Soo Min threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly.
Gasp! Gasp! "Can't breathe!!" As the air left my lungs, I yelled in pain. "Oh, sorry! Sorry!" She apologized, releasing me from her grasp. "Y-You're okay now, right?" She asked, looking concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just surprised!" I replied, forcing a smile. "—and then when we heard there was an S-rank gate in Gangnam, we need you, Seojin Oppa." Na Ri chimed in, "Since we knew that Minseok Hyung would be accompanying us, we are going to nail this mission no matter what!" she announced proudly. It was no surprise that they would choose to wait on my decision, since I am the leader of our team. It was difficult to disagree with them, though. I mean, if they say so, then I have no choice but to agree. Even though I'd rather spend my days lazing around doing nothing, I couldn't deny that they were my team mates. I couldn't also sit back and watch so many lives being lost, knowing that if I just acted faster, things wouldn't turn out like that. I sighed once again as I thought about how much work I needed to do. Our target was in a highly populated area, which meant that we'd need to act quick to get the job done. If we wanted to avoid casualties from a dungeon break, we needed to finish quickly, or else we'd have a lot of explaining to do. "We have the strongest captain and the most talented teammates possible!" Hye Jin added, grinning. "...and the best Guide in the world!" Soo Min finished. I could see her make googly eyes at Minseok; from her expression, I could tell she was trying to get his attention. "Hmm..." Minseok hummed, examining me carefully. "What?" I asked him. "Is it true what they say about you?" he asked, not taking his eyes off me. "Huh?" I replied, confused by the question. "They say that you are a monster feared by the actual monsters we deal with in battle." Minseok smirked, his eyes twinkling as he spoke. "Let's get going, Soo Min; you know what comes next!" I said firmly, turning away from them. "Ah, yes." Soo Min nodded. "Are we all prepared?" "Yes," Na Ri chimed in. "Okay then, let's do this!" Soo Min exclaimed brightly. She rubbed her palms together and drew a circle in the air with her fingers. "Gangnam Station, here we come!" She said, making a mental picture of the station so that she could teleport us there. ***** "Now is the time to show off your powers, Seojin Oppa!" Na Ri, encouraged. "I don't want to." I spat, sitting on the bench in front of me as I stared at the S-rank gate. It was in the middle of a park near the station, which was surrounded by tall buildings. The walls around the park were designed like an old building, with yellow bricks and a white door. We had arrived early because I didn't want to face the embarrassment of being videoed by the reporters or having our photo taken. But, now that I was here, I wasn't too happy about the situation either. "Come on, Oppa, you don't have to be embarrassed." Hye Jin patted my shoulder. "You're doing great!" "That's not what I mean." I replied without looking at her. "There's something strange about the fact that there hasn't been a dungeon break even after nearly twelve hours. Something isn't right." "Oh? What do you think it is?" Na Ri tilted her head. "I'm not sure yet. But I feel we can handle it somehow." "We'll be fine! Let's do our best for Minseok Hyung!" Soo Min said, clapping her hands together energetically. "Yeah, let's do our best." Hye Jin smiled broadly. "Let's go, Soo Min! It's time to show off!" Soo Min yelled to herself, waving her hand towards the gate. "Ugh..." I groaned. I knew that if we went through this gate, I would have to shut off my emotions. And I also knew that I couldn't afford to let myself lose control. "You can do this!" Minseok's voice echoed in my mind. "Don't worry—you're strong enough!" "So much for shutting off my feelings." I muttered under my breath as we walked through the gate. The most important thing was to maintain the flow of energy within my body. If I lost focus, everything would go wrong. "Okay, Soo Min, you've got this!" Soo Min said to herself. "Just stay calm and keep smiling!" Soo Min seemed to have read my mind, and her words helped ease some of my tension. "Hey, Oppa!" Na Ri called out as she walked up to me. "Why are you so tense today? You know we're going to be okay, right?" "Of course...but I just don't like the feeling I get from this place," I replied. Na Ri looked surprised. "Really? I thought you'd be used to it already, since you've been handling several gates like this in the past few days." I nodded, but this wasn't just about getting used to it; there were other things bothering me today. I could feel the mana around us getting stronger, which meant that our enemies were nearby. However, there was no sign of any monsters or traps, and that made me uneasy. The only reason I knew that something was amiss was because I could sense the presence of the enemy's manas. This had never happened before, and I didn't think it was normal. "I think we should take a detour here," I said quietly, after I had finished checking over all the equipment that I took with me. "What do you mean?" Minseok responded. "There's something strange happening in this gate. Like someone is manipulating the mana around us." Minseok cocked his head curiously. "But there shouldn't be anyone except us here. Where is it coming from?" I shook my head. