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"Brother, I'm scared," the little girl said while hugging the older brother.

"Hey, sweetie, everything's going to be alright, okay? I'm always here for you. I'll protect you," he said. He felt that his little sister hugged him tight. It's like she doesn't want to separate them.

"What they're going to do to us?"

"I don't know; all I know is we're safe from the monster, right? I know that is what you want."

"But I imagine that we're safe with Mommy and Daddy. I-I don't want them...to b-become a...monster." He immediately caressed her back when he saw she started to cry.

"I know that. But think of it that they're safe in someplace, that they will not turn into a monster like what we saw." She slowly nodded her head and smiled because of what her older brother said.

"Right, you're really the best."

"I know, Zelia, always remember that I'm always by your side."

Zelia sat down in her hammock. She felt that she remembered something from the past but couldn't remember if it really happened or not.

She suddenly felt a pain in her forehead; that's why he caressed it to ease the pain. Zelia took a deep breath before she stood up. As far as she knows, she still has a lot to do just so they can decide where Zelia should work.

While she's walking, the girl notices that there are people who are already awake to do their own routine. Zelia saw the Maze door slowly open, and the Runners started running inside.

The way Newt told her everything about the Maze, this is really dangerous. Every night, the path keeps changing, so the Runners return from the start of their job. Still, they don't know how to give up; the Runners are still working out how to get out of this place. Newt added that there are robotic animal-like guards inside the Maze that they call Grievers. Only the Keeper saw it.

"Hey, Zelia." She looked at the person who called her name.

"Hey, Newt, I forgot to mention yesterday that I'm really sorry about what happened. I hope you don't have any broken bones because I punch you on the face." Newt laughed softly at what she said, and they both started to walk where the kitchen is.

"It's alright. I can say that it's normal because we can't remember anything when we arrive here."

"But still, I'm sorry." She saw him shrug his shoulder while smiling and didn't say anything. After that, no one spoke to them until they thanked Fry when they took their food for breakfast and went to the empty seat.

They were eating in silence when Alby walked towards them and sat beside Newt. Zelia gave him a short smile as she looked at their leader.

"How's your first night here?" Alby asked before he started to eat his food. The girl finished the food in her mouth before speaking.

"It's fine, I guess? I feel like I'm dreaming, but I don't remember if it's part of my past memories or not."

"Almost the same thing happened to us. Dreaming, wondering if it's all real. Kinda wish it's true, you know, but I just realised I need to accept that this is my life now. I know it's really hard to find the missing part, but we're just hurting ourselves trying to remember what we were in the past."

Zelia was silently eating her food while listening carefully to what Alby said. She just hummed and nodded his head because she didn't know what to say. She understands his point, though. They can't force themselves to remember their past. They can make new memories inside and outside the Glade.

The three of them finished eating almost at the same time, and before the girl stood up, Alby suddenly spoke.

"Before I forget something, Newt will accompany you to the Keepers so you know where to work. He'll just drop you off because he's part of Track-hoes, so the Keepers will decide if you pass." Zelia looked at Newt, who gave him a smile.

"Sure, I mean, I don't have any problem with that. Newt explain to me that I really need to do work. I don't want to feel useless and just wait to get out of this place," she said, and Alby nodded his head. He said goodbye to both of them and left to do whatever the man was doing.

They both went together to where the sink was to wash their plates and utensils. When they finished, the two started walking towards Zelia's first task.

Newt explained what the keepers could do to her when she started to work with them. The girl was listening quietly, just asking if there was something she didn't understand. She knows to herself that it's not easy what they're doing because there's a possibility that they won't get easy on her or they have another treatment because she's a girl.

"Here we are your first task. Winston will take care of you, and he is the Keepers of the Slicers. Just look for me after you are all done and to tell what happened," Newt said when they arrived where Winston is. She thanked him before he left to start his job. Winston started to explain everything about what they would do today.

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It's getting dark when Zelia is all done with her task for today. She's here at the tree where they put a wooden floor—you can sit on or stand while admiring the view of the Glade, rails, and ladder. She told Alby and Newt that she would stay here to spend some time until it's dinner time. They allowed it because she was done with what she was doing.

Slicer is not for Zelia; she can kill animals, but she doesn't know how to focus on the target. The timing is right because there is an animal who ran from the barn earlier, so Winston ordered her to focus on the foot or other parts far from the pulse. She let go of the bow string several times, but it didn't hit any of the animal's body. Winston just shook his head, and they find Newt to tell him that Zelia didn't pass as a slicer.

The next task is they went where the builders are. Gally, the Keeper, immediately explained to her what she was going to do. He told her to build a simple chair, and she did a good job as she obviously understood what Gally said. But at the end, she didn't pass because Kendrix almost hit her in the foot with a large piece of wood. He apologized several times, even though the girl had forgiven him. Kendrix asked their Keeper not to let Zelia work for them, and there might be another accident. Gally just took a deep breath because Kendrix kept repeating about what happened and thought about returning the girl to Newt so that she could start another job. Zelia doesn't want to argue with him anymore; that's why she went to her other task.

They both went where the Med-jacks are, and Newt left Zelia to Jeff and Clint. There were only two of them working here, and they immediately explained to the girl what had to be done. It didn't take long for the girl to learn how to apply medicine and sew up a wound. She felt happy when Jeff and Clint told Newt what happened, so Zelia was accepted as a Med-jack. She didn't take another job because, after 2 attempts for the job, she finally had a work to do.

The truth is, when she first heard about Med-Jacks to Newt, she really wanted to be part of them. There's a part of her as if she knew how to heal or treat a wounds from her past.

Zelia immediately looked from behind her when she heard someone who's climbing at the ladder where she is. She's ready to punch that someone when he suddenly speaks.

"This is just me, Kendrix. Please don't punch me. I'm still scared of you because of what you did to Newt yesterday," he jokingly said, and Zelia rolled her eyes, not in a serious way.

"What do you want?"

"Such a grumpy, I just want you to ask you if you want to eat with me. I know, I said this many times and I almost injured you, but just a peace offering for you." Zelia looks up from the sky, and she can say it is dinner time.

"Sure, why not? There is nothing I can do to refuse," she said, standing up from her seat. Kendrix smiled widely at her, and they started to go down at the tree.

"Congratulations for being a Med-jack. I can visit you there if I don't have anything else to do so that you're not lonely," he said when they started to walk at the kitchen.

"Wow, it's like Jeff and Clint aren't there; I don't need you anymore."

"Ouch, you hurt me, Zelia. You're the first person I've been close to in my 3 months of staying here, and you're the first one to hurt me." Zelia rolled her eyes because of how dramatic he is.

After the "accident," before she continued to her task, the Gladers ate lunch before returning to their respective tasks. Because of the conscience that Kendrix feels, he invited the girl to eat lunch together, so that's how they became close. It's not hard to get along with this man because he only tells jokes to her.

I guess he is officially my close friend. I don't have any problem with that because I thought it's going to be hard to make a friends at this place.