Joseph woke up with the first thread of light timidly creeping through the window. His eyes were heavy with nightmares he couldn't remember, yet their traces still hung in his chest. He sat on his bed, placed his palms on his face, then slowly got up and walked toward the bathroom.
The sound of cold water washing his face was closer to the sound of waking up from a world he hadn't fully left. He lifted his head and looked at the mirror… his eyes appeared strange, as if they didn't belong to him. He stared for a moment before closing them tightly.
Soon after, his little sister left for school. He bid her farewell, then closed the door behind her, standing for a moment, staring at the doorknob as if he wanted to say something but swallowed his words.
He put on his sports clothes and went out for a run. The cold air touched his skin like a slap, waking his body more than anything else. He ran, not with a goal, but to escape. Each step felt like an attempt to flee from his thoughts, from his inner voice, from that ongoing struggle that hadn't calmed since that night.
He returned home, took a quick shower, and then sat on his bed. The room was still, with no noise or movement. Only the sound of his breath and the beat of his heart.
He stared at the ceiling, then closed his eyes and silently asked himself,
"Today… the maze… will I take revenge?"
The idea of revenge danced like a spark in his chest.
"Do I really want this?"
Silence.
He found no answer.
He was confused, feeling that something inside him was silently breaking. The idea of revenge wasn't born from a pure desire… but from an unhealed wound. Suddenly, and without warning, everything changed.
The ceiling vanished.
The walls faded.
The light disappeared.
And in its place… emptiness.
The very emptiness.
A thick fog covered the place as if the universe had been erased. An unfamiliar cold spread through his bones. Amidst this nothingness, that strange entity materialized, advancing toward him with footsteps that couldn't be heard.
Joseph stood still, his heart beginning to beat slowly. He didn't know why the entity had appeared this time.
The entity spoke in a hollow voice, its words echoing in Joseph's head more than the air itself:
"Why are you hesitant?"
His throat dried. He didn't know what to say. He tried to speak, the words stumbling on his tongue, then coming out weakly:
"I… I don't know… I'm confused."
The entity moved closer to him, until there was only a single step between them. It had no clear features, but he could feel its gaze, something like eyes… tearing at him from within.
The entity spoke in a deep voice:
"You see them as humans, you believe killing them is wrong… but tell me, did they ever feel the same way about you? Did they ever think of you? Or were you the only one who suffered?"
Joseph turned his face slightly, feeling something twist in his chest.
The entity continued in a voice that began to seep into his soul:
"They caused her death. The only one in your team who cared about you. Those who left you in the maze, they are the reason. If you don't avenge yourself… then avenge her."
Joseph's expression changed. His eyes, which had just moments ago been lost in confusion, began to ignite with a sharp gaze… not of anger, but a dark conviction that started to take shape.
He shook his head and said calmly:
"Do you have something to help me?"
The entity remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, out of nowhere, a small flame appeared in front of Joseph, dancing as if alive, followed by the appearance of a dark card, with no name or symbol. Just deep blackness, as if it were made of pure shadows.
The entity said:
"Take it… and throw it in the fire."
Joseph moved forward slowly. He watched the flame… there was something unnatural about it, as if it were watching him.
He hesitated, then asked:
"How will this help me?"
The entity replied:
"Throw it… and you'll know."
Joseph felt something unsettling. It wasn't fear, but a sense of impending danger.
Yet, despite that, he threw the card into the fire.
And suddenly…
The flame went out.
As if something had been suffocated.
The paper didn't catch fire; on the contrary, the flame completely extinguished.
The void took over once again.
The silence grew heavy, and the entity stood frozen, as if it hadn't expected what just happened.
He said in a faint voice:
"How…?"
As for Joseph, he remained calm. He showed no astonishment, no fear. He simply looked at the entity and said:
"Can I leave? I have things I need to do."
The entity stared at him for a long time, but didn't answer.
Slowly… the void began to fade, the mist receded, and reality returned.
But deep within Joseph…
Something had changed.
Joseph left his house, his face cold, as if those features had hardened over time. His steps were heavy, but his gaze was focused, filled with purpose. This could be the decisive moment, the true beginning. There was no turning back now. He was on an irreversible path.
He went to the maze's location and stood before the gate, watching the shadows cast by the trees. Then, he deliberately turned off his phone. He knew that if the phone remained on, someone would call him.
He entered the maze, where a forest filled with dense trees let sunlight filter through softly, as if it were urging him to move forward. He jumped onto a tree near the cave that awaited him. His face was expressionless, but inside, his emotions were fluctuating. He was here to face his fate.
On the other side, in front of the maze gate, the team members were waiting, their faces reflecting a mixture of tension and irritation. Si Hon, the spear fighter, was holding his phone angrily and calling. "What is he saying? No response… turned off his phone? That jerk!" Then he hung up his phone.
Sook Won, the skilled archer, was clenching his jaw tightly. His movements reflected his anxiety as he muttered, "That weak bastard, it seems he's run from his fate." Li Lian, the skilled swordswoman, also appeared irritated. None of them were happy about not receiving any news from Joseph.
Suddenly, Hana Yui, the gentle healer, appeared quickly, walking toward them. Everyone stood waiting for an explanation for her delay, but she simply gave a small smile and said, "There were some things that needed arranging, but I'm here now."
