Ghost Apple

As soon as Han-gyeom woke up, the first thing he saw was a ceiling—something completely natural, yet utterly unfamiliar. But it wasn’t the ceiling he’d expected to see when he’d closed his eyes under the haze of anesthesia.

Where… am I?

He had thought he might open his eyes to a blindingly white ceiling, like the room he’d seen back then, surrounded by sterile white walls. He’d imagined the rough cement ceiling of a prison cell, reeking of mold, or perhaps an old interrogation room where a worn-out lightbulb swayed ominously overhead. But instead, as if mocking every scenario he had played out in his mind, what greeted him was something entirely unexpected.

The ceiling bore intricate, elegant patterns—so detailed and ornate it looked like simply staring at it could make time pass faster. Following the lines of what was clearly expensive wallpaper, his gaze drifted until it landed on a door far off in the distance. Only then did he realize how spacious the room was.

Where the hell is this place?

A lab? A detention center? An interrogation room? Every possibility he’d considered was wrong. There was no way a place like that would have such a comfortable, luxuriously soft bed.

When Han-gyeom pressed his hand to the mattress to push himself up, he was momentarily startled by how plush it felt. Compared to the rock-hard mat he’d used back at his own place—which wasn’t much better than sleeping on bare concrete—this was in a league of its own.

This place was a home. A real one. And not just any home, but one that screamed wealth.

That only made things more infuriating. If it had been one of the locations he’d expected, he might have been able to at least guess what the other party was thinking. But in this situation, he had absolutely no clue what was going on.

One thing was certain, though—Someone had kidnapped him, completely disregarding his will.

That fact alone made Han-gyeom seethe with disgust.

Whoever it is, I swear I’m gonna punch them right in the face.

Sure, he was an unregistered Guide who survived by doing underground guiding work on the side. But that didn’t mean he’d just roll over and let someone push him around. Unlike back there, he knew how to assert his basic rights now.

Sliding off the lavish bed, Han-gyeom’s first move was to check his physical condition. His body still felt sluggish, and his shoulder—where the anesthetic had been injected—throbbed dully. Still, the effects would fade with time. Escaping from a room like this shouldn’t be that difficult.

I need to get out and find Jae-woo. Fast.

Han-gyeom’s face tightened with anxiety as he thought of Jae-woo, who hadn’t been answering his messages.

He’ll be fine. No one’s better at disappearing than that guy.

Jae-woo would’ve used his barrier skills to hide and slip away. They had already agreed on a designated meeting point in case the Association’s search or enforcement squads showed up unexpectedly. For now, heading there had to be the top priority.

Han-gyeom approached the window and looked outside. There were steel bars for security, so escaping through it was clearly out of the question—But at the very least, he could get a read on what things looked like outside.

Night had already fallen. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out, but judging by how high the moon was in the sky, it had to be late—deep into the night.

And yet, despite the late hour, the scene outside was dazzlingly bright.

It looked like something straight out of a drama—a chaebol family’s front yard.

The brilliantly lit garden, illuminated flawlessly by outdoor lights, and the lush, green lawn were so immaculately maintained that it left Han-gyeom genuinely impressed. On one side, there was even an artificial pond, and rows of well-pruned ornamental trees lined up with such precision that it resembled a painting. Given that he couldn’t possibly see the full view from just this one window, he could only assume that the garden stretched out across a massive area.

But now wasn’t the time to be admiring landscaping.

Several men were patrolling the grounds like clockwork. Others stood firm at the garden entrance like sentries. And beyond them, near the distant stone wall, more personnel were positioned at even intervals. They all looked like trained security guards.

Considering there were probably more stationed out of sight beyond this room, the level of security here was tighter than most detainment facilities.

Whose house is this…?

Suddenly, Han-gyeom found himself deeply curious about the identity of the person who owned this estate. Still, that curiosity didn’t change his current objective.

Backing away from the window, Han-gyeom headed straight for the door. He crept up silently and pressed his ear against it.

He could hear voices, faintly—just enough to know people were speaking—but the door was thick and soundproofed well enough that he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Still, if a conversation was happening, it meant there were at least two people stationed right outside. That much was certain.

Just as a shadow of frustration passed over Han-gyeom’s face—

The muffled voices outside suddenly became louder, more animated. How much time passed? A knock echoed against the door.

Knock, knock.

Startled by the sudden sound, Han-gyeom instinctively pulled back. He had just been listening with his ear to the door. By reflex, his hand went to his lower back—but whatever gear he usually kept there was gone. During the kidnapping, even his small knife and sheath must have been taken.

