MINHO was the one to wake Siren up that morning. Just by a simple knock on her door, she immediately shot up, as if danger could cross her path any second.

"Hurry up, Bean. Alby and Newt are waiting." Minho said from the other side of the door. "Can I com-."

"No."

"But-."

"You can't come in."

"I wasn't-."

"Yeah, you were, pervert. There's a reason I have a lock on there. Was hoping it got through your mind I wouldn't allow boys in." Siren spoke as she put her run clothes on. Brown-grayish shirt, black pants, brown run vest, hair up.

"Why not?" Minho asked. "You hiding something?"

"Yes, my innocence and maybe a body I'd rather not show hormonal boys like you." She murmured, annoyed this was going on again. Even though Minho was joking, it still reminded her that others existed who weren't joking.

Eventually, she revealed herself. Minho was packed and ready to go. He nodded toward the closed Doors, where for some reason, Alby and Newt stood.

"Why are they there?" Siren wondered as they made their way through the grass, drops of dawn wetting their shoes. "Alby and Newt?"

"You'll hear."

Siren frowned a bit, then followed in silence. Newt looked like he always did. Hair messy, beige shirt, brown pants. Alby, on the other side, wore a run vest and special shoes.

"Are you going running?" Siren joked, though she soon realized he was actually planning to run.

"Yeah. To trace Ben's footsteps."

An unwell feeling hit Siren. Alby was their leader. Not a Runner. She believed he could do it, but still. They couldn't just risk losing him. "Are you sure about this?"

"One hundred percent." He confirmed with a nod. "Newt will take lead today. And god, please make sure that Greenie doesn't do anything stupid, Newt."

He clicked his tongue. "On it."  

"Alright. Let's go!"

They ran in. Siren hadn't been wrong. Alby was a great Runner. He could run long distances and was pretty fast, yet it still wasn't reassuring.

"Talking about that Greenie," Alby said through his breaths as he gave Siren a glance. "Next time, don't push him against a tree and give him death threats or whatever the hell was happening."

"But Ben-."

"We're not going to blame anyone but that Griever for Ben. That Greenie's got enough people saying that things are his fault, and we don't need you to say that too."

Siren scoffed, offended. "So those boys are allowed to say that but I'm not?"

"That's not what I'm saying." A pause in which Alby caught his breath. "I'm saying that we don't want to make that kid a depressed baby. No more 'it's your fault', 'cause he can't do anythin' about it, all right? Imagine if you came up here and got blamed for klunk."

Siren hummed, not convinced but definitely aware they might've been a little harsh on the boy. 
"As long as he acts normal and does normal things, I'll be normal to him too."

Minho lifted a challenging eyebrow. "Your kind of normal or a normal human's kind of normal?"

"I'll see."

Not impressed, Minho nodded and continued running on full speed. He looked down at the ground, following the spats of blood on the floor.

Siren tried to ignore how truly empty she felt knowing Ben would never be there again. That she wasn't his friend didn't mean she didn't care.

"Woah, woah. Wait." Minho suddenly stopped right at a corner. Held out his arms to stop the other two, too. "There's a Griever."

Her breathing got taken away. "What?"

Minho peeked over the edge. "I think it's dead."

Alby tensed beside them and Siren's eyes widened. Neither of the trio ever saw a dead Griever before.

"Let's go." Siren murmured. She slowly stepped closer to the thing, and indeed, it seemed dead.

It's spikes didn't move. Green slime was smudged all around the giant monster. It lay on its side, mouth half open so all the teeth were visible. Eyes closed. The metal legs stuck out of its skin, curved in a way that didn't look normal.

Alby took a step closer. "Do you think it has anything to do with Ben?"

Siren rubbed her chin, shaking her head but not sure. "I don't know." She said quietly as she took a dagger out of her pocket. "I'll check. Get behind the corner."

No other words were needed to be shared. The boys trusted the girl, and she trusted them enough too. They rushed behind the corner, peeking at Siren and the unconscious Griever.

She took a deep breath. Made up a plan. Throw the dagger, make a run for it, then check a few minutes later. Perfect.

One, two, three.

She threw the dagger, the sharp point aiming for the Griever's head. And then "Shit!"

The Griever jumped up from its place and somehow, managed to bounce the dagger right back to Siren with the metal leg. She gasped and right on time, held her arm in front of her face before her throat would be hit.

The dagger slid across her wrist, making a cut that Siren winced at, though soon she picked the knife up. The Griever had gone off its place and threateningly moved closer, and Siren was ready to throw again, when someone pulled her arm.

Alby had jumped forward before Siren could even yell they had to run instead. And not even a second later, there was a scream, followed by metal slamming against the ground.

"Alby!" But Minho was too late. The boy was left on the ground, breathing heavily after the sudden action that happened so fast neither of them really knew what happened.

Until Siren noticed the black hole in Alby's side. "Shit. He's stung."

