When it was time for the banquet, Lilith found herself vibrating with antecipation. After the fear landscape, she'd found Nate, Christina, Siobhan, and all of her other friends awaiting outside, watching everyone else as they went through their respective evaluations. Rita had given her a one sided hug as Nate told her that she'd taken a little less than ten minutes, and that the Dauntless had cheered for her whenever she moved forward. For the first time in her life, Lilith had felt like she was a real member of Dauntless, and not just an initiate.

Eventually, when even Tris was finished with her test, and after they'd noticed that she'd disappeared, yet again, they retreated back to the dorm, where they kept discussing their evaluations. Unsurprisingly, Uriah seemed to have been the Dauntless born who had taken less time in his. His timing was dangerously close to Lilith's and, even if she was happy that he'd done well, it still made her fear that he would get a higher ranking than her. Rankings weren't everything, and Lilith was aware of it, but it would still be nice to see her name in the first spot.

"You look like a ticking time bomb," Siobhan giggled, a few minutes after they'd sat down at a table in the dining hall, "Are you gonna explode if you stop fidgeting?"

Lilith simply rose her eyebrows at her, "I just might. What about it?"

"At least warn us, so we can take cover," Lynn smirked, from her place in front of the brunette.

"A true Dauntless would throw themselves on top of me to absorb the blast," Lilith retorted, pulling at one of her braids. Lynn seemed caught off guard by her reply, and she laughed, "I'm just pulling your leg. I'd probably hide, too."

"Would you, though?" Nate narrowed his blue eyes at her.

Lilith nodded, "Yeah, who do you take me for? I'm not completely insane."

"Could have fooled me."

"Shut the hell up, Amity."

A loud screech interrupted their banter, and Lilith gritted her teeth as she looked around the room, her eyes soon landing on Eric as he climbed to the top of an empty table, a microphone gripped tightly in his hand. Her heart immediately started accelerating, not only because she was looking at the person who'd been invading her thoughts as of late, but also because it was finally time. The moment she had been waiting for was here. She'd finally find out just how well she'd done through Initiation, and how much her efforts had payed off. Chewing on her lower lip, Lilith crossed her fingers under the table, as the rest of the people in the dining hall quieted down.

"We aren't big on speeches here. Eloquence is for Erudite," Eric began, after clearing his throat. Though the crowd laughed, Lilith could only roll her eyes at the slight jab he's thrown at his previous faction. Eric had never told her where he'd come from, but she'd heard it from Granger, and it made complete sense. As Dauntless as he was, Erudite had surely left its traces. Once the laughter died down, Eric switched the microphone to his other hand and continued, "So I'm going to keep this short. It's a new year, and we have a new pack of initiates. And a slightly  smaller pack of new members. We offer them our congratulations," he was forced to pause when everyone in the room began banging their fists against the tables, and Lilith released a breathless chuckle, exchanging a glance with Christina, who seemed ecstatic. 

"I think I'm gonna pass out," Rita whispered, her cheeks flushed as she shuffled closer to Marlene.

"It's gonna be fine," the other girl reassured her, placing a hand on her wrist for a few seconds. 

"We believe in bravery," Eric's voice echoed once more, "We believe in taking action. We believe in freedom from fear and in acquiring the skills to force the bad out of our world so that the good can prosper and thrive. If you also believe in those things, we welcome you," he paused, the cheers in the room becoming almost deafening. The last part of the speech had sounded hesitant, almost as if he hadn't been sure if that was what he should be saying. Lilith knew that she'd probably been the only person to notice, as she often was, when it came to Eric. As if he'd sensed her gaze, his eyes flickered down to her for a second, before he resumed his speech, "Tomorrow, in their first act as members, our top eleven initiates will choose their professions, in the order of how they are ranked. The rankings, I know, are what everyone is really waiting for."

"He's totally intencionally dragging this on," Siobhan mumbled, shaking her head with a small smile.

