Bam! "Seojin-ssi, do you ever get tired?" One of the younger Espers, a wiry boy named Hyunwoo, wiped the sweat dripping from his brow. His eyes were glued to my feet. "You're so calm, despite all the chaos around you." Hyunwoo was a B-ranker. Not too shabby. He was right, though. I was calm. No matter how much shit happened around me, no matter how many times I got scratched or bitten by monsters, I never lost my cool. Well, except for that one time... "Hmm? Oh, yeah. When I'm really stressed out..." I glanced over at the other Espers, who were circling me, sweating buckets. They were all trying their hardest to keep up with my movements. I'd asked them to follow me because I wanted to test their mana control. If they couldn't control their mana well enough, they wouldn't be able to do anything against monsters—not even if they were armed with the best weapons. Not only that, but if they couldn't control their mana, they would eventually run out of energy quickly and could succu
The following day came with a biting chill in the air, a reminder that winter was fast approaching. The compound’s corridors were bustling with activity as Espers and Guides prepared for another day of strategizing and action. I found myself in the briefing room once again, staring at the large holographic map projected on the wall. The flickering blue light of the display painted shadows on the otherwise dimly lit room. Around me sat the same faces from a few days ago, the tension in the air. Minseok was seated to the right of my empty chair. Sigh! Being the one to give the speech sure had its disadvantage. I felt as if I were being judged; I could hear their whispers, even when they weren't saying anything. Minseok's calm demeanor a stark contrast to the nervous energy buzzing in the room. I glanced at him, briefly catching his eye. He offered a small smile, one that did little to ease the knot of anxiety in my chest. I can do this! My eyes shifted back to the map. As muc
The following day dawned cold and overcast, the sky heavy with the promise of rain. Our team gathered at the edge of the designated area, a stretch of forest marked by strange energy fluctuations. The air crackled with tension as we prepared to move in. There were twelve main members of the special ops team who would be participating in this mission. They included myself, Seojin, Nikolai, Commander Moon, Na Ri, Soo Min, Hye Jin, Captain Kwan, Captain Doh, Lieutenant Beom, and Lieutenant Choi. The rest would be made up of various supporting personnel and their respective teams. There would also be two monitors assigned to our group. And last but not least, there was one member of the general staff that we couldn't afford to forget about: the commander of the Guild's military. Commander Moon, Captain Kwan, Lieutenant Beom, and the lieutenant had all been trained in combat. They were all experienced, and they weren't lacking in strength or skill. However, not only did Commander Moon
The rest of the team kept their distance, watching our every movement as we closed in on the monsters. Even though the creatures were watching us, they didn't take action, which made sense. After all, if they wanted to eat us, surely this would've happened already. Could it be that their leader—Morveth—wanted to make sure we were strong enough before he decided whether or not to fight us? That made sense. The first attack came quickly. One of the smaller monsters let out a piercing screech and charged, its claws scraping against the rocky ground. Na Ri and Hye Jin reacted instantly, their combined attacks hitting it square in the chest. The creature stumbled but didn’t fall, its glowing eyes narrowing in rage. “Watch your flanks!” I shouted, my mana surging as I stepped forward. Another monster lunged at me, its jagged limbs slicing through the air. I dodged easily, countering with a burst of mana that sent it crashing into the cavern wall. Tsk This was a little too easy. "Tra
He looked directly into my eyes, and I couldn't look away. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to. I simply stared at him, unable to speak. Minseok had seen right through me, and now he was looking at me like he knew what I was thinking. Was he trying to make me confess? Was he mocking me? But why would he do that? Minseok didn't show any sign of anger over what I'd done. Instead, he was smiling softly, as if he knew exactly what I was feeling. I felt a strange sense of comfort at how his gentle expression made it clear he wasn't angry, no matter what I did. I pushed off him. I needed to think clearly; we were in the middle of a battle. We weren't supposed to be having this conversation here. He chuckled at my reaction, but I ignored it. "I know you can be crazy sometimes, but you can't just leave me like this. Can't you see how hard you made me?" Boom! I deflected an attack from a monster attacking me from behind. Minseok and I weren't done talking yet.
