Chapter 3
‘A rift in space-time.’
Experts said it first appeared about 50 years ago, from a meteorite fragment that fell into the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The meteorite fragment that fell into the vast ocean had a significant impact worldwide. Tsunamis swept across various countries, and numerous natural disasters changed the Earth’s climate for several years. Up to this point, it could be dismissed as a simple disaster. The problem was that the impact twisted the Earth’s space-time, and through those twisted gaps, unidentified monsters flowed in. It was difficult for ordinary people to understand, but that’s what happened.
With the appearance of these strange life forms, the world was instantly thrown into chaos. The monsters that emerged from the rifts couldn’t be handled with ordinary military weapons, and since no one knew when or where they would appear, proper extermination was impossible. Because of this, the world collapsed helplessly. It could truly be called the moment of humanity’s extinction—if not for the awakened superhumans who appeared.
‘Superhumans.’
As if receiving divine revelation, they awakened overnight from ordinary people into superhumans. They freely manipulated elements like water, fire, earth, and air to attack and destroy the monsters from the rifts. As the only adversaries to the monsters, they slowly began clearing the rifts. Instead of calling these heroes “superhumans,” Korea began referring to them with the more plausible title of “Espers.”
As time passed and the twisted space-time gradually stabilized, the number of rifts slowly decreased. Once peace was restored, the Espers who had been operating independently became affiliated with the National Esper Control Center (NECC) and received management. With this affiliation, Espers grew as human resources through more systematic and safe education and management from the center.
Uniquely, Korea, with the exception of Kim Hyungjin, the director of NECC, kept all Espers’ identities confidential as they carried out their activities. It was said to be for the human rights of Espers, and as a result, ordinary citizens could maintain some distance from the discomfort of “rifts” and “Espers” in their daily lives.
That’s why Jaeyeon didn’t believe my story about experiencing a rift. Even though the number of rifts had decreased, it was still a major event. According to Jaeyeon, there was no way a rift could occur in the middle of the city without causing a commotion.
“I’m telling you it was definitely a rift! A tentacle as thick as my thigh was wriggling around.”
“If a rift appeared in the middle of the city, it would be all over the news by now. But there’s no article or mention of it anywhere. You must have dreamed it, Oppa.”
“…”
“Were there a lot of customers at the cafe today? How hard was work that you’re like this?”
Jaeyeon continued cautiously, watching my expression.
“So they say I don’t have to go to college either. If I get a job right away and start making money…”
“Son Jaeyeon. I told you not to say things like that.”
I cut off her words with a hardened expression, not needing to hear the rest. For a brief moment, a suffocating silence fell between us.
“Haah.”
I sighed as I looked at Jaeyeon, who was biting her lip as if she had something else to say.
“You might think you’re all grown up, but you’re not. You’re still young.”
“…”
“After you graduate college, I’ll be nagging you to make money even if you don’t want to hear it, so for now, don’t think about anything and just focus on your studies.”
No matter how difficult our circumstances, I didn’t want Jaeyeon to experience the harshness of society so soon. I wanted her to do what everyone else does before entering the workforce. Our parents in heaven wouldn’t want to see both their children struggling in society at such a young age.
“How can I not think about anything and just study… When you’re working so hard from morning to night, it’s hard for me to be at ease. I was so worried when you collapsed today!”
Jaeyeon said with a sniffle. Understanding my sister’s feelings, I softened my expression and patted her back.
“Jaeyeon. I’ve found a good job. I’m going for an interview tomorrow, and they say it pays quite well. Don’t worry too much.”
“What? What about the cafe job?”
“Umm. The cafe doesn’t pay enough…”
“You’re not planning to do hard labor, are you? No way. Don’t do that. It’s bad for your body, and there are a lot of accidents these days because it’s still cold.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
I faintly smiled, recalling the message I had received from the Earth Peace Research Institute a few hours ago. For whatever reason, I had received a message to come for an interview, and to reassure Jaeyeon, I had mentioned the interview I had no intention of going to. But now that I’d spoken about it, I thought it might be worth at least checking out what kind of place it was.
“If it’s not hard labor, what kind of job pays so well? Oppa, did you become a Guide or something?”
“Me, a Guide? No way.”
I laughed and shook my head at Jaeyeon’s joking remark.
‘Guide’ was the designation for those who cared for Espers.
