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
He didn't seem to realize how close he was to losing control himself. He was panting heavily, and I could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. It wasn't long before he pulled his fingers out of me, causing me to whimper loudly. "You really like that, don't you? Don't worry, I'll get to that soon enough," he said, getting off of the bed. "Wait, where are you going?!" I exclaimed. "Just sit there and wait, okay?" he replied, grabbing his clothes and putting them on. "Wh-what are you doing?! That doesn't make any sense!" I retorted, standing up and following after him. "No, no, no, please, stop! Not now! I mean, I still haven't even gotten to cum yet..." I complained. "Calm down, Seojin. You're going to be alright. Just trust me," he said reassuringly, looking down at me. "Okay..." I responded, nodding. He grabbed hold of my shoulders and pulled me closer to him, then lowered his head towards mine. "I'll be back soon in a few minutes." "Yeah... please come back safe," I mu
Watching Seoul from the rooftop of my apartment, it stretched out like a maze of flickering lights, bustling streets, and distant hums of life. It was a stark contrast to the chaos that had been my reality for the past few weeks. But tonight, standing on the rooftop with Minseok by my side, the world felt oddly quiet. A little too quiet.I leaned against the railing, my thoughts swimming in the events of the last mission. The whispers had been quieter, almost nonexistent since the battle, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the calm before the storm. I needed to be ready.Minseok stood beside me, his arms crossed as he gazed out over the city. His presence was steady, grounding, yet I could sense the tension in his posture. He hadn’t spoken since we’d come up here, and it was unlike him to remain silent for this long.“What is it?” I asked finally, breaking the stillness.“I'm not even sure,” he replied curtly.I frowned. That wasn't like him. Ever since we met, Minseok ha
My vision blurred.Why...? Why would she do that? She tried to kill us! And yet here she is, offering herself up to us?!"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Minseok demanded, looking down at the girl."I'm... I'm sorry..." The girl looked down at the floor, her eyes glistening with tears."Please don't hurt me...""I won't hurt you. We're on your side." Minseok stepped forward, crouching down beside the girl."Iseul," I muttered her name under my breath.I had told myself that I wouldn't read anyone's thoughts without permission—but somehow, I just couldn't resist."H-How did you know that?" Iseul asked, her face turning red as she gaped at me."You called me 'master' earlier, didn't you?""A-Ah...""And you were merely testing me.""Y-Yes...""He's an Esper with telepathic abilities. As you can probably tell, he has no problem reading people's minds. If you try to lie to him, he'll be able to catch you out easily, so please don't test him too much..." Minseok warned, his expressi
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