The following days passed in a blur. On the surface, everything seemed normal. Training sessions, briefings, and the occasional mission kept us busy. But beneath it all, I was constantly on edge, my telepathic abilities straining to pick up even the faintest hint of Morveth's whispers. He was quiet now, but I knew better than to assume he was gone. He was waiting, watching. And the knowledge he held—about me, about the people I cared for—was a constant weight on my chest. Minseok noticed my growing tension, though he didn’t push me for answers. Instead, he stayed close, his quiet support a lifeline I didn’t know I needed. He’d always had a way of calming the storm inside me, but this was different. This storm wasn’t just mine—it was a threat that loomed over everyone I loved. I was aware of the fact that we were being watched, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. The truth was, I wanted to forget about the possibility completely. But if I did, I wouldn't be able to protect those I c
He stared at me for a few moments, then blinked several times. "...Seojin..." I lowered my head in shame. I didn't know why I felt this way, but somehow I couldn't tell him the truth. "Your corruption has gotten worse than it was before." Minseok said, scowling. He sighed and shook his head. He walked past me and sat down on the couch opposite the one he'd originally been sitting on. "You can't keep doing this." I didn't reply. I stood there, unable to move. Minseok was staring at me intently, waiting for me to speak. I couldn't bring myself to do so. "Were you ever planning on telling me about whatever's bothering you to cause such a reaction, or were you going to possibly resort to a punch to my face if I pressed you?" "I...don't know," I answered honestly, looking down at my feet. The silence between us grew longer. "Strip! Let's start with that." Minseok said, pointing at my hoodie. My brows furrowed in confusion. What was he trying to play at? Didn't he understand how unc
"You're joking, right?" Minseok answered, his voice cracking. I laughed. "I'm not joking. I'm the real deal," I said, staring at him. His eyes glazed around my body, eyes searching for something. As if trying to see through me. Trying to figure out what I really was. As if he were looking for something and I had no idea what that was. Why did I feel like he was trying to figure out something? Something important. "I don't think you're thinking straight. Also, I don't need your sympathy." He said, trying to put some distance between us. My chest ached painfully. "I was stupid to have treated you like that... I'm sorry. I know you were only trying to look out for me. I never thought you'd come all the way here just because of me," I apologized to Minseok. I meant every word I said. I realized how much I didn't understand him until today. How much I took him for granted. And how I shouldn't take advantage of someone who cared so deeply about me. I felt a lump forming in my throat
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
Sure! Here’s a 3500-word continuation that deepens the tension, develops Seojin’s plan with his strike team, and ends on a cliffhanger. ---I didn’t look back again. If I did, I’d start questioning things I wasn’t ready to face. The moment I acknowledged the weight of it all—the impossible truth standing right behind me—I’d falter. And right now, I couldn’t afford to falter. Our team moved in near silence, our exhaustion heavy in every step. The battlefield, once filled with roaring chaos, had been swallowed by eerie stillness. We had won, but it didn’t feel like victory. Not with him here. Not with the mission still incomplete. Minseok kept pace beside me, his gaze flicking toward me every so often. He was waiting for me to say something. I wasn’t ready yet. My thoughts were tangled, a mess of strategy, suspicion, and something uncomfortably close to dread. It wasn’t just about him—about how he was alive when he shouldn’t be. It was about what came next. Because this w
When I opened my eyes again, the battlefield had gone still. The corrupted node that had loomed over us like a grotesque heart had collapsed into itself, its pulsing veins of energy vanishing into nothingness. The air, once thick with the stench of decay, felt cleaner, lighter—though the aftermath of battle still weighed heavily around us. Pain throbbed through my limbs, sharp and relentless. My fingers curled against the cracked earth, my body protesting every small movement. A low groan escaped me as I forced myself up onto my elbows. My vision swam for a second before clearing. Minseok crouched beside me, his brows furrowed in that half-scolding, half-worried expression I’d grown used to. His dark eyes swept over me, assessing, before he huffed in exasperation. “You always have to be dramatic, don’t you?” His voice was rough with exhaustion, but there was something else beneath it—relief. I let out a weak chuckle. “If you wanted someone quiet and predictable, you picked
When I opened my eyes, the world around me swam in a hazy blur of light and shadow. My ears rang, and for a moment, I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. The ground beneath me felt cold and unsteady, and my body ached with a deep, bone-level fatigue. "Seojin!" The voice cut through the fog in my head. I blinked, my vision slowly sharpening to see Minseok crouched over me, his face tight with worry. Behind him, the remnants of the battlefield stretched out, chaos unfolding in every direction. "Get up," Minseok urged, gripping my arm and pulling me upright. "We don’t have time." Memories of the fight came flooding back—the corrupted creature, the pulsing node, the explosion. I struggled to stand, leaning heavily on Minseok as the world tilted precariously. "What happened?" I managed to croak, my voice raw. "The node overloaded," he said, his gaze flicking toward the center of the clearing. "It’s unstable, and it’s not done yet." I followed his line of sight
