Guide Me, Claim Me

Espers...

Guides...

What are they?

I'm not sure how much I should talk about this topic.

My name is Han Seojin.

It would probably be best if I didn't say anything at all. But here we go.

Let me start from the beginning. Twenty years ago, back when I was still seven and living with my parents, I had a pretty rough time of it after an event that scarred my innocence. I don't want to go over details right now; safe to say, it made me lose trust in males and the world around me.

This wasn't a problem unique to everyone; no one would ever want such an experience. The difference between me and most people is that I got help and love to overcome most of my trauma. And not just from my family but from the neighborhood as well.

Everything had been a little rosy up until a gate opened somewhere in Seoul and a huge number of monsters poured out.

It was all over the news, so it seemed weird to have gone unnoticed, but no one could explain where they'd come from or why they were attacking us.

That was the day I had lost everything.

The monsters started appearing everywhere. They attacked our neighbors' houses without warning. Some died, some ran away, others hid inside. I tried to get my family out of the house too, but I was a child and there was nowhere left to run. We ended up barricading ourselves inside our home.

There was nothing else we could do.

But then the monsters came.

They were big, really, really big. Maybe three times the size of a human—but I think they looked even bigger because of how small we were compared to them. Their mouths were huge, dripping with saliva. They had fangs like razors.

And their claws.

Their claws were sharp enough to cut metal.

They tore apart the walls around us; I was frozen with fear. My mom was crying, trying to protect me, but she couldn't stop the monsters from breaking through after she pushed me down a secret hatch I never knew existed.

She fell dead with her eyes open wide, staring at me.

Dad never made it out alive.

He was a tough guy, but those monsters just ripped him in half. Mom and Dad both died. I survived only because I was smaller.

Looking back now, I see why I had awakened my telekinetic abilities early. In the chaos, I was one of the chosen few who had been granted divine abilities from the heavens to survive.

It had explained why the monsters, which were naturally inclined to pursue me, had mysteriously exploded to the ground before they could get to me.

I had been lucky to escape.

After I escaped, I wandered aimlessly for a while. Until I collapsed from exhaustion, and when I woke up, I found myself in a strange place.

I don't know how I got there. I just remember being scared and confused. All I knew was that I needed to rest. So I did, and I slept.

When I woke up again, I discovered that the place I was in was a secret facility.

My entire body felt heavy, like I had been asleep forever. When I tried moving, the pain was unbearable—my muscles were sore all over.

So I decided to stay still for a while... until I could move properly again.

"Welcome. You've awoken."

I turned my head and saw a young lady in a lab coat standing beside my bed.

I didn't recognize her. It wasn't until later that I learned she was Dr. Yoona.

She introduced herself as the director of the facility. She told me that I had been under observation ever since I arrived here. That I was among the most promising candidates for training.

Dr. Yoona explained to me that I was very important.

"You are the first one who is able to have both telekinesis and psionics simultaneously," said Dr. Yoona. "We believe you have the potential to become the strongest Esper alive."

She proceeded to explain that I would be trained to become a superhuman capable of fighting against the monsters attacking the world.

These awakened ones with special abilities capable of combating the monsters were called Espers.

I was excited and driven by revenge. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to fight and avenge my parents deaths.

That day marked the beginning of my long journey to becoming a true monster.

*****

It had been twenty years since I became part of the Espers' elite.

The first few months after awakening were the hardest. My body was covered in scars, and it took a lot of effort to even walk. I could hardly hold a proper conversation.

However, thanks to my mentors, I slowly picked up the skills I needed to survive in this apocalyptic world. And in the end, I became stronger than I thought possible.

I reached the SS rank, formerly thought to be an impossible feat for an Esper and it's user considered a dangerous level to attain.

Guides were the passive partners of their Esper counterparts. They were classified based on their level of ranking, and each class was assigned a particular mission—to tame their respective Esper's abilities from corrupting themselves or others around them.

They were a necessary resource to keep an Esper in check; the Guides acted as a mediator between the Esper's human emotions and the monsters living inside them. Without a Guide, an Esper would eventually fall victim to the corruption within them.

Thankfully I didn't need one; I had always been able to manage the corruption well enough on my own by taking a few days off every once in a while. I had no intention of letting anyone else control me, so I never asked for help and never accepted any pairing with the Guides in our guild.

Yet standing in front of Dr. Yoona, the only person I respected and trusted above all others, I couldn't help but feel shocked.

Is this really happening right now?

After being summoned here without warning, I found myself sitting across from Dr. Yoona at her office desk.

She looked even older than when we last saw each other twenty years ago. Her hair turned gray, and wrinkles formed on her face. There were bags underneath her green eyes, and she kept glancing over at the clock.

"Are you going to tell me why you summoned me here?" I asked.

"You're strong," she answered. "Stronger than any other Esper I've ever trained."

I felt like I was being cornered into a trap.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that..." I mumbled, not meeting her gaze.

"Your strength is something people haven't seen in decades. It's your individuality, humanity and kindness even with your level of power that draws me to you, the most. You are a rarity in this world, Seojin. Unique. Special. But we can't rely on you taking several days off to cool your corruption every week. Sooner or later, someone might try to use your absence against us. If we don't do something, we'll lose you. And then where will we be?"

Dr. Yoona must have noticed how much I wanted to bolt out of the room because she suddenly grabbed both my hands. She squeezed tight, and I flinched, surprised by the sudden contact.

"We've finally gotten the perfect match for you already waiting outside the door," she said. "He's..."

"He? The Guide's a male?!" I blurted.