Chapter 56

Facing a wall of Grievers near the Cliff, Thomas insists he must reach the Griever Hole. Newt orders Minho to lead and carve a path, prioritizing Thomas and Teresa’s passage. As the Gladers charge, Thomas decides Chuck will join them, both to help inside the Hole and to protect him.

Minho and Newt spearhead the assault, with Gladers forcing Grievers toward the walls to open a central corridor. Thomas, holding Teresa’s hand as she holds Chuck’s, sprints through the narrowing passage while chaos erupts around them. He repeats the code—FLOAT, CATCH, BLEED, DEATH, STIFF, PUSH—focusing on the goal despite slicing injuries and hearing Gladers die nearby. Minho shouts for others to protect Thomas; Winston fires Alby’s bow with mixed success.

The trio reaches the Cliff’s edge as the battle crescendos. They see ivy ropes stretched from the ledge to the invisible entrance of the Griever Hole, where vines seem to vanish midair. Thomas, determined to go last, sends Teresa first; she jumps and disappears between the ropes. He then heaves a terrified but brave Chuck into the Hole, solidifying Thomas’s protective resolve toward the boy.

With the fight raging behind him, Thomas steels himself, clutches his spear, and leaps. He stiffens his body and hits the Griever Hole, following Teresa and Chuck inside, committing fully to the plan that depends on entering the Creators’ access point and entering the Maze’s code.