Three Ways to Run from an Esper

Part 1

Yoo Joonghyuk's POV:

    He couldn't believe it. He paved his way through the black gate with ease. He normally had no trouble with red gates, but black gates contained monsters almost as strong as him. Normally he had to conserve his energy so he didn't rampage, but he wasn't feeling a hint of toxic energy in his body. He can't remember the last time he had used his powers so freely. He can't remember the last time he didn't feel pain. He can't remember a time he felt like this.
    He laughed as he slayed the boss hydra in less than a minute. As much as he was enjoying this free use of power, he had to get back to his guide as quickly as possible. He couldn't believe it. HIS guide! After all these years he finally found him. It was unfortunate they had to part right away. He even considered taking his guide into the black gate so that he could keep him in his grasp, but he knew it was too dangerous for a guide in a black dungeon, even with him as a bodyguard. Guides are practically regular people in terms of strength. Even a flying rock from one of his explosions could kill him.
    That thought scared Joonghyuk, and he can't remember the last time he was scared. So he managed to release the guide's wrist and enter the dungeon alone. There was no one else in the country strong enough to close a black gate after all.
    But now he was finished, and in record time! It only took him ten minutes! That was probably a new world record.
    He flew as fast as he could into the exit gate and was back out on the street. The street lights illuminated the dark street, but there was no one there. The brown haired female esper and HIS guide were gone... DID SHE TAKE HIM! HE WOULD KILL HER!"
He felt the rage increase his toxicity level by a small degree, but he couldn't care less. He had finally found his guide, and now he was gone! He didn't even know his name! But he would find him even if he had to go on a rampage to do it. After feeling that sweet, painless, perfect guiding, he knew he would go mad if he never felt it again.
    He flew directly to his guild headquarters and into Lee Jihye's room, his vice quildmaster was asleep, but he didn't care.
   "Wake up." He commanded
    The black haired girl immediately awoke with a start.
   "Joonghyuk?" She asked through sleepy eyes, she looked at her nightstand to see that it was 2:00 in the morning. "What the fuck? Do you know what time it is? A black gate better have appeared for you to have woken me up at this unholy hour."
   "I already closed the black gate." Joonghyuk said simply.
    "What?"
    "Never mind. That's not important."
    It sounded important, but Jihye let it slide when she heard his next sentence.
   "I met my guide." He said with clenched fists and an angry scowl.
   "That... that's amazing!" Jihye said with excitement "but... why do you look so mad then?"
   "He was stolen from me." Joonghyuk said with a voice so deadly it made Jihye shiver.
   "Who would be crazy enough to steal from you? Everyone who's not living under a rock knows not to mess with you."
   "Some female esper. She seemed to be around A class, with a golden rope power and golden daggers."
   "That's strange, I thought I knew all the A class espers in the center, but I don't recognize that description. Do you think she's unregistered?"
   "Does it matter?"
   "Well if she is unregistered, there's a good chance that guide you mentioned is as well. I've heard unregistered awakened often help each other hide from the center. This could explain why we haven't been able to find him all this time. You've already checked your compatibility with every registered guide in Korea, and even some from overseas.
    "It doesn't matter whether he's registered or not. I'll find him."
    Jihye didn't want to be the one to point out the obvious to her angry guild leader, so she kept her thoughts to herself, but she couldn't help but think, 'If he's unregistered, it probably means he doesn't want to be a guide.'
She felt bad for this nameless fellow, but she cared about her guild-master's health and well being more.
"Don't worry, we will find him Sir, I'll start waking up our reconnaissance espers and get the media team and awakened police to put out a nation wide search for both the esper and guide. If we find one of them, we'll probably find both of them. Just in case, we'll look through the database as well in case they are somehow registered and just slipped under our radar."
   Jihye continued to plan the search while Joonghyuk closed his eyes and tried to think. He remembered the guide's tired looking face, cheap suit and loose tie. He also had an old, frayed satchel bag.
    "Look for office workers around their late 20s and early 30s. Not a high level worker. He probably isn't paid much and works late hours." Joonghyuk said as Jihye sprang into action typing notes on her phone and began calling people to wake them up at 2 o'clock in the morning.
   "Where are you going?" Jihye asked as he headed for the door.
   "To search for my guide." He said simply as he stormed out the door.