BCPCF Chapter 1 (Part 3)
by Brie“He’s not my partner, seriously. It’s not like that at all.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop teasing.”
Zekiel backed off, seeing how horrified I looked, and stuffed fries into his mouth one by one. The moment those thick, long sticks slid between his lips, I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head again. I had no idea why that stupid dream was so vivid. I hated myself for recalling that kind of thing while seeing something like that, and I just chugged my cold water out of spite.
“By the way, did you hear? A dungeon burst at Bound Beach yesterday.”
“Uh…”
It was the first I was hearing of it. I think there was an emergency alert about it, but I had my own disaster to deal with, so…
“They said they can’t take care of patients there anymore. A few are being transferred here this morning.”
“What? Why would they bring emergency patients to a rehab facility?”
Like a true Korean afraid of extra work, I instinctively sensed that I was screwed.
“There’s no hospital nearby, so I guess they just want to borrow hands from the rehab facility. It happens sometimes. It’s not permanent admission, so it won’t add much to our workload. We keep managing our regular patients, and just help out with the emergency side.”
“Oh…”
Thinking about it, it made sense. The place is called Last Borderline, and it was actually kind of strange that I hadn’t heard anything about dungeon activity until now. Things had been oddly quiet since I got here… so maybe this really was the official beginning of my life in New Zealand. But then again, a single guide can only manage, what—five or six espers at most? Even if they brought patients here… could we even handle them? We were already barely keeping the ones here from falling apart.
But well… if they say work, I work. Who else is going to raise the cow?
“Is there a way to volunteer?”
“If you’ve got free hands, check in at the emergency rooms. Or go out to the field. There are always people who need help.”
Honestly, I figured the only way to clear out whatever lingering curse or gloom was sitting on me was to move around more—keep busy.
I managed to slip out of the cafeteria taking the longer route, avoiding Cassian’s side completely. For a moment, I thought he looked in my direction, but I chalked it up to my paranoia.
After breakfast, I got to my room and changed clothes, and right then, I got a message on my phone.
[Urgent care needed for Bound Beach emergency patients — Report to Emergency Room 1 or 3.]
It wasn’t like an all-hands alarm had gone off, so it probably meant whoever was free should show up. I checked the building map on the wall and started heading toward Emergency Room 3.
Then suddenly, I got a call. Cassian was in Emergency Room 4.
Of all people—why did it have to be him? The one person I least wanted to see. But they said my primary assignment, Cassian, was in critical condition. I stood frozen for a long time, unsure which way to go.
Was I going to face Cassian, the person I absolutely didn’t want to deal with right now, or strangers from Bound Beach that had nothing to do with me?
Of course, the answer was the former.
“Goddammit…”
Had he gone out again? What the hell is going on with him?
I hurried to Emergency Room 4. Cassian was sitting on the bed, coughing up blood continuously. His face was pale like porcelain, and he looked like he might stop breathing any second.
When I opened the door and stepped in, Cassian waved a hand and greeted me like, “So you came.” He was surprisingly gentlemanly, even though this really wasn’t the time for pleasantries.
“What happened all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing.”
“I got a call about you. And you’re saying it’s nothing?”
I averted my eyes, doing everything I could to not think about last night. Cassian must have picked up on it—he stared at me for a moment and then asked:
“Would it make you feel better if I told you some cool secret?”
It seemed like he wanted to talk about that mysterious space behind the door—the one he’d told me to keep quiet about. But if he started talking about his secret, I’d have no choice but to reveal mine, too. So I shook my head.
“I appreciate you keeping it under wraps. But that place… it’s somewhere no one else can even find or see, except me.”
“S-Stop talking about it. I…”
I reached out and grabbed Cassian’s hand. His palm was ice-cold. I held it tightly and slowly started channeling some of my energy into him. His coughing began to calm down little by little, though the bleeding didn’t stop. If this were a different kind of situation, maybe a kiss could’ve helped calm it down a bit… After all, physical contact—especially mucous membrane to mucous membrane—was known to stabilize an esper’s overload levels.
“I don’t want to tell you everything. What if you get curious for no reason?”
I grabbed a few tissues from the box beside me and gently covered Cassian’s mouth. He was the type to hyperventilate when he coughed, and I figured covering his mouth would help a little. But the tissue that touched his lips turned dark red almost instantly—no use at all.
“…Should I kiss you?”
