, I guess.