Thomas and Katherine stand in the lab, both dressed in white coats, the sterile light casting harsh shadows across their faces. Their expressions are strained, brows furrowed, as they stare down at the work in front of them. The silence in the room feels suffocating, like the weight of what they’re doing is pressing in from all sides.

"Kat… why are we doing this?" Thomas's voice is barely above a whisper, his gaze fixed on his sister. His eyes are pleading, as if searching for some kind of reassurance she can’t give.

Katherine's hands tremble slightly as she sets down the equipment. She meets his gaze, shaking her head. "I don’t know, Tommy," she admits, her voice thick with guilt. "But I do know we can’t do this anymore. We shouldn’t be doing this." Her heart races as she speaks, the truth of her words settling like a lead weight in her chest.

Suddenly, the scene shifts, dissolving into a blindingly white hallway. Katherine is sprinting down it, her breaths coming fast and shallow. The sound of her footsteps echoes through the corridor until she reaches the end, where Thomas is already waiting, his eyes wide with urgency.

"Is it done?" he asks, glancing past her as if expecting someone to appear.

She smirks. "I burned it all," she says, her voice laced with satisfaction. "Thomas, we’ve got to get the hell out of here." Her eyes dart around, searching for the nearest exit, a way out of this nightmare.

Thomas grabs her arm, pulling her back for a second. "I have to tell her first," he insists, desperation flickering in his eyes.

Before Katherine can respond, the world around them shifts again. They’re back in the lab, the cold white walls and harsh fluorescent lights almost blinding. The twins are back at their stations, hands moving with practiced precision, working on a project that feels more like a chain wrapped around their souls.

A blonde woman strides toward them, her expression stern but approving. "Excellent, twins," she says, her voice smooth and commanding. "Come with me." There’s a chill in her tone, as if the word "excellent" is more of a warning than praise.

The scene changes once more, morphing into a small room with white walls. Katherine stands near the window, her hands pressed against the cold glass as she stares out at the sterile world beyond. "WICKED isn’t good," she murmurs, her voice low and resolute. The words come out like a confession, an unspoken truth that’s been clawing its way out.

"Katherine… WICKED is good," the blonde woman counters, her voice taking on a harsh edge. Her gaze locks onto Katherine, as if daring her to say otherwise.

Thomas steps forward, his voice cracking with frustration. "How could this be our fault?" His fists clench at his sides, and he looks from the woman to his sister, his heart pounding in his chest.

The woman’s eyes harden, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You two did this," she says, her words striking like a slap. "You made your choices."

Katherine’s breath catches in her throat as she meets Thomas’s gaze. There’s a flicker of something in his eyes—fear, maybe, or defiance. "We can’t keep watching them die!" she shouts, her voice echoing in the small room. The words hang in the air, heavy with a truth that neither of them can escape.

The twins stand there, side by side, united in their desperation and guilt. They know they can’t keep going like this. They know something has to change, even if it means going against everything they’ve been told.

Katherine's eyes snap open as she jolts awake, gasping for breath. Her vision blurs, then sharpens on Newt's haggard face, hovering above her. He looks exhausted, dark circles heavy under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept in days.

"Hey," he says softly, relief mingling with concern in his gaze.

Katherine’s head throbs as she takes in her surroundings—Newt's room, dim and cluttered. She pushes herself up with his help, the ache in her limbs making the effort feel monumental. "Another nightmare?" he asks, his tone cautious, like he's afraid of the answer.

She shakes her head, but her chest tightens at the memory. "It's more than a nightmare," she murmurs, her voice barely audible. She feels the weight of it pressing down, but she can’t find the words to explain.

Newt's brows knit together, his confusion evident, but he doesn’t press. "Are you okay?" he asks instead, his hand still resting on her shoulder.

Katherine nods slowly. Her head's still pounding, but the fog in her mind is lifting. "What happened?" she asks, her voice coming out hoarse.

Newt’s jaw tightens. "Thomas got stung," he says quietly. "He stabbed himself with a Griever's stinger. You blacked out around the same time, so I brought you back from the Maze." His voice wavers slightly, as if the memory is too fresh, too raw.

Her heart lurches in her chest. "Is he okay? Thomas?" The worry wraps around her throat, squeezing tighter with each second.

"Teresa injected the antidote. Jeff says he'll be fine—he’ll wake up soon," Newt reassures, but there’s something in his eyes that makes her uneasy.

She exhales, relief flooding through her, but it doesn’t last. She swings her legs off the bed, reaching for her shoes. "I need to see him."

Newt's hand grips her arm, stopping her. "You can’t," he says, a hint of frustration in his tone.

Her eyes narrow. "Why?"

"He’s in the pit."

The words hang in the air, and for a moment, Katherine feels like the ground is falling away beneath her. "What?!" The disbelief in her voice echoes through the room.

Katherine, Newt, Minho, and Chuck now stand at the edge of the pit, peering down at Thomas and Teresa. The dim light casts long shadows across the stone walls, making the space feel even smaller.

Minho explains the situation, his voice grim. "Gally’s giving us a choice: join him… or get banished at sundown with you two."

Thomas’s gaze snaps to his sister, the confusion clear in his eyes. "What made him change his mind about Kat?"

Newt looks at Thomas, his brow furrowed. "I don’t know. When I brought her back unconscious, Gally had Jeff check her for injuries."

Katherine scoffs, crossing her arms as a smirk forms on her lips. "I think he likes me," she says, her tone mocking. It’s a theory she’s held onto for a while now, one that keeps nagging at the back of her mind.

Everyone's heads snap towards her and Newt is the first to react. "What?!"

