The First Runner: Endgame

What the shuck

Ava strode in, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. "What the hell is going on?"

One of the scientists turned to her, his face pale with panic. "We don't know, but—it looks like someone else is in his mind."

Ava's jaw tightened. "Well, get them out. Now."

The scientist grabbed a syringe, his hands shaking as he injected Minho with a clear liquid. Almost instantly, the lightning flickered, then vanished. His body slumped against the table, deathly still.

Ava's eyes narrowed as she watched the monitors stabilize. "Find out who it was. And make sure it doesn't happen again."

Thomas's POV

Jess wasn't moving.

We were crouched around her, and the panic inside me was turning into something unbearable, something I couldn't fight off. The lightning had stopped, but Jess was too still. Too silent.

"Shit—she's not breathing!" The words ripped from my throat before I even realized I was speaking.

Newt didn't hesitate. He tilted her head back, pressing his mouth to hers, forcing air into her lungs. Brenda's hands were shaking as she slapped Jess's cheek, her voice sharp with desperation. "Come on, Jess! Wake up!"

Frypan, usually the calm one, was wide-eyed and pale as he dumped an entire bottle of water over her face. "That works in movies, right? Right?!"

Newt was starting to break. I could see it in the way his hands trembled as he pressed against her chest, trying to force her heart to beat again. His breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. "Don't you bloody do this, Jess. You fight, you hear me? You fight!"

His voice cracked, and something inside me clenched at the raw fear in his eyes. Newt had seen death before. We all had. But not like this. Not Jess.

I grabbed her shoulders, my fingers digging into her skin as I shook her, my voice breaking apart. "Jess! Dammit, you don't get to leave us! You don't get to—"

Silence.

The weight of it crushed me. Time stretched on, suffocating, endless.

Then—

Jess sucked in a sharp gasp.

Her body jerked, her eyes flying open as she coughed violently, sputtering. I felt my own breath catch, my grip tightening on her. "Jess! Are you—?"

She groaned, blinking up at us, disoriented. "Did... did one of you idiots slap me?"

Brenda let out a wet laugh, her hands still trembling. "Welcome back."

Newt let out a breath that was half a sob, half a broken laugh, dropping his forehead against her shoulder. Frypan was still staring at the empty water bottle in his hands like he couldn't believe it actually worked.

But as relief flooded through me, something in my chest twisted.

Jess was alive. But she had been somewhere else. And whatever had happened to her while she was gone—

It wasn't over yet.

Jess POV

Strong hands latched onto my arms, dragging me up before I even realized what was happening. My legs barely responded—I might as well have been trying to stand on water. My knees buckled immediately, and the ground lurched toward me.

"Whoa—Jess!"

Newt and Frypan caught me before I could hit the dirt.

Their grips were iron-tight, one on each side, holding me up as my body completely betrayed me. My head spun violently, a rush of nausea twisting through my stomach. My breath came in sharp, ragged gasps, way too fast, like I couldn't get enough air.