Chapter 139: The Imprint’s Burden

“What… did you say?”

“Ah, so you didn’t know this either.”

Levian chuckled, a frown creasing his grotesque face as he leaned closer to Sa-yoon.

“Han Do-hoon. He truly was a pitiful fellow. He acted as if he’d dig his own grave after losing one Irregular, yet the other party remained completely oblivious.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He was imprinted on you, Han Do-hoon. Imprinted so he couldn’t resonate with any other guide, so only you could heal him.”

“What… did you say?”

‘Imprinting’ remained one of humanity’s unsolved mysteries. Though undoubtedly real, its reasons and solutions were unknown, existing within an unfathomable realm.

What was certain, however, was that an Esper responded only to their imprinted guide, while the guide often lived their entire life unaware of this fact.

Imprinting was a phenomenon that instantly reversed the perceived power dynamic between an Esper, who seemed to hold all the cards, and a guide. Like other guides, Sa-yoon had no way of knowing that Han Do-hoon had imprinted on him.

From the outset, imprinting was a relationship where only the Esper suffered unilaterally.

“Well, what does that matter now? You probably wouldn’t even recognize his face anymore. He’s a man destined to die from lack of guiding anyway.”

“Whether he dies brainwashed and used, or lives in his right mind only to go mad and perish, it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

Only now did Sa-yoon understand Han Do-hoon’s perpetually strange condition. His face had always seemed weary and exhausted.

Despite being the Deputy Commander, his energy was constantly depleted, like a battery running on empty. Furthermore, Sa-yoon recalled his own symptoms: whenever he briefly touched Han Do-hoon, his stamina would drain away as if from a cup with a hole in the bottom.

It had been a full two years. Sa-yoon had lost his memories for two years, and even before that, they hadn’t properly exchanged guiding.

“How is he still alive?”

“Because he’s no ordinary stubborn man. If it were me, I would have died the moment I knew my imprinted partner was gone. But he brought your mother here, enduring by caring for a dying person.”

“He truly is a strange one, I tell you.”

“…”

At the thought of his mother, whom Han Do-hoon had taken, Sa-yoon’s face darkened once more. It was a reality he had tried to forget by immersing himself in the present.

Why had Han Do-hoon taken his mother? He had pondered this before. He even wondered if it was because of his last request when they parted ways, but he quickly dismissed the thought, refusing to believe it.

“Anyway, the story has gotten quite long. You remember the information I promised you? I’ll tell you where Han Do-hoon and the Commander-in-Chief are. Both of them should be in Korea right now.”

“Why Korea, of all places?”

“Because young Han Do-hoon was trained and raised there. If they want to brainwash him, all the relevant facilities and necessary equipment must be at the Korean headquarters. He’s probably undergoing harsh re-brainwashing right now, so if you’re interested, go have a look.”

Having said everything he wanted, Levian waved his hand, his face light and unburdened.

It was the hour when even the lights illuminating the dreary gray city had dimmed. Four in the morning. In the darkest hour before dawn, those who had been hiding began to emerge.

“Can we trust what he said?”

“He’s certainly not a trustworthy fellow. Still… this time, the information should be accurate.”

Considering Levian’s past behavior, doubting his words was understandable. Sa-yoon nodded in agreement with Kang Ah-jun’s entirely reasonable suspicion, yet his gaze remained fixed on the headquarters. Levian’s information would be real. Sa-yoon’s intuition told him so.

Thus, Sa-yoon, along with a portion of Air Rain, had entered Korea and surrounded the headquarters.

“Should we just overturn the whole place? If we just set a fire, the Commander-in-Chief and Han Do-hoon would all come running out, wouldn’t they? Oh, wait, Han Do-hoon has fire attributes, so he might not.”

“We’re not here to fight today, so calm down. We’re just going to scout it out.”

“But we don’t even know the research lab’s location properly.”

“Hmm…”

Even those who had worked at the Korean headquarters for a long time considered the research lab an unknown territory. People rarely had reason to go there, and the behavioral agents and researchers were so fundamentally different that no one had any connections there.

“Still… I think I know where it is.”

Sa-yoon delved into a very old memory. He had only once been involved with the research lab staff during his time at headquarters. Back then, the researchers had spoken of a highly secretive project.

At the time, Sa-yoon had thought it was related to the prophecy system. However, after meeting Go Ok-kyung, he learned that the prophecy system was located within her mansion.

