‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝑪21  ❪ 忘却 ❫ ‧₊˚✧

the 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒉 ...

A CREAK FOLLOWED by a hiss indicated that a door was opening. Pale light flooded into the small room, painting the Glader's faces in ghastly hues. Bewilderment and fatigue settled upon each and every one of their countenances.

Nobody dared to move, scared of the reality that lay behind the door. Teresa was the one to push open the door slowly, stepping out tentatively. The metal groaned in effort as it creaked open, exposing a dimly lit corridor. Ria shared a look with Newt before she followed the others out of the door.

     Teresa looked back, fear captured within her eyes as she paused. Abruptly, florescent strobe lights flared to life above them, one after the other in perfect sequence, illuminating the previously dark corridor. Ria swallowed thickly, her heart pounding wildly. The Gladers began to move slowly, eerie sounds of dripping and thumping from the metal pipes that lined the passageway echoing. They were in some kind of building.

     It wasn't many paces before they stopped. Ria saw a vivid green lightbulb attached to a wall, a heavy door beside it. What lay behind it — nobody knew. As the girl lifted her head, her eyes were met with a sign the same shade of green as the light. EXIT, it read.

Ria's head span with dizziness. Could this really be it? She wondered if her parents were stood behind the door, waiting anxiously for their stolen daughter to tear through the doorway and into their arms constructed of tenderness and love. They would weep and comfort her, clutching the girl close to their hearts and they would never let her out of sight again. The image sent a wave of misery through Ria's body. Of course her parents weren't there. They were probably dead, blood decorating their countenances and their bodies cold.

"Seriously?" Frypan's sarcastic comment distracted Ria as she was forced back to reality. The door still loomed before them. Thomas hesitantly stepped towards it, his shaking hand hovering over the handle for a few seconds. Then, he pushed it down and a hollow clicking sound reverberated off the walls. The faint blaring of an alarm was drowned out by the scraping of the door as it opened. Ria's eyes widened at the sight of horror that played out before her.

     It looked as if the room had been under a threat — maybe even an attack. Ominous flashing lights irradiated the entire room and as Ria cast her gaze down, she had to bite back a gasp. A man in a white lab coat was slumped lifelessly. His crimson blood was splattered behind him, rolling down the wall like a tributary of slaughter. His face was stained red and glass shards were scattered all over the floor. The lights continued to flicker on and off, adding to the macabre atmosphere.

     To her left, behind a glass screen, two metal beds that looked as if they belonged in a hospital stood. Beside them, two lamps emitting bright light craned their pale necks over the bed—frames. White sheets, blemished with blood, covered up two bodies who lay lifelessly. Their feet poked out from under the covers and Ria felt nauseous. Those people, like the man, were defiantly dead.

She felt Newt's hands fall against her shoulders, his warm touch sending trembles down Ria's body. He guided her away from the glass and she tore her gaze away. She treaded lightly over another dead body. His gun was still somewhat closed in his palm, as if he died in the heart of a massacre. Winston asked the question that nobody dared to voice aloud.

"What happened here?"

Minho kicked at the glass beneath his foot, a grave expression on his face. Mysterious steam circled and danced around them, strikingly bright against the florescent lights. Nobody bothered answer the question. It was impossible to tell.

They continued to move forwards slowly until they came through a doorway, the windows beside it shattered. Spider—webs of cracks branched out of the glass which had managed to remain intact. Ria thought the place they stepped down into was some kind of control room. A large hologram of a computer screen which flaunted various words and symbols stood in the centre of the room upon a desk along with rows of keyboards. Abandoned chairs were situated near the desk, some had fallen onto their backs. Sparks descended from the ceiling like glittering raindrops, hissing as they did so. More dead bodies bestrewed the black floor, blood everywhere. Ria guessed they were in a laboratory building — but how, she did not know. Ominous silence settled thickly in the air.

Her and Newt passed a smaller computer screen and Ria froze, her eyes receiving images that sent shivers snaking down her spine. She studied snapshots that seemed to be x—rays of the brain, confusion sweeping over her mind. Then, something worse. Video footage of the Glade was displayed on the screen and she gasped. They had been watching. The creators — they were here. Newt clenched his jaw in anger.

"So they were watching us." he stated. "This whole time." Ria couldn't speak, her lips trembled. Everything that she thought that she knew was demolished, silenced. The truth was only now surfacing from the icy depths of a sea containing infinite lies.

     "Hello. My name is Doctor Ava Paige. I'm director of operations of the World Catastrophe Killzone Department." Ria snapped her head in the direction of the voice she heard. It was gentle, soft — professional. She stared as a screen lit up with an image of a woman sat in a chair, a smart white jacket wrapped around her. Her hair was pulled back into a tidy bun and her eyes were cornflower blue, a profound look of sincerity within them. She continued to speak. "If you're watching this, that means you've successfully completed the Maze Trials. I wish I could be there in person to congratulate you . . . but circumstances seem to have prevented it. I'm sure by now you must all be very confused, angry, frightened. I can only assure you that everything that's happened to you, everything we've done to you, it was all done for a reason."