I said something to Cassian that felt like digging my own grave. He clearly understood it was part of the treatment, but his pupils dilated wide like he’d never expected those words to come out of my mouth. He looked genuinely startled.
‘Shit… should’ve kept that to myself.’
I was practically bouncing off the walls inside my head—what the hell had I just said? But the truth was, he looked seriously unwell. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that he might’ve already seen my past through psychometry anyway. So what if more got exposed now? No, that wasn’t the point. The point was—he was my patient. He was hurting. And as a guide, it was my job to care for espers. That was the whole damn role.
So I slowly leaned in and kissed him. I licked at his lips, gently coaxing them to part. It was a private room, a space no one would just walk into, and I’d mustered up the courage to try… But he stopped me—gently, said it was okay, and pushed me away.
And just like that, I felt like losing my mind all over again. This morning—no, last night’s dream already had me on edge, and now he was rejecting treatment? I could’ve screamed. But maybe because of the energy I’d already infused into him, the blood he was coughing up had started to slow.
“Damn curse.”
“…No kidding.”
The curse he was referring to—I’d heard about it from my father, too. Everything began with the Black Dragon. That dragon laid a deep, bitter curse upon the very first esper who had defeated it: You and your descendants shall never be whole without one another. If an esper couldn’t find the one matching guide, they’d weaken and die. And guides—beings shaped by the Black Dragon itself—could never be fully free.
That’s how the curse began. All espers in this world, everyone here at the rehab center included, were said to bear that curse. Without a matching guide, death was inevitable. No one really knew who the first esper was. The only thing passed down was that he, too, died in pain.
The pain espers endured was said to be many times worse than what normal people could tolerate. And medicine did nothing. Even morphine and anesthesia were useless. Without a guide’s blessing, they were practically dead already.
My father was both glad and sorrowful that I was born a guide. Glad that I didn’t have to spend my life searching for someone, that I wasn’t born to suffer like the espers. But also sad—because being a guide meant I might end up bound to someone for life, unable to escape that destiny.
Cough, cough.
I started feeling sorry for him—Cassian, who was constantly coughing and sick like some kind of second Dorothy. Why was he always like this? Especially at certain times of the day. I mean, at least he should be healthier than Grandpa Michael, right? Breakfast, then emergency room. Lunch, emergency room. Dinner—right back to the emergency room. Honestly, I was barely holding up. And sure, others helped too, but still…
Maybe it’s just because he’s stuck in this rehab facility that he can’t meet his match. That thought—Poor thing…—crossed my mind as I watched him leaning weakly against the wall, letting out those frail little coughs. But the more I looked at him, the more last night kept creeping back into my thoughts, driving me up the wall.
“Wanna… go on a date or something?”
Why did I keep being the one to hit on him like this? I didn’t even know anymore. It just slipped out—and I definitely didn’t expect him to nod in agreement so easily.
Well then. I told him I’d go fill out the outing chart and made him wait a bit.
Of course, I couldn’t head out with Cassian right away since I had to deal with the patients transferred from Bound Beach. By the time I finished checking on the last one, the sun was already starting to dip low on the horizon—almost time for dinner.
I submitted Cassian’s outing chart at the front desk, and Emily gave me a look like she’d just seen a ghost—though really, she was staring in shock at Cassian, who had quietly trailed after me. And then Zekiel, who must’ve caught wind of something, appeared and started going “Oh my, oh my, oh my” under his breath, dramatically waving a handkerchief as he watched us step out in casual clothes. I mean, seriously—we were just going to look around the city. What’s with the fuss?
When I first suggested going out, Cassian corrected me and said it wasn’t a date—just a walk. I thought that was fair and nodded along. He was always a little hunched over, but standing next to me, it felt like he was soaking up my aura or something. (I felt like some kind of human air purifier.)
We walked to the nearest Bound Beach. It was only ten minutes away, so I figured Cassian’s condition wouldn’t worsen from the trip. That dungeon had opened up there recently. A lot of people got hurt, and I’d spent the whole day treating them… I was thinking about how rough the day had been when Cassian suddenly stopped, looking out at the spot where the dungeon entrance had appeared—and started coughing again.
I quickly pulled a handkerchief from my pocket and pressed it to his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Do I really look that weak to you?”
“…Yeah…”
“Baek Ah-jun. Twenty-eight.”
