The remaining Gladers gather near one of the maze entrances, a heavy atmosphere hanging over them like a storm cloud. A boy drags Teresa forward, her face a mix of fear and defiance. Two others hoist Thomas, who lies limp and feigns unconsciousness, tossing him carelessly onto the dirt. The ground feels cold and unforgiving beneath him, just like the reality they face.

Gally stands tall by the wall marked with crossed-out names, his expression hard and unyielding. “This is such a waste,” he mutters, scanning the faces of his fellow Gladers, who wear a blend of uncertainty and fear.

Winston shakes his head, concern etched on his brow. “Gally… it doesn’t feel right, man,” he says, his voice low, almost pleading.

Jeff, glancing between Gally and the still form of Thomas, adds, “Yeah, what if Thomas is right? What if he can lead us home?”

Gally’s anger flares. “We are home,” he snaps, pointing a finger at the wall as if it can somehow solidify his claim. “I don’t wanna cross any more names off that wall.” His voice wavers slightly, revealing the fear that lurks beneath his bravado.

“You really think banishing us is gonna solve anything?” Teresa challenges, her tone defiant yet laced with desperation.

“No,” Gally replies, his voice steeling. “But this isn’t a banishing. It’s an offering.” He gestures toward the boys, who shove Teresa against a pole, tying her arms with rough precision.

“What? Wait! Gally, what are you doing?” Teresa’s voice rises in disbelief, panic creeping in as she struggles against her bonds.

Gally’s gaze hardens, his expression fierce. “You really think I’m gonna let Thomas back into the maze after what he’s done? Look around you! Look at our Glade! This is the only way.” He turns to the rest of the Gladers, his desperation turning to anger. “When the Grievers get what they came for… everything goes back to the way it was.”

“He's right.” Katherine steps forward, her heart pounding in her chest, fueled by a mix of fear and determination. Gally’s surprise is palpable, his eyes widening as if he didn’t expect her to stand by him. She can also see a twig on the side of his mouth. “This is the only way,” she asserts, her voice steady despite the dread swirling inside her.

"Are you listening to this? Why are you all just standing there? He’s crazy!" Teresa yells, her frustration evident.

"You shut up!" Katherine snaps back, a fierce glint in her eyes as she turns to Gally with a smile. “We can’t leave the Glade.”

“If you stay here, the Grievers will come back,” Teresa warns, desperation rising in her voice. “They’ll keep coming back… until you’re all dead!”

“Shut up! Tie him up!” Gally’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, directing the boys who brought Thomas.

“Yeah. Tie him up…” Katherine echoes, her demeanor shifting in an instant. With a swift nod to her gang, she launches herself at Gally, landing a punch square on his nose. He stumbles back, shock and anger flaring in his eyes. “…or not.”

In the chaos, Thomas seizes the moment, elbowing one of the boys in the stomach before snatching a spear and knocking the other out cold. Newt, protective as ever, uses the handle of his machete to take down another boy while Teresa kicks the one who had bound her, determination flashing in her eyes.

Frypan swiftly cuts Teresa free, handing her a weapon with a firm nod, and she gives him a grateful glance, her heart racing from adrenaline. Gally, now wiping blood from his nose, glares at Katherine, fury and confusion warring in his expression.

But before Gally can retaliate, Minho steps forward, blade drawn, pressing it against Gally’s neck. His stance is unwavering, and without breaking eye contact, he moves to join the group at the entrance, ready to leave the Glade.

“Has anyone told you that you’re an asshole, Gally?” Katherine taunts, her smirk wide as satisfaction blooms in her chest.

“This is my bloody brother. You mess with him, you mess with me,” she adds fiercely, pointing at Thomas, the bond between them unshakeable. They are twins, linked by shared memories and unbreakable loyalty.

Chuck is the last to join the group, hauling a backpack filled with supplies, determination etched into his young features.

Gally surveys the scene, his eyes locking onto Thomas. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” he sneers, but there’s a flicker of uncertainty in his gaze.

“You don’t have to come with us, but we’re leaving,” Thomas declares, his voice steady despite the turmoil around them. “Anyone who wants to join us has one last chance.”

“Don’t listen to him! He’s just trying to scare you!” Gally fires back, anger seeping into his words.

“No, I’m not trying to scare you. You’re already scared. I’m scared,” Thomas states, a hint of vulnerability breaking through. He looks at Katherine, sharing a silent understanding that runs deeper than words. “But I’d rather risk my life out there than spend the rest of it here. We don’t belong here. This place isn’t our home. We were put here. We were trapped here. At least out there, we have a choice. We can make it out of here. I know that.”

A few Gladers, including Jeff and Aidan, step forward to join them. “I’m sorry,” Aidan murmurs, a mix of resolve and regret crossing his features.

