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Chapter Text

The light faded slowly. He wasn't sure what he expected after throwing himself in front of Gwi-ma, but he had a funny feeling he had been in this place before. The ground was hard beneath his back.

Rocks were scattered around the barren wasteland. It wasn't as menacing now. There weren't whispers in his head, fighting for his attention, and for the first time in a long time, he was proud of himself. Even though he ended up back here, he had finally done something right.

Maybe he was just in a completely different plane of existence that just resembled the abyss in the demon realm. He couldn't be sure just yet. He picked himself up and dusted off his clothes. He paused, looking down at his hands.

His skin was different. He could still see the faint pattern lines, but he looked almost human. He wasn't even trying to look that way. He still wore his clothes from their performance, but his actual body felt different, alive somehow.

He tried changing his clothes like he was used to. The transition was slower than usual, but he stood, after a few minutes, admiring his hoodie and jacket combo. It felt right on him.

Now that he was properly dressed, he headed off in a straight line, or at least what he hoped was a straight line, to figure out where he really was. He walked for what felt like hours. His legs started to ache, so he sat down on a large rock. Maybe this was his life now.

A blood curdling scream pulled him off of the rock. It echoed around him. It wasn't one in his head. It was real, and he knew that voice.

"Abby!" He started running.

The screams continued, growing louder with every stride. Jinu's legs burned, but he kept running. He couldn't stop.

He turned to the left and saw him in the distance. Dust billowed around his friend as Abby writhed around in pain. His screams were deafening now.

Jinu had never seen him like this before. He fell to his knees beside Abby, trying to calm him.

Abby's eyes were unfocused as if he saw things that Jinu couldn't. His body contorted in pain. Jinu couldn't hold him down. He felt helpless.

Jinu's eyes filled with tears and he desperately searched for something, anything, to help. This was worse than all those years of torture.

Abby didn't even know he was there. He didn't know he wasn't alone. Jinu ran his hands through his hair, thinking.

Rumi. She could help. Somehow she could help. She was the only person he could think of to go to. He didn't know where any of the other Saja Boys were, and the other Huntrix members would kill him on the spot.

Rumi, though, she would help him. He just had to get to her. The honmoon had been strengthened, so he had to figure out how to break through it.

He pushed off the ground, soaring up to the glowing barrier. He braced for impact against it, ready to claw his way if he had to.

Instead he crashed on the ground above. The human world.

Rays of dawn peeked through the trees as he pulled himself to his feet. His head still hurt a little bit from the impact. Now that he knew it was simpler to get through the honmoon, he wouldn't overdo it.

He looked around the forest, not really sure where he was. He had to get back to Seoul somehow. He hoped he was invisible to the human eye as he soared into the sky. He could see the city in the distance. He committed the view to memory so he would be able to find this place again. There were more landmarks in the human world than down below.

He appeared on the balcony of Huntrix tower and knocked on Rumi's window. She didn't answer, so he knocked louder. He needed her to hear him.

He paused for a second. He didn't want to invade her privacy, but Abby needed her. He needed her. He would beg for forgiveness later. He opened the door, grateful it wasn't locked.

"Rumi?" He called before stepping in.

The lights were on but she wasn't there. He didn't want Zoey or Mira to hear him, so he backed out the door. He looked down at the street below, wondering how he could be so unlucky.

Then a flash of purple and red caught his eye. He jumped off the balcony to a nearby roof. There they were! Maybe he could get Rumi by herself somehow.

He followed them down the streets, trying to find his opportunity, but then they turned into the bathhouse. Jinu sighed. He would have to wait.

He sat on the roof, keeping a watchful eye on the door to the bathhouse. The first moment Rumi was alone, he was going to talk to her.

He was restless imagining Abby all alone as he just sat there doing nothing. He tried not to think about the other Saja Boys. He didn't know what happened to any of them. They may be in agony just like Abby was.

The door below swung open, and Jinu hid from view. There she was, more radiant than ever. Her patterns had faded to iridescent lines, similar to his.

He hopped down to the ground nimbly, following a few paces behind them. Rumi's eyes locked onto his in the reflection of a store window, and he quickly ducked behind some trashcans.

He stayed farther back after that, trying to blend in with the people around him. Huntrix made their way back to their home, and Jinu sighed. Rumi was never alone apparently.

He hopped back up to the balcony, determined to wait for her there. It was the only place he knew she could be alone.

It felt like hours before he heard the click of a door closing from inside the room. He straightened as the glass door slid slowly open. She stepped out, her sword in front of her. She turned away from him, and he stepped out of his hiding place.

She spun around, her sword aimed at his throat. He held his hands up and backed away. Memories of their first private meeting danced in his head.

"I need your help," he said slowly.

She lowered her sword, staring at him. "Jinu?"

He gave her a small wave and a smile. She threw her sword down and pushed him.

"You scared me!"

"Sorry," he said, keeping his hands up defensively. "I would have called, but..."

"You died, Jinu!" She yelled, pushing him again, fighting back tears.

"I..."

"You died," she repeated, her voice softer this time. She stepped forward and touched his face. "You died."

He leaned into her touch. "I know," he whispered, placing his hand over hers. "We need to talk about it, about everything, but right now I really need your help."

She nodded, a tear escaping down her cheek. "As long as you don't disappear again."

Jinu chuckled softly. "I'm not planning on it."

--------

"Why are we here?" She asked, as he took her to the forest. She held onto his hand tightly, as if he would disappear if she let go.

"It's around here somewhere," he muttered, looking around wildly.

"Jinu, you have to tell me what's going on," Rumi said. She stopped in her tracks. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

He turned around, running his hands through his hair. "It's Abby. I don't know what's wrong with him, and I can't help him."

His voice broke. She stepped back from him, but he closed the gap again. She had to trust him. She was his only hope.

"Why would I help him?" She asked slowly.

Jinu scoffed. "I thought you had learned that we aren't all bad."

"Jinu, you're different," she murmured, looking down at her feet.

"Damn it, Rumi!" Jinu yelled. "Anything good you ever saw in me was because of Abby and the other Saja Boys. If it weren't for Abby I would still be rotting in the Abyss trying to get rid of the voices in my head. I never would have met you!"

Rumi stepped back again, her eyes wide as she stared at him. Her lower lip trembled slightly.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. His breathing was heavy. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm so sorry."

She quickly wiped a tear from her eye. "No, no. It's okay," she mumbled. "I guess.... I guess I still have a lot to learn. I didn't even think that they could be like you, too."

"I have a lot to learn, too," he whispered, leaning his forehead on hers. "I just need you to trust me on this. He's my family, Rumi. I can't abandon him now."

She took a breath and nodded. "Okay, but why do you think I can help him?" She asked.

"Because you helped me, and I have no one else."

She stepped back to look at him. Her eyes softened, and she took his trembling hand.

"Okay," she relented, "let's see what we can do."

Chapter Text

The honmoon resisted against her as Jinu pulled her down to the demon realm as if it wanted to keep her from it. She was hesitant herself as she didn't know what to expect. Her heart raced as she wondered if she did the right thing trusting Jinu. He was supposed to be dead after all.

The demon realm was more barren than she expected it to be. There was nothing but rocks and an unholy screaming coming from their left. It chilled her blood.

As soon as they landed on the ground, Jinu took off in the direction of the wailing. She had never seen him like this. He looked so scared.

She followed after him. It didn't take long for them to reach Abby. It was horrifying to watch. His body contorted wildly. His eyes squeezed shut as he screamed.

"What's wrong with him?" Rumi asked, as they both kneeled beside Abby.

"I don't know," Jinu murmured. He reached out to grab Abby's hand, but it was wrenched away as Abby contorted.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know! I don't know," Jinu repeated.

Rumi sat for a moment, her face scrunched. She reached out and tried taking Abby's hand as well, but she, too, couldn't keep ahold of it. She looked the tortured demon over.

"Jinu, come and cushion his head while I think," she said, standing.

Jinu scooted over and lifted Abby's head into his lap. The other man still screamed and writhed, but whenever his head came down the blow was softed by Jinu. A soft tear fell from Jinu's face.

This was the side of Jinu she didn't know about. She'd never thought to ask about the other Saja Boys. They had always seemed so clever and cruel, but then again, so had Jinu. He just decided to actually talk with her instead of just fighting.

She walked around Abby as Jinu sang softly to his friend. It sounded like a lullaby, but it wasn't one she knew. His voice was different than the one she knew.

As passed by on Abby's other side, the side he seemed to favor more, she saw a pattern of dried blood across his abdomen. It looked almost like....

"Mira," she breathed, finally connecting the dots. She hadn't seen the fight between Mira, Zoey, and the other Saja Boys, but Mira had proudly told her about finally overcoming Abby's alluring physique. How she had taken him out at the very spot that was her weakness.

The hunters never knew what happened to the demons that they killed. They didn't really think about it, honestly. They were just demons up until a few weeks ago when Jinu turned her whole world upside down. Seeing Abby the way he was now, writhing around in pain, she couldn't help but feel horrible.

She knelt beside him again. She felt Jinu's eyes on her as she hesitantly reached out. She placed her hands on Abby's stomach, right over the wound.

Her vision went white and a loud ringing filled her ears. Rumi felt as though she didn't have a body anymore, like she was detached somehow. She could hear voices, though they were very muffled. She tried to focus on the voices, but it was like trying to listen to someone while submerged under water.

She summoned her strength and wrenched her hand from Abby. She sucked in air as her vision came back. She coughed. Had she breathed at all while she was in that space?

Jinu was beside her. When did he get there? She leaned against him feeling exhausted for some reason. She hadn't really done anything.

"What just happened?" Jinu asked, his face lined with concern.

"I'm not sure," Rumi replied, her ears still ringing a bit.

"Well, you did something," Jinu said, looking over at Abby. "He stopped moving once you touched him. He didn't say anything, but you did something."

Abby was writhing again, but it seemed less intense now. His screams were quieter. Whatever it was that she had done had helped him in some way.

She sat up straight. "I'm going to do it again."

"Are you sure?" Jinu asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You look exhausted."

Rumi nodded. "I can't let him suffer like this if I can actually do something." Her voice was strong even if the rest of her was shaking. "Just stay beside me, okay?"

"Okay."

She placed her hand back on Abby. This time she was prepared for the separation of her body from her mind. The voices were a bit clearer this time. She could actually make out words.

"After all this time, this is all you have to show?" A man's deep voice grumbled. He wasn't yelling, but even through the fog, his voice carried unbridled disappointment. "Even as a demon, you're still a failure. Pathetic."

Rumi focused on the voice, swimming towards it. As she strained it got clearer, deeper, until finally she wasn't just seeing light. She was at the edge of a village, a very old village.

A thin young man hung from a post by his wrists, his back bloody. An older man raised the whip again, bringing it down with a crack. The young man screamed in agony.

Rumi ran forward, trying to wrestle the whip from the man, but she passed right through him. Rumi crashed to the ground beside the young man. She looked up to his face. He seemed oddly familiar.

"Weak, worthless, no good!" With each word another stripe was laid on the raw back of this poor man.

Rumi reached out to him, expecting to pass through him as well, but he was solid. Too thin to be healthy but solid.

He sucked in a breath a her touch. Not only was he solid, he could feel her, too. Who was he?

"Everyone's gone, dead, because of you!" The man roared, laying more blows. "Arogant, selfish coward."

"No! No!" The boy finally screamed out. She knew that voice.

"Abby!" She cried out, pulling herself to where he could see her. "Abby, it's going to be alright."

"Now the hunter is here to finish you off," the man sneered. She looked over Abby's shoulder at him. The man's eyes were black and soulless. His look frightened her more than any demon ever had.

"No, I'm not here to finish you off, Abby." She lifted his face so he could look at her. "Jinu sent me."

"Lies!" Another blow. "He's dead. You couldn't save him."

"He's alive, Abby," Rumi yelled, trying to be louder than the man. "He's alive, and he needs you."

"Even if he was alive," the man glowered, raising the whip high, "who would want such a worthless rat? He would be better off alone than with you."

Rumi's body moved without her thinking. She dove to the other side of Abby and shielded his back. She couldn't watch him take another hit. The whip seared into her back, her mind going blank.

She fell hard with a pained cry. The village was gone. Her vision was blurry, but she saw someone bending over her.

"Rumi! Rumi!" Jinu cried as he shook her. "Can you hear me?"

"Jinu?" She muttered, trying to get up. Her arms shook wildly, and she fell back to the ground, her vision still blurred.

Jinu helped her into a sitting position and pulled her close. "I'm glad you're okay," he whispered. "I was so worried."

She blinked to clear her eyes and saw Abby lying still in front of them. "Is he-" she asked slowly, worried she had done something wrong.

"He's alive," he assured her. "I don't know what you did, but something changed."

She breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned more into Jinu, and he held her close. Her body still shook, and she couldn't expell the images from her head. It was horrible. She closed her eyes as tears fell down her face.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jinu asked, rubbing her arm. She started sobbing, burying her face his his chest. "Shhh. It's okay."

"I'm so sorry, Jinu," she mumbled into his shirt. "So, so sorry."

Jinu pulled her away from him just a bit, so he could look her in the eyes. "Sorry for what, Rumi? You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes, I do," she insisted, wiping tears from her face. "I didn't understand how hard it must be for you down here. I didn't know what you really meant when you said he's always in your head. I didn't know why you would steal souls to have your memories erased, but now..."

"Rumi, what happened?" Jinu's voice was steady, and his eyes searched hers.

"I saw it. I heard it. His memories."

His mouth opened slightly as he pulled her back to him. He didn't say anything else. He just held her as she cried.

It had been Hell to watch. She couldn't imagine going centuries with that as a constant. Her whole view of what was good and what was evil was crashing down around her. Abby may be a demon, but he wasn't the worst one in that memory. He was broken, just like Jinu.

Chapter Text

Baby couldn't stay in Seoul any longer. He had thought staying in the human world would be better, but he was alone. Their apartment was empty without the other four boys to fill it with laughter or quarrels. It haunted him.

His patterns burned and glowed bright as he thought about that night. It was supposed to be a new start for them. The voices were supposed to be gone, memories wiped, but now he was plagued with new ones.

He had run away again. When the people closest to him needed him the most, he ran. He was probably the only one left now. Jinu was gone, torn into little pieces by Gwi-ma. There was no way the demon king would let Jinu come back.

Baby had left Mystery to fight Zoey on his own. They were only trying to keep the hunters at bay until Gwi-ma could finish taking over. It had felt odd to fight them after existing as music rivals. Baby had almost forgotten that the hunters wanted them dead.

He sat in the kitchen with his head in his hands. It was much too quiet. The voices in his head sounded louder now that there was nothing else to drown them out. In that moment he realized that it had been well over two hundred years since he had been truly alone like this, and he hated it. Hated himself.

He went to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His blue hair changed to black as he concentrated. He finally changed out of his traditional garb into a black, oversized sweater, which fell down over his hands. He reached out for the eyeliner on the countertop but paused as images of Romance helping Jinu fix his makeup filled his mind. That felt like a lifetime ago.

He should have stayed, should have done something, anything, other than flee. If he had kept fighting, maybe the others would have made it out. It would still suck without Jinu, but it would be better than this. And if he had died, at least it would be over.

He felt sick to his stomach as his mind raced with every scenario of could haves and should haves. Why was he like this? It was like the night his sister died all over again, except this time there was no easy way out.

He screamed, turning around and punching the wall behind him. His fist sailed through both pieces of dry wall, creating a hole into the living room. Baby started shaking as he withdrew his hand from the wall.

He put his face in his hands as he slowly slid to the ground, sobs wracking his body. No one was coming to save him. It was just as well. He didn't want to be saved. Because if someone did save him, it would only mean pretending he was worthy of it. He couldn't pretend any longer.

He grabbed the few things that were left in the apartment, making sure to stuff Romance's makeup carefully into his pockets. He fled from the apartment. He had never been in the human world when the honmoon was strengthened, so he was surprised at how easily he could pass through it.

If he was going to exist alone, he might as well do his best to quiet the voices. He needed to do something to keep himself from going completely insane, so he went to the only place where he would be accepted with open arms... The demon city.

----------

The pain was excruciating. Romance knew he had chosen this, but it didn't make it hurt any less. The light burned his eyes and his ears rang, and yet it could never be worse than what he had just experienced.

He had watched both Jinu and Abby die. Right in front of him, and he couldn't do anything to save them. He couldn't do anything to save them.

Baby and Mystery were probably dead as well. He didn't see it happen. All he knew was he was the last one left fighting the hunters. When he realized that, he gave up. Is that why this hurt so much?

What was the point of fighting on Gwi-ma's side if he didn't have the others with him? He had never wanted to help Gwi-ma, not really. Gwi-ma was the one who took his family from him in life, and now he was the reason he had lost his family in death as well.

He screamed out as the light continued to burn into him. It was the essence of purity. Something so far removed from him.

And then he was in a forest, chasing billowing black hair. A giggle sailed on the wind, gracing his ears for the first time in centuries.

"Yunha!" He called out, running faster.

"Come find me, Ho Won!" Her voice rang out to him, echoing almost like a memory.

Any time he caught sight of her, she ducked out of the way again, always out of reach. He knew he could catch up to her if he just kept trying. He had to. He needed her.

"Where are you?" He cried out, looking around wildly. He couldn't see her. "Come back to me, Yunha! I'm lost without you."

"Always such a romancer," her voice crooned, circling around him just out of sight. "I bet all the girls love you. Is that why you left?"

"What are you talking about?" Romance called back.

He heard leaves rustling, and the hairs on his neck stood up. "You left me, Ho Won," she accused, her breath hot on his ear. "Left your daughter."

"No!" He covered his ears and stepped away. "No, I didn't.... I couldn't...."

She finally stood there in front of him, but her eyes were cold. She stepped forward slowly. With each step more drops of blood appeared on her dress. He ran up to her, trying to find the source of the blood.

"Yunha...."

"Why did you leave us?" This time the question was tearful. She collapsed into his arms, and he caught her and lowered her slowly to the ground. She coughed, blood trickling out of her mouth.

"No, stay with me. You have to stay with me!" He brushed her hair out of her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly. "Don't leave me again!"

Her body disappeared from his arms as she took a final breath. He reached out, trying to find her, but she was completely gone.

"Ho Won! Help me!"

"Mom?" He stood up quickly and ran towards her voice. "Say something!"

She let out a high pitched scream. His blood ran cold. Where was she?

"Stay out of this, boy," his father's voice hissed in his ear.

He turned to try to hit his father, but no one was there. "Leave her alone!" He cried into the forest.

"I'll be fine, Ho Won," his mother whispered, fear lacing her voice. "Just do as your father says."

"I can't-"

Another scream rang out, this one deeper. A second yell joined in. He knew those voices. It couldn't be.

"Jinu? Abby?" He called out to them. They were here.

"Why didn't you save us?" Their voices merged into one. "You just watched us die."

"I wanted to! I couldn't-"

"Weak."

"Pathetic," Yunha's voice joined Jinu and Abby's.

"Romance?" Mystery's voice was softer than the others, barely noticeable.

"You should have left me to live my life," Yunha yelled. She appeared again in front of him, her hair blowing gently in the wind.

He reached out to touch her face. It was cold. "I thought I was loving you," he murmured, tears falling down his face.

"Romance?" Mystery's voice was more insistent this time, but he ignored him, keeping his focus on Yunha.

"Love?" She asked, letting out a laugh. Other voices joined in as she turned away from him, disappearing into the thicket.

He heard a baby cry ringing out from no direction in particular. "Kiraa!"he sobbed, looking up into the branches.

"Come meet your daughter, Ho Won," Yunha called, her voice full of joy.

He started running again, pushing his way through branches and shrubs. Then he ran into someone solid who grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Romance!"

"Get off, Mystery!" He cried, trying to get to his wife. Yunha screamed in pain. "Yunha!"

Mystery held onto him like a vice as Romance sobbed. "Romance, she's not real," he whispered, pulling Romance to him. "You have to come with me."

Romance was shaking. Why was Mystery doing this? He had to get to his family. He had to save them. He had to do something! He tried grappling out of Mystery's grasp, but the other man held on tight, an unwavering force.

"Leave me, Mystery!" His knees gave out from under him as he sobbed, and Mystery helped lower him to the ground.

"You didn't leave me all those years ago, Romance," Mystery sighed, placing his chin on Romance's head. "I'm not going to leave you now."

"I couldn't save them," Romance cried, clinging onto Mystery's shirt. "I couldn't save you."

"What are you talking about?" Mystery asked, pulling back just a little bit. "Save me from what?"

Romance wiped his eyes as he looked up at his friend. "From the hunters," he whispered.

"I'm not dead, Romance." Mystery's tone was calm and composed. "And neither are you, not really."

"What? But you- You didn't die?"

Mystery shook his head, his bangs lazily whipping from side to side. "Came close to it," he admitted, loosening his grip a bit. "But I know when to fight and when to leave so I can fight another day."

"You left?" Romance left, wiping a tear from his face.

"Just for a moment. I got back in time to watch you...." He sighed. "I know you're a better fighter than that, Romance."

Romance looked down at his own chest where the blade had struck him when he had stepped into it. "I thought I was the last one," he murmured. "I couldn't be left alone again. Not again."

Chapter Text

It felt like hours before Abby started to stir. Despite assuring Rumi that he was alright, Jinu was worried that Abby would never actually wake up.

Rumi still shook a little bit, but she insisted that she was okay. She placed a hand on her back as she adjusted her sitting position, trying to hide her pained expression. She still hadn't told him anything more about what she saw, but she was clearly rattled.

Abby's eyes were unfocused when they first fluttered open. Jinu let out a half laugh, half sob of relief. Rumi seemed to stop breathing as she reached out and squeezed Jinu's hand.

"How are you feeling?" Jinu asked, leaning into Abby's line of sight. The other demon blinked back at him, clearing his vision.

"Jinu?" His voice was weak, cracking after all the screaming. His arm twitched as if he was trying to raise it. "Ow."

"Yeah, it's me," Jinu smiled, taking Abby's limp hand in his own. A small tear escaped. "You're going to be alright."

"My body doesn't want to work," Abby moaned.

"You're exhausted," Rumi said, moving to the other side of Abby. "You've got to give yourself time to rest."

"What is she doing here, Jinu?" Abby's eyes widened and his breathing quickened. Rumi moved away from him. Worry lined her face.

Jinu placed his other hand on Abby's chest. "Look at me. Breathe, okay? She's not going to hurt you. You're safe. You're safe."

Abby stared back at him, mimicking Jinu's breathing. When he had calmed down, Jinu took his hand off of Abby's chest.

"She came to help you," Jinu explained. He motioned for Rumi to join them again. "You were screaming and writhing in pain. I didn't know what to do, so I went to her."

"Where are the others?" Abby asked, refusing to look over at Rumi. "When can I see them?"

Jinu opened his mouth but no words came out. He didn't know what to say. The other Saja Boys could be anywhere right now, stuck in the same place Abby was, just all alone.

"They're not here right now," Rumi said calmly, saving Jinu from having to answer. "We're just worried about you right now."

Jinu saw Abby's jaw tighten as she spoke to him. "Rumi, would you mind giving us a moment?" Jinu asked, giving her an apologetic look.

"Yeah, sure, of course," she said, standing quickly. She stumbled slightly but regained her balance and walked a good distance away.

Jinu turned back to Abby. "What's your problem, man?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?" Abby replied, glaring at Jinu. "You brought a hunter here. After everything that's happened? This is where we're supposed to be safe from them. Safe from their judgement. Safe from their perfect gazes."

"Rumi's not perfect either," Jinu argued. Abby scoffed, but he continued. "She came all this way to help you."

"How can you defend them? Defend her?"

Jinu sat back and folded his arms. "This isn't just about what's going on right now, is it."

"You're damn right it isn't. Why the hell did you do that?" Abby yelled. He tried sitting up but immediately fell back again. He closed his eyes and sighed. "We were so close. Why did you abandon us like that?"

"Because I realized that I would rather live with the pain than forget you guys, forget my family," Jinu explained. "Without the memories, I didn't know who I was."

"And what about us? What about me?" Abby whispered. His lip started to tremble, so Jinu placed a hand on his arm. "You said you would always have my back."

"I didn't really think," Jinu admitted. "I didn't have time to. All I knew was that the last bit of good in the world was about to be snuffed out and with it, any hope I had left would be gone."

"So you gave us up for someone you've known for a month?" Abby sneered. "We've know each other for over four hundred years, Jinu!"

"I want you to feel the peace that I've been able to feel, Abby," Jinu replied, trying to keep his voice from raising. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I don't want you to be a thoughtless demon just so you can live with yourself. I want you to face the broken pieces so that you can become whole again, instead of sweeping them under the rug."

Abby glared at him. "So are you suddenly perfectly fixed? Is that what you expect of me? News flash, Jinu, I don't have some temptress hunter to guide me along a new path of righteousness. The last hunter I came across sliced my stomach open. Not much of an open minded savior."

"Fine! I'm sorry!" Jinu yelled, standing up. His patterns started searing into his skin, their color deepening once more. He let out a pained gasp but didn't stop. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what was going on in my head. I'm sorry that you felt abandoned. I'm sorry that you had to be friends with a selfish bastard like me, Abby. Is that what you want to hear? Do you want me to sink back down and let Gwi-ma whisper things in my ear so that you don't feel alone? Do you want me to sell my soul again just so you can be certain I won't leave you? I'm not perfect, and you of all people should know that."

Abby stared back at him. The air between them was thick with tension. Rumi probably heard everything he said, even if she was out of normal earshot.

"I..." Abby started. He shook his head, and slowly propped himself on his elbow. He avoided Jinu's gaze as he spoke softly. "I thought I had done something wrong when I saw you die. I should have stayed with you instead of fighting Mira. Kept you safe. I knew you were having a really hard time before the show, and I thought...."

Jinu's face softened as he knelt down again, the anger suddenly melting away. "It wasn't your fault, Abby," he whispered. "Please believe that you did nothing wrong. In fact, you have always done the best that you could to keep me from giving up completely despite my best efforts. I just need you to trust me with Rumi, okay?"

Abby nodded, lying back again and closing his eyes. "Okay, as long as we can find me a more comfy place to lie down. There's a rock poking into my spine." Jinu laughed, and Abby cracked a small grin.

Jinu patted Abby's leg as he got up to bring Rumi back over. Abby was going to be okay. It would take some time, but he would be okay.

"You two alright?" Rumi asked as Jinu walked up to her, a grin on his face.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, helping her up. "Abby and I have an interesting communication style to say the least."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'll say. One second I heard you yelling and then suddenly you were laughing."

"That's what brothers do, I guess." Jinu shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "We need to get him somewhere else."

"Where would we even go?" Rumi asked, looking around. "There's nothing down here."

Jinu looked up at the honmoon. He and Rumi could pass through it, but he wasn't sure if Abby could make it, especially in his condition. Rumi followed his gaze.

"You want to take him back to the human world?"

"He needs to properly heal, and it's only a matter of time before Gwi-ma forcibly drags him back. I'm not leaving him here."

Rumi nodded slowly. "I may have somewhere that could work," she sighed. "We just have to figure out how to get him past the honmoon."

"I got through it somehow."

"Well, you're not a threat anymore.... right?" She gave him a hard stare, and he threw his hands up in mock surrender.

"Not a threat. Nope!" He looked back over to Abby who was just lying there. "And I don't think he is much of one even if he wanted to be."

"Okay, then let's see if you and I can lift him through it."

Abby gave Rumi an attempt at a smile when they walked back up to him. She nodded back politely. Jinu's two worlds were going to take some time getting used to each other.

"How much do you think you could stand, Abby?" Jinu asked, evaluating their situation.

"If I'm being totally honest right now, not much," Abby sighed. "I hate this feeling."

"That's alright," Rumi assured him. "Jinu and I can help. I promise I'm stronger than I look."

Rumi pulled Abby up by his hands while Jinu helped lift him from behind. Once he was upright, Rumi moved herself under his right arm to support him while Jinu took the left side. Abby was extremely heavy as he was basically dead weight, but between the two of them, they managed.

Jinu and Rumi looked at each other as they counted down to push off from the ground together. The honmoon resisted more this time, but they were able to land back in the dense forest without too much trouble.

Abby gasped and sputtered as if he had been doused in cold water. Rumi and Jinu lowered him down to sit up against a nearby tree. He leaned his head back against the trunk, taking shallow breaths.

Rumi stepped away, pulling out her phone, and Jinu knelt down next to Abby. "You good?" He asked, putting a hand on Abby's shoulder.

Abby coughed but nodded. "I didn't expect the honmoon to feel so.... cold." He wrapped his arms tightly around himself.

Jinu shrugged off his outer jacket and helped Abby put it on. The air was a bit chilly, but Abby obviously felt something different, deeper.

He was still visibly shivering when Rumi walked back to them. She wore a hesitant smile on her face.

Chapter Text

"Hey, have you seen Rumi?" Mira asked, walking into the living room.

Zoey looked up at her and quickly stuffed something into the couch. She giggled nervously.

"No, uh, why?"

"It's late," Mira replied.

Zoey shrugged. "We're on a hiatus, Mira. She probably just wanted to sleep in a bit."

"It's one in the afternoon," Mira said flatly. "When was the last time Rumi slept past seven in the morning?"

"Well, just go check on her, if you're so worried," Zoey said, tossing some popcorn into her mouth. "I'm sure she's fine."

