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
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
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