Beyond the Maze | minho tmr [1]

I. The Meeting

Darkness surrounded her as she woke up

The world shifting and shaking beneath her the
cold metal pressed against her back, and she blinked groggily, struggling to make sense of where she was

The ceiling above her moved steadily upward, the walls of what seemed like an elevator creeping past her

Her heart raced in her chest, her mind blank except for one overwhelming feeling—fear, panic bubbled up in her throat—she had no idea where she was, who she was, or how she had ended up here

Above her, faint voices filtered through the ceiling, muffled and distant at first. Her pulse quickened as she tried to make sense of what they were saying

"Hey, is that the Greenie? Looks like the Box is comin' up."

"Wonder what poor sod it is this time."

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed, and light flooded the small space. She squinted, her eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness. She could barely make out the faces peering down at her from above, their expressions filled with curiosity and confusion. She blinked, trying to sit up, but her limbs felt heavy, like they didn't belong to her

A head popped over the edge, and a voice called out. "Oi, Greenie! You alright down there?"

Before she could answer, a figure jumped down into the elevator with surprising grace. He landed in front of her with a thud and immediately crouched down to help her up. As he extended a hand toward her, his eyes widened in shock. "Bloody hell... it's a girl!"

She grabbed his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet, but she couldn't help but notice the look of surprise on his face. She felt just as confused as he looked. A girl? Was that not supposed to be the case?

The guy, with tousled blond hair and a British accent, stared at her for a moment, clearly trying to process what he was seeing. "Didn't expect that one, did we?" he muttered, more to himself than to her. Then, louder, he called up, "You lot better come have a look at this!"

Suddenly, more faces appeared at the top of the elevator shaft, and the blond guy helped her climb out. As she emerged into the light, the world around her seemed too bright, too vast. Her legs wobbled beneath her, and she felt the weight of dozens of eyes staring at her in confusion.

It was sprawling, surrounded by towering walls that seemed to stretch up into the sky, encasing them all. But it wasn't the landscape that made her heart race—it was the crowd of boys, all of them watching her like she was some kind of strange creature that had just fallen from the sky.

"Shuck me," one of them muttered from the back of the crowd. "It's a girl."

Her chest tightened. The whispers spread quickly through the group, confusion and disbelief rippling across their faces. They surrounded her, forming a tight circle. The blond guy who had helped her out of the Box stood beside her, looking just as lost