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~ DAY SEVENTEEN ~

The days passed so fast, it was like Zelia was still in a dream right now. She is happy that the Gladers learnt what she taught for them. It's like a trophy for her because this is not only for her; they can now protect themselves and their friends.

More than three weeks have passed, but there is still no sign from Minho. Every time Zelia sees the Runners, especially Ben, she knows how disappointed they are. Even though he didn't tell about how he felt to his friends, it was obvious from his face that he was about to give up.

I just hope Ben is doing okay. He is the only one really close to the former Keeper, so his feelings are valid.

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"We finally see each other again, you ugly shank."

As if Jim and Stan saw a ghost, they didn't know what to do, trying to process if the person in front of them is real. It approached the two of them, and it was like they were frozen in place so they couldn't move, even the tip of their fingers.

"M-m-minho..."

"But h-how...?"

"We thought... you're already dead."

They heard Minho laugh softly, and he crossed his arms while looking at the two and leaned his side at the wall of the Maze.

"You thought," Minho said, emphasizing the 'you'. "I guess I'm not just a Runner after all; that's why I'm still alive and running," he added.

Stan was about to speak when they suddenly heard a sound coming from the Maze. The two seemed to come to their senses and realize that they were not inside the Glade. Minho smirked and got an idea because of the reaction he saw in his colleague.

"It's Changing. If I were you, I would run for my life. Who knows the Griever is behind you?" The man said and was about to leave when Jim suddenly spoke.

"Wait! You can't leave us here. We're still friends, remember?" Minho just scoffed.

"After what happened? Yeah, right, friends," the man said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"But we don't know about the Maze. We're really sorry for what we did; we didn't mean like that. We can still be friends once we go back to the Glade." Stan said that it was obvious in his voice that he was pleading with Minho. The man stared at the two for a long time, wondering what to do in the end.

"You know what? I just realized you both don't deserve to be back at the Glade, so take care guys. Peace of advice, just keep running until you know that thing is gone. Just go right and left and straight ahead. Repeat." Minho said; he didn't wait for the two to talk anymore and ran away.

He even heard them calling him by his name, but he just ignored it. He just ran and turned around until he knew he was far away from the two. It's not in his plan to help the two, but if he ever sees the two alive the next day, good for them.

Minho is here, where there are large irons around the place that they call Blades. He was on his knees, looking at the clothes on the floor. He didn't have to ask himself whose they were.

2 weeks have passed since the first and last time Minho saw the two, Stan and Jim. He didn't see them again when the sun came. He tried to find the two, but he didn't hope they were alive after that.

"Such a piece of klunkheads," Minho said to himself and stood up to leave in this place. Before he could walk away, he saw someone who he didn't notice was already in front of him, not far from the young man's place, just staring at him like he's looking at the ghost.

"I know I am a nice view, but don't give me a heart attack," Minho said, and in just a blink of an eye, he was already on the floor. He felt Ben give him a punch on his left cheek.

"What the heck? Where have you been all this time? What were you thinking?" the new Keeper asked before taking out the rope—which he always carried just in case he needed to pull something heavy—from his own pocket.

"Calm down, shank. I missed you too, okay?" Ben didn't say anything and started tying both of the man's hands.

Ben saw how Minho grinned, who was still lying on the floor. He ignored it and once he know that the rope on his hands are secured, he stood up. Ben was thankful that the rope was long, so he left a long part so he could use it to pull Minho. He helped the latter get up from his own feet.

"Kinda expecting that punch," the former Keeper said as they started walking back to the Glade.

"You deserve that." Minho just laughed softly, and Ben shook his head. Since it was still noon, they were in no rush to get back out of the Maze.

"Mean. I'm exhausting like an ugly shank here, and all I can receive is a punch. Alby did a good job to choose you as a Keeper."

"If you just go home right after the first week, you won't be tired."

"I guess I'm really enjoying having a sleepover with the Grievers." Ben rolled his eyes because of what Minho said. Suddenly they were surrounded by silence, wondering who would speak first.

When they got back to the walls of the Maze, Ben suddenly stopped and took the bag on his back. He opened it and took some food from inside before handing it to Minho. The former Keeper raised an eyebrow and raised both of his tied hands.

"Seriously?"

