By Zephyria 
prologue
Standing before the first Guiding Room, Seung-hyun took a short breath to compose himself. He lightly clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to relax his fingertips, which were tingling with tension.
When he opened the door, a man was there, head bowed low, staring at the floor. A long-standing weariness emanated from his sturdy back. A thin exhale, steeped in agony, leaked out.
Even after spotting the man, Seung-hyun couldn’t bring himself to step forward immediately. He swallowed a breath while still gripping the doorknob. His efforts to hide his fear were futile; the menacing energy filling the room burned black, as if it might swallow Seung-hyun whole at any moment.
“…….”
The words Are you alright? lingered on the tip of his tongue. Pity spread through his gaze as he looked at the man sitting motionless. His toes, which had instinctively stepped back, eventually faltered.
The energy shimmering above the man’s hunched back and slumped shoulders made Seung-hyun’s heart chill every time he saw it. It burned fiercely, as if it would devour the man, but the man remained silent, as he always did. Seung-hyun could estimate the value without even checking. It was likely well over 70%. As Seung-hyun walked toward him, he undid the first button of his shirt. It looked like it would be a long battle.
As Seung-hyun stood before him, the man tilted his head slightly to meet his eyes. Through his frizzy hair, cloudy pupils slowly looked upward.
“You’re here.”
He had heard that this battle was so fierce that there were casualties. Perhaps that was why the man looked more drained than usual.
“Yes. I’ll start right away.”
“Let’s do that.”
The man replied, then dropped his head again, as if even speaking was too taxing.
“Um… would you like to lie down?”
He suggested it in the hope that the man might be even slightly more comfortable, but the man shook his head and leaned his forehead against the area of Seung-hyun’s collarbone.
“Just… like this.”
The moment Seung-hyun’s body stiffened slightly, a faint sigh escaped the man’s lips. It was a contact akin to acting spoiled, but Seung-hyun’s Adam’s apple bobbed with tension.
Trying his best to appear nonchalant, Seung-hyun swallowed hard and placed his hand over the man’s heart.
“Then, I’ll begin.”
The vast, burning energy suddenly contracted and began to be absorbed between his fingers. The speed was quite fast. Seung-hyun’s face, focused on the guiding, was more serious than ever. He hoped it wouldn’t hurt. He hoped he would heal quickly. Seung-hyun prayed and prayed in his heart. He prayed that the man would wait just a little longer, for today would be better than yesterday, and tomorrow better than today.
“Are you hurt?”
“Pardon?”
Having focused all his attention on the guiding, Seung-hyun blinked and repeated the question, his eyes widening. The man had asked if he was hurt. His focus interrupted, Seung-hyun’s pupils wavered. He knew he had to answer, but he also had to continue the guiding; puffing out his cheeks, he hurriedly searched his memory. Then, a wound too embarrassing to be called an “injury” came to mind.
“Oh, uh, I think my new shoes didn’t fit well. Other than my heel being a bit chafed, there’s nothing.”
“…….”
The man didn’t say anything more, but Seung-hyun’s body suddenly jolted. It was because the man’s passing thought had caused a sharp ring in his head and lower abdomen. Simultaneously, the tips of his ears flushed bright red in an instant. Seung-hyun bit his lower lip hard. The fingers pressing against the man’s heart awkwardly curled.
Whenever this happened, Seung-hyun had no way to hide his embarrassment. It’s because my abilities are still lacking. I’ve made a mistake again. Guilt washed over him, but it was already too late. His face burned along with an inexplicable thirst.
Noticing Seung-hyun’s reaction, the man turned his head. Following a high bridge of a nose, a heavy gaze slowly rose. Seung-hyun couldn’t meet the man’s eyes. Instead, an excuse blurted out before he could think.
“I didn’t read it.”
The man, taking in the flushed cheeks, lowered his gaze again.
“…You read it.”
“I—I didn’t read it.”
It was a meaningless denial, but Seung-hyun hid behind the word “no” until the end. His heart beat painfully. Closing and opening his eyes tightly to regain his composure, Seung-hyun focused all his nerves on the man’s heart. Whether he read it or not, the important thing now was to suppress the Amplification Hazard Level.
It was just as Seung-hyun finally managed to concentrate after a period of flustered confusion. The man’s broad palm wrapped around Seung-hyun’s lower back and pulled him close. In that moment, a thought even stronger than before stabbed the same spot. He was already confused enough to die, and now even his body temperature spiked. The man had sent it intentionally. Seung-hyun could only become more flustered.
