Solar Flares → The Maze Trials Prequel

07 → "IMPORTANT"

07 → "IMPORTANT"

February, 2142.

(Matt)

A FEW DAYS since, Matt received a note from Adeline. They hadn't talked since that night, and Adeline hadn't even acknowledged them in the cafeteria. Her mind seemed occupied, and it appeared that the guard assigned to escorting Group B was watching her closely. Matt didn't know why this was the case; maybe she had done something. But the day she handed him the note, it was brief and she seemed hesitant on giving it to him.

I need to talk to you. Just you. Meet me after lights out.

After lights out, Matt attempted to sneak out of his barracks. Sneaking out without the other three was hard, as they questioned where he was going. He lied through his teeth, told them he was going for a walk by himself secretly. The boys didn't seem to buy it, offering to go with, but he shut their offer down. He managed to convince them not to follow enough to get out of the barracks and meet Adeline. Her hair was tied up into its usual ponytail, and she looked nervous on being out in the halls alone. But, her face softened and relief flashed across her face when she noticed him.

"Hey." Matt stopped in front of her, voice hushed into a whisper. "Are you okay? What's so urgent that you need to tell me?"

Adeline craned her neck to make sure nobody else was around before she spoke. "Remember how I told you about my siblings? My brother and sister?"

"Yeah?" Matt nodded. "Why?"

"Don't tell the others anything I tell you, got it? Because remember when they mentioned four others kept apart like we were?" Matt nodded. "What were their names?"

"Thomas, Teresa, Aris and Rachel." Matt recited the four names. "But —"

"A few days ago on my way to class with Group B, we passed a boy who instantly I recognised. My brother." Adeline murmured. "And then the guard called him by a name that I instantly remembered Minho telling us. Aris."

Matt was shocked by what he just heard; "Your brother —"

"My brother is here. Aris is my brother." Adeline said. "And I think he's important."

—

March, 2143.

(Adeline, age 9)

It'd been over a year now since Adeline arrived. She had turned nine a few months ago, and her brother would've just turned twelve. It'd been a year since she saw her brother, but only a few days since she snuck out to meet her friends of Group A. According to Newt, they hadn't talked to Thomas or Teresa in months after an incident. Newt didn't tell her what had happened, and Minho and Alby didn't want to explain it. Matt hadn't been there when it happened, and Adeline didn't want to join them that night, as she had been too tired. But, apparently it had been so bad that the boys couldn't talk or meet their new friends again.

They'd gotten another girl in Group B. She was about a year younger than Adeline, with raven black hair, and said her name was Victoria, but girls had started to call her Tori. She'd arrived about two weeks ago, and had said she didn't know her biological parents, and that her adoptive ones gave her away when the Sun Flares hit. Adeline and Victoria now shared a bunk in the barracks, and since she'd arrived, they'd always been talking to one another and sitting beside one another during meals or their classes. Adeline hadn't seen Aris since, nor had she told the others, except for Matt. She could've told them, but hadn't snuck out in a few days. The guard who escorted her Group was watching her closely after the stunt in the hallway with her brother. She still couldn't believe he was here, couldn't believe that she wasn't allowed to communicate with him. If it was true, that he was special, what were they? Both Groups A and B? The guard called them the others; like they weren't important. Or, not as much as the four of them. Like, for whatever reason, they weren't special like them. Like Thomas and Teresa. Like Aris, and the other girl, Rachel.

But Adeline wanted to see him. Wanted to talk to her brother. Wanted to actually be able to reunite with him properly after now five years. So it seemed the only way to do so was sneak out, something she hadn't done in a few days. And that's what she currently was doing; sneaking out of the Group barracks, wondering down a hallway, looking for his dorm. She wondered if they'd be any way to know which was his dorm. Adeline wandered down the long stretched hallway until she found it; a door with a place card with the name ARIS. Next door was another door with the place card RACHEL. She didn't know whether to knock or not, considering she was sneaking out, but in the end found herself knocking on the dorm room door. It took a moment, but the door slowly creaked open; where she found her brother. He looked half a sleep - obviously he was a sleep and she'd woken him up.

"Gene —" he stopped himself, remembering. "Adeline, what're you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." she replied.

"You shouldn't be out in the halls." Aris said.

"Aris, it's been almost five years." Adeline said. Using his new name was strange. "We didn't even get a chance to say much before the guards dragged us away."

"Wow, that sounds like we're prisoners." Aris somewhat chuckled.

"We might as well be." Adeline shrugged. "We're being held away from the boys of Group A and you four —"

"Us four?" Aris questioned.

"The other three being kept away?" Adeline said, raising her eyebrow questionably. "Thomas? Teresa? Rachel —"

"Shh." Aris hushed her. "Look, Adeline. They're strict on keeping us apart. I don't know why, don't know why we're special, but I don't want you worrying about that. Just follow orders from the guards, attend your classes. Don't want you to sneak out of your barracks, stay with Group B. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"Aris —"

"No." Aris said. "They're doing us a favour by keeping us here. We're safe from infected people, from the outside world. And I know that they'll do whatever it takes for you to oblige to their orders. Now, head back to your barracks, alright?"

Adeline went to disagree, but Aris shook his head, pulled her into an embrace, then told her to go and not to leave the barracks at night. So Adeline obliged; watched as her brother bid her goodnight before shutting the door quietly, then she turned on her heels and wondered back to her barracks.