“Gally, it’s over. Just come with us,” Katherine urges, her gaze locked on Gally, trying to convey sincerity through the chaos.

Gally stares at her, surprise flickering in his eyes. He can’t tell if she’s trying to trick him again, but the determination in her gaze gives him pause.

“Good luck against the Grievers,” he finally replies, a hint of resignation creeping into his voice as he steps back.

The atmosphere shifts, thick with unspoken emotions. Katherine glances around at the Gladers, their faces a mix of fear and resolve. She meets Thomas’s gaze, his determination fueling her own as they prepare to leave.

They exchange one last look with the Gladers who have chosen to stay behind. A tall boy steps forward, defiance etched in his features, a silent plea for hope. The remaining Gladers stand strong, but uncertainty lingers in their eyes.

Katherine feels her heart constrict as she turns to face the exit. Each step toward the maze feels like a farewell, a weight pressing down on her chest. She glances back at the Gladers, their bravery shining even in their pain.

With a deep breath, she moves forward, knowing that while the maze may test them, the bonds forged in the Glade will guide them through the darkness ahead.

“Everybody, this way!” Thomas shouts, his voice echoing in the dim corridors of the maze as he leads the group forward.

Katherine glances at Newt, who jogs alongside her. Her heart sinks as she notices the strain in his expression, the way he tries to hide the limp that’s creeping back into his gait. It gnaws at her, the worry curling in her stomach like a tight coil. She catches his eye, and he flashes her a cheeky smile, a momentary spark of light amidst the chaos. Her heart warms despite the danger they face, a reminder of the bond they share.

“Keep it up, guys, we’re almost there!” Thomas encourages, determination etched across his features as they race past section 5. Each step feels like a countdown to survival.

They reach section 7, and Thomas halts, pressing his back against the wall, motioning for everyone to do the same. The urgency in his eyes sharpens.

“Is it a Griever?” Chuck’s voice trembles with a mix of fear and curiosity.

“Yeah.” Thomas nods, the gravity of their situation weighing heavy in the air.

“Shit,” Katherine mutters, her grip tightening around the machete in her hand.

“Take this, Chuck.” Minho hands the device to the small boy, his brow furrowed in concern. “Stay behind us.”

Teresa ties her hair back, shooting Chuck a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. Just stick with me.”

“Once we’re through, it’ll activate, and the door will open. We stay close, we stick together… we get through this. We get out now… or we die trying,” Thomas lays it out with a steely resolve, turning to face the group. “Ready?”

Katherine takes a deep breath, channeling her fear into determination as she readies her machete. Around her, the others do the same, a unified front.

“All right!” Thomas raises his spear high, his voice rising like a battle cry. “Let’s go!”

They charge into the tunnel, adrenaline surging as the Griever at the far end screeches, its grotesque form poised for attack.

With Thomas leading the charge, they collide with the creature, their weapons striking with a cacophony of steel against flesh. The Griever is thrown back, but its fury is far from quelled.

“Get up, look out!”

“Push it!”

“Look out!”

The creature’s tail lashes out, sweeping dangerously close as the group ducks to avoid its wrath. But in the chaos, one boy stumbles—too late to evade the Griever’s brutal swing. He’s sent crashing against the wall, and Katherine’s heart lurches at the sound of impact.

Teresa plunges her knife into the Griever’s leg, but in the frantic struggle, she accidentally knocks the device from Chuck’s grip, sending it skidding dangerously close to the edge.

“The key!” Chuck cries, his eyes wide with panic.

“Chuck! Watch the edge!” Teresa yells as Chuck leaps forward, fingers grasping for the cylinder, heart pounding.

“I got you, Chuck!” Katherine screams, adrenaline coursing through her as she and Teresa pull him back from the brink. But her relief is short-lived when she sees more Grievers crawling their way, the air thick with dread. “Damn!”

“Thomas! Thomas!”

“Chuck?” Thomas turns back, his face taut with urgency as he wrestles the first Griever off the edge.

“We’ve got more coming!” Katherine warns, urgency spilling from her lips as she, Teresa, and Chuck sprint back to him.

“Keep it steady, guys!” Thomas barks, rallying the group. “Ready your weapons! We hold them off!”

Katherine digs her heels in, heart racing, while Teresa and Chuck work the device to open the concrete walls. Katherine stays back, lending strength to the boys pushing against the Griever, determination etched into her features. “It works!”

“Teresa, go!” Thomas commands, the situation escalating.

“Don’t back down! Keep pushing!” Katherine joins in, adrenaline surging as she fights back against the creature’s relentless assault.

“Stay together!” Newt shouts, his voice steadying the fray, eyes fixed on Katherine, grounding her even amidst the chaos.

