Chapter 10: Countdown to Chaos

The countdown timer blinked on the screen: 4:59... 4:58...

The seconds ticked away, each one pulling Kade deeper into a sense of urgency. Around him, the Gladers were wide-eyed and tense, their breaths coming in shallow bursts as the realization settled in. They were running out of time.

"We need to move," Kade said, his voice cutting through the mounting panic. "Whatever happens when that timer hits zero, I doubt it's going to be good for us."

Newt glanced at the pods lining the chamber, his hands shaking. "How do we even know what we're supposed to do? There's no clear exit, no clue about this next phase."

Minho kicked the ground, his frustration clear. "We don't have the luxury of figuring that out. We need to destroy this place."

The idea of destruction resonated with Kade. This maze, this whole twisted experiment, needed to end. But how? The system had given him power, but it hadn't given him all the answers. He felt a surge of frustration, his fists clenching.

His system interface blinked to life, providing a brief sense of direction.

[System notification: Countdown recognized. Destruction protocol activated.]

[System upgrade available: Energy Manipulation. Use the system's power to manipulate and disrupt electrical sources.]

[New task: Disable the Maze's control core.]

Kade felt the sudden rush of system energy flood his body. His hand tingled with power, a warm pulse moving through his veins as the upgrade took effect. He stared at his palm, feeling the new ability awaken inside him.

"This is it," Kade muttered. "I can disrupt the control core of the Maze. It'll give us enough time to escape—or at least take down the core system that's running this place."

"How?" Teresa asked, her voice sharp with urgency. "What exactly do you mean?"

"I can channel energy through the system," Kade explained, already moving toward the large console. "I'll fry the controls and stop the countdown. We can't leave this place running—it'll just trap more people like us."

The others exchanged nervous glances. Alby took a deep breath, his face pale but resolute. "If this is our only shot, we take it. Let's end this once and for all."

"Right," Minho added. "We destroy the core, find a way out, and make sure whoever's behind this never tries again."

Kade nodded, his mind racing. He approached the console, placing both hands on its surface. The device hummed beneath his palms, alive with a network of energy. The screen blinked as the countdown continued: 4:00... 3:59...

He closed his eyes, focusing inward. The system within him pulsed in sync with the console's rhythm, feeding him raw data and energy. He felt the Maze's intricate control network—lines of power, hidden circuits, and encrypted command systems that ran beneath the surface.

[Task initiated: Disable Maze Control Core.]

Kade's hands glowed faintly as he concentrated on the energy coursing through the machine. His system's energy manipulation ability reached out, gripping the Maze's core controls. He visualized the electrical pathways, feeling the pulse of energy moving through the circuits.

Then, with a focused thought, Kade disrupted the flow.

Sparks flew from the console as the entire chamber shook violently. The countdown timer on the screen flickered, briefly freezing at 3:40 before restarting again, slower this time.

"It's working!" Teresa shouted. "Whatever you're doing, it's slowing down the countdown."

But as soon as she spoke, a low mechanical growl echoed through the chamber. The pods along the walls began to hiss, steam escaping from their seams as they vibrated with a strange, ominous energy.

"Uh, guys?" Newt called out, his voice laced with dread. "I don't think we're out of the woods yet."

The room's lights flickered, and the temperature dropped sharply. The pods began to open, releasing thick clouds of gas into the air. Dark, shadowy figures began to emerge from the pods, their movements jerky and unnatural.

"Grievers!" Minho yelled, recognizing the familiar shape of the mechanical monstrosities.

Only, these were different. Larger. Faster. Stronger.

Kade gritted his teeth, fighting against the surge of panic as the system fed him new information.

[System update: Griever prototypes activated. Enhanced speed and strength detected.]

[New task: Defend Gladers until core destruction is complete.]

"There's too many!" Alby shouted, backing away as one of the Grievers lurched toward him. "We won't last long against these things."

