26.7.2049 Seoul, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Hunter’s Association Headquarters

  “What do you think will happen if you stare long enough?” Doctor Han Yoonseo didn’t look up from the chart as he asked the man beside the hospital bed.

  “Why do you care?” Second Lieutenant Kang Jeonhyun answered, fingers slowly curling around his dog tag.

  “He’s been like this for ten years. If he was to wake up, he already would have. That’s my opinion as a medical professional.” Doctor Han said lighting the cigarette hanging from his lips. “You’re wasting your time, Lieutenant.”

  “If that’s your professional opinion, then why do you keep him hooked up to all these machines?” Lieutenant Kang scoffed.

  “Hey, I’m only following orders. I’ve sent all my reports to the higher-ups, and they say keep him alive.” The doctor said between cigarette puffs. “They must have their reasons, just like you have yours, right? You’ve been visiting him for what, five years now?”

  Lieutenant Kang let out a humorless laugh, put his hat on, and walked toward the door. He paused at the doorstep turning back to the doctor.

  “He’ll wake up.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Do a pheromone test on him.” Jeonhyun’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll see.”

  With those words Lieutenant Kang exited the room. Doctor Han stood from his chair, the cigarette slipping from his fingers and hitting the floor.

  He quickly reached for the pherowave analyzer and attached the receptors. He bit his thumbnails in agony. If it had been anyone else telling him this, he would have laughed and kicked him out, but Kang Jeonhyun wasn’t “anyone”, he was a dominant alpha. If he was able to detect even a hint of pheromones, the matter had to be taken seriously. There were only a handful of dominant alphas recorded in this time an age, not only blessed with dominant pheromones, but the ones presented as hunters had phenomenal hunter qualities. Kang Jeonhyun was not only a dominant alpha, but he was an SS-class hunter, the only one in The Unified Republic of Korea.

  Still biting his thumbnails Doctor Han watched the analyzer as the pherowaves started to take shape on the monitor. He bit his thumbnail harder now, knowing he would have to make a very uncomfortable phone call, very soon. Lieutenant Kang had been right, of course he had. The patient’s omega pheromones on the monitor were the same of a virile teenagers, only the man on the bed was thirty-two years old.

  He’s going into heat. The doctor realized and quickly grabbed his phone.

  “Nurse Choi?” Doctor Han’s voice trembled. “I need you to bring stabilizers to the lab.”

  Are you in heat, sir?

  “They’re not for me! I’m a beta for heaven’s sake. They are for a patient.”

  But sir, you only have one patient…

  “Yeah, well that patient...” The Doctor stared at the monitor, then back at the man on the bed. “Yoon Taeha has gone into heat.”

  1.8.2049 Seoul, Gangnam-gu, SHA Headquarters

  The doctor looked at the man sitting upright on the hospital bed, sipping his bean sprout soup slowly. His red hair was greasy and flat; his eyes were droopy and the bags under his eyes made him look like a homeless person. The doctor changed Yoon Taeha’s hospital gown every day from the excess sweating caused from his heat.

  “Your heat has subsided, so I’m going to have to make that call soon. Anyone else you might want to let you know about your rebirth?”

  “How many years did you say it has been?” Yoon Taeha asked, looking down at the soup bowl in his hands.

  “You came out of the Jujak gate in 2039, and it’s 2049 now. So, you’ve been in a sort of coma for the past ten years.”

  “You might want to call my sister in that case. If my mother is still alive, she would be old enough to have a heart attack from the news.” Despite his appearance, Yoon Taeha was cheerful and talkative. For him time had passed differently, he hadn’t realized it at all. “I feel as if I woke up from a long dream. I feel as if I was good to go to work today.”

  “Don’t be so hasty. Lying in bed for the past 10 years might have done some damage to you body. You’ve been as good as paralyzed this whole time. Of course, a physical therapist visited weekly to move your muscles, but…”

  “Doctor, do you by any chance know who I am?” Yoon Taeha pointed at himself and raised a brow, not sarcastically, but sincerely curious.

  “First Lieutenant Yoon Taeha, sir.” Doctor Han looked at him confused. Of course, Han Yoonseo knew who he was, no one would shut up about him for the first five years, and for the next five Kang Jeonhyun wouldn’t let him forget.

