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[ Chapter 21 ]
❛Welcome Back❜
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HALF AN HOUR HAD PASSED. The trio found themselves slowly making their way back through the large maze, towards the Glade; hoping they won't run into any nasty grievers on the way. Jungkook had stopped crying not long after he had started, thanks to the help of Amara who comforted him back to a more stable mental state— which he was incredibly thankful for.
Although, he couldn't help but wonder what Jay and Amara would think of him, or if they'd tell others when they got back, thinking he was a sissy. However, he couldn't have prevented the tears even if he tried his best to, he knew. Even without his memories, he knew he had just been through the most traumatic night of his life and that tends to take a toll on someone. His sore hands and exhaustion didn't help.
However, he idolised Jay and Amara too much to realise that they felt the exact same. The two runners were tired beyond their wits, not used to running that much whilst having their guard up at all times, not to mention their emotional states had suffered severe blows— they were traumatised. But would that stop them from running into the maze again? No. . . finding a way out was more important to them.
"I still can't believe we survived the night." Jungkook broke the silence between the three of them, not able to contain himself any longer.
If Amara wasn't so tired and drained, she would have laughed at his words and the disbelief in his tone. Instead, she nodded her head up and down slowly, her gaze fixed ahead of her as they walked.
"I can't believe you killed a shucking griever, good on ya man." Jay spoke up with the shake of his head, him too in disbelief at the events that had unfolded.
Jungkook couldn't believe what he had done either, not only had he managed to find and reunite himself with Amara and Jay, which would of been as hard as trying to find a needle in a large haystack, but he had killed a griever, outran many and managed to come out alive at the end of it— this time yesterday he was being told to never set foot in the maze, now look at him. . . he dreaded to know the punishments he would, not may, face.
"Speaking of which, do you think there are more of them, like Amara had said? Or did we kill them all?" Jungkook expressed his queries.
Jay snorted. "Somehow we made it to sunrise, or we would've had ten more on our butts before long." He suddenly winced and hopped his next stride, as if it pained him to walk. "We did the impossible. We made it though the entire night— never been done before. Ever."
Amara noticed the boys slight limp. "Are you okay Jay?" She asked, but he dismissed her with the wave of his hand to assure her that he was okay. Amara didn't believe him but she didn't press on the matter.
The three of them knew they should be feeling prouder of themselves, braver, something. But all they were feeling mainly was exhaustion and relief— their beds were calling them.
"What did we do differently?" Jungkook wondered aloud.
Jay snorted once more. "I don't know. It's kind of hard to ask a dead guy what he did wrong."
Jungkook couldn't stop wondering about how the grievers enraged cries had ended as they fell from the cliff, and how he hadn't been able to hear or see them plummet to their deaths. There was something very strange and unsettling about it. He remembered the conversation the three of them had when they were still sat at the cliffs edge, recuperating themselves:
"Seems like they disappeared or something after they went over the edge." Jungkook brought to the others attention, eager to know if the weird fact was playing on their minds and not just his— he was an overly-curios person.
Jay nodded his head. "Yeah, that was kinda psycho. Couple of gladers had a theory that other things had disappeared or something after they went over the edge. But we proved'em wrong. Look."
Jungkook and Amara watched as Jay tossed a rock over the cliff, then followed its path with their eyes. Down and down it went, not leaving their sight until it grew too small to see. They turned back to Jay. "How on earth does that prove then wrong?" Amara questions him with a raised eyebrow.
Jay shrugged. "Well, the rock didn't just disappear, now, did it? It fell."
He was right.
"Then what do you think happened with the grievers?" There was something significant here; Jungkook could feel it and just by the look portrayed in Amara's eyes, he knew she felt it too.
Jay shrugged again. "Maybe they're magic. My head hurts too much to think about all this right now." He groaned.
Jungkook didn't press on the matter, choosing to just remain considerably quiet like Amara had been— unusual for herself, because he too was beginning to feel a migraine developing and he was too tired to debate with Jay if grievers are possibly magical and can randomly disappear.
"We have to go back," Straining, Jungkook forced himself to get to his feet. "Gotta get Namjoon off the wall."
The boy had said it so casually, he almost laughed at the puzzled expressions shown on the faces of Jay and Amara. "I'm sorry, did you just say 'off the wall'?" The girl questioned him incredulously.