Mira rolled her eyes as she turned to go to Rumi's bedroom. She knocked lightly at first, pressing her ear to the door to check if she could hear Rumi moving around.

"Rumi!" She knocked louder this time but still no answer. "Rumi, I'm coming in."

The floor was covered in old clothes and rejected song lyrics. Her bed didn't look like it had been slept in recently. Mira checked the bathroom, but Rumi wasn't there either.

"Rumi?"

She stepped back into the main bedroom and noticed the curtains rustling by the sliding glass door. Mira stepped out onto the terrace, hoping to finally find her, but no one was out there. She could have sworn she saw a bird wearing a hat fly away, but she brushed it off.

"She's not there," Mira said, walking back into the living room. She stopped in her tracks. "Are you blushing?"

"What? Me? No!" Zoey said quickly, her hands again behind her back. "What did you say?"

Mira looked at her for a moment longer before chosing to ignore whatever it was Zoey was hiding so terribly. "Rumi's not in her room."

Zoey's face dropped. "What do you mean? She would have told us if she was going somewhere."

"Something's off." Mira crossed her arms and turned to look out the windows. "We should have talked to her sooner about the whole 'working with Jinu' thing."

"You don't think-"

Mira held up her hand to pause Zoey mid-sentence as her phone started ringing the familiar tone Rumi had set for herself.

"Where are you?" Mira asked, as Zoey came over to listen. "What do you mean you're in the woods?"

"Rumi, are you okay?" Zoey asked. Mira put the phone on speaker so they could both hear her.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just needed to do something," Rumi replied vaguely. "I was actually thinking it might be good to head out to the vacation house."

"And you had to go to the woods to figure that out?" Mira asked, sharing a look with Zoey. Something was definitely off. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I promise. I'll explain when you get here." She sounded tired.

"What did you put as your ringtone on my phone?" Mira asked seriously.

"Mira!"

"Just answer it, Rumi!"

Rumi sighed. "It's me singing 'Golden' with helium."

"Okay, then you're the real Rumi," Mira said with a satisfied look. "Where should we pick you up?"

"Could you actually bring the helicopter? There's a clearing near me you should be able to land in."

Mira raised an eyebrow as Zoey leaned closer to the phone. "Are you hurt?" Zoey asked worriedly.

"Just come, please," she insisted, dodging the question.

"Alright," Mira sighed. "We'll be there as soon as we can. It's been a while since I've flown the chopper, so I might be a bit rusty."

Rumi hung up, and Mira shot Zoey a look.

"Okay, so maybe you were right to be worried," Zoey shrugged. "I'll go get dressed."

-----------

Rumi waited anxiously to hear for any signs of rescue. She wasn't sure if Mira and Zoey would agree to cart two demons around, especially after what happened, but if they were going to talk about demons not being all bad, they might as well start big.

Abby was having trouble getting warm, and Rumi worried he was getting sick somehow. She didn't think demons could get sick, but she also used to think they couldn't be nice. It was encouraging, though, to see him slowly gain the ability to move more on his own. He still couldn't walk, or even stand, but his arms no longer just drooped at his side. She and Jinu had moved him closer to the clearing but didn't tell him why just yet.

"What is that?" Abby cried out, pointing up at the sky. He instinctively covered his ears as the helicopter descended towards them.

"That's our ride," Rumi yelled over the noise.

She walked out into the clearing as the helicopter blades slowed. Mira and Zoey both hopped out and started checking on her.

"I'm fine," she assured them. "But I need you guys to not freak out."

"Great way to start a conversation," Mira quipped.

Rumi ignored her and just led them into the woods, just beyond the tree line.

"What is she doing here?" Abby asked, his eyes widening. He tried to get up to run, but his legs gave out beneath him.

Mira summoned her blade. "You're supposed to be dead," she glowered.

Rumi stepped in between them. "Mira, he's not bad."

"All demons are bad, Rumi!" Mira yelled, trying to push past her. Rumi summoned her sword and pointed it at Mira, who stopped immediately. "What are you doing?"

"Rumi, Mira, can we just talk?" Zoey asked, looking between them.

"Yeah, I like that idea," Jinu said, walking closer.

"Shut up, Jinu!" Mira yelled. "You're supposed to be dead, too."

Jinu immediately backed away, stepping to be another barrier in front of Abby.

"Mira, I'm part demon, remember?" Rumi said, gesturing to her iridescent patterns. "If it wasn't for Jinu, I would be dead. Demons aren't all bad."

Mira stared at her before glancing at Abby who was trying to hide behind Jinu as best as possible. She looked back at Rumi, her gaze unreadable.

"Zoey?" Mira asked, not breaking eye contact with Rumi. "What do you think?"

Zoey looked a bit shocked at the question. "Um, well, I think it wouldn't hurt to hear them out," she said with a shrug.

"I feel like everyone around me is going absolutely insane," Mira muttered before dismissing her weapon. "Fine, but if either of them puts a toe out of line, I will send them back to Hell faster than Zoey can rap."

Rumi nodded, releasing a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "Thank you."

Mira rolled her eyes and turned back to the helicopter. Zoey stayed, staring at Abby on the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked, walking closer.

"Don't touch me," Abby said, backing away from her. Jinu reached out to quiet him.

"It's a bit of a long story that even I'm a bit hazy about," Rumi replied, giving Zoey a quick side hug. "He just needs our help."

Rumi leaned down to help Jinu pull Abby off of the ground again. He was able to walk a bit better now with their help, though he still needed a lot of support. Zoey trailed behind the three of them, a solemn look on her face.

They managed to load Abby into the helicopter with a bit of help from Zoey. Mira sat stalwart in the cockpit, refusing to even look at them. She wordlessly revved the engine once they shut the door behind them.

Rumi looked at Jinu and gave him a faint smile. He looked just as tired as she felt. She wanted to take his hand to reassure him that everything was going to work out, but she was worried Zoey or Mira might see. They didn't need another blow up right now.

They flew in silence, the ground below quickly changing to water. Zoey kept glancing between Rumi, Jinu, and Abby, her brow quizzical.

Mira finally signaled to the air traffic controller their descent, and Rumi sighed in relief. She needed a nap desperately.

When they landed, Mira quickly turned off the engine and got out, heading directly to the house. Zoey shrugged at Rumi. Mira was going to need time, lots of it. Zoey helped Jinu and Rumi get Abby out of the helicopter and into the house.

"Rumi and I can share my room," Zoey said, opening the front door for them. "Abby can stay in your room, Rumi, if that's okay with you since its, uh, farthest from Mira, and Jinu can take the guest room."

"Abby and I can share a room," Jinu said, his voice a bit strained from supporting Abby so much. "We don't want to put you guys out."

"It would be kind of squished," Rumi warned.

"You never saw how we lived as the Saja Boys," Abby laughed. He seemed to be warming up to her a little bit, which made Rumi smile. "Five guys in a small one bedroom."

Zoey laughed. "Really?"

"Really," Jinu replied with a smile. "We mainly just piled on the living room floor together, so I think Abby and I will fit just fine in a room by ourselves."

"Alright, if you're sure," Rumi relented, steering them towards the bedroom. "But I'm still going to make you take mine. It's bigger, and like Zoey said, farthest from Mira."

Abby chuckled nervously. "I can get behind that idea."

Chapter Text

Baby couldn't keep himself from checking their old house to see if anyone else had made it. Maybe he had just waited at the wrong place.

When he entered, the house was unnervingly quiet. The fireplace was completely cold, still finely swept from the last time they stayed there. It was like walking into a mausoleum. The ghosts of the past clung to the walls, and he could feel the disappointed stares.

Baby ran back outside and puked on the roots of the rotting tree that had stood sentry at the front of their house for ages. Being here was worse than the apartment in Seoul. Every inch reminded him of the family he had left behind. They were gone. They weren't coming back.

He stood up straight after a moment, eyes filled with determination. He marched back into the house and grabbed his pile of music sheets. They shredded so easily in his hands, a fitting representation of anything he cared about. He spread the pieces on the floor and ran to the bedrooms.

He broke the beds up into smaller pieces and piled them on top of the paper in the middle of the living room. When the pile was big enough, he grabbed the flint and steel, lighting it all.

He watched as the flames grew, enjoying the heat. When it finally became too much, he turned to leave. He paused just a moment before taking Jinu's old bipa that rested against the door frame. It wasn't his to destroy.

He stood outside gazing at the blaze as it took down their old home. He didn't care if anyone else saw the flames as they rose high into the sky.

There was nothing left of the house when the fire burned out. Just ashes and a few chunks of burnt wood. Even the stone fireplace had crumpled into a pile of rocks. The old tree fell to the ground with a satisfying crunch. Baby leaned down and placed Jinu's bipa against the rubble of the fireplace, where they used to gather to hear him play.

Now their souls could finally rest. No more place for them to be tied to and haunt. No more memories threatening to drown him.

"Hyeonbin," Gwi-ma crooned in his ear. "Welcome home."

------------

Mystery gasped as he pulled his hand from Romance's chest. He coughed trying to catch his breath, leaning over to the side. He now understood the two stone cairns that laid beside Romance. He understood Romance better.

The other demon stirred beside him. He was no longer kicking and screaming like before. His brow was slick with sweat from the involuntary exertion.

Mystery reached a shaky hand out and shook Romance's shoulder. "Romance?"

Mystery was about to put his hand on Romance's scar once more when Romance's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light. Mystery let out a triumphant laugh.

"Romance! You're alive!" He said, pulling the other man to him. Romance flopped limply, and he groaned in pain. "Oh, sorry!"

Mystery laid him back on the ground gently.

"Mystery?" Romance asked, weakly. His face was white as if he was looking at a ghost.

"I told you," Mystery smiled, fighting back tears of relief. "I'm not dead and neither are you."

Romance looked over at the cairns beside him. His finger twitched as if he wanted to reach out and touch them. Mystery obligingly moved his arm for him, letting his hand rest on the stone that read 'Yunha'.

"For a moment she was real," Romance whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. "Even if she hated me, at least she was alive."

Mystery pressed his lips together. Romance had never mentioned anything about his family before, and Mystery felt like he was intruding on a very private moment.

Romance turned his gaze back to Mystery. "How did you find me?" He asked, voice still a bit choked. His breathing was a bit shallow.

"After I saw Mira stab you, I asked Jelly what happens to demons who get killed by the hunters," Mystery explained, crossing his legs. "She said they go back to where they started. Most don't make it long after. Too much pain.

"I've seen you wander off in this direction so many times over the centuries that I thought it would be the best place to start, and here you are."

"And you don't know about the others?" Romance asked, eyes haunted.

Mystery shook his head solemnly. "I wouldn't even know where to begin with Jinu and Abby, and it's been so long since we found Baby I don't think I could find it on my own," Mystery sighed. "It's a miracle I even found you."

Romance nodded ever so slightly. "I'm glad you're not dead."

"Me, too," Mystery chuckled. "And I'm glad you're not totally dead either."

"What did you even do to me?" Romance asked. He furrowed his brow as he looked at Mystery. "It was like you were in my head."

"The scar left by the hunter's blade," Mystery said, pointing towards the faintly glowing gash on Romance's exposed chest, "is like the honmoon, I think. It keeps you trapped in your own mind, reliving your worst nightmares. You were completely unconscious to anything outside of you. Somehow I got past it. It took a few tries because at first it just felt like swimming through endless, scorching light."

Romance looked at him with empty eyes. "You didn't need to do that for me," Romance murmured. "You should have just left me here to rot."

"You know I couldn't do that."

"It's what I deserve," Romance insisted, his voice hard.

"So you want me to spend the rest of eternity alone?" Mystery asked casually, trying to flip Romance's line of thinking.

"I didn't mean-" Romance sputtered. "You got the worst one of us is all I meant."

"Well, I guess the worst one will have to do right now because I was alone for all but two seconds before becoming incredibly bored," Mystery said with a smile. Even if Romance was severely depressed at the moment, he was at least alive. That was more than Mystery could have hoped for.

Romance looked back at the cairns, eyes distant. He let out a shaky breath. "I should have made Jinu wait," he whispered. Mystery wasn't even sure if he had meant to say it out loud.

"What do you mean?"

Romance paused. "I guess he's gone now, so no secrets to keep anymore." His voice was laced with bitterness. "He had been meeting with Rumi almost every night."

Mystery pulled back a bit surprised. "Like he was planning on turning on us? That doesn't sound like Jinu."

"No, no," Romance muttered, closing his eyes briefly. "He was trying to find a different way. That's how he knew about her patterns. He thought she might be able to help us somehow."

Mystery raised his eyebrows, despite Romance not being able to see them. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't he tell us is a better question actually?"

"He didn't think anyone else would approve, and I think he also didn't want to get our hopes up," Romance sighed. "Honestly, I really wish it had worked because I really hate doing anything that helps Gw-.... Him."

Mystery nodded, understanding Romance's hesitancy to call out Gwi-ma's name. It was like a Clarion call to the demon king and neither of them wanted to be summoned.

"I get that," Mystery agreed, laying down next to Romance as if they were just casually stargazing. "If I'm being honest, I do think the hunters are kind of cool. I wouldn't mind being friends with them."

Mystery felt Romance's side glance. "You're taking this surprisingly well," he observed. "Are you not pissed that Jinu didn't tell you?"

Mystery shrugged and returned Romance's look. "When was the last time you told everything that's going on in your head? It would have been nice to know, but I get it. He also probably didn't want us teasing him about her even if we all did take it well."

Romance chuckled. "That's probably true. I would have never let him live it down if I wasn't so worried about him." He sighed. "Maybe I should have been more worried."

Mystery propped himself up on his elbow to look at Romance more directly. "Jinu made that choice himself," he said. "And who knows, maybe now his soul has been freed since he died to save a hunter."

"Why are you being so positive right now? Our family has been decimated. We're still stuck in the demon world with our memories and whispers still in tact. How can you smile?"

"Because I have to," Mystery replied seriously. "I have to believe that we can make it out of this because I caught a glimmer of sunshine for the first time, and I'd rather live chasing that than wallow. I've wallowed for too long."

Romance raised an eyebrow at him. "I think you've just gone completely insane."

"Then join my insanity, Romance," Mystery said with a laugh. "There's plenty to go around, and let me just say, if this is insanity, then I should have let myself go a long time ago."

Romance rolled his eyes at him and let out a huff. "Okay, then, where exactly are we supposed to go?" He asked, shifting just a little bit. "I don't want to lay here forever if I have to still be alive, and I am not going back to serve the pink flames." He spat the last words out as if they were a curse.

Mystery sat up. "I'm working on that part," he admitted a bit sheepishly. "The honmoon means we can't go back to the surface, and I agree that the demon city is probably not safe for us, even if we wanted to go there. The house seems a bit too close to the city for comfort, but it might be our best bet to get you back on your feet."

"I don't know if I can stand being there after all that's happened," Romance said quietly. "It has too many memories."

"I know," Mystery said, placing a hand on Romance's shoulder. This wasn't going to be an easy process. "I just need time to figure out a better plan. I-"

He paused as a bright blue light caught his eye in the distance. He smiled. Salvation may come in many forms, but today theirs came in the form of a constantly smiling cat.

"One second, Romance."

Mystery got up and ran over to Derpy, meeting him halfway. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around the tiger, breathing in a sigh of relief. A single tear escaped down his cheek. He had to be strong for Romance right now even if it was hard to try to cling to the small bit of hope he had.

He pulled away after a moment and looked at the tiger seriously. "Did she take it?"

Derpy just smiled and opened his mouth. A wet piece of paper dropped to the ground. It looked like it had been torn from a notebook.

Mystery let out the breath he was holding as he read it. The characters, obviously hastily scribbled, were a bit smudged from being in Derpy's mouth, but he could still read them. The bit of hope in chest grew.

"I'm listening."

Chapter Text

Jinu woke up as rays of dawn peeked through the curtains. Abby still lay fast asleep in the large bed on the other side of the room. Jinu had insisted that he could take the floor because Abby had been through hell and back. Abby also had a tendency to kick anyone near him when he slept, so Jinu didn't dare share the bed with him. There was nowhere to escape Abby's assaults except to fall off in the middle of the night.

The smell of coffee coaxed him out of the room and into the bright kitchen. Rumi stood in front of the large glass door, looking out towards the crashing waves. Jinu poured himself some coffee before joining her.

"You're up early," he said, quietly. As far as he knew, they were the only two awake already.

Rumi gave him a half smile. "Well, we did fall asleep at around 4 pm, so I think my body had had enough sleep."

They stood in silence for a minute, both unsure what to say. The waves outside felt like the ticking of a clock.

"You never told me you had a private island," Jinu finally said. He didn't know how to start talking about the obvious thing hanging between them.

She chuckled. "You never asked."

Jinu shook his head and took a sip of coffee. "You grew up in a completely different world than me," he chuckled. "I never went to the beach for fun, let alone thought of owning my own island."

They both laughed before falling back into the uncomfortable silence. They both took a sip from their mugs at the same time, both stalling for time.

"Listen I-" Jinu started.

"Do you want-" Rumi said at the exact same time.

They both stopped. Jinu rubbed the back of his neck while Rumi blushed.

"I think we both know we need to talk," Jinu said slowly, staring out the window.

Rumi nodded. "Do you want to walk along the beach so we can have some more privacy?"

Jinu slid open the door and gestured for Rumi to lead the way. She stepped through, giving him a nod of gratitude. He followed and closed the door behind him. Jinu stuck his hands in his pockets.

"So, uh, where should we start?" He asked, giving her a nervous look. He kicked the sand beneath his feet.

She took a deep breath. "Maybe with why you decided to expose my patterns to my friends onstage after you had agreed to help me win the Idol Awards." Her voice was strained, and he could tell she was trying her best to not yell at him. He wouldn't blame her if she did.

"First off, the whole exposing you onstage wasn't my idea," he said, slowly. "I'm not trying to shift the blame, but I didn't know it was happening until you did."

"You expect me to believe that?" She scoffed. "You were the only one who knew about my patterns, and I found you with those two demons."

Jinu placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to look at him directly. "I told the other Saja Boys about your patterns, okay? I was hurting, upset, and utterly exhausted in every sense of the word."

"I don't understand," Rumi said, her voice choking a bit. "You seemed to be doing so well when I left you. Why would you do that?"

"As soon as you left, the voices came back, and Gwi-ma dragged me back," he explained, looking out at the crashing waves. "He was so angry because he knew what I was going to do. Everything I had ever done wrong was piled on top of me. My mother and sister crying out to me. The fact I lied to you. Lying to the other Saja Boys and putting their peace of mind in danger. I can't describe to you how much it hurt, Rumi. I wanted to die all over again."

He took a deep breath to calm himself. Rumi looked at him, her mouth open slightly as if she wanted to say something but no words escaped.

"Mystery found me," he continued, avoiding Rumi's eyes. "He took me back to our apartment in Seoul, and when we arrived, the others were listening to 'Take Down'."

"How did they-"

"Baby snagged a download when they went to the Idol Awards venue to practice," Jinu shrugged. He still couldn't look at her. "Romance tried to keep me from hearing it. He was the only one who knew that I had been meeting with you, and he knew it would crush me. He was right."

"I-" Rumi started, placing a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry. We wrote that before you and I got close. Once I started talking to you, the words felt wrong to me. That's why we changed the song back to Golden at the last minute. I couldn't sing that."

"It's a catchy song," Jinu chuckled, trying to mask the emotions that were bubbling inside of him. "If I had heard it at any other time, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but after everything I had told you, even if some of it was a lie, I felt completely betrayed. I didn't want to be used just to be thrown back down to Gwi-ma and have to endure his wrath for betraying him. That's when I told Romance about your patterns.

"I shouldn't have, but in that moment, I thought you had been lying to me," he explained, taking a deep breath. "Romance was out for blood, I think, after seeing how hurt I was. I was not in a good place at all. I mean, you saw me at the Idol Awards."

Rumi nodded. "You looked so dead inside," she whispered. "That almost scared me more than when you yelled at me."

"And I'm really sorry for that," he said quickly, turning to look at her. "I was more angry at myself than at you, and I just couldn't stand you trying to make me feel better about myself. It was like being punched in the gut."

"I didn't realize..."

"Now I know you were just trying to help," Jinu sighed. "I still don't understand why you would want to help me, but that's all you were trying to do."

Rumi wiped a stray tear from his face, keeping her hand on his cheek. "Because you were the first person to see all of me and not make me feel like I'm a mistake, Jinu," she explained. "My entire life I was told I had to hide who I was, but then you came along and I felt like I could actually breathe. That song we sang together was the truth. I wasn't about to let Gwi-ma take that away from me."

Jinu leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. "But I hurt you."

"Like I said before, you made a mistake, Jinu, but you're not a bad person. Seeing how you've cared for Abby just confirms this," she said. "And you sacrificed yourself for me. That's not something a real demon would do."

Jinu pulled her to him, burying his head in her neck. All of his pent up emotions spilled out as he sobbed. She hugged him close, sniffling a bit. It felt like all the broken pieces were being put back together.

He didn't want to let her go. He worried that if he did, his soul would fall apart again. His patterns, which had come back a bit during his talk with Abby, started to fade again.

Rumi finally pulled away, taking a deep breath in. "Speaking of you sacrificing yourself for me, how are you alive?" She asked, looking him over. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're not dead, but I don't understand."

"Honestly, I'm just as surprised as you are," he shrugged. "Maybe Gwi-ma wanted to bring me back so I could atone for double crossing him. I don't know. All I know is I'm here, and I am not going back to him."

"Good," Rumi smiled at him. His stomach did a bit of a backflip at the sight. "I like it when you're on my side."

She took his hand, and they started walking down the beach again.

---------

Mira watched in disbelief as Rumi took Jinu's hand. She shut the curtains with a huff. Rumi wasn't just working with Jinu. She was flirting with him.

She wanted to trust Rumi, but it was getting harder to the more she saw. Rumi had stood between her and a demon! That would have never happened before, and her patterns....

Even though Rumi was now showing her patterns, she hadn't explained how she had them in the first place. Mira needed to know more, but she couldn't trust Rumi to tell her the truth. Especially now, knowing that she was canoodling with Jinu. Mira pulled out her phone.

"Hey, Mira," Celine said, her voice tired, "is everything alright? You never call."

"How did Rumi get her patterns?" Mira asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. She had never been the type.

Celine paused, clearly not expecting the question. "Why don't you ask her?" She replied carefully.

"I don't-" Mira started. Then she sighed. "Will you not just tell me?"

"Rumi made her bed, and now she has to lie in it," Celine said bitterly. "She insisted on telling you about them, so she can explain them."

"Wait, you told her-"

Celine hung up abruptly. Mira stared at her phone in shock. Celine was never the warmest person in the world, but Mira had never known her to be so rude.

She huffed. She would just have to confront Rumi when she got back from her romantic beach walk.

Chapter Text

Zoey walked into the kitchen, noticing the pot of cold coffee and two empty mugs on the counter. She shook her head and put the dishes in the sink. She boiled herself some water to make herself a cup of tea.

The house was rather quiet, but as she looked out the glass door, she saw Jinu and Rumi walking back towards the house. She smiled. They were cute together, and Rumi looked so relaxed with him.

Seeing Rumi with Jinu helped her feel a bit better about Mystery. She couldn't be sure about him just yet, but she had hope. His letter was in her pocket. It never left her side because she didn't want anyone else finding it.

"Good morning," she called as Jinu and Rumi walked through the door. They had stopped holding hands a few yards before they got in, and Zoey figured they weren't ready for anyone to really know how deep their connection went.

"Morning, Zoey," Rumi smiled, tucking a few loose hairs behind her ear. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good," Zoey replied. "Do you think I could-"

Mira stalked into the kitchen. "Rumi, how did you get your patterns?" She asked abruptly.

"Mira!" Zoey scolded.

Mira turned to her, her eyes full of fire. "Aren't you curious, Zoey?" She shot back. "We've just kind of ignored them, but now we're having to let demons into our house. I think we deserve an explanation."

Rumi's eyes were wide, and she stepped back from Mira, almost leaning into Jinu. Mira stepped closer.

"Well?" Mira yelled.

Rumi looked between Zoey and Mira. She stole a glance back at Jinu as well before speaking.

"I-I've been wanting to tell you," she said slowly. Zoey noticed Jinu place a comforting hand on Rumi's back. Rumi took a deep breath. "My father was a demon."

"What?" Zoey and Mira cried out.

Jinu looked down at Rumi, a quizzical look on his face. He must not have known either.

"So you're telling me that your hunter mother got pregnant with a demon's baby?" Mira asked, crossing her arms. "And how exactly do you know this? I can't imagine Celine would have let your mom do something like that."

Rumi shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "Celine said she saw him the night my mother died. That's all I know."

"What?" Jinu asked. He seemed genuinely confused.

Rumi looked back at him. "Apparently, he tried to keep another demon from attacking my mother," Rumi shrugged.

"But it wasn't enough?" Zoey asked, already knowing a bit of Rumi's history.

"No, she died, and apparently my father just ran away," she said, holding back tears.

Jinu excused himself and went back outside. Zoey figured he wanted to give them some privacy. Rumi looked after him for a moment before turning back to Zoey and Mira.

"The patterns started small, but then they grew and grew," Rumi explained, her voice thick with emotions. "Celine said if we turned the honmoom golden then they would go away. I had to keep them a secret."

"And Jinu?" Mira asked, tone still accusatory.

"He's not what you think," Rumi sighed, looking back outside. Jinu stood watching the waves. "Gwi-ma is the real enemy, even to Jinu. He's been trapped for centuries, his worst mistakes replaying in his head. He was the first person to see my patterns and not tell me to cover them up."

Mira looked Rumi over before turning and heading back to her room without another word. Rumi looked over at Zoey, her eyes pleading.

"I believe you," Zoey said, placing a hand on Rumi's shoulder. "I really do think there's more to them than just being demons. In fact..."

She pulled the note from her pocket, glancing down the hallway to make sure Mira was back in her room. It was a bit crumpled since Zoey had slept with it in her hand.

"What is that?" Rumi asked.

"At least one Saja boy made it out that night," Zoey said, handing Rumi the note. She trusted her. She had to.

"Dear Zoey," Rumi read aloud, keeping her voice low so as not to alert Mira, "I know that we're supposed to be enemies, but I don't want to be anymore. I have never met someone quite like you before. You may look back on what you said after punching me with regret, but please don't. No one has ever said I was their type. I'm sure you can understand why."

Rumi looked up at Zoey, who blushed. She had never imagined anyone else would know about her commentary during that showdown. She motioned for Rumi to keep reading.

"As dumb as it may sound, you seeing my face and not recoiling even for an instant changed something for me. You saw the broken mess that I kept hidden from judgemental eyes and actually liked it," Rumi continued, reading the words carefully. "I have a lot of sins that I may never be able to atone for, but you have given me hope that I can see the world differently. I don't want to destroy it. I just want to be able to live with myself. I don't really know if I can fix what I've helped break, but I want to if I can.

"I'm alone now. I don't know if I'll ever see any of the other Saja Boys again, but regardless, I can't go back to being under Gwi-ma's control. I'll understand if you rip this up and never respond, but I need your help, if you'd be willing to offer it to a broken man like me. Signed 'just your type'."

Rumi snorted at the end before looking up at Zoey. Zoey waited with baited breath to see how Rumi would react.

"Where did you get this?" Rumi finally asked, turning the note over as if to see if it was authentic.

"Some blue tiger gave it to me," Zoey shrugged. "He was cute but a bit scary at first."

"Derpy," Rumi breathed, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.

"What?" Zoey asked. What an odd thing to say.

"Sorry. That's the tiger's name," Rumi explained. "He used to take letters between me and Jinu as well. He's quite the sweetheart."

"Oh, well, the name makes sense. I can see why he would be called that," Zoey giggled, still a bit nervous. She took the letter back from Rumi. Carefully folding it back up before putting it in her pocket. "So?"

"Why did you wait so long to tell me?" Rumi asked, looking a bit hurt.

"Abby couldn't walk. Mira was upset, and you and Jinu both looked asleep on your feet." Zoey shrugged. "And I guess I was a bit embarrassed. I also don't know what he means by 'helping him' yet, but I figured you would be the best person to talk to about this."

Rumi nodded. "Well, I'm glad you told me about it now. You shouldn't be embarrassed. The Saja Boys are charming, but from what I've seen, incredibly human as well." Rumi scrunched her face, tapping her fingers on the counter top.

"What are you thinking?"

"I think we need to figure out how to get Mystery here before Gwi-ma finds him," Rumi said, looking over her shoulder at Jinu who continued to watch the waves. "Jinu's going to be thrilled to know he's alive."

-----------

Abby's body hurt more than he'd ever admit. He already felt weak enough having to be helped around by Jinu and her. The hunter who ruined everything.

Abby had been too tired to fight earlier, but he hated that Jinu had brought her to the demon realm. Hated that he had let her invade his mind. She had seen him as he truly was. Not even Jinu had ever gotten that far past his facade. He didn't want anyone to ever see him like that, but now the hunter knew he really was weak, a fraud.

Even after five centuries, he was still that frail kid tied to the post. Worthless, unloveable, broken. He could still feel the stripes on his back. His skin was marred from the years of abuse, and he could never let anyone see that, not even Jinu.

