Darkness swallows the space below, a void stretching endlessly beneath the gaping hole in the rooftop. The wind howls through the broken metal structure, a constant reminder of the height from which they’ve leaped. The sound of boots striking the train platform still lingers in the air, but now, all that remains is the pit.

A challenge. A choice. A test of courage.

The Dauntless leader above barks at the hesitant initiates, urging them forward. The first step is the hardest. But someone has to take it.

Then, without another word, one of them steps forward. A girl in the unmistakable gray fabric of Abnegation. A Stiff.

And then she jumps.

The fall is weightless, air rushing past, stealing breath and thought alike. The world is a blur of shadow and movement, the unknown stretching in every direction. And then—impact.

Not bone-crushing. Not death. A net, catching her, absorbing the force of the leap before bending under her weight. She gasps, caught between relief and lingering adrenaline.

Then, strong hands grasp her wrists. A sharp pull. She stumbles forward onto solid ground, breathless.

A figure stands before her. Tall, rigid, unreadable. He doesn’t smile, doesn’t flinch. Dark eyes sweep over her without emotion, taking in the plain Abnegation clothes, the unfamiliar presence of someone who shouldn’t be here—who shouldn’t have jumped first.

A snicker, soft, mocking.

"A Stiff, jumping first?" His voice is smooth, but edged with disbelief, as if the very idea is ridiculous. "That's unheard of."

She tries to catch her breath, to process where she is, what just happened. But he’s already speaking again.

"What’s your name?" He doesn’t look at her fully, as if she isn’t worth his time.

"Uh…-" She stammers, still reeling from the fall.

His gaze sharpens. The moment stretches. Then, he speaks again—low, steady, deliberate.

"Be careful." A pause. A warning. "You can only choose once."