Espers who wielded fire were beings specialized in attack. They were welcomed in most field operations. It was also a characteristic to include one in each small-scale subjugation team.

So, Yoon Tae-ha wasn’t greatly surprised when Cheon Geon-young said he wanted to use fire properly. He wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Guide and fire were words she didn’t want to put together. But she couldn’t ignore his ability either. Once an esper’s ability manifested, it had to be refined through education and training. If left unattended, there was a high possibility it would erupt in a dangerous direction.

The day after Cheon Geon-young’s palm had healed cleanly.

The two went on reconnaissance to the lakeside. They preempted a place far from the camp that everyone else avoided. It was to avoid people’s eyes.

Making Cheon Geon-young successfully control fire. That was their goal.

Cheon Geon-young, with his back to the lake, said,

“Now I can create it whenever I want.”

A small flame rose above his uninjured hand, stretching out like it was waking up. Yoon Tae-ha said with a sense of futility,

“It’s only been a few days, how can you summon it so easily?”

He increased the size of the fire a little more. It’s already scary. Yoon Tae-ha’s eyes trembled slightly. But she endured it diligently. Cheon Geon-young was quietly gazing at the tip of the flame that was burning gently on his skin.

“Don’t keep it on for too long. You’ll get drained.”

“It’s amazing. Were you like this at first too?”

He wore a pure, boyish expression. Behind Cheon Geon-young, pure white clouds drifted across the sky and above the lake. Flowing leisurely as if on a picnic.

“I was like that too.”

You get captivated at first.

When espers use their powers, they feel a thrill and exhilaration that ordinary people don’t. So much so that there were quite a few early manifestors who became addicted to it and used their powers recklessly.

“I wanted to lift everything up. The ballpoint pens the researchers carried in their pockets, books... the clothes I was wearing and the dolls on my bed. Everything.”

Young Yoon Tae-ha, floating all objects in the air and wearing a playful smile. She must have been cute. A smile spread across Cheon Geon-young’s lips.

He skillfully put away the flame. As soon as the fire disappeared, Yoon Tae-ha, who had been standing far away, strode closer.

“You really didn’t get burned anywhere, did you?”

“I think I’ve been asked that question about 100 times in the past few days.”

“Can’t you answer it just one more time, for the 101st time?”

He nodded lightly. He could answer it 1,000 times if she asked 1,000 times. Yoon Tae-ha pressed various parts of his palm with her thumb, as if giving acupressure.

“Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt, it feels refreshing.”

“Then that means all your senses are alive... it seems to be manifesting normally.”

Cheon Geon-young lightly grabbed Yoon Tae-ha’s hand as she was about to turn back. And he guided her. She felt as if something inside him was being sucked into her like a whirlpool. It felt like a part of him was slowly seeping into her.

Yoon Tae-ha, after receiving the guiding, wore a strange expression.

“Did the guiding feel different than before?”

“It felt the same. It’s just, I’m amazed. I’ve only imagined something like this, I never thought it would actually be possible.”

They sat down near the lake so they could put out any fire at any time.

It’s such a relief it’s not dry land. Yoon Tae-ha thought so and unconsciously turned her ring.

“You know the concept of Aether, right?”

Cheon Geon-young answered like a model student.

“The invisible energy that has been wandering the Earth since the rift opened.”

“Some people call it Aether, some call it the Force, and some even call it Mana. But since this is class, I’ll use the official term.”

“Yes, teacher.”

She let out a short, dumbfounded laugh. And lightly waved her hand in the air.

“This substance I often use too...”

Blue blades appeared in perfect order.

“This is also made of Aether. With the help of the ring on my right index finger.”

“I heard that weapons transform the properties of Aether. From intangible to tangible.”

“That’s right. But it’s not like everything can be solved with the power of a weapon.”

Yoon Tae-ha actively spread her arms for explanation. Her eyes, explaining her world, were shining brilliantly in the spring sunlight. Like a child explaining a favorite fairy tale to an adult.

“Imagine a container that can hold liquid. Here, the liquid is the Aether floating in the air.”

“I imagined it.”

“The container is the basic ability of each individual esper. There’s a separate term for it. Aether affinity. The score is divided from 1 to 999. No one has exceeded 1,000 units yet.”

“The amount of Aether that can be contained will differ depending on the size of the container.”

She nodded vigorously. Cheon Geon-young smiled involuntarily at her very enthusiastic appearance.

“That’s why weapons aren’t omnipotent. The container can’t have its size artificially increased. Affinity is also one of the criteria that affects the calculation of an esper’s rank.”

“What’s your affinity?”

