"Eric Coulter was everything Zora Allard would avoid, yet he intrigued her like no one else was capable of."
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eric coulter x oc
divergent
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THE DINING ROOM WAS lit dimly by scentless candles, the aroma of freshly cooked foods and spices lingering in the air. At the small table in the center of the room, Zora sat in comfortable silence with her family as they ate their dinner. Usually, they would chatter about meaningless things and articles they read on the latest politics, but tonight it was quiet. Quieter than it had been in a while, but the small group of four accepted it nonetheless. If Zora knew any better, she would have sparked up a conversation. It seemed as if this would be a last chance.
No body at the table wanted to break the silence, not even Zora's little sister Eloise. But it had to be done one way or another. There were things to discuss before tomorrow came about, though the thought of no bickering at the dinner table would be a dream come true. Between the family at that moment it seemed as if every fault and fight never even existed in the first place, a nice fresh start for an hour or two before another one sparked up.
"Tomorrow is your big day," Zora's mother began, pushing her thick black glasses up on the bridge of her nose. She wore her raven hair up into a bun, letting a few stray pieces frame around her face. In the candle light, the look she was giving Zora looked beautiful.
Zora couldn't exactly respond, so she gave her mother a small tight-lipped smile. The girl didn't need to be reminded, but instead of opening her mouth to reply she kept it sealed. There was a lot to think about, including what decision would be made for the next step of her life. The aptitude tests and results were given out today, while the Choosing Ceremony was tomorrow in the early morning. Choices were to be made, there was no other way out of this.
"A big day, indeed," her father added, raising an eyebrow at his eldest daughter.
"You guys don't have to remind me so many times," Zora forced out a laugh, shaking her head. Her parents were only trying to offer a bit of comfort, she knew that well. But nothing could help the feeling that settled deep in her stomach, the one that told her it wouldn't be alright even if she made it into a faction. Zora could either stay with her loving family for the rest of her life in Erudite, or she could follow her heart and choose differently. Why was it so hard to even think about leaving them? Faction before blood, right?
"It's not like she's going to choose another faction," Eloise reminded everyone, elbowing Zora under the table. Zora kicked Eloise's foot back in response, smiling slyly at her. The younger sister glared at Zora before continuing, "Besides, Zora belongs here with the Erudite anyways."
"Eloise," their mother scolded, "Zora's test results could have told her anything."
It was no lie that Eloise was indeed a curious Erudite child, always wanting to know exactly what was going on. When Zora got home from the aptitude tests, Eloise wasted no time and bombarded her bigger sister with questions about how it went, desperately wanting to know her results. Zora told her a little bit about it, but still kept most of it a secret. Eloise would be going to her own Choosing Ceremony in four years, she could hold on for a little longer.