Cassian looked at me and gave a lazy smile, murmuring softly, “So young.”
“My age isn’t even on my name tag. Are you seriously using psychometry right now?”
“Who knows? Maybe when you live as long as I have, you just start figuring things out.”
Cassian kicked a small pebble down the path and, surprisingly, gave me a smile that looked genuinely healthy for once.
“Cassian… you’re only thirty-two.”
Up close, his face was about the size of a smooth pebble, and with his features so perfectly placed, he looked even younger. He was ridiculously good-looking. Sometimes, when I looked at him, I’d forget to breathe like an idiot… I mean, I’d had a wet dream about him for crying out loud—how many girls must’ve gone weak in the knees and asked him out, over and over?
Wait… hold on. Did he somehow know that the kiss earlier was what triggered my wet dream? If he did… no way he’d be sitting here this calm, right? My heart suddenly started pounding, and I had to look away from his face.
“Cassian, I kind of wish you weren’t a psychometric.”
I said it sincerely. I wish I could’ve seen what kind of expression I had while looking at him—if only there were a mirror. That dream… why the hell did that happen so suddenly… Oh man… Good grief…
“You’ve got secrets you don’t want me to find out, huh?”
“Just like that place behind the wooden door where I passed out… I’ve got things I don’t want exposed either.”
“The more secrets someone has, the quieter their mouth tends to be.”
He looked down at me, his golden eyes swirling thoughtfully. With the sun setting behind him, it felt like gold dust was drifting in the air at the edge of his gaze. And honestly, his words weren’t wrong. They made sense—too much sense.
“People who carry heavy things usually have more they want to get off their chest.”
Cough, cough.
He started coughing again, and I instinctively reached out and took his hand. Just so he’d feel even a little better. So he wouldn’t keep coughing. I was used to this kind of natural touch with long-term patients—but the fact I held Cassian’s hand so naturally surprised even me.
“Do I look like someone who’s good at keeping secrets?”
At that, Cassian examined my eyes, nose, and lips closely, then smiled with crescent-shaped eyes and said:
“Your mouth’s small.”
I couldn’t help laughing. It wasn’t even a great joke, but coming from that face? It was oddly funny.
“…What kind of line is that?”
“If I end up trusting you a bit more… I’ll probably want to tell you my secrets.”
Then he let go of my hand and urged that we head back to the facility.
It felt like he was also telling me: Don’t act too familiar. This is as close as we get.
After that, he walked ahead and I followed behind like I was chasing him. He didn’t just walk past trees along the road—he’d stop, sniff them, stare at their strange colors with curious eyes. Not in a childish way, but more like a detective—observing the world through a sharp lens.
The walk back was quiet. He was observing the world, and I… was observing him. I found myself curious—what did he like? Why did he pause where he did? Maybe it was just because he was cool. Like how little kids are obsessed with T. rexes. Cassian felt like a T. rex to me. Not quite invincible, but… still, a kind of esper who could protect a lot of people.
“Would be nice… if we became people who share secrets.”
Cassian smiled, like he was wondering whether he should share one now. But there was something uneasy behind that smile. He tapped his lips with his finger—tap, tap—then smirked with a grin that stretched unsettlingly wide.
“There’s moss.”
…He said it with such a scary expression I tensed up for nothing. Moss? Like… in one of his plant pots or something? His sudden comment left me standing there like, Okay… and?
“The place you passed out in. Moss started growing there.”
“Oh… um… well, if that’s a good thing, then I’m glad.”
“It is good.”
“Well… I’m just glad it wasn’t mold.”
I immediately realized I’d cracked a joke that could come off as offensive, so I pressed my lips shut. Whether moss appeared or not… that might be really important to him.
“Don’t worry about it. Not your concern.”
“…Ah… okay…”
It sounded like he was saying ‘please worry about it’ with everything he had, but I just kept my head down and stared at the back of his heels as I followed him. A clear, undeniable dismissal.
Since it was the end of my shift, I didn’t need to return to the facility. The moment I got back to my room, I didn’t even bother showering—just kicked off my socks and leapt onto the bed. Cassian and I… might’ve grown a little closer. Close enough to joke around. Close enough for him to say weird things like “moss is growing.”
I was glad we went on that walk. The sea breeze, the feel of sneakers against the sand—it all cleared my head a bit. I felt like I could fall asleep just like that, so I figured, screw it. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and collapsed back onto the bed. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? For now, I was tired. Sleeping seemed like the best option. I just hoped I wouldn’t have another nightmare.
