𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘- TMR, Minho

000, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Lila's earliest memories were of darkness, a void so complete that it swallowed her screams and muffled her terror. She awoke in a metal box, the cold steel walls pressing in from all sides. The only sound was the thumping of her heart, wild and erratic, as the box jerked upward, rattling her bones. Fear clawed at her throat, but there was nothing to do but wait, helpless and alone.

When the box finally ground to a halt and the doors slid open, blinding light flooded in. Lila staggered out into the open, her legs trembling as she shielded her eyes. As her vision cleared, she was met with the sight of a vast, high-walled structure, ominous and cold. The maze.

Around her, a group of frightened girls huddled together, their eyes wide with the same questions that buzzed in Lila's mind: Who were they? Where were they? Why had this happened? But no answers came—only silence and the cold, calculating stares of those who had arrived before her.

Lila was quick to learn that the maze was a living nightmare. Each day was a battle against time, hunger, and the relentless unknown. The walls shifted, the corridors twisted, and the ever-present threat of the Grievers—a nightmarish blend of machine and flesh—kept everyone on edge. There was no escape, only survival.

Lila had always been a fighter, though she couldn't remember why or how she had become one. Maybe it was the shadowy fragments of her past that drove her—the flash of a gun, the scream of a woman, the sensation of cold metal in her hands. She didn't know who she had been before the maze, but the fragments haunted her, whispering that she was not meant for an ordinary life.

In the early days, Lila tried to fit in, to be part of the group. But fitting in meant weakness. The leaders of Group B were ruthless, their eyes cold and unfeeling. They imposed harsh rules, controlling every aspect of life in the maze. Obedience meant survival, but Lila wasn't built to obey.

She quickly realized that in the maze, emotions were a liability. If you cared too much, you died. If you trusted the wrong person, you died. If you hesitated for even a second, you died. The other girls looked to her for strength, mistaking her icy demeanor for courage. But in reality, it was survival—nothing more, nothing less.

Her transformation from scared, confused girl to hardened survivor was swift and brutal. The maze was unforgiving, and so Lila learned to be the same. She trained herself to be fast, to be sharp, to trust no one but herself. She pushed her body to its limits, running the maze with a reckless determination, mapping every turn, memorizing every trap.

In the evenings, when the others would huddle together for warmth and comfort, Lila stayed apart. The bonds they formed were fragile and dangerous, destined to be broken. She couldn't afford to let anyone close, not after what happened with Jessa.

Jessa had been one of the first to welcome Lila, offering friendship in the form of shared food and whispered secrets. She had a laugh that could cut through the gloom and a smile that promised hope. But in the maze, hope was a cruel joke. When Jessa was taken by the Grievers one night, Lila had felt something crack inside her. Jessa's screams echoed in her mind long after the others had forgotten.

That night, Lila made a vow: she would never allow herself to feel that pain again. From then on, she was alone, relying on no one but herself. She became one of the maze's most skilled Runners, earning the respect of even the harshest leaders. But with respect came responsibility, and with responsibility came power.

When Aris arrived, he was as lost and terrified as Lila had been on her first day. But something in him struck a chord with her—perhaps it was the haunted look in his eyes, the way he flinched at loud noises, or the way he clenched his fists as if holding onto a memory he couldn't quite grasp. Against her better judgment, she took him under her wing, teaching him the ways of the maze, sharing what little knowledge she had.

But Lila wasn't kind. She was ruthless, pushing Aris harder than anyone had pushed her. She saw something in him, a strength buried beneath the fear, and she forced it to the surface. If he was going to survive, he needed to be as hard and unyielding as the maze itself. And if she was going to survive, she needed him to be strong.

Yet, despite her efforts to keep him at a distance, a bond began to form between them—a bond that terrified Lila more than the maze ever could. She couldn't afford to lose anyone else, couldn't afford to let her guard down. But Aris had a way of getting under her skin, of making her laugh when she didn't want to, of reminding her of the girl she had once been.

When they finally escaped the maze, it wasn't the relief that Lila had expected. Freedom was just another illusion, another trap. The world beyond the maze was even harsher, even crueler. And as they were thrust into the Scorch, Lila realized that the maze had been nothing more than a test—a proving ground for the real battle ahead.

The memories of her past were still a blur, but Lila knew one thing for certain: she wasn't done fighting. The maze had forged her into something more than just a survivor; it had made her into a weapon. And as she looked at the desolate landscape of the Scorch, she knew that she would need every ounce of that strength to survive what was coming next.

But this time, she wouldn't be fighting alone.