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All kinds of rumors about the Baekya Guild circulated within the Center. The rapidly growing rumors were all grim stories.
They said their dedicated guide had become a vegetative patient. That Guild Master Kang Taebeom, who fought to the end to protect everyone, was beyond hope, and so on.
After more than two weeks, people slowly began to give up hope. Those who respected and looked up to Taebeom prepared themselves emotionally.
The rumors weren’t spreading without basis.
When the Baekya Guild emerged from the gate, there were numerous witnesses. They had seen Taebeom soaked in black blood with their own eyes.
Some espers with enhanced senses noticed that Taebeom’s heart had stopped. Because of this, rumors that Taebeom had already died were circulating in the Center. Though no one openly spoke about it, the word spread quietly.
But Taebeom was alive. As Siwoo had promised, he hadn’t died. At the very least, he was still alive.
“Don’t be shocked.”
Geonho, who had wrapped Siwoo in a blanket like a kimbap roll, kissed the soft fabric. Tension surrounded Siwoo’s small face, no bigger than a fist, as he was held by Geonho.
Unlike the guide ward, many people came and went in the esper ward. Nevertheless, the corridor where Taebeom’s room was located remained quiet. Even Siwoo, a guide, could feel the strong defensive barrier Jihan had put up.
“Being alive is enough. He can recover slowly.”
Jihan added a word as they walked down the long corridor. Seojun quietly nodded at his brothers’ words.
They arrived at the door of the hospital room. Siwoo’s heart, cradled in Geonho’s arms, beat rapidly.
Geonho stroked the blanket, fluffy from Siwoo’s fur, and opened the door.
The sliding door made an especially loud sound as it moved. And then came Siwoo’s small breathing.
The interior of the room with its curtains drawn back was bright. The midday sunlight streamed in through the large window.
The bright sunlight fell only on the foot of the large bed. It didn’t reach any higher.
Taebeom, lying in the shaded area, had his eyes closed. His face was half-covered by an oxygen respirator, but his expression was visible.
It was a peaceful face. Like a child who had fallen asleep after finishing all his homework.
“Han Siwoo is here, brother.”
Geonho carefully placed Siwoo on the bed. He didn’t bother telling him not to use guiding. Siwoo would figure it out once he touched his brother anyway.
Eeeuung.
Siwoo whimpered and approached Taebeom. The moment he saw Taebeom, the fur around his eyes became moist.
Only Taebeom’s wounds remained unchanged. Unlike the others whose external injuries had healed, Taebeom’s right eye area was still swollen, and the blue bruise hadn’t disappeared. His nose bridge, which had been crushed by Kwak Seokjin’s kick, was covered with thick gauze.
Siwoo crawled onto Taebeom’s shoulder and pressed his nose against his neck. Instead of his rough tongue, he rubbed Taebeom’s skin with his nose. There were still suture marks on his neck where the skin had been stitched. This was a wound inflicted by Geonho.
“They say the guiding you provided was a great help. Without that guiding, the surgery would have been difficult to succeed.”
Jihan, who had walked to the window, touched the curtain. He partially covered the window so the light wouldn’t hurt Siwoo’s eyes. That would also make the leader’s wounds less visible.
Aeong…
After nuzzling Taebeom’s neck for a long time, Siwoo raised his head. Seeing his trembling blue eyes, Jihan explained Taebeom’s condition.
“Guiding won’t work.”
That was why there wasn’t a single operating guiding machine in the room. The expensive machines were placed against one wall like furniture.
“They say his wavelength isn’t circulating but has stopped. So his condition won’t get worse than it is now.”
He omitted saying that it wouldn’t get better either.
Taebeom’s body was unable to easily accept the energy produced by the new heart. The wavelength generated by the heart was trapped inside his body.
It meant he could no longer exert power as an esper. Since there was no wavelength being released or consumed, guiding wasn’t necessary.
In other words, there was nothing that could be done with guiding.
“Don’t worry too much. He’s recovering while sleeping, just like you did, Guide.”
Jihan, leaning against the window, stopped speaking. Though he had much more to tell Siwoo, he couldn’t bring himself to disclose everything.
When the wavelength that should circulate within an esper stops, functions also freeze. Currently, all of Taebeom’s nerves had ceased to function.
Even if he opened his eyes, he wouldn’t be able to see, and he wouldn’t be able to hear any surrounding sounds. Thanks to the new heart, he was breathing, but his body’s lifespan had come to an end.
