Is he really planning to pick a fight inside a collapsing Gate?Siwoo let out a breathless laugh.If the Gate were still intact, with its core unbroken, that might have been one thing—but two S-rank Espers fighting while the structure was destabilizing? The shockwaves alone could sweep up every soldier still trapped inside.Had the Team Leader actually lost his mind? Clicking his tongue, Siwoo met Dojin’s fevered stare with a level one of his own.“Watch your mouth, Lieutenant Yoon Siwoo.”“……”Dojin’s warning came in a low growl, and the rank he almost never used made it sound even colder.Whatever the reason, he was clearly furious. With no wish to provoke him further, Siwoo closed his mouth.“Zone 3 proceeds as scheduled. Understood?”“…Yes.”For Siwoo, the timing didn’t matter. Orders were orders. He’d gone into Gates in worse condition than this—maybe not irregular ones, but still.Dropping his gaze, he looked down at his palm. The faint warmth from Raon’s guiding still lingered there.Dojin’s eyes flicked toward him, then narrowed before he turned and strode out of the collapsing Gate.***In the end, Alpha-1’s entry into the Zone 3 irregular Gate was confirmed.Raon’s mood plummeted. Siwoo had said he’d spoken up, yet the higher-ups hadn’t listened.Please, let nothing happen.The day the team deployed, Raon couldn’t sit still. He headed to the Training Hall, nerves twisted tight.“Raon, you’re here to train too?”“Ah—yes.”Hamin, already there, hurried over. He was trying for brightness, but his face was pale with worry.“Don’t worry. They’ll all come back safely.”“….”He blinked, then gave a small, uncertain smile.“You’re right. I’m just… overthinking.”“It’s only natural. Your Pair Esper’s the one in that irregular Gate.”“Oh—right, you too, then…”In the novel’s timeline, Hamin and Dojin weren’t close yet.A B-rank Guide and an S-rank Esper—people who normally wouldn’t even meet. Their compatibility had been so absurdly high it seemed like an error, forcing them together.Raon had always despised Dojin, but even he had preferred that the man receive guiding from Hamin rather than from himself. And though Hamin had feared Dojin, he couldn’t resist the pressure and ended up Alpha-1’s Assistant Guide—effectively Dojin’s personal one.“But I’m not his Pair yet.”“Oh, that’s right…”Raon had forgotten—he’d been the one who’d kept them from formalizing it in the original story.Guilt pricked, and he added quickly, “You’ll form a pair soon enough.”“Oh, no, I’m fine like this.”“I doubt the Team Leader feels the same.”“Really…? Haha…”“……”At this point, Hamin still feared Dojin. The man was cold, ruthless—not exactly affectionate.Still, the two would eventually bond, especially once the Black Gate threw the country into chaos. Their emotions would deepen from that crucible, just as the novel had written.Whether Raon felt guilty or not, those two were fated to fall for each other.He turned away with a faint sigh—Beep! Beep-beep-beep!“…!”They weren’t alone in the Training Hall; Espers often came here on off days to keep their instincts sharp. Now their wrist devices were all going off at once.“What the—?”Confused, the Espers glanced at their watches—then their faces hardened, and they rushed for the exit.Guides’ devices stayed silent. The summons was for Espers only. A chill coiled in Raon’s stomach.“Raon, where are you going?”“Stay here, Guide Lee Hamin.”“No, I’m coming with you!”“……”Something in him must have sensed it. Hamin’s face was drained of color, but his eyes were firm. Raon sighed and took him along to the Director’s Office.“What’s happening?”“…So it’s you.”Inside, chaos reigned. Seokhyeon looked haggard, aides scrambling around him, fielding calls and reports.It’s the irregular Gate, Raon thought grimly.He stepped closer, voice taut. “There’s a problem in the irregular Gate, isn’t there?”“……”“Director!”Seokhyeon finally turned. His face, healthy just days ago, had gone drawn and pale.“…They say the Gate’s color is one we’ve never seen before.”“What color?”“Gray.”“…!”Damn it—gray was the perfect omen of a Black Gate.Raon bit his lip, thoughts spinning. Seokhyeon was still fielding report after report, barely keeping up.This was supposed to happen a year later. In the original timeline, the irregular Gate in Zone 3 had shifted to gray—the largest and most dangerous one yet.Every stationed Esper unit nearby had been deployed, but all except Alpha Team were nearly wiped out.Under pressure, the government had ordered Guides into the field for the first time in ten years. Seokhyeon himself had gone in with several other A-ranks… and died there. Thanks to them, the Gate had barely been sealed.Raon hadn’t gone then. As the nation’s only S-rank Guide, he’d refused—and the Center, unwilling to risk losing him, had accepted. Han Myunghun’s influence had helped too.“…I’ll go.”“What?”The words burst out—something he’d once wanted to say but couldn’t, bound by the System. One of countless things that had stuck in his throat.“The government’s already demanding Guide deployment, aren’t they? I’ll go.”“But, Guide Han Raon—”Seokhyeon’s eyes widened; he hadn’t expected it.But there was no time to hesitate. The gray Gate would only grow, swallowing the entire zone if left unchecked.Now, free from the System, Raon had to move fast. As an S-rank Guide, he could make a difference.“Hurry. There’s no time to waste!”“…Haah.”The Director, who’d been stalling the government’s pressure for as long as he could, exhaled a heavy sigh—then nodded.“I authorize Guide deployment. Han Raon will lead the team.”“Yes, sir!”“I’ll assign an escort unit immediately. Stand by once preparations are complete.”“Understood.”Raon turned for the door—only for someone to step in front of him.“I—I’m coming too!”“What?”Hamin.His whole body trembled with fear, yet his eyes burned with resolve.In the original timeline, Hamin had entered the gray Gate too—but not at the start. It was only after Seokhyeon’s death that he’d gone in.That event had drawn him and Dojin closer. But if Hamin went in now… would that change everything? Raon couldn’t be sure.“Please. I want to help. I can’t just sit and wait anymore…”“……”Raon knew that feeling too well.Despite his gentle surface, Hamin had always been combative by nature—he’d wanted to be an Esper, not a Guide. Being judged ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) B-rank had crushed him. Watching Espers march into Gates while he waited behind had eaten at him ever since.And as a fellow Guide, Raon understood that self-loathing far too well.“…All right. You’re coming.”“Th-thank you!”Hamin’s face lit up, eyes shining as he bowed deeply. Raon gave a brief nod. Whatever happened, the story had already veered off the rails—and there was no turning back now.

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