He shifted ever so slightly in the bed. His body screamed even with the small movement. Was this going to be the rest of his existence? Confined to a bed in the hunters' home until Jinu decided he wasn't worth protecting anymore?

He stared at the ceiling, unsure if he even cared. Jinu would be fine without him. He had the hunter after all. He had chosen her once before, and Abby was certain he would chose her again if he had to.

Maybe it was for the better. That way Abby could just fade away. He wouldn't have to worry about Jinu being all alone, and if the hunter ever turned on Jinu, it would be his own fault.

Despite feeling so terrible, he was grateful for the excuse to not get out of bed. He wouldn't want to even if he could. He wished the mattress would just consume him so he didn't have to think anymore. It had all gotten to be too much.

He heard the click of the door opening. He continued to stare at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling today?" Jinu asked, walking up to the side of the bed.

"Bad." It felt weird to talk. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Do you want to come join us in the living room?" Jinu asked. "Rumi says Zoey has something to tell us."

Abby shook his head, the muscles in his neck aching. He closed his eyes, hoping that Jinu would get the hint. He didn't want to see any of the hunters, let alone listen to what they had to say.

"Well, do you at least want something to eat?"

"No," he replied, his voice robotic.

Jinu placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, man, you need to eat something."

Abby rolled over. He didn't want to look at Jinu anymore, even if it did hurt to move. "I'm not hungry."

Jinu let out a sigh. Abby could tell he was frustrated. It didn't matter. Nothing did.

"Alright," Jinu relented, heading back to the door. "If you need anything, just let me know."

Abby didn't say anything else, so Jinu left the room. Abby felt so empty. Part of him wanted Jinu to make him talk to him, but the other part was grateful to be left alone.

He heard shouts of joy and laughter coming from the direction of the living room. It seemed that it didn't take Jinu long to forget about him after all.

Chapter Text

Jinu stood on the beach, watching the waves crash. Rumi's story didn't make sense. Not to him, at least.

He understood why Celine lied to Rumi about how her mother actually died, but from what Rumi had said, it sounded like Celine thought Baby was Rumi's father.

Jinu chuckled to himself a bit. As weird as it would be, it would also be incredibly hilarious to see Baby's face if he learned he was a dad. But Jinu knew it was impossible.

He remembered that time well because of how Gwi-ma had reacted to him helping Rumi's mom. They had all been extremely careful when hunting in the human world. None of them were ever alone. Besides, based on when Rumi was born it would have been pretty close to when he and Baby saved.... Jinu's blood ran cold.

His eyes widened as he remembered that night. It was one he would never forget. Celine had been right in a way. Rumi's father was a demon.

Jinu could still see the man's jet black eyes. He could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. Rumi's mother had been more terrified of that man than the two literal demons that watched her in the dark.

Jinu clenched his fists as the memory replayed over and over in his head. It wasn't like when Gwi-ma whispered to him. He hadn't heard him since the last Saja Boys performance. This was different. This was a revelation of truth that he didn't know what to do with.

He still didn't understand how Rumi got her patterns, but he did understand why Rumi's mother had left without telling Celine. She was ashamed. She shouldn't have been, but he understood.

"Jinu!" Rumi called. The warmth in her voice floated to him. "Zoey has something exciting to tell you."

He closed his eyes and took a breath. He couldn't tell her what he knew. Not when she was doing so much for him.

He turned to her, pasting a smile on his face. "Coming!"

Zoey and Rumi were smiling widely at him when he entered. "Abby may want to hear this, too," Rumi said.

Jinu shrugged, unsure what could be so important. He walked into his and Abby's bedroom and found Abby staring up at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling today?" Jinu asked. Abby looked like he had hardly moved at all during the night despite being a typically active sleeper.

"Bad." Abby's voice was devoid of emotions.

"Do you want to come join us in the living room?" Jinu asked, hoping a change of scenery might help Abby get out of his funk. "Rumi says Zoey has something to tell us."

Abby just shook his head stiffly. Jinu wasn't sure if he didn't want to come because he was still physically weak or if something else was going on.

"Well, do you at least want something to eat?"

"No."

"Come on, man, you need to eat something," Jinu pressed, placing his hand on Abby's shoulder. He was starting to get really worried.

Abby rolled over, looking away from him. "I'm not hungry."

Jinu's hand dropped back to his side as he sighed. Abby didn't want to talk to him, and Jinu didn't know how else to help him. Maybe it was better to just give him some time to himself.

"Alright," Jinu said, heading to the door, "if you need anything, just let me know."

He hated leaving Abby like this, but he clearly didn't want to talk. Jinu left the room and joined Rumi and Zoey in the living room.

"Abby didn't want to come?" Rumi asked as Jinu walked in alone.

Jinu shook his head. "He's not feeling great right now."

"Would it be better if we joined him in the room?" Zoey suggested, looking at Rumi.

"No, I think it's best if we don't disturb him right now," Jinu said quickly. "So what is it?"

Zoey and Rumi shared a smile before Zoey held up a folded piece of paper. "Mystery is alive," Zoey said with a wide smile.

"What?" Jinu asked, taking the paper before Zoey could protest. He scanned the letter quickly, hardly daring to believe it was real. It was Mystery's handwriting, and the way he described his face was accurate. "You said he's your type?"

Zoey blushed and snatched the letter back from him. "That's not the point," she mumbled.

"No, of course not," Jinu said, a laugh escaping him. "Mystery's alive!"

He picked Zoey up and spun her around. If it wasn't for her, he may never have know Mystery was still out there. He was a bit surprised that Zoey liked a more rugged, scarred look. She seemed like such a soft and sweet girl, but he was glad she liked Mystery. That was what brought this whole thing about.

"So where is he?" Jinu asked, finally setting Zoey down again.

"We're not sure yet," Rumi said. "Derpy hasn't come back yet."

Jinu chuckled. "Of course Derpy is the messenger. Mystery was quite upset when Derpy was hanging out at your place for so long. I didn't tell him that's where he went, but he was still mad."

"I guess I'll have to apologize later," Rumi laughed.

The world seemed to be brighter now. Not only was Mystery alive, he also wanted to change. He didn't want to be a demon anymore. More importantly, he was doing his best to find a way to not be.

Jinu looked back towards the bedroom. Abby should hear this, too, but maybe it would be better to hold off. They didn't know where Mystery was just yet. Jinu didn't want to get Abby's hopes up in case they couldn't find him. He was in too fragile a state for that.

"I hope you're ready for your house to be filled with washed up demons," Jinu chuckled, giving Rumi a hug.

"I'm glad we can help you get your family back."

He hugged her tighter.

-------------

Gwi-ma looked smaller than usual as Baby climbed the stairs to the demon king. He had only ever met with Gwi-ma willingly once before, and that was when they presented their plan as the Saja Boys. This was different. He was alone.

He was surprised that Gwi-ma wasn't angry with him for failing, but then again, maybe the reprimand was coming. Gwi-ma could be luring him into a false sense of security so the pain would be worse when he finally did land the blow.

"Hyeonbin, you made it back to me," Gwi-ma whispered, his voice unusually soft. "The lone survivor of the vicious hunter attack."

Baby lowered himself onto one knee in front of Gwi-ma. "We failed," he stated simply.

"Stand," Gwi-ma said. An unnatural force helped Baby to his feet. "You did not fail me. Jinu did. He failed you, too. You are our hope for salvation, Hyeonbin."

"How?" Baby asked. Gwi-ma's use of his old name was starting to grow on him. He used to hate it, but now Baby reminded him too much of the Saja Boys.

"I am not at my full strength after that hunter dared to try to destroy me," Gwi-ma admitted. He engulfed Baby in warm flames. It was pleasant, like a hug. "We did lose that battle. However, we learned something very important."

Baby looked up. "What's that?"

"The hunters can break." Gwi-ma's voice once would have sent chills down his spine, but now he felt the power behind his words. "Don't you want to help me avenge your friends?"

Memories of the Saja Boys rolled through his mind. It hurt to remember them. It especially hurt to see Abby and Jinu die over and over.

"Yes!" Baby called out. "Whatever it takes."

Gwi-ma smiled down at him. "You will be my general," he explained. "Your mission is not to steal souls but to destroy the hunters however you can. When they are destroyed, there will be no one left to save the world."

Baby felt tendrils of flames licking at his skin. They melded with his patterns, which glowed brighter. His soft, oversized sweater changed into a tight leather suit, which seemed to absorb any light that dared touch it. The memories vanished as the whispers ceased. He looked down at his hands. He felt powerful.

Hyeonbin looked up with a smirk. "When do we start?"

Chapter Text

Mystery decided to hold off telling Romance about his correspondence with Zoey for a little bit. Romance had enough to deal with at the moment without another one of his friends talking with a hunter.

Mystery couldn't help it. Zoey really was like a breath of fresh air. She was so nice, even when she was trying to kill him. She was also intense in a way that he found fascinating. She never did anything half way. He liked it.

Romance was still extremely weak, so Mystery decided not to send Derpy away with another message just yet. He needed the tiger to help him transport Romance to their old home. He definitely couldn't do it on his own. Thankfully, Romance didn't protest too much, but it was a bit difficult to get him in a comfortable position on Derpy's back.

They moved slowly in hopes of minimizing the discomfort for Romance. Mystery felt like they would never get there, but then again, they had eternity to try. The dead forest appeared on the horizon, and Mystery breathed a sigh of relief. They were so close now. Any second, they would see the house waiting to greet them.

The forest got closer, but no house appeared. Maybe they had gotten lost somehow. A smoky haze rose up in front of him.

"Oh, no," he breathed. He started running towards the smoldering ashes.

"What's wrong?" Romance called after him, lifting his head from Derpy's shoulder.

"Stay there!"

If he hadn't known what it was supposed to be, Mystery wouldn't know what he was looking at. It was gone, all gone. Their home, their safe place. Gone.

He walked up to the smoldering ashes. There in the middle, like a beacon of hope, sat Jinu's bipa. It leaned against the stone pile that used to be their fireplace. He knelt down in the ashes and bowed his head to the ground to mourn their lost family. This made everything too real.

Mystery gritted his teeth as he looked up. This was deliberate. A message to the Saja Boys that Gwi-ma still owned them. He was playing a dangerous game, though.

Mystery grabbed the bipa and took one final look at his home, the only stable home he'd ever known. He walked back to Romance his shoulder squared and jaw set forward. He beckoned Derpy to follow him into the dead forest.

"What's going on?" Romance asked weakly.

Mystery ignored him and scribbled on a piece of paper he had in his pocket and handed it to Derpy. He helped Romance off the tiger. Romance looked at him from his new seat against the tree.

"Mystery?"

"I'm going to kill a god."

----------

Mira waited until she heard Zoey, Jinu, and Rumi go out to the pool to plan their daring rescue mission. Mira scoffed to herself. She really was the only sane person around here, except maybe Abby, and he was only sane because he was afraid of her. Smart man.

She went to the kitchen and started making herself some ramen. She needed some spice to burn away her frustrations. Zoey and Rumi were willingly letting demons into their world, into their home. So what if Rumi's dad was a demon? That didn't mean he was good either. Not all dads are good people.

Mira sighed in frustration as she mixed the noodles in her cup with her chopsticks. She prodded at them a bit too aggressively and poked a hole in the bottom of the cup. She swore as she ran to hold it over the sink as it dripped. Just her luck.

"Is baby-" Abby stopped abruptly seeing her staring at him wide eyed. His face immediately dropped, his eyes looked dead. He backed away from her a bit. "Sorry, I forgot that the ramen Baby used to eat was yours. I thought-" He shook his head and sighed.

"Sorry to disappoint you," she said flatly, raising her eyebrow at him. "The others are outside if you're looking for them."

"No, they wouldn't want me around," he said, his voice as dead as his eyes. "Sorry to disturb you."

He turned to leave, but she stopped him. "Do you want anything to eat?" She asked. She didn't know why she did it. Maybe she was just trying to be a good host even if her guest was from the depths of hell.

"Don't waste your food on me," he muttered, walking away.

Mira watched him leave, unsure what just happened. Abby used to drive her nuts, tease her to no end, but now, he seemed like a husk of his former self. There was a part of her very deep down that felt sorry for him. She couldn't let that show, though. She had to keep the standard up for a demon free world.

-----------

Zoey lounged on the chair next to the pool, notebook in hand, and listened to Rumi and Jinu. They were a funny pair.

"What do you mean you've never been in a pool?" Rumi asked, trying to get Jinu to dip his feet in with her.

"I came from a poor family in the 16th century," he shrugged. "Any bits of water like this would have been considered a palace lily pond, not for swimming."

Zoey chuckled to herself. She didn't realize the Saja Boys could be so old. They seemed just like them. She looked up as a blue tiger ascended from the ground.

"Derpy!" Rumi and Jinu both exclaimed. Rumi pulled her feet from the water and rushed over as Zoey took the letter from Derpy's mouth.

"I found Romance," she read, which made Jinu sigh in relief. He wrapped an arm around Rumi. "He's really hurt right now, and I don't know what to do, Zoey. We had a house here, but Gwi-ma burned it down."

"What?" Jinu exclaimed, moving to look over Zoey's shoulder. "We need to get them out of there."

She looked at him before continuing. "I don't know if there is a way to get past the honmoon right now after you strengthened it, but if we can find a way, the human world may be the only safe place for Romance to recover.

"I can't lose him, Zoey, but I don't know if I can do this on my own. Right now we're staying in what we call the dead forest. Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime. If you have any ideas for getting Romance to safety, please let me know."

Zoey looked up at Rumi and Jinu. They both looked contemplative. Zoey hated the honmoon right now.

"How did you and Abby get past the honmoon?" Zoey asked, looking at Jinu.

"I think it knows when you don't mean harm," Jinu said slowly. "It wasn't as easy getting Abby through it, but like I said to Rumi, he couldn't harm anyone even if he tried."

"So it should be easy to get them both here, then," Zoey said, excitedly. "We just have to get to them."

"Should be barring any unforseen mishaps," Rumi shrugged. She turned to Jinu. "How do we get to the dead forest?"

"We need to get back to Seoul first," Jinu sighed. "Up for a trip?"

Rumi took his hand. "Definitely."

-------------

"I'm not taking another helicopter rescue mission to get another set of demons," Mira said, crossing her arms. Rumi stood in her doorway a pleading look on her face. "You have your license, Rumi. You can do it."

"You're just better at it than me," Rumi said, trying to boost her ego. It wasn't going to work.

"You want to bring stray dogs here, then you have to figure out a way to get them here," Mira said bluntly, closing the door on Rumi.

They could barely take care of the demons they had, and now they wanted to bring more. They would be outnumbered soon.

"Then you're in charge of making sure Abby's alright while we're gone," Rumi called through the door.

"Don't blame me if he disappears then," she yelled back.

She doubted Abby would be going anywhere anyways. He didn't want to see her as much as she didn't want to see him. It was a match made in heaven.

With the others gone, it was unbearably quiet. She sat on her bed and leaned her head against the wall. When was the last time Zoey and Rumi had left her alone.

She felt like they had abandoned her. A silent tear escaped down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. She wouldn't cry.

It was like when she left her family. They didn't even try to get her to come back. Now her chosen family was leaving her behind. Her heart started to ache.

This was supposed to be a comeback for Huntrix. They were supposed to be stronger now, but Mira felt like she was going backwards. She was the problem child again.

She buried her face in her hands as she started singing a song she had been feeling ever since Rumi had started acting strange before the Idol Awards. Now it felt like a complete ballad pounding in her head.

"If I had cried first,
Would I take priority?
Or does compassion and understanding
Go in order of seniority?
Should I have broken down
For everyone to see—
To make sure my pain
Would spill on everyone but me?

Would that make the statement
That I really need help?
Because right now it feels
Like I’m stuck on the shelf.

I’m the peacemaker breaking,
Holding what’s left of the truth.
I’m the quiet one fading,
While I cry in the other room.
And I’m wondering who gets comfort,
And who has to bleed—
If I had cried first,
Would you have seen me?

For someone who’s had
Decades to try healing,
Still breaking and hurting
Each one of our feelings.
Which one deserves comfort
In the places of meeting?
It seems only one
Can be interceding.

Am I the bad guy
For wanting some peace?
For all of these years,
I’ve tried everything.

I’m the peacemaker breaking,
Holding what’s left of the truth.
I’m the quiet one fading,
While I cry in the other room.
And I’m wondering who gets comfort,
And who has to bleed—
If I had cried first,
Would you have seen me?

We’re all broken and bruised,
Beyond recognition—
By someone who swears
It wasn’t their volition.
The lies and deceit,
The quiet manipulation—
They don’t fade away
In such short duration.
Yes, people can break,
And shatter real bad—
But that doesn’t excuse
The abuse we’ve had.

Is it better to sever
What’s already tarnished?
Or paint over cracks
With a new coat of varnish?
You can hide what’s broken,
Make it shine like new—
But it doesn’t make right
What we’ve been through.
If I had cried first,
Would I matter to you?"

The last note hung in the air as she let out a sob. She took a few breaths before deciding she needed to get out. She dressed in her running clothes and headed out the door.

Chapter Text

Mira stopped jogging as she saw a familiar figure standing on the rocks in the distance. She looked behind her and could barely see the house. How had he gotten out here?

She approached carefully. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be bedridden?" She called up to him, keeping a safe distance away.

She expected him to flinch, to back away in fear, but he just looked down at her with dead eyes just like in the kitchen.

"Come to finish me off?" He asked in a monotone voice. "It would be a blessing if you did."

Mira raised her eyebrows. "No, I wanted to go on a jog to get away for a little bit."

"Sorry to get in the way of that," he said, looking back at the water. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I can't swim, you know?"

Mira stepped closer. "What are you talking about?"

"Never learned how to," he continued, water lapping around the rocks under his feet. "Even demons have to breathe sometime, right?"

"You're scaring me," Mira admitted, edging a bit closer. This wasn't right.

"Isn't that the point of who I am?" He asked, not looking at her. He took a step forward towards the water. "To strike fear in people?"

"Is it?" She just had to keep him talking. She may hate him, but she couldn't let him die like this.

"That's all I am," he said, simply. "A demon with no feelings who doesn't deserve to live."

He looked back at her, and she stopped in her tracks. The words she had once sang with conviction now sounded so harsh. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak.

"You're right about one thing at least," he muttered, turning back to the water and stepping closer.

"What's that?" Mira asked, moving forward as well. He was almost within her reach.

"I don't deserve to live."

Mira reached for him as he stepped off of the rock. Her hand grasped the back of his shirt tightly, but it ripped as he dropped into the churning water. She swore as she kicked off her shoes and dove in after him.

The shock of the cold water almost made her breathe in involuntarily. The waves were relentless, and she worried she would be bashed against the rocks behind her. Thankfully, the water itself wasn't too deep, and she was able to locate Abby easily.

She grabbed onto him and pushed off the sandy seabed. He was heavy, but the buoyancy of the water helped. When she broke the surface, she gasped for air. She had to get both of them on land fast.

She started swimming as best she could towards the sand on the other side of the rocks. Dragging a man behind her made the distance seem a hundred times farther than it should have.

She was exhausted when she finally managed to pull him onto the sand. Half of him was still in the water, but she couldn't move him any more. She knelt down beside him.

He didn't seem to be breathing, so she tore off the rest of his tattered shirt and started CPR. She didn't have time to wonder what she was doing as she tried to start his heart again. She screamed in frustration with each press over his heart. She wouldn't let him die.

She sat back as he started coughing. She breathed in a sigh of relief, her arms shaking from the exertion. He was alive. Abby started to take in deep breaths. It seemed like ages before he spoke.

"Why didn't you let me die?" Abby whispered, his eyes still closed.

"Maybe I didn't want Jinu and Rumi to get mad at me," Mira shrugged, looking down at him. For such a large man, he seemed so fragile.

Abby scoffed. "You wouldn't have to tell them you saw me."

"I'm a terrible liar," Mira admitted. "Besides, if you're going to die, don't you think I should be the one to kill you."

He cracked his eyes open a bit to look at her. She couldn't help herself; she smiled. He needed to know that she was kidding.... mostly.

"I gave you the chance," he grumbled. "Why didn't you do it?"

Mira shrugged again. "Wasn't feeling it today, I guess."

Abby sighed and closed his eyes again. "Just my luck."

"Why do you want to die so badly anyways?" Mira asked.

"Why shouldn't I?"

"You would leave Jinu all alone," she said. She never imagined she would be trying to help a demon, let alone Abby.

"He's not alone," Abby replied, pinching the bridge of his nose. "He's got Rumi. I doubt he'd even realize I was gone."

"I think he would miss you more than you think," Mira offered. "He wouldn't have gone through all that trouble to get you out of the demon realm just to leave you here."

"Why are you suddenly being nice to me?" He asked, glaring at her.

"Because you need it," she replied, looking at him seriously. She sighed. "And maybe I see a bit of myself in you. Maybe I was wrong about you."

"You weren't," Abby insisted. "I'm worthless, weak, and have hurt so many people over the centuries. The world is better off without me."

He sat up with a strained expression to look out at the water, the tattered bits of his shirt hanging off of his shoulders like rags. Mira gasped and reached out to touch his back gently.

"Oh, Abby," she whispered. "What happened?"

He flinched from her touch. "No one was ever supposed to see those," he murmured. He rested his head against his knees. "But I guess it's fitting that you do."

His skin didn't even look real it was marred so badly. Every inch of his back was covered in long scars, criss-crossing over each other.

"Who did this to you?" She breathed, her hand hovering just above his skin.

"My father," Abby said, hugging his knees to his chest.

And Mira thought her parents were bad. This was torture. Her own back ached just looking at the scars.

"Why did he do it?" She asked, barely able to breathe. She never imagined she could feel so bad for someone she was supposed to hate.

"I told you," he replied, looking back at her. His eyes looked so tired. "I'm worthless and weak. I was a disgrace to my father. Even Gwi-ma couldn't make him love me."

Mira let out a small, shuddering breath. He was completely broken. Rumi was right. The man before her wasn't her enemy. How could he be?

She moved closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his mangled skin. He gasped at the contact, grasping onto her arm as if it was a lifeline. Her hand rested against the scar on his abdomen. The scar she gave him. She felt awful.

"You don't want love that you have to beg for," she whispered softly, hugging him tighter. "It's not really love if you have to change yourself for it. Believe me, I know."

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice watery with emotions.

"I was a problem child for my parents," she explained, maintaining contact with him. "For years I tried to be the daughter that they wanted, but it was never enough. I finally just left, and they never tried to get me to come back. I think that hurt more than anything else. Rumi and Zoey were the first people to actually encourage me to be myself and do things that I love just because I love it."

"I thought you guys were supposed to be perfect," Abby said. He turned his head to look over his shoulder. She unwrapped her arms from around him and moved to sit beside him instead. He linked his arm with hers as if the contact was the only thing keeping him alive.

She smiled sadly at him. "I think we both have some misconceptions we're learning aren't true," she said, patting his arm. "I am nowhere near perfect, unfortunately. I'm high strung and aggressive. Sometimes I feel like I have to still keep myself under wraps."

"But you're this idol who keeps the world safe. You're the image of a perfect woman," he said. He blushed before quickly correcting himself. "I mean, like, in the general perfect sense."

"I'm not-"

"I mean you just jumped into the ocean to save a demon, Mira," he said. "Pretty perfect."

She sighed. "Fine. Would it make you feel better if I said I was perfect?"

His shoulders slumped a bit. "I don't know what would make me feel better," he admitted. "I think I'm just too far gone. I cared too much and now I'm reaping the consequences."

Mira looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I always tried to be strong for the other Saja Boys," he explained, keeping his eyes on the water. "I'm the oldest, you know?"

She chuckled lightly as she leaned closer to him. She was starting to feel the chill of the air now that her adrenaline was fading.

"I tried to keep them safe, tried to keep them from feeling like they were worthless. They were my family. They were everything to me because they actually..." he paused, his throat catching.

"Love you?" Mira finished quietly.

He nodded, setting his jaw to keep from crying. She understood his hesitancy. She never liked crying either.

"And now it's just me and Jinu," he said, starting to shake as well from the chill.

She looked at him confused. "Did Jinu not tell you?" She asked.

"Tell me what?" He replied. "It seems like he only has time for Rumi now."

"Mystery and Romance are alive," she said. She never imagined she would say that with a smile.

"Mira, I don't need you to lie to me," he muttered. He seemed to have no hope in his eyes at all. "That's something I like about you. You're honest, even if people don't want it."

"I'm not lying to you," she insisted. "That's where they ran off to. They're trying to bring them back here."

Abby chuckled darkly. "I bet you're thrilled."

"I wasn't, but you should be at least," she said, turning his face to look at her. "Why aren't you? Your family isn't gone."

He looked back at her almost like he was looking through her. "But I still failed them, Mira," he admitted shakily. "Even if they forgive me, I can't ever forgive myself. I couldn't be strong enough for them. I couldn't be.... perfect."

She had never felt like she understood someone better than she did now. She couldn't let him give in because if she did, what was keeping her from doing the same?

"Will you do something for me?" She asked suddenly, standing and extending her hand to him. She had to give him something to live for.

He looked at her hesitantly before taking her hand. She pulled him up and helped him steady himself. He obviously wasn't totally okay yet physically either.

"What could you possibly need from me?" He asked, starting to shiver more.

"If I'm going to have four demons in my house, I need you to help me adjust to living with demons," she chuckled. "Just don't tell the others that I'm talking to you. I have an image to maintain."

He looked at her seriously. "As long as you don't tell them about.... this."

She nodded, understanding his meaning. "Deal."

Chapter Text

Jinu couldn't believe that it had been so simple to find Mystery and Romance. It had basically just fallen into their laps. Jinu also couldn't believe how far Mystery had come since Jinu first met him. He was more confident and actually talking to people.

They touched down at the landing pad the hunters had. The plan was for Zoey to wait for them on the human side of the honmoon in case something went wrong since they were pretty sure she wouldn't be able to cross.

Jinu led the two women through the streets of Seoul to an alleyway he knew well. It was here he had crept into the human world for centuries to hunt for souls. Odd that he was using it now doing almost the complete opposite.

"What if they can't come through?" Zoey asked anxiously as her finger bounced off of the invisible shield.

"Then we make a tear if we can, and you and I repair it," Rumi said. "Plain and simple."

Zoey nodded and took a deep breath as Jinu and Rumi stepped into the demon realm.

Jinu immediately regretted their entry point. He felt Gwi-ma's gaze turn to them. They were too close, much too close. Though the voices were gone, he heard a loud ringing in his ears, which made him cry out in pain. He fell to his knees when they touched the ground as he covered his ears.

"Jinu!" Rumi exclaimed, helping him stand.

"You don't hear it?" He asked, a bit louder than usual because he was having trouble hearing anything over the ringing. She shook her head. "We need to do this quickly. He knows we're here."

He took off to the trees which were just a few yards away. Rumi followed after him. He tried to keep himself from glancing over at the charred carcass of their old home. He had to stay focused.

"Mystery?" Jinu called out, the ringing starting to fade. "Mystery, can you hear me?"

"Jinu?" A distant but familiar voice called.

"Mystery!" Jinu started running towards his voice.

Soon Romance and Mystery were within his sights. Mystery ran up to him and embraced him tightly. Romance remained sitting against a tree.

"How did you find us?" Mystery asked, pulling away.

Jinu just turned and pointed at Rumi who was just joining them. She waved awkwardly at the two demons. Mystery walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms as well. She stood stiffly for a moment before hugging him back.

"I'm guessing Zoey told you," Mystery said as he let Rumi go.

"What do you mean Zoey told them?" Romance called, pouting from being left out. Jinu walked over to him and helped him to his feet, letting him lean fully on Jinu for support.

"Well, you know that discussion we had about, uh, these two?" Mystery said, rubbing his neck and gesturing between Rumi and Jinu.

"That's why you were so cool with it!" Romance exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We had bigger things to worry about, and I was a bit embarrassed," Mystery admitted.

Rumi chuckled. "That makes two of you."

"We should finish this chat later," Jinu said, adjusting his hold on Romance. "Mystery, do you want to help me with him. We came in through our usual spot."

Mystery nodded and put Romance's other arm around his neck. The two of them were able to get Romance moving relatively easily. Jinu was silently grateful Romance wasn't as heavy as Abby.

-------------------

"Your time has come, Hyeonbin," Gwi-ma said, his gaze on the horizon. "It seems that we have a hunter attacking our home. It isn't enough to keep us from the souls."

"She has trespassed here and doesn't expect us to retaliate?" Hyeonbin asked with a sneer. "Don't worry, she will be dealt with."

He floated down the steps into the demon city, a sword of dark flames appearing in his hand. He walked into the middle of the crowd of demons.

"Our home is being attacked," he called out to the crowd. "We must defend it. The hunter must be stopped and anyone who may be helping her. If you value your lives, you will help me bring the hunter down, or she will destroy you."

There were murmurs in the crowd. Many of the demons below avoided his eye and wrung their hands, not wanting to go directly against a hunter. Hyeonbin rose into the air brandishing his sword. Wisps of darkness swirled around the black steel. His eyes glowed brighter as his deep voice carried across the chasm.

"Darkness is only dark
If you’ve known the light,
But we’ve been living so long
To us, even our shadows shine bright.

They call us wrong just to make themselves right,
But we’re the ones who won’t give up our fight.

