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PROLOGUE.
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━┛ ⠀⠀⠀⠀
"Get the hell in there!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"God, get off me," Lace seethed, trying to flail out of the guard's grasp. "Get off of me, you dick!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Kid, this would be a lot easier if you'd just listen to what I say," the man muttered through gritted teeth, his grip on Lace's frame tightening significantly. He grunted as he threw her into the dimly lit room, making her stagger forward a bump into the wall with a loud thud.
⠀⠀⠀⠀She hissed in pain, rubbing her arm where she'd been bruised prior. "I don't think any sane person would listen to someone who was trying to kill them."
⠀⠀⠀⠀Anger briefly flickered across the guard's features. He shoved her into a seat with force, wincing when he heard the chair's legs scraping the floor unpleasantly. "I am not trying to kill you. I'm doing my job," he countered, pulling a shackle out of his pouch, the metal clinking against the table as he attatched one of her wrists to it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Okay, sure. You're just doing what Doctor Ava Paige tells you to do, since you're one of her little minions, aren't you?" Fists clenching, Lace's teeth clashed together as the shackle was tightened, refraining from cursing at the burning sensation on her wrist. "And she told you to put me here — because she's gonna kill me."
⠀⠀⠀⠀The guard's jaw tightened, his temper hitting a thin line — but he didn't argue back. In a way, Lace was right. He'd just hate to admit it.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're stuck here, don't fight it. If you try to get out, you'll hurt yourself," the man stated, fingers tapping at the restraint that had her fixed in her seat. "Someone will come to see you shortly."
⠀⠀⠀⠀He sighed heavily as he exited the room, and Lace wore a deep frown, her eyes trailing after him. 'You'll hurt yourself'? Was that meant to be some sort of joke? If he was going to pretend to care, the least he could do was stay with her so she wouldn't spend her last few moments alone.
⠀⠀⠀⠀For the most part, Lace didn't want to die. She was aware that she was young; she could have a whole life ahead of her that was worth living. Though, the chances were slim. Lace had been stuck at WCKD for as long as she could remember, and it truly did not seem that she'd get out of there any time soon.
⠀⠀⠀⠀"Lace?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀The voice snapped her out of her thoughts, gaze shifting to the doorway. And when her eyes landed on the familiar face, her heart dropped to the ground.
⠀⠀⠀⠀It felt like the world had stopped spinning. Eyes cold as stone, Lace simply just stared, ceasing movement for a moment. She hadn't seen Thomas in what felt like forever. He looked older now — taller, longer hair, face a little bit more defined. Lace remembered that he'd always had pretty features, anyway.
