58

Some things are more important than survival. Ha-gyeom had something like that too—something he couldn’t tell Baek Sa, not yet, but something he was certain he’d risk his safety for.

What surprised him, however, was Baek Sa’s attitude. He didn’t mock the espers who chose to remain in the outside world. Perhaps it was more accurate to say he felt nothing at all, but in the way he spoke, almost as if he were advising Ha-gyeom, there was a hint of the Baek Seung-woo Ha-gyeom once knew—a side that now felt distant and unfamiliar.

It didn’t mean much, but it was a small comfort nonetheless. As Ha-gyeom stared at Baek Sa, trying to quell the confusion that surged within him, he finally averted his gaze.

He looked up at the sky. Beyond the twisted rebar and the torn roof, the sky was painted a deep red by the setting sun. Clouds had gathered in patches across the once-clear sky. The sight of light and shadow mingling together was always breathtaking.

But once the sun set, there would be no light at all. While Baek Sa, as an esper, might not be bothered by the darkness, Ha-gyeom wasn’t used to the kind of pitch-black night where you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face.

Unsure of how the operation would proceed, Ha-gyeom was feeling uneasy when Baek Sa stood up.

There was a crackle from the radio as Baek Sa pressed the button, summoning Park Ha and Yeo Jin-joo from somewhere within the vast expanse of the airport.

“Report.”

• Nothing. Not a single rat in sight.

It was clear at a glance that this wasn’t a place where people could have stayed long. If there had been any anomalies, they would have attracted all sorts of trouble. While there were traces, the faint warmth in the ashes didn’t indicate whether the people who had been here were still around or had already left.

“Meet at the terminal. We’ll search for now, and if we don’t find anything, we’ll wait until sunrise tomorrow.”

Baek Sa looked up at the sky, just as Ha-gyeom had done earlier. The terminal, he was referring to, was undoubtedly the underground area of the old airport railroad. It would be pitch dark there, far darker than here, but there was no better place to camp out for the night.

As Baek Sa dealt with Park Ha’s grumbling over the radio, Ha-gyeom shrank the size of his wave until only he and Baek Sa were enclosed within it. While the energy loss wasn’t significant, maintaining the wave continuously had started to wear him down.

“Can you handle it?”

Ha-gyeom opened his eyes heavily at Baek Sa’s question. Of course, he could. He wasn’t showing any signs of a nosebleed, and there were no symptoms that indicated internal injuries had begun.

“Of course.”

He replied confidently, though Baek Sa’s gaze seemed uncertain, almost skeptical.

“Guides benefit from the guiding too. If you’re okay, then it makes sense that I’d be okay too, right?”

As Ha-gyeom’s discomfort became evident, Baek Sa frowned and added..

“There’s no need to take it the wrong way. I asked so that you’d let me know if you need anything.”

Baek Sa suddenly stepped closer, his voice low. Ha-gyeom found himself face-to-face with Baek Sa, whose imposing presence made him feel like a towering wall had blocked his view. Yet, as he sensed the robust energy emanating from Baek Sa, his fatigue seemed to gradually fade.

“If you need anything.”

“Yes, if I need anything.”

How could he say he needed physical contact? The thought alone was embarrassing, so Ha-gyeom quickly turned away.

He vaguely remembered visiting the airport as a child, but back then, he had been holding his parents’ hands and hadn’t paid attention to the layout. Now, as he scanned the surroundings, he looked for any remaining signs or maps.

Before long, he spotted a faded map about 10 meters away. Ha-gyeom approached it, identifying their current location and the route down to the airport railroad. It wasn’t far. The elevator was buried under debris, but the escalator was still intact.

“This way.”

Ha-gyeom pointed to the escalator, and Baek Sa nodded, approaching him. Instead of grabbing Baek Sa’s arm, Ha-gyeom walked closely beside him. As they reached the escalator, Baek Sa suddenly lifted Ha-gyeom effortlessly, as if he were carrying a piece of luggage.

“This is suffocating,” Baek Sa muttered, and then, in a single leap, he landed at the bottom of the escalator, deep below. The sudden descent made Ha-gyeom’s stomach drop like he was on a roller coaster, and he clung to Baek Sa’s shoulder, barely stifling a retch. Baek Sa, unfazed, set Ha-gyeom down on his feet and calmly surveyed the dark interior.

“Ugh…”

Ha-gyeom gagged again, feeling unsteady on his feet. Baek Sa reached out, steadying him by the arm, and pointed into the distance.