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's definitely not natural." "Maybe it's just your imagination," Hye Jin said. "Or maybe you're just stressed because of how long it has taken to prepare for this mission. When you get really tense, sometimes you see things that aren't actually there." She sounded confident, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was very wrong. It was at this moment that the sound of footsteps resounded from behind us, and everyone turned to look. Just as we did, a familiar figure appeared from the darkness.The moment I saw the person standing in front of us, I felt a shiver run down my spine. It was that man—that uncle figure of mine. "Seojin. It's nice to see you again," he said, grinning, as if nothing had ever happened between us. I swallowed hard as I tried to hold myself together. My breaths were becoming shorter and more shallow. I turned to the rest of my teammates; they looked disturbed as well, but none of them dared say anything. I was the leader of our team, and we would have done better to let someone else handle this situation. However, I couldn't leave my team like this. They needed me to lead. Hye Jin and Na Ri were both looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to decide on what to do next. "Captain, do you see some lady in red?" Soo Min asked quietly. A lady in red? What I'm seeing is far different from what she's describing. In fact, I've never seen anything that resembles what she's talking about. I started to wonder if Soo Min wasn't imagining thin
I struggled harder, trying to shake him off, but it seemed like he wasn't budging.I am stronger than he is, but why can't I break free?"No!" I yelled."But why?" he asked, still sounding completely calm."Because I'm straight!" I yelled back at him.His face darkened, and he pushed himself closer to me."What if I said I could change that?" he asked."I don't know!" I cried, unable to take another second of this.I hated the fact that just his touch was making me feel like this. I could see the black spots spreading all over my body, and each one was burning hotter than the last the moment he pulled away."Argh!" I crouched down on the floor. "What am I going to do? What happens if I become corrupt?""The future is uncertain. There's no predicting what will happen unless you get guided," he explained."I haven't given you my consent yet, so you don't have the right to do this to me," I argued."Like I said before, there are several different ways to guide an Esper," he answered."Yo
Right as I was about to tell him to go to hell, he leaned in and sealed our lips together.The moment our lips touched, all the air left my lungs.I couldn't breathe.I felt dizzy.But when I opened my mouth and tasted the salty tanginess of his tongue, I knew everything was going to work out just fine.I could feel his hand on my jaw as he moved me to lie back on the bed.As if reading my mind, he removed his own shirt and started running his fingers through my hair."Seojin... I don't think you're thinking straight," he murmured against my neck.I felt the heat of his breath on my skin."You only think of me as a friend, yet here we are touching each other like lovers," he whispered.I heard the rustle of fabric as he untied my shoes. He freed my feet, then knelt down beside me and started undressing me."Are you sure I can't persuade you?" he asked.I looked away from him, unable to answer."I believe I already told you that I won't force myself upon you. No matter how much you try
"Uhhh... Minseok?""...?!"He froze mid-stroke.I looked away, trying desperately to hide my flushed cheeks."Wha...huh? Seojin?""Uh..."I tried to play it cool and act like nothing was wrong, but I was fidgety and nervous."S-sorry, I thought you were in pain. I didn't mean to walk in on your umm... private time...""Oh, uh, sorry. I guess I kind of forgot to lock the door.""No, um, don't worry about it! It's fine, really!"I let out a shaky breath.I decided to keep my voice steady and pretend that nothing weird was happening. If I talked to him calmly, maybe he would calm down too."So, you're just going to take care of that right now?""Uh... yeah, of course," he replied, nodding awkwardly. "It's been bothering me a few minutes ago. You wouldn't mind, would you?""Of course not."I forced myself to smile.I couldn't look him in the eye.My heart was pounding so loudly in my ears.Why am I so embarrassed? I couldn't deny that Minseok's naked body was incredibly sexy. My eyes kep
"Some Espers are fighting each other right now. You should go help," Minseok told me bluntly, still looking sternly at me."Help?" I repeated it in shock. "There's a fight going on outside the premises? What kind of place is this? Is this some kind of karate dojo?" I asked, raising my eyebrows."No. It's a fight between Espers. And you know what happens when two or more Espers start fighting, right?" Minseok stated matter-of-factly."What?" I gaped at him again. "But... You're sure they aren't training or sparring or something?" I tried desperately to remember what might have happened."Well, It's because of me. They sort of were dueling to have me as their Guide," Minseok answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.My jaw dropped open in utter disbelief. "Wait, seriously!? Are you serious!?" I shrieked, completely taken aback."Yup. That's how it is," he confirmed flatly, giving me a look that said clearly, Don't bother asking questions, because I won't tell you and you wouldn't unders
He'd known I didn't want him since the moment we met, so why would he think that suddenly changing my mind now would change anything? Maybe he thought I would start liking him because I couldn't say no. Or perhaps he thought it was only natural that someone as beautiful and powerful as him should attract Esper's attention. After all, I had been staring at him since the moment we met. And when he touched me... well, I guess he got a taste of how much I despised him at first, but the uncertainty was still there; Dr. Yoona could see through it easily enough. So why did he keep trying? Why did he insist that I'd want him? Did he truly believe I liked being around him or did he simply enjoy torturing himself?I glanced over to him, meeting his gaze. Our eyes locked for a moment, and then he turned his head away, breaking eye contact.I sighed quietly. He knew full well that he was at a loss for words for the first time, but before he could speak, we heard a crash.Boom!A deafening explo
