There was a sense of movement. The Espers guarding the entrance of the building turned around.
Two men in bulletproof vests were emerging from inside. Their faces were obscured, so their identities weren’t immediately clear—until one of them pushed up his goggles, revealing his eyes.
The guards immediately offered a sharp, formal salute. He outranked them within the organization’s hierarchy, so there was no hesitation.
That was all.
No one asked if he was leaving, or where he was headed. Judging by their attire, it was obvious they were acting under Joo Cheong-gyeong’s direct orders.
Their job was to monitor and control the entry of outsiders—not to restrict the movements of insiders. At least, not unless there was an emergency.
The man who had revealed his face, and the one whose identity remained hidden, walked past the guards. Soon, they got into one of the many vehicles lined up outside.
As they left the desolate terrain behind, sparse trees began to appear, gradually thickening into a dense forest. Once they turned onto a road veiled by foliage, the second man finally removed his goggles. His face, previously tense, exhaled a long-held breath under the sunlight, glowing pale.
Even amid the tension, the radiance of the Guide seated beside him seized his gaze. The Esper in the driver’s seat clenched the steering wheel tightly as he glanced over.
…What the hell am I doing?
This was insane.
He was betraying someone he had truly been loyal to—helping escape a man he had only exchanged a few words with.
Even if this escape succeeded, there was no telling when or where Joo Cheong-gyeong might appear next by possessing someone. He knew his power, and his ability to gather information, better than most. After all, he had served close by his side for quite some time—even if not as a trusted aide.
And yet…
Even so, he wanted to do exactly what this Guide asked of him.
No words could fully capture what he was feeling for the first time in his life.
If he had to describe it, it felt like a broken life had finally become whole.
Lust, possessiveness, and something even greater—reverence. The surge of emotions came so naturally, one after another.
He now understood, with painful clarity, why Joo Cheong-gyeong had gone so far as to abduct Cha Eun-soo personally. This wasn’t something you could refuse—not with such overwhelming, irresistible guiding.
Nervously glancing at the rearview mirror, he finally spoke.
“We’ll come across a cliff up ahead.”
“……!”
Startled eyes turned toward him.
“It’s important we leave no trace. I’ll use my ability, so you don’t need to worry.”
His ability was levitation. If they veered onto an unpaved road and floated the vehicle across the cliff, it would at least give them a small sense of security from any pursuit.
Cha Eun-soo bit his lip tightly, clearly terrified, but then gave a small nod, as if choosing to trust the man helping him.
“Yes.”
The car, which had been steadily moving, began to jolt and rattle not long after. It scraped against branches and underbrush as it weaved between trees, and eventually, a cliff came into view.
The sheer drop turned Cha Eun-soo’s face deathly pale. Just as he clenched his eyes shut—
Screeeeech!
The car came to a sudden halt. His body lunged forward violently, only to be held back by an arm that shot out in time, locking him against the seat.
Cha Eun-soo instinctively grabbed the arm braced across his chest and opened his eyes again. They were teetering right on the edge of the cliff.
“…I wanted to treat you gently, you know.”
The cold voice was chilling. The atmosphere had completely changed. Cha Eun-soo gasped, freezing in place.
Trembling, he turned his head—and saw the shadowed face of the Esper.
It was Joo Cheong-gyeong.
“Barely had him for a moment, and he’s already trying to run.”
The one who had taken over the Esper’s body muttered darkly, eyes fixed on the Guide’s fear-stricken face.
Joo Cheong-gyeong nearly laughed.
Escape, was it?
He’d followed so meekly, he hadn’t imagined he’d be bold enough to even think of such a thing. And he’d managed to seduce a subordinate to boot.
No—not seduced. More like… bewitched.
The anger, long past its boiling point, now sizzled in his skull with maddening intensity.
“Hhhhk…!”
Even if it had been with the intent of fleeing, the fact that Cha Eun-soo had guided someone—guided another person—and that a subordinate he’d grown rather fond of had lost his mind over it and helped him escape… that made Joo Cheong-gyeong seethe with even greater rage.
The killing intent he exhaled toward the body he now possessed filled the entire car like poison gas. Cha Eun-soo, choked by the pressure, trembled as though suffocating.
Joo Cheong-gyeong quickly decided on the best way to vent his fury. It was also the simplest method to train a Guide who dared entertain the thought of escaping him.
Not exactly his preferred style, but…
He reached inside the vest and drew a knife. Holding it up so Cha Eun-soo could see the glinting blade clearly, he pressed the edge to the neck of his own host body.
It was an unmistakably deliberate warning.
“…! W-Wait, stop…!”