“U-um. No. I don’t know anything.”
“Yes. I know.”
Feeling the man pressing against him impassively, Seung-hyun squeezed his eyes shut. The strength in the hand stubbornly covering the heart was beginning to fade. What am I to do? He had been swayed again. He had clearly wanted to control himself to near zero today, but had he failed again? A sense of defeat washed over him. Unaware that his own body was trembling, Seung-hyun felt discouraged in the man’s arms.
“What are you doing?”
The man conveyed his body heat, wrapping his large hand around his back. For a prompt to stop thinking of other things and focus on guiding, it was quite mischievous. Seung-hyun fiddled with the man’s shoulder.
“Your… pranks have increased.”
Seung-hyun spoke bluntly, but the man, now feeling at ease, pulled Seung-hyun into a deep embrace without further reply.
The thought of the man, which Seung-hyun had denied reading, was: ‘I want to lick him.’
* * *
[Neo. Haon Branch, Sector 1-3.]
A sigh, like a thick fog, leaked from the man leaning against a wall. As he dropped his head, a handful of hair fell down, unable to withstand the weight. His face was shaded by his bangs, leaving only his high bridge of a nose barely visible.
He looked as if he might collapse at any moment. Regardless of his fairly large build, a strong aura of instability radiated from him.
After a few spasmodic coughs, he covered his mouth and calmed his ragged breathing. The sound of his heavy breathing collided noisily within his palm.
“…….”
The stains smeared dirtily on his hands and sleeves seemed to reek of blood just by looking at them. His lifeless eyes refused to take in anything.
A fumbling hand gripped a pistol that had run out of ammunition. He patted his chest and pulled a spare magazine from an inner pocket. He swapped the magazine mechanically without even looking. The skilled hand that reloaded quickly with a metallic click was starkly different from his empty expression.
Just then, the sound of a passing ambulance’s siren shook his skull. The man’s brow furrowed. When the Amplification Hazard Level was high, even a small noise caused extreme stress. All the senses in his body became sensitive only in a negative direction. His body sounded a warning light, as if it had become a time bomb. Every sound around him became a thorn piercing his skin. The man grit his teeth and barely supported himself. He calmly swallowed the groan rising up his throat, as he always did.
Dark red blood was strewn at his feet. It wasn’t his. It was the blood of the Oni he had slaughtered. The incident processing team, who had responded first to his call, were busily moving blood-soaked clumps of earth around him.
The monsters called Oni (meaning dirty mud) were faster than humans and purely instinctive, devoid of ego. All they possessed was a vicious appetite for humans. The only race capable of killing them was Espers, and the man was a Physical-Type A-Class, specifically a Backsplash, the highest rank among A-Class.
Even with outstanding abilities, was a Grade 3 too much for one person? the man thought to himself. Or perhaps his body was in this state because he had charged in knowing it would be too much. He had secretly hoped, unsure of who would win, but as always, only the amplification and he himself remained.
“…….”
A face devoid of emotion was faintly reflected on the surface of the crimson blood.
The pain piercing through his spinal column was hard to bear. As the man let out a groan and frowned, a wrinkle formed on his sharp nose. Seeing the moisture on his philtrum, it seemed he had a nosebleed. The man sniffled and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. Naturally, it came away drenched in blood. If he missed the timing for guiding, he would die of excessive bleeding. The threshold of death was always close.
Just then, someone tapped his shoulder. However, he didn’t even have the strength to lift his head.
“Are you alright?”
“…….”
This wasn’t the first or second time. Just as he was about to open his mouth to say he was fine out of politeness, blood surged up his throat.
The person who spoke to him was a paramedic from the Center. After asking for the man’s permission and checking the gear on his wrist, the paramedic frowned as if they had seen something they shouldn’t have. The small screen of the gear was displaying the man’s rampage value. If the Center hadn’t been close, they would have had to fly in a helicopter to bring a Guide.
“We will transport you to the Center immediately. Can you stand up?”
“Yes.”
The voice that emerged as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve had no strength.
The man waved off the paramedic trying to support him. He insisted on standing up on his own. As the man trudged toward the ambulance, the paramedic urgently made a phone call.
“Esper Ha Jae-il, Amplification Hazard Level 80%. Please issue an emergency call to the assigned Guide.”