Chapter Text
Derpy touched down silently, and the girls slipped off his back into a formation, summoning their weapons, keeping their eyes peeled. The plaza in front of the Tower was totally deserted, with security tape still up, cordoning off the area.
It was eerily quiet.
Even at night, there should have been people here. The place should have been guarded, and the authorities were still investigating the incident the night of the concert.
And still, no one was around.
“Something feels wrong about this place.” Mira whispered, and silently the other two nodded, scanning around for signs of anything.
And yet, nothing moved.
Rumi inched a little closer to the stage, which was still set up. Sword drawn, she climbed up on the platform, her slippers whisking across the laminate floor, when something caught her eye. Scorch marks on the stage, approximately where she had been standing when Jinu saved her, and in the middle of it…
She gasped, lunging for the item on the ground, dropping her sword in the process.
“Rumi, what’s wrong?” One of her friends asked, but all Rumi heard was mumbling. She couldn’t focus on anything else, her vision tunneling towards the thing in her hand; the bracelet that woman had given her and Jinu.
He must have been wearing it, or at the least, had it on him when he died.
Rumi ran her finger over the cording, trying to wipe off the ashes caught in the fibers when a chill raised on the back of her neck.
“Your mistake got them killed.”
Rumi stiffened. That voice, that wasn’t her normal internal monologue. That was something else.
“Did either of you hear that?” Rumi asked, shoving the bracelet in her pajama pants pocket. But neither of her friends were listening, both of them staring off into the void, weapons sinking lower and lower.
“You’ll get them killed too.”
Rumi whirled around, re-summoning her sword. “Who said that?” She shouted, eyes dancing frantically to figure out what was happening, when fire burst out from the end of the stage, revealing Gwi-Ma in his full form.
“I don’t believe I need to introduce myself,” Gwi-Ma crooned, the flames bursting hotter. Even from a distance away, Rumi could feel the heat radiating off of him.
She widened her stance, brandishing her sword bravely. “Gwi-Ma.”
“And you three, are Huntr/x.” Gwi-Ma mocked. “It’s…cute.”
“I’m surprised you even know what that word means, demon king.” Rumi retorted, stepping backwards. From where she was, she couldn’t see either Zoey or Mira, nor could she hear them moving around, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off of Gwi-Ma.
“I’m full of surprises. I will even be generous, and give you another one.” Gwi-Ma’s smile, if you could even call it that, got wider, brightening the plaza with a sickly glow.
“Hello, my granddaughter.”
Rumi stopped short, freezing in place. The word rang in her ears, sending a jolt of fear throughout every part of her body. “…what?”
“I have known for some time that one of the hunters from your little troup bore my mark, and now I know it’s you. I shouldn’t have been surprised, of course. One of my children did fine work at breaking in your mother.”
“You’re lying.”
The fire looked almost offended. “I never lie. I simply share unpleasant truths. The demons of my realm are all my children, and your father was no exception. You bear my mark, which makes you, my dear, part of my lineage.”
Rumi snarled, resisting the urge to charge. “What do you want? Why are you here? If you think you can destroy the Honmoon and kill us…”
“No, that is not my intention today,” Gwi-Ma interrupted. “You see, I’m here to offer you a deal.”
“There’s no deal you could give me that I would accept.” Rumi announced, staying firm.
A smaller flame burst up out from where the bracelet had lay, revealing a bony, pale figure covered in demon patters laying on the stage floor wearing black robes. His face and body were twisted in painful contortions, but Rumi recognized him all the same.
“Jinu.” Her voice cracked, and she forced herself to stand still, lest she rush to his side. She stared at him, horrified, before reminding herself this could all be a trick. It could be another demon, transformed to look like him, or just an illusion. Steeling herself, Rumi forced herself to look back at Gwi-Ma, who seemed amused.
“Well, do you accept?” Gwi-Ma asked.
“You haven’t even laid out your terms. Do you think I’d just fall for that?” Rumi jutted out her chin, staring the demon king down.
“Of course, how…silly…of me.” Gwi-Ma replied. “The deal is simple. You turn yourself over to me, and in exchange, I let him, and your friends go.”
Rumi faltered. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t like repeating myself, hunter.” Gwi-Ma threatened, his fire shifting colors.
“You said you don’t lie.” Rumi recovered herself. “Then you go and tell me you’ll spare my friends, and that,” She gestured to the body. “Jinu is dead. You destroyed him. You honestly expect me to believe that you can hand him over?”
