Admiral Finn emerged from the control room as they informed him of a visit from the Moon Pack. Two men stood before him, bearing news.

"We have important tidings for you, Admiral," one of them spoke up.

"What is it?" Admiral Finn inquired, his gaze fixed on both individuals.

"The Guardian has discovered the Maze City—or rather, the entrance to it," they revealed.

"It appears our time has come. Tyler, summon everyone immediately! We must act swiftly," Admiral Finn instructed his assistant, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Guardian, await our arrival. We're on our way!"

***

"Is it just me, or does this alley feel farther than usual?" Yoon questioned, voicing the collective exhaustion they all felt.

"It seems like we're trapped in an endless loop," Joon remarked, his attention drawn to the familiar craving on the wall. Fatigue had dulled their awareness of their surroundings.

"But how?" Yoon wondered.

"Look at those cravings. They're the same ones we saw earlier," Joon pointed out.

"Can we please take a momentary break?" Cygnus pleaded, his weariness and dizziness taking hold after hours of walking.

"It appears we've been going in circles," Jein observed.

"More like wandering without a sense of direction," Sun added.

"I know I shouldn't say this, but it feels monotonous for some reason," Justin confessed. He took a swig of water from his bottle before passing it to Twix.

"Well, we narrowly escaped both a flood and a sword. I, for one, am not prepared for any more action-packed events," Jein admitted.

Joon distanced himself slightly from the group, fixating on the craving on the wall. Somehow, it seemed to hold a message about the room they were in. Taking three steps back, he inadvertently triggered a sinister mechanism.

"What was that?" they all heard a noise above them, and suddenly, the floor began to move unexpectedly.

"Joon, what's happening?" Jein called out, noticing Joon being pulled away from the group.

"The floor is shifting!" Everyone scrambled, trying to walk or run as fast as they could, but soon realized they were being separated from each other.

Despite their desperate attempts to hold onto one another, the group found themselves forcibly separated.

"Justin, no!" Twix exclaimed, swiftly transforming into his wolf form and leaping towards Justin. He managed to catch the boy, surveying the area to identify a stable spot.

"Twix! Over here!" Byul's voice rang out, indicating her position. It appeared she had discovered an exit. Twix passed Justin to her, and she firmly grasped him, guiding him into the exit passage.

"Help!" Cygnus's cry for assistance reached Twix's ears. He spotted Cygnus clinging to the wall, with the floor shrinking rapidly beneath his feet. Leaping and deftly maneuvering on his magical four legs, Twix rushed towards the small man. He swiftly scooped him up onto his back and raced towards Byul, who patiently awaited their arrival.

Sun faced a similar predicament. Twix intervened just in time as Sun tap-danced on a moving floor. Although entertaining, it was clear he needed to be saved.

Jein and Joon tightly held hands, making daring leaps from one shifting floor to another. With each subsequent movement, their pace quickened as they sprinted towards Byul, stationed near the exit.

Suddenly, Jein stumbled, nearly plummeting into a chasm. In a crucial moment, Joon managed to grab hold of his hand.

"Hold on tight, baby!" Joon urged.

"Joon, please release your malevolent touch!" Jein pleaded anxiously.

"Baby, it's an immense burden to hear that! Just hold onto my hand tightly!" Joon's voice echoed with desperation, as he felt Jein's hand slipping from his grasp.

"No, please! Not this time!"

"Jein!!!" Joon bellowed at the top of his lungs, refusing to let his beloved's life slip away. He clung onto Jein's hand, his grip nearly tearing his arm apart. He wouldn't allow this curse to claim someone today, especially not the love of his life.

After enduring the hanging for what felt like an eternity, Jein reached his breaking point. Witnessing the agony on Joon's face as he held on, Jein made a painful decision.

"Joon, my love, look at me," Jein pleaded, his gaze locked with Joon's.

"I think it's okay to let me go."

"Nope! Not a chance!" Joon vehemently protested.

"You need to live for them," Jein suddenly became tearful, realizing he had already resigned himself to his fate.

"You need to live for me! I won't let you go!" Joon screamed, tears streaming down his face.

Out of the blue, Jein felt his leg being lifted.

"Wait, am I floating right now?" he questioned himself, realizing there was no one around. "Oh, I forgot about Joon! Sorry, man!"

"Twix!" Joon spotted Twix lifting Jein with his mouth and locked eyes with the wolf. He swiftly grabbed Twix's tail, dashing towards Byul and leaping onto her side. Unable to control their momentum, they ended up rolling together.

It seemed that everyone was now safe.

"Where's Yoon?" they asked, scanning the area.

"Right here!" Yoon emerged from the shadows, causing them to startle and scream.

"How did you manage to escape?" Joon inquired.

"Justin's boots did the trick!" Yoon proudly displayed the boots he was wearing.

"Wait, how did you manage to get those boots?" Justin questioned in surprise.

"What just happened?" Cygnus inquired, still puzzled by the sudden turn of events.

"I was reading the carvings on the wall, and somehow the floor just split open..." Joon struggled to recall the precise sequence of events that led to triggering the trap.

"It was practically made for a werewolf like Twix. He seemed to enjoy himself flying and running around!" Justin teased, prompting Twix to shake off his fur and revert back to his human form.

"I was out of breath out there, and you thought I was having fun?" Twix retorted, exhausted from saving them all.

"Great job, wolfie!" Sun attempted to give him a high-five, but Twix responded with tired eyes, unable to muster the energy for the playful gesture.

Suddenly, Twix burst into loud laughter. He laughed so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. The rest of the group looked at him, perplexed by his sudden outburst.

"What's so funny?" Cygnus asked, genuinely curious.

"You should have seen Sun's tap dance just now! He looked like a little girl hopping around with a tiny basket... oh, his head..." Twix managed to explain between fits of laughter. They all turned their gaze towards Sun, the man known for always carrying a weapon on his back. The image of him joyfully dancing tickled their funny bones. They couldn't help but burst into laughter, finding the sight simultaneously hilarious and strange, given his imposing stature.

"Hey, this isn't funny!" Sun frowned, attempting to look intimidating, but their laughter continued unaffected.

Byul interlaced her hand with Yoon's, looking at the group with a gentle smile. Yoon returned the gaze with a soft laugh. Her heart swelled with emotion, yet a sense of melancholy lingered. Nonetheless, she chose to cherish this moment, savoring what she had right now.

For in this moment, it was all she had.