A loud thud is heard in the hallway when Lee Howon, resident and agent of the Black Order, falls off his bed after a dreamless sleep.  Ignoring the pain from the impact, he yawns and rubs the  sleepiness from his eyes. He then stretches his limbs in order to warm up his body for his intense morning workout, consists of a hundred push-ups, sit-ups and jumping jacks. The sweat trickling down his toned body and the burning sensation in his muscles assure that he is ready to face any demon that comes his way.

After resting a few minutes, Howon saunters to the bathroom and takes his time showering since  it is still too early for breakfast to be served in the Atrium. When he is done, he looks for some clothes. A blue T-shirt so dark it could be mistaken as black hugs his torso perfectly and shows off his ripped body. He also wears the specialized black jeans and dark combat boots developed by the organization’s top notch scientists. These help agents to run smoothly and perform their duties as effective and efficient as possible.

Howon thinks it’s really an advantage for them to have these skilled people as a part of their organization. He, himself, is a proud member and agent of the organization called the Black Order.

The existence and purpose of the Black Order remains unknown to most people. However, to people with conscious control over their psychic power, the organization is where they belong.
 

Psychic power is the energy from the mind that allows the users to perceive things through various mental forms. These could be psychic energy manipulation, psionics, clairvoyance, various forms of telekinesis, psychic weaponry and dream manipulation.The most common one is psionics and the dream manipulation is the least.

Some people acquire their psychic powers at birth, while others may develop it during adolescence. In rare cases, there are people who are not aware of these abilities until adulthood.

 

For Howon, it was the first. His parents abandoned him to the care of the High Priest, Lee Jungyeop, who he calls “Uncle” in private. Since he was a baby, it was evident he possessed a strong psychic power. And it was for that reason why the board of the organization decided to keep him. After all, such powers can only mean one of two things; an important asset or a threat to their wellbeing.


At 21 years old, Howon already has  more field experience than most agents. He is the most trusted agent of the High Priest and the board. It is he whom the board sends on missions that would lead most agents to death.

When he is done dressing, he goes  down straight to the Atrium. On the way, he hears a loud buzzing  sound which indicate that the other agents are awake and also eager to have their breakfast. Howon enters through the big doors and is met with the sight of almost a hundred agents milling around the huge area. Many of them are chatting about their recent missions.


If someone were to ask Howon about his missions, he would say they were as easy as reciting the alphabet.  Of course each and every mission they embarked on could be their last, however, compared to the older generations, they had it easy. The older generation lived in a time where they had only themselves to rely on. But with the existence of the recent Gwanghwamun Peace Treaty, agents now had more protection. Nonetheless, the treaty did not make  their situations any less dangerous.

Howon observes his surroundings while waiting in line for breakfast. There are so many faces lingering around. Some are young but most are old. And considering his aloof nature, it is understandable for him to not know anyone in the lunch room.  Although he practically grew up within the Org, he only has about three or four friends.

One of them is-

“Ow!" Howon turns to glare at the person that just hit him on the head. “Ya! Feeldog, what the is wrong with you?"
 

You see, Howon is  a man of few words. He watches as his best friend's face contorts in a mixture of betrayal and sadness.

“Feeldog? You called me Feeldog? Man, we're not in the field. Best friends are supposed to call each other by first name basis, Howon." He places his hand on his heart and mutters an ouch.

Howon punches him on the arm. Oh Gwangsuk has been and always will be playful regardless of the time of the day. However, he can also be one of the most serious agents when on the field and his record of achievements is a proof of that.

“Why did you hit me?" Howon shouldn't have asked. He knows Feeldog does things just...because. No reasons needed.

“Eyyy, didn't you miss me? Did you get to sleep properly knowing your best friend is out there battling with a rogue Nephilim? Look, you've got dark bags underneath your eyes. Poor Hobaby"

“That is the last straw. He hits the man on the head. Hard. “Stop calling me that. Or else I'll do to you what I did to that Fury who attacked humans for pleasure." He threatens. Of course it is an empty threat; both of them know it but it doesn't stop them from humoring each other.

"What? You'll rip off my wings? Well, for your information Mr. Lee Howon, I'm human, so I have no wings. Wait, actually that's a lie. I'm an angel sent from up above! I'm a child of God! You wouldn't dare to hurt me Howonie!" Gwangsuk says with a smirk. It is lame, he knows, but he needs to throw something to counterattack his friend's threat.

