3rd Person POV:

Thomas suggested that they investigate the dead Griever to uncover any hidden information. Y/N, Thomas, Minho, Zart, Frypan, and Winston all agreed, knowing they couldn't waste any more time. The Glade felt more unstable with each passing day, and they needed answers.

With the sky above painted in muted hues of blue and grey, the group stood before the maze entrance. Y/N glanced at Newt, who remained behind to lead and watch over the Gladers. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile, and he nodded back, knowing she was strong enough for whatever awaited her.

"Be careful out there, love," Newt whispered, cupping her face gently before leaning in for a quick but lingering kiss. Y/N nodded, her heart fluttering, but her determination strong as she joined the group entering the maze.

They arrived at the site where the Griever had been crushed between two massive walls. The creature's grotesque body lay mangled, a metallic sheen visible beneath its skin-like surface. Minho crouched beside it, inspecting the mess closely, his brow furrowed.

"What the hell is this thing made of?" Frypan asked, his voice betraying both disgust and curiosity.

"Let's find out," Minho muttered, and with a quick motion, he plunged his knife into the Griever's torso, cutting deeper until he reached something hard. His fingers grasped it, pulling out a heart-shaped object encased in metal.

Y/N's breath hitched as she noticed wires sticking out from the tube-like structure. Minho turned it in his hand, revealing a small screen with the number "7" glowing faintly in digital red.

"Number seven...what does it mean?" Winston asked, his face pale as he stared at the device.

Thomas took a step closer, examining the object in Minho's hand. "It has to be a code. Maybe for something bigger." His voice was low, as though his mind was already racing through countless possibilities.

Y/N exchanged a glance with Thomas. This discovery was a turning point, she could feel it in her bones. Whatever that number represented, it was connected to why they were here.

"Let's get back to the Glade," she urged, her voice firm. "We need to figure this out before anything else happens."

Once they returned, Y/N wasted no time in running to Newt. He was standing by the Map Room, overseeing the drawings of the maze, but as soon as he saw her approach, he rushed over.

"Newt!" she called, breathless from both the run and the surge of adrenaline. "We found something inside the Griever. A metal tube...and it had the number seven on it."

Newt's eyes widened as he processed the information. "A number? What do you think it means?"

Before Y/N could answer, Jeff, one of the Medjacks, appeared behind them, his expression bright with relief. "Alby's awake. He's alright."

Y/N gasped, her heart pounding with joy and disbelief. "He's awake?" She didn't wait for confirmation. Her feet carried her to the Medhut faster than she thought possible, her mind racing with relief. She pushed through the door, her eyes landing on Alby sitting up in bed.

Tears instantly welled in her eyes as she rushed to him, her voice catching in her throat. "Alby..."

Alby smiled softly, though his face still showed the strain from the ordeal. "Hey... I'm alright. I promise."

Y/N collapsed into his arms, hugging him tightly as she let her tears fall. "I was so scared we'd have to carve your name into that wall too..." she whispered, her voice trembling.

Alby held her close, his strong arms around her providing comfort she hadn't realized she so desperately needed. "I'm not going anywhere," he reassured her, his hand gently stroking her hair. "You won't lose me that easily."

Y/N pulled back slightly, wiping her tears as she managed a shaky laugh. "You better not. We've lost too many already."

Just then, Thomas, Minho, and Newt entered the room, followed by Teresa, who had come in quietly, her presence still new and unfamiliar. They all crowded around Alby, anxious to hear what he had to say.

Alby looked at each of them, his expression suddenly serious. "I remember things," he started, his voice hoarse but steady. "It's all coming back...the Maze, the Creators, everything. And Thomas—" his gaze landed on Thomas, heavy with meaning. "I know who you are. And why you're here."

Everyone held their breath as Alby's words hung in the air like a storm about to break.

Alby's breath was shaky as he looked up at the group gathered around his bed. His eyes met Y/N's first, softening at the sight of her tear-streaked face. "I remember everything," he whispered, his voice barely above a murmur.

Y/N's heart clenched at his words. "W-What do you remember?" she asked cautiously, her hand gripping his tightly as if grounding him.

