The compound’s alarm blared the next day, jolting me from a restless sleep. A breach. I rushed to the command center, finding Commander Moon and Dr. Yoona already there. “It’s a group of corrupted Espers,” Commander Moon said grimly. “They’ve broken through the outer defenses.” My heart sank. Corrupted Espers were rare but deadly, their minds twisted and their powers amplified by the same darkness I was fighting. 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. --- Tha
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 softly l
I opened my mouth to respond, but then I remembered that I was still out in the open. I took a deep breath. "Hm? What is it?" Minseok asked, looking up from where he sat cross-legged. "Oh. No. Nothing. Sorry." I shook my head, trying to clear away the lingering sensation from the kiss. He grinned. "Don't be sorry. Why don't we get back to work first? We can continue elsewhere." "Right." The team had scattered across the Guild when we arrived, each of us retreating to our respective spaces to decompress after the tension of the mission. The world map displayed on the wall monitor flickered as I watched the red zones of corruption pulse ominously. My mind kept racing, unable to settle on anything. The threat we faced was enormous, but what kept gnawing at me was the strange, unsettling feeling that something was off—something that hadn’t quite clicked yet. Minseok’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. “You’re brooding again.” I looked up to find him leaning against the do
He shook his head and gave what I could only call a ruse smile. "It's not that I can't help. To be honest with you, I hate it. I hate this feeling. I've been through this with those in my past. I thought we were different, Seojin. But it's fine; after all, I'm the guy that's only needed when things go wrong, the one that everyone else will abandon once the problem is solved. I guess this is the price I pay for awakening as a Guide, huh? The price of becoming someone others rely on." 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 softly like a melody only we could hear. "I’m glad," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "You don’t just guide me, Minseok. You ground me. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I don’t take that for granted." His expression softened, and for the first time
The arena buzzed with energy. The other Espers were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing, their conversations filling the air. It was one of those rare days when the training schedule allowed for some downtime. For once, the tension wasn’t crushing. Yet, I couldn’t shake the strange sense of unease building in my chest."Seojin! Over here!" Hyunwoo waved me over, his grin bright as always. I walked toward him, my boots crunching against the gravel, catching snippets of hushed conversations along the way. My name came up more than once, always paired with words like "impressive," "unbelievable," or "lucky." Normally, hearing praise like that would have been flattering, but today, the tone felt... off. Hyunwoo nudged me with his elbow as I joined his group. "You’re the talk of the grounds again. How does it feel to be the golden boy?" I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool. "More like everyone’s favorite target." Hyunwoo chuckled, but his laugh trailed off when Jaehyu
When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t in the training grounds. I wasn’t even sure I was still on Earth. The dark expanse stretched infinitely around me, just like in my dreams. The swirling figure stood before me, more distinct now. Its body seemed less like a shadow and more like a void, consuming every bit of light around it. "Why am I here again?" I demanded, my voice echoing. "What do you want from me?" "You are at the threshold, Seojin," it said, its voice layered, as if multiple beings spoke at once. "You must make the choice now." "The choice for what?" I snapped, frustration boiling over. "You keep saying that, but you don’t explain anything! How am I supposed to choose if I don’t even know what’s at stake?" The figure tilted its head as if amused. "You have always known, Seojin. The bond you share with your Guide is strong, but it is incomplete. To achieve your full potential, you must sever your current path and walk a new one." My chest tightened at the words. "Sever?