Then I moved. I didn't have time to explain why. I just needed to act fast.As soon as the monsters reached the threshold of the building, I used my telekinesis to block them from escaping.One.Two..Three...I counted the monsters as they tried to break through the windows. I couldn't help but laugh. It reminded me of my days as a kid.I'd always love watching monster movies with my dad. We'd watch them over and over again until we knew every line by heart.Monsters are scary. I know. They're supposed to be scary.But I loved monsters. I was fascinated by them. I wanted to meet them, even if I knew they'd kill me in a heartbeat.Here they were in the worst possible place they could find themselves and with me."Hahahaha! You think you'll get away after killing innocent people?" I mocked.They wouldn't dare. And yet, here they were. Right in front of me.What did I expect them to do?How many times had I wanted to kill them? To rip them apart limb from limb? How many times had I wish
The monster looked up at me with frightened eyes, its mouth open wide.And I wasn't surprised by how much it resembled the monsters who attacked me during my first year of training. They had a similar look to them."I need answers."I stepped forward, slowly approaching the monster."Why did you attack us? Why was this place a target? Why did you set your sights on us?"I looked above, realizing that the drone had been destroyed by the monster.This was even better than I had hoped. I had never seen a monster so afraid of a human being before."You will be the main course today," I told it in a low voice. "I'm sure you've never spoken to a human like this before, haven't you? You probably don't know what to do or say now that we're talking."The monster shook its head."First of all, you should apologize for attacking me. This is the least you can do."The monster whimpered quietly, looking down at the ground."Next, you need to start thinking about why you are attacking humans. Why d
The air was thick with tension, each breath I took feeling heavy as the creature staggered, its form flickering like a dying flame. My mind buzzed, trying to piece together what we had just faced—what we were up against. The Veil was not a simple opponent, not some fleeting threat we could easily brush aside. It was relentless, and it seemed to find new ways to push us to our limits. The creature’s howls echoed in the stillness, but as I looked at it, I realized something even more unnerving. Its body wasn’t just crumbling. It was unraveling. There was something inside it, something far more dangerous than any physical form."Minseok," I whispered, my voice trembling despite myself. "It’s not just a monster, is it? It’s... something more."Minseok’s eyes never left the creature. He was steady, even in the face of the chaos around us. I could see his mind working, always thinking ahead. He was calculating, strategizing, even now, as the creature’s remnants crumbled into the dust of th
The figure before us—this shadowy creature—loomed like a specter in the midst of the darkened forest. My heart hammered in my chest, every beat a reminder that this wasn’t just some mind game. The air crackled with a palpable tension as if the very atmosphere had turned against us.I could feel the heat of Minseok's presence at my side, his hand gripping mine like an anchor in the storm. But it wasn't enough. The pressure was suffocating, and this time, I couldn’t wait for him to act.I could feel it—the surge of energy that always came when I was backed into a corner. The sensation was familiar now, this hum that resonated deep within me. My mind raced, calculating the best course of action, even as fear clawed at the back of my throat. Minseok’s voice broke through the rush of thoughts. "Seojin, stay calm. We’re not alone in this. Whatever happens, don’t lose focus."I swallowed hard, nodding without taking my eyes off the creature in front of us. The figure’s dark, featureless fac
The man’s departure left an odd silence in the air, one that hummed with the tension of uncertainty. We stood at the edge of the safe house, the stone walls half-covered in ivy, the structure itself appearing to blend in with the forest as though it had been abandoned for years. The faint hum of the wind rustling through the trees seemed louder now, as though the world itself was holding its breath.Minseok’s hand tightened around mine again, his grip steady, but there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes that I couldn’t ignore. "We need to go inside," he said, his voice low, but his usual calm demeanor was tinged with unease. "If he’s right about the Veil knowing we’re here, we might not have much time."I nodded, though the feeling in my chest didn’t subside. Every instinct screamed that something wasn’t right, that the man who’d led us here was hiding something. But I didn’t have time to question it, not now.Together, we stepped toward the small wooden door of the safe house. I