The war room buzzed with muted voices and the occasional flicker of holograms projecting the mission details. My fingers hovered over the control panel, dragging the map closer to magnify our target zone. The room, dimly lit with a bluish glow, felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just me. Minseok stood across from me, leaning against the table, his arms crossed as he studied the map in silence. Around us, the strike team waited, their expressions varying between nervous and determined. "Alright," I started, my voice firm to mask the unease brewing inside me. "Here's the situation. The corruption hotspot in Sector 47 is still active, and the monsters patrolling it have escalated their attacks on nearby settlements. We’re going in to assess, eliminate, and, if possible, trace the source of the corruption." Jihoon, who was seated to my left, raised a hand. "Are we sure this isn’t a trap? That last report from the scouts mentioned the enemy patterns shifting unpredictably. It’s al
The rest of the session passed quickly. By the time the trainees were dismissed, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting the training grounds in hues of orange and gold. I stood by the edge of the barrier, watching the Espers file out, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Minseok joined me, his hands tucked into his coat pockets. "You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" "Training them? Yeah, it’s not so bad. They’ve got potential." I glanced at him, my tone softening. "And it helps that you’re here." He didn’t respond immediately, but his lips curved into a small smile. "You’ve changed, Seojin. You’re...happier. It’s good to see." I turned to face him fully, leaning casually against the barrier. "That’s your doing, you know. Ever since we bonded, everything’s been...different. Better." His eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away. It was just us, standing there in the glow of the setting sun, the connection between us humming soft
The guild's training grounds were alive with activity. The air was filled with the clang of weapons, the crackle of elemental energy, and the rhythmic thuds of bodies hitting the ground. The grounds sprawled out behind the main Guild HQ, separated into sections based on the kind of training each Guide and Sentinel needed. It was both chaotic and perfectly organized, a testament to years of refining the guild's approach to honing its warriors. Today, Minseok had dragged me here before dawn. "You're slipping," he'd said with a grin that hadn't quite reached his eyes. "You need to get back into form." I knew what he really meant. He wanted me sharp, focused. He wanted me ready. "Fine," I’d grumbled, barely awake, "but don’t cry when I beat you into the dirt." The corner of his mouth twitched upward. "We’ll see." ---We started in the combat zone, a large circular arena surrounded by shimmering barriers designed to absorb excess energy. It was already buzzing with other guild me
The silence of the returning airship was deafening, broken only by the steady hum of the engines. Jihoon rested against my side, his breathing slow and even, exhaustion etched into his pale face. Minseok sat across from us, his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the distant horizon visible through the small porthole. None of us spoke; the weight of what had just happened clung to us like a suffocating fog. It wasn’t just the victory that felt hollow—it was the unknown. Jihoon had faced something far beyond what anyone could have prepared him for, and though we had come out of the battle alive, it didn’t feel like the end. When the Guild came into view, its towering spires glowing faintly against the approaching dawn, I felt a pang of relief. But that relief was quickly tempered by the knowledge that this reprieve was temporary. Minseok finally broke the silence as we disembarked, his voice low. “We need answers. That thing wasn’t just another corrupted entity—it was something el
The team mobilized quickly, engaging the intruders near the compound’s perimeter. The battle was chaotic, the corrupted Espers fighting with reckless abandon. I joined the fray, my energy flaring uncontrollably. “Seojin, focus!” Minseok’s voice rang out, anchoring me briefly. But the corruption was too strong. My attacks became wild, destructive, and I could see the fear in my teammates’ eyes. When the battle finally ended, the compound was in shambles. The corrupted Espers were defeated, but the damage was done. The team avoided my gaze, their unease palpable. --- That night, Minseok confronted me again. This time, I couldn’t hold back. “It’s the corruption,” I admitted, my voice shaking. “It’s inside me. And it’s getting worse.” Minseok’s face paled, but he didn’t flinch. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “Because I didn’t want to put you in danger,” I said, my voice breaking. “The monsters know about you. About Dr. Yoona. They threatened you.” His jaw tightened, but his e