In the year 2030, a rift appeared in the sky above the middle of the ocean. As monsters poured out and began to reach land, people couldn't believe the reports they were receiving… until the creatures reached the major cities. As the cities began to fall, everyone could see the end of the world approaching. Bullets had no effect. Chemical weapons had no effect. Bombs had no effect.
That was until a select few gained a form of power that could destroy these monsters. They either manifested as espers or guides, both with abilities far beyond those of normal people. Espers could control their power in direct ways—such as manipulating the elements or using telekinesis. Guides, on the other hand, could calm espers' rampant powers and harness them through special weapons capable of harming the monsters. Some people liked to call espers "the bomb" and guides "the charger", but nobody would dare say that within earshot of them—unless they wanted an emergency visit to the hospital.
There were varying levels of power, with F-rank being the lowest and SSS+ the highest. Only about ten espers and four guides in the world were known to hold that top-tier rank. Some individuals could still be classified as espers or guides below F-rank, but the difference between them and regular humans was so minimal that they typically lived normal lives without any special responsibilities.
Normie POV
At the ripe age of twenty-five, I had just landed a fabulous new job at The Association, the organisation that managed all espers and guides in the country. While many applied for this job to get closer to these powerful individuals—either hoping to catch their eye romantically or just to earn their favour—I was there for one reason only: the benefits.
The perks of working at The Association were immense. Even though I only worked in the kitchen and helped out wherever needed, I was being paid three times more than at my last job. There were guaranteed annual raises and a solid pension for retirement. All medical and dental expenses were fully covered, and I had priority access to private hospitals. Best of all, my immediate family was covered under the same plan. They didn't want their staff to be stressed about personal issues, and they highly valued loyalty to the Association.
The benefits made everything worthwhile. I was hardly ever in the forward-facing jobs, enjoying working in the back and doing the more boring tasks which I felt were soothing. A lot of the normie workers here wanted the job to get closer to espers and guide, but I felt that they were so far separated from us that they could have been aliens in my eyes. Humming under the breath as I brought one of the trolleys to the back door of the kitchen I was surprised to see anyone else in the corridor.
Seeing the two men wearing the attire of mission personnel, I noticed they both looked pale and as if they were arguing. Knowing that anyone dressed like that was either an esper or a guide, I steered clear of them in the corridor as I spotted the kitchen's back door just a few metres ahead.
Ensuring I made no sound and avoided eye contact, I stared at the floor as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.
I heard a pained groan as the one with black hair fell to his knees. The light brown-haired one tried to help him up but looked like he hardly had any strength left either. They clearly needed help. I prayed they weren't the type to get angry at well-meaning strangers and quickly sent a text to my boss, requesting a medical team for the corridor.
I walked over carefully, keeping my tone even. "Hi there, you both look like you could use a bit of help. Here, grab my hand and I'll help you over to that bench over there."
When they only barely turned their heads to look at me with glazed eyes, I realised just how bad their condition really was.
Trying to remain calm, I continued, "Please stay with me—the medical team should be here soon. I'm just going to put my hands on your arms to help you over, alright?"
Getting no real response, I reached out and gently placed my hands on both of their arms to separate them a little. The second my skin made contact with theirs, an intense flash surged through my body and my face flushed with heat. I nearly dropped one of them in shock, but I forced myself to focus on the task, gasping for breath as waves of strange energy continued to pulse through me.
The dark-haired one collapsed completely, his eyes rolling back in his head. I grabbed his shoulders just in time, gently lowering him onto his side so he wouldn't hit his head. The pulsing sensation stopped the moment I moved to protect him.
Just as I was about to release his hand, the light-haired man stumbled forward, collapsing onto my back, and the pulsing started all over again.
He made a muffled sound against me and wrapped an arm around my waist, hugging me a bit too tightly. As I gasped for breath, trying to pry his arms off, I heard footsteps approaching.
"Could I get some help over here, please?" I called out, hearing the footsteps quicken in response.
As the man clinging to me tightened his grip, I lost my footing and let go of the unconscious one, my hands slapping the floor as I landed. The wind was knocked out of me, and the strange pulsing finally stopped again. I tried to wriggle free from the semi-conscious man's grasp.
A team of about six people rounded the corner and rushed towards us. One of them, also in mission attire and looking to be at least two decades older than me, stepped forward and barked, "What happened here?"
Seeing how ridiculous the scene must have looked—with one man unconscious on the ground and the other clinging to me—I hurried to explain. "These two weren't looking so good, so I radioed in the situation. When this one was about to fall, I rushed over, but he lost consciousness, and this one seems semi-conscious. If I could get you to ask him to let go of me, please?"
The medical team sprang into action—two tending to each of the collapsed men—while another team member, who looked strong enough to be an esper, pried the one off my back.
The most senior-looking man gave me a suspicious look. After barking orders to get the two men transferred to the ward, he turned back to me with a low, dangerous tone. "You didn't give them anything to make them act like this, did you? I've never seen these two reach their limit before—especially not near a normie. And for them to actually touch you? That's strange."
Looking up at him, still shaken by the pulsing sensation from earlier, I blinked in disbelief. "Give them something, sir?"
He nodded once. "Yeah. Aphrodisiacs? Sleeping meds? Not that the usual stuff would work on those two."
As I watched my career flash before my eyes, I shook my head vigorously. "No, sir! I'd never! I just started working here two weeks ago. It's an honour to even be allowed in this building—I wouldn't risk anything like that! I work in the kitchen and was just heading there with my trolley." I pointed over my shoulder at the abandoned cart.
"If you check the taps or my security pass, you'll see I've only been in the kitchen—peeling potatoes and cleaning up! I don't even know who those two are! I haven't seen them around the cafeteria when I help serve!"
Tears welled in my eyes. I tried to hold them back, but the thought of everything I'd worked so hard for crumbling around me was too much. I needed this job—for my family. I needed to stay here to support them. Especially my poor sister...
The senior officer gave a huff and grabbed my ID card, noting down my name with a sharp flick of his pen. "We'll look into all that. You're being placed on probation until this gets sorted."
A tear slid down my cheek as I tried to stop my hands from shaking. I could only nod.
Another man stepped up beside him. "He'll take you to your designated room. You'll be on lockdown there until we have answers. Shouldn't take more than a day to determine your fate. I'll inform your superiors."
As another tear fell and my heart plummeted to my feet, I felt like my entire world was collapsing. I had tried to help them… but now the golden egg my family relied on was about to be smashed. I should have been more careful. I should have run straight to the kitchen to get my boss, so I wasn't alone.
I nodded, still staring at the floor as my tears dropped in quiet splashes. My nose began to run uncontrollably as I fought to keep my emotions in check.
The second man gestured. "He'll take you to your room and set up the security. You'll be held there until everything is cleared up."
I nodded again, watching my tears drip into a small puddle on the floor. I followed without a word, trying to wipe my nose clean by the time we reached the room.
The guard looked at me with disgust as he ushered me inside and gave the room a quick once-over. "Do you think you're the first to try this kind of stunt? I've seen people use all kinds of tricks to get close to them. You should just tell us what you gave them before they wake up and tear you apart."
A sharp fear gripped me—not just that I might lose my job, but that I might actually lose my life.
Choking on my tears, I stammered, "I swear I didn't give them anything. I've been working all day. Please—check the tapes."
He barely glanced back, his face twisted in disgust. He turned to the door and pressed a few buttons.
"Don't even think of leaving before we come for you. You're locked in now, and your connection's been cut—so forget about calling or accessing anything."
With that, the door slid shut, leaving me in silence.
I crumpled to the floor, completely and utterly in despair.