Dozing off… As I let my eyes fall shut, something strange and familiar wrapped around me. I was sitting sideways on the bed when I felt someone approaching. A dream. Another weird one. Please—please don’t let it be Cassian again, I begged.
But prayers always seemed to dodge my wishes.
There he was, sitting beside me, gently brushing my hair back with his hand.
“This is a dream again, isn’t it?”
“Do I feel real to you?”
There was no way this was real. My body, once again, felt paralyzed like I was stuck in sleep paralysis, and just like last time, the dream was following the same path. My body reacted each time Cassian’s touch skimmed over me, and his gaze was fixed straight on my lower half. I could feel my penis gradually swelling. No… he’s not even that kind of person. So why is it that whenever Cassian shows up in my dreams, I get so worked up?
I snapped my knees together, pretending I hadn’t noticed him. I didn’t want him to see. But it was like he came into the dream for this exact reason—he casually pried my knees apart. As if that weren’t enough, his hand started slipping inside my underwear. Gasping, I sucked in a breath.
“I warned you, didn’t I? That a dream would be waiting for you at the edge of the world.”
‘At the edge of the world, may what waits for you appear as a dream.’ I’m pretty sure that’s what it said—so why the hell is this turning into some kind of scam?
With a rough, unrelenting hand, he grabbed at my lower half, fingers trailing downward to lightly toy with my penis before moving toward the tightly closed opening of my private area.
“Ugh… n-no, don’t…”
When he rubbed the dry spot with his fingers, I grabbed at his arm, struggling to pull it away. But there was no strength in my limbs, and his arm didn’t budge an inch.
“At times like this, you’re supposed to ask me to put it in, sweetheart.”
It was like he was picking up right where the last dream left off. There was something deeper in his words—like this dream wasn’t just some random wet dream. If that’s the case, then damn it, if he keeps trying to come after me like this, what is this if not a cursed dream?! I wanted to scream at the heavens.
I looked up at Cassian helplessly. As I met his fiery golden eyes, I could also feel how hungrily he was staring between my legs.
He lightly rubbed the wrinkled area with his index finger, tapping gently at the tightly closed entrance that refused to part. My legs trembled in response.
His bent finger pressed a knuckle inside me. Every time it did, I bit down on my own fingers, my eyes brimming with tears. And each time a tear slipped out, Cassian gently whispered, “Shhh, it’s okay…” and wiped them away with his lips. Whether it was pleasure or pain rising from below, the tears came easily. I blinked, and the gathered drops rolled down my cheek, tickling as they fell.
Cassian licked my cheek while saying, ‘I want to see you more.’ At his sweet words, my whole body felt as if it was burning red. Every time he lightly scratched the inside of me with the tips of his fingers, a soft, melodic moan flowed from my lips.
I didn’t know what I really wanted. Cassian’s intentions were clear, but my body wouldn’t respond, so I couldn’t be sure. Two conflicting thoughts battled in my head—Should I just let him take over since it’s only a dream? or Should I do everything I can to wake myself up from this nightmare? The clash made my head throb.
But every time I looked up at his unrealistically beautiful face, every time I realized how much he desired my body, I couldn’t control this strange urge to spread my legs. It’s just a dream… a wet dream, probably… so isn’t it fine? That thought started to creep in. It’s not like I was suddenly going to turn gay overnight. So in the end, I could only follow his lead. Resisting any more wasn’t going to wake me up anyway.
Should I just give in like this?
That outrageous thought flashed through my mind. I mean, he kept showing up in my dreams like he was chasing after me—maybe if I gave it to him once, he’d stop coming?
Yeah. If I just tossed aside all the shame and gave in to desire, even Cassian in front of me started to look kind of… sexy. I wanted to get rid of this aching tension. I was a guy too… I was hard… and since it was a dream, it probably wouldn’t even hurt. The idea of being held in his arms, just once, didn’t seem so bad anymore. From that moment on, I found myself starting to respond more willingly.
“…Fine, I get it… just do it already…”
In that moment, through my hazy vision, I saw Cassian smile—bright and gentle, like someone who had just received a bouquet of flowers. The same hand that had only been teasing with one finger finally began to move. At last, he drew close—so close his presence draped over me like a shadow, covering me entirely. His hot breath swallowed me whole.