"Yeah." He nodded, "I managed to wrap him up in the vines and he's currently suspended in the air on the wall. . . I hope he's alright."
Amara was amazed. How did Jungkook manage all of this and on his own— how selfless could one be? Not only had he saved himself, but Amara and Namjoon, well hopefully Namjoon, would now live to see another day all because of the heroic actions enacted by the Greenie. Many underestimated him, but now they couldn't ignore him— he had done what they couldn't.
Jay stared at Jungkook, his eyes dejected. "No way he's still alive. Grievers probably found him like they did us."
Jungkook refused to believe it, otherwise his hard efforts would have all been for nothing, despite the high chances. "You don't know that. Come on."
"Because no ones ever made it. . ." he trailed off and Jungkook knew what he was thinking.
"That's because they've always been killed by the grievers by the time you found them. Namjoon was only stung with one of those needles, right?"
Jay stood up, helping a quiet Amara up from off the ground right after. The three began their slow walk back towards the Glade. "I don't know, I guess this has emended happened before. A few, and only few, guys have been stung by the needles during the day. Those are the ones who got the serum and went through the changing. The poor shanks who got stuck out in the maze all night weren't found until later— days later, sometimes, if at all. And all of them were killed in ways you don't wanna hear about."
Amara had shuddered at the words Jay had shared and after the night they all shared, she knew it was gruesome, incredibly gruesome. "After what we just went through. . . I think we can imagine."
The boys would have laughed, if the situation wasn't involving past gladers who had lost their lives— it wasn't exactly appropriate. However, it did make them think.
Jay looked up, surprise present on his face. "I think you may have just figured it out, Greenie. We've been wrong— well, hopefully we've been wrong. Because no one who'd been stung and didn't make it back by sunset ever survived, we just assumed that was the point of no return— when it's too late to get the serum." He seemed excited by his line of thinking.
There was a chance Namjoon could be saved. . .
They turned yet another corner, Jay suddenly taking the lead. The boy's pace was picking up, and Amara and Jungkook stayed on his heels. The latter was surprised with himself at how familiar he felt with the directions, usually even leaning into turns before Jay or Amara showed him the way— it felt right to him.
"Okay— this serum you mentioned earlier," Jungkook spoke up. "I've heard that a couple of times now. What is that? And where does it come from?"
"Just what is sounds like, shank. It's a serum. The Grief serum." Jay answered briskly.
Jungkook forced out a pathetic laugh. "Just when I think I've learned everything about this stupid place. Why is it called that? And why are the grievers are the called grievers?"
"It's nice to see your usual self hasn't changed, popping out questions like a hen laying eggs, even after you've killed a griever and all— surprised you haven't asked us to get on our knees and kiss your feet." Amara mused, her playful self coming to light even if it was just for a moment.
Jungkook smirked down at her. "Don't tempt me." He replied coyly and Jay laughed at the two before responding to the earlier questions.
"I don't know where we got the names, but the serum comes from the creators— or that's what we choose to call' em, of this shuck place. It's with the supplies in the box every week, always has been. It's a medicine or antidote or something, already inside a medical syringe, ready to use." He demonstrated sticking a needle in Amara's arm with his finger, making her smile. "Stick that sucker in someone who's been stung and it saves' em. They go through the changing— which sucks —but after that, they're healed and good as new."
The group kept walking. Jay seemed to have a sudden prep in his step as he walked, this was because the chance that once they found Namjoon, if he survived the long night, that they could get him back and use the serum, therefore saving his life and having his good'ol pal back again— the Glade wouldn't be the same with him gone. . . the same could be said for a lot of the boys.
Whilst Jay walked with a hop in his step, something was nagging at Jungkook's mind. He'd been trying to ignore the thought, pushing it away whenever it arose, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. "What if another griever really did get Namjoon after I diverted the one that was chasing after me?"
Amara raised her eyebrows at his question, turning to him with a pointed gaze. "Now look who's being a negative nancy." She teased.
Jay, however, looked over at the other boy with a blank expression on his face. . . he didn't want anything to take away the small hope he had within himself that he could save his friend.
