Fans are getting new information concerning the plot of the Maze Runner prequel The Fever Code thanks to new comments by author James Dashner.

In his latest interview with Beaks and Geeks, Dashner drops his first major tease about the premise of his new Maze Runner novel The Fever Code.

He starts off by saying that, “Thomas alludes to something called The Purge in the third book and that’ll be a main event in the prequel that is going to be just nuts.”

Although this alone provides little insight into what we should expect, a few more details can be found within the text of The Death Cure. Here is an excerpt of the book to take a closer look:

“He [Thomas] knew enough about the Purge, about its being the shift from the original Creators to their replacements. He and Teresa had had to exterminate the entire staff after an outbreak— they’d had no choice, were the only ones left who were immune. He swore to never think about it again.”

The extermination of an entire staff of people? If this excerpt is anything to base expectations on, it looks as if the tone of The Fever Code will be just as heavy and fearsome as the larger Maze Runner series.

You can listen to the full interview with Beaks and Geeks below:

Dashner also shared within the interview that the prequel is something he has been ruminating over for a very long time.

“I have a very good editor that really wanted to make sure I had the background story in my mind. So early on she made me write this really comprehensive timeline of everything since the disasters in the world to, throughout my books,” he said. “It’s pretty in depth – and I’ve used that to throw little hints throughout the books. And actually some bonus material I wrote for various reasons. So it’s been in my head for a very long time.”

So if fans were worried that this new prequel was an off the cuff addition due to the larger success of the Maze Runner franchise, it looks like they have little to fear

Lastly, it may be of interest to note that Wes Ball has promised Dashner a cameo in each of the Maze Runner films. So expect to see him pop up at some point in The Scorch Trials, which starts filming October 27!