CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: STEALING A KEYCARD

     "Alice." Thomas and Layla glanced at each other as Janson read out the names for the day—the names of the kids who would be forced to be stuck in between life and death. The names of people who were told they would be going to a safe haven, but the duo knew better. "Barry. Walt. Edgar. Samantha."

     "I wanna know what's through that door." Thomas spoke in a low voice, catching the attention of the other Gladers around the lunch table that they sat at in the cafeteria. Layla's eyes fell on him. He was the main focus of their plan, because he could do something reckless and make it look completely natural—unlike Layla. It was hilariously perfect.

     Newt rose a brow at the dark haired boy, "now, we've been over this. You said they were covered up, so you don't know what you saw." The others had of course been informed about the horrible sight that Layla and Thomas witnessed the night before. It was only natural for them to be sceptical, too. "It could've been anything under there."

     "Lay and I know exactly what we saw." Thomas was quick to deny the statement, "they were bodies."

     Layla took a brief second to contemplate the new nickname, before letting it slide.

     "There were machines attached to them that were reading their vitals, Newt." Layla leaned over the table to see Newt better, "we know there's something going on here."

     Thomas nodded, "yeah, Aris said they bring in a new batch every night."

     Minho furrowed his brows in confusion. "Who the hell is Aris?" He questioned, and Thomas quickly pointed off into the distance, causing the others to follow his line of sight. They all saw Aris, who sat at his table alone as he inspected the food he was given, a hood over his head. "Well," Minho mumbled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I'm sold."

     "And last but not least, David." Janson finally finished reading off the list of names, and a few of the teens around the room clapped while others lowered their heads in disappointment. "Thank you for your attention. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

     Layla watched as the teens at the front followed a guard, who then opened up a door that they weren't allowed to cross unless they were called up—it was the only way.

     As the teens began to make their way through, Thomas and Layla made eye contact once more, and the girl nodded to the boy. A silent conversation passed between them, and the squint of her eyes told him: now.

     Newt, completely unaware of the two's plan, leaned in closer to them. "Okay," he said quietly, "until we know anything for certain, we should just keep our heads down and try not to draw any attention to ourselves, all right?" He made a point to send them knowing looks.

     Layla hummed softly, "all right, fine." She feigned innocent and compliance. The boy seemed pleased with her answer, but she wasn't finished. "But I can't make any promises that Thomas will listen."

     Thomas then loudly slammed his hands on the table before getting up and making a beeline to the door.

     "See."

     Newt glanced at her with wide eyes, "what is he doing?"

     "He's definitely drawing attention to himself." Layla sighed softly, leaning her chin into the palm of her hand. The Gladers watched as Thomas attempted to discreetly walk through the doors, only to be stopped by a guard.

     The two conversed for a moment before Thomas attempted to walk through once more, only to be pushed back. Layla furrowed her brows as both of their expressions seemed to grow more angry, before the guard shoved a finger into Thomas' chest with a glare.

     Thomas sighed sighed softly, turning around to face them. Layla raised her brows at him, and the boy only shrugged before spinning back around to the guard as he tried to shove his way past him.

     Layla took that as her cue to intervene, quickly getting out of her seat and rushing towards Thomas, the Gladers following in suit. Thomas shoved the guard angrily, as another one appeared. "What's your problem, man?" He shouted at the top of his lungs, "what the hell, huh?"

     "Back off!" The guard shoved him back, standing over him as he was a few inches taller.

     "Why won't you let me see her?" Layla quickly wrapped a hand around Thomas' wrist, trying her best to pull him back. He nearly slipped out of her grip, but the other Gladers made it just in time as they kept him away from the guard, while he continued to shout.

     The guard glared at Layla, "control your friend!"

     Layla's eyes burned with hatred. "Control your attitude!"

     "Excuse me?!" The older man looked about ready to punch her, but a voice managed to cut through all the shouting.

     "What's happening here?" Layla slowly turned her head to glare at the man who had joined the fight. Janson. "Thomas." He quickly noticed an angered Thomas, who glared daggers back at him. "I thought we could trust each other." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, causing Layla to glare at it before she quickly ripped it off. Janson glanced at her, before putting his hands in his pockets instead. "You know we're all on the same team here."

