The drowsiness vanished instantly. That sound hadn’t come from an animal; it was a faint, distinct footstep.
My heart began to race.
‘Could it be Ian following me?’
He hadn’t said anything about tailing me, but he did mention he’d be watching from a distance.
“Ian? Is that you?”
I called his name into the air, but there was no reply. Though there was nothing visible before me, the unsettling sensation of being watched wouldn’t fade.
Then Ian’s words resurfaced in my mind.
“The culprit might still be tracking Guide Gu Sa-weol.”
And the chilling statement he made in the guiding waiting room last night:
“If I were the culprit, I’d attack Guide Gu Sa-weol right here.”
I steadied myself, forcing calm, and continued walking. But faint, echoing footsteps followed closely behind, almost as if in a loop. It was unmistakably someone else’s steps, not mine.
Behind the Center, where the dorms were located, there were no shops. With all amenities inside the dorms, it was rare to see anyone walking around at this hour. Fortunately, the dorm was just two blocks away.
As I quickened my pace, so did the footsteps, keeping perfect rhythm, like my shadow following me.
The steps grew closer and closer, becoming louder with each passing moment.
‘Is the culprit really following me? What should I do?’
Outside the Center, it wouldn’t matter, but here, there were too many CCTV cameras. There was one on the tree in front of me, one on the traffic light, and another on the corner of the building.
It would be too risky to activate my Creature form here.
‘And would the culprit really attack me in such a visible spot?’
Countless thoughts crowded my mind in the span of a few seconds. Then, a flash of my recent nightmare surfaced.
“Just relax. It’ll all be over before you know it.”
The feeling of being ensnared, only for my neck to be grasped and drained in an instant.
“Are you pretending to be dead?”
A chill ran down my spine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“Interesting.”
My body shuddered involuntarily, and my legs began to move instinctively.
“Huff, huff…”
I broke into a sprint, not daring to look back. The footsteps behind me sped up in response, echoing urgently. My heart pounded wildly, as if someone had reached inside my chest and squeezed.
As I turned the corner, the lights of the dorm came into view. Just a little further. My teeth chattered from the tension, and sweat poured down my face. My vision blurred, and my breath was ragged.
Then—snap. The heel of my high heel broke with a sharp crack.
‘Damn it, I’m so close!’
If I were attacked, the Creature form would activate automatically anyway.
Before I could fall forward, I twisted my waist and turned to face my pursuer. A large hand reached out, blocking my view.
In an instant, I activated my Creature form, grabbed the wrist, and twisted it outward. A sharp crack echoed as the bone fractured. At the same time, a heavy body collided with mine, wrapping around me as we both tumbled to the ground.
“Ugh…”
“Mm…”
I braced for the impact, but oddly, the ground felt soft. Before I could fully register my surroundings, a familiar scent hit my nose.
“Ugh… Gu Sa-weol. Why are you running?”
“Baek Yu-geon…?”
Yu-geon lay beneath me. The one following me was none other than Baek Yu-geon.
“What are you doing here?”
“You were looking for me, weren’t you?”
I frowned, not quite understanding, but then I recalled what Ji-soo had said earlier.
“About 20 people. I’m heading in now too. If you have any messages, just tell me, and I’ll pass them along.”
Perhaps she’d told him I was asking about him, making it sound like I wanted to see him. Even though I’d said it was nothing important, it seemed she had relayed my message anyway.
“I didn’t have anything specific to say…”
My response was stiffer than intended.
“But… did you leave your guidance session midway?”
He gave a sheepish smile, which answered my question. I’d heard he’d entered a capsule with over 20 guides as soon as he came out of the gate.
According to Ji-soo, his energy level was around 25%. He shouldn’t be here.
“What’s your energy level?”
“I’ve filled it up enough.”
“What is it?”
“26%…”
“Go back to the Center. Or better yet, let’s go back together.”
“Wait a second.”
He grabbed my wrist as I started to walk away, like he had something to say.
“Why aren’t you going to ‘eat’?”
“Oh.”
I’d completely forgotten. Sheepishly, I checked my phone and saw a pile of missed calls and messages from Emily.
Before the gate operation, I’d promised to visit Emily’s place today to feed. But with everything happening, I’d completely forgotten. Staying at the Center for so long without leaving had blurred my sense of time, and I was so busy I hadn’t even felt hungry.
“I thought you were looking for me because of that. It’s been a week already. Aren’t you going? Or did you already go?”
“No… I forgot.”
“What?”