This kiss was nothing like the one before. That earlier kiss had been closed-lipped, meant for treatment. But this… this one tasted me over and over like I was something delicious. He licked, pulled back, kissed again—each time with hunger, as if devouring me. It was the kind of kiss he would give—pulling away just to look at me, then diving back in just to taste me again. Romantic, in its own overwhelming way.
I don’t know what kind of courage surged through me, but I licked between his lips to pry them open and forced my tongue in, tasting the inside of his mouth. Like giving him mouth-to-mouth, I breathed into him, and in return, he grabbed the back of my head and kissed me roughly.
“Haa… mm… mm…”
Then he stood up. While I was still lost in the heat of our kiss, I found myself feeling disappointed by the distance. He’d been sitting beside me, but now he moved down toward the foot of the bed—lowering himself between my legs.
“One kiss isn’t enough… I need to get you wet down here.”
His hot breath swept between my thighs, sending heat rushing through me.
“Ahng… ah, w-wait, ah… aaah…!”
My body trembled and twisted. The thought of someone sucking on my private area—something I’d never even imagined—was now real in this dream. I never would’ve expected Cassian to use his tongue down there. My toes curled instinctively, and then I reached out to grab a fistful of his hair. The pleasure rising from below was intense—so sharp it felt like a cramp was coming on.
Every time the bridge of his sharp nose grazed between my buttocks, a chill like a knife’s edge shot through me. His tongue, as thick as a finger yet unbelievably soft, moved skillfully. When his bat-like fingers spread me open, that devilish tongue slipped inside and stirred my inner lining, sending shockwaves through my whole body.
Each time the entrance, soaked with saliva, revealed more of its flushed inner skin, Cassian would murmur things like “Good, good, you’re doing well,” as if praising me. He loosened his grip on his fingers and pressed a kiss to the opening. The wrinkled spot would close back up as soon as his fingers slipped out, and watching that, Cassian said:
“This is what a shared-use guide looks like. It’s so lewd it’s making my head spin.”
At his words, I unconsciously tensed down below—my opening twitching open and closed, moving slightly on its own. Each time it happened, Cassian responded like it was second nature, gently massaging and easing the area again.
“Hnng… ah… aah…!”
The presence of his thick fingers felt like they were piercing straight through my entire body. Rough and firm, yet moving with a gentle rhythm, he slowly stretched me open from the inside. Each time, my hips quivered uncontrollably from the overwhelming stimulation.
My body seemed far too eager—responding with intense pleasure to just one of his fingers. I couldn’t hold back my moans. What had once felt like too much slowly became more bearable, and even my breathing began to lighten. Cassian noticed that and added another finger inside. The pressure increased, the sensation growing heavier as both his index and middle fingers pushed in deep.
He moved them like he was playing piano—tap, tap—pressing inside, then rubbing against a dim, sensitive spot. My prostate.
“Aaah—w-wait, Ca-Cassian, just a second…! That spot is…!”
With each movement of his fingers, my penis twitched—and soon after, clear fluid began to leak out.
It felt like a jolt of electricity ran through me. This sensation, impossible to ignore no matter how much I wanted to—made me want to squeeze my knees together, to rub my legs in desperation, but in reality, I had no control. My body was entirely in his hands. I wanted it to end—I wanted this dream to end soon. But at the same time, I was scared that this night would come again. I liked it. I hated it. It was frustrating.
My breathing grew heavier, my chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. Every time he pressed his fingers deep toward my prostate, hard as if driving something in, tears welled up in my eyes. It felt good. It felt too good. And it was infuriating. Why the hell am I having dreams like this? Damn it.
Cassian placed his hands on my chest, feeling it expand and contract with every breath, then found my nipples and gave them a firm pinch.
“You did well, sweetheart. Next time too—make sure to spread your legs for me like this.”
And just like that—like a match’s flame snuffed out—the force that had been pressing down on me, and Cassian’s tormenting presence, both vanished like smoke.
“Haa… haa…”
I must’ve been abandoned by the heavens. I see Cassian during the day, and at night, I get haunted by some ghost version of him.
The night was halfway over, speeding toward dawn. The words ghost—or wet dream—Cassian had whispered as he disappeared still echoed in my ears.
“I have to spread my legs again? That means he’s coming back? God, that wasn’t the last time?”
