The S-class Awakening

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Jonghyun's eyes snapped open, heart racing as he stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. The scent of dust and unfamiliar surroundings clung to the air, filling his senses as confusion settled in. He blinked several times, attempting to adjust his vision. This wasn't his room. It wasn't even his apartment complex.

Sitting up, Jonghyun's breath hitched in his throat. The scene before him felt like a nightmare—a twisted reflection of the life he knew. He was in the middle of his apartment complex, but everything was wrong. His neighbors, the tenants who lived on the same floors as him, were scattered across the ground. Some were still trying to reach for their phones, others were lying motionless, while a few screamed out in panic.

"W-What's going on?" Jonghyun muttered to himself, his pulse quickening as he pushed himself to his feet.

The sounds of chaos filled the air—the unsettling noise of confusion, fear, and desperation. He staggered forward, trying to make sense of the situation, when a familiar voice cut through the madness.

"Stay calm, everyone! We need to stay calm!"

It was Jonghyun's own voice, echoing in the tense air as he moved toward the center of the chaos. He tried to project confidence, even though the panic bubbling in his own chest made it nearly impossible. His gaze swept across the frightened faces, all eyes watching him. He could sense the unease. His attempts at calming them felt like fragile threads in a storm.

An older man, trembling with fear, suddenly stepped forward. His voice quivered with disbelief as he looked Jonghyun up and down. "Who are you to tell us to stay calm? You're just a low-level guide! What do you know about any of this?"

The man's words hit Jonghyun like a slap. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, another voice interrupted.

"You should listen to him."

Mrs. Lee, a kind older woman who lived on the same floor, stood firm despite her own terror. She locked eyes with the old man, her voice steady but filled with a quiet confidence. "He's the only one here who knows what's happening. He's the only one with the experience. He's the only guide here, and you should trust him."

Jonghyun swallowed hard, grateful for Mrs. Lee's support. Her words helped steady his nerves, and he turned back to face the crowd.

"Listen to Mrs. Lee," he said, trying to keep his voice calm. "We need to stay put and wait for help. Panicking won't help anyone."

But as soon as the words left his mouth, the air shifted. A deafening roar echoed through the apartment complex. The ground trembled beneath their feet. The civilians around Jonghyun gasped in horror as something large and monstrous appeared, its glowing eyes locked on its prey.

Jonghyun's heart skipped a beat. He barely had time to think. Without hesitating, he moved forward, stepping in front of a terrified civilian. "Stay behind me!" he ordered, instinctively shielding the person with his body.

Before the monster could strike, there was a flash of movement, a blur of speed, and suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around Jonghyun's waist. He was pulled up off his feet, effortlessly hoisted into the air as the monster's clawed swipe barely missed him. His body froze in the strong hold, and his heart pounded in his chest.

Jonghyun turned his head, wide-eyed, to see none other than Seojin standing there, holding him firmly in his arms. His features were set in a hard, determined expression, his eyes cold and calculating.

The sheer power in Seojin's arms was undeniable. Jonghyun felt the rush of strength in every muscle, the overwhelming sense of security that came from being held by someone who radiated raw power. His breath hitched as a strange heat coursed through his body, a pull deep inside him that he couldn't ignore.

Seojin's grip tightened, and Jonghyun's breath caught in his throat. The moment felt strangely intimate, as though they were the only two people in the world. Jonghyun's pulse raced, and though part of him knew this wasn't the time for this kind of confusion, he couldn't deny the feeling of connection.

Seojin's voice broke the tension. "I'll handle this." He didn't look at Jonghyun as he spoke, his eyes already locked on the monster. He released a quiet breath, his focus entirely on the creature before him.

With a sudden, sharp motion, Seojin raised his hand. The air around them seemed to warp, rippling as if reality itself bent under his control. He twisted his fingers, and in an instant, the space around the monster warped, its movements becoming sluggish and distorted. The monster's body spasmed as it tried to escape, but the space around it twisted further, forcing it to remain in place.

Jonghyun watched in awe, a mixture of admiration and confusion swirling inside him. He could feel the power radiating from Seojin, could feel the magnetic pull that seemed to surround them both. And yet, Seojin hadn't let go of him. Not for a second.

A part of Jonghyun wanted to pull away, to put some distance between them, but another part—the part that had been awakened by Seojin's touch—didn't want to let go either. His heart thudded erratically as he stared up at Seojin, whose intense focus was entirely on the monster.

"Why...?" Jonghyun's voice trembled, but it was quiet, too quiet for Seojin to hear. He wanted to ask why Seojin hadn't let go of him yet, why he felt that same strange tug in his chest, but the words stuck in his throat.

It was then that Seojin's teammate rushed forward. "Guildmaster!" The man called out, breathless and startled. "What are you doing? Why didn't you wait for us?"

The question was more for Seojin than for Jonghyun, but Jonghyun couldn't ignore the way the teammate's gaze flicked to him. The recognition in the man's eyes was immediate—he noticed how Seojin was holding him so closely, as if Jonghyun were the only thing that mattered in that moment. The man's expression faltered, then softened with an understanding that made Jonghyun feel even more self-conscious.

"You're—" The teammate hesitated, glancing from Jonghyun to Seojin. "You're holding him?"

Seojin's grip tightened slightly, his expression hardening. His eyes flicked toward his teammate, but his gaze remained soft—softer than it had ever been with anyone else.

Jonghyun shifted in Seojin's arms, uncomfortable but unwilling to break the moment. He didn't know how to feel. His thoughts were clouded by the closeness, by the tension that hung in the air between them.

"Let go of me," Jonghyun muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He tried to gather his thoughts, to make sense of everything that was happening. "Please."

Seojin hesitated, his chest tightening as if fighting against something deep inside him. His instincts screamed at him to hold on, to never let go of this person who felt so... right. But he forced himself to release Jonghyun, though his hands lingered for a moment longer than necessary.

As he slowly let Jonghyun down, Seojin's voice was low, barely audible over the chaos. "You should be careful next time."

Jonghyun swallowed, too stunned to respond. He took a step back, but his heart was still racing, and the overwhelming sensation of Seojin's presence didn't fade. It lingered, like a weight pressing against his chest.

"Let's go," Seojin muttered, turning back to the battle with the monster, leaving Jonghyun standing there, heart pounding with a mixture of awe and confusion.

But there was no time to dwell on it now. The monster still needed to be dealt with, and Jonghyun knew he had to remain focused. Their destinies had already collided—and nothing would ever be the same again.

End of Chapter 6

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