We can’t let them take it,
Just because they hate it.
We’re only “bad” ’cause someone else got to write what’s good,
But real power lies
Against the grain of the wood.

They want to claim what’s ours,
We’ll strike first and do worse—
’Cause everyone knows
That’ll put them in reverse."

The demons below him joined in as they followed him to the edge of the chasm.

"We can’t let them take it,
Just because they hate it.
We’re only “bad” ’cause someone else got to write what’s good,
But real power lies
Against the grain of the wood

Let them curse our name,
We’ll still rise the same—
There’s beauty in the dark,
And power in your pain."

There was a cheer from down below, and the demons clambered over the chasm walls. Hyeonbin led them directly towards the dead forest.

----------

The ground started to rumble under their feet, and they all looked in the direction of the burned house. On the horizon was a horde of demons.

"We have to go now," Mystery said.

"Almost there, Romance," Jinu said as Rumi soared up towards the honmoon to warn Zoey.

"It won't let us through," Romance murmured, his body starting to give out.

"No, no, you'll be fine," Jinu assured him.

Mystery looked at Jinu. Jinu's patterns were faded, but Romance and Mystery still had theirs deeply set into their skin. There was no way the honmoon would let Mystery through. Romance maybe, but Mystery had too much blood on his hands to go through.

They pushed off the ground towards the honmoon as a dark figure floated in their direction. Light seemed to be consumed by the demon. His dark sword brandished dark flames.

"Who is that?" Jinu asked just as they got to the window into the human world.

"I don't know," Mystery called to him as Jinu clambered into the human world and leaned down to pull Romance through.

The honmoon hugged tightly to Romance, trying to keep him in the demon realm. Rumi and Zoey both helped drag him through. Mystery saw him gasp for air on the other side.

"Mystery, come on!" Zoey called down to him. Her hand was extended to him, unable to cross the barrier.

Mystery looked behind him at the army trying to get to him and then looked back at Zoey. He reached out to her, but the honmoon didn't move at all.

"No!" Zoey banged against the honmoon in frustration. "Rumi, we have to tear it somehow!"

She kept her eyes on Mystery. He placed his hand against the honmoon as if it was a window into a world he was only allowed to imagine. Zoey placed her hand over his as she started to cry.

"Don't risk that. I'll find another way," he promised. "Just make sure Romance is okay."

"Mystery!" He heard them all call.

Jinu tried to reach through and pull him over, but Mystery pushed off the honmoon with his feet, descending in a controlled flip. He landed in a low lunge, his hands at the ready for a fight.

-----------

"We have to help him!" Zoey yelled as she pounded on the ground. Jinu pulled her back as a water demon slashed at the honmoon where Mystery had just been.

"He's right," Jinu said, catching his breath. "We can't risk it. Not right now."

"Why couldn't he come through?" Zoey asked, pushing Jinu away from her. "He was so close!"

"He thinks he deserves to be there," Romance said sagely. He leaned against the alley wall, his skin sallow.

"He thinks he's still dangerous," Jinu breathed, looking at the spot where they had last seen Mystery.

"What do you mean?" Rumi asked, looking between Romance and Jinu. "He doesn't want to steal souls anymore. He told Zoey that."

Jinu shook his head. "From before he was a demon," he said vaguely, remembering what Mystery had told him all those years ago. "It's not my story to tell, though."

Silence fell in the group. They all looked at the spot they had crawled through. It almost felt like they were already mourning Mystery. They took a moment before finally moving.

"Who was the one with the sword?" Rumi asked, as they started to help Romance up.

"I've never seen a demon like that before," Jinu admitted, shaking his head. It had been like looking at a nightmare.

Romance chuckled weakly. "Kind of hard to miss someone like that, too."

"I didn't like the look of him," Rumi stated. "Something is definitely going on down there. We may need to stay in Seoul just so we can be here if they somehow get through."

Romance looked over at her. "Were we going somewhere else?"

"Just a private island," Jinu smiled.

"What?" Romance moaned. "Of course I have to miss out on a private island because of a possible demon invasion. Karma I guess."

Zoey patted him comfortingly on the back. Jinu noticed her far off look. "We'll take you there sometime, okay?"

"Once we get back to the apartment, I'll go get Mira and Abby," Rumi said as she hailed a cab. "They'll end up killing each other if we leave them alone too long."

"Wait, Abby's here, too!" Romance exclaimed as Jinu helped him into the cab. "And he gets to be on an island!"

Jinu chuckled and smiled as he raised his eyebrows at Rumi as if to ask her if she was regretting her decision to help them now. She just laughed back at him as she climbed in the front of the cab.

Chapter Text

Mystery hoped the others had stepped away from the honmoon. He didn't want them to see him die, if that's how it ended. He would do his best to get out, but he also didn't want to actually hurt any of the other demons if he could help it.

His patterns glowed brightly on his skin as he kicked the first demon back. It fell back against the demons behind it while other demons closed in from the side. Mystery jumped and kicked off the chest of the nearest demon to help him flip backwards to give himself more room.

"Traitor!" A few demons called out as they got closer.

The embodiment of darkness moved closer, sword raised above his head. He did seem familiar even if Mystery couldn't quite place where he knew him from. Mystery stared at him for a moment too long, and a large demon grabbed Mystery around his neck.

Mystery gasped out loud as he suddenly couldn't breathe in. His patterns seared hot as he slashed his claws against the demon's scalp. The demon cried out in pain as he released Mystery. The demon's head was now gashed open, and the smell of burned flesh filled Mystery's nose.

The dark figure dropped his sword down to his side as the wounded demon fell back. It was like the horde of demons was filled with a new energy. They came at Mystery quicker. He slashed at each one as they moved closer. He looked around wildly as the demons started to encircle him.

Memories flashed in his mind. He was back on that stage. He was trapped. They were coming at him, laughing at him, beating him.

"No distractions. No limits!" Mystery yelled, startling the demons around him.

His vision darkened as he felt his body move of its own accord. Demons were ripped open, thrown to the side. He made quick work of them. There was an opening for him to run, but his body didn't want to. He mustered all his control and forced himself to retreat. He ran away as fast as he could.

He headed back to the woods. Most demons never stepped foot in the trees, so he was confident he could lose them in there.

His legs finally gave out on him long after he heard the last hints of being followed. He fell to his knees, his clothes and hands covered in dark blood. He screamed into the darkness.

He hadn't wanted to hurt any of them. He just wanted to get out of there. He just wanted to be left alone. The voices returned louder than ever.

"Violence is never the answer," his mother scolded in his ear. "I taught you better than that."

"Devil's son!" The familiar introduction echoed between his ears as laughter erupted.

"I'm not-" Mystery yelled out, but he stopped as he saw the blood on his hands again. "I wasn't...."

He started to shake as he stared at his hands. He had made himself a demon, and there was no going back. The other Saja Boys had sold their souls for different things, but Mystery sold his soul to become a demon. He shouldn't be surprised at all that he wasn't allowed through the honmoon. He wasn't in the demon realm by mistake. He had chosen it.

If he had to stay here, he might as well raise hell for Gwi-ma. He wouldn't let the demon king snuff out the light in the world above. Gwi-ma may have his soul, but Mystery had traded it for power. Gwi-ma didn't know it yet, but the demon king had gotten the short end of that deal.

Mystery transformed his clothes into flowing dark robes. His hair receded to expose his scars for the first time in centuries. He pulled the hood of his robe over his head as he turned in the direction of the demon city. If he was going to take down the demon king, he needed to know more about Gwi-ma's most recent recruit.

-------------

"Abby, you have to eat something," Mira insisted, opening all of the cupboards in the kitchen so he could see what was available.

He gave her an exasperated look. "I think I might have liked you better when you hated me," he sighed. "I told you, I'm not hungry."

"Fine," she said tersely. "Then I guess I'll just have to make myself a whole bunch of food that you'll have to watch me eat because I, personally, am starving."

He watched her bustle around the kitchen pulling out various items and throwing them into pots. She hummed to herself as she did so, keeping them from falling into an uncomfortable silence.

She piled all of her dishes onto the table and set one plate out where she would sit. "You can come sit with me while I eat," she said, patting the seat next to her.

He moved over to sit with her, struggling with the feeling of wanting to be alone and yet be with someone all at the same time. She smiled at him as she immediately started devouring the food in front of her. Abby had to admit to himself that it smelled delicious. He just didn't want to take their food. Mira hadn't wanted him there in the first place anyways.

He must have been staring at her plate because she quietly handed him a spare set of chopsticks. He looked between them and her. She nodded for him to take a bite from her plate.

He took a small piece of chicken. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he started eating. He hated the smug look on Mira's face as she handed him his own plate to pile food onto.

"I don't want to eat all your food," he told her sheepishly as she put more rice onto his plate. "I'm already intruding enough."

"Oh, hush," Mira scolded. "You think I actually made all of this for myself?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I've heard tales of the appetites of the hunters."

She laughed, and he actually smiled. There was something amazing about seeing her relaxed. She was different somehow.

"I don't think I've ever seen you genuinely laugh, Mira," he observed, setting his chopsticks down on the little ceramic panda in front of him.

She stiffened for a second. A thoughtful look crossed her face. "You know, I don't remember the last time I really laughed," she admitted. "It's just been work and, you know, slaying demons."

"Well, you should do it more. It looks good on you," he said casually as he picked up his chopsticks again to finish the rice. He chose to ignore the slight flush in her cheeks.

Mira cleared her throat. "Speaking of slaying demons..."

"Was this a fatten me before the kill situation?" He asked, looking at the now empty dishes on the table.

Mira chuckled as she leaned forward. "No, I wanted to apologize," she said seriously.

"For what?"

She glanced down at his abdomen. "For what I did to you," she whispered. "For giving you another scar that you didn't deserve. For hating you so much."

He stared at her silently for a moment. This was not the same Mira that he had tried to break before. This was someone different. Someone genuine. Someone he didn't know he needed to know.

"I..." he stuttered. He paused and placed his hand on top of hers. "You were doing what you thought was right, and honestly, maybe I needed that as a wake up call."

"What do you mean?" She asked. He noticed she didn't move away from his touch.

"I was chasing the idea that I could get rid of the voices and memories in my head by.... well, by hurting others," he explained cautiously. "Stealing souls for Gwi-ma made them quieter, and we had made a deal with him that if we could destroy the honmoon, we would have our memories erased and voices gone. But living is also about accepting the past not just running from it, which I'm still working on. I don't know if I'll ever be able to be okay, but now I want to try."

She squeezed his hand. "I never even stopped to wonder why you all were doing it," she said softly. "I just thought it was because..."

"We were demons?" He finished for her.

She nodded, a sad smile on her face.

"I am a demon, Mira. I've hurt so many people over the years," he admitted, holding her hand tightly. "I wouldn't have if I had more strength in my convictions. I just couldn't let myself be tortured by Gwi-ma, so I chose to let someone else take the fall time and time again. That's who you protect the world from. The selfish who can't accept their punishment, so they make others take it for them."

He stood up, suddenly full of nervous energy as he spoke. He raked his fingers through his hair.

"Abby, I can't imagine what Gwi-ma put you through, maybe still is putting you through," Mira said, walking over to him. She rested her hands on his shoulders, stopping him from continuing to pace. "You have made it this far and still have a conscience. You're not weak. You're a survivor, and I'm glad you've made it this long."

"Why?" He asked. He wasn't sure if he believed that he wasn't weak for giving in, but she was right that he had survived, even if it was at a cost.

"Because I didn't know I needed to know you until now," she replied. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her.

He stiffened for a second before wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tighter. The oppressive weight that had sat on his chest for the past few days started to lighten as she held him close. It wasn't gone completely, but it felt almost like the broken pieces were being mended slowly inside of him.

They pulled apart quickly as they heard the unmistakable sound of the helicopter landing. He and Mira bumped into each other awkwardly as they quickly cleaned up their mess of dishes. They couldn't be found enjoying each other's company, especially since they had both refused to listen to their respective friends about the possibility of an alliance.

Abby sat himself down in an armchair where he could discreetly smile at Mira who casually leaned against the counter, pretending to scroll on her phone as Rumi burst in through the front door. Mira stood up straight, looking alarmed at Rumi's intensity.

"We've got a slight demon situation," Rumi said.

Abby noticed Mira glance over at him before squaring her shoulders. She was back to the usual Mira, mask placed carefully.

"What do you need me to do?" Mira asked. The honmoon around her shimmered as she extended her hand, ready to call her weapon. .

"We're going back to the apartment for now while we regroup," Rumi said. Mira lowered her hand. "I just came to get you guys so you wouldn't be left alone and end up killing each other, but don't worry, you'll get your chance, Mira."

Chapter Text

Mira seemed quieter as she climbed into the cockpit of the helicopter. Rumi wasn't sure what was going on with her lately.

Since it was only the three of them, Rumi sat in the back with Abby to make sure he didn't feel alone. He pointedly avoided her gaze. Of course she would be stuck with the two most stubborn people on the planet. Abby's eyes, however, were clouded as he looked away from her towards the front of the helicopter.

"Abby?" Rumi said. He turned to look at her finally. "I'm sorry if I made you feel like I violated your personal thoughts when we were in the demon realm. That wasn't my intention. I was just trying to help."

She couldn't imagine how that must have felt for him. She and Jinu had talked about Abby a bit, and from what Jinu had told her, he was a very closed off and private person.

Abby looked back at her a bit surprised. "I didn't want to bring it up with you," he admitted. "I was embarrased that you saw me like that."

"That's how you see yourself, isn't it?" She asked gently.

He nodded stiffly. "I'm still that kid even if I look different on the outside." He sighed deeply and looked away from her again. "Why did you step in front of me?"

"I couldn't watch you get hit anymore," she replied. Remembering that moment made her back ache all over again. "You needed someone to help you."

"Just shows that he was right," Abby sighed. "I can't even fight my own battles. A hunter has to step in for me."

Rumi adjusted her position so she could look at him more directly. She turned him to look at her.

"That man was more of a demon than you will ever be," Rumi said seriously. "Having someone help you does not make you bad or weak or whatever it is you think. You were tied to a post with a bloody back. That's not something anyone should ever have to endure."

He opened his mouth but then decided to clear his throat before speaking. "I'm sorry I've been so hard to deal with."

Rumi placed her hand gently on his arm. "It's understandable. We're all having our worlds turned upside down." She paused and looked at Mira who was lazer focused on the sky. "Mira will come around, too, eventually. She just has a very strong moral compass and can have a hard time adjusting sometimes."

Abby followed her gaze, and Rumi noticed his eyes soften. He looked more relaxed now than the last time she had seen him. Maybe he had just needed some time alone.

The rest of the flight was flown in silence, but Rumi was cautiously hopeful that things were starting to look up with Abby. She did want to escape for a few hours just because everything was starting to weigh down on her.

When they got to the penthouse, Rumi took Jinu by the hand and led him to the balcony. Zoey could catch Mira and Abby up on what was going on.

"What's up?" Jinu asked, as she guided his arms to hug her from behind. She took a few deep breaths. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, and he kissed the top of her head. "I just needed a bit of time alone," she sighed, leaning back on him more.

"Alone with me? I'm flattered," he teased.

She leaned her head back on his shoulder to look at him. He smiled back at her sweetly.

"We're going to figure this out, right?" She asked him. They had barely kept the last demon invasion at bay.

"Of course," he replied, his eyes gentle. "We're in this together, and this time we're not having to hide it."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. He hadn't kissed her since the aquarium, and it felt.... right. She turned herself in his arms, so she was fully facing him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him a bit deeper.

He rested his forehead on hers when they broke apart. "You've helped me gain back what I had lost, Rumi," he said softly. "I'm not going to let you lose what you have."

"We're going to get Mystery back here," she promised. "Maybe we can find Baby, too. They're all welcome here, even if Mira grumbles a bit."

Jinu smiled at her. "I really don't want to intrude on you, but if we can get the other two back, I would be forever in your debt, even more than I am already."

She pecked his lips gently. "We can do it. Together."

They stayed out on the balcony, overlooking the city for a while. Neither of them wanted to go back inside because then the peace of the moment would be broken.

----------

Abby cautiously opened the door to the room Zoey led him to. He didn't want to disturb Romance if he was asleep. As soon as he poked his head in the room, though, Romance sat up in bed, a smile instantly spreading across his worn face.

"Abby!" He called, trying to remove himself from the bed.

"Don't get up," Abby chided, walking over to him.

Romance pouted up at him. "You got to go to a private island, I hear."

"That's the first thing you want to talk about?" Abby laughed. It was good to see Romance. Despite what he had told Mira, he did feel better knowing he was alright.

"A freakin' private island, Abby!" Romance said, laying down with a huff.

Abby chuckled again. He moved to the other side of the bed and sat down next to Romance. "I'm glad you're here," he said with a smile. The darkness was starting to dissolve more.

Romance looked over at him and sighed. "I'm glad you're here, too. I didn't think I'd see you again," he admitted.

Abby's stomach dropped for a second. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you," he whispered.

"Protect me?" Romance asked. "Mira wouldn't have gotten me if I hadn't stepped in to let her."

Abby looked at him wide eyed. "What?"

"I was the last one, and I couldn't be, Abby," Romance said, his eyes tired. He looked up at the ceiling. "I couldn't be left again."

"I-"

Abby decided to just wrap his arm around Romance, trapping him in his grip. He rubbed Romance's head, messing up his hair and making him protest.

"Don't purposely die again, okay?" Abby said seriously.

Romance nodded solemnly. "Just don't get killed by Mira again, and I won't have to."

"Deal," he chuckled. He didn't think he would have to worry about Mira anymore. "So where's Mystery? I heard he was coming back with you." Romance stiffened for second. Abby removed his arm from around him and looked at him concerned. "Romance?"

"He, uh," Romance pursed his lips together. "He didn't make it through the honmoon."

"What?" Abby stood, agitated. He moved quickly and threw open the door, walking back to the living room.

"Abby!" Romance called after him.

Abby stormed into the living room as Rumi and Jinu walked in from outside. "You left him there!" Abby yelled, pushing Jinu. Rumi backed away from the two of them. "Why would you leave him?"

Jinu caught himself and looked at Abby seriously. "We couldn't get him through-"

"So you decided he wasn't worth waiting for or maybe breaking the honmoon for?" Abby screamed. "He's the best of us, and you left him!"

"Abby..." He ignored Mira. He couldn't calm down right now. He didn't want to. Mystery was stuck down with Gwi-ma.

"Gwi-ma knew we were there," Jinu said slowly, trying to keep calm. Abby hated when he did that. "I tried to pull Mystery through, but he chose to stay."

"But you still left him alone, Jinu!" He gritted his teeth. He may not be back to his top form, but he had to do something. He turned away from Jinu and walked to the elevator. It opened immediately. He noticed Mira slip away down the hallway. He had probably scared her with his temper.

"Where are you going?" Zoey asked as he stepped inside and pressed the button to close the door.

"I'm going to go get Mystery myself."

"Abby!" Jinu called out to him as the door closed, and Abby started descending to the ground floor.

----------

"I don't think you've thought this through," Mira said, leaning against the wall just outside the elevator as he stepped out.

"How did you-"

"Stairs are a great invention," she said casually.

He rolled his eyes as he pushed past her. "I thought you didn't want the others to know that we're talking to each other?"

"Abby, I'm serious," she said, grabbing his arm.

"I am, too, Mira!"

She stepped back. "Fine. Can I share some advice about fighting demons then before you go off and get yourself killed?" She asked, crossing her arms. He just stared back at her, so she continued. "You can't do it alone. You need others there beside you. That's why it's always three hunters and not just one."

"Mira, I can't leave him alone down there," he said softer this time. His shoulders slumped slightly. "I know what that's like. Even if I'm just down there with him and nothing more, at least he won't be by himself."

"Then let me come with you."

"Mira..."

"I'm not letting you go alone," she insisted. She was as stubborn as he was.

"I don't think you can go to the demon realm," he replied. He was touched by her offer, but it wouldn't work.

"Rumi did."

"She's part demon, Mira," he reminded her. "You're just a hunter."

"Just a hunter?" She asked raising her eyebrow at him.

"You know what I mean," he sighed. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "You don't belong in the demon realm."

"Neither do you!"

"I'm a demon, Mira!" He yelled, his eyes flashing yellow. His patterns burned into his skin, and he turned away from her. "If anything I don't belong here!"

He expected her to agree or to leave or something. Instead she gently turned him around to face her again.

"You belong here, Abby," she said, slowly. She articulated every syllable as if to make sure he didn't misunderstand her in any way. "You belong here because I say you do."

He saw the elevator door open behind her, but he kept her eyes locked on hers.

"Is everything okay?" Jinu asked, stepping out.

"Yep," Mira replied, maintaining eye contact with Abby. "I was just reminding Abby where he stands with me."

She kept his gaze for a moment longer before turning and walking out the door. Abby blinked slowly as he watched her leave, passing the guards that stood outside the entrance to the building.

"Will you come back up so we can talk?" Jinu asked, coming to stand beside Abby. Abby nodded distractedly in response, his eyes still watching Mira as she crossed the street. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Abby said, shaking himself and finally turning to Jinu. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Did she threaten you again?"

"No, no," Abby insisted, walking past Jinu to get to the elevator again. "Let's go up and talk."

Chapter Text

Hyeonbin knelt down in front of Gwi-ma, his head hanging low. "The hunter got away," he reported, disappointment in himself coursing through his veins. "She stole away some demons with her as well."

Somewhere in his mind he remembered them. He had known their faces once, but a barrier blocked him from remembering further.

"We must retaliate," Gwi-ma rumbled in his ear.

"I'll post scouts as far as we can for any cracks in the honmoon," Hyeonbin promised.

"And the traitor that stayed?" Gwi-ma asked.

"He will be delt with."

----------

Mystery kept his hood up over his hair as he walked through the demon city. It felt odd to have his hair out of his face, but he didn't want to be recognized. It was too dangerous. He kept his gaze pointedly away from Gwi-ma, willing himself to not be seen.

Mystery walked past several groups of grumbling demons. A few laughed about a hunter running scared from them. A few sang what sounded like a new demonic anthem.

He finally made it to his destination. The shack was small but homely. A Saja Boys flag hung just outside the door. Mystery took a breath as he knocked.

"Jelly?" He called softly.

The water demon opened the door and looked at him in surprise. "Mystery? What did you do to your hair?" She asked.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded, and he ducked through the low door. She hurriedly picked up a few things off of a chair so he could sit down.

"What are you doing here?" She squeaked. Even though they had become friends of sorts, she still got starstruck sometimes.

"Do you know what's happening down here?" He asked back. "Who is the demon with the black sword?"

Jelly shrugged. "He appeared a day or so after you asked me what happens to demons who die."

"He seems familiar," Mystery mused to himself. "You've never seen him before?"

"I haven't really gotten a good look at him," Jelly admitted. "I stayed back when they went to kill the hunter."

"Good. Don't get yourself mixed up in that," he warned. He hated that he cared about people on both sides of this fight. It would be easier if it was just an us and them situation. "I'm going to get you out of here one day, Jelly."

She chuckled and patted his hand. "I don't know what you mean by that, but I appreciate it," she replied sincerely.

"Can you tell me anything else about what's happened since I last saw you?" He pressed. He wanted to know as much as he could.

"All I know is Gwi-ma hasn't been as vibrant lately. The voices are quieter," she said softly. "I've heard talk about breaking up the hunters somehow, but what's new?"

"Well, thank you for telling me. Will you keep me updated about anything else going on here?" He asked, standing.

"Are you not going to stay in the city?" Jelly asked confused.

He shook his head. "I'm a bit of a wanted man right now," he admitted, pulling his hood back on. "So probably best you don't tell anyone that you saw me. I'll send a messenger to you."

He ducked out of her house and ran off into the darkness. Gwi-ma may not be at his full strength yet after the fight with the hunters. He needed to act fast while he had the chance.

--------

Jinu sat down on the couch between Rumi and Abby. Abby still looked distant, and Jinu couldn't help but wonder what Mira had said to him.

"So we have to get Mystery through the honmoon somehow," Jinu started, stating the obvious.

"And we still don't know where Baby is?" Abby asked. He looked back towards the hallway where Romance's room was. They had all insisted that Romance stay in bed and rest.

Jinu shook his head. "I have no idea," he sighed. "I don't know how we're going to find him."

"What about the house?" Abby asked.

Jinu's blood ran cold. He didn't want to tell Abby about the pile of ashes that now lay where they used to live. He couldn't not, though.

"Um, the house is gone, Abby," he said, looking at him apologetically.

"What do you mean?"

"It burned," Jinu explained simply. Rumi took his hand and squeezed it.

"Oh," Abby murmured.

Jinu expected him to yell again, but Abby just sat there. His eyes shifted, becoming distant.

"Abby, are you okay?" Jinu asked.

"Have we checked the apartment?" Abby asked, ignoring the question.

Jinu looked up at him, feeling completely stupid. Why hadn't they gone and at least checked the Seoul apartment?

"Okay, that will be the first thing we do tomorrow," Jinu said, writing it down just in case he forgot. He didn't imagine he would, but it made him feel better at least.

"Why not tonight?" Abby asked. "If he's out there, shouldn't we get him back as quickly as possible?"

"We're spread a bit thin right now," Jinu sighed. He looked over at Rumi. "We're doing our best to get Mystery back since we know where he is. Romance is still recovering, and to be honest, Abby, so are you."

"I could go check if you just give me the address," Zoey offered. "I feel like I'm not much help right now."

"No, it's okay," Abby said. "I'll go. You're better at the whole nursing someone back to health thing."

"Are you sure?" Jinu asked him.

"You figure out Mystery, and I'll try to find Baby."

--------------

Zoey watched as everyone else talked. She hated feeling useless, especially after seeing Mystery trapped in the demon world. He didn't seem scared. He looked resigned, and that worried her more.

She walked away from the group, and no one asked her to stay. She wanted to write to Mystery, but she had no idea what to say. If it was true that he thought he was dangerous, how could she refute that? She knew what he would say. She hardly knew anything about him. She didn't know why he would feel that way about himself if he didn't want to take souls anymore.

She found herself in front of Romance's door. She knocked.

---------

"Zoey, do you need something?" Romance asked. He sat up in the bed, his body still sore. He hated this feeling.

"I-I don't know," she admitted.

They had hardly ever talked to each other, and he still wasn't sure how he felt with Jinu and Mystery both falling for hunters. Zoey, though, had been sweet thus far.

"Do you want to come sit with me?" He asked a bit awkwardly. She looked like she wanted to yell or burst into tears. He wasn't sure which one yet.

She nodded and climbed onto the foot of the bed, crossing her legs. "I feel useless!" She blurted out.

Romance raised his eyebrows at her. "Is that why you came and found me?" He chuckled.

"No, I-" she blushed. "Maybe. I don't know actually why I came here. I just feel like I can't actually do anything to help."

"You're a hunter. I'm sure there's plenty you can do."

"Not when Mystery is stuck in the demon realm," she reminded him. "I can't go there."

"Why not?"

She looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Why can't you go there?" Romance asked.

"The honmoon won't let me," she said. She seemed exasperated.

"Zoey, I've been alive for much, much longer than you, and if there's one thing I've learned is that belief is a strong thing," he told her. His tone became serious. "Have you noticed Jinu and Rumi's patterns lately?"

She nodded slowly. "They're lighter. You almost can't tell they're there."

"Why do you think that is?"

"Because they're good people?" She shrugged.

"You didn't really know Jinu before, but has anything really changed with Rumi? Is she suddenly a better person than she was a week ago?" He pressed. He wanted her to see what he did. It had taken him a while to notice, but seeing Rumi and Jinu made it click completely for him. And then Mystery wasn't able to make it through the honmoon.

"No," Zoey admitted. "Nothing's really different other than her telling us about her patterns."

"And I've noticed that Jinu's patterns will darken at times still, like when we had to leave Mystery behind."

"Because he felt he was doing the wrong thing," Zoey muttered under her breath. "So you're saying that you can just choose to not be a demon?"

He sat back against the pillows and looked up at the ceiling as he contemplated her question. "I don't think it's that easy," he sighed. "When you've been told for so long that you are a demon, it can be hard to turn against that mindset, and Jinu is a perfect example of the nuances. Yes, his patterns have faded, but they can come back really easily."

"Why are you telling me this?" Zoey asked.

"Because you're not useless if you don't want to be," he insisted, looking at her intensely. "Mystery isn't dead yet, and from what I hear, the two of you have been flirting in some way."

Zoey blushed. "I mean- Well, maybe... is that what he told you?"

"He didn't tell me anything," Romance chuckled. It was funny to see a hunter so flustered. "That's how I know he actually likes you. He didn't want to have that dream shattered if I were to tell him it would never work."

"Is that what you think? That it will never work?" Zoey asked softly.

Romance took a breath. Images of Yunha danced across his mind. What did it even mean for something to work?

"I don't know," he admitted, looking at her sadly. "Have you thought about the whole immortal thing?"

She paused and thought for a second. "Would it be better to have a blip of happiness or spend the rest of eternity wondering what would have happened if you had tried?" She asked softly.

"I've asked myself that question for nearly four hundred years now," Romance sighed, laying back on the pillows. He closed his eyes, trying to banish the memories of Yunha that kept creeping into his mind.

"You loved someone once?" Zoey asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

"I still do," he whispered, his voice choking. "And I can't decide if it was the right decision to love her. She was everything to me, which just made losing her even harder. I don't- I don't want that for Jinu and Mystery."

