AAGULT Ch 123

Chapter 123

The morning of the foretold day when the gate would open had arrived.

Though it still felt uncertain, at 6:30 a.m., the gate opened as scheduled.

“Everyone, line up!”

Now at 7 a.m., the area in front of the gate was swarming with personnel assigned for deployment and association staff in charge of controlling the surroundings. There appeared to be nearly a hundred people gathered… Was this really okay?

For Jaeha, who had never participated in a gate entry before, it was an entirely unfamiliar sight. Still, it was fortunate that police or military personnel had also been mobilized to keep the press at bay.

“I’m Park Dong-sik. As introduced before, I’m the Esper team leader of Team 5, and the overall operation commander. Let’s do our best.”

“…I’m Aiden. I’ve been appointed the guide leader of Team 5.”

The teams, who had already met during the additional briefing two days earlier, quietly greeted each other once again.

With so many people present, it was a bit difficult to find their respective teammates.

Although there had been several discussions up until the last minute about the deployment personnel, in the end, 53 people gathered in front of the gate.

They were divided into five teams of ten, and the remaining three were criminals. The responsibility for these three individuals had been assigned to Team 5.

Each team consisted of three on-site guides, six Espers, and one civilian assistant.

Assuming the presence of a psychic-type monster inside the gate, they had tried to gather as many psychic-type Espers as possible, but since there were so few to begin with, having one or two per team was the best they could manage.

In Team 5, to which Jaeha belonged, he was the only psychic-type Esper.

“Has everyone checked their equipment properly?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

Esper Park Dong-sik—in other words, the team leader—was a seasoned combat Esper, and he guided the group, especially the novice-like Jaeha, with adept leadership.

He was also the one who patted Aiden as if handling a child.

Whenever he did that, Aiden would flash a pleasant smile, but it was somewhat obvious he didn’t particularly enjoy being treated that way.

“……”

“……”

Suddenly, Jaeha and Aiden’s gazes met.

At that, Aiden’s face flushed red again. He took a step away from the team leader, as if he didn’t want others to see him being treated like a child.

…Was it strange that such a reaction looked rather endearing?

Jaeha looked away, forcing a faint smile.

Regardless of the distance Aiden put between them, once the team leader confirmed everyone had completed their final equipment check over their association uniforms, he smiled kindly and gave a slight nod.

But it wasn’t directed at the team members—it was a signal sent to someone standing by next to the transport vehicle in the distance.

“……”

At that moment, the armed personnel who had been waiting next to the transport vehicle near the gate began to move slowly.

Not everyone turned their eyes toward them, but those who had already been keeping watch couldn’t help but have their attention drawn.

–Commencing prisoner transfer.

Along with the mechanically broadcast announcement, the door of the large black vehicle slowly opened.

Blocking press entry had been a wise decision.

If the public had found out that serious criminals were being deployed into the gate, public opinion would have turned into complete chaos.

In other words, this was… a decision made under the silent approval of the state and the association.

“They’re really deploying them?”

“Which one’s Baek Beom-woo?”

Among the murmuring crowd, three figures dressed in gray prison uniforms stepped out of the vehicle one by one.

The first to appear was Seo Tae-geon.

He seemed unaffected by the restrictive uniform that tightly bound his body and was laughing with excitement.

His distinctive gait appeared lazy.

He turned his head to chat cheerfully with Kwon Yi-do, who followed closely behind.

Their voices were faint, almost audible even from a distance.

His curly hair, like the tail of a word, slowly waved through the air.

Special restraint devices were attached to his wrists and ankles.

A bluish current shimmered across them, crackling with a sizzling sound that layered over the metal.

The second to emerge was Kwon Yi-do.

Even as Seo Tae-geon spoke to him, he walked forward with a stoic and calm expression, giving no reply.

After slowly scanning the surroundings, he suddenly fixed his gaze on Team 5, where Jaeha and Aiden stood.

When their eyes met, he gave a polite nod.

“……”

“Was that greeting for us?”

The gesture was so natural it almost made one feel obligated to return the greeting.

But common sense prevailed—responding to someone who had just barely shed the title of criminal wouldn’t do any good.

That realization allowed Jaeha to resist returning the greeting.

They were criminals.

Though conditionally dispatched, that was all they were.

He pretended not to hear the murmurs spreading among the other team members.

“……”

“……”

And then the final person emerged—

The president.

To be precise, one couldn’t even say he “appeared.”

He wore a blindfold and a gag.

Was it because of his criminal record or his abilities?

Regardless, what was certain was that everyone seemed to accept the extreme restraints in silence.

Though his eyes were covered, he stepped precisely onto the ground.

He didn’t stumble—his composed and uninterested demeanor was striking.

The current flowing over his restraint devices made an especially sharp sound, but unsurprisingly, he showed no signs of pain.

