* * *
“Yes, that’s right. We need to get Esper Hamin as close to the rift as possible.”
“Hm.”
Jamie spoke in a hurried tone, but Mikhail’s expression was unreadable.
“Mikhail?”
Jamie called out nervously.
At that, Mikhail turned his gaze back to Jamie.
“But that Esper’s useless now. He couldn’t do anything even when you were in danger, Jay.”
Mikhail gave his cold verdict and clicked his tongue.
Hamin showed no reaction, as if completely out of it.
And Mikhail was right.
Even if they took Hamin down to the rift, he probably wouldn’t have the strength left to find the core.
Realizing this, Jamie clenched his hands tightly.
“So as long as we find the core down there, that’s all that matters, right?”
“Hm? Yeah.”
Jamie nodded as he looked up at Mikhail, who had spoken so indifferently.
Then Mikhail pointed to the opposite side of the rift and continued.
“Then you go with the combat team, Jay. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Mikhail, are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
For a moment, Jamie couldn’t hide his expression.
Mikhail scowled at the doubtful look on his face, clearly annoyed, but he didn’t say anything more and turned away.
In the next instant, he vanished from sight.
“What… what do we do, Jay?”
“I’m not sure.”
Dasom, now coming to her senses, looked after Hamin and asked.
But Jamie, still staring blankly at the spot where Mikhail had disappeared, looked just as stunned.
“Let’s trust Mikhail for now. Even if we stay, I doubt anything would change.”
“Okay…”
Dasom seemed like she had more to say but closed her mouth, realizing this wasn’t the time.
Right now, all they could do was trust Mikhail.
Jamie and Dasom carried Hamin away from the base of the rift.
“There’s really a core inside that rift?”
“Mikhail Esper?”
Raon’s eyes widened at Mikhail’s sudden appearance.
He had been waiting for Hamin… but Hamin never came. Instead—if you could even call it that—Mikhail showed up.
Raon, barely holding onto his guiding, opened his mouth.
“Yes. The core is in there. That’s why we called for Hamin Esper, but…”
“That wind Esper’s useless now.”
“Ha… I figured.”
His expectations were confirmed.
Raon felt the hopelessness weigh down on him, darkening his vision.
“Alright. Then hold that Esper steady so he doesn’t collapse.”
“Ah—”
Before Raon could respond, Mikhail’s body rose into the air.
That’s when he remembered—Mikhail could fly using gravity.
So that’s why he came in Hamin’s place.
“Ugh…”
“Siwoo, just a little longer.”
The rift had already expanded to its limit.
Water that should’ve already come pouring out—along with the vast sea behind it—was still being held back.
Siwoo was alone, holding back the enormous flow of water.
Sweat poured down his clenched face like rain.
“Haah…”
And Raon was at his limit too.
After sending out wide-range guiding to countless Espers, he was now focused solely on Siwoo.
His mental energy had already hit its limit, and his guiding reserves were nearly depleted.
Even before regression, he had never guided this intensely.
‘I have to hold on somehow.’
There was nowhere else to retreat.
If they couldn’t endure until Mikhail found and destroyed the core, the gate fusion would destroy everything, leaving nothing behind.
Clinging to the last threads of consciousness, Raon tightened his grip around Siwoo’s waist.
“Hyung.”
“Siwoo…”
“I’m sorry.”
Beep!
“…!”
An alarm blared from Raon’s watch.
Siwoo’s stats had dropped to 30%. Raon’s heart began to race in panic.
“No, Siwoo. It’s okay… it’s going to be okay.”
“Hyung, I’ll make sure…”
“Siwoo!”
The warning sounds from the watch grew louder, sharper.
At the same time, blood trickled from Siwoo’s nose.
Both of them had long since hit their limits.
Raon loosened his arms from Siwoo’s waist.
Then he moved forward, cupped Siwoo’s face in both hands—
—and kissed him.
“Haah…”
As their lips met, Raon channeled all his guiding energy.
It was a deep, intense guiding.
It felt like he was squeezing out every last drop of energy from every cell in his body.
He didn’t stop kissing until the alarm on the watch fell silent.
Rumble…
“…!”
The ground shook violently.