They sat in silence for a minute. Romance hated that he had said those words out loud. He didn't have any business meddling in the others' lives. Maybe he was just jealous that the others had someone, but Romance didn't just want someone. He wanted his wife back.

"I don't know how this will all work out, Romance," Zoey finally said. Her voice was soft. "But I can tell you that no matter what happens, you won't be alone."

"I- That's not why-" he stuttered but then stopped. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was just afraid that everyone would forget about him. Somehow she saw his fear before he even realized it. He sighed. "I can see why Mystery likes you."

She smiled, a small bit of blush rising to her cheeks. "Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. Sometimes people forget about me, so I'm usually free."

"Thanks, Zoey."

Chapter Text

Mira walked down the old, familiar streets, hugging her arms tightly around her. It had been a long time since she had been back here. It held bittersweet memories for her.

The buildings were darker here. Some crumbled, long forgotten. This was a part of Seoul that people chose to ignore. Here people could sit on the streets wrapped in blankets without constant judgment.

She finally came to the worn door of a small apartment. It didn't look much different than the last time she was here. The sound of her knock was the same, too.

"Mira?" Sun-ok's face had more wrinkles now, but her eyes were still kind and inviting. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Mira asked, her voice a bit shaky.

"Of course."

Sun-ok opened the door wider for Mira to step in. The apartment was still the disorganized mess she remembered. Toys were strewn about, and little shoes were thrown every which way. The kitchen looked like it had just been used to feed an army, which in a way it probably had been.

Sun-ok led Mira to sit on the worn, dusty couch. It was uncomfortable in the most comforting way possible. Mira took Sun-ok's hand.

"I wish you would let me help you," Mira whispered, looking around.

"You know that I can't," Sun-ok replied, her smile warm and inviting. "Besides you've got enough to worry about without adding me and my issues into the mix."

"But I wouldn't have anything I do if it weren't for you," Mira reminded her.

"All you needed was a little push and someone to believe in you," Sun-ok said, dismissing Mira's observation.

Mira looked at the older woman seriously. "Exactly. I never had that before, and you'll never know how much it meant to me having you in my life."

"Then you should come visit more," Sun-ok chided with a smile.

"I know. I know."

"I'm sure your life as an idol is too busy to remember an old woman like me," she sighed playfully. Mira scoffed. "I am very proud of you, Mira. I hope you know that."

Mira's throat tightened. "Yeah," she gasped out, trying to hold back her emotions. She leaned forward and hugged Sun-ok. "Thank you for everything and especially for helping me realize that I could belong somewhere."

Sun-ok squeezed her tightly, and Mira couldn't help the tears from escaping. It was like all those years ago when Sun-ok had found her on the streets. The woman lived up to her name in every way. Goodness.

Sun-ok held her for a few minutes as she cried. She hadn't realized how much she needed to come back here. It really had been too long since she had visited. She was just a bit ashamed of the life she had come from. She shouldn't be. Not when Sun-ok was the best person she had ever known. Where she lived didn't matter. In fact, it made her better because she was able to take more kids off the streets. She saw them when they needed help the most, and she rescued them, just like she had rescued Mira.

Mira had grown up in a well-off family, but she had never felt loved. Only when she finally decided to leave did she realize that money wasn't everything. The people with the least often seemed the most willing to give.

Mira finally pulled away, and Sun-ok reached up and wiped the last remaining tears from Mira's face. Sun-ok smiled up at her.

"Beautiful Mira," she whispered.

Mira smiled back at her, trying to maintain the composure she had just gotten back. She took Sun-ok's hand in hers.

"I wish I could stay longer," she said, her voice watery.

"I know, you're busy," Sun-ok smiled. "It's alright. I have a lot to do anyways. Just promise you won't wait so long to visit again?"

Mira stood up and gave the woman one last hug. "I promise."

-------‐-------

"Mira?" Abby called out, seeing the familiar red hair a distance away from him. She looked up, wide-eyed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, as he approached her. His legs felt a little weak after the walk, so he leaned casually against the building Mira had just walked out of.

"I could ask you the same question," he replied. She gave him a hard stare, her eyes slightly red. "I'm here to check if Baby came back to our apartment here in Seoul."

"Wait, you guys lived here?" She asked incredulously.

"I mean, it's down the street a bit farther, but yeah," he shrugged. "Did you expect us to have a place like yours?"

She paused. "I don't really know what I expected," she admitted. "You guys never seemed like slums kind of people."

Abby chuckled. "If you think it's hard living here, just go back to the 15th century. This is luxury!"

She raised her eyebrow at him, and he smiled at her. He couldn't help it. Somehow he was feeling better. He couldn't explain it.

"So what are you doing here?" He asked, more directly this time. He noticed her stiffen as she glanced back at the apartments behind them. She seemed even more bristled than usual. "Are you okay?"

She cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not," he said seriously. He placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"Mira, you don't have to pretend with me," he replied. She was so guarded, but he knew what that was like. He could see through it like glass. Her shoulders dropped slightly in defeat.

"Not here," she whispered.

"Okay, then come with me to our apartment," he said. He took her hand, unsure if she would let him. She didn't recoil, but she also didn't hold on very tightly.

He led her to the old building that had become their second home. They climbed the stairs to the top floor. Abby paused as the door was unlatched. Maybe Baby really was there. He pushed the door open cautiously. Mira stayed behind him as he entered.

"Baby?" He called. His voice echoed a bit in the empty living room. No one answered.

"Who put the hole in the wall?" Mira asked, a bit amused. Abby followed her gaze.

"That wasn't there before," Abby replied, walking over to it. The hole went all the way into the bathroom.

He checked the other rooms quickly, and no one was there. In fact, nothing was there, either. It was like the place had been swept clean. Maybe someone had gotten in and stolen the few possessions they did have.

Abby sighed and slid down the wall in the living room to sit on the floor. Mira sat down beside him.

"I'm sorry he's not here," she said. Abby was surprised at the genuine sincerity in her voice.

"It was a long shot anyways," Abby sighed. He looked around at the room. It seemed so empty now even though there hadn't ever been much anyways. "Enough about me, though. What's going on with you, Mira?"

She avoided his gaze and started playing with the bottom of her shirt. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Mira..."

He grabbed her hand, and she looked up at him. "What?"

"Please, let me be someone you can talk to."

"Don't I have to be perfect, though?" She whispered. "I don't want to ruin that illusion for you, and you have enough to worry about anyways."

Abby's heart sank. He had told her she was perfect. Looking back it was a stupid thing to say, especially knowing how it felt to be held to such a standard.

"I don't care about the illusion," he insisted. He held onto her hand tightly. "Shatter it. Wrip it up. Just let me see you, the real you."

She let out a shaky breath. "I don't even know who that is anymore," she admitted. "I've spent so long with a mask, I don't even know if I know how to be me."

"I thought you said you were able to be yourself with Rumi and Zoey," he reminded her.

"Yeah, on a surface level, but I guess I feel like I have to be strong all the time. I have to be this perfect idol, this perfect demon slayer. I have to be prepared at a moment's notice for anything. I have to be happy for the fans, for Bobby, for Rumi and Zoey, for Celine, for the cameras, for everyone!"

He could feel the frustration radiating off of her as she continued. "I love seeing everyone happy, and they love the person that they see. I feel like I've finally managed to make myself into someone who they can love, but I still feel like I'm drowning all the time. Like if I let anything slip, even for a moment, everything will come crashing down, and I'll be left alone."

He wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him. He didn't know what to say. Maybe he shouldn't say anything. It just felt right to hold her, like something she needed.

"I don't know if I even have a self underneath the facade," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I feel so deeply hidden that maybe there's nothing even to hide. Maybe this is who I am or maybe I'm just one bad day away from cracking all over again."

He leaned his head against hers. "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you remember when I said I left my family? If you don't that's okay," she said quickly.

"I do," he replied. It felt like years ago instead of just hours. He now felt like he had known her his whole life, which was saying something. "You said your parents didn't even try getting you back."

"My parents weren't nearly as bad as your father..."

"That doesn't matter," he insisted. Most people were probably not as bad as his father.

She nodded, her voice catching. "Um, I ran away, and ended up on the streets."

"All by yourself?"

"Yeah," she said tearfully, "I was terrified, but I also couldn't go back."

"So how did you end up being a hunter?"

"I made my way to this neighborhood, and a woman took me in," she explained softly. "She helped me get back on my feet, and she was the one who told me that I could do anything I set my mind to."

He hugged her tightly. "Well, she was right."

"Thanks," Mira chuckled lightly. "I still feel like a fraud most of the time."

"Because you don't think you deserve it?" He asked. He rubbed her arm softly. She nodded. "Mira, I used to hate you."

"Thanks."

"Let me finish," he chuckled. "I used to hate you because you were everything I wanted to be. You're loved by people. You have great friends, a banging singing voice, and you stand by your convictions. But you know what I think I was most jealous of?"

"Hm?"

"You're human," he whispered. "I just forgot how much that entailed. I've lived as a demon for so long, I forgot how similar being human is to being a demon."

"What do you mean?" She whispered back, the intimacy of their conversation not needing loud voices.

"You break just as much as we do. You feel just as deeply as we do, and you feel trapped in who you are. I think there are just two things that really make us different."

"What's that?" She murmured.

"First of all, we can't die," he muttered into her hair. "Second, demons can't hide their shame. It's there for anyone to see through the patterns on our skin. There's no pretending it doesn't exist, and maybe there's some relief in that. You, however, don't have that to force people to realize that you're hurting inside."

She shifted, leaning into him more. He heard her take a shuddering breath, and she squeezed his hand tighter.

"You shouldn't have to hide that," he continued. "Because you matter just as much as the next person, and even if you can convince yourself that your problems aren't as big as theirs, you still deserve to be heard."

She completely broke. He held her closely as she curled into him. He never imagined he would ever see a hunter cry, let alone Mira. However, as he held her, he couldn't help but admire the beauty in her genuine state. She may have been crying her eyes out, but she was real. Abby realized there was nothing more beautiful than that.

Chapter Text

It was well after midnight when Abby and Mira snuck back into the Huntrix apartment. It had already been late when he had gone to check if Baby was at their old apartment, and he and Mira decided to just stay there for a little bit. They didn't have to pretend to hate each other there.

He didn't want to let go of her hand, but she whispered goodnight to him and walked back to her bedroom. Abby decided to grab a snack before heading to bed, so he opened the fridge to see what he could find.

"So... Mira? That's a surprise."

Abby nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to see Romance smiling at him in the darkness. Romance tossed a chip into his mouth as if he were eating popcorn and watching his favorite show.

"Dude, what the-"

"Sorry," Romance said, taking another chip. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I don't believe that for one second," Abby whispered harshly, trying to keep anyone else from hearing them. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"You're avoiding the question," Romance replied, a large grin plastered across his face.

"What question?" Abby asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"You and Mira?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Abby insisted, crossing his arms. Was there a him and Mira?

"So you guys just happened to both get back to the apartment at the exact same time in the middle of the night? Holding hands?" Romance asked, his face full of amusement.

"Yep..." Abby replied slowly, feeling stupid for getting caught by Romance of all people.

"Fine, don't tell me," Romance said. He strained a bit as he stood up. He patted Abby on the shoulder as he headed off to his room, walking with a slight limp. "I'm just a bit surprised that all it took was someone killing you to turn you on."

Abby stared after him. He was glad that Romance didn't turn back to look at him because he was certain that he was red all over. Even if he did like Mira, there was no way she felt the same about him. They'd only stopped hating each other just recently. He shouldn't like her as much as he did. She was just.... different.

--------------------

Despite feeling a bit left out and left behind, Romance couldn't help but enjoy watching Abby squirm any time he looked over at him the next morning. Maybe he shouldn't be so surprised that Abby had fallen for Mira. He and Abby had done their best to annoy her before the Idol Awards. Romance had thought it was just a playful competition, though. Mira, on the other hand, was the bigger surprise. She had seemed more relaxed than Romance had ever seen her when she had said goodnight to Abby. He never thought that she would be okay with demons, let alone hold hands with one.

Jinu and Rumi sat everyone down in the kitchen while Zoey cooked breakfast for all of them. Mira pointedly stayed in the living room, but Romance noticed her discreet glances in Abby's direction. What a pairing!

"So we can't make a tear in the honmoon where we went through last time," Rumi started as Zoey pulled some pots out of the cupboards. She seemed overly concentrated as if she was trying to convince herself that making food was the only thing on her mind.

Romance got up from his chair, his muscles still screaming at him whenever he moved, and joined her behind the breakfast bar as Rumi kept talking.

"However, if we can somehow coordinate with Mystery a farther spot away from the demon city, we might be able to make a tear and get him through," Rumi continued.

Romance took a pan out of Zoey's shaking hand and grabbed the eggs off of the counter next to her. "You don't have to do that," she whispered.

"I know."

"So where would we do that at?" Abby asked. "It's not exactly easy to find anything down there."

"Why not?" Mira asked from the couch. Romance noticed she immediately recoiled, her ears turning red.

Abby looked at her for a second, a bit of surprise on his face. "Outside of the demon city, there's not many landmarks at all," Abby explained. His eyes were locked on Mira's for way to long, or maybe it was just because Romance knew a bit of what was going on in Abby's head. "The most there is is the dead forest, but that's too close."

"And the cairns," Romance whispered. He placed his hands on the counter, bracing himself as memories hit him like a ton of bricks. They didn't hurt as badly this time, though. They were sweet memories of his time with Yunha. Her smile, her laugh. They still hurt knowing he would never experience them again, but it was a bittersweet remembrance.

"Romance...." Jinu said softly. He reached across the breakfast bar, but Romance pulled away from him.

"No, Mystery knows where they are down there," Romance insisted, his eyes still shut. "And I know exactly how to find that place up here."

"Even with everything so different now?" Jinu asked.

"Like I said, Jinu, there are some places that your soul can never escape."

He felt Zoey's gentle hand on his arm. He forced his eyes open and took a few deep breaths. He looked over at her, and she smiled a bit sadly at him.

"Are you sure?" Zoey asked him, her hand still resting on his arm. He turned away from her as he flipped the frying eggs in the pan in front of him, his hands shaking.

"We need to get Mystery out of there," he said simply. The irony was not lost on him. He was going to use the place he had lost his first family to help restore his new one.

"Okay, then we need to write to Mystery and tell him the plan," Rumi said.

"I'll do it!" Zoey said immediately. She took off her apron and ran off to her room. Romance removed the rice that she had just left behind from the heat. He was surprised that she hadn't used a rice cooker. That had been one of the Saja Boys only purchases.

Romance served everyone their breakfast and quickly sat down to eat his own. His legs were shaky from standing for so long. He hated this feeling, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from living.

----------------

Derpy came back pretty quickly, which made Zoey hopeful. He stuck out his tongue and a sopping note fell out.

"I don't know if I should leave here right now, but I'll at least meet you. I can be there in two hours."

The note was simple and concise. He at least would come to them, and then Zoey could argue with him. She ran out into the living room with the note in her hand.

"He says he'll come," she said, leaving out the more depressing bit.

"Okay, well, let's go," Jinu said, turning to Rumi.

"I'm coming, too," Zoey said fiercely. Jinu and Rumi looked at each other, but Zoey saw Romance nod at her in approval from the kitchen. "If anything, Mira and I should come with you to seal the Honmoon back up."

"Don't drag me-"

"You want demons to be able to just waltz in here?" Zoey asked, cutting Mira off.

"What if we all go?" Abby suggested. "You need Romance to give you directions. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey have to seal the honmoon back, and I'm sure Mira would hate for me to be left alone in her house. Who knows what I'll do."

Zoey noticed the slight amusement in his voice. He seemed happier now. Maybe it was the fact that Romance was here, too.

"Fine," Mira conceded.

Jinu looked at Rumi and shrugged. "I guess we're taking the kids on a field trip," he chuckled. Everyone else protested at his statement.

"Alright," Rumi sighed. "I'll get Bobby to send a car for us."

-----------

The car ride was awkward and a bit squished. Rumi was silently grateful that Mira didn't put up much of a fight for being sat next to Abby after Romance insisted he was still a bit scared of her. Abby was quite a large man, but Mira refused to be displaced, so she just leaned against him. Rumi chuckled to herself. Mira wouldn't let even her disdain of demons get in the way of her getting her space in the room.

Zoey, on the other hand, was leaned against the window, her eyes distant. Rumi felt bad. She should have talked to Zoey more about everything that was going on. It was just hard to juggle everything at once.

Romance had the driver stop in front of an old, brick building. It looked like it had been a factory once, but now it sported boutique businesses. Rumi noticed his eyes darken for a second, and Zoey reached over and squeezed his hand. Rumi didn't know exactly what this place meant to him, but it was obviously a sacred spot in his mind. It must have been difficult to see it so different from whatever he remembered.

"Let's find a discreet spot to pass through," Rumi said, as they all piled out of the car silently. They all felt the gravity of this place for Romance.

No one said anything as they all filed into a small alleyway between some of the old buildings. Zoey kept an arm around Romance as he took deep breaths.

"We're going to get him," Zoey whispered to Romance. He just nodded back to her, trying to keep himself calm. Jinu had him sit down, and Abby knelt in front of him, coaching his breathing. It was amazing to watch how they worked together. Of course, they did still have their problems, but the Saja Boys really did act like a family.

Mira stood watching the exchange as well, and Rumi thought she saw her eyes soften and a small smile cross her lips. It could have just been her imagination, but perhaps Mira was starting to come around.

Chapter Text

Zoey watched as Rumi scratched the honmoon with her blade. It didn't seem to do anything. Rumi gave Jinu a concerned look and tried again. Nothing happened. Zoey looked up to the sky, trying to not feel defeated.

"Let me do it," Mira sighed, pushing Rumi to the side. She summoned her blade and rammed it into the ground. The honmoon rippled and a large crack formed stretching both in front and behind them to the other side of the street. "There."

Mira walked back out to the street as everyone stared after her. None of them had expected her to offer to do that. She disappeared behind the wall, and Zoey hoped that she was just waiting for them out of sight.

"Okay...." Jinu said slowly. "Rumi and I can go get him and come back. Should be simple."

"Just you two?" Abby asked, his hand still on Romance's shoulder.

"You need to stay here with Romance," Jinu instructed.

"Well, what about me?" Zoey asked, already knowing what they would say.

"You know you can't come," Rumi said. Zoey hated the pitying look Rumi gave her.

"I couldn't, but now the honmoon is broken, I'm sure I can make it."

"I don't know..." Jinu looked over at Rumi. "It's not a great place."

"Let her go," Romance gasped out, looking like he might be sick. "She might be the only one who can get him through 100%."

Zoey was grateful for his support, even if he might need hers more at the moment. "Besides, he said he wasn't sure he would come through," Zoey finally told them.

"What?" Abby asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"And that's why I need to go because I have a few words that he probably needs to hear," Zoey said, crossing her arms. She didn't care if they ended up letting her or not. She would crawl down to hell on her own if she had to.

"Okay, but if you can't get through easily, you stay here," Rumi said with finality. Zoey nodded back at her as she knelt down beside the crack.

The three of them dropped down to the ground in the demon realm. It was darker than she thought it would be, and she had to let her eyes adjust. It now made sense why demons seemed to have eyes like cats.

Jinu appeared to be able to see better than her because he pointed out into the darkness where the cairns stood. She and Rumi followed him.

They sat down and waited for a second. Zoey kept a close eye on her watch, knowing he must be close. She finally stood up, not able to sit still any longer.

"Mystery?" Zoey called out, hoping that nothing else was out there just beyond the darkness.

"Zoey?" She heard his voice call back. She ran in his direction. Jinu and Rumi stayed back, watching her.

"Mystery?"

"I'm over here," he said, meeting her halfway. His hair was cut shorter, but she didn't mind.

She couldn't help it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, practically jumping into his arms. He held her close for a moment, and she thought he heard his breath catch.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, still not letting go. "You shouldn't be down here."

"Neither should you," she whispered back. "I had to come."

He set her down and pulled away. "I'm not this great guy that you think I am, Zoey," he admitted, his head hanging low. "I shouldn't have reached out to you the way I did. It was inappropriate of me."

She reached out and touched his face, tracing her thumb along the scar above his eye. She felt him shiver beneath her touch.

"From what I hear from the other Saja Boys, you're the best of them," she said sweetly. "And so far, they've been quite nice."

He pulled away from her, turning so she couldn't see his face. "Only Jinu knows what I've done. I've killed people, Zoey," his voice was strained.

"Technically, so have I!" She quipped.

"Those were demons. You were protecting people. Me...."

"That's what Gwi-ma made you do," she said, comfortingly. "That wasn't you."

"No, you don't understand!" He roared, his patterns glowed darker as he fell to his knees, still looking away from her. He covered his face with his hands. "I killed people. I killed them."

She knelt down in front of him, taking his hands in hers so he would look her in the eyes. "Help me understand, Mystery," she whispered, gently.

"You should be terrified of me," he muttered, holding her gaze.

"I've seen a lot worse people in my life than you, Mystery Saja."

"But I killed them," he whispered again, his head hanging low. "I sold my soul so I could kill them."

Zoey tried not to react as best she could. It was hard to hear, but the remorse in his voice was genuine.

"Why?" She finally asked.

"What?" He looked up at her.

"Why? There must have been a good reason because you don't seem like a cold hearted murderer, but maybe I'm just attracted to psychopaths," she chuckled, trying to get him to smile.

"I didn't see any other way out," he replied. His eyes looked distant, and Zoey could only imagine what memories were running across his mind. "They hated me. They laughed at me. They beat me. They called me the Devil's son because of my face. No one stood up for me. No one came to help me, and I couldn't be their sideshow money maker any longer."

Zoey was pretty sure she had stopped breathing as she listened to him. She lifted his chin, so he could look at her.

"You have beat yourself up enough," she whispered. "They were the monsters, and they backed you into a corner. Even the most tame and gentle of animals will bite when that happens."

"Zoey..."

"It's alright," she replied. "You don't have to forgive yourself completely in this moment. Just know that I see you, even knowing all of that, and you don't scare me. I don't think you're dangerous."

He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She blushed slightly at the contact.

"I don't deserve your kindness," he said seriously, not taking his hand from her face.

"Too bad. You're getting it," she giggled, feeling a bit giddy at his closeness. "I don't know how bad it must have been for you, but I got made fun of a lot growing up, too. It hurts."

"Why would someone make fun of you?" He asked, moving just slightly closer.

"They thought I was too weird, too intense. I talk too much," she replied. She still felt like she was rambling.

"Don't ever change those things about you," Mystery smiled. He brought the palm of her hand to his lips and kissed it. The feeling sent shivers down her spine.

"Why?" She squeaked as he leaned closer.

"Because those are the things I love most about you."

His kiss was soft and gentle, but his words sent a fire through her veins. She really hoped that Jinu and Rumi weren't watching. Zoey wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. It might seem a bit soon to some people, but Zoey couldn't resist his magnetic pull. She had never imagined their first kiss would be in an abysmal wasteland in hell, but now it would forever be one of her favorite spots.

----------------

"Mira!" Abby called as soon as the others slipped into the demon realm. "I need your help."

She poked her head around the corner and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. She flicked her eyes between Abby and Romance. Romance looked clammy and was shaking like a leaf.

"Please," Abby breathed, not moving from Romance's side.

"What do you need?" She asked. She wanted nothing more than to rip the facade off and just talk with him, but Romance was there.

"We need to get him somewhere else," Abby said. "I think this is too much for him to handle."

Mira had to agree. Romance did not look good at all. He kept his head between his knees, but she could still see the sweat on his neck and hear his ragged breathing. Whatever it was that happened here was obviously taking a toll on him.

Mira ran back out to the street and got their driver to pull closer. Abby carefully lifted Romance in his arms, and the other demon seemed to barely notice. Mira clocked that Abby's arms shook a little bit as he placed Romance into the car.

"I should probably stay here," Mira said quietly, when Abby straightened and closed the door. "I need to help repair the honmoon when they come back."

"I don't want to leave you here alone," he said, rubbing her arms.

"You need to get him out of here, though," she replied. "I'll be fine."

"What if I just take him back to the Saja Boys apartment and come back? It's not too far from here."

"He needs you more than I do," she reminded him.

He nodded in defeat. "I know. Just be careful."

"I will," she smiled as he got into the other side of the car. She would have to content herself with waiting.

---------

Hubris was one of the traits of the hunters. They thought they had outsmarted him by meeting far away from the demon king's eye, but the hunter didn't notice the black smoke that seeped through the crack in the honmoon across the street from her. He had waited to make sure none of the hunters nor the traitors down below would see him as he crept through the crack they had so graciously made for him. Hyeonbin couldn't believe his luck. A hunter all by herself. He smiled as he drew his sword.

Chapter Text

"Will you come with me?" Zoey whispered.

His heart was beating so fast he almost couldn't think. He wanted to leave with her so badly, but he knew he shouldn't.

"I can't, Zoey," he replied. It tore him up to do so.

Her face fell. "Why not?"

"I have things to finish down here first." He held onto her tightly. He needed her to leave before his resolve completely crumbled, but he didn't want to let go either.

"What could possibly be so important that you would choose to stay down here when everyone else is up above?" She asked, pulling away from him.

"He's weak right now, Zoey," Mystery explained, his tone growing serious. "I have to try to stop him now while I have the chance."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "By yourself?" She shrieked. "Like Hell you're going to take Gwi-"

He placed his hand quickly over her mouth. "Don't say his name down here," he whispered harshly, looking around into the darkness. He had tried to make sure no one had followed him, but one could never be too safe. She nodded slowly, and he lowered his hand again.

"Like I was saying," she continued, "you're not going to take him on all by yourself."

"I have to!"

"Why? Why do you have to do it by yourself?" She yelled at him.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Jinu said, jogging up to them.

"Mystery here is wanting to try to take down the demon king all by himself," Zoey said, before Mystery could stop her. She crossed her arms, looking smug, as if she knew she had just won by dragging Jinu into this.

"Mystery..."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Jinu," Mystery said, pushing his hand away. "I can't leave now when there's so much at stake."

"Then let us help you," Zoey pleaded. The look in her eyes almost made him give in.

"I can't!"

"Why not?" She screamed. Jinu stepped away from them, clearly unsure how to help.

"Because I can't lose you!" He yelled, finally saying the words out loud. Zoey's face shifted, and he lowered his voice. "Any of you. I can't...."

"Mystery," Jinu said again, but Zoey held up her hand to stop him. He looked a little exasperated at being interrupted again.

Zoey walked up to Mystery and slapped him across the face. It stung, and he looked at her confused.

"How dare you think that I... we can stand to lose you more than you could stand losing any of us. How do you expect me to sit around while you get yourself killed?" Her voice was crisp and clear. It carried the weight of the world on it.

"I-" he shut his mouth again. She had used the same tactic that he had with Romance, and unfortunately, it was working. It really was like a slap in the face, both literally and metaphorically. How could he argue with her on that? How could he leave her, especially after the past few days? He sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"We are going to take him down," she promised. The fire in her eyes would have been scary if it was targeted at him. "But we’re going to do it together."

----------------

Jinu watched in awe and confusion as Zoey made Mystery do a complete 180. He was surprised that she had slapped him, but apparently it's what Mystery needed. He felt awkward just watching their exchange, but he also wasn't sure what to do.

"Guys, I think we need to get going!" Rumi called.

Jinu looked up at saw the honmoon ripple gently.

------------

The hairs on the back of Mira's neck stood up. Something shifted in the wind. She slowly stood up and called her gok-do, scanning the world around her. The honmoon rippled silently as the weapon materialized in her hand.

She didn't see anything at first and thought she must just be on edge, but then something on the other side of the street caught her eye. The shadow was too dark, and it almost looked like a person. She raised her gok-do in front of her, hoping it was just her imagination.

"Mira?"

She jumped as Rumi climbed out of the crack in the honmoon. Mira looked back quickly across the street, but the shadow had disappeared, if it had even been there in the first place.

"Did you get him?" Mira asked casually, trying to get her heartrate back down.

As if to answer her question Jinu and another man climbed up. He looked different, though. The hair wasn't in his eyes anymore. This new Mystery leaned down and helped pull Zoey through the crack.

"Where are Abby and Romance?" Jinu asked, looking around.

"Romance wasn't feeling very good, so Abby took him home," Mira explained. "It wasn't too long ago, so we should probably just take the train."

------------

Hyeonbin would just have to wait. He knew this hunter that he had almost gotten on her own. There was a hatred in his heart for her. A distant memory stirred. She had done something to him or maybe it was someone else that he loved. Either way, he decided she was going to be the first to go. He was a patient man, and everyone had to be alone at some point.

He watched as the hunters sealed the honmoon back before the group left down the street together. The men were familiar. Maybe it was just because they were demons, but he did know them. The redheaded hunter looked back where he had originally stood. Somehow she had sensed him, but he was up for the challenge.

------------

"I'm sorry you had to deal with me," Romance moaned as Abby laid him in bed.

"I'd rather you be safe and healthy than sit in an alley just waiting around," Abby responded.

Romance still felt queasy. It had been so intense being back there. It hurt especially bad to see how much it had changed. There was no memory whatsoever of his family in that place. That was probably why the memories were so potent and painful. His soul was attached to that spot, but even as he stayed the same, the world forgot. Maybe it was time for him to move on, too, just like the world had, but even the thought of doing that pained him. He couldn't do it. Not right now. He laid back in bed, feeling rotten.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Abby asked as he went to the door. Romance shook his head. He just needed a nap right now.