As he retreated with a tense expression, the thick door opened with an unexpectedly soft creak.

“…!”

The moment it opened, Han-gyeom froze.

A tall man stood in the doorway, dressed to the nines. A high-end dark gray suit tailored from an obviously luxurious fabric. A crisp white dress shirt—far softer and sleeker than anything Han-gyeom owned. A blackish-red tie embroidered with an elegant pattern, secured with a silver tie pin. Polished cufflinks on his shirt collar and sleeves, and an expensive wristwatch whose price Han-gyeom couldn’t even begin to guess.

From head to toe, the man practically screamed, “I’m rich.”

And yet, even more striking than his outfit was his face.

Light brown hair with a soft, silky texture, untouched by dye. Eyes the color of sapphires. A sharp, aristocratic face—high-bridged nose, defined cheekbones, every feature chiseled and symmetrical.

He was a stunning beauty with unmistakably European features.

This man is…

—”…Based on that, the Urban Crystal Battery developed from Prism’s original model is finally approaching full commercial rollout. CEO Seo Won of Prism BioBattery had this to say in his inaugural. In five years, the company had finally achieved its long-held ambition—and thanks to this breakthrough, it was now drawing considerable attention from overseas.”

Han-gyeom suddenly recalled a news segment he’d seen on the street a few days ago. The man had been all over the media, and with such a striking appearance, it was impossible not to recognize him. Just as he’d suspected, the man standing before him—Seo Won—began speaking in flawless Korean.

“I heard you weren’t hurt, but is anything bothering you?”

In that instant, Han-gyeom realized where he’d recently heard that voice before.

“I was told you’ve been guiding illegally for unregistered Espers.”

“The way you’re talking, it almost sounds like you think having their permission makes everything fair game.”

He was the Esper whom Kim Hye-seong had tagged with her marker and sent as a proxy. The man who had used a finely crafted clone to receive a guiding session from him.

—She’s the last client for today, right?

—If there’s anyone else, tell me now. I’ll clear the schedule.

He was also the same person who, when Kim Hye-seong hadn’t shown up for her appointment, had called Han-gyeom and delivered a cryptic message.

Han-gyeom turned his gaze to the two security guards standing neatly behind Seo Won. The moment he recognized one of them—a young woman—as the same person who had punched him in the solar plexus to knock him out, he began to piece things together.

“What did you do to the clients? And to Hye-seong noona?”

Seo Won didn’t deny it or act flustered. He answered calmly.

“I just… sent them away.”

“‘Sent them away’?”

“By now, they’ve probably fled to somewhere far from Seoul on their own.”

Han-gyeom let out a breath. It wasn’t exactly reassuring, but it was still a relief. He had feared they might have been coldly disposed of. Of all the clients, the only one he’d ever grown attached to was Kim Hye-seong, but they had all held his hand at one point or another. He sincerely hoped they were safe.

Then, a face flashed through his mind—Song Jae-woo.

“What about Jae-woo? What did you do with Song Jae-woo?”

Even as he asked, Han-gyeom hoped he’d gotten away. From what he could tell, Seo Won’s real target had been him from the start. There shouldn’t have been any reason to lay a finger on someone like Jae-woo, who was nothing more than a broker.

But unlike before, when Seo Won had casually said “sent away,” his reaction this time was different.

“He’s doing well.”

A peculiar smile curled at the edge of Seo Won’s lips.

“In a place only I know.”

“You…!”

The sudden surge of anger hit Han-gyeom hard—but just as quickly, he suppressed it. Though furious, he drew a steady breath, forcing logic to the forefront.

Han-gyeom was exceptionally, almost unnaturally sensitive when it came to guiding structures—far beyond that of any ordinary Guide. It was a unique trait that allowed him to produce unmatched quality with minimal guiding input. But it also meant he had the capacity to become a weapon—a weapon capable of bringing even the most powerful Espers to their knees.

If his opponent was just an ordinary Esper, Han-gyeom was confident he could completely ruin the ESP channels in their body, reducing them to a begging mess. He could twist their flow until they writhed in agony, pleading to be killed.

He could twist every flow within their body into knots, or constrict each channel just tightly enough to completely neutralize their abilities. On top of that, their powers had no adverse effect on him whatsoever—In every sense, he was the natural enemy of Espers.

Yes… if the opponent was just a regular Esper.