“It won’t open! Thomas! There’s a code! Eight numbers!” Teresa cries, her voice cutting through the panic.

“Eight sections of the maze,” Thomas mutters, urgency igniting in his eyes as he turns to Minho. “Hey, what’s the sequence?”

“What?” Minho barely registers, Katherine’s blade slashing at the Griever’s leg, the creature snarling in retaliation.

“The sections of the maze, what’s the sequence?!”

“Seven! One! Five! Two! Six! Four!” Minho yells, the urgency of his words electrifying the air.

“Heads up!” Newt warns as another Griever drops from above, crashing down on Minho.

“Minho!” Katherine screams, a surge of panic flooding her.

Minho struggles beneath the creature, hands clawing at its slick, armored body, desperate to keep its deadly blades at bay. “Get off of me!”

Jeff runs forward, his battle cry piercing through the chaos as he plunges his spear into the Griever’s head, a moment of fierce bravery.

The Griever recoils, freeing Minho, who scrambles back, eyes darting, adrenaline coursing.

“Jeff!” Winston shouts, horror seeping into his voice as he watches his friend get dragged backward by another Griever.

“What’s the sequence? Come on!” Katherine implores, her heart racing as she meets Minho’s shocked gaze.

“Six! Four! Eight! Three! You got it?” Minho finally snaps back to reality, urgency surging through him.

“Keep holding!” Thomas orders as a green light blares through the tunnel, the concrete doors sliding shut, crashing down and crushing the Grievers in their path.

Darkness envelops them as the echoes of battle fade.

Then, with a loud clank, Teresa pushes the door open, light spilling into the tunnel, blinding and bright.

Newt grabs Katherine’s hand, their fingers intertwining as they step into the light together. In this moment, if everything weren’t so dire, she might have found it romantic. But the fear and adrenaline racing through her overshadow any semblance of comfort.

They step into a long hallway lined with pipes, the air thick with anticipation.

A clicking sound reverberates, and the lights flicker to life, one by one illuminating the path ahead.

They move forward the hallway until they reach a metal door at the end. An EXIT sign hangs on the top of it in between two shining green bulbs.

“Seriously?” Frypan mutters, his eyes glued to the glowing icon.

Thomas approaches the door, hand shaking slightly as he grasps the handle and shoves it open, revealing the ominous unknown.

On the other side lies another narrow hallway, littered with the bodies of guards sprawled lifelessly, blood pooling around them, a haunting testament to the chaos outside.

“What happened here?” Katherine breathes, horror creeping into her voice as she passes a body clenching a gun. Minho gently nudges the lifeless man aside, a grim expression crossing his face.

They tread carefully into a large room filled with monitors displaying the Glade from every angle, and Katherine’s heart sinks.

“So they were watching us,” Newt murmurs, releasing Katherine’s hand briefly to examine a screen, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. “This whole time.”

Memories flood Katherine’s mind, remnants of her days with Thomas and Teresa in the glade. She can’t shake the feeling of betrayal.

Thomas removes his runner backpack, walking over to a glass screen, pulling Katherine’s gaze with him. They share a look, a fleeting moment of connection, before peering through the glass at Teresa standing on the other side, staring back, her expression filled with uncertainty.

“Bloody hell,” Katherine breathes, a chill running down her spine as Thomas touches a blinking fingerprint scanner, glancing at his sister. She leans in, pressing her finger to the scanner. It glows green before flashing red, denying them entry.

Katherine sighs, her fingers trembling as she places her hand on the scanner this time. The enormous screen in the middle of the room flickers to life, revealing a blonde woman in her early forties—a vision of authority and dread.

“Hello. My name is Doctor Ava Paige. I'm Director of Operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department. If you're watching this, that means you have successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you… But circumstances seem to have prevented it.” Her voice is calm, almost dispassionate, but Katherine can feel the weight of the words hanging in the air, thick and suffocating. “I’m sure by now, you must all be very confused… angry… frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you… everything we've done to you… it was all done for a reason.”

The screen flashes to grim footage of a blazing sun, scorching the earth. “The Sun has scorched our world. Billions of lives lost to fire… famine… suffering on a global scale. The fallout was unimaginable. What came after was worse. We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain.”

Katherine's heart races as she watches images of infected people writhing in agony. It’s worse than any Griever sting she could imagine.

“It is violent… unpredictable… incurable. Or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy.” The screen shifts to show more harrowing footage of those infected, battling the ravages of the virus. Katherine feels bile rise in her throat.

“The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed… inside harsh environments… where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand… what makes them different… what makes you different. You may not realize it… but you're very important. Unfortunately, your trials have only just begun.”

