Esper: A Foreign Entity in a Guide-less World

“Are you out of your mind? What the hell do you think you’re doing? It’s dangerous.”

I struggled to steady my breathing, forcing myself to speak as calmly as possible while telling him to step back. But something was off—Ji Seon Woo wasn’t acting like himself.

“Hyung. Seon Woo-hyung.”

No matter how many times I called his name, he didn’t respond. A strange sense of unease crept over me, and just as I moved closer, Ji Seon Woo lifted his head.

“You…”

I knew. I had to know. Because I was his Esper.

The Ji Seon Woo standing before me right now—wasn’t the Ji Seon Woo I knew.

[“Hello.”]

His eyes curved into a soft smile, one I usually loved. But the feeling behind it was completely different.

This wasn’t Ji Seon Woo’s smile.

“What the hell are you? Who are you?”

I surged forward, grabbing his wrist in alarm. His clear gaze met mine, but something about it was slightly off, unsettling me even more.

“Get out of Ji Seon Woo’s body. Now. Hyung, Seon Woo, Ji Seon Woo.”

I called his name over and over, desperation thick in my voice, willing him to come back.

Then—another hand reached out, gripping the fake’s other wrist.

A pale, slender, eerily graceful hand.

Silver hair.

That bastard.

He was staring at the fake, his eyes reflecting the same unease I felt.

What the hell? Why was he—

Before I could even process my confusion, he spoke first.

[…You’re lying.]

His dazed expression twisted, while the fake’s lips curled into an amused smile.

At that, Silver Hair’s eyes widened in realization, as if something had just clicked.

[“It hurts.”]

The fake murmured, looking down at both of its restrained wrists.

Neither of us let go.

The fake spoke again, firmer this time.

[“It hurts, Jayan. Let go.”]

…Something wasn’t right.

I was certain the fake was speaking a language I had never heard before—yet somehow, I understood every word.

It was as if someone were whispering a translation directly into my ears.

[Aria.]

The bastard loosened his grip, his face twisting with anguish.

[How… is this happening? I don’t understand anything right now.]

I had no idea what the bastard was saying, but judging from the way the fake looked at him, their relationship wasn’t just “not bad”—it was something much deeper.

Not that it mattered to me.

I was out of patience.

“Hey. What are you?”

I grabbed the fake’s face, forcing him to look at me.

His skin was soft and pale, just as I remembered. But the thought of someone else lurking inside him made my stomach churn with rage.

I didn’t care what kind of twisted history they had. Whatever was going on between them was none of my concern.

All that mattered was getting that thing out of Ji Seon Woo’s body.

But despite my sharp glare, the fake didn’t flinch. Instead, he looked… amused.

Ha. Maybe if I hit him hard enough, the shock would force him out.

Just as I was about to test that theory, the one who reacted wasn’t the fake—it was Silver Hair.

He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed my wrist, yanking my hand away from the fake’s face with enough force to make a cracking sound.

His expression was vicious.

Earlier, he had looked like a territorial beast, enraged that someone had trespassed on his domain.

But now—

Now, he looked like a man whose possession was being toyed with.

Disgusting.

He was angrier now than when we had fought earlier.

[Don’t touch Aria, you bastard.]

He growled, his voice low and threatening.

I tilted my head at him, smirking.

“Do you want to die first?”

I was about to unleash my ability on him again—

[“Both of you, stop.”]

The fake interrupted.

“Shut up. Don’t give me orders. The only person who can control me is Ji Seon Woo—not you.”

I ignored him and moved to attack—

But his next words stopped me in my tracks.

[“The boy inside wishes for the same. He truly doesn’t want you to hurt anyone.”]

“Fuck, you’re really pushing me to the edge.”

Without thinking, I shoved Silver Hair away and grabbed the fake by the collar, yanking him up.

“So then, you must know exactly how much I care about the original owner of the body you’re clinging to. How deeply, how desperately. And yet, you keep provoking me. Why?”

A hollow laugh slipped from my lips.

Were they seriously fucking with me right now?

I forced a smirk, but my jaw tightened to the point of cramping. Rage pulsed through my skull, a high-pitched ringing warning me that I was on the verge of snapping.

Maybe sensing I was about to explode, the fake hesitantly reached out and placed a hand over mine—the one gripping their collar.

[“It’s too soon to be angry. There’s too much I need to tell you and this child.”]

The voice was Ji Seon Woo’s, but the way they spoke was completely different.