"It's a fruit and sandwich; you will be fine."

Minho just took a deep breath before taking the container with sliced apple and banana, along with the sandwich that Ben had now opened so he wouldn't have to struggle even more. The man sat on the floor and started eating. The new Keeper sat down in front of him to eat lunch. He realize something while looking at his friend, and unconsciously, he says it out loud.

"I just realized you ate all the food that I brought for you." Minho looked at Ben because of what he said. He ate a slice of apple before speaking.

"Don't tell me you forgot that part and didn't tell anyone why the food suddenly disappeared." The man asked with a frown. The new Keeper laughed awkwardly and looked away from the young man. The older Keeper took a deep breath.

"They still believe that you're still alive, though. I just didn't say that part," Ben said while still not looking at who was in front of him. "And besides, how did you fit the containers of food and water in your bag?"

"Some of them are hiding at this place." Ben rolled his eyes; he didn't know if he would really be happy because his friend was alive or if he would have to hit him again just to wake him up from his own dream.

"You're the one I saw the shadow who ran, and that took me to the dead end." He felt that Minho was staring at him and finished his food before he stared at him.

The former Keeper handed over the container he was holding before drinking water and standing up. He continued walking with his hands still tied, and the new Keeper followed him.

"You also didn't say that part."

"I'm not really sure if that was really you. There's a slight chance that the shadow was one of them."

Minho laughed softly and slowly shook his head. Ben glanced at him, and he just noticed that the latter had small wounds on his face. He couldn't stop himself from looking down and saw that he couldn't walk properly. He's limping on his left foot. He was about to speak when his companion suddenly spoke as if he knew he can read the latter's mind.

"I tripped while running away from Grievers. There were two of them at that time; that's why it was a bit difficult to get away. I still survive anyway. It doesn't hurt when I walk, but if I start running? Just wanted to go back to the Glade and surprised you all that I just hurt myself. That's a good surprise if you ask me. Newt and I are matching, you know."

Ben just took the long rope so he wouldn't punch Minho because of what he said.

"Why didn't you go back at the Glade? You were supposed to be here in just 1 week, not 3 weeks. Do you have a plan to stay here for 1 month? Or don't tell me, you forgot to count the days."

"That's my plan if you didn't see me today." Ben pulled the rope to tighten the tie on Minho's hand because of what he said. The old Keeper didn't expect that, and he hissed from the pain. "I'm just joking!" He almost yelled at him.

"Well, I'm not." Ben loosened his grip on the rope a little so Minho would not get hurt. He just shrugged his shoulders before speaking.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just waiting for the right time. And it's not that I forgot to track the days." The former Keeper took a deep breath before continuing.

"Maybe if I stay here longer, I did find our way out here. I'm not just running and hiding from my life; I'm still doing my job. Thank you on the pencil and the paper that I found in my bag and you gave me with a food and water."

They just kept walking back to the Glade. It was obvious to them that they were in no hurry to return because Ben knew that it would be a long time before he could talk to his friend again. He knows that the Gladers, especially Alby, will ask Minho how he managed to survive; if he saw the two, does the Maze really move at night?

"They are waiting for you." Minho heard how Ben emphasized the word 'they'. "Especially her. I feel bad because I can't tell her any new news about you."

"The Keeper or the Greenie?" he jokingly asked. Ben suddenly stopped walking and looked at the young man, who now also stopped walking and was looking at him with a grin.

"You...you heard my stories," the new Keeper said with surprise evident in his voice. He didn't expect him to hear what he was saying, so the former Keeper knew what was going on inside the Glade.

"Uh-huh. Thank you for that information too, so I don't go insane because I only hear Maze and Grievers, except for my own voice," Minho said while still grinning. "I mean, it's impossible that the Greenie will know me, so I would just say it's the Keeper of the Defense." Ben still couldn't believe it, so he asked Minho.

"How? I mean, that's impossible, right? Especially when you're up on a wall. You can't hear someone who's down a few feet away." Ben saw how his grin grew.

"I admit it, it's hard to follow you around, especially when you're with someone, but I still manage to hide myself even though I don't have to climb the wall," Minho said, patting his shoulder before keeping walking back.

You are crazy, Minho. What can you still do just for her?