“Do you see it?”

“…See what?”

Instead of answering, Baek Sa unslung one of the machine guns from his back and fired into the darkness. The burst of gunfire lit up the area, and in the brief flashes of light, Ha-gyeom finally saw it—the writhing mass of a monster tangled in the shadows.

“…!”

A shiver ran down Ha-gyeom’s spine. He hadn’t expected the monsters to have made it this far in. The creature’s howl echoed through the underground passage, but as soon as Baek Sa stopped firing, the noise died down.

Having dealt with the threat, Baek Sa stowed the machine gun on his back again and pulled Ha-gyeom closer, wrapping an arm firmly around his waist.

“This is why we can’t afford to be apart.”

Ha-gyeom nodded slowly, still processing what had happened. Baek Sa was right. His esper abilities allowed him to see through the darkness that Ha-gyeom couldn’t penetrate.

“Let’s head the other way.”

In a daze, Ha-gyeom followed Baek Sa. The opposite direction was just as shrouded in darkness. While he knew that nothing would likely harm him as long as he stayed with Baek Sa, the uncertainty of what lay ahead made his skin crawl.

Uncomfortable with being protected, Ha-gyeom reinforced the strength of his wave, ensuring it was sturdy. If Baek Sa was protecting him, it only made sense that he should protect Baek Sa too.

When the light of the wave grew more intense, Baek Sa noticed and turned his gaze toward Ha-gyeom. Ha-gyeom didn’t meet his eyes, focusing instead on the energy. As the light spread, the darkness around them began to recede slightly.

Without hesitation, Ha-gyeom stepped deeper into the underground with Baek Sa by his side.

---

The search was a failure. They had scoured the lower levels, even where the tracks were, but found no further traces of the espers. The success of the operation was uncertain, and the clues leading to the next step were minimal.

Yet, Ha-gyeom secretly felt relieved. No matter what situation the espers were in, nothing could be worse for them than being forcibly dragged to District 0.

Although it was already dusk, it was impossible to tell the time underground. Ha-gyeom and Baek Sa were preparing to spend the night in the old airport railroad waiting room.

They had a simple meal from the pre-packed rations, and Ha-gyeom spread the blankets Tae-seong had provided on the floor. As night fell, a slight chill settled in. Complaining about the cold seemed childish, so Ha-gyeom simply loosened the combat uniform that had been constricting him.

Tae-seong had informed Baek Sa that he would be nearby and then disappeared. Park Ha and Yeo Jin-joo had settled down on the opposite side, far enough away that they were out of sight, hidden by a wall. Ha-gyeom found it odd but didn’t ask, instead sitting down on the blanket.

Baek Sa, still armed, leaned against the wall, not far from Ha-gyeom but with a measured distance between them. As Ha-gyeom rubbed his tired eyes, he felt the growing urge to relieve himself—a need he had been ignoring for too long. He noticed a restroom not too far away.

“There aren’t any monsters around, right?”

He couldn’t help but ask, despite feeling childish. Baek Sa chuckled, shaking his head.

“No, there aren’t.”

“Then I’m going to the restroom.”

Baek Sa moved as if to follow, but Ha-gyeom quickly waved his hands in protest.

“You said there are no monsters! I can go by myself. I’ll expand the wave to make sure I don’t cause any trouble, and besides…”

As Ha-gyeom continued to rattle off his reasons, Baek Sa’s eyebrow twitched in mild irritation. He raised his hands in surrender, leaning back against the wall again.

“Fine, go ahead.”

Though Baek Sa’s tone was reluctant, Ha-gyeom didn’t mind. He stood up, took the flashlight from Baek Sa, and expanded his wave to cover the area as he moved. True to his word, Baek Sa didn’t follow him.

The restroom, seemingly frozen in time since the invasion, was surprisingly clean. The purification wave had already done its work, and both the sink faucets and the toilet flushes were operational, putting Ha-gyeom’s earlier worries to rest.

After taking care of his needs, Ha-gyeom placed the flashlight on the sink and quickly washed his face in the cracked and broken mirror. The darkness behind him made him uneasy, but for a brief moment, he felt relieved to be alone.

It was as he left the restroom that he heard it—a strange sound, like a cat crying, coming from somewhere distant. He shone his flashlight toward the noise and saw a tangled figure in the darkness.

“……!”

His breath caught in his throat. The shadowy figure twisted and moved in an eerie manner, far from anything human. Ha-gyeom’s heart raced as he realized he wasn’t as alone as he had thought.