Damn it. I wanted to just sink into my bed and pass out, but one final trial still remained for me.
“Aaah~~~~”
Because now I had underwear I needed to wash.
I shot up, pulled off my pants, and hand-washed my underwear. How pathetic… I sighed at my own misery and lay back down on the bed. But I couldn’t fall asleep easily—afraid that the same dream might come again. It had already happened twice now. Sleep paralysis… spirit visitation… or maybe it was just my feelings toward Cassian.
I didn’t want to admit it. It’s not like I did anything, and it’s not like he did anything to me either. There’s nothing about him I should be falling for—but he keeps showing up… and in my dreams, we sex… we have sex, and it’s messing with my head.
That morning, I felt absolutely wrecked. I hadn’t slept much, so my eyes were bloodshot, and my dark circles sagged all the way down to the corners of my mouth. People didn’t even bother talking to me.
I tried to get through breakfast with just a salad and some coffee, but then Cassian sat down in front of me. As he appeared across the table while I poked at my salad, my fork movements got more and more aggressive.
‘Why are you blocking my path, Cassian.’
I seriously wanted to grab him by the collar. Every time my fork scraped the plate with a grating squeak, Cassian looked over at me.
“Something wrong?”
“No. Thing. At. All.”
“I’ve got plenty going on.”
Maybe he had a weird dream too? His comment piqued my curiosity. What if I showed up in his dreams like he did in mine… Ugh, the very idea gave me goosebumps.
“What. You mean moss growing instead of mold?”
I leaned forward and whispered just loud enough for him to hear.
“Yeah.”
He nodded and smacked his lips. The moment he licked his lips with his tongue, I suddenly remembered last night and shut my eyes tight, mentally playing exorcism music to ward off evil. I am not a pervert. Lord, please purge the perversion within me.
“You’re good at keeping secrets, but aren’t you a little too close?”
He said it casually. And that’s when I realized I’d stretched my neck out like a turtle just to whisper to him—and people were probably watching. Not a good look.
“I was whispering like you asked me to…”
I nearly blurted You’re so full of crap, but held my tongue. He just chuckled, then unexpectedly pushed his sardine pie toward me from his plate.
“Eat up, Mr. Ah-jun.”
“Ugh.”
Living a normal life was nearly impossible. No matter what I did, the memories of last night—or the night before that—kept surfacing and messing me up. I went to check on Michael, and he gave me a look like he already knew everything.
“You were stomping around saying you weren’t gay, and now look at you.”
I wanted to smack his oversized head for that comment. But since he was way older than me, I just clenched my fist in silence.
I grabbed his hand and started guiding. The waves of aura wrapped gently around his body. He seemed to be in decent condition today. But for some reason, he also seemed a little antsy, which made me tilt my head in confusion.
“Do you… have plans or something today?”
“Huh? Oh… no. Nothing like that.”
Hmm. That was suspicious. I had a hunch. So I held his hand and pleaded.
“I’m feeling pretty restless too, and I don’t have anything to do… can’t I tag along?”
“Hmm… just for this round.”
And with that, he took me to the rooftop garden. There, a few other grandpas and grandmas were gathered around a setup—they were gambling. Scattered in front of each person were New Zealand dollars and coins.
I knew it… gambling.
The moment I saw the scene, I confiscated the poker deck. Immediately, complaints exploded into the sky. Michael shouted that I was no different from the cops, damn young brat. I just huffed through my nose. I collected all the money, returned it to the rightful owners, and gave each person back their original stake.
This is a care facility, not a casino.
It felt good to bust something that even folks back in Korea couldn’t catch.
“You ungrateful little punk.”
“Still, gambling is a no-go. At least use something like New World (a NZ grocery store) coupons next time.”
“If coupons fixed everything, we wouldn’t be gambling in the first place!”
“Okay, okay. That’s enough.”
Beep beep… beep beep…
Right as the bickering continued, my phone alarm went off—just as expected. That’s right. The bath rotation, which came around every few weeks. It was my first time doing it at Huntsville. Actually, no—don’t call it a “first time.” That just brings weird thoughts.
Michael could move around better than most, but he still couldn’t stand or sit up properly without help. Of my three espers, the only one I had to help with bathing was Michael.
“Alright, old man. Time to get up. Bath time.”