The surge of water trying to break through the rift stopped in mid-air.
Mikhail had finally found and destroyed the core.
Realizing there was no need to hold the water back anymore, Siwoo’s arms fell limp.
“Siwoo!”
“Hyung…”
“Urgh…”
Raon caught Siwoo’s collapsing body.
But then, darkness fell over his own vision as well.
He had pushed himself too far.
“Hey!”
“Haah…”
Their bodies dropped to the ground.
Someone shouted, but Raon couldn’t respond.
He lost consciousness.
There comes a time when every person first becomes aware of their place in the world.
For Raon, that moment came when he was still quite young.
“Hello. You’re Raon, right?”
“…”
Little Raon looked up at the unfamiliar man smiling down at him.
The expression looked gentle at a glance—but unfortunately, Raon was sharp enough to see there was no sincerity in the man’s eyes.
Raon couldn’t bring himself to say anything and stayed silent.
A small crack appeared in his mother’s expression, who was standing beside the man with her arms crossed.
“He must be shy since it’s his first time meeting you. Please understand, Mr. Min.”
“Of course, of course.”
The man called Mr. Min nodded without hesitation.
Then, he looked down at Raon again.
Raon couldn’t bring himself to meet his now slightly colder eyes and glanced toward his mother instead.
Raon’s mother looked far too young and radiant for someone with a seven-year-old son.
She had, in fact, gotten pregnant with Raon at a very young age.
Sometimes, she would sigh and say she had no eye for men back then and was too immature to know any better.
She’d had men before, Raon figured, but this was the first time she had actually brought someone home and introduced him.
That must mean she was serious—or that she really needed this man in her life.
‘Say hello. And stop being rude.’
Her eyes seemed to be saying just that.
Unable to resist her reproachful gaze, Raon reluctantly bowed his head.
“…Hello. I’m Seo Raon.”
Since Raon had never known who his biological father was, he had always gone by his mother’s last name.
As he greeted the man politely, hands folded together, the stiffness in the man’s face finally eased a little.
“Good. What a well-mannered child.”
“……”
“Pretty too, just like your mother.”
“Oh, you…”
His mother and the man laughed loudly in front of him.
Raon had never felt offended being told he resembled his mother before—but somehow, hearing it from this man didn’t sit well.
Raon was too young to understand why.
But it was at that moment—when he bowed his head to someone for the first time, surrendering—that he began to grasp his own position and role in the world.
The feeling of helplessness and weakness from that day rooted itself deep inside him.
He once tried to erase it, to fight it—but eventually realized it was pointless.
The more he struggled to hold onto something, the more pathetic he felt.
[Warning!]
[‘Villainous Sub Bottom’ Han Raon does not say lines like that!]
That’s why, when the system forced Han Raon into a role he never chose, he gave up quickly.
Yes, the fear of death played a part—but more than that, the passivity ingrained in him since childhood made surrender feel easier. Safer.
But then…
‘Han Raon! Snap out of it!’
‘Hyung, are you okay?!’
‘Hyung…’
He saw Siwoo’s face—shouting desperately, worried, then smiling so brightly.
Floating in a white void, Raon watched the scenes pass by like flashes of memory.
And slowly, he reached out toward Siwoo.
His face came so close, as if Raon could just reach out and hold it.
For the first time in his life… Raon truly wanted someone.
Wanted to keep someone.
And at that moment—he opened his eyes.
“……!”
“He’s awake!”
“Team Leader Han Raon, can you hear me?”
People surrounded him on all sides.
Patches were attached to his head and chest, and a steady beeping came from the machine he was hooked up to.
The voices calling out to him rang loudly in his ears.
“Ugh… where… am I?”
“You’re in the medical wing inside the Center. Do you know who you are?”
“Yes. I’m… Raon. Han Raon.”
Catching his breath, Raon slowly answered the doctor’s question.
He must’ve fainted inside the fused gate.
And now, as soon as his mind cleared, only one person came to mind.
“Where’s Siwoo?”
“Ah…”
“Where is Esper Yoon Siwoo right now?”
“Well…”
The doctor trailed off.
Raon’s face tensed as he suddenly sat upright.
* * *
