The healer [Maze runner Newt x OC]

Chapter two

Grace blinked against the sudden light, her surroundings shifting and blurring until they resolved into a familiar setting. She was back in the Maze, the towering gray walls stretching endlessly into the sky. The humid air clung to her skin, and the distant rustling of leaves stirred unease in her chest.

Her breathing quickened. She hadn't been here in over a year, but the memories were as fresh as ever—memories she had tried desperately to bury.

"Grace!"

She spun around at the voice, her heart leaping into her throat. Chuck stood a few feet away, his wide grin plastered across his face. His curly hair bounced as he waved at her, the wooden carving of the Maze clutched in his other hand.

"Chuck?" she whispered, frozen in place. Her voice cracked with disbelief.

He didn't seem to notice her hesitation. Instead, he jogged toward her, his innocent eyes bright and full of trust. "You're here! I thought I lost you. It's been so boring without you."

Her knees nearly gave out as tears welled in her eyes. "Chuck," she choked, reaching out to him. "How—how are you here? You—you're—"

"Dead?" Another voice answered from behind her.

She turned sharply, her breath hitching. Nick stood there, his tall frame leaning casually against a wall, the corners of his mouth tugged into the mischievous smirk she remembered so well. "I mean, technically, yes. But it's not like you tried to stop it, right?"

Her stomach twisted violently. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No, that's not true. I—I tried—"

"You didn't try hard enough," Nick interrupted, his smirk fading into a cold glare. "You were there, Grace. You could've saved me. But you didn't."

Chuck stepped forward, his grin gone. His brown eyes filled with hurt as he stared up at her. "Why didn't you save me, Grace? You promised. You promised we'd all make it out together."

"I—I did everything I could!" Grace cried, her voice trembling as she backed away from them. "I swear, I tried—"

"Not hard enough!" Nick's voice boomed, the walls of the Maze seeming to close in around them. "You let us die! Just like you'll let the others die."

"No!" she screamed, clutching her head as their words echoed in her ears. "I didn't want this! I didn't want any of it!"

The walls began to shift, the ground rumbling beneath her feet. Chuck and Nick loomed closer, their faces distorted by anger and betrayal.

"You're a failure, Grace," Nick sneered. "You couldn't save us, and you won't save anyone else."

"Newt's next," Chuck added, his voice a low, haunting whisper. "And then Minho. And then Thomas. One by one, they'll all fall because of you."

"Stop it!" she sobbed, her knees hitting the ground as she covered her ears. "Just stop!"

But their voices didn't stop. They grew louder, overlapping and relentless, until her own thoughts were drowned out. The Maze began to crumble around her, pieces of stone falling and crashing as darkness encroached.

Suddenly, a blinding white light flashed, and everything went silent.

When Grace opened her eyes, she was back in the simulation chamber. The sterile walls and cold floor were a stark contrast to the oppressive warmth of the Maze. Her body trembled as she gasped for air, tears streaking her face.

Janson stood behind the glass window, arms folded as he observed her. The scientists around him scribbled notes, their murmurs muffled through the barrier.