Chapter 1: The Lee Family’s Pet (1)

　　A city left in ruins by a monster. You saved me, and I swore I would do anything for you.

* * *

　　With exams looming, the VR Anatomy Lab at Ideia University was packed. Every station in the simulation room was taken, as was every seat in the study hall with its cadaver models.

　　Even the desks in the waiting area outside the lab, usually empty, were crowded with students. A stuffy, quiet heat radiated from the scene, a silent testament to their focus as they pored over thick textbooks, their highlighters whispering across the pages.

　　The fervent atmosphere only broke when lunchtime arrived. It was then that a young woman entered, found an empty seat, and opened a book. A male student, who had been sitting at a round table across from her with his nose buried in his own text, glanced up. His eyes widened.

　　She’s beautiful.

　　She was stunning enough to make him do a double take. Is she in my department? He’d been in and out of the VR lab countless times but had never seen her before.

　　Ah, she must be a nursing student.

　　The lab was primarily used by medical and life sciences students, but nursing students often dropped by. If a girl like that were in the male-dominated life sciences department, rumors would have been rampant. She had to be a nursing student.

　　Seriously, she’s gorgeous. With that thought, he lowered his gaze back to his book, but the peace was short-lived.

　　The sound of her taking a book from her bag reached him. It was a faint noise, easily ignored, yet he found he couldn’t. His head turned as if pulled by a string, his gaze fixing on her as she prepared to study.

　　Her sharp bob haircut cascaded as if spun from silk around a face so small it seemed it could vanish. A round, white forehead and vibrant red lips immediately captured his attention.

　　With looks like that, rumors would spread even if she never left her department office. Maybe she was a celebrity who rarely attended class.

　　Suddenly, she looked up. The student, who had been openly staring, felt his heart leap into his throat—not from her beauty, but from a sudden, chilling shock. Goosebumps erupted across his skin.

　　Her features were as distinct and lovely as if carved from ice. Her expression was a bit too cold, which was a shame, but her appearance was so flawless it hardly mattered.

　　And yet, one detail overwhelmed everything else: her eyes. Beneath smooth lids, her eyes were a vivid purple, like a slice of the predawn sky. It was a rare color, sometimes found only in people of Celtic descent or those with albinism.

　　But that wasn’t why he was shocked. In this day and age, purple meant more than just rarity. It was the color of the Gates—the symbol of disaster.

　　Gates were portals to another world that had one day torn open the sky. To all but the handful of awakened beings who could harvest energy from the demon beasts that emerged, they were a terrifying omen.

　　And purple eyes were the mark of those who had survived the destruction of a city by a Gate. People had always been wary of the color, too vivid and unnatural for this world, but that wariness had turned to open ostracism after the International Gate Research Institute announced that the trait was caused by the genetic influence of demon beasts. Soon after, those with purple eyes came to be called contaminants.

　　The fear was so pervasive that baseless, malicious news stories circulated, claiming contaminants would one day turn into monsters and devour their neighbors. The rumor was devastating.

　　Because of their connection to demon beasts, contaminants were treated like plague victims. It was a form of discrimination unlike any other; without a sponsor to vouch for them, they couldn’t get a job, let alone enroll in school.

　　At the height of the hysteria, their bodies were sometimes found in filthy back alleys. There were even whispers that eccentric millionaires collected them.

　　The situation had eased somewhat after the government enacted anti-discrimination laws for Gate victims and human rights groups began to insist that “contaminant” was a slur, that these people were human, not monsters. But it was hard to change perceptions so deeply ingrained.

　　What the hell? She’s a contaminant. The student’s fleeting attraction vanished. But how is a contaminant here?

　　Ideia University housed the Awakened Center; its security was second to none. Anyone without an ID card couldn’t even get past the main gate. That left only one explanation.

　　She must have a sponsor.

　　But for someone with a sponsor, she was dressed plainly. Ideia was a special-purpose university treated like a state institution, with massive government funding. Most students, backed by wealthy families, were dressed lavishly.

　　Her clothes, by comparison, were neat but ordinary. Lost in thought, he finally pieced it together.

