The First Runner: Endgame

Jess POV

The first problem came before we even got back in the car.

The walk back to the jeep was silent, except for the crunch of our boots on the gravel. Every step felt heavier than the last, exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin. My head pounded, my limbs ached, but I kept moving. We all did. We had to.

Then, just as I stepped forward, a sharp, blinding pain split through my skull. It was like someone had driven a hot knife straight into my brain, twisting it deeper with every pulse. A strangled gasp tore from my throat, but the sound barely registered over the roaring in my ears.

My knees buckled. The ground lurched beneath me, my vision swimming in and out of focus. Voices—urgent, panicked—called out to me, but they sounded warped, like they were coming from underwater.

"Jess? Jess!" That was Thomas. His voice was raw with alarm.

"Somebody—catch her!" Newt's shout was distant, frantic.

"What the hell is happening?" Frypan's voice.

Darkness rushed up to meet me before I could answer.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't lying on the ground anymore. I was standing. But not in the wasteland. Not by the jeep.

No.

This was somewhere else entirely.

The Glade.

My breath hitched. My heart pounded against my ribs, hard enough to hurt. I turned in a slow circle, every inch of me frozen in place. The tall grass, the towering walls of the Maze, the faint scent of damp earth—it was all exactly as I remembered. Every detail, every shadow. The way the stone walls loomed over me, like they were waiting for something.

This wasn't real. It couldn't be real.

A rustling sound behind me made me whirl around, my pulse spiking with dread.

Minho.

He was standing just a few feet away, his posture tense, his dark eyes locked onto mine. His expression flickered between disbelief and desperate hope.

"Jess?" His voice was hoarse, hesitant, like he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.

I didn't think. I ran.

My feet pounded against the ground as I closed the distance between us. The second I crashed into him, his arms wrapped around me in a tight, unyielding hug. His grip was almost painful, like he was afraid I'd slip away if he let go.

"I thought—I thought I'd never—" Minho's voice broke against my shoulder, and I squeezed my eyes shut, my fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt.

For a moment, nothing else existed. Just him. Just this.

Then the sound came.

A low, mechanical screech that made my stomach drop.

No.

A Griever.

"Run!" Minho's voice was sharp with urgency as he shoved me forward.

My legs moved before my brain could catch up. We sprinted through the Maze, the massive creature gaining on us. The sound of its metal limbs scraping against the stone made my skin crawl. My lungs burned, my legs screamed, but I pushed harder. The exit had to be close. It had to be—

Ava's POV

The medical room was in chaos.

Alarms blared, red lights flashing in frantic pulses. Minho convulsed violently on the examination table, his body arching off the surface as crackling blue lightning danced over his skin. The energy lashed out, scorching the equipment, sending sparks flying through the air. The scent of burnt plastic filled the room.