PRT | Chapter 1.2

The other person, who threw out the request, walked ahead without waiting for a response. Heeseo hesitated but followed behind. Instead of arguing with the commands of his unfriendly team leader, he quietly closed the distance between them.

Outside the wide hall, it was bright. Heeseo breathed out shallow breaths in the cold wind, slowly lifting his gaze. His clear eyes stopped only after reaching the sky. The light-colored irises clearly reflected an unusual trace.

The massive gate that split the sky in half was eerily silent.

The sharp, dark red traces did not match the bright blue sky. It looked as if it might open its maw at any moment to spew out monsters, sending chills down one’s spine. Yet, it also resembled falling snow, giving one goosebumps.

The gate, which had once been active, now seemed sealed, remaining motionless yet not vanishing. Despite its eerie nature, it stood majestically. People called such a gate the ‘Origin Gate’.

By now, most people on this land took the existence of the Origin Gate for granted. They lived in an uneasy peace, with the monstrosity above their heads.

“…”

Honestly, Heeseo was no different. On days when he thought too much, he might feel a vague anxiety, but it was fleeting. The gate, which had existed since his first memory, seemed like it would always be closed.

Blink. An illusion of the gate trembling matched the movement of his eyelids. Heeseo, who had been staring at one spot, soon followed his distant superior. The man walked on without looking back.

“I…”

“Just get in.”

He barely caught up and spoke, but the man opened the car door and swiftly took the driver’s seat. Heeseo, after a brief hesitation, hurried into the passenger seat. The man only drove off once he saw the seatbelt fastened.

The car sped through the silence. Heeseo, with his hands neatly folded, only pondered the direction they were heading. His superior, whom he had met two weeks ago, hadn’t shown contempt, but there was a sense of distance in his professionalism.

“What’s the report about?”

“It’s an assault by an unregistered Esper on a civilian. Estimated to be A-rank.”

Despite the topic, he answered every question promptly. The man who replied quietly took off his ID card with one hand and placed it on the console. Heeseo’s gaze followed downward.

<Esper Management Headquarters> Seoul Branch 1, Field Support Team 1 Leader, Ha Jaewon. The deeply engraved letters seemed to describe him accurately. It might be premature to judge, but Ha Jaewon has been very strict so far.

He never showed any vulnerability. He never deviated from set principles. Even the slightest action was stern. It was surprising how he handled the time bomb that had landed on him with such decorum.

Originally, Team 1, which Heeseo was part of, operated with a five-person system. While others worked in pairs, he had heard that Ha Jaewon was moving alone just days ago, making things even more awkward.

“There will be police support, but we should handle most of it ourselves.”

“Will more people come from headquarters?”

“No one else will come.”

Of course, Heeseo had no choice, so acting cautiously was the best he could do. He put his ID card back into his pocket and quietly turned his head to look out the window.

The crime scene wasn’t far. When they got out of the car, they saw a wide police line. Special crimes related to espers and gates were handled by the headquarters, and with the police involved, the scale of the incident seemed significant.

“Don’t fall behind, follow me.”

Ha Jaewon, acknowledging the police with a nod, stepped over the line. Heeseo followed after bowing slightly. Whether he could control his powers as intended was uncertain, but he tensed his entire body.

The alley formed behind the high-rise building was gloomy, not letting much sunlight in. Heeseo’s face paled as he scanned the surroundings. The stench of blood reminded him of that place, dampening his mood.

“The mechanism is simple. We eliminate the cause of the problem as quickly and cleanly as possible.”

Suddenly stopping, Ha Jaewon recited like he was reading from a textbook. His gaze was fixed on one spot. Heeseo, looking ahead, held his breath. The problem was right there in their sight.

“As you know, there are affinities between abilities. Pairing up is for emergencies.”

He knew that. Even individual skill or innate rank could render such affinities meaningless. Ha Jaewon beside him was an example. Handling abilities close to S-rank, he was free from many constraints.

“Today, Esper Kim Heeseo.”

For the first time, Ha Jaewon looked him in the eye.

“Let’s keep it to observation.”

That was the extent of his mentorship. What followed was too fast to keep up with. The unregistered Esper, who was wiping blood off himself, was knocked down by Ha Jaewon in an instant.

“Ugh, what…!”

“Don’t bother resisting. It’s tiring for both of us.”

The man, rigid as if frozen, spat out blood with a ghastly laugh. He grabbed Ha Jaewon’s wrist with blood-soaked lips. Ha Jaewon’s brow twitched under the man’s pressure.

“A noble who feeds off taxpayer money, huh?”

Cough, spit. The man, shaking off Ha Jaewon with force, stood up.

“Some of us get treated like criminals, while others fill their bellies with easy money. The world’s so fucking unfair.”

“It’s not about treating you like a criminal; it’s about catching criminals. Your crime just got worse.”

Ha Jaewon, having checked his wrist, flicked it away. The previous agitation vanished like melting snow.

“If you want to complain about injustice, earn the right to do so.”

With his words, a chill spread around him. It was the release of his ability. Sensing the change, the man facing Ha Jaewon reacted. He clenched and unclenched his fists, mocking.