Afterward, they decided to enter the maze without Joseph, unaware that he was waiting for them inside.
But before they entered, Si Hon pulled out his phone and sent a message to Li Lian:
"Take care of the girl once we enter. Then catch up with us."
After making their arrangements, they entered the maze quickly, all in a state of anticipation. They were approaching the cave.
From above, Joseph watched them closely, as if the time had come. They didn't know what awaited them.
Joseph whispered quietly to himself:
"Alright, it seems we're starting."
The moment the team entered the maze, darkness enveloped the area like a curtain of mystery, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth and the unknown. At that moment, Joseph descended from a large tree with steady steps, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes watching them from afar. He didn't seem worried, as if nothing happening around him mattered.
The team entered the maze, where they first encountered a few small snakes. They didn't pose a real threat, so they killed them and continued on their way without difficulty.
They began executing their plan cautiously. Sook Won and Si Hon moved ahead together, while Hana Yui and Li Lian stayed behind. The former two continued walking, while Li Lian suddenly stopped.
Hana Yui looked at him in surprise and asked:
"Why did you stop?"
But he didn't answer. Instead, he cornered her in a narrow part of the cave, and something strange seemed to creep into the atmosphere. She looked at him suspiciously and asked again:
"What are you doing?"
He approached her slowly, extending his hand to gently touch her hair, then sighed coldly saying:
"It's a shame that I'll have to kill a beautiful girl like you."
Hana's blood froze. She responded in a trembling voice:
"W-What are you saying?"
He smiled disdainfully and said:
"Isn't what I said clear?"
She looked around, considering calling the rest of the team, but suddenly realized that it was just the two of them. Fear intensified inside her, and her body shook when Li Lian, holding his sword, said:
"Don't worry… your death will be quick."
He raised his sword high and then brought it down forcefully toward her head.
Hana closed her eyes in sheer terror… but she didn't feel any pain.
What was not expected happened.
Something blocked the sword at the last moment.
Hana slowly opened her eyes to see a dagger that had stopped the blow. And behind the dagger… was Joseph.
He appeared suddenly, standing between the sword and its victim, his gaze cold, and his voice calm as he said:
"Li Lian…"
Li Lian stepped back lightly, shocked, then uttered:
"Joseph?!"
Joseph said without changing his expression:
"Why do you want to kill her?"
Li Lian responded sarcastically:
"You've changed… You're taller, and stronger. But your appearance doesn't hide the fact that you're still a weak nobody."
But Joseph remained steady and said firmly:
"Don't avoid the question… Why do you want to kill her?"
Li Lian laughed mockingly:
"Don't worry, don't worry… She'll die with her."
Joseph looked at him steadily:
"So, you want to kill me too?"
Li Lian smiled pretentiously:
"We were tasked with that… though I don't understand why the vice president wants to kill a weak fool like you."
Joseph's eyes widened, shocked at the mention of the vice president's name.
"Vice president? He ordered my death?"
Li Lian replied:
"It seems I've talked too much… Now, it's time for you to say goodbye to life, Joseph!"
He lunged at him with a sudden attack. But Joseph, with complete calm, easily dodged the strike.
This move provoked Li Lian, who stepped back while shouting:
"How… How did you dodge my strike so quickly?!"
Joseph answered with a deadly cold tone:
"Because you're a nobody… and weak."
Anger ignited in Li Lian's eyes, and he charged at Joseph with all his strength and speed, shouting and attacking violently.
But what happened next was unexpected by anyone.
In a flash of lightning, before Li Lian's strike could even land…
His head had already fallen to the ground.
Joseph didn't just dodge the attack; he ended the fight with a single, decisive blow.
Hana Yui was still standing in place, her eyes wide with shock, her breath shallow, and her knees barely holding her up. The scene before her was hard to comprehend; Li Lian's severed head was slowly rolling on the ground, and the sudden silence after the storm heightened the dread of the moment.
Joseph walked slowly toward her, his steps steady, his gaze still charged with caution. He reached out his hand and asked calmly:
"Are you alright?"
She looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then took his hand and stood up, still caught between fear and shock. She studied his face and asked in a trembling voice:
"Are you Joseph? The one who was supposed to be with us?"
He nodded quietly and said:
"Yes, it's me."
She gazed at his features for a moment, then whispered a soft thank you:
"Thank you… for saving me."
Joseph looked at her with eyes searching for an answer:
"Why were they trying to kill you?"
She shook her head helplessly and replied:
"I don't know… This is my first maze."
A moment of silence passed before he asked her again:
"Where are the others?"
She pointed toward the dark corridor behind her and said:
"Si Hon and Sook Won continued ahead."
Joseph's face darkened, and he said firmly:
"I'll go to them."
But Hana quickly grabbed his arm, her voice full of fear:
"No… don't go! If Li Lian wanted to kill us, maybe they will too. Let's leave this place before they reach us."
Joseph looked at her for a few seconds, then said quietly:
"If you want to leave… that's fine."
He turned slightly, then added in a steady tone:
"As for me… I will continue."
Hana hesitated for a moment, looking at the path ahead, then at Joseph, as if a heavy decision was forming inside her. Finally, she clenched her fist, raised her head, and said:
"I'll go with you… let's catch up to them."