TTOM

1

Kwon Jae-jin

His throat was squeezed tightly by rough hands.

The streetlights illuminating the alley exploded one by one, flickering violently. Kwon Jae-jin, gasping for air, was dragged into the darkness of a narrow alley. It was a dead end.

"Ugh!"

His back slammed hard against the cold brick wall. The pain barely registered before the man pinning him down pressed a hand firmly against his chest. The fingers spread out, pressing against his heart, as though confirming something. Press. Press.

Though it was a simple touch, Jae-jin felt an overwhelming sense of danger—like prey pinned under a predator's paw. His ribs strained as if they might crack under the pressure.

"It's you. You're the one."

"W-what...?"

"My guide."

Guide?

Kwon Jae-jin's head spun. He groaned, eyes widening as he tried to focus on the shadowed figure towering over him. The dim, flickering streetlight cast an eerie glow over the man's form.

His attacker was dressed in a black combat uniform, completely out of place in this forgotten alley. A leather harness strapped across his broad chest, loaded with grenades and ammunition, a pistol holstered to his waist and thighs.

This man wasn't ordinary.

An Esper.

'What's an awakened one doing in the 6th residential district?'

And calling Jae-jin his guide? That couldn't be right. Jae-jin was just an ordinary resident of the general district, a simple worker living in a neighborhood far from the elite 1st residential district where awakened Espers and guides lived.

"Esper... Sir, I think you've made a mistake. I'm not—" Jae-jin choked out, struggling against the suffocating grip around his neck. The idea of being someone's "guide" was absurd. He had no connection to the world of Espers.

"No mistake."

The man's cold voice sent a chill down his spine.

Jae-jin flinched as the man's eyes closed the distance between them. His breath hitched, and in the dim light, he could finally see his attacker's face clearly.

He was... young. Younger than Jae-jin had expected. His tousled hair looked soft, and his sharp features—a pair of long, downturned eyes and thick brows—gave him a strange sense of familiarity. Despite the fierce hold he had on Jae-jin, his expression was almost... innocent, like a retriever or some large dog.

Yet, there was nothing soft about the way he controlled Jae-jin's body with terrifying ease.

Suddenly, it clicked. Jae-jin knew who this young man was.

"Let's see if you're really my guide."

This was Seo Yi-woo, the youngest and first S-rank Esper in recorded history.

And before Jae-jin could react, the Esper's next words sent a jolt through him. "Your mouth."

The brief command was followed by the sudden crush of lips, a kiss that was more invasion than anything else. Seo Yi-woo's mouth moved against his aggressively, pushing for entry. Jae-jin clamped his jaw shut instinctively, refusing to allow any further violation.

He had heard of how Espers "guided" through physical touch, how they blurred lines that ordinary people held sacred. But just because he knew didn't mean he had to accept it.

Being kissed out of nowhere, and by another man, was something Jae-jin couldn't stomach. The shock was amplified by the rough grip still tight on his neck, keeping him trapped against the wall.

"...I said open."

Yi-woo's voice dropped, dangerously low, irritation clear. He had expected cooperation, and Jae-jin's resistance was testing his patience. Without warning, the air around them shifted—thickening with tension. An S-rank Esper's presence could warp the environment effortlessly, and the earlier explosions of streetlights were just a taste of that power.

Jae-jin's body convulsed under the weight of the atmosphere, sharp as needles prickling his skin. Even though he fought, his jaw remained clamped shut, refusing to give in.

"Hah..."

With a sigh, Yi-woo's expression darkened. He didn't bother with more words. His grip tightened as he forced Jae-jin's jaw open, prying his mouth apart with alarming strength. Jae-jin didn't even have time to resist before gloved fingers pressed inside, violating the back of his throat.

"Kuh...!"

Jae-jin gagged, but it was useless. Yi-woo's mouth was back on his, tongue pushing past his defenses. Jae-jin struggled, kicking out, but it was like fighting against a wall. The younger man didn't move, didn't flinch.

The kiss was brutal, suffocating. Yi-woo's tongue dragged against Jae-jin's, dominating the space as he sucked in Jae-jin's breath and the saliva that dripped from his lips. It wasn't a kiss—it was control, possession. Yi-woo seemed determined to wring out every last drop of Jae-jin's resistance, and with each punishing movement of his mouth, it felt like a part of Jae-jin was being consumed.

'This bastard...'

Jae-jin should have realized from the start that Seo Yi-woo wasn't normal. No S-rank Esper was. The media glorified him as humanity's savior—a noble "sunlight prince," made of pure light. They had no idea.

This wasn't light. This was madness.

"Let go... haah...!"

Jae-jin's breath hitched as he felt his body weakening, the fight draining out of him. For the first time, he felt utterly powerless. His strong frame, honed by exercise, was nothing against this superhuman strength. He was outmatched, out of his depth, and the reality of it was terrifying.

Seo Yi-woo finally pulled back, lips parting with a thin string of saliva still connecting them. His gray eyes gleamed with satisfaction, his lips curving into a smile that made him look even younger. It was a look of victory.

"See?" Yi-woo murmured softly, his voice low and intimate. "Guiding worked."

But for Jae-jin, those words barely registered. His body felt like it was shutting down, trembling as though something foreign had invaded him—not just physically, but internally. He could feel something stirring deep inside, a force that defied his understanding.

His breath quickened. His vision blurred. And then—black.

When Jae-jin opened his eyes again, something had changed. He remembered everything.

This was not the first time he had met Seo Yi-woo. This was not the first time he had been his guide.

Because Kwon Jae-jin had already lived this once before.

And now, his memories from his past life had returned.