“Jinu did not die,” Gwi-Ma said. “He surrendered his soul to you, but it was not his to give. I took back my property, and now I offer to exchange it freely for yours.”
“And what would you want with my soul?” Rumi entertained him, frantically trying to figure out an escape. Ripples of pink and red started to emanate from all around them, and demons of all kinds emerged. She still couldn’t see Mira or Zoey, but she knew now that they were surrounded, and would have to fight their way out.
“I want an heir.”
Rumi’s mouth dropped open in shock. “I…what?” She shouted, now fully confused.
“Even half human, you possess a natural power and affinity for the gifts I bestow upon my demons. An entity with demonic power and a human soul…your caliber is like no other.” Gwi-Ma flattered, and Rumi resisted the urge to gag. “Imagine what we could do, working together?”
“No.” Rumi readied her sword, staring the flames down. “I would never work for you.”
“Not even to save him?” Gwi-Ma sang, and the body before her twisted into a painful decision, forcing a scream out of it. Even his scream sounded familiar, and it felt like the demon king was ripping her heart out. She wanted so badly to believe it was him.
“…no.” She whispered, and the smile on Gwi-Ma’s face disappeared.
“Kill them.” He ordered, and then the flames and the body vanished from sight. Rumi whirled around, seeing her friends shake their heads, as if they’d been entranced. Both of them caught off guard, Rumi had to act quickly, swinging her sword to decapitate one demon lunging for Zoey, only to turn on the follow through to stab another through the chest before it could attack Mira.
“Whoa…where the hell did these guys come from?” Mira shouted, summoning her staff just in time to defend herself from a second attack.
“Fight now, questions later.” Rumi shouted, carving her way through the demons. She felt a swell of anger in her chest, and let it explode within her, exuding a subtle glow from her patterns. Her sword shone in the moonlight, fluidly swinging around her with a violent passion, smiting demon after demon. Her heart was beating fast, and adrenaline coursed through her veins, keeping up her attack again and again until she turned around to see nothing left. Panting, she prowled around, hoping to find another demon to smite, but saw nothing.
They’d won.
“What just happened?” Zoey asked. “I heard a voice in my ear, and then it was like…I couldn’t move. I was seeing things, terrible things, and then…all of a sudden, we were surrounded.”
“Me too,” Mira said, looking haunted. “I saw…well, it’s hard to explain, but I swear, those demons weren’t here a second ago.”
“It was Gwi-Ma.” Rumi answered, dissolving her sword, clenching her hands into fists. “He was here.”
“How?” Zoey searched around for a trace of him. “He shouldn’t have been able to get through the Honmoon?”
“I don’t know, but he spoke to me. He tried to make a deal.” Rumi could feel her energy sapping. “He wanted…he wanted me to trade myself for Jinu.”
“Absolutely not!” Mira shook her head. “You told him where to shove that deal, right?”
“Of course! I had no reason to believe him,” Rumi affirmed. “But he showed me this body, and I swear…it could have been Jinu. He might still be alive.”
“Rumi, I know that face,” Mira warned. “You cannot risk yourself for Jinu. You’re too…”
“I KNOW!” Rumi screamed, and her friends flinched, backing away from her in fear. Rumi froze, realizing that her patterns had shifted from a iridescent shimmer to a deep purple, and that the voice coming out of her was deeper. Distorted. Demonic.
“I…” She released her sword, stepping back in horror. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”
“It’s okay!” Zoey tried to reassure her, stepping closer, but Rumi maintained her distance. She felt like she had the night of the Idol Awards, her control over everything slipping away. “Rumi, it’s okay. Just…just look at me please?”
Mira stayed where she was, frozen in place, staring at Rumi, her staff dissolving from her hand. Rumi frowned, perturbed by the unusual reaction, before turning back to Zoey. “I…I’m okay. I’m sorry, I just…”
“We know.” Zoey soothed, finally managing to get close enough to Rumi to pull her into a hug. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
Rumi nodded, and let her friend lead her towards the exit, before both of them realized Mira still wasn’t moving.
“Mira,” Rumi whispered, reaching out. “Are you okay?”
“I…” Mira wavered, still staring at Rumi with a horrified expression. “I…”
“Mira, what’s wrong?” Zoey tried to snap her out of it, grabbing Mira by the shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
“No.” Mira shook her head, shaking. “No. I…I nearly did it.”