“Oh, I’m so scared. My teeth are chattering, right?”

Click. Click.

The unregistered Esper snapped his teeth loudly and suddenly reached out. He was incredibly strong, probably a Physical Esper. Without showing any panic, Ha Jaewon froze the man’s limbs like they were cut.

“Damn headquarters people, acting all high and mighty. We’re all in the same mess, right?”

The man, stepping back to avoid Ha Jaewon’s attempt to shatter his now frozen arm, said through his trembling lips.

“Even murderers get treated well. Oh, can I get a collar now too?”

Woof! The man, making a small barking sound, chuckled. It was Heeseo, not Ha Jaewon, who was disturbed by this vulgar behavior. Watching from behind the building, Heeseo was shaken by words that clearly referred to him.

He thought he could handle it, but sometimes it was overwhelming. Now was such a moment. Being mocked by someone who was merely a criminal made his stomach churn.

He thought he had gotten used to it.

Heeseo smiled weakly, his gaze dropping to the ground. Unable to suppress his boiling sense of injustice, he let his eyelids fall. Only his tightly bitten lips and trembling fists showed his feelings.

“If you want one, I’ll put one on you.”

Despite his endurance, Ha Jaewon’s gruff voice marked the end of this ordeal. The only sound following was a dull thud. Only then did the man show a hint of anxiety.

It was around this time that the red light flashed on what seemed like an advantageous situation.

“Uh…!”

Suddenly, another man appeared from a side street, aiming for Ha Jaewon’s back. Probably an accomplice of the unregistered Esper. There wasn’t just one. Overwhelmed, Heeseo unconsciously released his ability.

Crack!

A sound like glass cracking resonated as the space distorted. The man trying to rush forward fell as if hitting a wall, rolling on the ground. Heeseo, focusing without even blinking, exhaled sharply.

Did it work? Did I manage?

He didn’t know how he had pulled out his ability; he just thought he had to stop it. His arms trembled with stress.

The fallen man, upon spotting Heeseo, immediately ran in the opposite direction. Heeseo, after glancing at Ha Jaewon, hesitated but then chased after the man. Although his superior had said it was for observation, letting the man escape seemed wrong. It was an instinctive choice, like chasing a fleeing pickpocket.

“You’re quite persistent.”

The chase ended when they reached a dead-end.

“Was it you just now? Playing tricks?”

“Ugh!”

Unfortunately, the one holding the knife now changed. His ability didn’t activate. Heeseo, knocked to the ground by the man, groaned. To make matters worse, a steel bar fell on him before he could catch his breath.

“This is what happens when you act out just because you can pull off some cheap tricks.”

Click, the man lit a cigarette irritably and threw the lighter. The cheap plastic fell to the dirt. Heeseo, breathing heavily, grimaced and coughed.

“Does the headquarters now take in trash these days?”

“Cough, that…”

“Why, why don’t you try it again? Huh? You brought us to this secluded place, and now you’re not having fun?”

With a single gesture from the man, debris around them flew and slammed into Heeseo’s body. He had deliberately escaped, and now in a situation where he couldn’t move, Heeseo curled up, feeling pathetic for not being able to solve even one problem.

“This is how you use your abilities. Learn by watching, huh? You learn better when you get hit, right? But if you die, well, you can’t learn then.”

The man, chomping on a wet cigarette, chuckled as he kicked Heeseo. He even shook some ash onto Heeseo’s face. Covered in blood in a brief moment, Heeseo tried his best to resist, but it was futile.

The power that had burst out uncontrollably earlier was now completely silent. He wondered if he was really an esper, feeling unfairly helpless as nothing happened. The ability that had once endangered him by flowing out on its own now lay dormant. He had moved to help Ha Jaewon, only to end up being powerless.

From then on, it was one-sided violence. There was no sign of passersby; perhaps they were lured here intentionally. The man’s ability was telekinesis. Debris flew, battering Heeseo’s body. He cursed his abilities, which were useless when truly needed despite never wanting them.

Thud! A cheerful sound followed by the crushing of his body. Heeseo, vomiting blood, glared at the man through his blurring vision and fiercely scratched the dark ankle visible below his pants with his nails, driven by the desire not to just take it lying down.

“Oh my.”

The man, as if it was ridiculous, brushed off the hand and kicked Heeseo in the stomach. This time, it seemed he had hit him really badly; Heeseo’s system of response collapsed entirely. His mind went completely white with endless pain.

Physiological tears ran down from the corners of his eyes. Heeseo, opening his mouth, was about to lose consciousness with a sense of indignation when…

“You were making such a racket, I came to see…”

Tap, tap. An unmistakable presence invaded his ears. Not just that, even with his dulled body, he could feel an immense energy. The man seemed to notice it too, shifting his attention immediately.

“You, what…!”

“Smells like shit.”

The owner of the presence stepped into the space without hesitation. Heeseo, barely holding up his drooping eyelids, rolled his eyes. The large shoes standing on the mud, soaked with blood, were etched onto his retina.

…Is it Ha Jaewon? No. The voice and manner of speaking were different. A bit slower and…

“What’s this?”

The voice was so captivating that one couldn’t help but listen.

“Dying, huh.”