𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 》TMR, Minho

018

My whole body ached when I came back to consciousness, especially a certain pain in my wrist caught my attention. My eyes opened, revealing a grinning Aris. And god, the boy was cruel.

"Welcome back." He said, tone annoying. "You're just ready for the show."

It felt like I had a hangover, just ten times worse. "What?" I managed to stammer.

Aris dabbed a wet cloth on my head, making me wince. "Teresa's getting Thomas."

It took me some effort to not close my eyes again. "Why are you doing this?" I groaned, tears already forming in my eyes when I noticed my hands were tied together with a strong rope, just like my feet.

Now he bent down to my hurtful wrist. "Because you deserve it."

I cried quietly. Then my mind turned fuzzy. A few pictures of Minho kept repeating in my head.
"Min- Minho.." I breathed, soft sounds of pain leaving my lips over and over again. "Where's Minho?"

"Hey!" Aris roughly grabbed my chin. "We didn't drug you, stop acting like you are." He commanded.

My mouth hung open, almost numb.
"Wh- What did you do to my... wrist?"

Aris put a smirk on his face. "Something you also deserve."

"What?" I didn't even have the energy to furrow my eyebrows, just talk weakly.

"Wanna see?" He suggested, grabbing a flashlight already. I didn't reply and watched him shine it on my wrist, which was bleeding a lot. Like.. a lot.

I gasped when I saw the word and soon started sobbing, tears streaming down my cheeks like a waterfall.

The word 'Murderer' was carved into my skin with a knife, deep enough to leave a scar.

"That's what you are," Aris whispered as he turned off the flashlight. "A murderer."

The fact it was true hurt the most, another reason for me to sob again. "You're going.. too far." I managed to say.

"Us?" Aris said it like the words were poison on his tongue. "We're not the ones that killed everyone's parents here, Lenora."

"It's Lena, you piece of shit!" I screamed just to drop half conscious again.

"I do remember even Minho calling you Lenora." Aris pretended to frown deeply. "It surprises me he doesn't remember. Such horrible things you did are supposed to be printed in his mind, am I right?"

"I was forced." I cried. "I never meant to-."

"Aah, just shut up already." Aris cut me off. "You did things in front of me, Lenora. Controlled or not, you did them." He paused. "Unlike Minho, it is printed in my mind that you were the one that designed the Grievers."

I wanted to hit him so hard for saying that, but the only thing I could do was drop more tears. And he was right.
"You created the goddamn maze, asshole! That's worse."

Aris laughed loudly. "I'm not the one who created the whole damn department."

I took a raspy breath before replying. "They existed before they even got me!"

"But if they never got you, they wouldn't exist anymore." He replied casually. "Because you're the reason everyone in here got put in the maze."

"You don't have to remind me!" I yelled, full of frustration, sadness, and anger. I just wished to lie in Minho's arms again, safe.

"You're the reason every single parent is dead!" Aris added, his face twitching into anger too. "You're the goddamn reason they could find the Immunes with your stupid beeps!"

"They forced me! You think I-."

"Oh, they forced you?" He mimicked, then stopped right away when voices came from his side. "Now you shut up and watch."

Aris got up and walked over to two figures. Thomas and Teresa.

"Thomas!" I yelled for him, not obeying Aris. At least he was still alive.

His face fell and he didn't hesitate a second to run over to me as Aris grabbed his knife. "Lena." He breathed in a panic. "Shit."

His hand cupped my cheek, thumb slowly trailing over some cuts and abrasions on my face. I winced quietly, but my heart warmed by seeing my friend alive and well.

"Thomas, y- watch out!" But I was too late. Aris and Teresa already grabbed the boy and dragged him a few feet away from me.

I felt my mind daze away again. Slowly the world started to fade away, but I forced myself to stay awake and watch Thomas, hoping to save him later.

The three of them shared some words before suddenly, Aris and Teresa kissed deeply. Thomas' face broke, filling with confusion and frustration. And all I could do was watch in agony.

Then Aris pointed his knife at Thomas' chest. Their voices were blurred and soon my vision started to do that too.

But then suddenly, "Psst!" Someone behind me moved while Thomas seemed to argue with Teresa. I didn't have enough strength to turn my head and waited for the person to appear.

"W-what?" I whispered, hoping it was a Glader.

"I thought I taught you how to fight, fille." They replied quietly.

My eyes widened completely. I must've been dreaming, no other way.
"Holt?" I stammered.

"That's right." He confirmed. "Seriously? You let a couple like those two beat you?"

"You shut up." I groaned. "Just help me or something."

He sighed. "Whatever."

Holt's dark figure appeared. I stared at him for multiple seconds, considering if it was real. He bent down in front of me, ready to untie my wrists, but he had no weapons to help. It took him at least ten minutes to even untie half of the rope.

"HEY!" Aris suddenly screamed.

"Shit!" Holt rushed away as fast as light, leaving me absurd by his actions.

Lame leader.

Aris and Teresa stomped over to me without Thomas. I didn't have much time to think about where my friend was before I got a kick in my nose.

"You think you can escape that easily?" Aris spoke, spit flying from his mouth. "Wrong option."

"What is wrong with y-."

Teresa cut me off by trailing a knife down the letters on my wrist, forming the sign "Murderer" with a line under it now. I screamed at the way she did it so slowly and deeply. And that scream was so loud once again... echoing everywhere.

"To make it extra clear." Aris chuckled and kicked me hard enough to drop unconscious again.