Geonho wrapped his large hand around Siwoo’s trembling body. The white face, dropping tears, seemed to already understand his brother’s condition. Typical of someone with good intuition.
“Why are you crying? They said he won’t get worse.”
His rough touch wiped away the tears. Geonho didn’t want Siwoo to cry. When the body is weak, crying makes it easy to get sick. Already, Siwoo’s face was getting hot.
“Han Siwoo.”
Geonho, massaging Siwoo’s nape, bent his upper body. He spoke distinctly so that his brother could also hear.
“Now there are only better things to come.”
Taebeom’s chest rose and fell slowly. Siwoo’s body, leaning against him, moved with it.
Siwoo curled up into a ball and lay on Taebeom’s shoulder. He placed one foot on Taebeom’s neck and pressed his cheek against him.
Since guiding wouldn’t work anyway, it was okay to touch him freely. His long tail brushed Geonho’s hand and then gently patted Taebeom’s arm.
Seeing this scene, the one who burst into tears was none other than Jihan. Even the youngest’s held-back tears flowed like juice. He naturally turned around to hide the tears that flowed too quickly to wipe away.
Just as Jihan, standing facing the window, cleared his throat unnecessarily, a uniquely shaped bird caught his eye. It was a bird he had never seen before, and it caught his attention even as he was crying.
I wonder if such a bird exists in the world. Just as he tilted his head, he realized. It’s not a bird, but a flying squirrel.
Knock knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the hospital room door.
Geonho and Seojun looked at Jihan, who had set up a defensive barrier in the corridor. Since Jihan didn’t know who it was, it probably wasn’t an esper. The barrier was designed to react only to espers. The medical staff needed to come and go.
“Come in.”
Jihan spoke toward the door. But for some reason, the door didn’t open immediately. So Seojun stepped forward and opened the door first.
“Oh.”
“It opened.”
Startled voices came through simultaneously. They were the voices of children.
Children wearing baseball caps looked up at Seojun. Due to his extreme height, they had to tilt their heads back to see him.
“Did you come alone?”
Seojun didn’t ask the children who they were. They were already familiar faces. A tiger beastkin and a dog beastkin. They were children living in the former Guild Master’s mansion.
The children pointed to the corridor together.
In the sunlit corridor, the former Guild Master sat in a wheelchair with a benevolent smile. Though his body had lost the strength to walk on its own, his eyes, suffused with light, sparkled powerfully. He too was a beastkin.
“It’s been a while.”
Taking a deep breath, Seojun finally showed the tears he had been holding back. The former Guild Master was the one who had taken him out of the iron cage. Countless beings had been saved by his hand.
Shin Daehan, the only healing ability user in the country. He had only enough strength left to heal one more person. It was the power he had saved for him.
* * *
Taebeom just wanted to rest.
The comfort he had left behind in the distant past pressed on his eyelids. The faint sounds vaguely heard around him made him sink deeper into tranquility.
Everyone is alive. That’s enough.
The cause of the beastkin episodes was gone. And Geonho was no longer alone.
He was no longer young either. His body, now taller than Taebeom’s, had become strong enough for everyone to acknowledge. So no one would be able to touch him easily.
Above all, by his brother’s side was a strong guide. A guide who would become the strongest in the world from now on.
Taebeom couldn’t call out his name even in his unconsciousness. For fear that he might cling to life.
Ruminating on the snow-white face imprinted in his mind, he accepted the deepening sleep.
He would sleep all the sleep he hadn’t been able to get until now. He wanted to rest now. It seemed like he could do that.
Suddenly, a warm energy surrounded Taebeom’s shoulder as he completed his preparations. This made his heart heavy again. It was lingering attachment.
The sensation touching his neck and shoulder prevented him from falling asleep. As if saying, “How dare you sleep so peacefully,” it even rubbed against his cheek vigorously.
The more this happened, the heavier Taebeom’s heart became. It was hard to breathe. It felt like hot water was filling his throat and chest.
Well-ripened sunlight settled on Taebeom’s chest, which habitually swallowed pain. The warm energy permeating his heart eventually spread throughout his entire body.
Taebeom knew what this energy was. It was the power that had healed his young body in the past.
Taebeom’s respirator fogged up.
The muffled sound calling him began to become clearer little by little. Led by that sound, when he opened his eyes, a face brighter than the pouring light entered his vision.
It was a face that made his desire to rest fly away.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