Since he showered regularly, I was going to give him a medicinal soak or half-bath. Following the guide Emily gave me, I entered his room and dragged out the half-bath tub from storage. Just dragging it out took ten minutes—it was heavy. Honestly, if Michael lifted it, he’d probably do it in one go… I glanced at him, but he still seemed salty from earlier and clearly had no intention of helping.
Thankfully, filling it with warm water and dissolving the bath salts went smoothly. I didn’t need to help him undress, either. Michael came in with a towel covering his lower half and slowly stepped into the herbal soak. The moment I saw bare skin, memories of last night hit me again. If it had been Cassian instead of Michael, I probably would’ve handed the job off to Zekiel and run.
I grabbed the scrubbing towel I brought from Korea—something you’d never find in New Zealand!—and gently started scrubbing Michael’s arms, shoulders, and back.
“Ow—damn it, that hurts!”
“Bear with it. It’s always painful to get truly clean.”
New Zealanders probably don’t even know what scrubbing off dead skin feels like. A life of just showering, I guess.
Suddenly, I thought of my father. When he was wasting away from not having a guide, I used to give him half-baths like this. Sometimes I’d pour water over him, and I swear—tears of longing would sting the corners of my eyes. If only he were still alive… If only the woman he loved—my mother—had been his destined partner, his guide. How simple and happy things could have been.
“Have you ever heard of the Secret Dungeon?” Michael asked.
“Yeah… I think I’ve heard my dad mention it once.”
A place no one could find, said to be curled up deep in darkness.
“They say if you manage to break through the Secret Dungeon, you’ll gain a glory that can’t be matched by anything in this world.”
“Ah… I had no idea it was anything like that.”
“No one’s ever done it, so maybe that’s why the rumors started. Who knows? Maybe gold and treasure’ll come spilling out. Glory or whatever.”
I poured another scoop of warm water over his back. He really had a lot of buildup there. Well, it’s not like he can reach it himself. Some things just can’t be taken care of without help.
“I came here in search of the Secret Dungeon… because maybe, just maybe, I could lift my curse—this Grand Curse.”
The Grand Curse… the one between espers and guides, the bond that leaves them incomplete without each other. Cassian had mentioned it too.
“But I couldn’t find the dungeon. I just followed orders from the government and did what I was told. Then I retired.”
“So you must’ve studied the Secret Dungeon inside and out, huh?”
“There’s nothing to study. It wasn’t there. By the time I was born, it had already been sealed.”
His words made me fall silent too, a wave of sadness passing over me.
“But this much I do know—the entrance to the Secret Dungeon can only be seen by those who are meant to see it.”
His words gave me chills. Somehow… I felt like I might know where it was. Just a gut feeling. But I hoped it was just a gut feeling…
Right after I finished the bath, a call came in for me. Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep… The alarm blared suspiciously long. I rushed to the first emergency room and found Cassian lying there. He was already half-unconscious, and the corners of his lips were stained not with saliva—but with blood.
I quickly locked the door and pressed the In Treatment button. The light outside must’ve turned blue to show the room was occupied. I took off his clothes, then threw off my own upper garments and wrapped him tightly in my arms. This was the most direct form of healing I could offer. His head and neck, limp and falling back, I supported them and brought my lips to his.
He wouldn’t open his mouth, so I gently pried his jaw apart and slipped my tongue in, hoping desperately that it would bring him back. I breathed into him and released a stream of white aura.
As the aura slowly transferred into him, I saw his eyelids begin to twitch. His heart, which had been beating sluggishly, began to pick up its pace again. I held him tightly, silently pleading over and over—Please wake up.
Thump-thump…
As the rhythm of his heart returned to normal, he raised his arms and hugged me back, clutching me like I was his lifeline. I kissed him again. Our tongues met, and a strange, wet sound filled the room.
His fingers, which had started gently curling through the hair at the nape of my neck, regained their strength. Then—he opened his eyes. I moved to pull away, but he stopped me. We shared another deep kiss, and I couldn’t help letting out a strange hum of sound—Mmm… mm… It was clear even with his eyes open—he wasn’t fully conscious.
Espers often had the tendency to lose control and lash out when they weren’t in their right minds. Cassian might’ve been no exception. So I shoved him away.
He shook his head and sat up, pulling his knees in close. Both of us were half-naked, and it seemed he had finally pieced together the situation.
“…It’s strange. When I’m with you, I feel… a little better.”
His voice was rough, barely above a whisper.