Not good.

Minho bent down next to their leader. "That poison is working hella fast." A sigh. "Alby, can you walk?"

All the received was a groan.

"We'll help him. Got a few hours left." Siren looked up from her watch. "Come on."

"Wait. You're hurt too." Minho stared at her bleeding arm. A long cut was carved in her skin, red painting half of her arm and her clothes.

She ripped a piece from her shirt and let Minho help her wrap it around the arm tightly. It burned. She winced at the movements, but assured herself it would be fine.

With a groan, Minho helped Alby up. "Come on, man. You got this. Just try to walk."

Alby grunted. His breaths heaved. Fists clenched and then, he had Minho pinned against the wall with his hands wrapped around his neck.

"Alby!" Siren tried pulling him away, but the boy elbowed her away and threw Minho onto the floor. The Asian was so shocked, he didn't know what to do for a second.

Especially not when Alby sat on top of him and was about to throw punch. Minho held up his arms as he yelled for Alby to stop, but he didn't listen. His eyes squinted at Minho, a darkness in them, which showed he wasn't himself anymore.

Siren could see his veins get filled with black liquid and muscles tensing unnaturally. Minho was right; the poison indeed worked fast.

"Get off him!" She grabbed a loose stone off the ground and smash, hit Alby on the head with it.

Everyone froze for a second. Alby fell off Minho, eyes closed now, and a wound on his head. Minho quickly crawled away, giving Siren a thankful nod.

"Let's carry him." They both wrapped one arm around the boy and attempted to walk. But Siren winced at every movement. Her arm got a shot of pain gifted the whole time.

"Switch sides." Minho suggested. They switched sides so Siren would use her other arm to carry Alby.

This worked for about ten minutes, but soon Minho mentioned his arm went numb and Siren kept grumbling about how they didn't match rhythm with taking steps.

"All right." Sighing, Minho motioned for Siren to lay unconscious Alby on his back, but that didn't work, because the leader kept falling off and they also didn't want him to get brain damage from hitting the ground all the time.

"I'll drag him, then." Minho muttered. He took Alby under the shoulders and started dragging. It was slow, but the least they could do. "How's your arm?"

"Better than ever."

A roll of his eyes and they continued making their way to the door. Siren was getting more stressed by the second. They only had an hour left, she wasn't doing anything, and the most important person in the Glade was hurt badly.

"I shouldn't have thrown that knife, am I right?" She kicked a stone away, upset. "Plan was good, outcome not great."

"I'm glad you noticed." Minho readjusted Alby in his arms. "It's not your fault, though. Neither of us could've known that would happen."

She sighed. "But what even happened? It went so fast."

"I don't know." Minho looked down. "I guess he wanted to see the thing. Or thought the Griever killed you or something. I have no idea."

Siren remained silent. Hearing this, that Alby might've attacked the Griever just because he thought she got killed, made her feel different. Determined to save the boy, and get him out of the Maze.

"Shuck, only three minutes left."

Suddenly, it felt like Siren's lungs were exploding and her windpipe got blocked. "Okay, okay. Hurry! We gotta move faster. We're close to the Doors, Minho. We can make it."

The boy handled fast. They took Alby in their arms and started jogging as fast as they could. Siren could count how many corners they had left. She knew how many feet. What the walls were like close to the exit. She could be placed somewhere in the Maze and would find a way back unbelievably fast.

More loose stones lay on the ground. Both the Runners knew that meant they were closer to the Doors. One minute left, one corner left.

"Ah, we got a crowd." Minho and Siren said in unison, once the forty boys appeared in front of them. They were shouting from the Doors. Yelling that they could do it and had to leave Alby behind.

Never in their lives.

"Come on, y'all got this!"

Everyone screamed. Chuck had big eyes from fear. The Greenie was frowning and watching. Everyone was watching.

And when they saw Newt there, with glossy eyes and a deep frown, mouthing 'Alby' as he stared at the one who had been his best friend for years, Siren and Minho knew they would get Alby out of the Maze alive, somehow. They had to.

"Come on!"

"You gotta leave him!"

"They're closing! Hurry up!"

The ground was trembling. Minho's eyes were so focused on Newt's broken face, that he tripped over a loose rock. Siren lost her balance at the sudden weight she had to carry with one arm, and fell too, Alby half on top of her.

"Shit!"
The hundredth curse that day. The one that made them realize they weren't gonna make it.

Siren pushed her upper body up. The Doors were only a few feet away from her, but they were also a few feet away from closing. 

"Oh, fuck no!" She screamed when she saw someone get a little too excited. "Don't you dare do it, Thomas! I swear to god!"

Too late.

The Greenie made a last-minute sprint forward, right through the walls. Newt reached out to him, but failed. Thomas's name left Chuck's mouth so loud it echoed for a while, but the boy kept pushing his way through the doors and right before they closed,

he fell down on the ground.