Minho was returning to the glade empty handed. He ran through the maze doors as usual, maybe a little later than normal, dragging his feet.

The second he hit the grass, he caught eyes with Newt who was working in the gardens. The sight of Newt's expression falling as he dropped the rake in his hands nearly made Minho break down once again.

Minho came to a stop. Newt stared walking toward him with weary eyes. When they met, Newt scanned over Minho's face, searching desperately for some kind of good news he knew wasn't going to be there.

"Y/N?" Newt squeaked.

"Not coming back." The runner whispered, really now trying to pull himself together.

Newt's eyes started to water and his nose began to turn a little red. "What happened? Is she—"

"She's not dead." Minho tried to take in a deep breath.

Now, half of the glade was surrounding Minho and Newt. Everyone had caught on pretty fast to the sight of only one runner returning.

"There was a way out. I told her to go." He affirmed. "If anyone can get us out from the other side, it's her. I trust her."

Newt furrowed his brows. "Minho, you left her out there alone? We have no clue what's on the other side!" He barked. "Did you even ask if she wanted that?"

Minho shift his weight uncomfortably. "She needed to go. I know—something told me it was the right thing to do."

Alby decided to make his presence known. Minho didn't want to see him right now. "You let her go based on a look in her eyes? Are you stupid?"

"Maybe," Minho chided. "You should be happy, Alby. You never wanted her here anyways."

The keeper of runners didn't want to stick around to hear what anyone else had to say or to be lectured by Alby. So, he left. He ran off to the maproom. At least there, he could be alone.

Just seconds after arriving though, everything in the maproom brought some kind of memory of Y/N back to him. He completely broke down, bones feeling emulsified. Deep inside he wholly believed what he'd done was the right thing but he also felt like he'd just sentenced both of them to complete misery.

He sat there in the maproom for hours, unmoving as the sun slowly fade away. There was hardly any light left in the room and he didn't even care anymore. He couldn't move. All he could think about was Y/N, where she was. Hoping, praying, she was safe somewhere. There were so many memories inside of his head that he forgot existed and they'd all decided to reemerge to make him feel even worse about himself.

"We're all hurting man," Newt had somehow snuck into the maproom, sitting down beside Minho. "But if you say you knew it was the right thing to do, I believe you."

"Thanks," Minho shakily accepted the food Newt had brought to him from the kitchens. He had no appetite right now but knew at some point he'd have to eat. Now wasn't the time to start letting himself deteriorate. He had to keep working to find a way out.

"I also thought you should have this," Newt gingerly handed Minho a folded up piece of paper. "Take a look when you're ready."

With a hand on his friends shoulder, Newt stood and sent a sad smile. Knowing how much he himself was hurting, he could only imagine how Minho was feeling. "Well see her soon, mate. Don't worry yourself sick."

Minho nod and tried to crack a smile. "I'll try not to."

"Good that." Newt shuffled his way through the dark and out of the maproom.

The runner held that piece of paper in between his fingers, afraid of what was inside. Gruffly, he got up despite his sticky feeling limbs and decide it was time to move to the homestead for the night. At least there would be light in there.

Sitting on his rickety bed, Minho set his food down beside him. He was still more curious about this paper. With the shoddy light there was in the room, he bit the inside of his cheek as he went to unfold it.

As his brain registered what was on the page, his breath hitched. First, it was the picture of his younger self Y/N had show up with. Behind it was a drawing of Y/N, one Newt had done. The second in command had more talent than he liked to give himself credit for.

Minho had lost a lot of friends over the nearly three years he'd been here for. He'd endured a lot of things no person should ever have to. But nothing felt like this. Eyes scanning over that picture, Minho had no way of holding himself together. This was the hardest day of his life, as far as he knew. His soul felt like it was shrivelling up inside of him. The sobs racking his body couldn't be held back. All he hoped is that no one could hear him.

For the limited supplies they had here in the glade, Newt had managed to take a moment in time where Y/N looked truly happy and imprint it onto the paper. It was like she was really there. He could hear her laughter.

It was going to hurt. It was never going to stop hurting. But he had to get up off his knees. He had to keep running the maze. He had to find a way out wait until the day Y/N got them out. Either way, he couldn't drop dead and give up until then.