Inside the Red Maze, where the pitch-black darkness is only interrupted by the glow of flames and the sounds of screams…
Kim Jong-su, with his deadly claws, pounces on a giant spider, his claws tearing through its armor-like body, ignoring the sticky spray flying from the wounds. The spider falls dead at his feet, but before he can catch his breath, another spider sneaks out of the shadows to attack him.
Shhh!
A sharp blade glimmers in the darkness, followed by a brilliant flash. In an instant, the spider's body is split in two by the sword of Elena Volkova, who lands lightly and gracefully after her deadly strike. She looks coldly at Kim Jong-su and says:
"Don't leave your back exposed."
In another corner of the battle, Han Sung-woo, the fire mage, unleashes a wave of flames, scorching a group of small spiders. He glances around, searching for Song Ha-rin, only to find her in the grasp of a giant spider.
"Ha-rin!!"
But before he can even cast fire at the mother spider, the mother spider's fangs clamp down on the healer's head, and a muffled scream is heard before silence falls. Blood flows from between the beast's fangs, and her body falls like a lifeless doll.
"You bastard!!!"
Han Sung-woo screams in rage, his body engulfed in raging blue flames, but he barely takes a step toward the giant spider before a swarm of human-sized spiders attacks him. They try to tear him apart, but a violent fiery aura explodes around him, burning them all.
He charges toward the mother spider, who watches him with bulging eyes. Han Sung-woo advances with heavy steps, his body covered in wounds, his breath ragged. Before he can launch another attack, the mother spider lunges at him with astonishing speed, aiming a deadly blow with her massive claws. He barely dodges, but her claws graze his side, causing searing pain that takes his breath away. This forces Park Ji-hoon and Lee Sun-woo to intervene, saving him and dragging him away from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-su grabs his communication device, pressing it hard as he gasps. "This is the Lords team… We've failed. We're retreating immediately."
At the headquarters of the Korean Guardians Association, inside the president's office…
Lee Min-wan, the president of the association, sits in his chair, his fingers tapping the desk in anger. With eyes blazing with fury, he listens to Kim Jong-su's report before pressing the intercom button.
"Bring my deputy to my office… now."
Minutes later, his deputy, Choi Yoon-seok, enters, his eyes reflecting tension. The president looks at him, then orders in a steady voice laced with suppressed anger:
"I want an energy wall made of power stones around the area immediately. I don't want any monsters escaping from there… no matter the cost."
Inside a dimly lit room… the faint sound of medical equipment echoes…
Joseph's eyelids twitch slightly before slowly opening. He stares at the white ceiling for a moment, then shifts his gaze to his hands resting on the bed.
"Am I… alive?"
He raises his hand slowly, examining it as if confirming its existence. Then, when he tries to move his leg, he remembers…
"My leg!"
He quickly pulls back the blanket, looking at his leg, which should have been shattered, but finds it completely intact. For a moment, he freezes, before letting out a sigh of relief, as if a great weight has been lifted from his chest.
But before he can sink into his thoughts, the door opens gently, and a nurse in a simple medical uniform enters. She looks at him with a professional smile as she sees him awake.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Joseph looks at her wearily, his voice hoarse:
"Where am I…? How did I get here?"
The nurse steps forward, checking his condition through the equipment before answering calmly:
"The Guardians Association sent a rescue team to search for survivors… They found you lying on the ground, unconscious."
She pauses for a moment before adding cautiously:
"You've been in a coma for two weeks."
His eyes widen. Two weeks?! How?
Before he can process the shock, the door bursts open, and a brown-haired girl with tears in her eyes rushes in.
"Oppaaaaa!!!"
It's Mary, his younger sister, seventeen years old.
With features resembling Joseph, she throws herself at him, hugging him tightly, her tears streaming onto his shoulder as she sobs:
"I was alone… completely alone all this time…!"
His hands tremble for a moment before he hugs her back, a sense of guilt and fear creeping into his heart. He left her alone all this time, the last remaining member of his family…
After moments of Mary's crying, and while Joseph is still trying to comprehend the situation, the door opens again. This time, it's not a nurse , but a man in a formal suit, holding a small file.
In a calm but formal voice, he addresses Mary and the nurse:
"I apologize, but I need to speak with Joseph privately."
The nurse hesitates for a moment but eventually nods and asks Mary to leave with her. Mary holds Joseph's hand for a moment, as if unwilling to leave him alone, but he gently pats her hand, reassuring her.
The man approaches the bed, looking at Joseph with an analytical gaze before opening his file and speaking:
"First, let me congratulate you on your survival. No one has ever come out alive from a black maze… until now."
Joseph remains silent, realizing this is no ordinary investigation.
The investigator pulls out a small notebook and pen, opens a blank page, then asks in a serious tone:
"I want you to tell me everything… How did you survive the maze of deception?"
At this question, a flash of memories strikes Joseph's mind…
- Their entry into the maze.
- His team betraying him…
- Min-hee dying in front of him.
- The feeling of death… then waking up here, in the hospital.
But he doesn't answer truthfully. He takes a deep breath, then replies hesitantly:
"I… don't remember everything clearly. The place was like a nightmare… I didn't know what was happening."
The investigator watches his expressions but shows no reaction. After a moment, he pulls out a small card, places it on the table beside the bed, then says:
"When you recover, call me. There's a lot that needs clarification."
Before he turns to leave, Joseph suddenly speaks in a hesitant voice:
"Wait… what about Min-hee? The healer who was with us in the maze… Is there any news about her?"
The investigator pauses for a moment, flips through some papers in his file, then looks up and says quietly:
"Min-hee…? There's no record of her name among the survivors or the injured."
Joseph's eyes widen…
The investigator notices his tension but doesn't comment. He just closes his file, gives Joseph one last look, then says:
"When you feel ready, call me."
That night, as Joseph lay in his bed, he began to recall some memories.
"What did that person on the throne say…?"
He remembered the deep voice saying:
"How about we play cards?"
Then, he began to remember something else… something more terrifying.
"Your soul… is my soul."
Suddenly, his surroundings turned pitch black. He could no longer see the room, nor the bed, only the absolute void.
"What's happening?!"
Before he could move, he heard a gruff voice whispering from the void:
"Hey… you."