At the centre of the maze is the Glade, the primary living space with four walls that separate it from the maze. Each wall has an opening in its centre, the doors, which open every morning and close every night. Within the Glade itself, there’s many sections. Most importantly, there’s an underground elevator, the Box, that only comes up. Once a month, a newbie (a greenie) accompanied by supplies comes up in the Box to the Glade—always a boy who’s disoriented and confused, remembering nothing but their name.

Keigo’s job in the Glade is to be the Keeper of the Runners. The Runners are the strongest and fastest, the only people who can venture out into the maze. Their job is to memorise the routes they take, mapping them, and to find a way out of the maze. They leave in the morning and come back before the sun sets. Nobody has survived a night in the maze.

It’s normal as it can be in the Glade, the sun blazing over the walls of the maze, Keigo has returned from mapping. As far as anyone can count, it’s been a month since the last greenie came up. So, it isn’t necessarily surprising when the intense screeching of metal is heard, announcing the ascend of the Box, up into the grass of the Glade with a final loud jolt to signal its arrival. With everyone crowding as usual, the doors are forced open by Keigo with a loud creak. The double sided doors to the top of the box open up and outward, giving the greenie a startling and sudden light.

What is surprising, however, is that the person in the Box is a girl. That’s… never happened before.