     Ria moved towards the rest of the Gladers, watching the screen in bewilderment. Doctor Paige's voice proceeded to explain — but nothing made sense. "You won't remember, but the sun has scorched our world." An image of the sun, pale yellow in colour, shimmered against the eerie red sky. "Billions of lives were lost to fire. Famine, suffering on a global scale." The screen switched to snapshots of trees being consumed by wild amber flames, houses and fields drowning in refulgent infernos. Bodies covered with ash and skin charred black lay deceased. "The fallout was unimaginable."

     She paused.

     "What came next was worse. We called it the Flare. A deadly virus that attacks the brain. It is violent, unpredictable . . ." A man, thrashing against restraints flashed onto the screen. He looked disturbingly inhuman, his veins stygian black against his pallid skin and eyes wild with profound madness. ". . . incurable. Or so we thought. In time, a new generation emerged that could survive the virus. Suddenly, there was a reason to hope for a cure. But finding it would not be easy. The young would have to be tested, even sacrificed inside harsh environments where their brain activity could be studied. All in an effort to understand what makes them different . . . what makes you different."

Ria felt numb as she listened to the words of Dr. Paige. It sounded too crazy, like one big lie. However, something told her that the truth lingered inside of the doctor's words. But, Ria was disturbed by what was going on behind the woman. Bodies collapsed to the floor as they were shot mercilessly, sparks flew in their coruscating formations.

"You may not realise it, but you're very important. Unfortunately for you, your trials have only just begun. As you'll no doubt soon discover, not everyone agrees with our methods. Progress is slow, people are scared. It may be too late for us . . . for me. But not for you. The outside world awaits . . ."

Ria flinched as behind Dr. Paige, people with masks concealing their faces wielded guns within her hands, shooting without hesitation at the people in the lab building. Ria's blood ran cold. Where they were standing — it was the same room. Panic seized hold of her shaking frame.

". . . Remember—" Dr. Paige exhaled, pain and fear caught in a distant conflict within her eyes. Bullets fractured the glass behind her. She raised a gun to her temple swiftly, Ria felt her throat tighten in perturbation. "—Wicked is good."

A gunshot. Ria tore her attentiveness away at the sound, unable to witness a woman taking her own life. Her breaths were shaky, panicky. Her head was burning, her limbs glistening with sweat. She needed time to process what had just happened, all of the words and all of the facts. She felt helpless, confused. A whole congregation of conflicting emotions controlled her thoughts and she couldn't cling to just one.

     Ria noticed Thomas move towards one of the dead bodies slowly, the other Gladers following. From the white coat and blonde hair, the girl immediately recognised the woman. Dr. Paige. Instantly, she felt unsafe. The blaring of an alarm pulled the teenager's attention away from the lifeless body and towards a solid metal door as it slid open. Behind it emerged a dark corridor, and Ria could perceive a door on the other side of it, light peeking from under the bottom of the crack.

     The outside world.

     "Is it over?" Chuck asked hurriedly, he turned to Thomas. However, the boy seemed to be trapped in a trance, staring down the corridor. A million emotions coruscated in his eyes as he stood, unmoving.

     "She said we were important." Newt muttered. "Well, what are we supposed to do now?"

     Thomas broke from his trance, his weary frame quivering as he turned towards his friends. He was silent for a while, then met Ria's eyes for a split second. "I don't know," his voice was a hoarse whisper, as if it hurt too much to speak. He took a few deep breaths, seemingly composing himself. "But let's get out of here."

"No." a voice, cold and ominous stopped them in their tracks. They spun towards the command, confused. It was Gally. He held a gun so tightly his knuckles were white and a haunting darkness glazed over his eyes. He stood, entire body trembling over and over and over. His face was scrunched into a baleful expression. Something was wrong.

"Gally?" Thomas inquired in disbelief, taking a step towards the boy.

"Don't," Teresa placed a hand firmly on Thomas' chest, halting the boy's actions. "He's been stung."

Gally looked as if he was about to break down in tears, like he was trying desperately to fight something within his mind. He dropped the griever key to the floor. It clattered, the audible sound causing Ria to wince. On his neck his veins were poisoned black, contrasting his pale skin. Teresa was right.

"We can't leave." he said, voice surprisingly stable. His lips trembled, the gun shook at his side. Fear found it's way back into Ria's body and she felt Newt move his body closer to her's protectively. If Gally was stung, he could do anything, including murder.

"We did, Gally, we're out." Thomas countered, his voice wavering a little. He looked almost ready for Gally to act. "We're free,"

Gally swallowed. "Free? You think we're free out there?" His body shook with sobs and he stumbled over his words. "No, there's no escape from this place."

Then, he raised the gun.

Thomas held is hands up in surrender as the weapon was pointed directly at him. Ria stiffened, struggling to breathe. Her lips parted in shock—horror. Newt found her hand and gripped onto it. He was shivering.

"Gally, listen to me." Thomas trembled, his body quivering in arrant trepidation. Sweat dampened his forehead. "You're not thinking straight. You're not. Now, we can help you. Just put down the gun."