-----------

When they got back to the apartment, Mira made a beeline for her room. She couldn't be around the others right now. That shadow made her feel so uneasy, but she also couldn't convince herself that it was real.

Being alone in that alley when it happened made her feel so vulnerable, but she couldn't just live in fear of shadows. Why was her heart beating so fast?

A soft knock on her door made her yelp involuntarily. She quickly crossed the room and opened it.

"Abby?"

"Are you okay?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"I-I'm fine," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. He looked at her, and she knew he knew she was lying. "We can't talk here. I'll be alright. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, maybe we can go back to the apartment tomorrow night," she said quickly. There they could talk.

"Okay, but if you need me, just let me know."

She nodded as she closed the door on him. Her breathing started to quicken, and she went to the bathroom to splash water on her face. What was wrong with her?

She didn't want to go back so soon, but she needed to see Sun-ok. She would be able to make her feel better. Sun-ok was like a grounding force. The adult that Mira needed whenever something went wrong. Maybe everything was just happening too quickly. Her relationship with Abby had changed basically overnight, and it scared her a little bit.

She was being too open, too vulnerable with him. He would just end up leaving once they got all the Saja Boys back. She was just a filler at the moment, and yet, she couldn't help but want him to hold her again. To tell her that everything was going to be alright. She couldn't. Not right now.

She slipped out of the penthouse, hoping no one noticed her. It was already getting dark, but she had to go, to run. She couldn't stay.

Her anxiety started to melt away the closer she got to Sun-ok. The streets got darker, and it was a bit unnerving. She thought she saw a shadow following her, but this was her neighborhood. She knew this place. No one would hurt her here.

Chapter Text

Abby watched as Mira slipped out the door and down the stairs. She didn't know he saw her. She looked distressed, so he quietly followed after her, worried she might do something stupid.

He kept a good distance away from her. She obviously wanted to be alone, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The closer they got to the slums, the more the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Maybe it was just the darkness that made him uneasy.

He saw her walking towards the building he had found her at last night, and he paused. She was probably just going to see the same friend she had told him about. She should be fine. It wasn't his place to follow her anyways. What kind of creep was he? He turned away just before he heard her scream.

He spun around to see her being thrown on the ground by a dark shadow, her gok-do flying, just barely out of reach. She lay still on the pavement for a moment, and the dark shadow moved around her, ready to pounce again. Abby moved quickly, throwing himself against the shadow. It was solid. Now that he was closer, he could see the demon patterns that swirled on its purple skin.

The demon tried to get past Abby and back at Mira, but Abby threw him to the ground. Mira started to stir, and Abby noticed a small stream of blood running down her face. He needed to get her out of there.

He grappled with the other demon, and it felt almost like he had done it before. It was too dark for him to make out any real features with all the dark mist swirling around the demon. All he knew was that he couldn't let this demon take Mira from him.

He threw the demon off of him, and it swiped at him and growled. "Traitor!"

The voice made Abby pause as his blood ran cold. The demon took the opportunity to push past him and attack Mira once again, who was just rising to her feet, cradling her head. The demon slashed at her arm, making her cry out again.

Abby couldn't think of anything else in that moment but her. He slammed the other demon to the ground and placed a knee on his chest as he punched him repeatedly. He expected the demon to finally give in, but he just threw Abby off of him and ran off into the night. Abby watched him as he left, feeling broken inside.

Mira let out a soft gasp of pain behind him, pulling him back to the present. The gash on her arm was bleeding pretty badly, so he ripped off the bottom of his shirt to tie around it, hoping to stop the blood even just a little bit.

"What are you doing here?" She asked weakly, resting against the brick behind her. Abby ripped another bit of his shirt and dabbed at the wound on her head.

"I was worried about you," he replied. He still felt bad about following her without her knowledge, but he was also glad that he did. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he wasn't there. "It seems I was right to be, too."

"What was that?" She asked, taking a deep breath.

Abby's mouth felt dry. He didn't want it to be real, but there was no denying it. He had finally seen the demon's face as he beat him. That's why he held back. He couldn't believe that Baby didn't recognize him, though.

"Abby? Are you alright?"

He chuckled, trying to mask the fact that he just wanted to cry. "How can you ask me that when you're the one hurt right now?"

"Your eyes are sad," she replied. She reached out with her uninjured arm and took his hand. "Why are you sad?"

"Because we just found Baby," he explained, a sob escaping. "But he's not there anymore."

Mira looked at him confused for a second before realization spread across her face. She squeezed his hand lightly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about me right now," he said, wiping his eyes. "We have to get you somewhere safe."

"My head hurts," she muttered, closing her eyes.

He picked her up and took her to the only place he knew nearby. The old apartment. He didn't know when the landlord would finally rent it out to someone else, but for right now, it was his safe spot and hers by extension.

He set her down in the living room, and he felt numb. All the adrenaline from before started to fade, and his body ached. He had done too much today, but what was he supposed to do? Watch everyone suffer just because he wasn't fully healed yet?

He couldn't rest yet, though. He grabbed an old cloth that the thieves hadn't taken and dampened it in the sink. He wiped the now drying blood off of Mira's face. She gasped a bit in pain, and he apologized.

The makeshift bandage on her arm was soaked through, and Abby worried that he wouldn't be able to give her the help she needed for it. He went back and rinsed the rag out before applying it directly onto the larger wound, just holding it there.

"Why did no one else come when you screamed?" He asked softly, keeping his eyes on his hands.

"People out here have learned that if someone screams you just wait," she replied. "If you try to help, then there will be two dead people on the streets."

"That's awful."

"That's life," she murmured, placing her hand on top of his.

"Why did you come out here by yourself if it's so dangerous?"

"I can take care of myself," she said seriously.

"Mira..."

"This was one time, Abby!" She exclaimed before squeezing her eyes shut again. Her voice went back to a strained whisper. "I don't usually get caught off guard like that."

"You shouldn't risk it either way," he scolded lightly. One of these days her confidence might get her killed, and he couldn't stand that thought.

"I needed to get away," she whispered. "I couldn't breathe back at the apartment."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, slightly hurt. A small tear trickled down her cheek, and he brushed it away. "What's going on?"

"I'm scared," she choked out, her eyes still shut.

"Why?" He asked, his concern rising. "Did something happen?"

She shook her head, pressing her lips together. "Just you."

"Me?" He tied the bloody bandage around her arm again to keep the wet rag against her wound so he could hold her. She leaned against him, crying softly. "Did I do something wrong?"

He hated being the reason she was crying. It hurt him worse than anything else he had ever experienced, which was saying something.

"No," she muttered. "That's the problem. You've made me feel safe, and I don't want to have that ripped away from me."

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"But you will. The Saja Boys will get back together, and you won't need me anymore," she cried. Her breathing was starting to speed up, and he knew all too well what that meant. "I'm always just left alone. I have to keep myself going. I have to be perfect all the time or they'll hate me and leave me, but I can't be perfect anymore. I can't.... I can't...."

"Take some deep breaths for me," he coaxed. Her body didn't need her panicking on top of everything else. He held her tightly, adjusting their position so he could put more pressure on her chest. After hundreds of years of trial and error, he found that worked best when helping someone calm down.

She gulped air into her lungs, leaning back on him. He let her breathe normally for a minute before loosening his grip a bit. She rested her head back on his shoulder.

"Sorry," she finally whispered.

He smiled at her. "You don't have to apologize."

"You should be back at my apartment, though," she murmured. "Mystery is back. You should be celebrating with the others, not dealing with me."

"I'm not dealing with you, Mira," he said softly, pressing his lips into her hair. He couldn't help himself. "I'm here because I want to be. Because you need me right now."

She grasped his hand and held it tightly. "Please don't leave me."

"Never, you're stuck with me now," he replied, a smile playing across his lips as he rocked her gently back and forth. He could stay like this forever.

She looked up at him, her eyes tired. "I probably look like a mess right now," she chuckled.

He looked down at her. "I've never seen someone more beautiful in my life," he whispered sincerely.

He kissed her forehead just to the left of the gash. He heard her suck in her breath. He kissed her temple, and her grip tightened ever so slightly on his hand. She didn't tell him to stop, so he kissed her just below her ear. He kissed a tear from her cheek. He kissed her nose and then her chin before resting his forehead against hers, their noses rubbing together. He hovered his lips just above hers for a second to give her an opportunity to stop him. When she didn't say anything, he kissed her softly.

She kissed him back, which made his heart soar. She had become everything to him in such a short time. He understood her hesitancy at their newfound closeness. Maybe it was too fast. Maybe they would realize they actually did hate each other. But those maybes could wait.

He wanted to deepen the kiss, but he held back. She didn't need that. Her body was too fragile right now. He may have pushed her too much already. He mustered all his self-control to pull away.

They sat there in silence, neither one wanting to break the peaceful atmosphere by talking. He just held her close, hoping his heart wasn't beating too loud against her ear. After a little while, Abby noticed Mira was sleeping softly in his arms. He smiled as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Worrying about Baby could wait until tomorrow.

Chapter Text

"Has anyone seen Mira?" Rumi asked, walking into the kitchen.

Zoey was busy cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Romance tried to help her, but Mystery pushed him away, taking over instead.

"I can't find Abby either," Jinu said in a worried tone, looking back towards the hallway.

Romance smiled to himself as he took another sip of his tea. Seems Abby had another late night with a certain hunter.

"You don't think Mira tried to go after him again, do you?" Zoey squeaked. She passed Mystery a bowl to dry off.

"You could say that," Romance said, not able to help himself. It was all too funny.

"What do you mean?" Mystery asked.

"You guys are willfully naive," Romance replied, setting his mug down on the counter.

"You're not suggesting..." Rumi started, cocking her head to one side. She exchanged a look with Jinu. "No, they hate each other."

"Yeah, Abby is terrified of her," Jinu agreed.

"Is he?" Romance asked. He didn't want to outright tell them that he had seen them holding hands. The others needed to reach the same conclusion on their own. They just needed a bit of coaching. "He seemed perfectly fine to sit next to her in the car yesterday, and she didn't seem to bothered by it, either."

"But we would notice right?" Zoey asked. Mystery shrugged at her. He was the only one Romance would give a pass to on this.

"I mean, I just got back, and I only saw Abby for a minute tops," Mystery said, taking another dish from Zoey. "He either suddenly hates me or there was something, or someone, else on his mind."

"I just... I can't believe Mira would change so quickly," Rumi mused. "She's always been so level headed and trying to keep us in check. She's the perfect hunter."

"Tell you what," Romance said, getting up to wash his own mug out. He batted Zoey's hand out of the way as she tried to take it from him. "If they don't come back together or within five minutes of each other, then I'll eat one of Mira's spicy peppers. If not, Jinu has to do it."

"You're that confident?" Jinu asked with a chuckle. "You hate super spicy foods."

"Exactly. I won't be eating the pepper. You will because I'm right," Romance said with a wide grin.

---------------

Abby's heart pounded as he ran. He didn't know why he was running, but there was something important he couldn't remember. Darkness swirled around him like mist.

"You chose her over me?" Baby screamed, appearing behind him. Abby turned to face him. "You gave me up for someone you've known for a month? We've known each other for centuries!"

The words sounded familiar, just like what he had yelled at Jinu. It hurt. He was a hypocrite.

"I'm sorry," Abby cried out. "She's not what you think! She's made me see that I- that WE can be different!"

"So are you suddenly perfectly fixed? Is that what you expect of me?" Baby snarled, using Abby's own words against him again. "News flash, Abby, I don't have some temptress hunter to guide me along a new path of righteousness."

Abby tried to reach out to him, but Baby stepped out of the way, his hair darkening as black smoke enveloped him. The shadow form of Baby stood glaring at Abby.

"You made me do this. You made me become this," Baby sneered. "This is your fault."

Chains wrapped around Baby's arms and dragged him swiftly away. Abby cried out, trying to keep the chains from taking Baby, but it was no use. Baby screamed from the darkness.

"Abby!" Mira's voice was filled with concern as she shook him awake.

Abby sat up quickly, drenched in sweat. He looked around wildly, unsure where he was. He slowly caught his breath.

"Are you alright?" She asked. "You were kicking and screaming."

"I-uh, yeah, sorry," he said between gasps, focusing on his hands. He couldn't look her in the eyes. "Jinu always said I was an active sleeper. Probably should have warned you."

"You're shaking," she observed, taking one of his hands in hers. He noticed that she had taken the bandage off of her other arm because it had stopped bleeding, though she still didn't want to move it.

"I'll be fine," he lied. He couldn't tell her. Not after what he said to her last night.

"Abby..." She lifted his chin, so he had to look at her. "What's going on?"

"I can't do this," he muttered, lowering his gaze. Something about the way she looked at him made him crumble.

"What? What do you mean by that?"

"I shouldn't have kissed you last night," he said quickly. "We barely know each other. I have to get my family back together. You have a demon invasion on your hands. We're not even supposed to like each other."

"You said you wouldn't leave," she whispered.

"I'm not-" he stuttered.

"That's what it sounds like you're telling me."

"If I can't even keep Baby from being dragged down by Gwi-ma, how can I ever be what you need?" He finally blurted out. He stood up, and she followed suit. He noticed her wince slightly. "I don't want you to get stuck with me because you deserve the world, Mira. I've failed everyone I love time and time again, and I couldn't stand if I did that to you."

"I don't want the world Abby!" She said fiercely. "I just want someone to see me, and that's what you do. Maybe we are supposed to hate each other, but I don't like being told what I have to do."

"I just feel like I'm the reason he turned so dark, Mira. The reason he was so keen to kill you last night," Abby whispered. "Everyone else was able to pull away from Gwi-ma. And while he was being poisoned, I've been enjoying my time with you. I should be out there right now trying to get him back."

"You didn’t know where he was, Abby!"

"I should have looked harder!" He yelled. He immediately regretted his tone and lowered his voice. "I'm sorry. It's just- he shouldn't be alone. I should have gone into the demon realm myself to look for him."

"Maybe he didn't want to be found," she replied softly.

"He didn't recognize me, Mira," he told her. "Gwi-ma did something to him, and he didn't recognize me. Jinu should've just left me down there. At least that way I couldn't hurt people anymore."

Mira sighed, rubbing his arm. "Once upon a time I would have agreed with you, but now.... Abby, you have turned my world upside down, and not in a bad way either. Complicated? Yes, but not bad."

"But I'm still a demon, Mira." The patterns on his skin rippled as if to remind her they existed underneath his human facade.

"Only because that's how you see yourself," she whispered. Then her voice shifted as she started to sing. "I can sense your intentions just like you can sense mine.
I know that you're trying your hardest
Every day just to get by."

Abby didn't feel like singing, but he joined in, the melody bubbling up inside him. "Maybe once I had it right
Living safely in the lines
But now I'm barely holding steady.
Just trying to keep my head upright."

"And now I'm seeing all the things I thought I knew.
You're throwing them out the window.
And I'm having trouble keeping up with you," she sang, her voice sent chills throughout his body. "Maybe everything is different now
Because my mind has changed
Maybe we’re not so different
From who we were yesterday
Does it really make you bad
Just because you made one choice?
Should you have to live a lie
Just because you lost your voice?"

Her words sunk deep into him. It was as if she could see right through him, and he realized that he needed her, even if it was wrong. "And I'm sorry
I’m so sorry
I didn’t see the hurt I was causing
Saying you were perfect
Like that’s what made you good
But at the end of the day
You just did the best you could."

"Maybe that’s what’s different—
The fact that I don't want to go back," she sang in response. "I’m done with always looking over my shoulder
Because when I look forward
I finally see you."

He pulled her closer to him. Their foreheads pressed together as they sang slowly. Their voices harmonizing like they were made to complement each other. "I can't go back
I won’t pretend
Looking forward now
I finally see you."

She took a breath before singing one last line. "And it's nice to be seen, too."

He let out a shuddering breath. She shouldn't be with him. She was much too good for him, but he also couldn't let go.

"We're going to get him back," she whispered, her hands gripped his elbows as she couldn't raise the one up any higher. "Just let me help you. You haven't broken me, Abby."

He sucked a deep breath in, holding her tighter. He needed to stop breaking. Why did he keep doing this?

She lowered her voice a bit more. "You're helping me heal," she said. "Let me do the same with you."

"I can't pretend to hate you around the others anymore," he choked out. He was jealous that Jinu was able to be so open about how he felt about Rumi, and now Mystery had Zoey. He couldn't pretend anymore.

She chuckled softly. "Honestly, they've probably noticed by now that neither one of us is there."

"Are you okay with that?" He asked. He didn't want to push her, but he also knew he would struggle if they did have to keep it under wraps.

She nodded, brushing some hair out of her eyes. "I'm done pretending, too."

He kissed her forehead. He wanted to spin her around, but even though the blood had stopped, she was still injured.

"We should probably get you back there, so we can actually take care of your arm," he said, seriously.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine."

She smiled as she took his hand in hers as they walked out the door.

Chapter Text

"How am I supposed to tell the others about Baby?" Abby asked her as they stepped into the elevator.

"It might be best to just rip the bandaid off," she replied, squeezing his hand. "My arm might be the ice breaker you need to start the conversation."

He gave her an unamused look, and she stuck her tongue out at him. The walk back had been nice. The conversation wasn't as heavy as their usual ones, and they had laughed a lot.

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out together, hand in hand. Everyone stared at them. Romance smiled as he went to the fridge and tossed Jinu one of her hot peppers.

"Hey, that's mine!" She yelled at him.

"A deal's a deal," Jinu shrugged at her before taking a large bite. He chewed for a second before running to the sink and spitting it out. Rumi ran to get him some ice cream from the freezer.

"Wait, were you guys betting on us?" Abby asked, looking between Romance and Jinu.

Romance laughed. "Maybe just a little."

Mira rolled her eyes as she and Abby crossed over to the couch. Despite having slept the longest she had in a long time, sleeping on the floor of an old apartment was not the most restful for her body.

"Mira, what happened?" Rumi asked, sitting down on the other side of her. Rumi reached out and took Mira's arm to get a better look at the gash. Mira looked over at Abby, who looked like he was about to puke from the stress.

"Um, we found Baby," he managed to say. She squeezed his hand.

"Where is he?" Jinu asked, excitedly. He was still shoveling ice cream into his mouth. Beads of sweat dripped down his red face.

Abby's jaw tightened, and he looked down at Mira. She nodded.

"He, um, he..."

"Abby, where is he?" Romance asked, slower. He knelt in front of Abby. "Is he okay?"

Abby shook his head and buried his face in his hands. Mira wrapped her arm around him.

"He's the one that did this to me," she said softly. She felt Abby shake as he let out a sob. She laid her head against his shoulder. She could only imagine what he was feeling right now. "He's not the same."

"What do you mean?" Zoey asked, handing Abby a tissue.

"I didn't recognize him at first," Abby choked out after taking a few deep breaths. Everyone was listening to him intently. "He attacked Mira, so I fought him off. It was only when he called me a traitor did I realize it was him. He didn't recognize me."

"Gwi-ma took his memories," Jinu muttered under his breath.

"He also changed him somehow," Abby continued. He seemed to calm down a little bit more now that he could share the burden with the other Saja Boys. "He looked different, darker. It was like there was mist all around him, like he was more shadow than human."

"Wait, he's the demon that we saw when you guys took Romance through the honmoon?" Mystery exclaimed. "He sent demons after me."

Realization crossed Jinu and Romance's faces. "We have to get him back," Jinu said, a determined look in his eyes, but then he paused. "Wait, how did he even get past the honmoon?"

"He must have snuck through when we were getting Mystery," Zoey said, bringing over some first aid supplies for Mira.

"Yeah, I think I saw him right before you guys came back through," Mira admitted. She felt Abby's eyes on her. "That's why I had my gok-do out."

"Wait, you saw him before, and you still went out by yourself?" Abby asked her.

"Not now," she muttered. He pulled a face at her, and she knew she would probably get an earful from him about being careful later.

"But he's not stealing souls?" Romance asked, confused. "Would you guys know if he was?" He looked up at Zoey.

"We can sense when demons break through the honmoon, but I'm not sure if that extends to actually stealing souls," Zoey shrugged. She wiped Mira's arm with alcohol, making her wince in pain. "Sorry."

"I'll see if I can find out anything about what's going on down below," Mystery said, getting up.

"You're not going back there," Zoey replied, standing straight and giving him a warning look.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, pulling out a piece of paper. "I've got a contact."

Zoey shook her head as she returned her attention to Mira's arm. She pulled out the needle and sutures, and Mira pulled away.

"I don't need stitches, Zoey," she said. Her wound had started bleeding again after being cleaned, but she did not want Zoey to get near her with the needle.

"Mira, come on," Rumi coaxed. "You know it will be better for you to heal."

"Nope. No. No, thank you," Mira repeated, shaking her head vehemently. "I was doing just fine before you came along with the alcohol."

"Are you afraid of needles?" Abby asked her with a smile.

"I'm not afraid of them," she insisted. "I just don't think they're necessary."

She felt some blood drip down her arm, and Zoey quickly wiped it away. She held the cloth against the gash to keep it from bleeding more.

"Mira, they're right. You need it to heal faster," Abby said gently. "Do you want me to hold your hand while Zoey does it?"

She looked at him for a moment. "Yes," she finally whispered, barely audible. This was completely humiliating.

He took her hand, as Rumi held her other arm still for Zoey. Mira wanted to pull away from them and run, but she just buried her face in Abby's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut.

Zoey was gentle as always, but it still hurt. Mira hated being poked and prodded. She held tightly onto Abby's hand. There was a distant part of her that worried she might break his fingers, but he didn't even flinch.

"All done," Zoey said happily, and Mira let out her breath. She didn't pull away from Abby's shoulder yet, though. She was embarrased but also tired. When would she finally catch a break?

"Hey, why don't you go take a nap while we figure out how to find Baby?" Abby asked, stroking her hair. It was almost like he could read her mind.

She nodded, and he helped her up.

--------------

Zoey watched as Abby helped Mira back to her room. They were sweet together, even if it was weird. Mira was obviously comfortable with him, which was nice and surprising. Zoey was happy for her. Mira was much too high strung sometimes.

Rumi and Jinu moved towards the window, talking in hushed tones to each other. It always seemed like they had to be the ones in control. Neither one liked the others getting involved unless absolutely necessary.

Mystery came and sat down next to Zoey after sending Derpy off with his letter. He seemed worn out, almost like he hadn't slept well. She beckoned for him to lay his head down in her lap, and he complied without complaint.

"So who is this contact you have?" She asked as she casually played with his hair.

"One of the Saja Boys biggest fans," he replied, smiling contentedly. "She actually made me that purple sweater that I wear all the time."

"Oh, it's a she, is it?" Zoey teased. She was only slightly insecure about the fact that she was now basically dating a hot demon.

"You have nothing to worry about," he told her, which made her smile. "She's just a friend who singlehandedly made the whole demon city Saja Boys merch."

Zoey laughed. "However, will I compete with that?"

He looked up at her. "You're wonderful the way you are." She dusted a few strands of hair from his eyes, which made him shift the conversation. "What do you think of the new style? I can change it back if you'd like."

"Well, do you like it?" She asked. She didn't really care either way. He looked good to her with any hairstyle.

"It's been so long since I've been able to see properly," he admitted.

Zoey chuckled. "I hope you still like how I look now that you can actually see me," she joked.

He looked up at her. "You know, I don't think I was able to admire how pretty you are before."

She blushed deeply. She was not used to attention like this. Fans were one thing, but Mystery was a whole different issue.

He closed his eyes again. "I think I like having my hair out of my eyes, I decided. You're much too beautiful to only half see."

"You're disgusting," Romance called from the dining table.

"Let me have this, Romance!" Mystery argued back.

Zoey laughed heartily, her cheeks still slightly flushed. "Don't worry. I like it."

------------

Romance watched Zoey and Mystery in amusement. He never knew that Mystery could be such a flirt. Zoey really did bring out a different side of him.

Romance sat back with a sigh as the two lovebirds kept talking. He loved that Mystery and Zoey were happy, but he couldn't help but feel a bit left out again. Zoey had been the person that he talked to since everyone seemed to preoccupied to bother with him. Now, her time was taken up, too. Even Abby and Mira were busy canoodling. Perhaps if they could get Baby back, things would be better for him. He didn't want to bank on that, though. With his luck, Baby would end up falling in love with someone like Celine.

Maybe it was better this way. Everyone was happy, and he could fade away into the background. No one would notice. His soul was too tired to care at the moment. He really was starting to feel his age.

He got up quietly and went back to his room. He was grateful he had his own bedroom here because he just wanted to be alone right now. Not that anyone would argue with him.

He laid down in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Was this a better or worse existence than the one he had led in the demon realm? At least here he didn't have to end other people's mortal existence to stop hearing his wife and child scream in his ears. Now they were just sad memories that he couldn't forget.

Chapter Text

Hyeonbin stayed in the shadows as he stewed. The traitor had kept him from killing the hunter. It was infuriating, and yet there was something that stirred in his memory. Almost like it had happened before long ago. A demon saving a hunter....

He shook his head. Hunters weren't worth saving. The traitors must be brainwashed by them somehow. He had to break them of the hunters' curse. He needed a new plan. Right now, the hunters themselves were too close, and they had gotten themselves demon body guards. He needed another way to crack them.

------‐-‐-

Romance heard a knock on his door, but he didn't respond. They probably just wanted to pretend to include him. They didn't really need him. He wasn't much help anyways.

Whoever it was knocked again, but again he ignored them. The door opened slowly, but he just kept staring at the ceiling.

"Romance?" Zoey said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. He was surprised that Mystery wasn't with her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he lied, still not looking over at her. "Don't let me spoil your fun."

She didn't leave, though. Why wasn't she leaving? Instead, she climbed into bed next to him and joined him in looking at the ceiling.

"Shouldn't you be back in the living room with Mystery?" He asked, trying not to sound bitter. He had no right to expect her to still want to be around him. He was just a filler for her until Mystery came back.

"He and I are both worried about you," she said. "He just figured you'd rather talk to me."

"Oh? And why is that?" Romance just felt numb.

"Apparently I'm gentler," she chuckled.

He did miss just sitting and talking with her. She was always so nice. It hadn't even been that long since Mystery came back, but Romance was feeling abandoned already. She had become an almost friend to him the past few days, but now, that was gone, too.

"You said I wouldn't be alone," he finally said.

She looked over at him. "Is that what's going on?" She asked. "Do you feel like we're not paying attention to you?"

He gritted his teeth as he nodded. "It's stupid. I shouldn't be so upset," he muttered. "You guys are all happy, and I'm glad that you are. But I'm just fading into the sidelines now. No one needs me anymore. You have Mystery now, so even you don't need me to notice you."

He started to grab at his hair wanting to feel something, and Zoey pulled his hands to her. "Hey, I notice you. I still notice you. You are still needed and wanted, Romance."

"No one needs me, Zoey," he cried. "I'm too broken. I couldn't even keep my wife and child alive."

She stiffened beside him. He had said too much. She must think he was weak for still being upset over it. It happened so long ago.

"Is that who the cairns were for?" She whispered.

He clasped his necklace tightly as he nodded. Tears were flowing freely down his face now. He couldn't stop them. He wanted them to stop. Why did they never stop?

"Oh, Romance. I'm so sorry."

She hugged him close, moving her head so it was in the crook of his neck. He held onto her arm and leaned his head onto hers as he cried.

He hadn't realized how much he needed to just be with someone, to be held by someone. When was the last time someone held him like this? It was so stupid, but it was what he needed. She just let him sob, keeping her arm across his chest.

He was crying too long. He was taking up too much of her time. He needed to stop, but he couldn't. It was like the centuries of his grief were spilling out, and he could do nothing to stop it.

He had told Abby and Jinu about his family, and Mystery knew a little bit now. But somehow Zoey was different. Maybe it was because she wasn't as broken as the rest of them or maybe women were just better at the whole emotions thing. Whatever it was, Romance felt like he was slowly being put back together while completely falling apart.

After what felt like hours to him, he finally started to calm down. Zoey reached over to the side table and grabbed him a few tissues. He wiped his face as they both sat up. She scooted closer to him and hugged him again.

"I didn't realize how hard this must be for you," she finally said. "With everything going on, I didn't stop to think."

"You didn't know," he said, his voice still watery. He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. Zoey lazily traced circles on his back as he took deep breaths. "You must think I'm a wuss. I can't get over someone who died centuries ago."

"I don't think that," she replied softly. "In fact, it's refreshing in a way."

He looked back at her confused. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "My parents didn't have an easy relationship. They never seemed to even like each other, let alone love each other," she explained. "They fought all of the time. When they finally got divorced it was a blessing, even though I didn't get to see both of them everyday."

"I'm sorry, Zoey."

She shrugged. "It could have been worse, but it also could have been better. I wish my dad had loved my mom as much as you love your wife. She may be gone from this earth, but she's still with you."

Romance let out a pitiful sob, and she rested her chin on his shoulder. "It's okay to still be sad," she murmured. "I still get sad about the goldfish I had when I was seven, and it was a fish!"

Romance chuckled as he wiped his eyes again. He turned to look at her, and she smiled at him. She was always smiling, and it was wonderful.