Jaehyun's figure loomed before me, his smirk an unsettling contrast to the eerie glow of the symbols that lined the walls. My heart hammered in my chest, the overwhelming sensation of being caught in something far beyond my understanding sinking in. This wasn’t just another dream or vision. It was real. And Jaehyun, of all people, was here.“What is this?” I demanded, my voice a mix of fear and frustration. “How did you get here?”Jaehyun’s smirk only deepened, his eyes glinting with an unsettling light. “I’m not the one who needs to answer questions, Seojin. You’re the one who’s been chosen.” He stepped closer, each movement calculated, deliberate. “This is your choice. And I’m just here to help you make it.”I could feel the tension rising in the air, thick and suffocating. The room around me seemed to pulse, the glowing symbols shifting as if alive, as if they were watching me, waiting. The mark on my wrist burned hotter, a constant reminder of the power I had barely begun to under
I jolted awake, the pain from the fall still sharp in my body, but the ground beneath me felt different. It wasn’t the cold, stone floor of the chamber where I’d fallen. Instead, it felt warm—almost soft—and there was a strange hum in the air, like the earth itself was alive. For a moment, I couldn't make sense of where I was. I rubbed my eyes, my head still spinning, trying to recall the events leading up to my fall. Jaehyun’s smug face... Minseok calling out to me... and then—darkness. Complete and utter darkness.But this wasn’t darkness. Not entirely. There was a faint glow all around me, casting strange shadows on the walls. I stood up slowly, my legs shaky beneath me, and surveyed my surroundings.The place I found myself in wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before. The walls were made of some smooth, glowing material—blue, purple, and green veins pulsed beneath the surface. It felt... otherworldly, like I had been transported to some alternate dimension. But how?I pressed
As we ventured deeper, the once-vibrant greens of the jungle gave way to muted, ashen tones. Trees twisted unnaturally, their bark blackened and oozing an eerie, viscous liquid. The ground beneath our boots was spongy, as though the earth itself was rotting. Then the whispers began. ] I flinched. The voice was faint but unmistakable, like a breeze brushing past my ear. I glanced at Minseok, but he was focused on his tracker. The others didn’t seem to notice either. The second whisper was stronger, more insistent. My chest tightened, but I forced myself to stay calm. I wasn’t about to let my nerves jeopardize the mission. “You okay, Seojin?” Na Ri asked, her sharp eyes catching my unease. I nodded quickly. "Fine. Just... the air feels heavy, that’s all." She didn’t look convinced but didn’t press further. --- ### The Hive After hours of navigating the corrupted jungle, we finally arrived at the heart of the hotspot. What we saw
I froze, the shockwaves reverberating through my body like a sudden tremor. My heart hammered in my chest, and for a brief moment, the world around me felt like it was moving in slow motion. The figure that had appeared from the shadows wasn’t just another opponent—it was something far more dangerous, something I couldn’t fully comprehend.Minseok’s voice, weak and urgent, cut through the chaos. "Seojin... Run."My body refused to obey him at first. It was as if my mind had completely shut down, caught between the desire to act and the overwhelming presence of the unknown enemy. But the sense of danger in the air was palpable. This wasn’t just a fight for victory anymore. It was a fight for survival.And yet, I didn’t move. Instead, my eyes locked onto the figure, my body paralyzed with the weight of everything that had brought me here.The enemy in front of us was cloaked in dark energy, their aura swirling like a storm, impossibly dense. The air itself seemed to crackle and hum with
The darkness stretched across the cavernous expanse, its oppressive weight pressing down on me. The aftermath of the mission played out in my mind like a slow-motion replay, every moment, every decision hanging in the air like a question I could never quite answer."Seojin..." Minseok's voice was soft but firm, cutting through the haze of exhaustion and confusion. "Why did you ignore the plan?"I didn’t have an answer. The mission had gone awry, true, but we still succeeded in stopping the enemy’s primary objective. It wasn’t a total loss. But the team had taken unnecessary hits. Rita and Kimberly were injured, not severely, but enough to knock them out of action for the next few days. Their faces haunted me."I thought the risk was worth it," I said, my voice hollow. I didn’t believe the words myself, but I had to justify it somehow.Minseok’s gaze was steady, too steady. It made my skin crawl. "Risking their lives isn’t your call to make."I winced, but the words Jaehyun had whisper