Ria noticed Minho's hand close over his spear. Foreboding hung in the air. Gally didn't flinch, or even seem to register Thomas' pleas. Ria didn't let the scream of terror which clawed at her throat escape her lips.

"I belong to the maze." Gally spoke, the gun still pointed directly at Thomas. He swayed on his feet in an unstable manner.

"Just put down the gun," Thomas repeated, this time more quietly. More fear clung to his voice. Ria stared at Gally in apprehension and she squeezed Newt's hand tighter in dread. The boy was about to kill Thomas. She felt faint.

Gally shook his head, a heavy sob rattling his chest. "We all do!"

"Gally!" Chuck cried. Ria screamed in horror, colour draining from her face as a piercing gunshot rang out. Minho's spear, at the same time, plunged through the Gally's chest and he gasped, collapsing to his knees. He choked out, desperate for oxygen and he grunted in agony. Ria watched in shock as he fell to the ground, glass splintering under the weight of his body. His eyes turned a caliginous hue of black. Then, he stilled.

"Woah," Chuck suddenly whimpered quietly. "Thomas," Ria turned to the boy fearfully, then her heart stopped. On his chest, a growing pool of blood soaked through his shirt as he gasped for air. Gally's bullet had found a target.

     Chuck had scarified himself.

"Chuck!" Ria screamed his name in agony as he collapsed to the floor. She dropped down, taking his body in her arms along with Thomas. Fresh, hot tears descended from her eyes, dripping onto the boy's shirt.

     They couldn't wash the pain away.

"Oh, no. Chuck? Chuck?" Thomas wailed, his shaking fingers finding the boy's face. Ria felt a hand of grief close around her neck, restraining her of air. She didn't care anymore.

     "Chuck, look at me, look at me." Ria begged in a rasping whisper, her hands placed around the boy's shoulders as she pleaded him to stay alive. It wasn't supposed to end this way. He wasn't supposed to die. Chuck struggled precariously against the pain that had possessed his body, his paled face contorted in suffering. Ria felt utterly helpless.

     "I got you, buddy. Just hang on." Thomas tried to reassure the boy, tears choking his words. Ria looked around frantically for anything to ease the torment, to save Chuck. She let out a heavy sob as nothing materialised, turning her attention back to the boy as his body began to grow weaker. His blood stained Ria's hands like crimson paint, his soft whimpers echoing in her ears.

     "No, Chuck! Don't leave me, please don't leave me!" she cried, trembling with heartache. A shadow of quietus wrapped around her skeleton, shattering her bones and wrenching at her heart in dolour.

     The dying boy grabbed onto Ria with one hand, slowly and painfully turning his face so his panic—striken eyes met her's. "Thank y—you, Ria." He managed to stammer, the touch of his shaking hand burning against Ria's skin.

    "No, no, no, no!" she wailed, tears blurring her vision. She had never felt such misery embrace her, it crawled at her skin and entered her bloodstream. She had promised to save him, to lead him out of the horrors of their past lives. Now, she had broken that promise.

     She couldn't save him.

     "It—It's okay, Ria. D—don't cry. Be s—safe for me." he gasped, each word a struggle to string together. Ria stared down at her friend, pain like she had never felt before tore through her entire frame, obliterating any other feeling. She felt arms wrap around her in an attempt to calm her body. She pushed them away furiously. The girl was shaking, cold.

     Chuck then lifted a small wooden carving towards Thomas, an offering.

     "No, no, Chuck. You're gonna give it to them yourself, remember I told you that?" Thomas stuttered, tears staining his cheeks.

     "Take it," Chuck whispered, life escaping his body as every second passed. He was just a kid. She felt his hand curl around her's and she listened in devastation as Chuck let one last choke of agony escape his blood—stained lips before his body finally stilled. His hand slipped out of Ria's and fell to the floor gently.

     Silence.

     "Chuck?" Ria stammered, an unbearable sorrow wrenching at her heart.

     No response. He was gone.

     Ria's face was damp with tears and she heard Thomas shaking the boy, calling his name desperately. Silence answered again and again. She felt arms around her for the second time and she allowed them to wrap around her shaking frame. She wept into Newt's shoulder, every passionate cry tearing at her throat. She wanted to disappear. She wanted to descend into darkness. She wanted to stop, give in to life.

     She wished it was her, not him. He didn't deserve it. I'm sorry Chuck. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

     She kept repeating those words in her mind, but they couldn't numb the pain. Nothing would. A loud, creaking sound suddenly reverberated. A blinding light followed. Through the thick screen of tears against Ria's eyes, she made out the silhouettes of approaching figures in the distance. The girl didn't care — she wanted it all to be over.

     She turned her face away, letting empty darkness consume her once more.

‧₊˚✧ ⁝ 𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒂'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆  ❪ 忘却 ❫

oo. 😭🤧🥺😭🤧🥺😭🤧🥺

believe it or not, this is the final chapter of oblivion. my heart hurts from this & you best believe that i cried lots whilst writing this. i cannot explain how thankful i am for you all right now. ig i'll see you in the epilogue <3