Alby's eyes darkened, flickering with a mix of fear and anger as he turned to Thomas. "I remember why we're here. What they did to us."

Everyone in the room went still, the tension almost palpable. Newt, standing beside Y/N, clenched his fists, his gaze hardening as he watched Alby struggle to speak.

Thomas stepped forward, his face a mix of confusion and guilt. "What do you mean, Alby? Who's 'they'?"

Alby's breathing hitched, and he glanced nervously around the room as if expecting someone or something to barge in at any moment. "The people who put us here... The Creators. They're the ones running this maze, controlling everything. We're part of some... experiment."

Y/N felt a chill run down her spine at his words, her grip on Newt tightening. "An experiment?" she whispered, horrified.

Alby nodded slowly, eyes flicking to Teresa as if she held more of the answers. "Teresa and Thomas—they're connected to all of this. I saw it... I remember them being with the Creators. I don't know how or why, but they're involved." His voice grew more urgent. "And the maze? It's not just a prison. It's a test."

Minho furrowed his brows. "What kind of test? What are they testing us for?"

Alby shook his head, his face filled with anguish. "I don't know exactly, but... survival, maybe. How we respond to fear. The Grievers, the maze, everything—it's all part of their game."

The room fell silent, the weight of Alby's revelation sinking in. Y/N's head spun as she tried to process it all. A test. An experiment. Her heart ached for the friends they had lost, for the lives that had been sacrificed for something so sick and twisted.

Thomas, meanwhile, stood frozen, shock and denial warring on his face. "That can't be right," he muttered, shaking his head. "I don't remember anything about the Creators or being involved in this."

Alby's gaze hardened. "Whether you remember it or not, you and Teresa were a part of it. That's why the note in her hand said she was the last one. There won't be any more supplies, no more new people. This... this is the end."

Y/N felt her breath hitch, fear rising in her chest. "So what do we do now?" she asked softly, her voice trembling. "If this is the end, how do we get out?"

Minho, ever the fighter, straightened up. "We keep going. We find a way out of this maze, and we get to the Creators. If they think they can control us like this, we'll show them they're wrong."

Teresa, who had been silent this whole time, finally spoke up, her voice firm. "We can't give up. There has to be a way. The numbers we've been seeing in the maze—it has to mean something. We need to figure out what the seven stands for."

Newt nodded, stepping forward as the leader they all looked up to. "We go tomorrow. We'll explore every inch of that maze if we have to. And we'll figure out the meaning behind that number."

Alby, looking exhausted but determined, nodded in agreement. "You have to. For all of us."

Y/N, still holding onto Alby's hand, squeezed it gently. "We'll find a way out, Alby. I promise."

He gave her a weak smile, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I know you will."

Just then, Thomas, who had been quiet since Alby's revelations, spoke again, his voice steady but laced with unease. "If we're really connected to all of this... maybe there's something in my memory that can help. I'll go into the maze with you tomorrow."

Newt turned to Thomas, his eyes searching. "You sure about that? Things are only gonna get worse."

Thomas nodded, determination replacing the uncertainty in his expression. "I need to know the truth. And if there's a way out, I'm going to help find it."

Alby's gaze swept over the group, but when his eyes landed on Y/N, something flickered in them—pain, guilt. He exhaled slowly, his hands trembling slightly as he clenched the bedsheet. "There's something else you all need to know. Something about Y/N... and Thomas."

Y/N frowned, her heart suddenly racing. "What about me?" she asked, confusion clouding her face. She glanced at Thomas, who looked just as puzzled.

Alby swallowed hard, his voice growing heavy with emotion. "Y/N... you're not just another Glader. You're not here by accident." His eyes shifted to Thomas. "You're his sister."

The room went deathly silent.

Thomas stiffened, his eyes wide, staring at Alby in disbelief. "What?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "That's not possible. I don't... I don't remember having a sister."

Y/N's head spun, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to process the revelation. "Alby, what are you talking about?" she asked, her voice shaky. "How could I be Thomas's sister?"

