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If you keep endlessly putting animals into a narrow cage, accidents are bound to happen.
No matter how well-trained the beasts are, they’ll panic when they see the growing number of individuals in a limited space. What if there were also monsters threatening their lives mixed in that cage?
And not just any monsters, but ones that killed their beloved family members? Even the strongest beings would eventually go mad.
[It’s okay. We can get out.]
However, those who participated in past gate entry operations maintained their sanity for quite a long time.
[If we join forces, there’s nothing we can’t do. Trust me, and trust yourselves.]
It was because they had a good leader. Han Seokhwan, the Esper. He was already a famous figure within the Center.
He, who had led a top-tier guild with the highest number of gate subjugations, voluntarily entered the gate interior. He risked his life to end the gate saturation period in his generation.
He was the first person to jump into the gate entrance. South Korea had high hopes for Han Seokhwan. The entire nation, including the Center, prayed for his safety and wished to escape from being a gate-saturated country.
Ten years passed like that.
People no longer searched for Han Seokhwan, who didn’t return. They didn’t even pray for those who entered the gate every year, half voluntarily and half involuntarily.
They were certain that going there would only result in a dog’s death. In fact, everyone thought so deep down.
But they were all alive. Frozen in time with their youthful appearances, not aging a day.
[We can definitely get out.]
Whenever people wavered, Han Seokhwan gave them hope. He also protected the increasing number of Espers every year with his outstanding multiple abilities.
He was superior to everyone. Not a single one of the newly entering high-ranking Espers surpassed him.
Above all, he never lost hope even in the darkest situations. He had such a strong mentality.
[We need to meet our families when we get out. They’ll all be waiting for us, believing in us.]
Han Seokhwan firmly believed he would meet his beloved family when he left the gate. He had a young son born as a cat beastkin.
A son born as a white cat, inheriting his wife’s snow-white skin. He used to smile, saying his son, whom he could embrace even if it meant cutting out his own flesh without pain, would be waiting for him eagerly.
He, who was originally a normal person, was especially friendly towards beastkin Espers. He particularly cared for and loved a black cat beastkin Esper who reminded him of his son.
When conflicts arose between regular Espers and beastkin Espers, he was the one who stepped forward to mediate. Han Seokhwan played the role of uniting people who were losing hope, at the center of it all.
Thanks to their outstanding leader, people endured the stagnant time. He was like an unwavering, solid rock.
[Your family is dead too, Mr. Han Seokhwan.]
But he was human too. Not a lifeless rock, but a person who feels pain when stabbed with a knife.
[No one here remembers anymore. Outside is still full of monsters, and gates keep opening endlessly every day.]
An Esper who participated in the last gate entry operation stabbed Han Seokhwan with harsh words. Mocking his hopeful words, he revealed the cruel reality.
[I have no intention of living here like an ageless monster for the rest of my life.]
Saying this, the young Esper held a knife to his own throat. The story he left before dying sparked a riot of anxiety in people’s hearts.
[And your family didn’t die because of monsters, but got caught up in a beastkin Esper’s rampage.]
In fact, this was a lie. His family was alive, and his adult son was still waiting for his father.
[You’ll all die because of those disgusting beastkin too.]
But Han Seokhwan, trapped inside the gate, naturally didn’t know the truth. He had no choice but to believe the words of the young Esper who left behind a curse.
Creeak.
The man who got up from the single-size mattress rubbed his black face.
Waking from sleep, he blinked with a blank face, drained a bottle of water, and got up. The man gained energy through sleep. If he needed to use a lot of power, he had to sleep more than usual.
He took out small glass bottles from the backpack tucked in the corner. They contained dried leaves that attracted monsters.
He left a few in the cave and put the rest in his pocket. He didn’t pack anything else.
The man deeply inhaled the scent of the backpack that had been with him for a long time, then put it down on the ground along with the glass bottles. His gaze, fixed on the old items, seemed like he was saying goodbye.
The moment he turned towards the door, his black body disappeared. It wasn’t teleportation, but invisibility. After completely hiding his wavelength and presence with his specialty in concealment, he went out the door.
As planned, everyone was asleep.
He could see the white-haired guide sitting in front of the bonfire, side by side with their leader. The man, who had hoped he would be inside the cave, clicked his tongue inwardly.
