"Let me out." I ordered. It had been roughly two hours according to my watch. Ten minutes till the banishment. "Let. Me. Out." I'd spent most the time plotting and trying to convince Gally to free me.

There had only been silence to talk back to me but I knew he was there. I could sense it. Also whenever I'd try the door handle it stayed stubbornly locked.

Time was running out. Each minute slipping through my fingers like sand. Still here I was, hostage in my own home. The situation had become dire and I couldn't do a thing.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Second blurring together till my watch near the end. My heart tearing itself apart. Five pathetic minutes left.

It was over.

There was no saving Ben. I couldn't play hero. So I let myself go. Why not?

I fucking failed. Again.

Gally's Point Of View:

All of a sudden y/n's pleas stopped. They were nice after a while, kind of like some white noise klunk. I knew she wasn't kidding about the silent treatment. She was horribly stubborn sometimes. Especially with things she was real serious about. When her voice ceased I found it...

Quiet. Much too quiet.

Had it already started? I got the whole banishing thing. I didn't want Ben to die but it was what we had to do to stay safe. To keep y/n safe. It was how we kept order. Something we had been lacking recently. Order was safety. It wasn't fun, but it wasn't meant to be fun.

My thoughts were sliced apart with a sniffle, muffled by the door. With my back pressed against it I could hear the first noises. She was crying. Now sobbing. Each whimper wearing me down.

I couldn't do it anymore. This was hurting y/n more than helping them. I took my weight off the door, creaking it open.

There they were, hugging their knees by the wall nearest the door. Pretty face muddied with tears. Bawling like a baby. I closed the door, shuffling over to them. They were starting to choke while crying. Gasping for air.

I had to help them. It was the least I could do. When I crouched down in front of them I did the only thing that worked before. Cradling their jaw and nearing the familiar curve of their mouth...

I kissed her.

It felt great. Like a small piece of home. Normal wrapped in extraordinary. Until she shoved me away.

"Stop!"

"What, what's wrong?" I rose to my feet with them as they wiped their tears off with their sleeve.

"Don't you get it?!"

"No, just tell me what's wrong." When I got closer they only headed for the opposite side of the room. To y/n, my touch was equal to blades.

"You can't just do that!" They cried out. "You can't just do that and think everything is going to be better! You can't!"

"Alright alright, I'm sorry okay. I'm sorry." I held my hands up to show them peace. "I won't do it again I swear."

Shaking their head at me their gaze fell on the door. I was on the other side of the room. It was completely unguarded. The opportunity was right there so they took it. Seconds later they were gone.

Y/n was just starting to make her way down the ladder when I seized the top of her shirt, ripping her back onto the platform. Ben was being led down to the doors. She saw that too, twisting and pushing me around. I kept trying to just hold her back but it didn't seem to work.

"Just let me go!"

"No!"

"Ugh!"

I can't believe I was fool enough to do it to them. When I clamped an arm around her neck it gave her an excellent angle to bite me at.

"Oh fuck!" I yelped, releasing her. Minho had cut Ben's ropes. Y/n was about to skip the ladder entirely, leaping off. In the quite literal last second I looped my arms tightly around her waist, adjusting to fasten her arms down too.

She stilled as the doors began to close. Just like they did, every day. Like clockwork. Her back pressed against my chest we watched it. Ben being forced into the jaws of the maze. We could hear his manic cries from all the way up there.

"Please-" Her yell was severed in half by my palm, muffling her speech. Neither of us daring to look away. Y/n went limp as the lips of the doors closed. Any attempt of a struggle was gone.

The maze was Ben's home now. He was gone. The creators selective mercy was the only thing for him to hope for.

I let them go. Y/n crumpled at my feet, still stuck on the doors.

"Let's get you inside okay." I grabbed one of their elbows to help them up. They didn't even nod. I don't think they could.

________________________

I tucked them in bed and not wanting to sleep with the others I took advantage of y/n's catatonic state. Shaking my boots off I slipped in next to them. It wasn't anything like making a move. I was just tired and cold. Once I got in they rolled on their side to face me.

"He's dead Gally." Her eyes glistened when they were glassed over like that. "Why couldn't I stop it?" Cautiously I put a hand out. She made no protest as it drifted onto her hair, pushing it back.

"It wasn't your fault y/n." I continued to brush my fingers through it as I spoke. "You didn't do anything wrong. It had to be done."

"Why?" She breathed, head nestled on her pillow.

"To keep you safe. And you know what?"

"What?" I had the strong urge to kiss her then but quickly remembered myself.

"I'm gonna keep you safe, forever."

"How can you keep me safe if you're the one who hurt me?" Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. Shit.

"I'm never gonna hurt you again. Ever." She stared at me blankly as I stole her forearm. Lightly kissing the obscenity scrawled on her skin. "I promise."

"You promise?"

"I promise."