The problem wasn’t that the flashbang had impaired his vision—it was the unsettling sensation of something foreign seeping in. It felt as if something was invading all the way into the depths of his eyes, a bizarre, inexplicable sensation that made Han-gyeom uneasy.
The moment he realized that sensation was creeping past his eyes and toward his brain—
This is…
He recognized it as a black energy, worming its way in beyond the surface of his eyes and digging deep inside. The instant he understood what it was, he drew his GP toward his eyes. The energy that had been circulating through his body surged at once toward his eyes, instantly repelling the dark presence.
Repelling that black energy was essentially the same ability Han-gyeom had used to subdue and paralyze the man earlier.
He formed a strong shield using GP, then expelled the invading black energy from his body all at once. Blocking its path was no different than erecting a barricade with that shield, so pushing it back and expelling it completely was well within his power.
As soon as Han-gyeom had driven out the black energy that had entered his eyes, he opened them.
The disturbing sensation he’d felt in his eyes had thankfully vanished completely, and the anxiety that came with it had faded as well.
The flashbang itself had apparently been real—his eyes still stung, and his vision was blurred. At least it hadn’t been a military-grade flashbang. Before, everything had gone pitch-black; now, though hazy, he could at least make out shapes.
“Ah-young-ssi, are your eyes okay or—”
Han-gyeom, who had started to voice his concern for Ah-young’s condition, suddenly realized something was wrong with their surroundings.
Ah-young noticed it too.
At some point, an eerie stillness had taken hold around them.
The screams of panicked people, the voices of those calling out for companions lost in the confusion—none of it could be heard, as if the world had been muted.
That silence was anything but natural.
A chill ran up Han-gyeom’s spine and settled at the top of his head.
“…Ah-young-ssi?”
He called her name again, this time more cautiously. But she didn’t respond.
At some point, her grip had gone limp, so Han-gyeom let go of her hand and moved to check her condition.
If the sensation I felt in the eye was the issue, I can force it out…
Even if she was a regular civilian, not an Esper, he could still extract and push out the black energy if it had gotten into her system.
Unlike Espers, civilians didn’t have any channels through which GP could flow, so any energy he injected into her would likely dissipate quickly. But judging by the earlier sensation, the amount of ESP present didn’t seem substantial. If he placed his hand directly over her eye and poured his GP into her all at once, he should be able to drive it out easily.
First, I’ll cover her eye with one hand and with the other, I’ll—
Just as he was contemplating the next step, Han-gyeom’s hand was suddenly grabbed.
It was the very same hand that had just slipped free from Ah-young’s grasp.
Han-gyeom flinched in surprise, but once he realized it was Ah-young who had grabbed his hand, he felt a measure of relief. Since she hadn’t moved or spoken, he’d feared she might have been paralyzed by some strange ability—but thankfully, she could still move.
“Ah-young-ssi, are you okay?”
Ah-young said nothing. She was right in front of him, so she must’ve heard his voice clearly, yet her lips remained sealed.
“Ah-young-ssi?”
Han-gyeom cautiously reached toward her face, still uneasy about the ESP he had sensed earlier.
But before his hand could make contact with her face, it was suddenly snatched out of the air. Once again, it was Ah-young’s hand.
With both of Han-gyeom’s hands in her grasp, Ah-young abruptly pulled him toward her, wrapping her arms around him completely, enclosing even his arms in a tight embrace.
Since she had hugged him earlier to calm him down, he wondered if this was more of the same.
“I’m okay, Ah-young-ssi. I’m not going to have another episode, so—ugh?”
Suddenly, Ah-young’s arms tightened with crushing force. Han-gyeom immediately sensed something was off. This wasn’t the kind of hug meant to comfort someone, or even a spontaneous gesture of affection.
Ah-young had always been the steadfast bodyguard who stood alone at the entrance of Seo Won’s office. Young and not even an Esper, yet her strength and combat instincts were so exceptional that anyone who sparred with her would want her as their personal guard. She was, by all accounts, an elite among elites.