The research lab currently operating at the Korean headquarters must be the facility prepared for brainwashing Han Do-hoon. It made perfect sense why it was a place no one was allowed to speak about, accessible only to a select few.

“I’ll lead the way. Kang Ah-jun, you follow me. Everyone else, please wait outside.”

Sa-yoon entered the building with only Kang Ah-jun, who possessed a duplicated version of his own abilities. The interior of the headquarters was silent.

The CCTV cameras, always active, still blinked with red lights, but no patrolling guards were visible. An eerie atmosphere, like a desolate ruin where only machines operated, permeated the air.

As Sa-yoon crouched low, moving through gaps in the walls, he found himself in the familiar courtyard of a research wing he had once visited.

“It’s bright in here.”

The research wing was still brightly lit. Silhouettes of people working flickered beyond the windows.

“Let’s go underground.”

The research wing was structured with a long underground section. Officially, it was known to have only three basement floors, but upon entering, it seemed there were more levels below the third.

This lower space, clearly visible to Sa-yoon, was their target. He swallowed, feeling as if he were looking at a colossal fortress built upside down. Now, upon entering, there was no telling what situation awaited them.

The words ‘research lab’ and ‘experiment room’ always conjured nightmares for Sa-yoon. Even knowing he was now strong enough not to be captured by anyone, it remained an uncomfortable place that tightened his heart every time.

Sa-yoon and Kang Ah-jun muffled their footsteps as they infiltrated the research wing, passing through the walls and slowly descending via the ventilation shaft that led to the lower floors.

“Team Leader.”

Kang Ah-jun called out to Sa-yoon in a low voice.

“Doesn’t it feel… unusually warm down here?”

Indeed, the ambient temperature rose as they descended further underground. The gas pipes were quiet, and there was no sign of a separate heating system running indoors, yet their palms grew uncomfortably warm.

As they poked a small hole out of the ventilation shaft, the faint voices of researchers could be heard.

“Quick, calm him down!”

“It’s no use. He won’t listen. Add more medication…”

“How can we add it when he’s thrashing like that! If it looks so easy, you go closer!”

The agitated voices of the researchers trembled with fear. Farther away, screams erupted, and frantic footsteps scurried in every direction.

“What did you do to make him suddenly go wild?! Who’s in charge?!”

“W-we just tampered with his memories a little. There was a strong rejection response, and as soon as we touched that part to delete it, his resistance intensified.”

At the urgent voices filtering through the wall, Kang Ah-jun subtly nudged Sa-yoon.

“Our timing seems pretty bad today, doesn’t it?”

“…Indeed.”

Judging by the researchers’ voices alone, the situation was so critical it seemed the research wing might collapse. Sa-yoon pulled Kang Ah-jun into a secluded area—a small, empty room within the research lab.

“It’s quiet in here, isn’t it? It has a creepy vibe.”

Kang Ah-jun shivered in the empty room surrounded by white walls. Unlike the space that had been almost sweat-inducing hot just moments ago, there was a distinct chill in the air. Passing through only a few corridors, they felt an uncanny sense of having arrived in an entirely different place.

“…”

What was this peculiar feeling? Pondering deeply, Sa-yoon realized something. Even with people desperately shouting, no alarm bells rang inside.

There was no broadcast announcing an emergency, nor any red warning lights. This implied it was a place without mandatory emergency exits or warning lights typically found in buildings. If a problem arose, the setup clearly showed an intent to cover up the incident along with the people involved.

“This place gives me a bad feeling.”

“Me too.”

Noise once again emanated from a quiet section of the wall. A fleeing researcher must have approached the empty room where Sa-yoon was hiding, as their voices were now clear enough to hear without straining.

“P-please, save me! I need to get out!”

“The elevator is locked! The stairs, where are the stairs?”

Sa-yoon involuntarily shook his head as he listened to the desperate voices. From his initial assessment of the structure, there were no stairs here. The only way to the surface was the elevator descending from above. Now, even the last escape route, the elevator, was sealed off.

“Team Leader. What should we do? Should we just leave today?”

Kang Ah-jun asked in a small voice. There was no need to needlessly jump into a research lab that seemed on the verge of self-destruction. Furthermore, since it was difficult to understand what was happening, retreating seemed the correct course of action. However, Sa-yoon hesitated, listening to the urgent pleas of the people.

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