“What?” Zoey questioned. “What did you nearly do?”
“I nearly hurt her.”
With a start, both Rumi and Zoey realized that by her, Mira meant Rumi. Rumi recoiled, horrified.
“No, you didn’t. You didn’t even touch her.” Zoey tried to comfort their friend. “She’s fine!”
“I saw…I saw myself stab her.” Mira intoned, her eyes unfocused. “I felt the weapon in my hand, and I saw her eyes go yellow. She said I betrayed her, that I’d killed my second family, and then I saw her burn.”
Zoey shook her head. “That didn’t happen, Mira. I saw the same thing! But you didn’t hurt Rumi, she’s fine! She’s still here, Rumi, tell..” Zoey turned around to get Rumi to come closer, but when she did, Rumi was nowhere to be seen.
Rumi had disappeared.
-
Rumi ran through the streets of the city, with no destination in mind. Tears streamed down her face, and sobs filled her throat. Her chest heaved, and her legs ached, and eventually she collapsed, screaming into her hands, feeling utterly devastated.
She cried until she couldn’t anymore, her voice completely hoarse. Her lungs burned, and her eyes ached, and her head pounded. Mira had seen herself kill me? Rumi wondered, glancing back where she’d come from. She couldn’t even see Namsan Tower anymore, and realized just how far she’d run. She was in a completely different part of the city, miles away from the plaza. In fact, she wasn’t far from where they’d first seen the Saja Boys.
Getting up, Rumi stumbled around until she found herself in the small clearing where the Saja Boys had put on their first performance, wondering if she’d meant to come here subconsciously, and was surprised to see a small memorial erected for them. Merchandise, flowers, candles, and lightsticks had been assembled, along with personalized cards.
She kneeled before the memorial, cataloging each item. Face cards, posters, and articles of clothing were assorted amongst the items, and even a few stray cans of soda had been left. Taking the bracelet out of her pocket, Rumi stared down at it, feeling more tears threaten to spill. She missed Jinu, really missed him, and hearing that scream tonight had brought all of it to the surface. She was so lost in her grief, she didn’t even notice the sound of footsteps behind her.
“Rumi?”
Startled, the hunter turned around, to see Jinu standing there in his demon form, just as she’d last seen him. He stared down at her with a sad expression, and she hung there, for a moment, taking in the sight of him before lashing out.
“I. Already. Said. NO!” She shouted, summoning her sword to swipe at him. “You can’t trick me, Gwi-Ma!”
“It’s not Gwi-Ma, Rumi, it’s me!” Jinu dodged the tip of the blade. “I can prove it! Ask me anything, anything you know about me!”
Rumi paused her attacks. “Who was the hat meant for?”
Jinu sighed in relief. “The tiger, but the bird kept taking it.”
Rumi narrowed her eyes. “What animal was on the card you sent me the first time?”
“A chick.”
Rumi held her breath. “What did you do to your mother and sister?”
Jinu flinched. “I left them behind. I sold my soul for a better life, and I left them out of it.”
She lowered her blade, trembling with shock. “Jinu? Wha…how?! How are you here?”
“I’m not here for long.” Jinu said, giving her a solemn smile. “I’m proof.”
Rumi closed her eyes. Of course. She’d questioned Gwi-Ma’s intentions. Jinu was literally proof of his offer. “I can’t accept that deal.” She said, voice hoarse, wiping the tears from her face.
“I know.” Jinu nodded. “And you shouldn’t. Not for me. I don’t want you to.”
“And I don’t want you to suffer,” She sobbed. “I want to save you.”
“You already have,” He whispered, reaching out but didn’t dare touch her. “I’ll be fine. There’s nothing Gwi-Ma can do to me that would make a difference, knowing that you’re out of his reach.”
“But as long as I’m out of his, you’re out of mine.” She said, and he froze, heartbreak clear on his face.
“I…”
“RUMI?!” Faint shouting interrupted the moment, and Rumi’s head turned, recognizing the sound of Zoey’s voice. “RUMI WHERE ARE YOU?”
She turned back to Jinu, but he’d vanished into thin air, and Rumi collapsed back on her knees, staring at the ground where he’d just been standing. The bracelet was still clutched tight in one hand, and she could hear the cries from her friend getting louder and louder.
