* * *

Standing at the door was a strikingly handsome man, whose presence would be undeniable even from a hundred meters away.

“If you’re awake, come out.”

Beom Sinje’s voice was brusque, and he vanished outside without another word.

“When did he get here…?”

Doyoung’s face was filled with confusion.

Daylight streamed brightly through the window.

“Guess I had a good sleep.”

Chuckling wryly, he walked to the kitchen, where a flawless figure stood with his back to him, setting simple dishes on the dining table.

“Sit.”

The command came without so much as a backward glance, and Doyoung obediently pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Eat.”

Beom Sinje, having finished preparing the meal, looked at Doyoung expectantly.

His gaze implied that he wouldn’t touch his own food until Doyoung started eating.

So, once again, Doyoung picked up his spoon without protest.

He hesitated, thinking of something to say, and carefully began.

“Um…”

“As soon as we’re done eating, I’m heading out.”

He couldn’t even finish his thought.

Instead, he looked at Beom Sinje in surprise at the unexpected remark.

“Starting today, report to work.”

“Work? Me?”

Doyoung asked incredulously, his expression one of utter disbelief.

The only response he got was a look that seemed to say, ‘Why ask something so obvious?’

“Where to?”

“You’ll find out when we get there.”

With that abrupt announcement, Beom Sinje began cleaning up as swiftly as he had prepared the meal.

He put away the side dishes, started the dishwasher, and then pushed Doyoung, who was still dazed, into the dressing room to change.

Once he had donned his outdoor clothes, Beom Sinje stood at the entrance, wordlessly urging him to hurry.

It wasn’t until they were in the car, parked in the basement garage, that Doyoung managed to gather his wits.

“Beom Sinje, Sinje? Hey, you!”

His desperate calls went unanswered.

Doyoung glared at the striking profile that persistently ignored him.

Then he sensed an odd gaze and turned his head.

‘Ah.’

In the rearview mirror, the chauffeur’s wide eyes reflected disbelief.

Doyoung knew that this man was said to be an A-rank telekinetic Esper, and while that information had impressed him slightly before, now wasn’t the time to be thinking about that.

‘So we’re not alone in here.’

He realized it wasn’t particularly pleasant to call out to his guild master so casually in front of others.

To make amends, he flashed an apologetic smile, causing the eyes in the mirror to waver.

‘Why so flustered? You could just smile back. It’s not that bad, is it?’

He’d thought he had a decent face, but maybe a guy’s smile wasn’t something other men found pleasant to look at.

Rubbing his cheek, he glanced outside.

The surroundings were unmistakably familiar.

“Hey, Beom Sinje.”

He hadn’t wanted to call out again but found himself doing so anyway.

As expected, there was no response.

‘Maybe we’ll just pass by…’

He held on to that faint hope, but nothing had been going his way since he met Beom Sinje.

When he realized they were steadily approaching the building, Doyoung swallowed nervously.

“Are you serious? Hey, is this really your company?”

By the time the car stopped in the parking lot, his face was blank with shock.

“Yes, it is. The former Antithesis headquarters.”

At last, his lips parted, and his eyes met Beom Sinje’s unwavering gaze.

“What on earth…?”

The Cheonho Guild had drawn massive attention the moment it was established because it was located in none other than a government building in the capital.

“When did you move here?”

Doyoung had never heard of this before.

If this information had leaked, it would have caused a huge stir.

Yet he hadn’t come across anything about Cheonho Guild’s relocation on anonymous forums, news outlets, or even the newspapers.

Most of all, this detail wasn’t in the original story.

‘Although I did set it up as a backup plan, just in case…’

But for it to actually come to life left Doyoung in a daze.

“Get out.”

That habit of ignoring his words reared its head again.

Doyoung glared at Beom Sinje’s broad back as he exited without answering.

Remembering the guild member still in the driver’s seat, he quickly composed himself and got out of the car.

“I asked what’s going on here.”

Perhaps it was because the location was so familiar.

Doyoung’s tone had changed, becoming colder and more authoritative.

Beom Sinje shot him a sideways glance, noting the frostiness in his voice and expression.

That face, as cold as his voice, seemed to hint at the true identity hidden behind the mask.

Who would know that this man once led a criminal organization that terrorized the world?

Now, the dangerously thin figure was the only one standing by his side.

“We didn’t change it.”

Beom Sinje’s gaze lingered momentarily on Doyoung’s pale face before he turned away and replied tersely.

“Then?”

“We’re just sharing it.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Could he at least explain properly?

Doyoung’s brows knitted in irritation.

After years as a villain, some habits still surfaced instinctively.

‘Sigh… I need to control my temper.’

Had he gotten too immersed in the role over the years?

The fact that this was the former Antithesis headquarters only seemed to make things worse.

“There’s a lot of good stuff here. Offices, training facilities, the armory.”

Beom Sinje paused and suddenly leaned forward.

As he drew closer, Doyoung’s shoulders tensed.

He didn’t back away, though.

His fragile pride and the need to hear the whole truth kept him frozen.

“Medical centers and research labs, too.”

Doyoung shivered at the breath near his ear, goosebumps prickling down his neck.

Even the hairs on his arms stood up from the low, reverberating voice.

‘No! It’s just because he’s threatening me.’

That had to be it.

Having someone who could kill him at any moment nearby was reason enough to be nervous, right?

But recalling what Beom Sinje whispered made his face harden again.

‘Research lab?’

Before Antithesis started the coup in earnest, they shut everything down.

They left no evidence—not data, not facilities, not people.

“Maybe there’s something I missed.”

It was the place he’d invested the most time and effort into.

A place meant to secure a future even if his organization disappeared.

But it was also a secret that could never be revealed to the world.

“Did he notice something back then?”

Doyoung had only taken Beom Sinje to the lab once.

Technically, it was the diagnostic center where the lab was housed.

Of course, he hadn’t shown him the most critical parts, but with Beom Sinje’s protagonist aura, who knows?

What should he do?

What question could he ask to get a clue?

Doyoung’s mind spun rapidly.

“Get off.”

“Ah!”

A hand touched his shoulder, and Doyoung jumped more than he should have.

Beom Sinje, seemingly startled by his reaction, quickly pulled his hand back.

“What were you thinking so hard about that you got so startled?”

“Oh, just… feeling a little nostalgic, I guess.”

It was true. He never expected to come back here.

As they stepped off the elevator, Doyoung found himself standing in his old office, the one he had once used.

The last thing his gaze landed on was a large window with a faint blue tint.

“This is really… surreal.”

Memories from half a year ago surfaced vividly. Beom Sinje’s blade had pierced his heart.

The window shattered in an instant, and he fell from the 78th floor.

He’d been certain that was the end and that he’d never need to get involved again, yet here he was, standing in this place once more.

“Okay, so… what exactly do you need me to do?”

Setting aside his musings, Doyoung looked at Beom Sinje with a skeptical gaze.

His attitude was insolent, but it didn’t matter; they were the only two here.

“Do you realize how dangerous your position is right now?”

This brat.

Not answering the question but asking one instead?

He wanted to snap at him.

* * *