"Thank you, Zoey," he said sincerely. He didn't feel as numb any more. He was exhausted from all the crying, though. His eyes burned, so he laid back down. She sat beside him, gently stroking his hair just like his mom used to do when he was sick. Her gentle presence calmed him as he fell asleep.

----------

Mystery looked up as Zoey walked back into the living room. "Is he alright?"

She nodded and sat down next to him. He wrapped his arm around her as she leaned against him.

"He's sleeping right now," she said, closing her eyes. Mystery kissed the top of her head. "He needs to know that he isn't forgotten. He still needs his family."

"I guess I didn't realize how left out he must be feeling," Mystery said slowly. "Man, I feel awful."

He really hadn't stopped to think. Of course Romance would be feeling bad. After what Mystery had seen when he pulled Romance back to the world of the living, it made sense that he would be struggling right now.

"We just need to do better with being more inclusive from now on," she said. "We can still do stuff on our own, but we can't let him fall through the cracks."

"I agree. Maybe once we get Baby back, he and Romance can hang out while the rest of us have date nights," he chuckled.

"How are we supposed to get him back, Mystery?" Zoey asked seriously. "If he doesn't remember you guys, how are we supposed to break through to him?"

"I don't know," he admitted with a sigh. "All I know is that the five of us never give up on each other. We'll find a way, even if it means demolishing hell in the process."

---------

Jinu walked out onto the balcony with Rumi. He needed a bit of fresh air. Everything was changing so quickly. He squatted down, leaning his head against the cool railing.

He thought it would be great knowing where Baby was, but he just felt overwhelmed. It now felt like when he left his mother and sister at the gates to the palace. He now had this wonderful life, but Baby was still suffering.

"What are you thinking right now?" Rumi said. She sat up against the barrier, so she could look up into his face.

"I left him," he muttered.

"You died, Jinu, and then you didn't know where to find him," she argued back.

"But if I had just told them all about you before instead of letting Gwi-ma convince me to double-cross you, he might be here right now," he replied, shutting his eyes. He couldn't believe that Baby was the shadow demon they had seen.

"Well, there's no changing that now," she said sagely. "You have to let that go. We're going to fix this, and then we'll all be stronger than ever."

"What if we can't get through to him?" He whispered. That was what he was most scared of. What if he had to choose between Baby and Rumi just like Abby had? What if that was the rest of their lives?

"Jinu, if Mira can learn to like a demon, then I believe that anyone can change." Despite it sounding almost comical, she said it completely serious. He smiled.

"You're not going to let me spiral, are you?" He breathed.

"Not if I can help it," she smiled. She patted the concrete beside her, and he sat down with a huff. "You know, it might help if you talked to the others about how you're feeling."

"They don't need my issues on top of theirs. I have to be strong for them," he insisted.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "You might be surprised how much it can help. They may even be feeling the same way."

Chapter Text

Rumi walked back into the living room and pulled Zoey off the couch. Rumi had something she needed to do anyways, and the Saja Boys needed some alone time.

"Hey!" Mystery yelled.

"Sorry, I need to borrow Zoey for the moment," Rumi explained. "Plus, Jinu wants to have a family meeting with you all."

"Rumi..." Jinu started to protest.

"Nope, you need to talk to each other," Rumi insisted. "Zoey and I are going out, and you guys are going to talk."

"What about Mira?" Zoey asked as Rumi pushed her towards the elevator.

"She needs to rest right now. She'll be fine."

---------------

Abby laid next to Mira. Her hand was still entwined with his as she breathed softly and her head lay gently on his shoulder. He didn't want to disturb her by moving. He probably should go out and plan with the others, but it was nice to just sit there.

The door opened quietly, and Mystery poked his head into the room. "Jinu wants to talk to all of us," he whispered. "He said you have to come."

Abby looked down at Mira once last time before carefully sliding out of the bed. Her fingers twitched as he finally let go of her hand.

Abby closed the door softly behind him, hoping she would sleep for a while. She needed it, even if she didn't want to admit it.

"Romance is sleeping right now. I don't want to wake him," Jinu said awkwardly. He obviously wasn't looking forward to whatever conversation they were about to have.

"No, he needs to come," Mystery insisted, going to Romance's door. "We've left him out enough as is."

"What are you-" Jinu started to ask, but Mystery had already marched into Romance's room to wake him up.

Abby could here Romance groan in frustration as Mystery pulled him out of bed. Romance looked disheveled as he joined them. His hair was a mess, and he wrapped a large blanket around him.

"This better be good," he grumbled. He immediately went and laid on the couch. Mystery sat down beside him, and Abby followed suit. Jinu brought a chair from the dining table, so he could sit in front of them. He rested his elbows on his knees and looked at the ground, obviously figuring out what to say.

"Things have been different," Jinu started.

Romance scoffed. "I'll say."

"I realize that I haven't been spending much time with you all lately," Jinu continued. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm coming to realize that it's because I feel like I failed you guys at the Idol Awards."

Abby and Mystery sat up a bit straighter, and even Romance lifted his head to look at Jinu.

"You didn't make the wrong choice, Jinu," Mystery said quickly.

"Yeah, I know I was mad at you in the beginning, but you were right," Abby agreed. He hadn't understood why Jinu would throw himself in front if Gwi-ma for a hunter, but he did now.

"I'm not saying I made the wrong decision," Jinu explained quickly. He looked up and thought for a second. "I just went about it wrong. I should have told you guys sooner about Rumi. Then you wouldn't have had to get killed by Mira." He looked at Abby and Romance. "Mystery, you wouldn't have been stuck in the demon realm by yourself, and Baby.... well, Baby wouldn't be Gwi-ma's puppet anymore."

Jinu put his head in his hands as he continued. It seemed that he had been feeling a lot lately, and Abby had had no idea. "It's my fault he ended up the way he is, and I don't know if I can ever forgive myself for that. It's my fault that you all got hurt in the process. I should have been more open and honest with you all. I didn't think. I was being selfish, and it hurt my family again."

Jinu's patterns darkened as he spoke. They rippled into view across his skin. Abby looked down at his own. They seemed lighter now, even if they were still there.

"If we're talking about things that we messed up," Mystery interjected, "I'm the reason that Baby was able to escape the demon realm and attack Mira. Zoey told me that I probably could have made it through the first time if I believed that I wasn't dangerous to people. I'm still struggling with that idea in my head because I feel like you guys are better than me with why you became demons. None of you wanted to end up as demons, but that's kind of what I asked for. I wanted to be able to hurt people back."

They all looked at Mystery. He was usually the gentlest and kindest, so Abby had a hard time believing that he could want to hurt someone.

"Well, I feel like I fail you guys all the time," Abby admitted. Everyone turned their attention to him. "I always want to protect you so nothing bad happens. I don't want you guys to feel like you've failed or aren't good enough. I don't want you all to give into the darkness like I've let myself do many times."

Abby paused and took a breath. "The reason Mira and I got close was because she saved me from... well, from myself. I had wanted it all to end because I felt like I had failed at keeping all of you safe. I felt like I wasn't enough to keep our little family together. I had messed up, and since Jinu had Rumi I figured I was better off dead."

Jinu opened his mouth. Nothing came out, so Abby continued. "She both literally and metaphorically kept me from drowning. She's helped me see that you don't have to be perfect to be good, and that it's okay to let people in sometimes. I never had that taught to me when I was younger, and I held onto the belief that I had to do it all by myself up until recently."

"Why didn't you tell me you were suicidal?" Jinu asked softly. Abby felt a pang of guilt.

"I was ashamed. I didn't want to ask for help because I didn't think I deserved it, and I didn't really think you would care." He leaned his head back as he tried to blink away the tears. He couldn't cry in front of them. That was too much.

"I'm feeling kind of the same, right now," Romance said quietly. It seemed like he almost didn't want them to hear him. Mystery placed a hand on his arm. "I feel like I'm being left behind because you guys have all found the perfect person. Not only do I have to watch you guys be happy with Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, I have to just sit and be happy for you because it would be bad for me to not be. But it hurts so, so much because I just wish I could have it, too, but I know I can't. And then I'm just sitting and waiting for someone to notice me, to notice that I'm not okay, but none of you do. Zoey was the one who would actually talk to me, but now even she has Mystery. I'm left by myself, and I can't ask for help because that would get in the way of your happiness. I can't get in the way of that."

"I stepped into Mira's blade at the Idol Awards because I thought I was the only one left, and I couldn't handle that. Now I'm here, but it still feels like I'm alone," he sobbed.

Abby didn't care that tears were streaming down his face now. He was mad at himself for completely forgetting about Romance. They had always been close, but looking back he had stopped hanging out with him because he enjoyed spending time with Mira.

Romance covered his face with his blanket as he tried to calm himself down. He looked like a sad little caterpillar in a cocoon. Abby couldn't stand it. He picked Romance up and sat back down, holding Romance like a baby

"I'm sorry that I let you fall through the cracks," Abby said to the mess of blanket in his arms. "I guess I got too carried away."

"I think we all have," Mystery agreed. "We need to make sure we still have family time."

"And you can always talk to us when you start to feel bad," Jinu said, scooting closer. "I'm so sorry that you're feeling like this, Romance."

Romance finally poked his head out of the blanket, his eyes red. "It was funny at first to watch Mira and Abby trying to hide that they liked each other, but then it all came crashing down on me, especially after we went back...."

They all nodded. Abby remembered how awful Romance had looked when they went to get Mystery. He should have known then that Romance needed more help than just being tucked in bed.

Mystery threw his arms around Romance, and Jinu followed suit. They were just missing one person to make it like the dog piles they used to have all the time.

-----------

"Can we all agree then that we need to talk to each other more?" Jinu asked when they all finally sat back. He knew Rumi would be so smug when he told her what happened. They all nodded back at him.

"It's going to take some getting used to," Abby admitted. "I'm not great at recognizing when I actually do need help."

"That's okay," Jinu replied. "You don't have to be perfect at it, and we can all reach out to each other to make sure that everyone is taken care of. I don't want to lose you guys."

"Agreed," Mystery nodded.

"I was actually thinking it might be nice to do something for the girls," Romance said, wiping his hair out of his eyes. "I feel bad taking advantage of their hospitality and not giving anything back."

"Maybe we could cook dinner for them?" Mystery suggested. "We don't really have money anymore. Otherwise I'd suggest we take them out somewhere."

"Dinner and a show?" Jinu offered, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe the Saja Boys can whip up something fun for them from the archives."

"I don't know about doing one of our songs because it feels wrong to do them without Baby," Abby said slowly. "Maybe we could do one of theirs, though."

"I'm so down for that," Romance said, finally cracking a smile. "We have to dress up like them, too."

They all laughed, and Jinu ran to Rumi's room to grab a few CDs, so they could pick which song to do.

Chapter Text

"Where are we going?" Zoey asked her as they ran through the streets of Seoul. Every shadow they passed made Rumi pause.

"I need some answers," Rumi replied cryptically.

It had been eating at her for a while now, especially after telling Mira and Zoey. Who was her father really? Was he like the Saja Boys?

She couldn't ask Celine. She already knew what Celine would say if she brought it up again. Rumi didn't even know much about her mom. The best she had was TV interviews, Sunlight Sisters tapes, and the few scraps that Celine actually gave her.

There was one place she could find out more, though. Her mother's journals. She had always been forbidden from reading them, but Rumi realized now that she had a right to know. She had more of a right to those journals than Celine did.

"Rumi, what are we doing here?" Zoey asked, as they finally came up to the hunter cemetery.

This was Rumi's childhood home. Looking back, it had been awful to be raised with all of them looking down on her. She always felt inadequate because every single hunter buried here were legends. They were perfect, and Celine made sure that Rumi knew that she was perfect, too, in every way but one.

"I need you to distract Celine for me," Rumi finally told her as they walked towards the small house on the other side of the memorial site.

"What? Why?"

"Just trust me," Rumi pleaded. "We need to do this quickly, and then I'll tell you."

"What am I even supposed to say to her?" Zoey asked in a harsh whisper as Rumi left her to go to the backside of the house.

Rumi knew this place like the back of her hand. She knew every cupboard she wasn't supposed to open and every book she wasn't supposed to touch. She just needed Celine out of the way for long enough to sneak through the window and grab the journals.

Rumi heard Zoey knock on the door. She waited until she heard the creaking of the old door opening, and then she carefully slid open the window and climbed inside.

Things really hadn't changed in here. Celine always liked everything to stay the same. Celine's office was covered in Sunlight Sisters memorabilia. There was one small picture of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey at the back of the desk. It was from the first time Huntrix had won the Idol Awards.

Rumi rushed over to the tall bookshelf in the corner. She could see Celine talking to Zoey through the open doorway, and she prayed that Celine wouldn't turn around. She quickly swiped the cardboard box that she knew held her mother's things from the very top of the shelf and retreated back through the window, making sure to silently shut it behind her.

"Oh, well, thanks for your help, Celine," she heard Zoey squeak. "I'm sure Rumi will be really surprised."

Rumi heard the door close, and she gestured for Zoey to join her as she ran back across the clearing. They needed to get far away before Rumi felt safe with slowing down.

"So what's in the box?" Zoey asked, as they caught their breath on the subway.

"My mother's diaries."

"Oh." Zoey looked like she wanted to ask more questions, but she held back.

"So why am I going to be surprised?" Rumi asked with a smile, remembering the little bit of conversation she had heard.

"Mira and I are taking you out for a hiatus treat. Celine said you like Cheonggukjang?"

Rumi made a face at her. "Ew! No! That's something Celine likes. She always made me eat it, but I never grew to like it."

"Oh, good," Zoey said in relief. "I was worried we would actually have to get some for dinner."

---------------

Mira woke up to find that Abby wasn't there beside her. He must have needed to do something. She stretched a bit. Her arm felt really tight now with the stitches in place. She would have to make sure to be careful. She didn't want to have to go through that torture again if they tore.

She went to the bathroom to rinse her face and wash away the rest of the grogginess. She had slept for a few hours, and she did feel better now.

She walked out of her room hoping to find Abby or Rumi or someone. As she was about to step out into the living room, she heard scrambling and then Abby was standing right in front of her blocking her way.

"Morning, sunshine!" He said a bit too cheerily.

She looked up at him confused. "Are you wearing makeup?"

"Romance needed someone to practice on," Abby shrugged.

"Uh-huh." She tried to step past him, but he blocked her way again. "Abby, can I get past? I need to get some water."

"Oh, let me get it for you," he said quickly. "You should go back and rest some more."

She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him. "What's going on? Why are you acting so weird?"

"I can't tell you."

"Abby..."

"I promise you'll find out soon enough," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders and gently guiding her back to her room. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Fine," she sighed. "But can you go get me that water you promised if I'm not allowed to leave my room?"

"Yes, I'll go get it right now."

"Thank you!" She called after him. She shook her head as she threw herself onto her bean bag chair and grabbed her guitar. She couldn't believe that he was the same demon she had hated.

----------

Zoey and Rumi walked out of the elevator and were immediately accosted by Jinu and Mystery. The two boys hugged them tightly and carefully guided them to the hallway.

"What are you guys doing?" Rumi managed to ask, trying to throw Jinu off of her.

"Just showing you how much we love you," Jinu laughed as they pushed her and Zoey into Mira's room. Mystery closed the door quickly.

"Good to know I'm not the only one allowed out," Mira said, sipping on a glass of water.

"Do you know what's going on?" Zoey asked, sitting on Mira's bed.

"No idea," she responded with a chuckle. "All I know is there is at least one lamp out there that we are definitely going to have to replace."

"Have they suddenly gone crazy?" Rumi asked, looking at the door as if it held the answers.

"You were the one that made them talk to each other," Zoey joked. "Maybe they weren't hanging out as much to keep themselves from completely snapping."

"Speaking of not hanging out as much," Mira started, looking down at her hands, "I feel like I've barely seen you guys lately."

Rumi sat down on the floor across from her. "Yeah, now that I think about it, I just got caught up in everything going on."

"Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy spending time with Abby, but I also miss you guys," Mira admitted. "I feel like I was kind of left behind at the beginning of all of this."

Rumi looked up at her, a slight frown on her face. "I'm sorry, Mira. I didn't realize."

"Yeah, I guess we've been too focused on trying to get the Saja Boys back together that we didn't see ourselves falling apart," Zoey chimed in. She climbed off the bed to join Rumi on the floor. "We're still Huntrix, even if we are on a hiatus turned restoring a demon boy band family."

Mira smiled at them. "We are still Huntrix. I am starting to think, though, how our jobs are just going to get more complicated soon."

"What do you mean?" Rumi asked, leaning forward.

"Well, we're hunters," Mira started. "We've been trained to kill demons, to keep them from the human world, but we're learning that demons aren't all bad. What does that mean for us?"

"I guess we just have to make sure we take out the right demons," Zoey shrugged.

"And how are we supposed to tell the right from the wrong demons?" Mira asked. "Last night Baby was a 'right demon' to kill. If he hadn't taken me off guard, I probably would have gotten him, or if Abby hadn't realized who he was, he would have beaten him to death. But even though he attacked me, we're still trying to save him. Should we not be doing the same with all of them?"

"Mira, what are you saying?" Rumi asked. "We can't just let them take over."

"But we've let the Saja Boys in," Mira pressed. "How many more demons are down there stealing souls just to keep Gwi-ma from torturing them? You saw what Romance and Abby were like after I-"

Mira paused and stood up, obviously upset. She looked out the window, her eyes distant.

"Mira?" Rumi asked. She wasn't sure if she should get up, too.

"I killed them both," Mira whispered. "I'm the reason they suffered so badly. I'm the reason that Romance still can't walk properly and why Abby still shakes anytime he has to lift something. I did that to them.

"I thought I was doing the right thing. I was so proud of myself that night. I had finally overcome my weakness and killed them both."

Her lip trembled as she gripped the window frame. "Abby has so many scars on his back there's no regular skin left," she gasped out. "And I just gave him another one because I thought he was the enemy. Now I can't imagine what I'd do without him."

"Mira..." Zoey whispered.

"And don't get me started with Romance," Mira continued. Rumi wondered how long she had been thinking about this. "I know it wasn't actually me that killed him. It didn't make sense to me at the time, so I just brushed it away. But he threw himself at my blade like he wanted to die. Seeing him at the place we got Mystery from, it was terrifying. He was so deep in his own mind that he didn't even notice Abby putting him into the car.

"How am I supposed to fight demons and send them back down to Gwi-ma knowing that they may be just like Abby or Romamce or Mystery or Jinu or even Baby? How am I supposed to live with myself knowing that I'm essentially making their lives worse? They don't actually die apparently, which would probably be a blessing for them. What am I supposed to do if I'm having to save the world from demons who really aren't demons? They're just broken, like me...."

Mira knelt on the floor with a thud as she started to cry. "I'm the peacemaker breaking..." she whispered to herself as she leaned her forehead against the wall.

Rumi and Zoey both moved over to her quickly. They hugged her tightly as she cried. Rumi had never seen Mira like this. She never cried.

"We'll figure it out," Rumi assured her. She wasn't sure how just yet because Mira did make some really good points.

Chapter Text

"Who's ready for a good time?" Abby asked, opening the door with a flourish. He immediately stopped when he saw the three girls huddled together. "What's wrong?"

"Just a bit of an existential crisis," Zoey replied, patting Mira's head.

"Hey, are you guys coming or-" Romance stopped in the door as well. Abby quickly gestured for him to tone it down even though he was glad that Romance was doing better.

Abby went and sat down next to Mira. He leaned his back against the wall, so she could see him.

"It's going to be okay," he said gently. She nodded and took some deep breaths.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Mira, you can't keep beating yourself up over that," Abby soothed, understanding what she meant. "I'm fine. I'm alive, and it's all going to be alright."

"Romance?" Mira called out, squeezing her eyes shut. Abby wasn't sure if she was purposely ignoring him.

"Yeah?" Romance sat on the other side, mirroring Abby.

"I'm so sorry," she said sincerely. "I wish I could go back and keep myself from hurting you."

"Mira, it wasn't all you," Romance started.

"I know, but I still hold some blame in it."

Abby wasn't sure if Romance would argue more or not. That's what Abby would have done. Mira was beating herself up for doing what she had been taught to do.

But Romance just reached out and took Mira's hand. "I forgive you," he said simply.

His words seemed to open the floodgates for Mira. Abby watched as she pulled Romance to her in a tight embrace and just cried. Even if it didn't seem to Abby like there was anything to forgive her for, she needed to hear that it was okay. Hopefully now she could forgive herself.

Romance seemed a bit caught off guard by Mira's sudden outburst of affection, but he took it like a champ. After a second of confusion, he wrapped his arms around her, too, like a father who had to comfort his heartbroken daughter for the first time.

Zoey and Rumi stepped away to give Mira a bit more space. Abby stayed where he was in case he was needed.

Mira finally pulled away from Romance. "Sorry," she muttered, wiping her eyes. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's okay," Romance chuckled. "I'd also like to apologize for making a game out of annoying you."

"Is that what you guys were doing?" Mira asked with a laugh. She wiped a few remaining tears from her eyes. "That makes so much sense now."

"We can be extremely annoying when we want to be," Abby smiled. She stuck her tongue out at him, and he did the same to her. "Are you ready for your surprise now?"

"Should I be scared?" She asked, looking between him and Romance.

"Only if you're afraid of a good time," Romance laughed.

------------

Zoey was pretty excited. The boys had curtained off most of the living room, so she wasn't sure what they were planning. Jinu served them some kimchi fried rice before disappearing behind the sheets turned curtains.

"May we present...." Jinu's voice boomed. "Huntrix!"

Zoey giggled in delight as the curtains were pulled back. Mystery's hair was done up like hers. Abby sported a mini version of Mira's hairstyle as his hair was a lot shorter than hers, and someone had managed to braid Romance's hair to mimick Rumi's. All of the girls laughed as the boys posed for them. They had decided to emulate the iconic leather suits the girls enjoyed wearing. Although, Zoey was a bit sad they didn't spring for the miniskirts.

"Oh my gosh," Mira muttered, looking between the boys. "They're us."

Music started playing as the boys started singing along to one of their older songs. Jinu stood off to the side juggling the sound system and a few colored lights for show.

"I've tried too many times
For me to not get this right
Practice makes perfect in everyone's eyes
Just telling the truth instead of your lies"

The Saja Boys were so good at mimicking the Huntrix dance moves it was almost scary.

"Too bad you tried to take us on
You know we'll always be number one.
Pouring heart into every song
Spreading light until the darkness is gone."

Zoey laughed in delight as Mystery stepped up to attempt her rap sequence.

"You can't break the unbreakable
You're going down. It's inevitable.
When you start to think the unthinkable.
You start to realize any dream is achievable."

She clapped. He had actually done really well with it, even if he was a bit off beat in some places.

"Too bad you tried to take us on
You know we'll always be number one.
Pouring heart into every song
Spreading light until the darkness is gone.

We may be small
But that just makes you have a harder fall"

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all stood and clapped as Romance hit the final high note. He wasn't able to manage Rumi's range, but he made a valiant effort.

The boys all bowed as the girls cheered. This really was a wonderful surprise. It was worth the broken lamp that had been carefully thrown away. It was Zoey's least favorite one anyways.

"That was incredible!" Zoey exclaimed as Mystery came to sit by her.

"We wanted to do something to thank you guys for everything you've done," Romance said, sitting across from her.

"You girls really are amazing," Jinu chimed in, putting away all of the gadgets.

"What did you think?" Abby asked Mira as he put his arm around her.

"It was alright," she shrugged. Zoey could see the smile that tugged at her lips.

"Just alright?"

"It could have used a bit more hip movement," she teased as she pulled the hair ties out of his hair.

Abby laughed. "I see. We'll make sure to work on that next time."

It was a nice change of pace for everyone to be laughing tonight. Zoey could handle serious, but she would much rather laugh if it were an option.

---------

After dinner was officially over, Rumi snuck away and grabbed the box she had left in Mira's room earlier. She took it to her own bed and carefully opened it.

She took a breath. This was a moment she had dreamed about for a long time. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up too high. Her mom may not have even written about her father.

She opened the last journal. That made the most sense for a starting place. She flipped back a few months from the last entry. Then something caught her eye.

"I can't tell Celine or Soo-Jin what really happened last night. I just told them I had been in a bus accident. That's why I ended up in the hospital.

"I wouldn't even write about it except something really strange happened. There were two demons there as well as I was trying to get away. I think they were following me, but I don't know if they knew who I was. Normally I would have been scared, but they were not the most terrifying monsters to me.

"I actually wished, and maybe still do, they had taken my soul. Instead, one of the demons started beating him up. I don't know what ended up happening to him, but I can only hope he got what he deserved. I guess I'll find out soon enough.

"The other demon actually came over and helped me. I wasn't sure if I could trust him or not, but he made sure I was safe and even called the police for me. Maybe demons aren't all bad..."

Rumi sat back to think for a second. This didn't clear up anything at all. In fact, it just made her more confused. What had happened to her mother that she didn't even want to write in her journal about?

Rumi kept reading hoping she would start to understand better. The entries weren't daily, but they were consistent.

"Yeongsu hasn't called us or visited since that night. I'm more than okay with that. Celine and Soo-Jin have started asking where he is, though. Our tour is coming up, and nothing has been done. I don't really feel like performing anyways. Celine keeps asking why I won't get out of bed, but I can't tell her. She wouldn't understand."

The mention of demons had stopped with the first entry. Now it just seemed like her mother was depressed. Rumi understood her hesitancy to talk to Celine. It seems that she was hard to talk to even back then.

"I've been feeling really sick recently, and I'm worried. Hopefully I just have a stomach bug. That's what I told Soo-Jin when she asked. I'm scared to even try taking a test."

Rumi's breath caught in her throat. Something wasn't right.

"I'm pregnant. I can't be pregnant. I'm leaving tonight. The others can't know what happened. They'd never believe me. Celine would say it was my fault anyways, and she's right. I'm so ashamed. How could I let this happen? I should have been able to fight him off better. I shouldn't have agreed to meet him alone. I saw the way he used to look at me during practices. Even if he was the one who got me into the Sunlight Sisters, I shouldn't have given in.
"I can still feel his fingers in my braid. I want to cut it off. Why did I freeze? I shouldn't have frozen. I'm a hunter. Why did I wait so long to fight back? Why didn't I do anything to stop him?"

Tears were streaming down Rumi's face as she read. This was awful. She shouldn't have pried. It was better not knowing. But how did she have her patterns? It still didn't make any sense. She had to keep reading. She must be mistaken.

The entries stopped for a time, but the next one's date caught her eye. Her birthday.

"She's so perfect. I wish she didn't remind me of what I went through. I'm going to still love her, though, because she doesn't deserve any less. None of this was her fault. My little Rumi.
"I still can't tell the others about her. I'm not ashamed of my daughter, just where she came from. Is that horrible of me? It's not her fault that her father was so terrible. If the others knew about her, though, they'd have to find out what happened. I can't have that. I can't endure that. She has to be kept secret. I can't go back and be a hunter now. I'm too broken. I'm not perfect like I have to be."

Rumi started to sob. After everything her mother had gone through she still wanted to love Rumi. She didn't blame her or think she was horrible like her father. It felt so different from what she had grown up hearing.

She quickly turned to the last entry. It was right before her mother died.

"Rumi is growing so fast. I wish I could share her with the others. I do miss them sometimes. Celine keeps trying to call me. I regret giving in to getting those new cell phone things. I might just throw it away soon, but I want to have it just in case I do need help. I just can't talk to her. I can't share my shame with her. I have to keep it hidden because at least right now they both still love me. If I told them, they would leave me completely.
"Something weird has been happening with Rumi, though. She has a small blue line on her arm. I took her to the doctor, and they said they didn't see anything. Not that they didn't see anything wrong with her; they didn't see the line I saw. It's gotten darker and spread a bit, and I'm worried. It almost looks like a pattern like the demons have. Maybe I'm going crazy, but it seems to get worse every time I ignore Celine's phone calls. I just hope it isn't anything serious. Perhaps I just need more sleep or I just need to actually get out of the house sometimes."

Rumi looked down at her arms. She wiped some tears out of her eyes so she could see better. The patterns were more translucent now, but they were still there. They had changed so quickly once she had accepted them and especially after she let Mira and Zoey know. Of course, that wasn't much of her choice, but in the end, it was good they knew.

From what she had learned from Jinu and the other Saja Boys, patterns were deeply personal. Jinu's faded but they would often come back when he was feeling bad about himself. His patterns didn't start until he felt he had something to be ashamed of. Maybe Rumi's patterns weren't from her father after all. Maybe they were from her mother....

Chapter Text

Jinu figured that if Rumi wanted him she would have asked him to join her, so he stayed in the kitchen helping the others clean up their glorious mess. He was glad Mira, Zoey, and Rumi had liked their surprise. It was definitely something they all needed.

Jinu realized he did need to slow down sometimes and enjoy what was right in front of him. Yes, they did still need to figure out how to get Baby back, but he couldn't worry about that all the time. The other Saja Boys needed him, too. He didn't even know how to get Baby back anyways.

The Saja Boys insisted that Zoey and Mira didn't need to help them, so they girls sat down to watch some tv. It was fun being back with the other Saja Boys. He made sure to splash some water on Romance when he started to look a little down. That did earn Jinu a quick hit with a towel. He didn't realize how much he had missed them until now.