"They are determined by a combination of three scores - the first, from the combat stage of training; the second, from the simulation stage; and the third, from the final examination, the fear landscape," he cut himself off, his eyes moving to where the initiates were eagerly waiting for the results, "The rankings will appear on the screen behind me."

The words had barely left his mouth when both names and pictures appeared on the wall behind him, and Lilith felt out of breath. It took her a few seconds to spot her face among all the pictures looking back at her, and she gasped as she spotted her name right in front of the number two. Above her was Tris, who looked equally caught off guard as Will threw his arms around her, and everyone in the dining hall cheered for the new members. Lilith had expected to feel envious for whoever ended up in first place, if it didn't end up being her, but she only felt excited that she was the second one, out of eleven.

Nate wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug and making her laugh as her eyes travelled up and down the list, "We made it, Candor. We fucking made it."

Lilith felt relief as she noticed that all of the people she had grown close to, during the last few weeks, would be made members alongside her. It was official. She was a member of Dauntless, and she could only wish that her child self could see her now. After hugging Nate for a few more seconds, she pulled away from the blond boy, getting up from her seat, half drownsy with all the noise around her. The brunette found her way to Tris, the other girl's name leaving her lips and, once she looked back at her with a grin, Lilith leaned down and wrapped her arms around the other girl.

"Congratulations," Tris was the first one to speak, patting her back as they hugged.

Lilith laughed, "I'm the one who should be congratulating you. First place, would you look at that!"

Their embrace lasted a few moments longer, before someone crashed against Lilith's back, nearly making her fall on top of Will. She looked over her shoulder, fully ready to give a piece of her mind to whoever had pushed her, but her intentions immediately faded away when she saw it was simply Uriah, who couldn't seem to stop grinning. The dark skinned boy pulled her into a tight hug, placing his hand on Tris' shoulder after it became obvious that he couldn't reach her for an embrace as well.

"Congratulations!" Tris grinned, placing a hand on top of his.

"You beat them!" Uriah shouted, keeping his grip on Lilith as he looked between the two of them, "Both of you!"

"Hell yeah!" Lilith laughed, and Uriah finally released her, but not before latching his fingers around her wrist as he yelled something about a group hug and dragged her to the rest of their group. Giggles left her lips as she followed the boy, finding herself in the middle of their friends not long after, all of them cheering and laughing in what she could only describe as pure happiness.

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The festivities were still taking place when Lilith left the dining hall, a grin on her lips and feeling like she was on top of the world. Dinner had been nice, and she'd enjoyed her first meal as a true member of Dauntless in the company of her friends. Lynn had pointed out that, since Molly and Drew hadn't made it to the top eleven, Peter would be completely alone, and even if Lilith believed that he deserved more consequences for everything he'd done, it wasn't the right night to worry about him and his insecurities. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to, ever again.

After they were done eating, bottles of alcohol were quickly distributed all throughout the room. While her friends received them with open arms, Lilith still recalled what had happened the last time she'd gotten too drunk, and so she left the dining hall, making her way to the roof. The night breeze was cold and it made her shiver as soon as she pushed the door open, and the brunette quickly zipped up her jacket as she walked to edge, taking a seat and allowing her legs to dangle in the air. The city was silent, the stars were gleaming, and Lilith was happy.

Her mind wandered to her brother, as it often did. She wished she could tell him that she'd made it, that she'd worked so hard that her dream had come true. It had all been worth it. All the tears and all the sacrifices, because Lilith felt accomplished like never before. She wanted to let Scott know that it was possible. Whatever his dreams turned out to be, he had it in him to make them a reality, just as she and everyone else did. Scott was a lot like her, so perhaps he'd end up figuring that out on his own. She hoped he would.

The door creaked open behind her, and the brunette looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow as she recognized Eric. He'd changed the vest he'd been wearing during the banquet for a long sleeved jacket, his arms remaining concealed by the fabric, but the feeling of being wrapped up in them was still fresh in her mind. Lilith's cheeks started heating up as her mind wandered, and she turned back to the view in front of her, hoping that it was dark enough outside to hide her blush.

