Katherine jolts awake, her heart pounding as she feels a presence looming over her. She blinks, struggling to adjust to the dimness of the early morning, when a hand claps over her mouth, silencing her startled gasp.

"Shh, Greenbean. Don't wanna wake Newt, now, do we?"

It's Alby, and the surprise quickly melts into curiosity. She nods, Alby lifting his hand away, a sly grin on his face.

"I'll be outside in five minutes with Thomas. Change into your clothes." His voice is low, almost conspiratorial. "Gotta show ya somethin' before the wake-up."

With that, any remnants of sleep dissipate. "Okay," she replies, already feeling a surge of adrenaline course through her.

Alby slips out of the room, leaving her alone. Well, not entirely alone-Newt still sleeps soundly on the other side of the bed, his back turned to her. She catches a glimpse of something etched into the back of his neck, but it's too dark to make out the details. She adds it to the list of things to ask him later, alongside her growing concerns about her recurring dreams.

Memories flood her mind: Newt's comforting presence after her nightmares, the way he'd listened, genuinely worried. It's shocking how much he cares about her-a stranger-after just a day together. Maybe he's just one of those kinds of people.

Katherine hurriedly changes into her clothes, slipping into her shoes with painstaking care not to disturb Newt. He deserves more sleep, especially after she kept him up with her nightmares.

She steps outside, greeted by the crisp morning air. Thomas and Alby are engaged in quiet conversation, their figures outlined against the dawn.

"Where are we going?" she asks, her voice a mix of excitement and confusion.

Both heads turn toward her. For a moment, her gaze locks onto Thomas's eyes, a spark of familiarity igniting something deep within her. This is her brother-her twin. But now isn't the time to explore that thought.

"Follow me," Alby commands, breaking the moment. They step onto the hard gray stone of the courtyard floor, heading toward the western wall.

"It's peaceful, isn't it?" Alby comments, glancing back at them.

Katherine and Thomas both nod in agreement, falling into a silence that feels heavy yet comfortable.

"How's everything going, Katherine?" Alby breaks the quiet.

"Not bad," she shrugs, but her brow furrows. "But I don't want a bodyguard."

Alby raises an eyebrow, curiosity mixed with concern. "Is he bothering you? Newt?"

"No. No. It's not that," she insists. "Newt's very nice. But I don't want a babysitter."

"It's my duty to keep all the Gladers safe, and you're one of them now. These boys haven't seen a girl for years. Anything could go wrong."

"So Newt's going to follow me around for the rest of my life?" she shoots back, a hint of frustration in her voice.

"When I feel that you're ready enough to stand on your own, I'll promise your freedom," Alby assures her, his voice steady and firm. "Until then, try to blend in with him around. It's for your own safety."

As they leave the courtyard, they arrive at the lawn area. The light is still dim but brightening with each passing moment.

"I know it's hard to believe, but it wasn't always this way. We had dark days. We lost a lot of boys to fear and panic. We've come far since then. Established order... made peace," Alby explains as they stop by the massive wall towering above them.

"Yeah. Why are you telling us this?" Thomas asks, his voice hesitant but curious.

"Because you're not like the others. Both of you," Alby smiles, turning to Thomas. "You're curious."

He shifts his gaze to Katherine. "And you-no girl has come before. There must be a reason for your arrival."

"And you both are now a part of this family. You need to know what that means." He gestures toward the wall behind them, where names are scratched into the stone.

Katherine's stomach twists at the sight of the crossed-out names. "What happened to them?" she whispers, her heart racing.

"Like I said... dark days, Thomas." Alby hands Thomas a dagger, motioning for him to add his name to the wall.

Hours pass, and the doors rumble open, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Katherine sits at a worn, tilted picnic table outside the Homestead. Newt sits a little distance away, still in her line of sight.

Her mind drifts back to the maze and the impossibility of their situation. How can walls so massive confine them? Why are they here? Nothing about this place makes sense, and she can't shake the feeling of dread creeping back into her chest.

A tap on her shoulder jolts her from her thoughts. She looks up to find Thomas standing behind her, a plate of food in hand.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Katherine nods, feeling the weight of unspoken thoughts between them. "It's good that you showed up. There's something I need to talk about. It's about a strange dream I had."

Thomas's brow furrows as he takes a seat beside her. "I had dreams too."

"Your turn first," she urges, hoping he'll divulge something that might make sense of her fragmented memories.