Even seemingly invincible Espers had weaknesses. Espers used the ‘ki’ (energy) of the body, which all humans possess, to use their abilities. For some reason, unlike ordinary people who had unlimited ki, Espers’ ki was limited.
Even though they had a limited amount of ki and should conserve it, Espers couldn’t do so. Every time they used their abilities, they released an enormous amount of energy. Espers always needed a ‘charger’ to replenish their energy, and that was the Guide. I heard that if all the ki disappeared from their body, they would dry up and die…
“If it’s not hard labor, then what are you going to do? You’re not really planning something strange, are you? Gasp! Oppa, are you going to borrow from loan sharks? Or sell your organs?!”
“Hey, Son Jaeyeon. Are you writing a novel right now?”
I deliberately burst into laughter at her absurd imagination. If I hesitated here, this perceptive kid would probably follow me to the interview tomorrow.
“It’s just… an office assistant job.”
I said with a forced smile, hoping that’s what it would be.
***
“Is this… the right place?”
I checked the address while standing in the lobby of a large building in the business district. If the address provided in the text message was correct, this was the building where the company for today’s interview was located. I could see the names of other companies at the lobby entrance. Looking closely, it seemed that multiple companies shared the building.
Hanyoung Building ‘Earth Peace Research Institute’ – 6F
The Earth Peace Research Institute was on the sixth floor. I had imagined some shady container-like place, so seeing the normal company nameplate attached to the lobby made me laugh hollowly. The exterior was so normal that it actually seemed more suspicious. My feet were reluctant to move.
“Really, am I going to die if I go?”
Having come this far, I decided to see it through and got on the elevator. No matter what kind of company it was, I wasn’t a pushover. I might have only worked various part-time jobs, but I had experienced enough of the harsh society. I wasn’t some naive person who would fall victim to scammers.
‘The doors are opening.’
When I got off the elevator, a long corridor appeared. I couldn’t see the names of any other companies, so perhaps the Earth Peace Research Institute used the entire sixth floor. I swallowed hard and walked down the corridor. Despite my determination, I couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Tap. Tap.
Only my footsteps echoed in the quiet corridor. Just as I started feeling uneasy about the lack of human presence, I spotted a translucent glass door at the end of the corridor. It seemed to be the entrance to the office.
Should I knock?
As I reached the door and hesitated about entering, a piece of paper caught my eye. An A4 sheet with tattered edges was carelessly taped to the wall right next to the door.
Earth Peace
Research Institute
The company name was written on the A4 paper in a script that lacked credibility. Naturally, my expression darkened at the sight.
Shouldn’t a multi-level marketing scheme or cult be more trustworthy looking? Is this place involved in something even more illegal than I thought? Money laundering or voice phishing, perhaps. Given the decent exterior of the building, it could also be a paper company.
“…”
I stared alternately at the crumpled paper and the doorknob, briefly contemplating. I had come with the resolve to see this through, but I didn’t want to become involved in criminal activities.
I swallowed a sigh and took a step back from the office door. It was regrettable to cancel an appointment with only ten minutes to spare, but it seemed better to leave.
Tap.
Just as I took one step back towards the way I had come, I heard a creaking sound as the door opened behind me.
“…?”
I reflexively tried to turn around, but a long arm extending from inside the door grabbed the nape of my neck faster than I could react.
“Ugh! What the—!”
The hand that grabbed my nape pulled me into the office. It was an incredible force.
Thud—!
The door closed.
“Huh. Gasp.”
Dragged inside without being able to put up a proper struggle, I froze in place, unable to even exhale properly. My mind went blank from the sudden situation. It was because of what had happened at the bus stop a few days ago.
The creepy tentacle that had wrapped around my ankle seemed to be undulating before my eyes. My heart raced and my body grew cold. I was on the verge of panic, still vividly remembering that terrifying moment.
“Hello. You’re here for the interview, right?”
A youthful voice pulled my mind back to the surface from being trapped in the memory of the recent rift. It was like a warm spring breeze gently rustling.
As if entranced, I raised my head to see the other person’s face. When our eyes met, I was greatly surprised. A man with a clear face was looking at me with a concerned expression.
“Ah…”
What the… Is he a celebrity? How can a person’s face be like this?
A stupid exclamation slipped through my slightly parted lips. The man before me was an incredibly handsome young man. His dazzling appearance was as beautiful as an angel’s form meticulously carved by a medieval sculptor. Confronted with this extraordinary beauty rarely seen even on TV, I froze for a different reason this time.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