     Thomas had an eerily calm look on his face as he tilted his head at the older man, "are we?" He spoke lowly. This caused the man to stare at him for a moment, filling Thomas with a sense of pride as he knew he had Janson in his grasp.

     Janson glanced at the other teens around Layla, and then her, before he spoke to the guards behind him. "Get them to their bunks." He made a move to leave, before turning back to the guards, he subtly pointed to Layla, "bring her to Crawford."

     Layla frowned, barely registering the boys behind her exchanging confused and worried looks. "What?"

     The fake smile on Janson's face was sickening. "We have to do some final tests. Make sure you're back to full health before you're sent off to the safe haven."

     "If it's so safe, then why can't I get my tests done there?" Layla quipped.

     It looked like Janson was holding back an annoyed sigh with the way his fingers flexed, before he held them behind his back. "We have some of the best doctors here. We've been given the green light to do some tests here, and then you'll be all set."

     "Green light?" Layla pressed. "By who?" She wanted to see him crack under the weight of her suspicion.

     Janson pursed his lips. "You'll meet them soon enough." He glanced at the guards behind him. "Take them to their bunks." He gave the order once more, and the guards began leading the boys away from Layla.

     Layla met Thomas' eyes. Their plan was crumbling. He kept his eyes on her as he was shoved backwards, and she could only hope that he had gotten the keycard like they planned.

     Before Layla could even think about walking away from Janson, one final guard wrapped a hand around her wrist—not tightly, but it was a clear message that she wouldn't be running—and began to lead her down several hallways.

     Dr. Crawford was the woman who had done tests on Teresa, Layla realized. She was a confident woman, but she was constantly looking over her shoulder, like she was worried that the guards would do something if she didn't comply—but with the way she was looking at Layla, it was possible her fear was directed to the young girl.

     A question rang in Layla's mind. Why?

     "The tests we'll be doing won't take long." She said, sounding sure of herself. If Layla wasn't so observant, she would've thought this was an honest woman. "From what we've learned, WCKD has implanted chips into the back of your neck." She tapped the back of Layla's neck, and a shiver ran down her spine at the sudden knowledge. "Right here."

     "What exactly will the tests be for?" She found her voice after a moment.

     "We're going to try and access that chip through our technology. If we can do that, we could disable it." Her voice faltered as she spoke. Another lie.

     "And then what?" Layla asked. "What will happen when it's disabled?"

     Crawford hesitated. She thought for a moment before speaking, and Layla narrowed her eyes. "We're not sure." Her voice was a touch quieter, like she was being careful about what she said to Layla. "We're hoping to do some good."

     Layla had to hold back a sneer. Some good?

     She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry"—she was't—"but I don't feel very comfortable with this, ma'am." She tried to get up. "You're not even sure what is going to happen, so is this really safe?"

     Crawford inhaled deeply, and in a split second, she glanced behind Layla. Layla heard a shift of movement from the guards, and before she could before turn her head, Crawford held out her hand and a needle was placed in it. Then, the needle was poking through the skin in Layla's neck.

     Then, everything faded to black.

     Layla stood in a void.

     She'd done this before. She knew what this was. So who would she see this time? Percy? Nico? Connor or Travis?

     After what felt like a few minutes in the void, Layla began to hear muffled sounds. Thumps, like footsteps on wood. Soft breathing. Birds chirping.

     She had to squint her eyes when a world began to be painted around her. When she opened her eyes again, she frowned. The room was new, and unfamiliar. She saw rows of untouched bunk beds, aside from one with ruffled sheets. The was a small corner with photos taped to the wall—the corner was covered in darkness. It was like it was meant to be hidden from the world.

     When Layla turned around, two things surprised her. First, she noticed the great statue at the back of the room—it was of a man that Layla felt she should've known. There was a sour taste in her mouth as she looked the statue in the eyes.

     Then, her eyes trailed down, landing on the boy a few steps away from the statue. It was strange how she saw a resemblance in the features of the statue to the boy with a surprised look on his face. Still, the boy was much better looking.

     He had blond hair, and a sharp jawline. Layla noticed the small scar on his lip, and couldn't help but wonder where he got it from. He wore glasses, which were a little crooked on his nose like he'd rushed to put them on—and for the first time, Layla noticed he was wearing a set of purple pyjamas.