Howon rolls his eyes at him and continues to move forward in the breakfast line. Gwangsuk is trailing behind him, still pestering him about things that aren't actually important. There are just days that Gwangsuk says anything and everything. Sadly, today is one of those days.

“..so I hissed at the cat and shouted at her to get the heck away from my tv."

Howon tunes out the other's voice because listening to him spouting nonsense will be a waste of energy. He'd rather focus on eating his breakfast, thank you.

He is on his third piece of toast and Gwangsuk is still rambling things when they hear a familiar shrilling sound.

It doesn't even take a whole five seconds for Gwangsuk to stop talking and put his game face on. Howon reluctantly lets go of his toast and hurriedly runs out of the Atrium, to the backyard where the Gate of the Dark World is guarded.

Looking around him, Howon sees that the agents, who were once chatting and enjoying breakfast, are now running towards the dark gate with him.

After all, nothing comes before their duty. Not even breakfast, or any other meal for that matter.

 

They are the agents of Black Order, an organization that maintains peace between the world of humans and demons.

Agents are placed into 1 of 3 divisions. The first division is the Guards; they have average psychic skills at best, but are great at combat. They are the ones who routinely guard the gate and are responsible for the safety of the Officials.
 

The second division are the Officials; the pioneers who helped establish the organization. They excel intellectually, but lack the skills of combat. Officials can easily invent gadgets that could save millions yet won’t stand a chance against the weakest demon. Rumor has it that even an ant can defeat them. This was why they are mostly found in their offices.
 

Last is the third division better known as the Dark Knights. The Dark Knights are gifted with  psychic powers along with combat and special skills. The title of Dark Knights is quite fitting for individuals found in this division. It is they who are left in the shadows to clean up messes that the humans turn a blind eye to. It is they who save the innocent from the terrors of evil over and over again. Howon and Gwangsuk belong to this division.

Some agents are seen hopping over the roof of buildings  while others opt to stay on the ground.

When Howon reaches the gate, he sees the guards in fighting stances. Despite the ongoing shrill sound coming from the device above the gate, they see nothing out of the ordinary, which explain the looks of confusion by all the agents, especially the guards.
 

The device was created to detect demons who enter the human world illegally or without the permission of their Supreme Lord. This makes anyone - be it a demon or a human- liable if they ever enter through the Gate without permission. Those who don't follow the treaty are labeled as rogue and the Black Orders of both worlds are responsible for eliminating them, especially if they cause trouble.

Howon looks around, squinting his eyes as if it would help him see rogue demonds. He gets distracted when he hears a single beep from the communication device in his ear.

“What is going on Hoya?" The voice on the other end is from none other than his uncle, the high priest. Since it is protocol, they must not reveal their relationship, hence the codename.

“Sir, we are currently at the gate. The device is still emitting shrill sounds as of now. However, no demon is seen coming out of the portal." he replies matter-of-factly.

“No demon is physically seen?" Howon knows his uncle to be a calm person but when he asks that question, his voice is clearly laced with anxiety.
 

"What do you mean, sir?"
 

"Ah, nothing. I was just-- Just stay there and watch out for any demons. Then, come to my office once you're done. And by done, I mean when the device stops and no demons are still found."

“Do you think the device needs to be replaced, sir? After all, it's very important for detecting rogue demons."

“I don't know to be honest with you. I'll probably talk to the board about this. Just...just come to my office once you're done."


He then hears another beep, signaling the end of their communication.

He glances at his left and sees Gwangsuk with his face contorted in confusion like all the other agents. This situation is a first for all of them. The sound device never failed to announce rogue demons escaping into the human world. It is the key that helps the Black Order keep the chaos to a minimal and a secret to ordinary people. It has been with them for a long time, ever since the treaty was signed in the 1960s. Now in 2030, it is still perfectly fine. Or so they thought.

A few minutes later, the sound stops with still no demon ever surfacing. It is quiet for a whole minute until every agent decides it is safe to let their guards down and talk.

Loud chattering is heard as the agents leisurely walk back to the building. Howon is casually walking, not even sparing a glance to his best friend who he believes is just right behind him.

And then a sound is heard which stops them all in their tracks.

They glance back and see some of the guards loudly and the others are screaming in agony. They are left agape at the sight of the agents.

The ones loudly have wisps of unearthly smoke coming in and out of their private parts. But if that isn't enough to bring shock, the ones who are screaming in agony are now even screaming louder. Their bodies slowly lose the strength to stand on their own and they crumple down on the grass. Their breathing becomes labored