The Glade was unusually quiet.
Which meant Hope Wilde was up to something.
Baby tiptoed through the rehearsal tent, arms full of confetti cannons and fog machines. Hope followed behind, dragging a crate labeled "Emergency Glitter + Emotional Damage."
Y/N peeked in. "What are you two doing?"
Hope grinned. "Art."
Baby winked. "Chaos."
Newt groaned from outside. "I'm not cleaning up whatever this is."
Hope clicked her mic. "You'll be cleaning up your feelings when we're done."
🎭 The Plan
SAJA was scheduled to perform a resonance test—standard protocol to check for lingering demon energy in the Maze.
Hope and Baby had other ideas.
"We choreograph a fake performance," Baby whispered. "But every move triggers a prank."
"And the finale?" Hope smirked. "We open a portal. Accidentally. Probably."
Mystery raised an eyebrow. "You're going to prank the fabric of reality?"
Hope nodded. "With rhythm."
🎤 The Performance Begins
The Gladers gathered at sunset.
SAJA took the stage. Jinu, Abby, Romance, and Mystery stood ready.
Hope and Baby stepped forward in matching glitter jackets.
"Welcome to Prank Pulse," Hope announced. "A performance so powerful, it might break the universe."
The music started.
Baby spun into a dance break—triggering a fog machine that sprayed whipped cream.
Hope dropped into a mic solo—activating a confetti cannon aimed directly at Minho.
Mystery ducked as a glitter bomb exploded mid-verse.
Y/N was crying from laughter.
Newt was crying from stress.
Romance whispered, "This is performance art."
💥 The Portal Opens
Hope and Baby launched into the finale—an improvised duet of chaos and choreography.
Hope shouted, "Drop the beat!"
Baby stomped.
The ground cracked.
A pulse of energy surged through the Glade.
A glowing rift opened mid-air—swirling with light, sound, and something... ancient.
Jinu screamed, "YOU OPENED A PORTAL."
Hope blinked. "Oops."
Baby grinned. "We're legends."
From the portal, a shadow demon emerged—confused, glitter-covered, and mildly offended.
Hope clicked her mic.
"Welcome to the party."
🧠 The Battle
SAJA snapped into formation.
Mystery dropped a verse that distorted the demon's senses.
Abby sang a healing note that stabilized the Glade.
Romance whispered a line that sealed the portal's edges.
Baby danced like his life depended on it.
Hope threw a marshmallow grenade.
Y/N's mic glowed. She stepped forward.
"You don't belong here."
The demon screamed.
SAJA harmonized.
Hope hit the final note.
The portal collapsed.
And the demon exploded in a burst of glitter and bass.
🌌 Final Scene
Later, Hope and Baby sat on a pile of glitter-soaked beanbags.
Minho approached, still covered in whipped cream. "You two are banned from choreography."
Hope sipped her juice box. "We saved the Glade."
Baby nodded. "With style."
Newt sat beside Y/N, exhausted. "They opened a portal with a dance move."
Y/N smiled. "And closed it with a mic drop."
Jinu walked past, muttering, "I need a vacation."
Hope clicked her mic.
"This was just rehearsal."
And somewhere in the Maze, reality trembled.
Because Hope Wilde and Baby had rhythm.
And the universe wasn't ready.