"Let's just hurry, is all I'm saying." Jungkook redeemed himself, simply hoping all that effort used to save Namjoon hadn't been wasted.
At his words, they attempted to try and pick up their pace, but their bodies hurt too much and so they settled back into a slow walk despite the urgency. They all prayed, wished and hoped that Namjoon would still be there and alive when they finally got to him, whenever that would be.
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"I told you Chuck. They weren't gonna make it."
Hope sighed heavily, his eyes red and swollen and his dark circles protruding. He physically deflated like a balloon losing its air when he watched the doors open, revealing nothing out of the ordinary to them— his four friends hadn't made it.
He didn't know what he was expecting or why he had such high hopes, no one had ever survived a night in the maze. However, he couldn't help but hope that things would be different this time, after all Jungkook and Amara were peculiar greenies who seemed capable of anything, plus they had Jay, and Hope knew that he was capable of anything.
The group of gladers gathered around the same door that had locked the door in only last night, began to disperse. A somber mood encased the usual bright; cheery glade that was never silent, but now, as the boys suffered a loss so great— losing four of its most prominent members, was now as silent as a group of people would when mourning a loss.
There was some that suffered a greater blow compared to others, like Hope who was not only incredibly close to Namjoon and Jay, but was also beginning to care for Jungkook and Amara who had left a lasting impression. The same could be said for Jin and Suga, but then there was V, who has lost his best friend. . . how could he cope without a personality like Jay's? It wasn't easy for any of them.
V hung back with Chuck, not bothering to make his way back towards his Blood house for work— he didn't want to. It felt wrong of him to carry on as if nothing happened, and he presumed others thought the same and pained them to do so. However, they had a Glade to run.
"I'm sorry Chuck." V placed his hand on the boys shoulder and apologises on behalf of who? He doesn't know, all he knew was that he felt sorry for the youngest boy who seemed to idolise Jay and became friends with both Amara and Jungkook.
Said boy bowed his head, not uttering a word as he turned on his heel and began to make his way to where? He didn't know, he just didn't want to look out into the maze that had taken more victims. . . he feared it.
V went to join him, however movement in the corner of his right eye captured his attention. Facing his full body to the maze again, his eyes widened when he seen Jay, Amara and Jungkook, alive, limping, shuffling and walking their way into view— he couldn't believe his eyes.
A large smile worked its way onto his handsome face. "Hell yeah!" He exclaimed in glee, throwing his fist into the air.
Hope limped as he ran the fastest he had ever before, pushing his way ahead of the others and immediately running into the maze and confronting the three people he thought were dead seconds ago. "How in the bloody—?"
"We'll tell you later," Jungkook interrupted him quickly. "We have to save Namjoon."
Hope's face drained white. "What do you mean? He's alive?"
"Just come here." Jungkook headed to the right, craning his neck to look high up at the wall, searching along the thick vines until he found the spot where Namjoon hung by his arms and legs far above them. Without saying anything, Jungkook pointed up, not daring to feel fully relieved yet— but at-least he was still there where he had left them.
Hope, Jay and Amara all craned their necks, finally seeing Namjoon hanging their in the ivy. If Hope had seemed shocked before, now he looked completely bewildered.
Amara clicked her tongue, humming. "That's something I never thought I'd see."
"Is he. . . alive?" Jay asked, his words slow.
'Please let him be.' Jungkook thought to himself. "I don't know, was when I left him here."
"When you left him? . . ." Hope rose an eyebrow at Jungkook, his arms in their usual folded stature as he stared down the younger boy.
Jungkook visibly shrunken away from his intense, accusatory stare. "Well those two left me on my own." He pointed a finger at Jay and Amara, their mouths falling slack.
Hope's fiery gaze turned to burn through Jay instead. "You left him? The bloody Greenie's never been in the maze before, let alone at night and you left him?"
Jay held his hands up in surrender. "Hey! I panicked okay and besides this bloody shank didn't even try and follow us, he ran the bleedin' other way!" He exclaimed in his own defence.
"Enough arguing now, yeah?" Hope shook his head; pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers in attempt to keep his cool. "The three of you get your butts inside; get yourselves checked by the Med-jacks. You look bloody awful. I want the whole story when they're finished and you're well rested. We'll sort Joonie out."
