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Chapter Text

 After Zoey slit his throat with her Shin-kal, Mystery fell back into the Demon Realm, her last words to him echoing in his mind.

 "You're just my type!"

 It shouldn't have had such an effect on him, he shouldn't have become so attached. He longed to see her again, he didn't even know why, they had only sat side by side once, but she was the only person who ever smiled at him, she was the only one who ever saw his face, and she liked it.

 Life as an immortal demon was meaningless, it had been so many centuries he didn't even recall his human name or why he sold his soul at all, time passed by as much as it seemed to not pass at all, every single day was the same and he wondered if he was even alive. But that little mission of theirs, that trip to the surface... It ignited something in him that he hadn't felt in so, so long.

 He had fun, he saw the sun, he saw people, he sang and he danced. But most importantly: He was desired.

 Zoey's eyes sparkled when she looked at him, her pupils dilatated and she would smile so bright. She'd giggle and talk to him in a tone no one ever had directed to him.

 "Heheh, wassup!?"

 It was stupid, reckless, and non-sensical but..

 For the first time in his pathetic demon life, he felt alive.

 So he clung to it, even if it was now over, even if she herself, with her very own blade cut through him and sent him back to hell: He still desperately wanted to feel it all again.

  But after Gwi-Ma's death all demons became permanently trapped in the endless purgatory: Without their king to open the portals none of the demons could pass to the other side. Many tried, but after a while they all gave up, admitting there was no use. 

 What was the point anyways? They didn't need to channel souls back to Gwi-Ma anymore, they couldn't be human again, and there would be as empty and boring as in here. And afterall, the hunters would just send them back in a split second.

 So they all stopped trying, them all except Mystery: Every single day, or whatever was a day considering the eternal night sky, he would go up to the glowing lines of the barrier and slammed it. Sharp claws and big tooth ramming, scratching, biting and digging uselessly at the unwavering strands of light. 

 Jinu was gone, but all of the other Saja Boys remained: At first they tried to talk Mystery out of his frenzy, try to get him to stop when they saw his claws splitting from his flesh and the blood dripping from his gums, he even lost a tusk once. But after so long they all gave up, not even Abby was strong enough to pull him out of the dome, so they all went away, leaving him to repeatedly throw himself at the barriers while he whaled, wailed and grunted like an desperate caged animal.

 Mystery tried for days, for weeks, for months to cross the new iridescent Honmoon, to seek for Zoey. He wanted to- No, he had to see her again, even if one last time, to feel loved one last time, before he could finally allow his soul to fade away forever.

Until one day, god knows how long after, Mystery finally felt something give in.

It was a small shift, almost unnoticeable.

When Mystery started laughing manically at it, all the other demons thought he had lost it and that he was now hallucinating that the Honmoon was opening.

Until they saw it themselves.

A small, almost insignificant tear, a small portal forming between the glittery lines. A little ray of light from the sun peeking through as it grew wider.

The other demons started losing it too, they haven't had seen the sun in so long. But the moment any of them approached, Mystery almost lunged at them, barking and baring teeth, as if to say this was his, and his alone.

His portal, to see his hunter.

 He didn't think twice before jumping through it, the opening so small he had to crawl out of it with all his force, spreading it forcefully with his claws, the strands burning against his skin like an electrical wired fence. But after some minutes, he finally made it. 

 He was at the surface, in the human world.

 His heart rammed against his ribcage, he hadn't felt so much emotion in so long: His breath was ragged and his palms hurt; His claws that were still growing back after being ripped off for the hundredth time still aching; His golden eyes filled with tears under the curtain of purple hair; His cheeks ached from smiling so much and the pressure of his tusks and his jaw hurt from clenching tight shut; His legs trembling like they were going to give in, and they did.

He fell to his knees in the middle of a street, he was lucky it was nearly empty despite being day. He didn't even register the Honmoon sealing back shut behind him. He sobbed there for a while, his shaking hands rubbing tears away as he cried and whined his throat out.

Once he finally calmed down, he felt a wave of joy washing over him, he jolted up with renewed strength.

 He'd see Zoey again.

 He ran through the city, he was a bit rusty, but he still knew how to sniff out humans. He had memorized every single hint and tone of Zoey's scent, had sat close enough to her during the fan sign that he could take in every intimate detail of her physiognomy.

 Alike dogs, he could tell so much about her by her smell alone: What she used to eat; How much she exercised; The hint of her insulin levels slight above what it should be; The unique aspects of her DNA; The people she touched the most.

He chased that smell, recognition taking over his senses as he saw himself at Seoul's main subway, where he had been with the others before. Not so far from the Huntrix tower. 

 Then her scent struck his nostrils. 

 "She's here."

 His hands were shivering once again as he walked slowly through the paths. He hadn't felt anxiety in so many centuries, but the thought of seeing her again threated his eyes with more tears. He smiled softly, as he shifted his appearance to his human form once he noticed the place was growing crowded, and humans weren't supposed to know about demons anymore. 

 People noticed him, some gasped and waved, recognizing him. Others were shocked, as if they saw a ghost.

 He wondered if it was too weird he still had the same clothes, but he didn't know enough about human's modern fashion to shift into something new. It used to be Jinu's job to teach them these things. 

