The atmosphere changed instantly when Lee Jae-hoon greeted from afar. He grinned and sent a flash of light towards the building, causing it to shake violently.
Several people screamed. The sound was so horrifying that it made everyone forget how to move for a moment.
The loud noise pierced the eardrums, and Lee Jae-hoon drew closer.
“Won’t you greet me? It’s been a while,” he said.
In just a few seconds, the blink of an eye, Lee Jae-hoon was right in front of Lim Haeyul. His body was so stiff that he couldn’t even move his lips.
“Haeyul!”
The first to move was the lady who was with him. She had come upstairs to bring him food and pulled him back, shielding him behind her.
“Wow, impressive,” Lee Jae-hoon remarked, finding the scene amusing. Lim Haeyul tried to push the lady’s hand away. After all, both of them were ordinary people. Against an Esper like Lee Jae-hoon, they were equally powerless.
“Come here, Guide Lim Haeyul.”
“Hic…”
But the hand that was pushing the lady away stopped abruptly at Lee Jae-hoon’s voice. A chilling sensation, like goosebumps, paralyzed his body.
“I’ve come to take the Guide,” Lee Jae-hoon continued with a smirk. Clearly, he wanted Lim Haeyul to come to him.
“O-okay! I’ll go!”
There was no time to hesitate. Lim Haeyul immediately started walking towards Lee Jae-hoon. He knew that if he didn’t, the waves of energy concentrating in Lee Jae-hoon’s hand would attack them, specifically the lady.
“No, wait just a bit longer. He will come…”
But the lady grabbed Lim Haeyul tightly, trying to stop him.
Bang!
“Aah!”
Suddenly, as if to reprimand her, an attack struck. The flames barely missed them and began to burn a corner of the second floor.
The lady fell to the ground but did not let go of Lim Haeyul. She was probably following Cha Jae-woo’s orders to watch over him.
Would the lady’s life be in danger if he followed Lee Jae-hoon?
The thought was obvious and terrible. But Lim Haeyul had to shake his head and push her away. Lee Jae-hoon’s hand was already glowing with flames again. Cha Jae-woo could be dealt with later. Maybe he would understand. He had to believe that.
“I’ll go. Please, don’t do it. I’m going now. Don’t attack!”
Lim Haeyul roughly pushed the lady’s hand away and, with trembling legs, walked towards Lee Jae-hoon. Fortunately, Lee Jae-hoon seemed satisfied and extinguished the flames in his hand.
Relief washed over him, but it was short-lived. This time, Lee Jae-hoon grabbed his wrist and dragged him along. Lee Jae-hoon didn’t bother using the stairs. He wrapped an arm around Lim Haeyul’s waist and jumped straight down from the second floor.
“Ugh.”
The fear of falling made him squeeze his eyes shut, but the unpleasant sensation lasted only a moment. Lee Jae-hoon carried him effortlessly and walked away. When Lim Haeyul finally opened his eyes, they were already far from Cha Jae-woo’s house.
Why were so many things happening?
Confusion and sadness overwhelmed him. Why did he have to be dragged around like this? Why did he have to live in such fear? It was terrifying and awful.
He had made the wrong choice from the beginning. He should never have become Cha Jae-woo’s Guide. He should have known his place and just lived quietly…
“Why? Do you want to go back?”
Lee Jae-hoon’s voice interrupted his thoughts, scattering them away.
He wanted to go back. Not to that house, but to the moment before he chose to become a Guide. Back to his ordinary life, where he didn’t have to face such situations.
“Hmm, looking so nostalgic makes me feel a bit mean.”
Even though he hadn’t said a word, Lee Jae-hoon twisted his thoughts.
“N-no!”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Lee Jae-hoon moved. Simultaneously, flames shot up from his raised hand, heading straight for Cha Jae-woo’s house.
Bang!
A deafening explosion rang out, much louder than before, and flames began to engulf Cha Jae-woo’s house, which had been intact just moments ago.
The sight of the burning house and the desperate screams from inside were too horrifying to bear.
“H-huh, ugh, haah…”
From that moment, his breath caught in his throat. He gasped and writhed, as if he had forgotten how to breathe. Lee Jae-hoon furrowed his brow and shoved him into the car. Inside, more people were waiting than before, but he had no time to notice them.
“Gasp, hic, cough, cough!”
“Quite the show you’re putting on.”
Lee Jae-hoon climbed in after him, roughly tossing him into a corner of the car. He turned his gaze back to the burning house, a sight that filled him with dread.
Desperately, he clung to Lee Jae-hoon, even though he could barely breathe. Lee Jae-hoon’s gaze was cold, but soon a smile spread across his face—an unpredictable change.
“Did you like the people there?”
His voice, feigning kindness, slithered into his ears like a snake. Lee Jae-hoon gently stroked his cheek, and only then did he realize he was still sobbing uncontrollably.
“People are born to die. Why be so sad about every little thing?”
“Ugh, hic…”
“You’re lucky to be useful, Guide Lim Haeyul. That’s why you’re still alive.”
As Lee Jae-hoon’s smile grew, his face contorted in despair.
Everywhere he looked, there were terrifying people. It was as if he was strange for grieving and suffering over someone’s death. These people valued human life less than that of a fly.
“Wh-why… huh…”
This was not a place for him. He couldn’t bear it any longer. But it was too late to run. So what could he do? It was a question with no answer.
“Hmm? Why did I only bring the Guide?”
It was completely unrelated to what he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t respond. He couldn’t even breathe properly, the image of the burning house still vivid in his mind. He worried about the people inside—were they safe? They weren’t Espers who could easily escape danger.
“Because we only need the Guide.”
Lee Jae-hoon seemed amused, laughing as if he found the situation enjoyable.
Looking at him was painful. Everything was a mess. He still struggled to breathe, wishing it would all just end.
“Can you still guide well?”
“Ugh, cough, ah…”
“I could use some guiding. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper session.”
But as always, things didn’t go his way. In the car, heading to an unknown destination, Lee Jae-hoon reached out to him. His grip on his collar wasn’t just for guiding—it felt malicious.
His vision blurred as Lee Jae-hoon tugged at his shirt, stretching it out. He tried to push Lee Jae-hoon’s hand away, but it was futile from the start.
The eyes of everyone in the car were on them. Shame mixed with his overwhelming fear. He thrashed and screamed, desperate to escape.
“Stop! Ah! Ugh! Let go of me! Let go!”
But his struggles were useless. Lee Jae-hoon ignored his pleas, lifting him up and displaying him to the others in the car like a trophy. No matter how much he twisted and turned, he couldn’t break free. Lee Jae-hoon held him effortlessly, as if swatting a fly.
“Wow, look at this. Bitten all over. Marked territory, huh?”
The laughter was chilling, but even more so was the hand that began to trace his skin, wrapping around his waist. The same hand that had just created flames and taken lives.
“Ugh!”
The realization made him want to vomit. Even though he hadn’t eaten anything, he felt like he needed to purge something.
He clung to the window, doubling over as he retched. Lee Jae-hoon watched him, amused.
“If Cha Jae-woo was this rough with you, then what I’m doing should be nothing, right?”
He didn’t even treat him like a human being. The question of what being a Guide meant to Lee Jae-hoon hung heavily in the air, a chilling realization.
