Chapter 109: The Devil’s Gate

The plan was to depart at 3 PM on a plane sent by the International Awakened Organization. Before leaving, I said my farewells to Wonjae and Jinseok, who came to see me off, and also had a brief moment to talk with Sehyun.

I thought meeting with Sehyun would be awkward, but as if sensing my worry, he treated me as he always did. He told me to contact him immediately if anything happened and wished me luck for the future.

As we parted, everyone looked at me with worried faces. Leaving them behind, I got into the car sent by the airport.

By the time I arrived at the airport, there was about an hour left until the plane’s departure. I waited for my turn in the boarding lounge, fiddling with my ID card.

To be honest, I was feeling hesitant about leaving the country. I was scared of starting over in a new place and worried about whether I could do well.

As the departure time drew closer, the surroundings began to grow noisy.

“Mom, the sky is red!”

At the child’s words, I turned my gaze toward the window. Red storm clouds were swallowing the blue sky, steadily expanding their territory.

It looked as if it would rain blood at any moment as thunder crashed and lightning struck with a loud ‘BOOM!’.

I squinted and moved closer to the window for a better look. Observing the changes in the sky, I immediately recognized it as a precursor to a gate. Judging by the unusual weather and the dark red sky, like rotten blood, it had to be a gate of A-Class or higher.

At that moment, emergency alerts began to ring out one by one around me, and soon, a warning siren blared throughout the entire airport. I quickly checked my phone’s notification.

[(Emergency Alert Text – Esper-Guide Association) S-Class gate has appeared in Sector 30. Please refrain from going out and outdoor activities. Residents near the gate are advised to evacuate to a shelter immediately.]

‘An S-Class gate?’

I hurriedly checked the gate’s location. It was about 15 kilometers away from the airfield. Even at such a distance, the precursory signs were visible here, which meant it might be a high-ranking S-Class gate.

“No way…”

Just the words “S-Class gate” brought a wave of foreboding. My hands grew cold. The moment I checked the real-time news about the gate, my breath stopped.

The gate was so massive it couldn’t be fully captured on screen. And… the news front page was adorned with a photo of a gate intricately carved with a devil’s face, one I could never forget.

The Devil’s Gate.

My ominous premonition was not wrong. Every time I looked at the gate photo attached to the article, memories from before my death began to resurface one by one.

“Please move to the underground shelter!”

Perhaps because of the emergency, airport staff were shouting loudly for everyone to move to the shelter. When an S-Class gate appeared, everyone had to evacuate to a shelter, regardless of the distance from the gate.

I was walking towards the basement, following the staff’s guidance. Just then, I felt Hyun Taewoon’s sharp wavelength in an instant, and he appeared before me through spatial movement. I was startled by his sudden appearance, but even more surprised to realize that he could move to my location at any time.

“Hyun Taewoon?”

“You saw that the S-Class gate opened, right?”

Hyun Taewoon said, gripping both of my arms tightly. His face was tense and his expression grim. It seemed he had come in a panic after confirming it was the Devil’s Gate.

“It’s the same Devil’s Gate we know, right?”

Hyun Taewoon gave a heavy nod at my words.

“You know how dangerous this gate is. Don’t even think about coming near it.”

“…I know. I’m already on my way to the shelter.”

Hearing my answer, Hyun Taewoon looked around. People were looking at us strangely, having recognized him. I quickly grabbed his arm and moved to a more secluded spot.

“Shouldn’t you be at the gate right now?”

“You’re more important. Don’t you dare come out of the shelter until the gate is closed.”

I had no intention of going out, just as he said. I had a feeling that if I did, I would be repeating the past.

“Promise me you won’t come out.”

“I have no intention of going out. Don’t worry and go to the gate.”

With Sung Yohan absent, Hyun Taewoon was the only S-Class Esper at the Seoul Association. It would be better for him to be on standby before the gate opened.

“Shinui, can I hug you just once…?”

Hyun Taewoon’s voice was low, like someone saying their last goodbye. I could see the fear of rejection and worry in his eyes. Looking at his pitiful state, I couldn’t refuse.

“You can hug me.”

At my words, Hyun Taewoon carefully wrapped his arms around me. Just as I remembered, his embrace was wide and cozy. But his body was trembling slightly, which made me feel a sense of pity.

“You must not come out.”

“I said I won’t. You better not die.”

I had a feeling that if he left like this, I might never see him again, so I added that he should come back unhurt. He smiled and nodded at my words. Then, as if reluctant to leave, he lingered for a while before finally disappearing after receiving a call alert.