  “So, you know my quality as well then?”

  “Well, to tell you the truth, there’s no record of it. Whatever information there was of you was very limited.” Doctor Han wasn’t lying; he gave the patient chart to Yoon Taeha.

  Name: Yoon Taeha

  Rank: First Lieutenant

  Birthday: 11.5.2017

  Sex: Male

  Secondary gender: Omega, recessive

  Height: 1.77cm

  City of birth: Pyongyang

  Hunter class: C

  Qualities: Unknown

  “This is all the information we have of you.” Doctor Han explained.

  “That certainly is not a lot.” Yoon Taeha chuckled. “Do you want to know my hunter qualities?”

  “I don’t really care, but considering it’s been classified information, is it even okay for you to tell me?” The doctor answered pulling a cigarette from behind his ear.

  “Hmm…” Yoon Taeha rubbed his chin. “Maybe not, but then again, isn’t it my information to tell?”

  “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” The doctor asked.

  “No, no, I’ll tell you.” He pointed his forefinger to his temple. “I’m a telepath.”

  “You’re what now?” Doctor Han was caught so off guard that he burned his fingers trying to light his cigarette. “So, all this time we’ve been talking, you have been reading my thoughts?”

  Yoon Taeha cracked up laughing so hard he chocked in his own spit. His coughing interrupted the endless humor.

  “You’re very funny.” Yoon Taeha hit his chest a couple of times with his fist and wiped a tear off the corner of his eyes. “It’s very rare for telepaths to be able to read one’s thoughts. Consider it the nature protecting a man’s privacy. For most of us telepath’s it’s about reading the aura of a person, or in my case, the intention.”

  “You have my attention.” Doctor Han reached for his pocket.

  “Well like right now, as soon as I finished talking, I knew you would reach for your pocket for another smoke. Of course, your body language already gives it away to someone who’s perceptive enough, so maybe it’s not a very good example.” Yoon Taeha bent his legs and laid his arms on his knees. “I just kind of know what you’re about to do before you do it. There’s also another quality, but I’ll keep that to myself for now. It would be difficult to explain, considering I found out about my ability, well, now. Technically you could say I found out about it ten years ago, but since for me that was yesterday, I’m going to stick to that thought.”

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  The doctor rubbed between his brows and sighed thinking how useless the information had been. There were two questions that still bothered him: Why was a C-class telepath ranked First Lieutenant, and so young? And how was this hunter able to survive an S-grade Jujak-gate, when two-hundred-ninety-nine others didn’t. The phone ringing in the background brought him back.

  “Han.”

  Is he awake.

  “Yes.”

  Bring him to CH’s office.

  “He is in no condition to walk. Han Seri can come see him at the clinic.”

  Still not minding your manners, I see.

  “She is my sister before she is my boss. Take your complaints up to human resources.”

  Beep, beep, beep.

  “The asshole hung up on me” Doctor Han said, still holding the phone in his hand.

  “Are they coming to pick me up?” Yoon Taeha pointed at himself.

  “Probably. You must already know you have an interrogat–“ The clinic door banging open interrupted the doctor. He turned around to see a young lieutenant panting, sweat running down his temples. His eyes were wide but drenched in fury. He marched to the doctor and grabbed his collar with one hand.

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Kang Jeonhyun gritted his teeth.

  “Ever heard of patient privacy?” Doctor Han grabbed Jeonhyun’s wrist and pushed him away.

  “He doesn’t have the right to that.”

  “You’re very quick to judge someone based on information you can’t even confirm.” Doctor Han went to light a cigarette only to have Kang Jeonhyun grab it and throw it on the ground. “Hey!”

  The second lieutenant marched towards the hospital bed. Yoon Taeha, who had been quiet during the whole commotion scanned him from head to toe. A bright monitor appeared to him as Kang Jeonhyun got closer.

  Name: Kang Jeonhyun

  Rank: Second Lieutenant

  Birthday: 28.12.2027

  Sex: Male

  Secondary gender: Alpha, dominant

  Height: 1.90cm

  City of birth: Seoul

  Hunter class: SS

  Qualities: Element manipulation

  The man said nothing, just stared directly at Yoon Taeha, who didn’t flinch. Since the moment he woke up, he had given a clownish presence, but his expression was serious now looking up to Kang Jeonhyun.