When they were finally finished cleaning up their mess, Romance, Abby, and Mystery sat down with Mira and Zoey. Jinu wanted to sit down with them, but he thought it would be good to ask Rumi if she wanted to join them first.

He walked up to her door. He paused, though, as he heard her crying. He knocked softly, hoping not to startle her too much.

Rumi opened the door just a crack. Her eyes were puffy and red. "Do you need something?" She sniffled.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, wiping a tear off of her face.

"It's nothing."

"Rumi, you know you can talk to me," he said gently. She was still getting used to opening up just as much as he was.

She sighed and opened the door for him to come in. Books were strewn across her bed, and a box of tissues sat near the edge.

"I, um, was reading my mother's diaries," Rumi explained, gathering the books up and placing them in a cardboard box.

Jinu's heart stopped beating for a second. He should have told her what he knew sooner. She shouldn't have found out all by herself.

"Oh?" He tried to sound casual about it, but his voice sounded odd to him.

"She was so strong, Jinu," Rumi whispered, placing her hand on the cover of one of the books. "She went through so much all by herself, and even after everything, she still did her best to love me."

"What do you mean 'did her best'? She's your mom, Rumi, of course she loved you." He wrapped her in his arms and held her close.

"My dad wasn't a demon like you and the others. I wish he was," she said softly. "She didn't plan for me, and she certainly didn't want a child with my father. He was her manager of all people. He was supposed to keep bad people away from her, like Bobby does for us, but instead he was bad enough that two demons had to step in between him and my mother. Do you know how bad you have to be for demons to think you're bad?"

Jinu looked up at the ceiling trying to muster the courage to be honest with her, to tell her what he knew. It was painful. He should have said something before. Now she'd probably hate him for keeping it from her.

"Rumi, um, there's something I need to tell you...."

She looked up at him, and he almost decided to stay quiet. "What?"

"I was there," he said quickly.

"What do you mean you were there?" She asked, pulling away from him a bit.

"Baby and I. We saw your mother that night," he explained. He had to tell her. "We were out hunting. She was the perfect target, but neither of us could do it. Then this man comes up behind her. Baby and I couldn't watch him hurt her again because she was already badly hurt."

"What?"

"Baby always preferred beating up the drunk men who were probably going home to abuse their wives anyways, but he completely snapped seeing how terrified your mom was. He beat the man to a pulp before taking his soul." He took a breath before continuing. "I tried to help her as best as I could. I didn't know she was a hunter then. I never thought a hunter would be so beaten and afraid. It wasn't until Gwi-ma punished me for not taking her soul that I realized."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Rumi whispered. She pulled away from him completely, and he felt awful.

"I didn't know how to," he replied in earnest. "I figured it was better for you to not know."

"I don't know what to say," she muttered. She wrapped her arms tighter around her.

"You can be mad at me as much as you want," Jinu said quickly. "I deserve it."

He felt his patterns burn into his skin. Had he really kept it a secret for her or was it for himself?

"I don't even know what I'm feeling right now," she admitted tiredly. She sat down on her bed. "I don't know why Celine would lie about all of this to me. It doesn't make sense. She said she saw my father run away when my mother was killed."

Jinu's stomach dropped again. "I may be able to answer that, too," he said slowly. He sat down on the bed as well, though he kept his distance from her.

"What are you saying?" She asked, looking at him with concern.

"We saw your mother and Celine that night, Abby, Baby, and me," he started. This was going to be difficult. "Abby went to attack Celine, but Baby tried to hold him back. He didn't want Abby to die, but he also didn't want your mother to get hurt again.

"Baby was vulnerable, so Celine went in for the kill. Your mother stepped in her way," he said. He couldn't continue. He couldn't say the words out loud. He just couldn't do it.

Rumi stood up, agitated. He followed suit. "You're not saying what I think you're saying. Please don't tell me that," Rumi cried.

She punched him in the chest. It hurt, but he understood. She kept hitting him, and he just stood there.

"After everything she did, after telling me to cover up and hide my shame, she's the one who did that!" Rumi sobbed. Her punches started to weaken. "She blamed my mother for falling for a demon. She said that's what got her killed! But she... she..."

Jinu caught her as Rumi's knees gave out from under her. He lowered her slowly to the floor. She leaned into him, so he wrapped his arms around her. He didn't want to do anything she wasn't comfortable with right now, so he let her take the lead.

"My mother couldn't talk to her about what happened," Rumi sobbed into his chest. "She was so alone because she thought Celine wouldn't believe her. She was so ashamed."

"She shouldn't have been," Jinu whispered.

"But she was! Celine still blamed her for me," Rumi cried pitifully. "Even after she killed her, she blamed my mother. Celine thought I really was something to be ashamed of. That's why I have these patterns, isn't it?"

Her patterns pulsed for the first time since he had come back to life. Jinu held her tightly.

"I don't know," he admitted, rocking her back and forth. "I don't know."

"She made it my problem. She made me ashamed to be who I was. My whole life has revolved around other people's shame. That's all I am."

"That's not all you are, Rumi," Jinu insisted. His heart hurt so much for her in that moment. "You are incredibly strong and kind and funny. You're so talented, and I am so amazed at everything you have been able to do with your life."

"Why couldn't she have been the one who died?" Rumi screamed. She pulled away from him and reached for her phone.

"What are you doing?" Jinu asked.

"Getting some answers," she spat out.

Jinu took the phone out of her hands and held it above his head. She screamed and tried to take it back, but he couldn't let her.

"Give it to me, Jinu! I deserve an explanation!"

"I agree," he said, still holding the phone out of her reach. "But you need to get answers when you're able to think more clearly."

"I am thinking clearly," she insisted, hitting him again.

"Celine has lied to you for all of these years," he continued. "If you go to her like this, she'll just manipulate your emotions. Don't let her do that anymore."

Rumi glared up at him, but he didn't care. He would help her get answers, but she needed to take a breath first.

Finally she fell back onto the bed and curled up into a ball. "Why did it have to be like this?" She whispered. "Why couldn't it have been more simple?"

Jinu laid down beside her and slowly wrapped his arms around her, giving her time to push him away. She just lay there sobbing, so he squeezed her tight. She grasped onto his hand like a lifeline.

"She couldn't ever love me," Rumi croaked. "I always had to be perfect. That destroyed my mother, and now it's destroyed me." She turned over, so her face was in his chest. He kissed her forehead softly.

"You deserve so much more, Rumi," he whispered in her ear. "You have done so much for so many people, but you almost never let yourself be taken care of. You've always had to be strong, be an adult. That's not fair to you."

She let out a shuddering breath as she gripped his shirt tighter. "Your mother loved you," he continued, his voice soft. "That's the most important part of where you came from. She was strong and brave and kind, and you inherited all of that. That's what you need to remember.

"It doesn't matter who your father was or how your mother died. Those things don't define who you are. You are an amazing woman who has helped four hopeless demons become better and change. You've been a home for Mira and Zoey. Now let us take care of you."

She continued to cry in his arms, and he stayed with her. Even when his back started to cramp he didn't move. She needed a shield right now. She needed someone to be strong for her.

"Stay with me tonight," she finally whispered. "I don't want to be alone."

"Of course," he replied, kissing her hair. "Let me go get changed really quickly, and I'll be right back, okay?"

Chapter Text

Rumi's screams had stopped, thankfully. Though, Romance did still shake beside him. None of them were really sure what was going on. Zoey did look a bit more pale, and she leaned against Mystery wordlessly, her eyes unfocused.

After such a good night together, the silence was deafening. Jinu had raised his voice once or twice, and Abby was worried that the peace they had finally achieved with Huntrix was unraveling.

They heard a door open, and they all tried to look natural. Jinu walked out with a serious look on his face.

"Abby, I need to talk to you really quickly."

"Yeah, sure," Abby responded, immediately getting off the couch and following Jinu out onto the balcony. Jinu stood with his hands braced on the railing. "Is everything okay with you and Rumi?"

"What?" Jinu asked, turning to look at him. "Oh, did you all hear that?"

"Not anything that you were saying, but we could hear the shouting," Abby admitted.

"I think we're okay," Jinu sighed. "The next little bit might be a bit bumpy, but as of right now she's not the most mad at me."

"Why would she be mad at you?" Abby asked, leaning against the railing as well. "Things have been seeming pretty good lately."

Jinu took a breath, looking out on the city. "Do you remember the night you tried to kill those two hunters?"

"Yeah," Abby nodded, "Baby tried to stop me, and that one hunter saved him from Celine."

"That was Rumi's mom."

Abby's blood turned to ice. He had almost forgotten about that night. It seemed so long ago. Baby had been the one protecting a hunter back then. Now it was him. But that couldn't have been Rumi's mom.

"Are you sure?" He asked, hoping it wasn't true. If it was true, then he was the reason her mom was dead.

Jinu nodded solemnly. "I've known for a little bit now, and I didn't tell her."

"Surely she knew how her mom died, though," Abby insisted. "She didn't need to know that we were there."

"That's the problem, Abby," Jinu whispered. "She was told that demons killed her mom."

"That's not a complete lie."

"Don't you remember?" Jinu asked, looking at him. "Celine was the one who killed her."

"But she wouldn't have if I hadn't attacked them first," Abby reminded him. It was all his fault. "That's why you're telling me this, isn't it? Because Rumi's going to hate me now?"

Jinu opened his mouth and then closed it. Abby knew he was right. He had ruined everything again. He wished he could go back. He wished he had listened to Baby then. Abby pulled open the door and headed towards the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Jinu called after him.

"I can't stay here," he responded, his throat closing up slightly.

Mira immediately stood up. He tried to close the elevator doors before she could join him, but she managed to slip in.

"You shouldn't be around me right now," he said tersely.

She crossed her arms and leaned against the elevator wall. "Oh? And how is that different from any other time?"

"I'm serious, Mira," he replied, sitting down in the corner of the elevator and hiding his face. "I'll just end up screwing up your life, too."

Mira knelt down in front of him. "Abby, we've been over this before."

He looked up at her. The guilt was overpowering. "That was before I found out I killed Rumi's mom," he whispered before burying his face again. He couldn't look at her anymore. He couldn't watch as she recoiled from him. It was too much. It made it too real.

Once upon a time, it would have been a great triumph for him. In fact, he had gotten so mad at Baby that night for standing in his way. But now... he had never felt like he deserved the voices more than in that moment.

They had become almost distant whispers lately, but memories of that night kept flashing across his mind. He didn't even know she had died until the whole underworld celebrated. She had just been a hunter then. Someone who kept them from the small moments of peace that came from stealing souls.

Now that hunter meant something. She was Rumi's mom. Rumi, who threw herself in front of the whip for him. Rumi, who didn't hold his hatred of her against him. Rumi, who opened her home to him and helped drag him from the demon realm. Rumi, who made Jinu feel human again. And Abby was the reason she was an orphan.

Mira's voice pulled him out of his spiral for a moment. "What do you mean you killed her mom?" Her voice was clear, her words articulated.

"Don't make me..."

"Abby, please, I need to know," she said seriously. "If you insist on leaving me for this, I need to know."

Abby's heart hurt more at her words. He said he wouldn't leave her, but he had to. For her own sake. It was just a matter of time before he broke her, too. Maybe she wasn't broken yet, but it seemed he always found a way to hurt people. Even if he didn't mean to.

"I.... uh, she...." he gasped out. He tried to take deep breaths, but he couldn't. It was too close in the elevator. The room started to spin a little bit. He had to get out of there.

The elevator dinged, and Abby immediately got up and bolted. He needed air. He couldn't stay there. The little peace he had been able to feel here was being ripped away from him by his own past decisions. He hated himself.

"Abby!" Mira called after him. Why wouldn't she leave him alone?

He ran through the streets, trying to find a place he could break. There were too many people here. Why were there so many people? It was dark outside already. They should be at home. Didn't they know they could have their souls taken at any moment by someone like him?

He finally reached an abandon alley and hid behind a dumpster. His heart was beating too fast. His breathing didn't slow down even after he stopped running. Was the night getting darker around him?

"Abby!"

Oh god, she had found him. He wanted to pull his leg back to keep her from seeing him, but he felt like he had no energy left. His body was completely spent.

"Abby, there you are!" She said, exasperated as she walked down the alley.

He couldn't look at her. He couldn't speak. His ears were buzzing. The voices were too marbled together to distinguish what they were saying. All he knew was that they were right.

"Abby, can you hear me?" Mira asked. She seemed concerned. Why would she be concerned? He deserved this. She placed her hand against his face. "You're burning up, Abby."

His mind did feel like it was on fire. The pressure in his head kept building. He deserved it, though. He deserved all of it. He should have just endured Gwi-ma's torture and not given in to stealing souls. Then Rumi would have her mom, and the world would be a better place.

He was starting to feel faint, but his breathing still wouldn't slow. His heart still beat heavily in his chest. His head rested more heavily against her hand. He couldn't hold it up anymore. He heard Mira swear.

"Abby, come on. Look at me. I need you to look at me," she coaxed, brushing hair out of his eyes with her other hand. Her voice was garbled in his ears. He couldn't keep his eyes open. "Abby..."

------------

Mira watched, terrified, as Abby passed out. She carefully lowered his head to his shoulder and ran her hands through her hair. She didn't know what to do. He had hardly said a word to her other than dropping that he had killed Rumi's mom.

Based on what he said, he had just found out, though. How had he not known before? He was obviously distraught with the news, but she still didn't know how to handle it. It was hard to hear.

Either way, she needed to get him out of there somehow. She wanted to just sit beside him and wait for him to wake up, but they were vulnerable. Baby was still out there, so Mira stood keeping watch. She pulled out her phone. She couldn't move him by herself.

"Zoey," she sniffled into the phone. She was starting to feel extremely overwhelmed. "Can you bring Mystery and Romance to my location? Abby's not okay."

She tried to keep herself calm. She had to keep her head together. She couldn't break down. Not right now. She had to keep Abby and herself safe.

"Mira, it's going to be alright," Zoey replied. "We're on our way. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you?"

"I don't know if I should," Mira admitted, her eyes darting around. Any shadow could be hiding unseen dangers. "I need to keep watch."

"You can put me on speaker phone," Zoey suggested. "I don't want you to be alone right now."

Mira heard the ding of the elevator and hurried footsteps. She turned the phone to speaker and placed it on the ground. She summoned her gok-do just to be safe. The light from the weapon cast an erie light into the darkness.

"We're almost there," Zoey finally said, obviously out of breath.

They were coming. It would be alright. Abby would be alright. This was just a bad dream. She would wake up, and everything would be okay.

Chapter Text

Zoey hung up the phone as they rounded the corner to the alley. Mira stood holding her gok-do. She was shaking, but she wouldn't lower her weapon. Zoey approached her slowly and took the gok-do out of her hand, dismissing it into the honmoon.

"Mira, it's okay," she whispered. "We're here. It's going to be okay."

Mystery and Romance ran to Abby's side. He was out cold. Zoey looked at Mira again.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Mira sobbed. Zoey helped her sit down against the wall and rubbed her back as Mira leaned forward. "I don't know what Jinu told him, but somehow he got it in his head that Abby's the one who killed Rumi's mom."

Zoey immediately froze. She noticed that Mystery and Romance did the same. Zoey was not expecting that.

"He was distraught. He wouldn't talk to me, and then he just passed out," Mira continued. "I don't know what's going on, or why Jinu would even say something like that to him. He should know how Abby spirals!"

Zoey's heart sank. She knew what probably prompted all of this.

"Rumi found her mother's journals," Zoey said. Romance and Mystery looked up at her. "I don't know what she found in them, but obviously it isn't great."

"Her mom wouldn't have written about her own death, though," Mira argued. "If it was in there it was probably written by Celine for some reason. How would she even know it was him, though?"

"They were there," Mystery said slowly.

"What?" Mira asked, looking up at him. "What are you talking about? Who was where?"

"Baby, Abby, and Jinu," Mystery clarified. "They were there the night Rumi's mom died. She was a hunter, right?"

Zoey nodded. She wasn't sure she wanted him to continue.

"Abby came back that night pissed off because Baby kept him from killing the hunters," Mystery said slowly.

Romance nodded. "I remember that. It was terrifying. He was so angry because he thought that Baby had stopped him from finally doing something right."

"But he didn't kill her?" Zoey asked, confused.

Mystery shrugged. "That's what it sounded like to us. Baby didn't give him the chance. I do know she died somehow that night because..." He took a breath. "Everyone celebrated down there. It was like we had finally made progress."

"I don't understand," Mira said, wiping her eyes. "If Abby didn't kill her, then who did?"

The all looked at Abby's slumped form. "I don't know," Mystery admitted.

-------------

They were able to get Abby into a cab with a bit of careful maneuvering. Thankfully, the cab driver had seen his fair share of passed out drunks, so he didn't ask any questions. Mira was grateful she didn't have to make up a lie. She was too exhausted.

When they finally made it to the apartment, Jinu walked back out of Rumi's room. He ran over to them and helped carry Abby to his room.

"What happened?" Jinu asked, as they placed Abby carefully on his bed.

"What happened?" Mira shot back, pushing Jinu. "Why did you tell him he killed Rumi's mom?"

"I didn't-"

She pushed him again. "Do you have any idea what you did to him?" She screamed. Romance picked her up from behind, and she tried fighting him off, kicking and screaming. "Why would you do that? He doesn't need that! Put me down!"

"You need to calm down, Mira," Romance said gently, holding onto her like a vice. She continued to struggle against him.

"I can't calm down! Look at him," she cried, pointing at Abby. "Look at him! I couldn't... I can't..."

She finally gave up. She couldn't fight anymore. She was so tired. She just wanted Abby to wake up. She just wanted him to be okay, to talk to her and laugh with her.

Romance held onto her as he gently set her on the floor. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. She shouldn't have broken in front of them.

Jinu knelt in front of her, his face pale. "I didn't tell him that he killed her mom," he said.

Mira tried to scoff, but it came out as a sob. Romance held onto her tighter.

"He blames himself because he attacked her and Celine that night," Jinu continued slowly. Mira couldn't look at him. "Baby tried to stop him. Abby pushed him out of the way, and Celine saw her chance to kill Baby. Rumi's mom jumped in front of him, and Celine hit her instead."

"Wait, Celine killed Rumi's mom?" Zoey asked in disbelief.

"That doesn't make any sense," Mira spat. "Why would she try to save Baby? He wasn't Rumi's..."

Everyone looked at Jinu. He sighed. "No, he's not her father, if that's what you're asking. Baby had saved Rumi's mom one night from a bad man, and that made her realize that demons aren't completely terrible. That's why she saved him."

The room fell completely silent. Mira felt like she had run a marathon. Her entire world seemed to be breaking apart. Celine had always held them to such a high standard, had taught them to kill demons with no thought whatsoever. She had told Rumi to cover up her patterns. Had told Rumi that demons had killed her mother.

Mira pushed Romance's arms off of her and climbed into bed beside Abby. Everything always seemed to go back to Celine, and Mira couldn't handle that right now. She wrapped her arms around Abby and silently cried.

-----------------

Jinj felt awful. He wanted to say more, to try to make everything better again. He wished he could go back and decide not to talk to Abby. He had just wanted to give him a heads up that it might not be very comfortable the next few days. Jinu didn't even know if Rumi would blame Abby at all. He just wanted Abby to be prepared if she did.

Mystery and Romance pulled Jinu out of the room with them. Zoey closed the door, leaving Mira alone with Abby.

Jinu turned to Romance. "Did he try to-"

He couldn't finish the question. He couldn't bear to think about Abby trying to kill himself again.

"No, no, nothing like that," Romance assured him. Jinu took a deep breath. "Based on what Mira said, he had an extreme panic attack that made him pass out."

"Oh, that's much better," Jinu replied sarcastically. "I just basically made him hate himself enough his body couldn't handle it anymore!"

"Jinu, we're going to figure this out," Mystery said. He held Zoey's hand tightly. She looked as worried as Jinu felt. "Why did you bring it up with him anyways?"

Jinu felt so tired. He was trying to juggle so much right now. He had promised Rumi he would stay by her side tonight. She was sleeping right now, but if she woke up, he needed to be there. Now Abby was passed out from anxiety, and it was Jinu's fault. He sat down on the couch before replying.

"Rumi found out about who her father actually was, and because of the new information, she wasn't sure why her mother had died," he explained. He looked down at the floor, unable to look any of them in the eyes. "She needed to know the truth. She's been lied to for so long, and I couldn't let her continue like that. I wanted Abby to know that I had told her about that night just in case she was a bit colder to him. I never meant for this to happen."

His family was falling apart. He should have told the truth to Rumi sooner. He just hadn't wanted to ruin the little family she did have. Now everything was in tatters. He needed to be with her right now.

-------------

Mystery, Romance, and Zoey watched as Jinu wordlessly got up and left. He headed back to Rumi's room, leaving them alone.

"Well, I don't know if I can sleep after all of that," Romance said with a hesitant chuckle. Mystery noticed his hands were shaking a bit.

"Me either," Zoey said, trying to also not let her anxiety show. It was really hard to hear and watch, but it seemed that Zoey and Romance were both a bit more shaken than he was.

"Why don't we just watch something together for now?" Mystery suggested. The other two nodded.

"Something light," Romance pleaded. "I'm not good with raised voices. Reminds me too much of my childhood."

"Same here," Zoey agreed, scooting in closer to Mystery. Romance sat on the other side of him.

They finally landed on a kids cartoon, which seemed to relax both Romance and Zoey. After a few episodes, Romance's head ended up on Mystery's lap as he snored softly. Zoey had fallen asleep on Mystery's shoulder as well. He was well and truly stuck, but Mystery wouldn't have had it any other way.

-------------

Hyeonbin sat on the rooftop overlooking the city. He hadn't tried to take out the red hunter tonight. Maybe he should have, but she was very alert. However, now he finally knew what to do. There was one hunter who couldn't fight him, not anymore.

He hadn't heard her name in a long time, but when the traitor said it, it sparked something in him. Celine.

Chapter Text

Rumi was forced awake by her phone ringing incessantly. She had tried to ignore it, but the calls kept coming. She groggily reached for it. Jinu's arm was still draped over her waist, and his mouth hung open as he continue to sleep.

She rolled her eyes as she looked at Celine's name on her phone screen. She must have noticed the missing box. Rumi did want to talk to Celine about everything, but now that she had calmed down, she realized that Jinu was right. She wanted to do it on her terms, and she wanted some breakfast first.

She rolled out of bed, carefully removing Jinu's arm from around her. He shifted a bit, unconsciously reaching out for her before quieting again. She smiled. She was still a bit upset that he had kept everything from her, but she knew it wasn't done maliciously. He was a complete dork that had no idea what he was doing, and she couldn't help but love him.

Mystery, Romance, and Zoey were all curled on the couch together. Mystery looked like he had fallen asleep holding the other two, which was sweet.

Her phone started ringing again, so she put it on silent for the moment. She needed a second to collect her thoughts. She yawned as she brewed herself some coffee.

She heard a door open. Someone else was awake at least. Maybe talking to someone would ground her thoughts a bit. She looked around to the hallway.

Abby stopped in his tracks when he saw her. His face paled. He was fully dressed, almost like he was planning on going somewhere.

"Morning," she said sleepily. He just stood there frozen. "Abby? Are you alright?"

"Why are you talking to me?" He asked, a bit of fear in his voice.

Rumi looked at him confused. "What are you talking about? Why wouldn't I talk to you?"

"Jinu said he told you," he replied, clearly on edge. He took a small step forward. "Rumi, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I didn't know until last night. I'm going to leave, so you don't have to see me again. I'm so sorry."

"Abby, what are you talking about? Why would I want you to leave?" She was genuinely confused. She tried looking back on what Jinu had told her, but none of it made her mad at Abby.

"I'm the reason your mom is dead," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"Abby, you didn't kill her," she reminded him gently.

"But I tried to," he said, raising his voice slightly. The sleeping mass on the couch shifted, and he lowered his voice again.

Now that he said it out loud, she did remember that Jinu had told her that. There had been so much to process last night that she didn't even grasp onto that. And yet, here Abby was apologizing for it. He had come such a long way since they brought him back from the demon realm.

"Come with me," Rumi said gently. She led him out to the balcony, so they could properly talk. She looked over at him. "Tell me why I should hate you."

He looked at her a bit shocked at her blatancy before opening his mouth. He turned to look out at the city.

"Isn't it obvious? If I hadn't attacked Celine and your mother, Celine wouldn't have killed her," he said quietly. "You would have grown up with your mom, but instead she's dead. That's my fault."

He looked so broken. Rumi could feel the sincerity radiating off of him. He truly did feel guilty for all of it, even if he only played an instigating part.

"Can I ask why you attacked them?" She figured she knew already, but she wanted to see the way he saw it.

"I'm a demon, Rumi," he sighed. "We're supposed to hate hunters, right?"

"Right." She paused. "Was that the only reason?"

He shook his head. "You saw my father in my memories. He always said I could never do anything right. I never won fights. I never took iniative." He braced himself against the railing, and Rumi could practically see his mind racing. She reached out gently. He tensed slightly before relaxing again.

"I saw the two of them, completely off guard," he continued. "I thought I could finally do something right. Finally be praised instead of beaten down. I thought I was doing the right thing for everyone I loved." He gasped out the last part and gripped the railing tightly.

"Do you know why they were there that night?" Rumi asked softly, changing the subject a little. Abby shook his head. "My mother had run away from the hunters."

"What?"

"She found out she was pregnant with me, and she couldn't handle the shame," Rumi said, trying to push aside the emotions that were starting to bubble inside her again. "She couldn't tell the other hunters, so she left. That's why they were in that neighborhood that night. Celine had had enough of my mother ignoring her apparently."

"Why are you telling me this?" Abby asked, finally looking at her.

"Because if my mother had been able to talk to Celine or Soo-Jin about what happened to her, she wouldn't have been in that neighborhood, and you wouldn't have attacked them."

"But, Rumi..."

"The real reason my mother died," Rumi said, cutting him off, "is because she was a good woman who saw that the world wasn't as black and white as she had been taught."

Rumi choked a bit on her words. She looked away from Abby as she gained her composure. The last twelve hours of her life had been such a roller-coaster of emotions. She was still trying to understand it all, but she did believe what she had just told him.

"I don't blame you for her death," Rumi finally managed to say. "I don't blame anyone actually. It was a horrible accident."

"Then why were you so angry last night?" Abby asked pitifully. Rumi could see tears started to well up in his eyes as well. She hadn't realized that the others could hear her yelling. She felt awful for it.

"Because I wasted so much of my life lying to my friends," Rumi said, trying to hold it together. Who knew a talk with Abby would be so emotional? "I had to hide who I was when I didn't even know what that meant. I had patterns that Celine hated. She blamed them on my father being a demon. She didn't want to see the real reason."

"What do you mean?"

Rumi took a deep, shuddering breath. "Because she was ashamed of me. She made my mother feel like she had to hide me, and that's when it all started. Then Celine kept it going by making me hide the patterns. By pushing the same lying and shame onto me.

"I never felt like I could talk to anyone about anything other than surface level things," she continued. "I wanted to tell Mira and Zoey about my patterns a long time ago, but Celine said they wouldn't understand. She said they would leave me if they knew.

"I lived my life thinking that demons were terrible, and that they had killed my mother. Turns out, that was all a lie. Who knows what my mother would have taught me about demons if she had raised me. She sacrificed herself for one, and I can't imagine she would have made me feel like I was unloveable because of my patterns like Celine did. That's why I was angry."

"I- I'm so sorry, Rumi," Abby said. "I still don't understand how you don't blame me, though."

Rumi took a breath. "You said it yourself. You were just doing what you thought was right for the people you loved."

"But if I had actually stopped to think for a second, I would see that what I was doing was objectively bad," he argued back. He looked back over the city.

"But you told me once you knew what you did had inadvertently hurt me," she said softly. She turned him to look at her again. "You apologized without me saying anything because you felt that I deserved that. Do you know how much that means to me? I never received an apology once growing up, and even after Zoey and Mira proved Celine wrong, she still hasn't apologized.

"She's had my whole life to say something to me. It took you only a few seconds. That's the difference. That's why I can't be mad at you, Abby."

She reached up and hugged him. He froze for a moment before hugging her back. "I don't want you to beat yourself up over this," she whispered earnestly. "You've endured centuries of unnecessary guilt already. Don't add this to it because I forgive you."

He let out a small sob as he pulled her closer. Even though it was hard to think about still, she would rather forgive him than live with a hatred she could let go of. He had only been doing what he was told to do, forced to do. He was trying his best to survive. He didn't know that he would eventually become friends with the next generation of hunters. But most importantly, he realized his mistake and owned up to it. She couldn't hate him.

-----------

Abby hadn't understood why Mira had gotten so emotional when Romance had forgiven her, but he understood now. It was like a weight had been lifted off of him. He still couldn't wrap his head around how Rumi could so easily forgive him, but he was glad she did.

She should have been told the truth a long time ago. It had been heartbreaking to hear how she had been raised. He knew the feeling of having a parent be ashamed of you. Trying to force you to make up for being something you couldn't change. How could he have ever hated her? He hugged her tighter.

"You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are," he choked out. "You are amazing, and I'm so glad that Jinu found you."

Rumi sniffled against his chest. Abby hadn't grown up with siblings. The Saja Boys were basically his brothers, but he never had a sister. He never thought he'd want one until now.