Night was falling on Nyoseong, and a light mist snaked over Lake Gwanmo. Daegun, seated on a worn wooden bench, gazed at the horizon. His thoughts were clouded by the day's events.
The image of Jin lingered in his mind, omnipresent. That boy was unlike anyone else. He had an aura, a way of manipulating his surroundings and the people around him, that surpassed anything Daegun had encountered. He knew it wasn't just due to his abilities as an Awakened.
The sound of footsteps behind him interrupted his thoughts. He turned his head slightly and saw Viktor, a sturdy old man, holding two cans of beer in his hands.
"Lost in your thoughts, huh?" Viktor said as he approached.
"Is it that obvious?" Daegun replied without fully turning around.
Viktor sat down beside him, extending one of the cans.
"When a young guy like you sits by a lake instead of being home asleep, it's clear something's wrong. Here, drink this. It won't solve anything, but it'll help you think."
Daegun took the can, opened it, and took a sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat but didn't ease the turmoil in his mind. Viktor settled in comfortably, opened his own can, and calmly observed the lake.
"So, what brings you here?" Viktor asked after a moment of silence.
"A complicated day," Daegun replied hesitantly.
"Everything's complicated in our line of work. Be more specific."
Daegun sighed.
"I met someone today. An Awakened. Not like the others. This guy… Jin, he's something else."
"Something else how?" Viktor frowned, intrigued.
Daegun took another sip before answering.
"He can read minds. Maybe not entirely, but enough to guess what I was hiding. He pushed me into a corner without even raising his voice. It's like he was playing a game where he knew all the rules, and I didn't know any."
Viktor raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting. And what did he want from you?"
"Collaboration. He wants me to be a mole inside the intelligence services. He claims it's for the greater good, but I doubt he's that altruistic."
Viktor let out a soft laugh.
"A guy asking you to betray your own camp? He's got guts, I'll give him that. But why didn't you arrest him?"
Daegun turned to him, annoyed.
"You think it was that simple? That guy has abilities that surpass anything I've seen. He had me cornered before I could even come up with a strategy. It's like he'd already anticipated my every move."
Viktor studied him closely, his expression growing more serious.
"He impressed you, that's clear. But there's more to it, isn't there?"
"Yes," Daegun admitted after a moment. "He scares me. Not because he's powerful, but because he acts without ties, without loyalty. He only follows his own logic. People like that are unpredictable… and dangerous."
Viktor nodded slowly, taking a sip of his beer before responding.
"You know what makes someone like him even more dangerous? The people who underestimate him. At least you understand who you're dealing with. But let me give you a piece of advice, Daegun. Awakened aren't gods. They have flaws, like everyone else. You just have to find Jin's."
Daegun straightened slightly, intrigued.
"And if I can't find it?"
"Then you create that flaw. Everyone has a breaking point, even the strongest. But to do that, you need to stop acting like a target. Be the weapon, not the shield."
A silence settled between them, broken only by the rustling leaves and the gentle lapping of the water.
"Do you think I should work with him?" Daegun finally asked.
"Work with him? No. Use him. Take advantage of him for as long as you can. And when he's no longer useful, get rid of him before he does the same to you."
Daegun lowered his gaze to the can in his hand, his thoughts heavier than ever.
"It's not that simple."
"Nothing is," Viktor replied, standing up. "But if you want to survive in this world, you have to learn to play on the same field as people like Jin. And for that, you need to be ready to get your hands dirty."
Viktor took a few steps before stopping, looking back at the lake.
"One last thing, Daegun. Don't let fear consume you. It'll make you vulnerable, and guys like Jin can smell weakness from miles away. Find your center. Because if you waver, you lose."
He gave Daegun a piercing look before disappearing into the darkness.
Daegun was left alone. The reflection on the lake seemed to show him an image of himself that he no longer recognized. Jin had already begun to change his view of the world, and it terrified him as much as it intrigued him.