Cha Eun-soo’s eyes went wide in horror.
Without thinking, he lunged forward, trying to stop him. But before his desperate hand could reach—
Joo Cheong-gyeong slashed without mercy.
“Aaaagh!”
Cha Eun-soo screamed.
The Esper’s upper body slumped, then collapsed toward the car window. At the sight of blood gushing out and the sharp, metallic stench flooding the air, the young man staggered back as if he might faint.
He quickly slapped a hand over his mouth, fighting down a wave of nausea.
“Ugh…”
His eyes, wide with shock and fear, grew wet with tears. His shoulders rose and fell with ragged breaths. His face turned completely pale—he looked ready to pass out at any moment.
Suddenly, though his hand trembled violently, he reached out.
There was no breath. No pulse. The sheer volume of blood loss and all other signs pointed clearly to one thing—instant death.
Cha Eun-soo scrambled to open the car door and fled outside. The biting winter air slammed into his body like a wall.
He staggered, trying to flee—only to realize he was standing right on the edge of a sheer cliff.
“Hhngh… ngh…”
Tears streamed from his wide, trembling eyes as he looked down.
If he fell from here, someone as weak as he was had little hope of surviving.
No… death was certain. But even death was a form of escape. One of the few choices he had left.
Cha Eun-soo buried his face in both hands.
Would there really come a day where he could survive this and return home?
Of course, if it were his brother—once he found out about the kidnapping, even if it was too late—he’d come for him immediately.
But… What if his brother got caught up in danger because of it?
Joo Cheong-gyeong was someone who seemed utterly fearless. He had no qualms about eliminating his own subordinates without hesitation—and more than anything, he was powerful.
Cha Eun-soo’s mind flashed to Shim Tae-seong, who had been injured so badly it seemed beyond recovery.
This is all my fault.
Because of me, my friends are dead. Because of me… everything…
Having lived his whole life in the safety of his family’s arms, he couldn’t handle the weight of what he was experiencing now. As his eyelids drooped shut, cold tears slipped down his frozen cheeks.
I’m sorry, Hyung…
It was the moment he stepped out into the void on impulse—
“Eun-soo.”
A strong arm wrapped around him from behind.
“If you keep stirring up these kinds of emotions… it’s going to be a problem.”
A low voice, sunken with dark emotion, slid into his ear.
***
He really has gone completely insane.
Killing someone right in front of me, just like that. Cold as hell.
At the scene of that sudden, brutal killing, the fact that I didn’t vomit on the spot felt like a miracle.
Joo Cheong-gyeong had shown no mercy in delivering judgment on a traitor. With a single, unflinching act, he had both punished his subordinate and ensured I’d never dare think of using anyone again.
But that wasn’t the only shocking part.
I’d assumed he could only possess regular people—but apparently, he could take over Espers, too.
Judging by how the Esper who helped me seemed completely blindsided, it was likely that even Cheong-gyeong’s closest aides had no idea. Perhaps he deliberately kept that detail hidden—maybe as a psychological safeguard. If they never suspected their bodies could be taken, they’d never fear him in that way. Maybe he wanted them to believe his power didn’t apply to them, so they could follow him without unease.
After all, who wouldn’t feel uneasy knowing their body could be stolen at any time?
But… it felt like there was more to it than that.
It seemed the side effects of his ability varied depending on the target’s nature—mental defenses, whether the host was an Esper or a normal person, that sort of thing.
I remembered how his wavelength had significantly stabilized after our first day of guiding. But the moment he possessed an Esper—someone who clearly wasn’t low-tier—it had all gone to hell again. That’s what led me to this conclusion.
Oh, and the wavelength… I was feeling it now. In every cell of my body.
“Ahhk…!”
My face was wrenched back by a brutal grip, long since ruined by sweat and tears. Bent over, my body rocked violently as I was forced to take in Joo Cheong-gyeong’s grotesquely oversized cock. The way he pounded into me was so intense it made me dizzy, like I was going to be sick. And the more pitifully I sobbed, the harder he got.
“Haaah… nnghh!”
He thrust into me like he didn’t care if my body broke. Smack, smack, smack. The sharp, painful slaps echoed through the room. The bed, unable to withstand his vicious rhythm, shook like a machine gone haywire.
“Haaah…”
Cheong-gyeong leaned down, dragging his lips along the line of my neck.
“So damn tight. You really like getting fucked by a man’s cock, huh?”
Unlike his relentless, savage hips, his voice was low and cold, dripping with mockery.
He must’ve thought I’d thrown myself off that cliff. Judging by how furious he was, that assumption had made him absolutely livid.