Zoey entered the courtyard, staring around with a panicked expression, until her eyes landed on Rumi, who looked awful. “RUMI!” She shouted, rushing towards her friend, sliding on her knees to cup the sides of Rumi’s jaw. “You scared me, disappearing like that! Why did you run off?”
“I’m sorry, I just…” Rumi shook her head, unable to explain it. “I felt like I was making it worse.”
“You’re not!” Zoey placated, brushing some flyaway hairs off of Rumi’s face. “But you can’t just disappear! I thought you’d been taken, or something! You can’t leave like that again!”
“I’m sorry,” Rumi said hollowly, feeling even worse. Zoey looked at her with sad eyes, until the display behind Rumi caught her attention.
“Wait, is that…”
“It’s a memorial. Their first performance was here.” Rumi recited, and Zoey shifted, looking as carefully at the arrangement as Rumi had.
“That’s so nice,” Zoey brought her hand to her mouth, eyes lingering on the picture of Mystery for a moment before turning back to her friend. “Well, nice for a bunch of demons who have been dead for centuries, but the sentiment is appreciated I’m sure. I didn’t know this was here?”
“Neither did I. Until I got here, just now.” Rumi turned the bracelet over in her hands. “I saw him. Jinu. He was here, before you got here.”
Zoey blinked. “So he IS alive?”
“Apparently,” Rumi’s voice cracked. “Gwi-Ma sent him as proof, that his offer in exchange for me was genuine.”
“Rumi, I know this is hard…”
“Gwi-Ma said something else.” Rumi kept talking, interrupting Zoey. “Gwi-Ma called me his granddaughter.”
Zoey’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? How does that even work?”
Rumi shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t believe him, not fully, but I think…” She cut herself off, shaking her head. She didn’t even know what to think. She leaned her head into Zoey’s chest, and closed her eyes as her friend wrapped her arms around her.
“Where’s Mi?” She mumbled, soaking in Zoey’s comfort.
“I sent her back to the penthouse, told her I’d come and find you. We were both worried about you.”
“And I was worried about you.” Rumi pulled back to look Zoey in the eyes. “Gwi-Ma had you both under some kind of trance while he was talking to me. What did you see?”
Zoey hesitated. “I…I saw you. Right after the Idol Awards, it was a replay of that moment, I guess. You’d just been exposed, and you came backstage to find us, and we saw you, but instead of you trying to explain yourself, we didn’t even give you a chance. We just…attacked. It didn’t even feel like I was in control of my own body. I threw my shinkals, and Mira swung her gokdo, but you didn’t disappear the way a normal demon would. You bled, and you dropped to the ground, and rather than help you or save you, we just…stood there. We stood there until you finished bleeding out, and then your body burned and disappeared the way Jinu’s did. And with every moment, I was screaming at myself to stop it, or to help you, but you died. You died because of us.”
“But I didn’t.” Rumi whispered.
Zoey let out an empty chuckle. “We know that. But it wasn’t even really about you. It was about us, acting violently, against you without a second thought. I mean, you’re our friend, and you were just publicly humiliated on stage, and instead of helping you or doing anything, we raised our weapons. And you looked so scared Rumi. The demons we fight, they’re more scared of Gwi-Ma than us, but you…”
Zoey let out a large hiccup, choking back tears. “It was the first encounter I’d had since becoming a Hunter where I felt more like the monster.”
Rumi closed her eyes and leaned her head back in to rest on Zoey’s shoulder. “You’re not a monster.”
“Are you really going to sit there and tell me for a second, it didn’t occur to you that we might kill you after finding out your secret?” Zoey asked.
“It occurred to me every day.” Rumi admitted, and Zoey stopped breathing. “But I always thought that if you did, you’d be doing the right thing.”
Zoey dived to look Rumi in the face, abruptly switching their positions up. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bloodshot. “No! It wouldn’t have been the right thing. Rumi you are…you are so precious to us, and it kills me that you don’t believe it. Do you understand? It kills me! And to know I even had the potential to do you harm…that’s even worse. You said that moment was a manifestation of your worst fear. That moment was the origin of mine.”
Rumi pulled her friend in for a hug, both of them shaking and crying into each other’s shoulders, neither of them willing to speak anymore. But they couldn’t stay there and cry forever, otherwise they’d be caught and/or recognized, and so after some time passed, they pulled apart and started the walk home.
The whole way, they held tight to each other’s hand.