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The—Glade was quiet that night, a rare stillness blanketing the fields and forest. Most of the Gladers were asleep, exhausted from the day’s work and relentless challenges. But Thomas lay wide awake, staring up at the stars visible through the gaps in the trees. His mind was racing with questions and doubts about the Maze, the Creators, and what freedom even meant.
He decided to take a walk, hoping the cool night air might clear his head. The usual sounds—the distant buzz of the Beetle Blades, the occasional rustle of a creature in the trees—filled the quiet. But there was something else. A familiar figure was sitting alone by the small fire pit, her silhouette glowing in the low light.
“Couldn’t sleep either, huh?” Thomas asked, stepping closer.
Yelena looked up, her blue eyes reflecting the flickering fire. She gave him a small, weary smile. “Seems like neither of us can get a break from these nightmares,” she replied, her voice soft.
He sat beside her, close enough to feel her warmth but leaving a bit of space between them. They both stared into the fire, letting the crackling flames fill the silence.
“You ever feel like this is all… pointless?” Thomas finally whispered, his voice thick with frustration. “We’re running in circles, risking our lives, and every time we think we’ve found something, it leads nowhere.”
Yelena’s gaze softened. “I think about that a lot,” she admitted. “But then I think—if we give up, if we stop fighting, then we’re letting them win. And I can’t let that happen. Not after everything we’ve lost.”
Her words hit him harder than he expected. He felt a strange comfort in hearing someone else voice his own feelings, his own fears. They had both lost so much, endured so many things they couldn’t understand. And yet, here they were, still breathing, still fighting.
Yelena shifted a little closer, her shoulder brushing against his. “Sometimes I wish I could remember more,” she murmured. “About before. About who we really are. Maybe that would make all this…easier.”
Thomas nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Maybe we’ll find those answers. Maybe one day, we’ll look back and understand why we had to go through all this.”
They sat in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts, the warmth of the fire keeping the chill at bay. After a moment, Yelena reached out, hesitating before her fingers found his. She squeezed his hand gently, and for a second, the weight of their situation felt lighter.
“Whatever happens,” she said quietly, “I’m glad I’m not alone in this. Glad I have you.”
Thomas looked over at her, his heart heavy yet hopeful. “Me too,” he replied, squeezing her hand back.
As the fire died down, they stayed there together, holding on to each other and the fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, they’d find a way out.
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