Alby's voice was strained as he continued. "I saw it, Y/N. When I was stung by the Griever, the memories came flooding back—things I didn't want to remember. You and Thomas... you were together before the maze. You were sent here because of some twisted experiment, but you're family. You always were."

Y/N stared at him, her heart pounding harder than ever. Family. The word felt foreign, almost like a distant memory she couldn't quite grasp. She turned to Thomas, searching his face for any sign of recognition, but he looked just as lost as she felt.

"I don't remember any of this," Thomas muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "But why... why would they send us both here?"

Alby's expression darkened, and he shook his head. "That's the part that haunts me the most. I don't know why they'd put you two through this.

lby took a shaky breath, looking from Y/N to Thomas, his face shadowed with regret and sorrow. He seemed to be struggling with his next words, and the heaviness of his silence only added to the tension building in the room.

"There's something else you need to know," he began, his voice low and hoarse. "Thomas... you didn't just come here by chance. You were one of the people who helped send us all into this nightmare. You... you sent Y/N here." His gaze locked on Thomas, the weight of this revelation settling over the group like a dark cloud. "You chose her."

Thomas staggered backward, his face pale as if the very air had been knocked out of him. "I... I did what?" he stammered, his eyes wide with horror and confusion. He looked to Y/N, searching her face as if somehow she could make sense of it. But Y/N's heart felt like it was shattering, her mind spinning with disbelief and betrayal.

Alby nodded, his jaw tight. "I saw it in my memories. You... you were part of the team that selected who would go into the maze. And, somehow, they got you to make the hardest decisions, the ones that tore people apart. I don't know how or why, but they made you pick... and Y/N, you were one of the last people he chose."

Y/N's breath hitched, her chest tightening as she absorbed the weight of Alby's words. She felt a wave of betrayal mixed with a strange sense of pity; she couldn't understand why, but the look of pain in Thomas's eyes made her want to reach out to him, even as part of her wanted to scream.

"I didn't... I didn't know," Thomas choked, his voice cracking. "I don't remember any of it. If I did this, if I... if I chose Y/N, I—I must have had a reason." He looked at her, his eyes pleading, but Y/N struggled to hold his gaze, her own eyes filling with tears.

"And it wasn't just Y/N," Alby added, his voice thick with the weight of his memories. "You sent Newt in too. Knowing what he meant to her. Knowing they'd be stuck here, fighting to survive." He shook his head, bitterness creeping into his tone. "I can't imagine the hell you must've felt to make those choices, Thomas, but it doesn't change the fact that you did it."

Newt's face went ashen, his jaw clenching as he processed the betrayal. He kept his eyes down, avoiding both Y/N's gaze and Thomas's. Y/N could see the turmoil on his face, and her own heart ached for him.

Thomas looked devastated, a broken expression overtaking his features. "I... I'm so sorry. I don't know why I would've done it. I didn't remember any of this," he repeated, his voice a hollow echo. "I just know that if I could go back, if I could change it, I would. I swear."

Y/N felt her heart soften just a fraction. She could see the genuine regret etched into every line on his face, but the pain of what she'd just learned was too fresh. She took a shaky breath, trying to hold back her tears, but the hurt was too much.

"Thomas," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You may not remember, but you sent us here. You sent me here... into this prison, into this nightmare. And now I'm supposed to—" She stopped, the words catching in her throat. She wanted to forgive him, to tell herself he wasn't the person he used to be, but the wound was too deep.

Alby's voice cut through the silence, tinged with a weary sadness. "They put you both through hell. All of us. But you're here now, Thomas, and I can't say I understand it all, but somehow... you might be the key to getting us out. You and Y/N, together."

Thomas took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Then that's what I'll do. I'll do everything I can to fix what I did... to make up for all of it. I don't care what it takes."

Y/N looked at him, a spark of something fragile flickering within her. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to make things right.

Later that night, Y/N had left the others who were eating dinner in the mess hall to go sit by the wall, lost in thought. Thomas stood a few feet away, his gaze fixed on the ground, shoulders tense as if bracing himself for whatever she might say. Y/N took a deep, steadying breath, her heart pounding as she took a step closer.