“For an esper, Aether affinity isn’t information that can be easily shared with others. It’s like an unchangeable report card.”

Was that against the etiquette among psychics? Just as Cheon Geon-young was about to apologize, she hurriedly cut him off.

“But since mine is high, I can tell you. It’s 913.”

A slight sense of pride. And the embarrassment that followed. Various emotions appeared and disappeared on Yoon Tae-ha’s face.

“That sounds high.”

“The highest person is 950.”

“Am I really getting tutoring from someone so amazing?”

He knew it was playful flattery, but he couldn’t help feeling excited.

He had thought it was unsightly to flaunt abilities with affinity. And yet, here he was doing it. To change the mood, she flicked her fingers.

“It’s as you said earlier. Weapons change Aether into a tangible means of attack. We call that a substance.”

The three blades, which were small at first, instantly increased to hundreds. The sharp blue blades, neatly lined up above the lake, couldn’t even be fully captured in one glance.

“The number and strength of substances that can be created depend on affinity. Usually, C-class psychokinetic types who frequently go into the field use more than five substances.”

A moment later, Yoon Tae-ha made all the substances disappear. She held out her right hand, showing the black ring she had just used to summon the substances.

“This suits you well.”

Grasping her fingertips, he brushed the surface of the ring with his fingertip. With a light exclamation of admiration.

“Pretty.”

Yoon Tae-ha clenched the fist of her other hand tightly. A tingling sensation traveled up from the fingertips he was holding. Her stomach churned. Even though she wasn’t on a boat.

The elegant line of the man’s nose as he lowered his head caught her eye. Long, dense eyelashes that cast a shadow, and even his closed, soft lips.

She looked down at her hand again. But the churning didn’t stop. Her own hand, held by his thick-knuckled hand, looked very unfamiliar.

Is the ring that pretty?

Cheon Geon-young, noticing another ring next to it, lightly touched it. Yoon Tae-ha suddenly came to her senses.

“Does this do something similar too?”

“That’s a different weapon. It’s not for summoning substances. Haven’t I shown it to you before?”

“No.”

Then he should show her. The date to go to the second city was just around the corner. It meant that the peaceful camp life would soon come to an end. Since they had decided to do the same work, it was time to trust her and show her his hand.

Yoon Tae-ha stood up from her spot. There was only one audience member in front of her.

“This is a little embarrassing.”

“I know about releasing weapons with your voice. It’s common sense.”

“It feels strange to do it sober. In combat situations, it comes out naturally because I have to survive.”

“Everyone in movies does it well though.”

“Those people are actors. Agents in real combat try to make the release language as concise and short as possible.”

Cheon Geon-young smiled pleasantly at her shyness. Hurry up, he even urged her. To be this happy while cornering someone. He was incredibly cruel.

Touching the second ring, she took a deep breath. And extended her right arm into the air. Soon, a low and clear voice spread through the air.

“Pale Shadow.”

As if responding to that voice, the surface of the lake trembled finely. In a moment where even the sound of birds singing softly as they flew seemed to disappear, the ring was enveloped in light. The pure white light soon stretched out long on both sides. Yoon Tae-ha familiarly grasped the center.

The glittering light took the form of a spear a little longer than her height. As Yoon Tae-ha swung the spear in a cool arc, the shapes at both ends were perfectly formed.

It was a pure white spear that looked sturdy enough not to break from any attack.

The light that fell from the spear scattered like dandelion seeds. Her black hair also fluttered gently in the breeze. She looked like a foreigner who had just descended from somewhere.

Cheon Geon-young looked up at the sky once. It was ordinarily clear.

“Pretty.”

It was Cheon Geon-young’s appreciation, his eyes fully taking her in. Yoon Tae-ha slightly pouted her lips and then consciously spun the spear. As if performing acrobatics.

“It looks cool. I like spears too. The sound it makes when you swing it is refreshing.”

Cheon Geon-young frowned slightly and cut her off. Yoon Tae-ha asked, “Why?”

“Who’s pretty?”

“My limited edition shadow series... ring?”

Her voice trailed off towards the end. Cheon Geon-young couldn’t understand. Why would he think he would say something like that was pretty? He had no interest in such things.

Could this woman possibly...

Did she take his words just now, while he was looking down at her hand, as a compliment to the ring? He suddenly felt a sense of bewilderment.

It would be troublesome if she misunderstood that he coveted the ring. So, Cheon Geon-young carefully chose his subject and predicate, without considering the shock it might give the other person.

“You’re pretty.”

“......”

“Not the ring, you.”

A strong shock hit Yoon Tae-ha head-on.