Jay didn't need to be told twice, the boy was already making his way out of the maze, his limp now obvious from his sprained ankle. Hope patted his shoulder when he walked past, congratulating the boy wordlessly on his brave actions and being able to survive the full night— he may have underestimated the younger boy, the Greenies too.
Jay had barely taken a step out of the maze, before he was pulled into the embrace of V, his best friend. The two wrapped their arms round one another tightly, both feeling great relief to be reunited with one another after they thought they'd lost one another.
Amara and a few others watched the exchange with a fond smile, before she patted Jungkook's arm and the two went to leave the maze and head to the Homestead aswell. However, before Amara or Jungkook could even blink or process what was happening, they found themselves being pulled back into Hope's comforting embrace— boy was he glad to see the two of them safe and sound.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, ya hear me, Greenies?" He warned them like a parent would scold their children. The two rolled their eyes at the use of the word 'Greenie'. . . they thought they had moved past that already.
"No promises." Amara mused as they pulled away, winking as she did so with hopes to lighten the mood. Hope glared at her and her teasing, but his smile didn't falter, even when he stood and watched the two of them and Jay begin to walk away.
"Nice to have ya back greenies." Jin and Suga said simultaneously, the two taking it upon themselves to ruffle their hands through their locks of brown hair, making them laugh heartedly as they walked past the two.
The walk back to the Homestead seemed endless, a row of Gladers on both sides gawking at them. Their faces showed complete awe, as if they were watching three ghosts strolling through a graveyard casually. Amara knew it was because they'd accomplished something never done before, especially since two out of three of them had been here nearly three weeks or less. . . but still, she was embarrassed by the attention and judging by Jungkooks red ears, he was too.
Speaking of Jungkook, the poor boy almost stopped walking altogether when he spotted Gally up ahead, his arms were folded and he was glaring at him, but he kept on moving. It took every ounce of his willpower, but he looked directly into Gally's eyes, not once breaking contact. When he got to within a couple of metres, the other boy's stare fell to the ground.
It almost disturbed Jungkook how good that felt. Almost.
Amara had watched the exchange between the two boys, an almost proud smile on her face upon seeing emit his dominance over the boy who seemed to hold such a high level of arrogance, like he was some king or God and although Gally hadn't done much to wrong her, just try and pick a fight here and then, it was annoying and he needed to be put in his place. . . he was no better than the rest of them here.
She jumped when she felt an unexpected pressure in her hand. She looked down to see a hand in her own. Looking up, she seen it was Jay who had entwined his hand with her own. The boy flashed her his standard breathtaking smile and Amara felt her knees go weak, from fatigue or swooning, she didn't know.
The next few minutes were a blur. Escorted into the Homestead by the two Med-Jacks, up the stairs and whilst walking through the upstairs corridor, they were able to catch a glimpse of the comatose girl through a barely ajar door. Jungkook felt the strong urge to go and see her, to check on her but he decided against it, realising that sleep was more important to him right now.
They were led into their rooms, Jungkook able to stay in Hope's while he rested up. Clint went with Amara and Jay, while Jeff was with Jungkook. All too quickly, they were out to bed, fed, watered and bandaged up where need be. Finally, when they were left alone, the moment their heads landed on the soft pillows, more so for Jungkook who had been sleeping in a hammock all this time, they drifted off to sleep.
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The atmosphere was bustling inside of the cafeteria. Conversations and laughs gave the silence no time to be loud, as the young adults and teenagers filled up the large, white space as they are and drank happily.
This hour spent inside of the cafeteria was the only time the 'subjects' were aloud to socialise with one another and feel like normal teenagers should unlike their usual lab rats. It was the only thing they looked forward to, that and sleep of course.
Amara sat herself at a table, a tray in front of her and eating its contents with a spoon— which happened to be sponge cake and custard, having ate her main meal long ago. . . she had a large sweet-tooth anyway.
"That boy keeps looking over here and staring at you. . . I don't like it."
Amara lifted her head at the sound of the familiar voice. "What are you talking about Jungkook?" She asked with a crease in her forehead, a product produced from her confused frowning.
Said boy sat himself down beside the girl, placing his tray on the table and a displeased look on his face; pointing his index finger to a table not far from them. "Look."