“I… I should probably go now. Are you busy? Maybe we could… No, wait, you need to get back to the Center.”
My words tumbled out in a rush, disoriented by the sudden realization. The intense scent of blood I’d been picking up wasn’t just because Espers had been injured in battle—it was the urgency of my feeding time drawing near. I let out a deep sigh. Not knowing when the culprit might appear, I couldn’t go out alone; I’d have to convince another Esper to accompany me.
Just then, a new message flashed on my screen. It was Emily, insisting I come over, even if it was late. If I left now, I’d probably arrive just before dawn, but there was no helping it.
I’d also planned to go out with Han-gyeol tomorrow. If the Creature form were to trigger in front of him… the thought alone was dreadful.
“Let’s go to your dorm.”
“Huh?”
As I was about to make my decision, Yu-geon cut in, interrupting my thoughts.
“It’s late, and it’ll be hard to find another Esper to go out with you right now. Even if there is someone, convincing them to join you would be tricky.”
“So what?”
I shot back, my tone sharper than intended. Was he saying what I thought he was?
Yu-geon’s voice confirmed my suspicion.
“For your ‘meal’—use me.”
The words made me instinctively clench my jaw, and I felt saliva pooling in my mouth. Yu-geon’s lips curved into a faint smile as he noticed my reaction.
“Did you sprain your ankle? Want me to carry you?”
“…And you? I heard your wrist crack.”
“Oh yeah. You’re really strong, aren’t you?”
His right wrist was visibly out of place, dangling awkwardly. No wonder—it was from when I’d mistaken him for the culprit and attacked with Creature strength.
I quietly took his wrist in my hands, channeling my energy into my palms. With a faint pop, the bones snapped back into place. Yu-geon glanced at his healed wrist, rotating it curiously.
“Did you see anyone else on your way here?”
“See anyone? Why did you run, anyway? I called you several times, but you didn’t answer.”
“You… called?”
“Yeah.”
Why hadn’t I heard him? Was I in too much of a panic? Could I really have missed his loud voice? And was it truly him following me?
“Was someone else chasing you?”
Seeing my expression grow more serious, Yu-geon asked cautiously. I glanced back down the path I’d come from.
All I saw was quiet darkness, as if the chase moments ago had been a figment of my imagination. The familiar path suddenly felt haunting.
“No… let’s go.”
Whether it had been Yu-geon following me or not, I wanted to leave this place right away.
My heart was still pounding uncomfortably fast. Yu-geon walked silently behind me.
***
As soon as I entered the dorm, I threw my uncomfortable coat onto the couch. Yu-geon glanced around the room with an awkward expression, hesitating.
“You showered, right?”
Espers go through decontamination in a sterilization room immediately after a gate mission. If he’d been in a guiding capsule, he would’ve already completed the sanitization and a shower.
“Oh… yeah.”
“Then I’m going to wash up too. Go wait in my room.”
“Your room?”
“Yeah, over there.”
I gestured toward the room at the far end. Yu-geon looked a bit hesitant.
Usually, I’d shed my clothes along the way to the bathroom, leaving them strewn around like a snake shedding its skin, but I picked up a fresh set, resisting the urge to toss everything aside as I headed to the shower.
Just before I entered the bathroom, I glanced back to see Yu-geon still lingering by the door, not going into the room.
‘Guess he really was only offering his blood.’
The Center’s dorm rooms were sparsely furnished, containing only essentials: a bed, a bedside table, a lamp, and a small potted plant.
I’d directed him to wait in the bedroom so I could conduct the guiding session on the bed. Although guiding could be done on the couch, Yu-geon’s energy level suggested he’d need at least Level 2 guiding.
‘With his energy so low, he won’t be able to turn me down easily if I insist.’
Even if a pair was officially canceled, it was customary for the previous guide to assist the Esper until they were fully stable. His energy issues had lingered in my mind for some time. I was determined to guide him tonight, no matter how much he resisted.
I turned on the shower, letting the warm water stream over my skin. Tilting my head back, I let the water flow from my face down to my neck, feeling some of the accumulated tension melt away.
‘I can’t believe I forgot about feeding.’
As much as I wanted to blame Yu-geon for how disrupted my routines had been, I knew it wasn’t fair to pin it all on him. The gate mission had been hectic, but neglecting my feeding was a serious oversight. Yu-geon seemed to be more attuned to my ‘meal’ schedule than I was.
“If you really can’t find someone else to use, just ask me for a bite when you’re too busy.”
His playful suggestion from before had now turned into reality.
‘Though, I wonder if he was even joking back then.’