  Second Lieutenant Kang was ridiculously handsome. So much so that he was never left alone, not at work nor in his personal life. His face was divine, but his height and build made him stand out most. He would walk outside and every fifty meters or so someone would stop him to ask for his number or socials. Given the cold personality of his, he walked past without uttering a word, like talking to them was beneath him. One could say his attitude was rather arrogant. Those who knew him, knew also to stay away as his presence made even the toughest hunters get cold chills. Still, Yoon Taeha didn’t flinch.

  Before Kang Jeonhyun was able to say anything, more people joined them in the room. Yoon Taeha looked past the second lieutenant to see who came in.

  “Jiyeon!” His spine stretched up and his face lit up. A woman in her thirties, with long red hair on a ponytail, with a lab coat on ran to him with tears in her eyes.

  “Oppa!” Yoon Jiyeon cried as she grabbed her older brother in her arms. Yoon Taeha let her hold him, patting her back awkwardly. It had been ten years for her, but just a couple of days for him. He had just seen her a few days prior of going in the dungeon. She had been so young, and now she was all grown up.

  She let go only to grab Taeha’s face. Her eyes were red from crying, but the sad glimmer suddenly turned into fury. She let go of his face and laid a punch, leaving everyone in the room speechless. Even Kang Jeonhyun didn’t know how to act. “You were supposed to quit being a hunter! Look at you now!” The tears were running faster now. “Yoon Taeha … hic… hic… It’s been ten years. Mom’s…”

  “Did she—?" Yoon Taeha swallowed hard, then turned his gaze down.

  “No, you dumbass,” Yoon Jiyeon hit the top of Yoon Taeha’s head.

  “Ow!

  “She’s fine. I called as soon as I found out, and I’ve been getting messages non-stop for the past hour. She’s telling the neighbors how her son was invincible. It’s like she lost it, thinking you’re some kind of hero for making out alive.”

  Yoon Taeha felt a wave of relief hit him. For the few hours he’d been awake he had worried for the moment someone came to tell him that his mother had already passed while he was in a coma. Hearing that his mother was still well and able, lifted his spirits.

  “I’m glad to see you, Jiyeon.” Yoon Taeha smiled in the end and patted his sister’s head. She pouted for a moment, then took a sharp look at the people at the door, the doctor and the Second Lieutenant.

  “Seri, explain why all these people are here.” Yoon Jiyeon demanded. “He just woke up, hasn’t he earned his rest?”

  A petite woman in heels, her ink-black hair cut into a sleek bob walked closer to them. She bowed to Yoon Taeha as a courtesy.

  “First Lieutenant Yoon Taeha, I am the Chief Hunter of Seoul Hunter’s Association, Han Seri.”

  Name: Han Seri

  Rank: Chief Hunter

  Birthday: 06.12.2013

  Sex: Female

  Secondary gender: Alpha, recessive

  Height: 1.64cm

  City of birth: Seoul

  Hunter class: S

  Qualities: Blinding, illusions

  Chief Han… Han… His brows furrowed with the thought.

  As Yoon Taeha was done with Han Seri’s information chart, he notices her looking directly at him, or that’s what it looked like. Yoon Taeha quickly realized she was staring past him, at his info chart on her monitor. Not that he could see it himself, but her expression made let it slip.

  Yoon Taeha had already seen his own information, and the file the doctor had, but he knew the information was false. While the information was what others saw, the truth was very different. He suddenly felt Kang Jeonhyun eyes pierce straight to his soul.

  What is this dude’s problem? He thought while maintaining his clownish smile. Han Seri glanced back to Kang Jeonhyun.

  “Second Lieutenant Kang, what brings you here.” Han Seri’s gaze turned toward Kang Jeonhyun. “I don’t recall assigning you to First Lieutenant’s case.”

  Kang Jeonhyun’s expression remained cold. Yoon Taeha’s mind went directly to thinking the man had an authority problem, but surprisingly Kang Jeonhyun stayed silent, took a step back and walked away. Han Seri sighed.