Unlike the real Ji Seon Woo’s bright and lively tone, this one carried the refined cadence of an aristocrat.

Damn it, I hated to admit it, but it reminded me of the nobles I had encountered while stationed overseas. Poised. Elegant. And yet, unnervingly cold.

I didn’t respond, simply raising an eyebrow, signaling them to keep talking.

[“You won’t believe this, but this place is the distant future of the world you and this child once lived in. It’s the same world… just in another time. A time where humanity is already on the brink of extinction.”]

For the first time, the fake’s gaze wavered.

Faint and fragile, like a candle about to go out.

A world where Guides didn’t exist—an impossibility.

And yet, that was exactly what they claimed this place was.

No, to be more precise, they had put it this way:

“Humanity has already perished once.”

They couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened, but at some point, Guides disappeared first.

And without Guides, Espers naturally followed, fading from history altogether.

Of course.

No Esper could survive in a world without Guides.

And the moment the two forces that had once protected humanity vanished, the monsters pounced.

They tore through what remained, bringing about the so-called “End of Humanity.”

Centuries later, a handful of people began manifesting abilities similar to those of past Espers.

People like Silver Hair and his gang of idiots.

But there was a problem.

Aside from their lack of understanding of Esper abilities and the proper means to use them, the most critical issue was survival itself.

With limited food, they barely had the strength to train.

But more importantly—

The one thing they could never overcome.

The absolute necessity to sustain an Esper.

The absence of a Guide.

To stand against the monsters, they needed Guides—desperately.

And the only person who realized this truth was the fake, the one called Aria.

She was the only one capable of deciphering ancient texts, the only one who had sought out the long-lost power of Guides.

In the end, she turned to a forbidden spell—one that transcended time itself.

[“I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t expect the ritual to take effect just now.”]

Aria let out a bitter laugh.

[“The portal that brought you here… I created it at the cost of my own body.”]

With Ji Seon Woo’s hands, she gently stroked my cheek.

[“I know this must be horrifying for you. But I had no other choice. The Espers here are on the verge of losing control. If that happens, forget the monsters—we’ll end up killing each other first. I had to protect my family. My love.”]

Her eyes flickered toward Silver Hair when she said love.

Silver Hair looked completely shaken.

[“And with time distorted the way it is, you arrived years after I made my sacrifice. That’s why Jayan treated you so roughly. I’ll apologize on his behalf. After I lost my body and became one with the World Tree… Jayan grew a bit more sensitive.”]

She continued, barely pausing for breath.

[“I know bringing you here without your consent was wrong… and I truly am sorry. But can’t you try to understand? I needed you both. The power of a lost Guide and the overwhelming strength of an Esper from the past. This isn’t for me—it’s for humanity. Please… help us.”]

I listened in silence, letting her spill every last desperate plea.

Then, I finally spoke the words I had been holding back.

“And what the hell do you want me to do about it?”

At the same time, I pried her hand off my face.

She flinched, but I felt no guilt.

Did she really think that dumping her sob story on me would make me say, ‘Oh, how tragic. Of course, I’ll help you!’

How laughably naïve.

“You dragged us here against our will, and now you expect us to understand?”

I leaned in, staring her down.

Just in case she held onto even a shred of false hope—

I made sure to crush it.

“Dream on.”

My twisted smirk conveyed every ounce of contempt I felt.

I watched her pupils tremble, her gaze darting in search of some kind of foothold.

The eyes were Ji Seon Woo’s, dark and clear—but unlike usual, they stirred nothing in me.

Not even a sliver of sympathy.

[“I know. I didn’t expect you to understand. But making decisions purely based on emotion is foolish. Have you forgotten? This is the future of the world you and this child lived in.”]

“The future?”

I repeated the word slowly, dragging a hand across my mouth, trying to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside me.

Future.

What goddamn future?

I scoffed, pushing in closer, forcing her to answer.

“The world you’re talking about is so far removed from the one we knew—so tell me, what does any of this have to do with me?”

“The people here?” I sneered. “They’re strangers. They mean nothing to me.”

“You kidnap us like we’re disposable pawns and then expect us to be moved by your tragic backstory?”

“Sorry to break it to you, but your problems are none of my business.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“What, did you expect some self-sacrificing hero like in a comic book?”

I let out a humorless laugh.

“If you thought I’d fight for your noble cause just because you threw your body on the line—”

I leaned in one last time, voice dripping with venom.

“—then you’re fucking delusional.”