Kade withdrew his hands from the console, his mind spinning with strategies. They were outnumbered, but they couldn't afford to retreat now. The core still needed time to fully deactivate, and the Grievers were here to stop them.

Kade felt the surge of energy from his system flare again, feeding him new strength. His upgraded abilities were still fresh, but he had no choice. They had to fight.

"Hold them off!" Kade commanded. "Buy me some time to finish disabling the core. We can't let them stop us now."

Minho, ever the fighter, took up a position between Kade and the Grievers. He grabbed a discarded metal rod from the ground, brandishing it like a spear. "Bring it on, you ugly bastards!" he shouted, his voice full of adrenaline.

Teresa grabbed a broken piece of machinery, standing beside Minho. Alby and Newt joined the defensive line, their faces pale but determined.

The first Griever lunged at Minho, its metallic claws swiping through the air. Minho dodged to the side, swinging the rod with all his might and smashing it into the creature's head. Sparks flew, but the Griever barely flinched.

"They're stronger than before!" Minho growled, dodging another swipe.

Teresa swung her makeshift weapon at a second Griever, her strike landing with a metallic clang. "We'll have to hit them harder!"

Kade returned his focus to the console, feeling the system's energy respond as he delved deeper into the Maze's control grid. The core was almost fully disabled, but the Grievers were making it hard to concentrate.

The others were fighting with everything they had, but the Grievers were relentless. For every blow they landed, the creatures kept coming back, faster and more determined.

"Come on, come on," Kade muttered under his breath as he redirected another surge of energy through the system. The console sparked violently, and the countdown stuttered again, freezing at 2:30.

Suddenly, the lights in the chamber dimmed, and the ground beneath them rumbled ominously.

"Kade!" Newt shouted, struggling to hold off a Griever that had pinned him against the wall. "Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"

Kade felt sweat bead on his forehead as he forced the last bit of system energy into the Maze's core. The final circuits overloaded, and the control panel exploded in a shower of sparks. The countdown stopped, freezing at 2:15.

But the fight wasn't over yet.

The Grievers screeched, their movements becoming more erratic and violent as if they sensed the imminent collapse of the Maze's system.

"I disabled the core!" Kade shouted. "But we need to get out of here before everything goes offline completely."

Minho swung his rod at the nearest Griever, knocking it back long enough to retreat toward Kade. "So how do we get out of this hellhole?"

Kade scanned the room, his mind racing. With the core disabled, the Maze's control over the chamber was weakening, and cracks began to appear in the walls.

"There!" Teresa pointed toward the far end of the chamber, where a hidden door had begun to slide open, revealing a narrow passage.

"Go!" Kade yelled, grabbing Newt and pulling him away from the Griever that had pinned him down. "Everyone, run!"

The Gladers sprinted for the exit, dodging the erratic swings of the remaining Grievers. Kade was the last to leave, his eyes darting back toward the console one last time. The Maze's control system was collapsing, and with it, the entire structure would soon fall.

They dashed through the narrow passage, the walls shaking around them as the Maze's internal systems began to implode. The sound of metal grinding against stone filled the air, and the floor beneath them trembled as the entire structure seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Keep moving!" Alby shouted, urging the others forward.

Kade's heart pounded as they raced through the dark tunnel, the sounds of the Maze falling apart behind them. They didn't stop, didn't look back, until finally, the tunnel opened up into a wide, open space.

They stumbled into the sunlight, gasping for breath as they collapsed onto the grass. The warm sun felt alien after the cold, sterile environment of the Maze, but it was a welcome relief.

For a moment, everything was still.

Kade sat up, his chest heaving as he looked back at the tunnel. Behind them, the ground rumbled one last time, and the tunnel collapsed, sealing the Maze behind them.

"We made it," Teresa whispered, her voice filled with disbelief. "We're out."

Kade looked around at the others. They were bruised, battered, but alive. For the first time since arriving in the Glade, they were free.

But deep down, Kade knew that this was only the beginning.