"He knows I mess with him on purpose, and he knows I’m always on Thomas's side, but he hasn’t done anything about it. Cute, not cute." Her voice drips with sarcasm. "Anyway, I’m thinking he’s going to get another bloody nose soon."

Thomas’s lips twitch into a grin. "You and Gally—perfect match," he teases, his voice laced with amusement.

"For the love of god—shut up, Thomas!" Katherine rolls her eyes while Minho and Chuck chuckle, but Newt’s expression darkens.

Thomas laughs for a moment before his grin fades as his gaze shifts back to the others. "And everyone’s just… okay with this? The banishment?"

Minho’s jaw clenches. "Gally’s got everyone convinced that you’re the reason all this is happening."

A heavy silence falls over them, and Katherine feels her pulse quicken. Thomas looks at her with a mixture of frustration and desperation. "Well, he’s not wrong," he says, his voice low.

Minho frowns, stepping closer. "What are you talking about?"

Thomas takes a deep breath, his gaze drifting back to his sister. "This place… it’s not what we thought it was." His voice is steady, but there’s a haunted look in his eyes. "It’s not a prison. It’s a test."

Katherine’s stomach churns as she continues, her voice shaking with the weight of the truth. "It started when we were kids. They’d give us these challenges. Experimenting on us. Then people started disappearing… every month, like clockwork."

"They were sending them up into the Maze," Thomas says, his voice barely a whisper.

"But not all of us," she adds, her tone bitter.

Minho’s eyes narrow. "What are you saying?"

Thomas swallows hard. "We were part of it. Kat and I. The people who put you here—we worked with them. We watched you guys for years. The entire time you have been here…"

Katherine closes her eyes against the burning shame that flares in her chest. She’s sick of this—of the secrets, of the lies.

Thomas meets Teresa’s gaze. "You too," he says, the words heavy with regret.

Teresa’s face pales. "No. That can’t be true," she whispers, tears welling in her eyes.

"It is," Thomas insists, his voice steady despite the tremor in his hands. "I saw it."

"Then why send us up here?" Teresa’s voice cracks, the question hanging in the air like a challenge.

Thomas’s jaw tightens. "It doesn’t matter."

Newt steps forward, his voice firm. "He’s right. None of it matters anymore. The people we were before… they’re gone. The Creators took care of that." His gaze shifts to each of them, one by one. "What matters now is who we are and what we do next. You went into the Maze and found a way out, didn’t you?"

"Yeah, but if I hadn’t, Alby would still be alive," Thomas counters, his voice thick with grief.

"Maybe," Newt replies, his tone softening. "But if he were here, he’d tell you to get up and finish what you started. If we do nothing, then Alby died for nothing. And I can’t live with that."

Thomas’s expression hardens with determination. "Okay. But we’ve got to get past Gally first."

"We need a plan," Minho adds, his voice low and serious.

Katherine’s eyes sharpen, a glint of defiance sparking to life. "I might have an idea," she says.

As in the plan, Katherine zips up the backpack, her movements quick and precise. "This is the last one," she says, her voice steady as she glances over her shoulder at Newt.

"I'll let Minho know that everything's ready." Chuck runs off, leaving the two of them alone.

Silence settles between them, heavy and tense. Newt reaches out, his fingers finding hers, intertwining as they sit together. There’s a vulnerability in the way he looks at her, like he’s afraid of what might come next. "What if it doesn’t work?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It will," Katherine replies firmly, standing up. But before she can take a step, Newt grabs her arm, pulling her close. His forehead rests against hers, his breath warm against her skin.

"It wasn’t a mistake. None of this was a mistake," Newt murmurs, his voice raw with emotion. His hands tighten around Katherine’s waist, pulling her closer, like she’s the only solid thing in a world that keeps falling apart.

She gives him a small, reassuring smile, but before she can say anything, he leans in and pecks her lips with a soft kiss, a gentle brush that sends a spark racing through her.

"What was that for?" she asks breathlessly, her heart fluttering as warmth floods her cheeks.

Newt chuckles, his eyes dancing with a mixture of mischief and vulnerability. "I just… really needed to kiss you." His voice is low and filled with sincerity, as if the weight of everything else fades away when he’s with her. He holds her a fraction tighter, grounding them both in that fleeting moment of connection.

"If you needed an excuse to kiss me, you could’ve just asked, you know," she teases, her tone light, though her heart thunders against her ribcage. Before he can respond, she leans in and presses her lips to his, deepening the kiss this time. It’s slow and deliberate, a promise hidden in the way she moves against him. When they finally break apart, her breath mingles with his, the air between them thick with unspoken words and everything left unsaid.

Newt's eyes search hers, his hands still cradling her waist like he’s afraid she might vanish. "You’re impossible," he whispers, but the smile tugging at his lips betrays his words. There’s a softness in his gaze that she hasn’t seen in a long time—a flicker of hope.

Before she can respond, a voice cuts through the moment like a knife. "What did I just walk into?"

Katherine and Newt break apart, spinning toward the doorway where Minho leans against the frame, arms crossed and a smirk stretching wide across his face. His dark eyes glint with amusement, like he’s just confirmed something he’s been suspecting all along. Katherine’s cheeks flush with heat, a mix of embarrassment and annoyance flaring inside her.

Minho’s grin only grows wider as he straightens up. "Well, don’t stop on my account," he adds, his tone dripping with mock innocence. "I’m enjoying the show."

Katherine shoots him a glare, but there’s a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "Get lost, Minho," she retorts, but the blush staining her cheeks doesn’t go unnoticed.