And someone like her wouldn’t lose control of her strength.
But now, she was hugging him so tightly it felt like she might break his bones.
“Ah-young… ssi, that hurts.”
Even though he told her it hurt, Ah-young didn’t loosen her grip. Instead, she interlocked her fingers behind his back, as if determined never to let him go. Just like she had done earlier when she gently held his hand.
“H-hey, you’re holding on too tight. I said it hurts.”
On the deck, where only the sound of the waves had been audible besides Han-gyeom’s voice, a strange woman’s voice rang out.
“Oops, sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you… looks like she’s naturally strong. Controlling her is harder than with the others.”
A woman with a clear, ringing voice approached Han-gyeom with a soft chuckle. There was a strange hint of anticipation in her tone.
“Hey, you guys, come over here and help tie his arms.”
At her command, people on the deck began to move. Han-gyeom couldn’t open his eyes to look around, but he could feel it—scattered individuals were now converging toward him. A mix of footsteps, each different yet moving in a steady rhythm, vibrated against the wooden floorboards.
Han-gyeom was certain now—this woman appearing right after that man couldn’t be a coincidence. Just like when the man had said “us,” this woman had to be part of a group operating together.
Is this a terrorist attack by unregistered Espers…? But if that were the case, shouldn’t they be targeting the Association? Why me?
Han-gyeom was now certain—the man from earlier and this woman were targeting him specifically.
As he heard people closing in around him, Han-gyeom hastily asked the woman,
“You’re the one controlling her, aren’t you?”
“That’s right.”
The woman didn’t deny it—she answered immediately. Her voice was close, right by his ear.
“I overheard what he said earlier, and wow… it’s honestly fascinating. How do you nullify abilities like that?”
It seemed the man from before had already reported to this woman about him. Either she had contacted the man right after he awakened and escaped before the guards Ah-young had called could subdue him, or he had dealt with them and then reached out to her directly.
With a voice full of curiosity, the woman let out a soft laugh and reached toward Han-gyeom’s eyes—then stopped abruptly.
“Oh, wait… can you still use your power even without your hands?”
Human hands are the most sensitive and dexterous parts of the body. Thanks to their finely tuned muscles and exceptional agility, hands are essential tools capable of countless delicate tasks. Because of this, the sensitivity in the hands is also remarkably refined. That’s precisely why Guides primarily use hand guiding. Through the precise tactile feedback of the hands, they can channel GP into someone’s body and guide it effectively.
“Hard to say.”
Han-gyeom didn’t give a clear answer.
But seeing Han-gyeom completely pinned in Ah-young’s embrace, his arms trapped and immobile, the woman seemed to draw her own conclusion.
Right now, his arms were fully wrapped up in her hold, making it impossible to reach out or make contact. And since physical touch—skin-to-skin—is a necessary condition for effective guiding, Han-gyeom was, for all intents and purposes, no different from a helpless civilian at the moment.
Only then did the woman gently run her fingers across the area near his eyes.
“You cleaned it out completely. What a waste.”
She was referring to the black energy that had seeped into Han-gyeom’s eyes through the flashbang.
“If it had taken hold properly, we could’ve just relocated you and had our little chat elsewhere.”
She let out a disappointed sigh.
The woman had embedded ESP into a specially crafted flashbang, and anyone who looked directly at it would have the ability implanted into their retina. That ESP would then worm its way past the eyes and into the brain. Once inside, it would completely take over the brain, turning the person into a silent puppet who obeyed her will for a limited time.
Her original plan had been to do the same with Han-gyeom, implanting her ability and then moving him to another location.
“I don’t want to get rough with you, but I’m just going to tie your hands for a bit. Can’t risk you using that power of yours.”
The people who had paused earlier now began to press in closer again. Han-gyeom could feel them surrounding him. Someone pulled both of his arms behind his back. Trapped in Ah-young’s crushing embrace, he had no way to resist as they began binding his arms behind him.
Yet even with his eyes closed, a sharp glint of resolve still flickered behind his lids.