     This time, Layla was prepared. She assumed she was back in that place—that camp. This must've been a different cabin.

     Layla, upon seeing the blond standing completely still, spoke first. "Hello." She said softly. She looked around awkwardly, before finding his gaze again. "Are you all right?"

     The blond blinked.

     "Um..."

     He seemed to be shaken out of his daze. He blinked again, and then asked. "Who are you?"

     Layla clasped her hands together. So they haven't met before. "Layla." She said softly. "And you?"

     Realization seemed to dawn on the boy, and suddenly, he looked overjoyed. "I'm Jason. It's nice to meet you."

     Layla was surprised by his sudden change in attitude. "You... too." She wasn't really sure how to go about this conversation. It would've been easier if they had met in the past that she had forgotten.

     "I'm a friend of Annabeth's. And Percy's." He said, and Layla perked up at this. He knew her friends! Then, he spoke a little more softly. "And Nico's."

     She let out a small gasp. Nico. Her brother. Jason knew Nico too.

     Before she could even speak on what he had just said, he began to walk towards the door. "Follow me." He said. But when Layla saw his hand on the doorknob, she was startled. She's never gone far in these dreamlike visions before. She'd never strayed away from the people she had suddenly appeared by. She wasn't sure what to expect if he opened the door.

     Her only memory of camp was when she was chasing Connor and Travis around, but that was a blur—quite literally, too. She was running, her eyes dead set on the boys.

     This was not a memory. She could take her time, and look around. Would it overwhelm her? Would everyone else see her too?

     Jason looked back at her. "Layla?" He asked, and Layla looked up from the doorknob to his eyes. "Are you okay."

     "Yeah." She lied. She was scared out of her mind. These people knew more about her than she knew about herself. "I'm okay." She slowly walked towards him, before nodding. "You can open it."

     "Okay." Jason said softly, almost in a whisper, like he didn't want to scare her away.

     The light outside was nearly blinding, but Layla didn't dare close her eyes. Everything was so surreal to her, and surprisingly familiar, that she didn't want to miss a thing.

     As Jason walked down the steps to his cabin, she slowly followed him. He made sure to keep his place slower so that he wouldn't leave her behind, and he looked slightly amused with the awed look her face held.

     She looked at every detail. The rock climbing wall (with lava), the canoe lake, the vast amount of cabins, each one uniquely built. She felt... like she was home.

     When she finally realized that there were eyes on her, a blank look crossed her face. On the inside, she was freaking out. Campers were pausing in their daily activities—some were whispering, most were completely shocked with their jaws on the floor. Layla even saw a boy carrying at least three swords, before being distracted by Layla's sudden appearance, and walking into a nearby tree. Layla winced as the swords clanged on the ground.

     "Jason?" She asked softly. "They're all... um..."

     Jason went to put a hand on her back, as to guide her forward, but Layla nearly jumped out of her skin when it went through her. Jason grimaced, "sorry." He muttered. "You can't blame them for being surprised, though. A lot of these people haven't seen you in two years, and then Percy and Annabeth told Chiron what happened the other day... and the word kind of... got around." He scratched the back of his neck. "And... you're sort of translucent."

     Layla stared at him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?"

     "However this..." he gestured to her, "happens... you're not physically here. So we can see you... but we can also see through you."

     Layla looked down at her hands. They looked completely fine to her. "Weird..." she muttered. "It looks fine to me."

     Jason frowned, seeming to agree. "That is weird." He glanced up for a moment, his eyes landing on someone else. Layla followed his line of sight to a beautiful girl with a choppy haircut. He waved, and after a moment of surprise, she waved back.

     "Where are we going." Layla decided to asked after a moment of staring into the girl's eyes. She turned to face Jason once more.

     "The Big House." Jason said. "Percy and Annabeth are there, as well as Chiron. He'll want to see you."

     "Who's Chiron?" Layla asked as they arrived at a big, sky blue house. They walked up the steps and began trailing the walk around porch.

     Jason smiled. "You'll see."

     Quite quickly, they made it to a door, which Jason opened without feeling the need to knock. Layla was pleased to see that he was right about Percy and Annabeth being there, but she was slightly nervous as she spotted an older man in a wheelchair.