"No, you go first."

"Fine." She rolls her eyes, gathering her thoughts. "I think we're related. We're-"

"-Twins," he finishes, and her heart skips a beat.

In that moment, the world narrows down to the two of them, the chaos of the Glade fading into the background. They begin to share their strange dreams, piecing together fragments of memories that mirror each other.

"So they're real? The flashbacks?" Katherine asks, disbelief lacing her words.

"I don't know," Thomas shrugs, a frown crossing his face. "But I feel this strange pull toward you, like some kind of connection."

She nods, a sense of comfort washing over her. "I know. Everything is weird in this place."

"It is. Let's switch gears for a second. So, we both had the guts to hit on the same girl. Wait, does that mean you're...?" He trails off, his curiosity piqued.

"Gay? Not completely. I feel attracted to boys too," she admits of the confirmation with her reaction to Newt last night. "Bisexual would work, I guess."

"That's cool."

Stealing a fry from his plate and shoving it in her mouth, she grins. "Okay, let's jump from my sexuality to how you bolted when we first landed here, leaving me with the boys. Gotta say that's real brotherly of you."

"Hey! I panicked and didn't know I had a sister!" he defends, a playful grin breaking through.

"Whatever you say, big guy," she teases, nudging him playfully. Laughter bubbles between them, brightening her spirits. It's a sound she thought she'd never hear again. But their twin bond seems to be working very well. It makes her enthusiasm grow high and not notice Newt's eyes on her.

After breakfast, they're assigned to work in the gardens with track-hoes. Katherine waters the plants while Thomas converses with Newt, who's arranging the pumpkin vines.

"Has anyone tried climbing to the top?" Thomas asks, eyes bright with curiosity.

"Tried it. The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top," Newt replies, glancing at him. "Besides, where are you gonna go from there?"

"What about the Box? Next time it comes up..." Thomas begins, but Newt cuts him off.

"No, we tried that. The Box won't go back down with someone in it."

"Okay, what if we..." Thomas suggests again, only to be interrupted once more.

"No, we tried it, all right? Twice. Anything you think of, we've already tried. The only way out of here is through the maze. Now, you wanna be helpful?" Newt's tone is firm, and he throws a fertilizer bucket at Thomas, who catches it, bewildered. "Here. Go dig us up some more fertilizer."

"Are you sure, guys? I can't help in any other way?" Thomas asks, confusion etched on his face.

Newt nods, his expression resolute.

Thomas grumbles but finally trudges off toward the deadheads to collect fertilizer.

"Are you guys going to live like this forever? I'll go insane if I do," Katherine comments with discomfort, her annoyance simmering, fueling the throbbing headache at her temples.

"Old life's over, new life's begun. A few weeks, you'll be happy, shank. You'll be happy and helpin'," Newt assures her.

"Oh yeah? Just like that? I don't think so." With a huff, Katherine drops her water bucket and strides away. She finds a solitary tree at the fringes, collapses in the dirt, and leans against the rough trunk, finally alone.

Her eyes scan the surroundings. The gardens teem with corn, tomatoes, and fruit trees for the Galders. Across the courtyard, wooden pens house sheep, pigs, and cows. A large grove of trees looms in the final corner, the nearest ones gnarled and dying. The sky is cloudless and blue, yet the sun's presence feels absent. Katherine inhales deeply, trying to steady herself, but the smells hit her like a wave: fresh dirt, manure, pine, something rotten, something sweet. She recognizes them as the scents of a farm.

But her thoughts drift back to the conversation by the bonfire-Newt, Thomas, and her. She won't stay here forever. They need to talk about sneaking into the maze soon.

A throat clears nearby, pulling her from her reverie. She turns to see a kid standing there, short and pudgy, staring wide-eyed at her. He looks about twelve or thirteen, with brown curly hair that spills over his ears and shoulders. His brown eyes shine through an otherwise pitiful face, flabby and flushed.

"Katherine, right?" His voice carries the high pitch of childhood, innocent yet strangely familiar.

"Yeah. And you are?"

"Chuck. I was the Greenbean until you and Thomas showed up."

A flash of warmth sweeps through her at the mention of her brother. "Good to meet you, Chuck."

Chuck flops down beside her with a heavy sigh. "Well, Greenie, how's the day?"

"For the beginning, I hate this place."

"You'll learn a lot in the next couple of days. Start getting used to things. Good that?"

