We staggered back into the glade with Alby between us, just as the doors groaned open for morning. My whole body screamed in protest, but we kept moving, step after step until we rounded the last corner.

"Yeah! Yes!" chucks voice cracked as he spotted us. A moment later, the others came rushing back over.

We collapsed just inside the walls, alby slipping from our shoulders to the ground. The three of us dropped with him, gasping, every ounce of strength drained.

"Clint! Jeff! Take Alby" I managed to choke out. The med-jacks were already moving, kneeling beside him.

"You saw a griever?" Chucks wide eyes darted between Thomas and I.

"Yeah, I saw it" Thomas said, still catching his breath.

"They didn't just see it. They killed it" Minhos voice cut through the silence.

Every head snapped toward us. Dozens of eyes boring into me. I exhaled slowly, forcing my face blank, though when i glanced at Thomas, he was already looking at me.

"Things are changing. Theres no denying that. First, Ben gets stung in broad daylight. And Alby. Now our greenie here has taken it upon himself to go into the maze." Gally announced, stepping forward with the other keepers at his back, self-righteous certainty.

"Which is a clear violation of our rules here"
He added, jabbing a finger at Thomas.

"Yeah. But he saved albys life" fry argued

"Did he? For three years we have coexisted with these things. And now, Reyna and the greenie killed one of them. Not to mention- Reyna was sent up exactly a year ago. Who knows what that could mean for us." Gally sneered

My nails dug into my palms. I wanted to snap back, but I clenched my jaw, waiting.

"What do you suggest we do?" Newt asked evenly

"He has to be punished." Gallys words sparked the crowd, voices rising in agreement and disagreement.

"Minho. You were with them. What do you think?" Newt said, turning to Minho.

Minho hesitated, then spoke.
"I think in all the time we've been here, no one has ever killed a griever before. And when I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank stayed with Reyna to help Alby. Look- I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is we need more of it. I say we make him a runner" Minho said

The crowd erupted. My head whipped toward Minho, already reeling, when he added.

"And I vote Reyna takes my place as keeper of the runners" Minho says

My head snapped up.
"Minho, what?" I say

"Let's not jump the gun here." Fry said, but his voice a was drowned out by the chaos of the people shouting over each other. Chuck even tried to start a chant, though it died quickly.

"If you want to throw the greenie and Reyna a parade, fine. Go ahead. But if there is one thing I know about the maze it's-" gally spat, stepping forward again.

Something in me broke.

"And what do you know about the maze, gally?" My voice cut clean through the noise. The glade fell silent. All eyes turned on me.

"What?" He blinked

"You heard me. What do you know? Since you've obviously been running everyday, searching for a way out." I took a step closer, heat boiling in my chest.
"Please. Enlighten us, gally. What do you know about the maze?" I ask

Silence.

"Exactly. You know nothing. So keep your nose out of things you don't understand" my tone was sharp, final. I turned away-

- and the box alarm wailed.

Newt and gally opened the doors, and newt climbed down into the box. My stomach twisted as his voice echoed up.

"It's a girl. I think she's dead" newt said

A murmur swept the glade.

"What's in her hand?" Gally asked

Newt pulled it free, squinting at the note.
"Shes the last one, ever. What the hell does that mean?" He said

The girl gasped suddenly, eyes shooting open.

"Thomas! R-Reyna-" her voice cracked before she collapsed unconscious again.

My breath caught. My name. She'd said my name.

"Do you still think I'm overreacting?" Gally sneered

I walked with newt toward the med-jack hut, my mind spinning. The girl. The dream. Thomas. Why the hell was I even thinking about him?

Inside, Alby lay pale, breathing shallow. Jeff hovered over the girl, frustration echoed his face.

"Jeff, what's going on?Why won't she wake up?" Newt asked quickly

"Hey man, I got my job the same way you did." Jeff muttered not looking up.

I hung back, eyes fixed on her. Something about her felt....familiar. A memory I couldn't reach. But I'd never seen her in a dream. Never heard her voice.

"Do you recognize her?" Newt asked Thomas

"No" Thomas replied

"Really? Because she seemed to recognized you" newt pressed

"What about the note?" Thomas asked

"We'll worry about the note later" newt said

"I think you should worry about it now." Thomas countered

"We've got enough to deal with at the moment." Newt muttered

"He's right, newt. If the box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we can last?" Jeff added

"No one said that" newt snapped

But my thoughts had already drifted. The dream. The training.

The griever.

The voice echoed in my head again, sharp and insistent.

Without another word, I slipped out, grabbed my runners bag and a machete, and ran into the maze.

I found it crushed between two solid stones walls, still pinned from the night before. My stomach twisted as I crouched closer. Metal plating glinted under shredded skin. Wires tangled with organs that looked far too real. I sliced through one.

Then footsteps.

"Reyna, what the shuck?" Minhos voice called as he and a group rounded the corner.

I stood.
"Obviously here for the same reason you are. So shut up" I say

"That's disgusting" Zart muttered

"There's something in there" Thomas said, stepping closer.

"You mean besides a griever pancake?" Fry asked

"Woah, woah, woah, what are you doing?" Zart blurted as Minho knelt near the body.

"Trying to get it out" Minho grunted, reaching in.

"It's too far. I already tried" I said, voice flat.

The grieved leg twitched. A metallic screech rang out. The boys jumped back, but I didn't flinch. I had seen it before.

"I thought you said it was dead!" Fry shouted

"Was it a reflex?" Zart asked

"You hope" Winston muttered

"You idiots, help me pull the leg" I say

"You want to what?" Fry asked, and one by one, they joined in.

"Okay, on three. One, two, three!" Thomas said. We heaved, the leg wrenching free at last. Everyone stumbled back, but I was already moving, knife in hand.

I cut into what looked like its heart, slicing through flesh into metal clicked against my blade. I pulled it out- a small object marked with the number 7.

"What the hell is that?" Thomas asked

"Whatever it is, can we take this up back at the glade? Because I don't want to meet this guys friend." Fry muttered

"He's right." Minho agreed, grabbing the object as I tossed it to him.
"It's getting late. Let's go" he added

We ran, the maze shadows stretching long behind us.