     The three seemed to be having a discussion, in a room that Layla had barely processed due to her vision tunnelling on the two familiar faces. There were papers laid out on a table, that Annabeth pointed to, and the older man looked deep in thought.

     Before Annabeth could say another word, the three noticed Jason and Layla's presence. Percy and Annabeth instantly beamed at the sight of Layla, while the man, Chiron, was at a loss for words. His eyes could tell stories with how much emotion they held, but it was like he was looking at something brand new. Something he had never seen before.

     "Layla." Percy grinned, standing up to greet her, Annabeth following suit. He nodded to the blond next to the translucent girl, "thanks for bringing her over, man."

     Jason smiled. "No problem."

     "Layla." A new voice spoke, and it took a second for Layla to realize that it was Chiron. She looked past Percy and Annabeth to meet his intense gaze. "You're here." He spoke it like he couldn't believe it. "Of course, Percy and Annabeth told me all about this, but I never thought..."

     Layla nodded slowly, "well, I'm a little surprised about this too." She said. She walked around Percy and Annabeth, despite having the newfound knowledge that she could just walk through them, before standing by the table, which was placed between Chiron and a couch. "Have you guys figured anything out since I've been here last?" She asked.

     Percy and Annabeth walked over, while Jason left. Layla watched him leave, but thought nothing of it. They never knew each other before. He had no reason to stay.

     "First, my dear, I think it would be best if we filled you in on who you are." Chiron said. Layla looked to him once more, her mouth falling open as he sent her a pointed look. "Do you not agree?"

     "No... no please." She said. "I wanna know." She thought about telling them how she would likely have more time to talk this time, because she had been knocked out rather than just gone to sleep, but decided against it. No need to worry them.

     Percy and Annabeth took their seats on the couch, and like last time, Layla sat on the floor. Chiron rose a brow, but didn't question it. "It might be a little shocking, so keep that in mind." He said.

     Layla stared at him, as if silently reminding him how she was even there, before nodding. "Okay."

     "You are half god." Oh wow, that is shocking. "You're father is a Greek god. Do you remember who they are?"

     Layla hadn't really thought about it much. It was something that was, sort of, always in the back of her mind. She never really allowed herself to acknowledge that there could've been gods at all, and whether or not they were real.

     But a memory crossed her mind.

     "We'll find her, Nico." Hazel comforted. She didn't sound as sad as Nico, so that led Layla to believe that the two had never known each other before. But she sounded so sure of herself, like Hazel knew that they would find Layla.

     Layla could only pray that they would find her quickly—and subconsciously, she found herself praying to a god.

     A god named Hades, the god of the dead, king of the underworld.

     Hades.

     "Yes." Layla said. "I remember them."

     Chiron seemed to pick up on her getting lost in her thoughts, and with a bit of hope, he asked. "Do you have any idea who your father may be?"

     She felt the eyes of three other people on her, but her gaze was cast towards her hands. She repeated the name of the god in her head over and over. She thought back to what she knew about the gods—finding that the knowledge was slightly foggy—and recalled what he ruled over. The god of the dead, king of the underworld.

     Layla had sensed death before. She had seen ghosts. She knew who she was.

     Layla wasn't sure how long she was lost in her thoughts, but she was so sure of herself when she said, "Hades."

     Chiron smiled softly, nodding. "Very good, my dear."

     Layla looked up at him. "So that makes me a..." she fought to remember the word. "Demigod... right?"

     "It does."

     It was silent for a moment.

     "But that doesn't explain why I'm so far away from all of you, does it?"

     The three froze. Annabeth decided to speak for Chiron. "It wouldn't be the first time a demigod has gone missing." She muttered. "The Fates have made things like this happen in the past."

     "The Fates?" Her knowledge was still foggy, but they sounded familiar.

     "They make the choices of how everyone's life goes, in short." The blonde explained. "Percy and Jason went missing once, for a quest." There are quests? Layla decided not to voice her spiralling thoughts. "Still, we're not entirely sure why you were sent to... wherever you are."

     They kept avoiding saying it as it was. Far away. Wherever you are. Based on the obvious differences in Layla's surroundings, and theirs... it was clearly a big deal. They kept beating around the bush. Yes, they wanted to find Layla, but they kept talking about it like she was just in another country.