Amara followed his pointed finger, only to have her eyes land upon a black-haired boy, who was incredibly handsome, sat alone and looking their way. However, once their dark eyes met, the boys shot down to focus on the book in his hands instead, clearly not expecting to be caught.
Amara's lips tugged upwards at the corner, her eyes lingering on the boy a moment longer before she turned back to continue eating her dessert.
"Isn't he your friend? I've seen you two hang around each other, what's the problem?" She asked Jungkook.
"That's exactly my point. I don't want my friend ogling you— it's weird." Jungkook sighed, glaring his friends way. His words seemed to ignite something inside of Amara.
"Well, maybe I'll just have to introduce myself then." She wiggles her eyebrows and rolled her shoulders cheekily as she rose from her chair.
"No! Amara, no." Jungkook tried his best to grab her arm and pull her back down beside him whilst trying not to cause a scene, but alas she got away from him— she was pesky like that and Jungkook was no stranger to her antics.
Confidently, Amara waltzed her way over to where the black-haired boy sat alone. She didn't know where this sudden burst of confidence came from, but she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. Leaning against the white table, she stood over the unsuspecting boy and waited for him to notice her.
The boy finally drew his gaze away from the words printed on the page, his eyes slowly lifting to meet her gaze. A charming smile graced his lips and Amara couldn't help but smile herself.
"What are you reading?" She asked.
"Oh, uhm," the boys eyes, not so smoothly, went to the words imprinted on the fine cover of the red book, before they met with her own once more. "And then there were none."
Amara hummed in satisfactory. "Ah, so you're a fan of crime novels. I, myself, prefer fantasy. . . but Agatha did a brilliant job with this book."
The boy shrugged his shoulders, his dazzling eyes not daring to move away from his own as his pearly white teeth came into the spotlight as his smile grew. "I don't see what's all that great about it to be honest."
"Maybe if you actually paid attention to the book and read the words on the page, you'll feel more invested." Amara insinuated, her gaze accusatory as she folded her arms over her chest.
Jay wasn't offended by her words. "Well it's hard to pay attention when such a pretty girl, like yourself, is sat not far from me. . . the book doesn't seem so appealing anymore."
Amara was taken aback by his words, not expecting him to so blatantly flirt with her. What shocked her more though, was the way her stomach fluttered like it were a cage filled with butterflies flying around, stirred by the charming boy and his compliment, which she weirdly wasn't repulsed by.
In fact she was so far from repulsed that instead of cussing him out or leaving him alone, she instead let her smile grow and held hand out to the pretty boy, wanting him to take it.
"I'm Amara."
"Jimin."
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Hours later— days for all she knew —Amara was being shaken awake by Jay, who was stood over her. It took several seconds for her to get her bearings and see straight, trying to recollect herself after her weird dream— or was it a memory?
She focused on Jay, groaning. "Let me sleep Jay, please."
"No can do, sweetheart. I've got some good news." Jay iterated smoothly, grabbing her hands and pulling her up.
Amara rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What is it?" She asked and looked at Jay again, confused by his large smile.
"He's alive," he said. "Joonie's okay— the serum worked."
Amara's grogginess was instantly washed away, replaced with relief— it surprised her how much joy the information brought, even if her and Namjoon didn't get on in the best of times. However, Jay's next words made her reconsider if she should be entirely happy or not.
"He's just started the changing."
As if conjured by the iteration of those spoken words, a blood-chilling scream erupted from a room down the hall.
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I'm not proud of this chapter :(
Okay I know this chapter was rather uneventful, however I think it showcases more of the relationship between the characters and who's closer to who and whatever so it's a necessary filler lol! But next chapter is more heated and drama-filled (mostly arguing) so look forward to that ;)
But we did get to see how our darling Amara and Charming Jimin came to meet, back in WICKED... I love them <3
Also, whilst I'm writing this story, I really wish now that I Had scrapped Theresa and instead created another OC of mine to sort of replace her and have her have a more in-depth relationship with Jungkook. . . because I myself, don't see Jungkook and Theresa together romantically at all, I just don't see it lolll (I think it's because I just don't like Theresa and I don't even ship her with Thomas and their canon lol) and I'm the writer— what have I done?
^^ I could add in another OC in the future and create a love triangle maybe👀 what do you all think??