The leader didn't say a word as he settled down on the edge of the roof next to her, exhaling through his nose as he leaned back on his elbows. It was a relaxed posture that Lilith had never seen him in, and the fact that he was allowing himself to behave like a normal person in front of her made her feel trusted. A few seconds passed, and Lilith risked a glance at him, taking full advantage of the fact that his eyes were closed to admire the bridge of his nose and the contour of his cheekbones. It wasn't often that they were close enough for her to distinguish the details in his face, so she absorbed as much as she could, before she started to feel like a creep.

Lilith cleared her throat, "So, who talks first?" she questioned, and Eric turned his head slightly at the sound of her voice, "You talk first? I talk first? Or do we just sit here?"

"I don't mind just sitting here," Eric mused, and she couldn't help but glare at him. The roguish smirk in his lips was contagious, and the brunette rolled her eyes, allowing an exagerated sigh to leave her lips. A small laugh left Eric's lips, "Fine. Congratulations on second place," he paused, "It... it made me proud."

"Thanks," she nodded, barely able to contain her smile. Then, a memory from weeks before flashed before her eyes, and she found herself giggling, "Remember when you told me I wouldn't last a week?"

"Yes. You didn't look like you had it in you."

"Okay, wow, you can calm down with the honesty. This isn't Candor."

"You didn't  let me finish," he replied, and Lilith gestured at him to continue, "It was the same day I realized that, if there was a transfer that was sure to make it to the end, it would be you."

Her breaths got caught in her throat for a few seconds. The fact that she wasn't an initiate anymore made it so that Eric didn't have to be as careful with the things he said to her. She wasn't in a competition anymore, there wasn't the risk of people thinking she'd gotten to where she was because Eric seemed to like her more than the others. The end of Initiation meant that they could do whatever they wanted, with no one judging them for it. Even if she'd seen Four and Tris kiss in the dining hall shortly after the rankings had been announced, that part of her new reality was only now made obvious. It made her anxious.

She clenched her hands into fists, "And now here we are."

"Here we are," he repeated, and Lilith felt his piercing gaze on the side of her face, "Have you given any thought to what job you're choosing tomorrow?"

She shook her head, eyebrows slightly furrowed, "No. Everyone was talking about it, back at the dorm, but none of the options sounded like something I'd want to do," there was a pause, before she shrugged, "Peter kept going on about how he wants to take the leader-in-training opening, but it wasn't in the list of choices, so I don't even know if that's actually a thing."

"It is," Eric instantly replied, and Lilith immediately looked at him. His eyes were on the cluster of buildings in front of them as he continued, "Our oldest, Jill, passed away the week before the Choosing Ceremony. The other leaders wanted Four to take the job, but he refused, as always," his voice became bitter at the mention of his rival, "So we decided that the position would be open to the new members."

Lilith's mind was filled with questions, but only one left her lips, "Why haven't we heard anything about it, then?"

"There was never an announcement," Eric explained, glancing at her briefly as he finally sat up straight, "Max is going to talk about it tomorrow morning."

"So why are you telling me tonight?"

The leader was silent for a few seconds, and Lilith turned her body so that she was facing him instead of the city. Dauntless was different from the other factions, in the way that they had more than one person representing them. They were supposed to act a single entity, even if they were more than one individual, and Lilith had always seen them behaving as such. However, it wasn't the first time that Eric disclosed information to her without the consent of the rest of the leaders, and she wondered if there was more. 

"You're the best choice for it," he finally admitted. Lilith wanted to smile as soon as those words left his mouth, and the corner of her lips twisted upwards, but Eric didn't notice as he continued, "Max and the others want Peter to get that job. But I couldn't disagree more," their eyes met, dark brown against icy blue, and goosebumps formed in Lilith's arms as he kept talking, "I think it should be you."