As the chaos in the background unfolds, people scream and rush around. Katherine’s gaze darts nervously, fear tightening in her chest. Suddenly, men in dark clothing storm into the room, gunfire erupting, and Katherine gasps, her pulse quickening.

Doctor Paige’s voice cuts through the commotion, growing more frantic. “As you will no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us… for me… but not for you. The outside world awaits. Remember… Wicked is good.” The screen goes black as a gunshot rings out.

Everyone turns away, the gravity of the moment crashing over them like a wave.

Katherine glances at her brother, Thomas, who moves toward the monitors with a vacant expression, eyes catching the body of the woman who just ended her life. The weight of their reality sinks in.

The door slides open with a deafening alarm, a siren calling them into the unknown.

“Is it over?” Chuck asks, his voice trembling, eyes wide with fear.

“Don’t worry, we’re free now,” Katherine reassures him, though doubt lingers in the back of her mind.

“No.” A voice booms from behind, and they turn to see Gally, gun in hand, eyes wild and filled with terror.

“Gally?”

“Don’t. He’s been stung,” Teresa whispers urgently, her gaze darting between them.

Gally’s voice shakes, “We can't leave.” His hands tremble on the gun, his glossy eyes brimming with tears.

“Gally, listen to me,” Thomas pleads, stepping forward, palms open in a gesture of peace. “You’re not thinking straight. We can help you. Just put down the gun.”

“I belong to the maze,” Gally shudders, his voice breaking.

“Just put down the gun,” Thomas insists, desperation lacing his tone.

“We all do,” Gally replies, the despair in his voice resonating deep within Katherine.

Without warning, Katherine’s heart races as she makes a decision. With a surge of adrenaline, she throws the spear straight into Gally’s chest. The air thickens with the sound of gunfire, and Gally collapses, but it’s too late.

“Thomas…” Chuck gasps, staggering back as blood blossoms from his wound, staining the ground.

“Chuck!” Thomas cries out, rushing to his side, panic enveloping him. “Look at me! Look at me! I got you, buddy. Just hang on!”

Katherine’s breath catches in her throat as she watches the horror unfold, feeling utterly helpless.

"This is my fault." Katherine covers her mouth, tears strolling down her cheeks. The only thing that is shouting in her head is that she's late. She turns around, to be embraced by Newt's arms which she gladly accepts. "I should've been fast." 

"It's okay, Kat." Chuck assures the sobbing girl in Newt's arms and hands a small wooden ornament to Thomas. 

“No, Chuck. You’re gonna give it to them yourself. Remember, I told you that.”  

“Thank you,” Chuck wheezes, reaching for Thomas, who grips the small wooden ornament Chuck hands him.

“Take it,” Chuck insists, his voice growing weaker. “Thank you. Thank you.”

“No, Chuck, you’re gonna get—” Thomas’s voice breaks as Chuck goes still.

“Chuck! Chuck? Hey!” Thomas shakes him, desperation clawing at his insides.

“Hey, Chuck, come on!” Katherine’s heart shatters as she watches Thomas’s anguish. “Damn it, wake up!”

A new wave of grief grips her, and she feels Newt’s grip tighten around her.

“Come on, wake up!” Thomas cries, his voice raw with emotion, a brother’s plea for life itself. “We made it. Come on. I’m sorry!”

Figures in black rush down the tunnel, dragging them away as Thomas’s screams echo in Katherine’s ears.

“Thomas,” she whispers, her heart aching for her brother and his grief as they are pulled into the light, leaving poor Chuck alone. Every time she hears Thomas's screams for Chuck, she cringes. 

Reality blurs as they are thrust into the sun, sand underfoot, and a helicopter looms above them. Katherine fights against the panic surging within her as they rush toward safety.

Thomas scrambles into the helicopter beside her, a whirlwind of emotions crashing within him. A man across from them pulls off his mask, his voice steady. “You guys all right?”

No one answers, too consumed by their shock. “Don’t worry. You’re safe now.”

The helicopter lifts off, granting them a chilling view of the maze below, its twisted structure a haunting reminder of what they’ve endured.

“Relax, kid,” the man says, but his words fall flat against the weight of their memories. “Everything is gonna change.”

Katherine’s heart swells with a mix of relief and sadness as she gazes out at the maze, the memories flooding back—her brother’s laughter, the moments of hope, the unbearable losses.

Thomas leans against her shoulder, eyes fluttering shut, exhaustion etched into his features. She gently caresses his face, brushing away the remnants of their shared pain before placing a soft kiss on his head.

As her gaze shifts, she finds Newt’s hand interlocking with hers, a silent promise of support. Their fingers entwine, bringing a flicker of warmth amid the overwhelming emotions, and she allows a small smile to break through her grief, filling herself with newfound hope for the uncertain future ahead.

END OF PART 1