The ground cracked wide beneath me, the dark chasm yawning as if the very earth was swallowing me whole. The air grew thick with an oppressive energy, the oppressive weight of something ancient and powerful creeping up from the depths below.I stumbled back, my pulse racing. The figure that had appeared—Minseok’s brief and frantic vision—was still fresh in my mind. What did he mean by "you don't know who you're dealing with"? Why had he disappeared? I couldn’t even catch my breath before the ground trembled violently again.Something was coming.I forced myself to focus. Minseok’s voice echoed in my head. *Listen to me... you have to listen...* The chasm widened further, and the creature that began to rise from it was enormous. Its massive, scaled body twisted and coiled as it slithered upwards, its red eyes burning with malice. It looked like a serpent, but there was something distinctly humanoid about its shape. The skin shimmered with an eerie iridescence, reflecting the faint glo
I jolted awake, the pain from the fall still sharp in my body, but the ground beneath me felt different. It wasn’t the cold, stone floor of the chamber where I’d fallen. Instead, it felt warm—almost soft—and there was a strange hum in the air, like the earth itself was alive. For a moment, I couldn't make sense of where I was. I rubbed my eyes, my head still spinning, trying to recall the events leading up to my fall. Jaehyun’s smug face... Minseok calling out to me... and then—darkness. Complete and utter darkness.But this wasn’t darkness. Not entirely. There was a faint glow all around me, casting strange shadows on the walls. I stood up slowly, my legs shaky beneath me, and surveyed my surroundings.The place I found myself in wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before. The walls were made of some smooth, glowing material—blue, purple, and green veins pulsed beneath the surface. It felt... otherworldly, like I had been transported to some alternate dimension. But how?I pressed
Jaehyun's figure loomed before me, his smirk an unsettling contrast to the eerie glow of the symbols that lined the walls. My heart hammered in my chest, the overwhelming sensation of being caught in something far beyond my understanding sinking in. This wasn’t just another dream or vision. It was real. And Jaehyun, of all people, was here.“What is this?” I demanded, my voice a mix of fear and frustration. “How did you get here?”Jaehyun’s smirk only deepened, his eyes glinting with an unsettling light. “I’m not the one who needs to answer questions, Seojin. You’re the one who’s been chosen.” He stepped closer, each movement calculated, deliberate. “This is your choice. And I’m just here to help you make it.”I could feel the tension rising in the air, thick and suffocating. The room around me seemed to pulse, the glowing symbols shifting as if alive, as if they were watching me, waiting. The mark on my wrist burned hotter, a constant reminder of the power I had barely begun to under
When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t in the training grounds. I wasn’t even sure I was still on Earth. The dark expanse stretched infinitely around me, just like in my dreams. The swirling figure stood before me, more distinct now. Its body seemed less like a shadow and more like a void, consuming every bit of light around it. "Why am I here again?" I demanded, my voice echoing. "What do you want from me?" "You are at the threshold, Seojin," it said, its voice layered, as if multiple beings spoke at once. "You must make the choice now." "The choice for what?" I snapped, frustration boiling over. "You keep saying that, but you don’t explain anything! How am I supposed to choose if I don’t even know what’s at stake?" The figure tilted its head as if amused. "You have always known, Seojin. The bond you share with your Guide is strong, but it is incomplete. To achieve your full potential, you must sever your current path and walk a new one." My chest tightened at the words. "Sever?
The arena buzzed with energy. The other Espers were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing, their conversations filling the air. It was one of those rare days when the training schedule allowed for some downtime. For once, the tension wasn’t crushing. Yet, I couldn’t shake the strange sense of unease building in my chest."Seojin! Over here!" Hyunwoo waved me over, his grin bright as always. I walked toward him, my boots crunching against the gravel, catching snippets of hushed conversations along the way. My name came up more than once, always paired with words like "impressive," "unbelievable," or "lucky." Normally, hearing praise like that would have been flattering, but today, the tone felt... off. Hyunwoo nudged me with his elbow as I joined his group. "You’re the talk of the grounds again. How does it feel to be the golden boy?" I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool. "More like everyone’s favorite target." Hyunwoo chuckled, but his laugh trailed off when Jaehyu
He shook his head and gave what I could only call a ruse smile. "It's not that I can't help. To be honest with you, I hate it. I hate this feeling. I've been through this with those in my past. I thought we were different, Seojin. But it's fine; after all, I'm the guy that's only needed when things go wrong, the one that everyone else will abandon once the problem is solved. I guess this is the price I pay for awakening as a Guide, huh? The price of becoming someone others rely on." 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 softly like a melody only we could hear. "I’m glad," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from his face. "You don’t just guide me, Minseok. You ground me. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I don’t take that for granted." His expression softened, and for the first time