Her lips twisted in a smirk, "Careful," she mumbled, "People might think you're playing favorites," a huff left Eric's lips as he rolled his eyes, finally breaking eye contact. Lilith watched him for a few seconds, before she continued, her voice now more serious, "But let's say I'm interested. Tris still gets to pick before me. What if she takes it first?"

"Did she seem interested?"

"She wasn't there, when we were talking about it."

"Then let's hope she doesn't."

It was Lilith's turn to roll her eyes, "If I get the job, what happens after?"

"Well, it's in the name, isn't it?" Eric asked, raising his eyebrows at her, "You're trained for leadership. You're not going to be a full leader right off the bat, because first you need to know how everything works. You're allowed to be in all the meetings and you're given the same information as the rest of us, but it's gonna be a few months before you're considered an actual leader," he touched one of the piercings above his eyebrow with his right index finger, "Usually, a new leader-in-training acts as an assistant to the one that was selected before. Meaning that you'd be doing most of your training with me."

"That doesn't sound too bad," she found herself mumbling.

Eric seemed caught off guard by her response, his eyebrows raising in surprise as he turned to look at her. During the moments in which neither of them moved, Lilith wondered if she was about to get the rejection of a lifetime. Maybe he thought that the the night they'd spent together had been a mistake, and maybe he'd only gotten her a new shirt because it had been a jerk move to destroy hers. Maybe she was just a silly girl who didn't really know her place and who had read the situation completetly wrong. But then Eric was moving closer, and there was a hint of a smile on his lips, and it felt like an invisible force was pushing them together as their lips connected in a kiss.

It felt different than the previous time, mostly because the taste of alcohol wasn't present, but also because their movements were slower, carried with a tenderness that replaced the ferocity present when they'd kissed for the first time. One of Eric's hands rested on her shirt, slightly pressuring the small of her back as he pulled her closer to him, and Lilith's fingers grazed his cheekbone as her other hand was on his leg, as a way for her to support herself. She was pretty sure that Eric could feel her heart beating through her skin when they pulled away, and she sat back, feeling as if she was on fire.

"Listen," she started, "About the other night-"

"You were scared that people would think you had good rankings because of..." Eric paused, not looking like he knew how to describe what exactly they were. Lilith didn't blame him, mostly because she didn't know what to call it either. He licked his lips, "I know. You've made it very clear."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't really matter anymore," he offered her a rare smile, and Lilith couldn't help but mirror his expression. He reached out to his other side, and she watched curiously as he brought forwards a bottle of whiskey. The look in his eyes was hopeful as he held it out to her, "I did bring this, though. In case you felt like celebrating."

She raised an eyebrow, "Because that went well last time."

Eric shrugged, "I thought it did," he smirked when her eyes narrowed into a glare, before looking back at the bottle, "I'm not saying we get drunk to the point where we can't remember anything tomorrow. I don't know about you, but next time, I'd like to remember everything instead of having a vague memory of ripping your shirt off and stubbing my toe against the end of my bed and nearly dropping you."

Lilith's eyes widened as she laughed, "Wait, what?"

"You don't want to know," he joined in, and she was surprised at the wave of affection that took over her as she watch his cheeks become flushed, as he recalled the little he remembered from their night together. She was still looking at him with a grin when he faced her again, offering her the bottle, "Responsible drinking?"

She nodded as she took it, "Responsible drinking."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello, everyone!
Before I forget, I've been noticing that I've been listening to the same songs while writing updates for this book, so I thought I could make a spotify playlist with them. Would you guys be interested in that?
Anyways, Lilith has finally gotten her final ranking and she's now a full member of Dauntless, which is very exciting! Things with Eric are also finally on the right track so that's also great!
We all know what happens right after Initiation though (((((: and before we dive into that, I wanted to let you all know that I will be adding an extra day between this chapter and when shit hits the fan, seeing as I have a few more things that need to happen before everything turns chaotic.
I think that's all I have to say! Really hoping to update next week, you're free to assume the second dose of my covid vaccine wrecked me if I don't lmao
See you next time, and don't forget your feedback!