"Um, yeah, good that, I guess. Where'd all these weird words and phrases come from, anyway?" They seem like a strange mix of languages.

Chuck shrugs. "I don't know-I've only been here a month, remember?"

She studies him, realizing he's just as much a part of this strange world as she is, a book with missing pages that makes no sense.

"Chuck, how... old do you think I am?" she asks, her curiosity overriding her fading headache.

He scans her up and down. "I'd say you're sixteen. And in case you were wondering, five foot five... brown hair. Your eyes look so similar to Thomas's. You two might be twins."

He laughs at that, but it strikes a chord deep within her. Sixteen? The realization feels surreal.

"Are you serious?" She pauses, searching for the right words. "How...?"

"Hey, look, it's the hot Greenbean!"

Katherine's stomach drops as she turns to see Gally and his gang, smirking from a few feet away.

"My name's Katherine." She rolls her eyes, unwilling to play their game.

"Don't you have any work to do, Greenie? Follow the rules." Gally reminds her, his tone dripping with condescension.

A surge of heat ignites in her veins. "What's your problem?"

"Look, she's got fire," he snickers, and his gang bursts into laughter.

Just then, Newt strides over, his expression flat. "Gally, slim it."

"Oh please. I'm trying to show her place, Newt." Gally sneers, turning back to Katherine.

"Trying to show me my place? You can try if you want to have a broken nose and crawl back to where you came with your gang." Her voice is steadier than she feels, surprising even herself.

Gally takes a step forward, laughing. "You want to challenge me?"

"If you want me to."

"Are you serious?" Chuck interjects, concern etched on his face. But Katherine meets Gally's gaze with determination, nodding.

"I don't fight with girls. They're too fragile," Gally retorts, earning more laughs from his gang.

"Or are you afraid to get beat up by a girl? I mean, you're right. I don't think it's good for your reputation to end up losing to a girl." She pauses, the words surprising her. "Shank." The sarcasm drips from her tongue, knowing she's crossed a line.

Laughter ripples through the group, even Newt breaks into a smirk before quickly reining it in.

Gally's face flushes with anger. He glares at her, hatred etched into every feature. "I bet your next meal from Frypan that you won't make it."

Katherine keeps her gaze steady, a storm of panic swirling inside her. Will things ever stop getting worse? But something within her whispers that she can fight him-she feels it deep in her bones. Why does she feel that so strongly?

"What? A little scared now?" Gally sneers, stepping closer.

Without thinking, she lunges forward. "I'm not. But you're going to be!"

The others watch in disbelief, even Chuck looks taken aback as he scrambles to his feet.

Katherine stands tall, even as Gally inches closer, sizing her up. She ignores him, focusing instead on the towering Wall that looms beyond them.

Suddenly, Gally throws a punch, hitting her in the stomach. Pain flares briefly, but she shakes it off. Gritting her teeth, she lifts her gaze, standing toe-to-toe with him. Gally winds up for another hit... but she catches his fist mid-swing, gripping it tightly. Silence falls over the crowd.

"How 'bout that...?" she taunts, surprised at her own strength.

Gally retaliates, hitting her shoulder, then kicking her in the stomach again, knocking her to the ground. She quickly rolls back up, blocking his next kick and grabbing him by the shirt. With a swift movement, she kicks his leg, sending him crashing down.

"You want me to follow rules? I make my own rules, and when necessary, I break them." She lunges at him, grabbing his face and delivering a punch that lands squarely on his nose, just as she promised.

"Don't test me again. Ever." She jabs her finger into his chest, her glare fierce.

Katherine rises, the urge to kick him again flickering through her, but she holds back. She's proven her strength, enough to keep Gally and his gang at bay. The thought makes her smirk.

As Gally retreats into the Homestead, his followers trailing behind, Katherine feels a strange mix of triumph and disdain. She never thought she could hate someone so intensely, but Gally brings it out in her, and she relishes it.

Turning back, she finds Newt watching her, an amused glint in his eyes.

"Sorry-I know I did something bad." She feels embarrassment creeping in, her cheeks heating.

To her surprise, Newt chuckles, shaking his head. "Don't be sorry. The... shank deserved it. That was awesome."

Katherine's heart lifts. "I don't even know what a shank is, but you're right. I feel damn good."

Just then, a piercing scream for help cuts through the air, freezing her in place. It's Thomas.