Maze Runner Newt Novels & Stories

The bridge was miles before the train station—far away from sight. Of course, Jane was a bundle of good ideas in human form, and I trusted her. “Ready?” “Yes,” I affirmed with so much confidence, and somehow my hope was fully built on her. We went to both tires and removed the stones used for the wedge. The car sped off on its own. It met a heavy-duty truck on its way, which slammed into it and knocked it into the deep water, crashing through the bridge barrier. We took off even before the accident fully happened.

Trial Two is called the Endurance Maze. The sect built it into the mountain's lower face — a formation-carved labyrinth that floods with condensed Ki pressure at random intervals, meant to test whether a candidate's body and spirit can handle sustained hostile energy without collapsing. Officially, you pass by reaching the exit. Unofficially, you pass by not getting carried out on a stretcher, which happens to roughly one in eight candidates based on the exit crowd I observe from the Trial Two staging area.

Heading back to my dumpy safehouse from the carnival meant cutting through wastelands. No mobs, no loot—just dead space. Perfect shortcut. I was coasting easy, nothing but gray-white forever, when it hit. A glowing blue rune-net dropped straight from the sky. Zero warning. Zero chance to dodge. "Shit—" was all I got out before it slammed down, pinning me and the scooter like bugs in resin. The weight crushed every ounce of strength out of me. I slid off the seat, limp.

Mechanical limbs fused with organic precision, red sensors scanning, tracking, calculating our every move. My pulse spiked. “It’s back!” Caelum tightened his grip on my hand. “We face it. Now.” The labyrinth roared around us, alive and hungry. The air around us shimmered with tension, thick and electric. Sparks from damaged panels crackled like fireflies in the darkness, casting jagged shadows across the walls. My heart raced, matching the rapid rhythm of the labyrinth’s pulse. Below us, the new adversary moved with terrifying precision its limbs a seamless blend of metal and muscle, sensors scanning every angle, calculating every escape route.

We talked for a long time before I got up to leave. Ms. Grey held my hand and reminded me, “Tess, no matter where you are, remember to take care of yourself.” I smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, Ms. Grey.” As I walked out of the courtyard, a thin mist shrouded the air. The small road outside felt so quiet. It was as if time itself had slowed. I was about to get into the car when a familiar figure caught my eye. He stood under the shadow of a tree a short distance away, holding an umbrella.

It doesn’t take long for everyone to take their positions and then Alex gives the go order. What happens next is well executed chaos. He teams start kicking in doors and filtering into the building and into the external rooms and main chambers, each heading for their assigned target. Elder Montague is not hard to miss as he is sat on the head dais and Nova is making a beeline straight for him, a worrying look of glee on her face.

"It’s full of redundant code. It moves like a tank. I move like a bicycle. Harder to hit." She wiped her greasy hands on her jeans. "You locked me out of my own system," Altair said, stepping closer. "That’s a felony. I could have the Federal Police here in three minutes." Nova smirked. It was a dangerous, crooked smile. "But you didn't call them," she pointed out. "You came yourself. Alone." She walked over to a specific arcade cabinet. It was an ancient machine, brightly painted. CYBER RACER 2000.

Our task: reach the summit before sunset while carrying supplies, signaling our progress to the observers. The maze was treacherous. Sharp rocks, sudden drops, and narrow ledges forced every step to be precise. Daren slipped once, and instinctively, I reached for him, steadying him while keeping our momentum. Liora’s eyes were fixed on a distant marker, calculating the shortest route while avoiding traps. The bond pulsed, guiding my focus, alerting me to subtle shifts in the terrain and the presence of hidden dangers.

"Welcome to the Gauntlet Run. Racers will navigate a three-mile course through the Ravine Sector. Only the top four finishers advance. The rest are disqualified." Disqualified. Such a clean word for what really happened. The course map appeared on the screens. Narrow pathways, collapsing bridges, and a stretch called the Killing Floor where the path split into three routes. According to Ash's intel, only one route was safe. The other two led straight into traps designed to look like accidents. I touched my helmet, feeling the tiny camera Juno had installed. It was active. Recording. "Racers, take your positions." I moved to the starting line. A girl next to me was shaking so badly I could he

Slowly, I noticed that his smile faded and I wondered why. "You just arrived?" He asked and I felt he's not greeting me warmly. "Yeah.. like a couple of minutes." "Wanna try some food?" He asked and I nodded. I followed him but I noticed it wasn't a good idea to wear heels here. My pointy heels kept going into the soil. "You're done judging?" "They're preparing for round 2, it will start in an hour." Leon answered and I nodded. He led me to one of the tables and gave me a clean spoon.