Chapter 22

Tris wakes up in Four's room. In the bathroom, Four is washing blood off his knuckles. When Tris questions him about her attackers, Four grimly tells her that he deposited Drew at the infirmary, but Al and Peter managed to get away. Tris feels great satisfaction in knowing that Four injured Drew badly. Four offers to report the attack, but Tris rejects his suggestion. She doesn't want her enemies to think that she is afraid of them.

Despite her ordeal, Tris is most grieved at Al's actions. Four consoles her by telling her that Al hurt her because her strength made him feel small. He then gives her a surprising piece of advice: for now, she must present a vulnerable front to her enemies in order to stay safe. Then, when the opportunity presents itself, she will be poised to destroy her adversaries. Tris tells Four that he scares her, and he tells her not to call him Four. When she asks him what she should call him, he lets her know that he isn't ready to tell her.

Chapter 23

Tris spends another night in Four's room. She watches Four as he sleeps and decides that she likes him. Even though he is not particularly tame, his intelligence and courage are awe-inspiring. The next morning, Tris keeps her head down when she enters the dining hall. Uriah, Will, and Christina question her about her injuries, and she tells them about the attack. Everyone is shocked when she mentions that Al was part of the ambush. Drew walks in, and his injuries appear to be substantial. Tris notices Four's satisfied smile when she looks over at him.

After the meal, Four takes the initiates above the Pit's ceiling to a room lit by fluorescent tubes, where the initiates will complete Stage Three. He tells them that this final stage is a simulated fear landscape and is weighted the heaviest of all the training stages. The initiates also learn that they will be aware that they are in a simulation throughout the test. The fear landscape essentially represents the worst fears of every initiate, and everyone must face their fears in front of a panel of Dauntless leaders. Peter questions the fairness of the test, leading Four to chide him for being a coward who fears small girls from Abnegation. Later, when Tris returns to the dormitory with Will and Christina, Al is waiting. He apologizes profusely to Tris, but she rebuffs him. She tells him never to come near her again and promises that she will kill him if he does.

Chapter 24

In the middle of the night, Christina wakes Tris up. They make their way to the Chasm, where Al's dead body is being hoisted up over the ledge. The official word is that Al committed suicide, and Tris is devastated by the news. She seeks out Tori, who tries to comfort her. Together, they make their way to Al's funeral. There, Molly taunts Tris about her father again. Angered by Molly's insults, Tris hits her, but Will puts a stop to the fight. At the funeral, Eric commends Al for his courage, and the crowd chants Al's name. Outraged by Eric's portrayal of suicide as a courageous act, Tris abruptly leaves the funeral. She runs into Four and tells him that Dauntless ruined Al.

Meanwhile, Four warns Tris that she is being watched. He is frustrated that she refuses his help; he desperately wants her to understand that she is in danger. For her part, Tris accuses Four of deliberately trying to sabotage her. Four...