Normally, even without pain, such a current would cause muscles to twitch or spasm, but not in his case.

“Phew…”

“Thank goodness we’re not on Team 5.”

Some people held their breath as they watched him, others turned their heads away entirely.

In the strange, suffocating atmosphere, Jaeha scanned the faces of the first two men.

“……”

Then, he looked at the president.

He couldn’t help but feel that things were going just as the man had intended.

Why had he turned himself in? Why had he chosen to enter the gate?

Those answers still remained unknown.

Of course, it had been Jaeha’s own decision to enter the gate,

but that didn’t stop him from feeling as though he’d been dancing in the palm of someone else’s hand.

If not for the voice that interrupted his thoughts just then,

Jaeha might have continued staring at him.

–Everyone, please pay attention.

Only then did Jaeha realize that most of the personnel had their eyes fixed on the president.

As people snapped back to reality, they cleared their throats and shifted their focus back to the gate.

–Is everyone ready?

Team leader Park stood in front of the blue-glowing gate.

He swept his gaze across the personnel gathered there.

He adjusted what was likely a voice amplifier, and after confirming it was working properly, he began to speak again.

–We’ll be entering the gate shortly.

Though he stood far away, his voice didn’t echo loudly—it instead sounded as if he were speaking directly beside them.

He continued in a solemn tone.

–No one knows what awaits us inside. The information we have is fragmented, and there will inevitably be unforeseen variables.

He paused briefly.

A heavy silence filled the air, and tension showed on the team members’ faces.

–But we have our manuals, and we have our teams.

Don’t forget your roles. In unexpected situations, always follow instructions.

“……”

Though they had received multiple briefings and trainings, nerves were unavoidable.

Everything felt chaotic.

As the weight of reality settled in, Jaeha let out a trembling breath.

His fingertips felt cold, and just as he began to clench and unclench his fists, someone gently grasped his hand.

“……”

Jaeha glanced to the side.

As expected, it was Aiden who had taken his hand.

He held it softly, in a way that could be easily shaken off if desired, soothingly cradling Jaeha’s fingertips.

Their eyes met, and Aiden smiled gently, lowering his brows with affection.

“Are you scared?”

–Do not forget the possibility of encountering a psychic-type monster. If you experience emotional instability, hallucinations, or memory confusion, report to your team leader immediately.

“……”

When Jaeha gave no reply, Aiden whispered kindly,

“It’ll be alright. I’ll protect you.”

“…Isn’t it usually the Esper who protects the guide?”

Aiden’s voice was so soft and tender that it turned the team leader’s firm speech into mere background noise.

Jaeha let out a nervous chuckle, the tension easing slightly.

–The association and those outside hope for your safe return.

“So, will you protect me?”

Aiden tilted his head, almost leaning it on Jaeha’s shoulder as he looked up at him.

Jaeha looked at him with a complicated expression, but in the end, he had no choice but to answer.

“…Of course.”

“Thank goodness. I feel reassured.”

“……”

Aiden tightened the grip of their interlaced fingers.

The skin between their fingers tickled, making Jaeha want to scratch it somehow.

–Then, we’re going in.

At those words, Team 1 began to enter the gate one by one.

The entrance, glowing blue, was large, and soon Team 5’s turn came as well.

Still holding hands, Aiden continued to soothe Jaeha.

“Don’t tense up. Just imagine you’re walking through a glass wall.”

His overly sweet tone made a few team members glance in their direction, but upon realizing Jaeha was an Esper with no prior gate experience, they instead patted his shoulder encouragingly as they passed.

“Song Esper, you’ll be fine. Let’s go out for dinner after this!”

“I’ll tell the team leader to treat us to meat.”

“Haha…”

As they passed Jaeha and Aiden, heading into the gate, Jaeha gave a sheepish smile and looked at Aiden again.

He still didn’t understand him, and seeing him still gave him a strange feeling,

but in this moment, he felt a bit reassured. He was also worried.

After all, in a way, Aiden had entered this gate solely because of him…

“Let’s go in holding hands. Together.”

“Yes…”

Exhaling one last deep breath, Jaeha held Aiden’s hand more firmly.

“…Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Even if he wasn’t ready, it was too late to back out now.

And so, they began to walk forward slowly.

As he passed through the shimmering gate, Jaeha instinctively shut his eyes, then opened them.

In truth, there was nothing special about it.

Just like when Eunyul took him during teleportation, the air changed in a sudden whoosh.

The terrain seemed the same, and he didn’t lose balance while walking.

However—

“……”

Jaeha’s hand was empty.

“…Aiden-ssi?”

His hand clenched tightly into a fist.

But there was nothing in it.

He looked to his side.

Jaeha’s mind went completely blank.

Aiden, who should have been beside him—was gone.