( o5. the aftermath )

─────────── ୨ৎ────────────

THE FIRST thing Ellie noticed was the pounding in her head, a dull, throbbing ache that seemed to pulse with every beat of her heart. The second was Clint's worried face hovering over her, his eyes intent as he leaned close. She blinked, the world slowly coming into focus, her mind still foggy.

"Welcome back," Clint said, his tone warm yet cautious. He gently shone a light in her eyes, checking her pupils. "How're you feeling?"

She winced as her dry throat scratched with the effort of speaking. "What happened?"

"Ben gave you a pretty nasty scratch," he replied, his expression darkening briefly. "Threw you against a tree. Never seen anything like it." Clint helped her sit up slowly, his hands steadying her. "Honestly, surprised you aren't worse than what you are."

Ellie took stock of her aches and pains, her entire body feeling sore and bruised. "Yeah well, I feel like shit."

Clint chuckled, shaking his head. "Not surprised. You took quite a hit." He stepped back, brushing his hands off. "Stay put. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To get Thomas. He's been asking about you non-stop, wanted to know the second you woke up."

Ellie barely had time to process this before Clint slipped out of the room, leaving her alone with the strange, hazy fragments of memory from the encounter with Ben. The rage in his eyes, the way he'd blamed Thomas. The words he'd whispered in her ear, still fresh in her mind: "He'll do the same to you." But before she could follow the thought further, Clint returned, and he wasn't alone.

Not only had he brought Thomas, but Newt and Chuck as well. Chuck, looking paler than usual, wasted no time. He rushed forward, his small arms wrapping around her in a fierce hug. She winced at the pressure, but returned the hug anyway, grateful for his comforting presence.

"Ellie!" Chuck's voice was muffled against her shoulder. "I was so worried!"

"How are you feeling?" Newt asked, his gaze flicking over her with a mixture of concern and relief as he leaned casually against the wall.

"Like I got hit by a truck," she muttered, testing her limbs as she shifted in her seat. Her head still pounded, but the memories from the attack were starting to clear. She looked up at Newt, her brow furrowing. "But i'm okay. What happened to Ben?"

The room went still, a heavy silence settling over them. Finally, Newt sighed, crossing his arms as he looked down, his voice low. "We uh... had to banish him. Couldn't let him stay—he'd gone mad. Plus he broke the rules."

A pang of sadness twisted in Ellie's chest. She knew the rules, knew what had to be done, but Ben's face kept flashing in her mind, a friend turned to something unrecognizable, something monstrous. "Poor Minho," she murmured, thinking of how close the two Runners had been. The silence that followed felt suffocating, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Newt pushed himself off the wall, breaking the tension. "Well we better get back to work. Just wanted to check in on ya. Come on guys." He patted Chuck on the shoulder, giving Ellie a nod before heading toward the door.

Chuck looked reluctant to leave, casting one last smile at Ellie before following Newt. He paused at the doorway, turning to Thomas. "Are you coming?"

Thomas glanced over at Ellie, shaking his head. "In a minute."

Once they were alone, Ellie met his gaze, seeing an intensity there that caught her off guard. "Are you okay?" she asked, trying to shift the focus off herself.

Thomas let out a surprised laugh. "You're asking if i'm okay? You're the one who got thrown at a tree."

Ellie managed a weak chuckle, but it faded quickly, leaving a tense silence between them.

After a moment, Thomas spoke, his voice quiet but insistent. "Ellie... This might catch you off guard but, I think I knew you before."

Ellie went rigid, her mind racing. "Thomas—"

"You can't say you don't feel it too." His gaze held hers, unwavering. "It's like a distant memory that's trying to push its way through. I can't explain it, but it's there, like... like we've met before."

Ellie looked away, her heart pounding. Of course she felt the same. But if she said yes she didn't know what this could mean. What might change. "No, I don't, i'm sorry Thomas," she lied, the words feeling hollow even as they left her lips. She forced herself to avoid his gaze, but she knew he could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

Thomas's eyes narrowed, as if he could see right through her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Clint appeared around the corner, his presence cutting through the tension.

"Alright," Clint said briskly, glancing between the two, ignoring the looks they shared. "Let's see how you're feeling. Want to try standing up? See if you're steady?"

Ellie nodded, and both Thomas and Clint moved to support her as she pushed herself to her feet, her legs wobbling as she took a few tentative steps. She stumbled, falling against Thomas, who caught her with a steadying hand. After a few more steps around the room, she felt her strength returning, and she gently pushed away their support.

"I'm fine," she assured them, though a faint dizziness still lingered. She turned to Clint, her brow raised. "Am I all good to go?"

Clint nodded, though his expression remained stern. "If you're careful and don't go slamming into any more trees, then yes. But take it easy."

Ellie smirked, rolling her eyes. "I'll try not to get attacked again." She headed for the door, but Thomas followed close behind, his footsteps echoing hers as they stepped out of the Medjack hut.

They made their way toward the Homestead in silence, where Newt and Zart had been doing some work, their expressions tense and uneasy. Ellie exchanged a wary glance with Thomas, sensing that something was off.

"What's going on?" she asked, scanning the boys faces.

The boys stopped their work and Newt stepped forward, his face drawn with worry. "Alby and Minho went into the maze."

Ellie felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "Into the maze? Why would Alby—"

"Went to retrace Ben's steps," Zart explained, his voice tight with concern.

"But that doesn't make sense," Thomas said, frowning. "Why would Alby go?"

"Things are different now," he said quietly. He looked over at Thomas, his eyes sharp. "Hey, are you gonna help?"

Thomas glanced at him, before just looking at the ground. "But... Alby isn't a runner."

"He knows what he's doing," Newt assured him, though Ellie could see the worry in his eyes, a flicker of doubt that he couldn't quite hide. "All right? Alby knows better than any of us."

Ellie's gaze met Thomas's, seeing the same unease reflected in his eyes. She'd been in the Glade long enough to understand the unspoken rules, the rigid boundaries that kept them safe—or as safe as they could be in a place like this. Breaking those rules, especially when it came to who could enter the maze, was something that rarely ended well.

─────────── ୨ৎ────────────