I stared at the spot where he had disappeared for a long time, then came to my senses as the emergency broadcast continued and moved to the underground shelter.

The shelter was bigger than I thought. Dozens of 10-person rooms were systematically arranged, and inside there were sleeping facilities, a water fountain, and a restroom. I was lucky enough to get a room to myself.

After Hyun Taewoon left, I was restless for a while. Before my regression, the Devil’s Gate had opened on my birthday, but now, there were still three months left until my birthday.

I turned on the TV mounted on the wall. All channels had switched to emergency news, buzzing with breaking reports about the S-Class gate. It seemed the gate hadn’t opened yet.

An announcement for flight cancellations also came on. It was expected from the moment the gate’s signs appeared, but for an S-Class gate to open on the very day I was leaving… Looking back, it felt like a gate was always blocking my path.

I was watching TV, not even realizing my leg was shaking. My phone rang; it was Sehyun.

“Yes, Sehyun.”

• “Shinui, where are you?”

“The underground shelter at the airfield.”

• “It will be difficult to fly until the gate is closed. You’re not an Association member anymore, so don’t worry about the gate and just wait in the shelter.”

“I understand. The situation is very dangerous right now, isn’t it?”

• “We’ll know once the gate opens. Please contact me anytime if anything happens.”

The conversation was short, as Sehyun seemed busy too. Hyun Taewoon’s face appeared on the TV screen.

He was surveying the area around the gate more cautiously than ever. It was probably because he had never seen the Devil’s Gate close and knew how dangerous the devil was.

Just thinking about the devil brought a chill and a wave of fear. The memory of being helplessly defeated without being able to put up a proper fight remained as a trauma, deeply engraving a sense of terror.

The gate slowly began to open. Usually, monsters would come out first, but this time, the devil walked out leisurely. As if to say that he alone was enough. That sight alone exuded an overwhelming pressure that intimidated people.

The devil’s appearance was exactly as I remembered it. Its form, made of intricately carved bones, seemed human-like and beautiful, unlike other monsters. I watched, mesmerized, before snapping out of it and checking the gate situation.

Perhaps because he had already experienced the Devil’s Gate once, Hyun Taewoon, who usually acted alone, was uncharacteristically cooperating with other Espers, using his abilities against the devil.

His face showed a desire to close the gate quickly because I had been killed by the devil. I, too, prayed with a tense face that the gate would close safely.

For three whole days, the gate showed no signs of closing. In just one day, the area around the gate was devastated beyond recognition, and I was moved to a shelter on the outskirts of Gyeonggi Province.

Every Awakened in the country had come, but the devil was a more difficult and burdensome opponent than any other boss monster.

The devil had excellent regenerative abilities and, unlike humans who felt fatigue, seemed to take no mental or physical damage. The monsters it controlled were also as tenacious as the devil itself, giving them a hard time. The number of exhausted Espers was increasing, but there were few Guides in comparison.

What was needed at the gate right now were Guides to guide the Espers. If I went, I would surely be of help, but death would follow me.

However, even my fear had to subside when I heard the tragic news. An S-Class Guide had collapsed from the strain of guiding numerous Espers. In this situation, people were desperately waiting for me, an S-Class Guide.

I know that if I go to the gate now, I will surely die. But it feels like a fate I will face even if I don’t go.

If dying is my destiny, I want to use my strength for the people, even if it’s just a little.

All transportation was currently stopped, so the only way to get to the gate was through an Esper’s ability. Sehyun would understand my decision and transport me to the gate.

I held my phone and hesitated for a long time before calling Sehyun. The ringing tone went on for longer than expected, and only on the second call did he answer.

• “Shinui, what is it?”

“You heard about the S-Class Guide who collapsed, right? I think I have to go.”

• “…I also think we need your help, Shinui. The situation at the Association is much more precarious than what’s being shown on TV. Even government Awakened are participating in the gate right now.”

Sehyun, who would normally not allow it, readily agreed with me, which made it clear that the situation was dangerous. I asked him to help me get there. And in less than 5 minutes, he used spatial movement to come to the shelter.

“Shinui, I’ll ask you again before we move to the gate. Are you really going?”

At this rate, Korea will be led to ruin by the devil. The Devil’s Gate was so vicious that it couldn’t be closed even when Hyun Taewoon and Sung Yohan were present.

Sung Yohan had said it. That if I had been alive, it might have been closed.

“Yes. Please move me to the shelter.”