Of all people, to be sleeping next to the leader. It made him a bit uneasy as the guide seemed sharp.
Still, it’s better than that SS-rank fool.
The man approached the guide more carefully, holding a small syringe.
As he neared the guide, he blew air from his mouth. At the same time, the dwindling bonfire went out completely.
What he had given them wasn’t ordinary firewood. The man had applied a sleep-inducing substance to the branches.
They won’t wake up for a while. He had worried it might not work on the SS-rank, but seeing him sprawled out, it seemed like unnecessary concern.
I’m sorry. I’ll just take a little.
The man apologized to Siwoo inwardly as he brought the needle close to his snow-white neck. Because his arm was inside his coat, he had no choice but to aim for the neck.
He wasn’t trying to inject a drug, but to draw blood.
He needed the guide’s blood. With this… he might be able to calm that person down.
“…”
The man’s hand, which had been tense, suddenly stopped moving. The needle, which was about to touch the white neck, slowly started to withdraw.
It wasn’t the man’s will. As if his body was bound by psychokinesis, unintended movements continued.
That’s impossible.
The man’s gaze fell on Geonho. Unable to move his face freely, he could only roll his eyes to stare at him.
However, Geonho was still snoring in his sleep. If it wasn’t his psychokinesis, then who…
The man, glaring at Jihan lying on the opposite side of Geonho, held his breath. It was because Taebeom had snatched the syringe from his hand.
“You need the guide’s blood?” Taebeom asked, looking straight down at the man. By now, the man’s invisibility had been dispelled.
“Yes, I need it.”
The man’s eyes widened as if they might pop out, his lips flapping. Even his actions and words were being controlled. With just a look from Taebeom, he confessed the truth he had been hiding.
“If he receives guiding, he might come to his senses. Then we can end this.”
“Who, what?”
The low voice echoed in the man’s brain. Sweat broke out on his stiff spine.
“Han Seokhwan. My leader.”
The man revealed the truth with a blank face, deeply lamenting inwardly.
Ah, this guy is a mental ability user.
“That person is killing beastkin Espers.”
If I had known earlier, I would have been more careful.
* * *
Siwoo slept very deeply. He slept sweetly without dreaming, even snoring. That’s how exhausted his body was.
He was so tired that he even transformed into his original form while sleeping.
“Guide.”
Siwoo, who had been in deep sleep with his mouth open, opened his eyes at the touch shaking his body. Jihan was forcibly lifting his head, supporting it.
Ugh, how annoying. Just let me sleep a little more.
“Guide, open your eyes.”
Jihan lifted up the body that had gone limp like a wet towel. Siwoo realized he had transformed into his original form only when he saw his white front paws.
Startled, he quickly squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to return to human form immediately, applying force to his body, but…
Huh?
His body didn’t change. Just like that time.
Meow, meow…
‘Why is this happening again? What’s going on? I’m weird!’
Seeing the wavering blue eyes, Jihan swallowed a sigh as he assessed Siwoo’s condition. Seojun, who was holding Siwoo’s clothes, also quickly grasped the situation.
“He’ll come back soon. Don’t worry.”
It was natural for his body to be exhausted after suddenly doing a lot of guiding. Plus, this was inside a gate.
No matter how good the barrier stone was, it couldn’t completely block the energy flowing inside the gate. In this place, just breathing drained one’s energy. Given that even Espers struggled in this space, there was no way Siwoo could be fine.
“Guide.”
Jihan called Siwoo in a serious tone. Siwoo, who had been meowing, stopped abruptly and looked at him seriously.
“That black guy is gone too!”
At that moment, Geonho came out of the man’s cave carrying a backpack. The door was split, as if he had broken in.
Wait, the black guy is gone too… That means someone else has disappeared.
Siwoo’s pupils shook even more as an ominous feeling brushed past him. His white tail with its curled tip began to tremble rapidly.
“The leader has disappeared.”
Siwoo looked up at Jihan silently, like an ordinary cat that couldn’t understand human language. Then he turned his head around, searching for the missing person himself.
No matter how much he scanned the surroundings, he couldn’t see him. That couldn’t be right.
Meow…
A weak sound escaped from his gaping mouth.
Meow… Meow…
Jihan, Seojun, and Geonho looked at the weakly muttering Siwoo, each with thick veins bulging on their necks.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
