➊ 𝐑𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 - 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐨, ᵗᵐʳ

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗: 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲

As soon as the wall behind me started trembling, I bolted to the side. A loud crash echoed as it collapsed, sending a cloud of dust into the air. In the rubble, I noticed something strange, a metallic engraved sign. I crept closer, squinting through the settling dust.

It read: World In Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department.

W.I.C.K.E.D.

Well, if that wasn't the world's worst acronym. If you're gonna brand yourself as evil, at least try to be subtle.

"World in catastrophe"? Was that supposed to mean the world outside the Glade had gone to hell? Or were they the ones causing it?

If they were the creators, then they were behind everything. The Maze. The Glade. The chip in my wrist. The voice in my head.

And suddenly I felt like throwing up. I didn't stick around.

I wandered further, walls still shifting behind me. Alone. But honestly? I didn't get the fuss. Alby made this sound like it was suicide to be in here. Please. As long as you had decent reflexes, you'd be fine. Maybe he just lacked coordination.

The bracelet had brought me here. It wanted me to see something. Ever since I decided I wanted to be a Runner, it kept nudging me toward actions that would prove it. And fine—if surviving one night in the Maze was the test, so be it. I'd passed harder ones just to get people to believe I could exist.

But then came that sound. Mechanical, but... animalistic. Like metal screaming and breathing at the same time. Something was dragging itself in my direction.

Then I saw it.

Some god-awful spider-mutant thing, its center a circular mouth full of sharp, twitching teeth.

Nope.

I turned and ran. Hard. Almost face-planted five times, but I didn't stop. Not until I hit a dead end.

Crap.

There was a small passage to the right, barely big enough for me to squeeze through. I ducked into it, scraping my shoulder, but I made it.

I kept running, searching for anything to hide behind. Vines covered every wall like nature's bad joke. I didn't stop until—Thud.

I smacked straight into something. Something hard. And covered in... clothes? Not a wall.

I looked up... and yep. Great. Minho.

I blinked, twice. Just to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.

"For shucks' sake! What is wrong with you, Asinego?!" Minho snapped like he was ready to throttle me.

"Excuse you! What are you doing here?" I fired back. Yeah, he probably had more of a right to be here—but I wasn't in the mood for logic.

"I'm the one asking questions!" he growled, grabbing my shoulder with a grip that said 'Don't even try it.' His arm was... well, strong. Annoyingly so. Why was I even noticing that? Ugh.

Another sound echoed through the Maze.

"Hey." He leaned close. "I asked you something."

Yeah, like I was gonna tell him the truth. He already thought I was nuts.

"Everyone except me to be fine! But it's not fine!" I shrugged. "Didn't the Runners all leave before the doors shut?"

"They sent me back. Someone had to make sure you didn't die."

Yeah, no. That was a lie if I'd ever heard one. Alby wouldn't break protocol for anyone, especially not me.

"Why would Alby allow that?" I crossed my arms. "Last time I checked he didn't care about my fate."