"Thomas," she began softly, her voice gentle despite the storm of emotions swirling within her. "I know... I know you don't remember. I can see how much this is tearing you apart, and I believe you when you say you didn't know any of this."

Thomas looked up, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and guilt. "I don't even know what to say. I can't imagine why I would do something like this... to you, of all people. I don't even remember having a sister." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every movement. "And yet... knowing that I could have made those choices... it scares me, Y/N."

Y/N felt her heart soften, seeing the raw vulnerability on his face. She reached out, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, grounding him. "Thomas," she said softly, "I can't say that this doesn't hurt. Finding out that you, my brother, sent me into this place... it's a lot to take in. But..." She hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. "But I'm not going to hold it against you. It's in the past. And whatever reason you had... you must have thought you were doing the right thing."

Thomas's eyes widened slightly, disbelief mingling with gratitude. "Y/N, you're being so... I don't know if I deserve this. How can you just... forgive me like that?"

She managed a small, bittersweet smile. "I don't know why you sent me or Newt here, but that's not what matters to me now." She took a deep breath, her voice becoming steadier as she continued. "What matters is who you are now. The person I see standing in front of me, trying so hard to protect everyone here, trying to make things right... that's the person I know."

Thomas blinked back the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes, and Y/N felt her own emotions rising as she looked into the face of her brother—the brother she hadn't known she had, and yet, somehow, always felt connected to.

"You've been with us through every struggle, every loss," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You've risked your life for us, fought alongside us. That's what I see when I look at you. Not someone who made a choice in some past life we can barely remember. I see the Thomas who would go back into the Maze a thousand times over if it meant saving even one of us."

Thomas's voice cracked as he replied, "But knowing I could have caused you so much pain... it feels like I'm losing a part of myself every time I think about it."

Y/N stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. "You haven't lost me, Thomas. And I won't let you lose yourself either. Whatever happened, whatever you did or didn't do, it's in the past. We're here now. We're family."

Thomas held onto her tightly, as if he feared she might disappear if he let go. "You... you're really not angry with me?" His voice was small, vulnerable, like a child seeking forgiveness.

"I'm not," Y/N replied, resting her head against his shoulder. "I don't understand why you sent me or Newt here, especially knowing how much I... how much I love him. But you're my brother, and I won't let this change that. Maybe we don't understand the whole picture yet, but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on you."

Thomas pulled back slightly, looking into her eyes, searching for any hint of resentment or anger, but all he saw was understanding and kindness. He shook his head, smiling softly, despite the tears that lingered in his eyes. "You're... you're amazing, Y/N. I don't deserve this, I don't deserve you."

She reached up, gently brushing away the tear that escaped down his cheek. "Maybe you don't, but you've got me anyway." Her voice was tender, filled with a warmth that eased the tension in his chest. "Family doesn't mean we're perfect, Thomas. It means we're here for each other, even when it's hard."

Thomas exhaled, relief mixing with the guilt still lodged in his heart. "I don't remember our life before this place, but... if we were family then, I must have loved you a lot to want to keep you close. Maybe... maybe that's why you're here."

Y/N's heart swelled at his words. "Then let's hold onto that," she whispered. "Whatever happens next, we'll face it together. And maybe someday, we'll figure out why everything happened the way it did. But for now... you're my brother, Thomas. That's all that matters to me."

Thomas's face softened, a genuine smile breaking through his guilt and sorrow. He pulled her into another embrace, this time holding her close with a newfound resolve, as if the simple act of being her brother gave him strength he hadn't known he had.

"I won't let you down again," he murmured, his voice filled with quiet determination. "I swear, Y/N. Whatever it takes, I'll protect you, and I'll protect Newt and everyone else. No more secrets, no more mistakes."

Y/N closed her eyes, resting against him as she let the comfort of the moment wash over her. "And I'll be right beside you," she promised. "Every step of the way."

For the first time since he'd entered the maze, Thomas felt a glimmer of hope, a sense of belonging that no maze or experiment could ever take away. He had a sister, someone who loved him unconditionally despite the mistakes of his past—a past they might never fully understand. And, as they stood there, side by side, Thomas knew that no matter what lay ahead, he wouldn't face it alone.