　　Ah, don’t tell me she’s… that girl I’ve only heard rumors about…

　　“Well, look who it is. Dana Lee. All alone without Doha?”

　　That’s right. Doha Lee’s dog.

　　Doha Lee was an A-rank Esper from the Awakened Center and the son of the chairman of the massive construction firm, Yangwoo. The precious, fifth-generation sole heir of the Lee family.

　　He was treated like a prince even at Ideia, a place teeming with prodigies. And this girl was his servant—or his dog. The male student’s eyes filled with curiosity as he finally laid eyes on the subject of so many whispers.

　　The one who’d spoken was a tall man with short hair and a swagger that suggested he was no scholar. The student recognized him, too, not because he was well-connected, but because of the murmurs that rippled through the room.

　　“It’s the C-rank Esper, Jeonghyeon Jeong.”

　　Anyone with the slightest interest in the awakened knew the students of Ideia’s Awakened Studies department.

　　“Don’t tell me you’re actually studying,” Jeonghyeon said with a strange smile.

　　To the student, it looked like blatant mockery. Perhaps the idea of a mere servant studying was laughable to him. He shot Jeonghyeon a look of disdain.

　　The guy himself looked like he’d be hauling bricks on a construction site if he hadn’t lucked into being a C-rank Esper. Although his own fascination with the girl had soured upon realizing she was a contaminant, he still didn’t like seeing her disrespected.

　　“I am. Do you need something?”

　　Dana’s voice was as clear and melodious as rolling jade, yet as chilly as her appearance. The student felt a pang of regret. From her looks to her voice, she was his perfect type in every way.

　　“I do,” Jeonghyeon said, grinning like a sly badger. “Doha’s looking for you.”

　　“Doha is?”

　　“It’s urgent.”

　　The student, who had forgotten all about his books, blinked in surprise. At those words, the girl began packing her things without a moment’s hesitation.

　　After swiftly gathering her pens and notebooks, she faced Jeonghyeon. “Where is he?”

　　“Follow me.”

　　Every eye in the room followed them as they left.

　　“God, I can’t stand her.”

　　“Look at her, acting so high and mighty just because she’s close to Doha Lee.”

　　“Fucking bitch.”

　　The student understood the envy and jealousy fueling their insults. Doha Lee, the young master of the powerful Lee family and an A-rank Esper. They were furious that a mere contaminant could so casually meet with a man most non-awakened people rarely even glimpsed.

　　Feeling a little dejected, he rolled his pen between his fingers. A dog is a dog, I guess. Running off the second she’s called. He nodded to himself. She’s not for me.

　　Maybe a jobless bum or some desperate laborer would be interested, but no one respectable would. For a medical student like him, even a brief association with a contaminant would be a stain on his life.

　　Forcibly burying his lingering regret, he found himself wondering why Doha Lee had summoned his dog. Was it to run an errand? Or was their relationship really just that of a master and his pet?

　　The girl’s stunning beauty fueled a more suggestive possibility, but the fact that she was a contaminant slammed the brakes on his imagination. No way. There are plenty of women in the world. Why would he bother with a contaminant?

　　It was a long time before he could focus on his book again.

* * *

　　Ideia University was built on a vast plot of land, sprawling over thousands of acres. Part of the reason for its size was that it housed all Gate-related research institutions, but it was also because its location deep in a mountain valley made commuting difficult, requiring dormitories larger than most apartment complexes.

　　Whoosh!

　　Standing on a maglev disc on the rail line to the dormitory for the awakened, Dana’s hair whipped in the wind. Jeonghyeon, following close behind, inhaled the scent of her shampoo on the breeze.

　　When she glanced back, he blinked innocently. Fortunately, she quickly turned away. The moment her gaze left him, he went back to staring at the back of her head. Even that seemed pretty.

　　She’s perfect, except for her personality. If only she were a little more gentle. He licked his lips.

　　“Why is Doha looking for me?”

　　“He got a little hurt.”

　　A chill emanated from Dana’s eyes. Jeonghyeon flinched, then scowled, annoyed at himself for being intimidated by a non-awakened girl.