     They all knew it was more than that.

     Layla still couldn't find herself to bring it up. It made everything even more terrifying.

     Layla jumped, the sound of the door slamming behind her was loud enough to catch the attention of all four people. Standing in the doorway were two familiar people.

     First, there was Jason, who looked to be hiding a sheepish smile as he stood over the other figure.

     The second boy was shorter. He wore all black and had a crazed look in his eyes. His eyes were trained on Layla.

     Layla stared at him, in complete disbelief. She couldn't speak.

     "I figured he should know that she's here." Jason told Chiron. "We owe him that much."

     Chiron nodded like he agreed. "It's all right, Jason. Thank you." He began to wheel himself over to the door, and after a moment of surprise, Percy and Annabeth followed. "Let's wait outside."

     Jason gently pushed the boy into the room so that the others could leave, and once they did, he gently closed the door.

     Layla was still sitting on the floor, crisscrossed. The two demigods stared at each other for a long time before Layla found her voice. "Nico?" She said.

     Nico was immediately in tears. "Layla!" He cried. He stumbled forwards, and went to hold her hand, but he went right through her. He cried harder at the lack of her touch.

     Layla felt a pain in her neck, and flinched.

     "It's been two years." Nico sniffled. Layla nodded, like it made more sense then it did before. Two years. Yes, it's been two years. "Where have you been?"

     "I'm sorry, Nico." She muttered. "I..." she felt disoriented, like seeing him made her dizzy.

     Nico held his breath. "Do you know who I am?" He asked. He looked sad, like he already knew the answer. They had told him she didn't.

     As she stared at him, she couldn't help but think that she did. Why was it different?

     "I know you." She whispered under her breath, so softly she almost didn't hear it herself.

     Nico frowned, "what?" He asked. He hadn't heard her.

     Layla sat there, newfound memories swarming her mind. Her head hurt, her neck hurt. Why did her neck hurt?

     "I know you." She said. She didn't even realize she was crying until a tear fell and hit the floor, before fading like it was never even there. "I know you."

     She wasn't lying, and she couldn't believe it.

     She knew who this was.

     "You do?" Nico looked hopeful.

     Layla nodded slowly, trying to organize her thoughts. "Yes." She whispered.

     "But Percy said you didn't." He muttered. "I thought you forgot who I was." His voice broke.

     Layla frowned, her mind was elsewhere but her eyes were on him. "I did." She said. "But..." she hesitated, thinking to how she got there. "Before I showed up in Jason's cabin... they told be they had to run some tests. They said WCKD put a chip in my neck and..." Nico looked horrified, and angry, but Layla was lost in thought. "Then I was here. I don't... understand what's happening."

     "Do you think they meant to help you remember?" He asked.

     "Honestly?" Layla frowned. She remembered the fear on Crawford's face, and the dark look in Janson's eyes. They needed to control Layla—which would be impossible if she knew who she was. "No."

     "And..." he looked down at his hands like he wanted to reach for hers again. "Do you remember everything."

     "No." Layla didn't hesitate. "Only pieces. But I know you. I know Percy, and Annie. I remember... Bianca." She whispered her name like it was forbidden. Something had happened to Bianca—what was it?

     Nico flinched at her name, but he let Layla keep talking.

     The expression on Layla's face darkened. "I remember a war." She said. "It..." she focused her gaze back on Nico again. "Why was there a war?"

     Nico frowned, like he didn't quite know what to say.

     "It's okay." She said. "I'll remember soon."

     For the first time ever, she believed that she would.

     Nico smiled softly, but he hid his sadness behind it, like he knew the memories would break her. "I know you will." He whispered.

—————
lizzie speaks...

i LOVE cliffhangers 💕💕💋💕💃🥰🌈

also, gonna be SUPER busy with moving in the next few months. just for the summer. i underestimated how stressed i would be so if i'm not active, that is most likely the reason why. i will no longer be promising updates bc something always gets in the way

also do we like the nickname? do y'all know better ones?? if u do i'll pick my favourite and go with that but yk

Newt: we should just keep our heads down and try not to draw any attention to ourselves, all right?

Thomas: