Ayen stiffened where he stood, unsure whether to go back or proceed where the sound was coming from. And he did not have a choice either; the only one leading ahead was where the voices came from.
After thinking about it, he decided to check who was talking. Ayen did not have the intention to ask for help, but it was not like he was in a situation to choose either.
The worst thing that could happen was another dead end ahead of him; either way, they were dead.
Ayen's footsteps then echoed as his shoes made contact with the damp floor. His eyes, for once, were wide open, guarded at what was about to come.
His whole body was in full alert. Ayen had already forgotten when he actually felt this way before. And yet, in less than a day, he experienced a lot of emotions and upheavals.
"Someone's here," the calm voice uttered. And followed by an agreement from his companion. Ayen was not surprised that they sensed his arrival.
As soon as he turned, a bizarre scene greeted him. Ayen's expression remained the same, and still looked wary, though surprised; it did not create a wave inside of him.
Instead, the two were the one surprise and looked at him with furrowed brows. It seemed an arrival of an unwelcome guest displeased them, and Ayen could say the same.
His eyes glanced and observed the two, his gaze indifferent. Truly unlike how one would react seeing two men almost naked in a dark and damp cave.
The two men only had their pants on and were bare-chested; their positions were also intimate as one was on top of the other. Ayen's nonchalant gaze swept quickly to the two, and recognition flickered in his eyes.
As for their position, Ayen could not care less to think so much, also, seeing naked chests was already normal, as he was also a man himself. And so, he did not give a scandalous expression like one normally would, witnessing such a private scene.
While Ayen was observing the two, they were doing the same. For a moment, the two sides fell into a silent staring contest.
"Wait," the man on top of the other appeared to have recovered from the surprise of Ayen's arrival. His jaw dropped, and he let out a harsh curse and pointed at Ayen accusingly. "You... how the hell are you here?"
Ayen's brow twitched, not liking being pointed at. He only passively stared at the man with a striking, handsome face and exuded a serene impression. In contrast to the tone of his voice, arrogant and overbearing.
"Hey," he looked at the man under him and slapped his shoulders. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
A look of amusement appeared on the man under him, who appeared intimidatingly handsome, and someone seemed to have a natural smirk on his face, looking mischievous.
His hand wrapped around the man on top of him, and he sat down with the other still sitting on his lap. He patted his back and shifted his gaze to Ayen, who was watching them with an indifferent expression.
"Of course, I'm not blind." Contrary to his appearance, he sounded calm. His black gaze swept Ayen from head to toe, raising a brow, curiosity etched in his eyes. "But I'm no less surprised than you."
The two seemed not to have any intention to move from their intimate position, as though they were shameless enough to converse in that position. Either way, Ayen also did not care.
"Right?" The man sitting on his lap snapped and shot a glare at Ayen. "You, why—" Before he could answer, Ayen stopped him.
"I have a name, not you." Ayen still wore his wary expression, but only that it had lessened significantly. Without waiting for a reply, Ayen opened his mouth again. "I know you two."
His voice was too calm, like casually calling an acquaintance from way back on the street and not two terrifying espers even the government was afraid to confront.
The man on top was about to say something, but closed his mouth, face returning to serenity. Ayen found it odd how his personality was in complete opposition to his appearance, as if the two had exchanged bodies.
Under their scrutinizing gaze, Ayen took a deep breath, and his hands subconsciously clenched. In reality, while his expression remained impassive, only he knew how his heart was now beating so hard, and the anxiety was almost leaving him breathless.
However, the moment he recognized the two, his mind only screamed for one thing. His chance to live was here, no matter how bad their reputation was... these two were still the aces of humanity.
It was fortunate that Ayen was primarily a civil servant rather than a field guide. He had access to the latest information daily, and these two were famous to begin with.
"Devion," Ayen called a name and pointed at the man sitting on the other's lap, and then his gaze shifted to the other. "Khal."
Almost as if they talked about it, their brows shot up, and they now looked at Ayen more seriously. The one under Devion, Khal, patted his ass and smirked. "Looks like we can't continue with a little guest here. Of course, we can still do it if you're eager."
Devion's expression immediately twisted and glared before finally getting up from his position. "Don't be excited, look who's more eager than us." His hand cupped the bulge in Khal's crotch and squeezed it, earning a painful gasp from Khal.
"Hey!"
Devion laughed dangerously. "Look at you fucker, who's eager, now?"
Khal glared at him, but his hand also suddenly caught a certain part that made Devion welp and let go of what he was holding.
"Now, we're even." He chuckled while Devion slapped his shoulder, obviously pissed at how it even echoed, making him laugh harder.
Ayen blinked and did not make a sound, watching the two infamous individuals hold each other's lower bodies without a care for the witness, as if playing.
At that point, he realized rumors were not to be trusted.
Ayen only had the impression of them from what he had read and heard. Devion and Khal, the only two recorded SS-class Espers ever in history. In a way, only because of their emergence were the rank SS class appointed to an esper, where the highest class was only S.
They were called Calamity Espers, and it was not a good way. This was because while the two increase the combat power of humanity against the otherworld gates, they were also a threat to themselves.
SS-class was an unknown territory, and the government was wary of them, especially as it became known that no guides could ever handle guiding them.
An Esper needed a guide to help them neutralize toxins, and if accumulated, would make them lose control. And once they did, they were no different than uncontrollable beats that only wanted destruction.
A C-class esper going out of control was already a threat, and the possibility of two SS-class going berserk was like how humanity treated forbidden zones... a calamity.