A high-stakes confrontation awaited us. Minseok’s words echoed in my mind as we made our way toward the mountains, the early morning mist swirling around us like an omen. Despite the calm exterior we presented, both of us knew the gravity of what we were about to face. The Veil was more than a looming threat—it was a relentless force that would stop at nothing to devour everything we held dear.The forest ahead was dense, its towering trees casting long shadows across the path. The air was thick with moisture, the earthy smell of wet leaves filling my lungs with each breath. I could hear the distant call of a bird, the only sign of life in the otherwise silent wilderness. It felt like the calm before a storm, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for what was coming.Minseok’s hand was still in mine, his grip steady and strong, a silent reminder that I wasn’t alone in this. His presence was a comforting anchor, grounding me in the chaos of our mission. But as we walked, I couldn’t shake t
It was an odd sensation, walking alongside Minseok in the dim light of the underground space, his presence both a comfort and a reminder of the growing distance between us. The air felt colder, as if the basement’s chill wasn’t enough to explain the icy tension that hung between us. Every step I took felt heavy with the unspoken words we hadn’t shared. We had come here for answers, but instead, all I felt was a growing sense of dread. The path we were on, no matter how necessary, was unraveling everything we thought we knew."Seojin," Minseok murmured, breaking the silence that had settled around us. His voice was quieter than usual, almost thoughtful. "Are you sure you’re ready for this?"I paused, glancing up at him, surprised by the concern in his eyes. "I don't know," I admitted, my throat tight. "But what else can we do? We’ve already crossed the line." He didn’t respond immediately, as if weighing my words. His eyes were distant, like he was searching for something in the flick
The morning stretched out before me like a long road I wasn’t sure I was ready to walk. Minseok’s presence beside me felt distant, as if a rift had silently formed overnight, pulling us apart. I had no idea how to bridge the silence, especially when I was unsure of how I felt myself. The tension was thick enough to choke on. I had spent so many nights trying to convince myself this wasn’t real—that what Minji had said, what we were facing, couldn’t be the truth. But reality had a way of catching up, no matter how fast you ran.As we walked through the familiar streets, I couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t the same anymore. The world, the city, even the air felt different. It was as if everything was holding its breath, waiting for something inevitable to happen. And I couldn’t decide if I was prepared for it or terrified. The silence between Minseok and me felt suffocating, but I didn’t know how to break it. What was I supposed to say? That I was worried? That I didn’t kn
The next morning, the city felt unnaturally quiet, as if it had held its breath overnight, waiting for something to shift. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows on the streets, and I could almost hear the echo of our footsteps from the night before. But today, I wasn’t sure if we were walking toward an answer or deeper into the darkness.Minseok and I had barely exchanged a word since Eunji’s visit. He was quiet, too quiet. His usual confidence was overshadowed by the weight of the previous night's events. As we moved through the bustling streets, the usual vibrancy of the city seemed muted, like the sound had been turned down. People hurried on, heads down, trying to avoid the tension that hung in the air.We reached the outskirts of the district, where the more rundown buildings stood, their walls cracked and weathered. The contrast between the gleaming upper levels of the city and the poverty-stricken lower districts was always jarring, but today it felt like a stark re
The air in the council chambers felt thick, like the weight of unseen expectations pressing against my lungs. Golden light filtered through the high-arched windows, casting long shadows across the polished marble floors. The room, usually a place of cold, calculating decisions, now carried an edge of something else. **Uncertainty.** I sat beside Minseok, my posture deceptively relaxed, though my fingers remained curled against my lap. Across the table, Grand Esper Hwang’s sharp gaze raked over me before settling on Minseok. His disapproval was practically tangible. “The situation is escalating,” he said, his voice measured. “We’ve received word that a faction of Guides is rallying under an unknown leader. They demand reformation—an equal footing with Espers.” I scoffed, leaning back. “Reformation? More like a coup.” Minseok’s fingers tapped lightly against the table, his face unreadable. “How credible is this threat?” Hwang’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Credible enough t
I could barely hear myself breathe over the chaos. The clash of weapons, the crackle of energy, the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground—it all blurred together in a cacophony of battle. Every strike I blocked sent vibrations up my arms. Every counter I made was met with resistance. Minseok was right. If we tried to run now, we’d be slaughtered. But if we stayed— I dodged a spear aimed for my gut, twisting to the side before driving my own blade into the enemy’s exposed flank. They barely reacted, as if pain was irrelevant to them. As if they were something beyond human. Which meant they were exactly what I feared. Corrupted. Not just the mindless ones, either. These were the intelligent kind, the ones who still held onto fragments of their former selves. The ones who could strategize. Who could anticipate. Who could corner us if we weren’t careful. I gritted my teeth. We needed to break through. “Soo Min!” I shouted over the chaos. “Do you have enough energy l