𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐍𝐓 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ 𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐮

⇛ 𝐂𝐇. 𝟕

ultimately, the decision was made that jay was going to be banished. since he had broken the rules about harming another glader and because of what he had tried to do to sumin, he was deemed too dangerous to stay in the glade anymore.

when the sun was beginning to set and the doors were expected to close, sumin could hear people yelling. she was in the homestead resting after chenle had treated her neck. she was still struggling to talk but the pain was lessened thanks to his help.

ears perked up at the noise outside, she looked through one of the windows to see what was happening. jay had been dragged out of the slammer and gladers were surrounding him with poles and sticks, forcing him to move backwards, but sumin couldn't see clearly. she hurried for the door and chenle stood up alarmed.

"wait! don't go out there."

being the fast runner she was, she made it to the maze doors and stopped a little behind the other gladers. chenle caught up to her and they watched as jay was pushed further towards the doors.

"they're banishing him?" she asked.

"yeah..." chenle replied. "let's go back. come on."

as the two turned around to leave, jay's yells could be heard.

"she's a liar! i didn't do anything! i've been here for two years and she's only been here for a few days! you have to believe me! she's lying!

"jeno saw it all. we know what you've done." mark spoke and chenle tugged on sumin's arm to get her to leave.

"he's a liar as well! the two of them! they're working together and they're going to ruin everything! it's like eddie said that day!"

in a burst of anger, jeno hit him with the stick he was holding and knocked him in between the maze doors that were beginning to close. the gladers then advanced forward, blocking jay from trying to get out. he was pushed further and further until there was only a small gap between the doors and he wouldn't be able to come back.

"i've warned you." were the last words everyone heard before the doors shut.

gladers began to disperse, walking past sumin who stood frozen next to chenle, her eyes still set on the doors. jaemin walked up to her and turned her away. with his hand on the small of her back, they silently walked back towards the homestead and to his room which she was still sleeping in.

"you need to get some sleep." the runner told her as she sat down on the bed and he looked for a fresh set of clothes for her to sleep in.

"is this... is this my fault?" she asked, her voice timid and exhausted.

"is what your fault? the banishment? he attacked you so he deserved it." he reassured her.

"but he had to attack me for some reason, right? i must have done something... he said something about his friend eddie mentioning a girl was going to ruin everything. i'm the only girl here."

"woah. woah. don't listen to anything he said." jaemin joined her on the bed. "eddie got stung by a griever and went crazy, saying absurd things. he attacked jeno for no reason. he wasn't in his right mind so you can't trust anything jay told you about him."

"he attacked jeno? that's why he got banished?"

"did jay tell you that?" he sighed. "look, it's a long story and i don't think i should be the one to tell you. if you want to know, you'll have to ask jeno."

"he'd never tell me..." she whispered.

"one day maybe. everything will start to make sense." he said, standing up and placing the clothes next to her on the bed.