  “First Lieutenant Yoon Taeha– “, she begun while turning back to him, but she was interrupted by Taeha’s sigh.

  “You’re not here to pay your respects I presume.”

  “I’m afraid not. I don’t believe it comes as a surprise to you that the board of Seoul Hunter’s Association has ordered a full investigation on your case.”

  “I’m disappointed but not surprised.” He laughed dryly.

  “What can you tell us about that night? How much do you remember of the incident that placed inside the Jujak-gate?”

  Yoon Taeha rubbed both his temples simultaneously.

  “I don’t remember much. I went in the dungeon, and the next thing I knew I was being held by someone, and the I woke up here.”

  “Yoon Taeha, I’m asking you to co-operate with us. I cannot help you if I don’t have the necessary information.” Han Seri fixed her posture before continuing. “Three hundred men were sent in the Jujak-gate, but two-hundred-ninety-nine remained inside. You, Lieutenant, are the only one that returned. Even with your status as First Lieutenant, we cannot brush this off as merely an accident without proper investigation, so if there’s anything else you remember, I need you to tell me.”

  Yoon Taeha’s expression went cold, but only for a split second before shifting into a bright smile again.

  “I believe I told you I recall nothing of the incident. All I know is the information Doctor Han has told me today. Now if you excuse me, I need to rest.”

  “You give me no choice Yoon Taeha, I will have to escort you to the Glasshouse. Your interrogation will begin as soon as you’re able to walk on your own.” With Han Seri’s words the two guards that had escorted her in the infirmary rolled a wheelchair in.

  “Seri, he just woke up, what are you doing?” Yoon Jiyeon cried.

  “I keep sure to separate my duty from my personal life. Even if he’s your brother, I have to do as the law demands. No suspect goes without interrogation and possible trial.”

  “My brother is no criminal, are you insane!?” Yoon Jiyeon gasped for air. Yoon Taeha waved at her sister to come closer.

  “Jiyeon, it’s fine. I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m sure. I’ll be home in no time.”

  “But– “

  “Don’t worry about me,” he begun and took a sharp look at Han Seri, “after all, I survived while the others didn’t.”

  Han Seri gritted her teeth. If she wasn’t already suspicious of him, she was now. There was something very strange about Yoon Taeha. He had been in a coma for the past 10 years, yet he showed no signs of trauma, PTSD or other symptoms an S-class gate would normally cause a man. She wondered whether it was time for her to put Kang Jeonhyun to use.

  “I must remind you that though you’ve been in a coma for the past 10 years, your military status has not been revoked. You’re still the First Lieutenant, but first and foremost you are a hunter. Your duty is to the association and your country. So act like it.”

  “I shall remember my place, chief.”

  The security guard walked closer to Yoon Taeha and lifted him up from his hospital bed.

  Han Yoonseo got up from his office chair and walked behind them. Han Seri, who was following the guard turned to his brother, confused to as to why he was following them. Doctor Han gave a dry smile.

  “What? You can’t expect me to leave my patient without medical assistance?”

  “Why do you care? Don’t you have work to do?”

  “As there have been no major gates lately, things have been boring. But this one interests me.”

  “My, my, aren’t I popular.” Yoon Taeha laughed. His sister didn’t hesitate to smack his head. “Ow!”

  Even as they moved to the Glasshouse, the associations detention center, there was one face Yoon Taeha couldn’t forget. Kang Jeonhyun seemed too familiar; he couldn’t shake off the strange feeling that he had met him before. But it was impossible, he had been coma for the past ten years, and Kang Jeonhyun was only twenty-two years old. Even if he had met him just before going into the Jujak-gate, he would only have been twelve.

  “Who was that man just now?” He finally asked.

  “Kang Jeonhyun?” Doctor Han replied. “He’s the Second Lieutenant at SHA. A very capable hunter, yet he is the biggest bastard I have laid my eyes on.”

  “Hmm, but he’s very handsome.”

  “Yes, a handsome bastard indeed.” Doctor Han laughed dryly. Even with this answer Yoon Taeha couldn’t help but feel there was something the doctor wasn’t telling him. But it didn’t matter. He knew he would find out sooner or later. After all, there were a great deal of things no one knew about him too.