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Pain. So much pain. Charlotte felt ripples of pain flow up her body with each breath she took, and it was pure agony. A groan escaped her lips as her eyes slowly peeled open, but instantly closed again due to the bright light shining down on her.

"Oh no, Charlotte? Is she awake?"

A voice rung through the air, making her wince. It seemed that all of her senses were dialed up to an eleven, and she couldn't seem to grasp what was happening. Why is there such a blinding light in her eyes? Why can't she lift her arm up to shield herself?

"Charlotte?"

A pair of hands landed on both of her cheeks, and a breath softly fanned her face. She winced at the contact, trying to ignore the pain and open her eyes again. The person stepped in front of the light, causing her to look up and see the shadow of the person.

"Hey, Princess." She knew that voice, who did it belong to? Why couldn't she figure it out? The fear of the unknown quickly crept into her, and with a groan she forced her eyes to open, even more pain flowing through her system. She gritted her teeth, feeling like she was going to pass out at any moment, vision going blurry and morphing together.

The ginger blinked numerous times, and the face became more clear, and she could see the worry implanted. "M - Minho?"

"Hey, Char. How are you feeling -"

Immense pain tore her apart suddenly, and she tried to gasp for air, but received none. Her emerald eyes went wide as she tried again, and once again got none. She faintly heard a beeping sound in the background as she stared at the bright light again, Minho being forced to take a step back. Her ears began to ring, and she hated the sound.

A new man came into view, one she didn't recognize. She stared at him as he blocked the overhead light while reaching over her. He had a syringe. She couldn't connect the dots fast enough, because if she could, she would never let a needle that large near her.

The man uncapped the syringe and shoved it in the middle of her chest, making her get her breath back. Her shriek of agony filled the air, then everything went black.

+

Green was visible. There were little shards of fern sticking out horizontally, each one ending in a seemingly sharp point. Droplets of what looked like water clung to each one. It smelt like pine, exactly like it.

Charlotte blinked very slowly, and her view got clearer. Grass was in front of her. She blinked again, and felt her left cheek suddenly be damp. With a groan she lifted her head and felt her cheek, only to feel the dew of the shards already drying. She was laying in grass.

She pushed herself up to her knees, then balanced on her feet, still looking down and rubbing her head. It was throbbing, and she couldn't seem to comprehend anything about her surroundings, no matter how hard she tried. There was grass, and a bright light above her that she desperately tried to avoid.

"Hazel."

A familiar voice sang into her ear, and she blinked slowly while her head turned to the direction of the noise. A man stood a couple feet away from her, and she could see his profile through the harsh rays above her. He was wearing a white dirtied shirt that had a few buttons, worn jeans, and a necklace. She blinked again, and it became clearer. The necklace string was black, and it held two tiny metal plates.

The man turned to face her completely, and her lips parted when she got a good look at his face. She stopped squinting and examined the person.

Alby.

The Glade's first leader, the Maze's first runner, everyone's heroes. The hero that she unknowingly in the time killed.

He stared at her with his typical hard gaze, and it put her at ease momentarily. She longed for numerous nights to be able to see those hickory eyes looking back at her, and she couldn't believe she was living it.

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