 He kept walking, her smell growing stronger, and his steps slowing. Both anticipation and fear taking over. 

 Then he saw her.

 And time stopped.

 It felt like a dream, and the world blurred out, his vision losing focus of everything except her, as she stepped out of a train. 

 She was beautiful...

 Despite her baggy clothes and bucket hat, that she wore to stay low between potential fans: She still looked like the most gorgeous and seductive goddess.

 She looked even more beautiful than the last time he saw her: Her eyes glowed brighter and her smile reached them leaving her cheeks chubby with the pressure her huge grin made on them; She jumped and skipped around, even more lively than the last time; She was wearing almost no makeup, so he could see she no longer had eyebags under her eyes; Her scent was healthier too.

She was happy.

She looked radiant. 

 Mystery's face burned and he felt his whole body soften, melting into the view of her, with a small smile forming in the little visible of his face.  He walked towards her slowly, almost wishing he had something to gift her, maybe roses, or a turtle plushie. She still loved turtles right?

He didn't even know what he was going to say, he had imagined this moment so many times, replayed in his mind so many different apologies, declarations and confessions. He had fantasized about hugging her tight, about taking her hand and looking at her in the eyes, spilling his heart out as he told her about how much he missed her, about how he spent this whole time only thinking of her. 

 He pushed through the crowd, his steps gaining speed as he couldn't take the urge to be by her side anymore. He might have whined a bit too loudly, because at a certain distance, not too close, neither too far: She looked at his direction.

 Mystery gasped, his hidden eyes widening as they locked their gazes, she looked at him, she recognized him, gorgeous brown eyes devouring him whole. He shifted his bangs a little, he wanted her to see him too.

Her grin fell into a gasp, a shocked expression, and then a shy smile with a light almost not-there blush.

 He was in cloud 9.

He was about to get closer, his own face burning redder with a shy smile of his own. But then she turned around, her smile falling as she turned to say something to someone.

 She had company, a man.

 Mystery stopped in his tracks. Her scent was different now days, but he realized she wasn't as impregnated with Rumi and Mira's distinctive odor, instead, she stank of that man's smell.

 He had been touching her, a lot.

 A low, dangerous growl erupted from his chest, possessive, protective. Mystery begun to approach them, snarling as his claws suddenly took shape amidst his human disguise.

 But then he saw his Zoey smile at him. Her smile was sweet, her hand caressed his arm, intimate. The man looked down at her with affection, he gently placed a hand on her back, gently guiding her through the crowd.

 Mystery couldn't hear what they where talking about, but he picked something along the lines of "Oh, I thought I saw someone I knew." and "Haha, It's nothing! Let's go Oppa!" , which she said before leaving a peck to the man's lips.

 He could hear his own heart breaking, falling like glass shreds and cutting through whatever body parts it fell onto himself. He suddenly lost all sense of self, he felt paralyzed,  his shape shifting between demon and human like a light bulb daring to burn out. 

 She forgot him.

 She moved on.

 She loved someone else now.

 He stepped back, tripping on himself. He felt like he was going to die right there and then, the world spinning around him.

 He watched in disbelief as they walked away through the sea of people, his anger washing out as it was replaced with a feeling he had never felt before. A mix of overbearing melancholy, shock and dread.

 He stood there, paralyzed, until his Zoey was out of view.

 When he came back to his senses, he realized he was back to his demon form. Some people snapped pictures, some complimented on his "cosplay". In another day he'd have barked at them, stole their souls and bit someone. But right now, he couldn't even focus his vision, he barely looked around, his world falling apart bit by bit.

 His head hang low and his shoulders slumped forward as he walked without aim. Mystery stopped by a little newspaper tent, his gaze had brushed it's contents without focusing, until a little detail made his head snap back at it. 

 Mystery remembered that he and the Saja Boys where participating of the 2022 edition of the Idol Awards. He remembered Jinu explaining to them how modern Korea worked, as that they where currently at what humans called "21st century".

 The owner of the little shop was turned around, distracted. But Mystery chocked on a pained gasp, mixed with a guttural wail as the gears of his mind took in the information.

 '2027년 3월 13일'

 Today was March 13th, a Friday of the year 2027.

 But the only thing his brain registered was the fact it had been 5 years.

 He had spent five years trapped in the demon realm.

 Five years waiting to see Zoey again.

 Five years doing everything and anything he could to pass through.

 Five years fighting against the Honmoon every single day.

 Five years hoping and dreaming of seeing her again.

 Fiver years yearning for her touch, her smile, her care, her love.

 Only for her to be taken by someone else.

 Mystery screamed, people stood in shock around him as he lost the little that was left of his humanity. Completely losing touch of reality, he hyperventilated, chocking into his own saliva, his mind reeling so painfully it bloomed into a head ache, and his throat burnt as he clawed to his own neck in a desperate attempt to get the feeling of a knot away.

He cried and cried and cried and screamed and shouted.

He didn't care about the humans watching, he didn't care if soon a hunter would show up, he didn't care if he died right there and then.

 The facts starts to sank to him heavy like lead:

 He'd never be with her.

 He was never going to see Zoey again.

 He'd never learn more about her or hopefully stay trapped in this side, and have a second change to be human.

 He'd never get to see her smile at him or flirt with him again like she did all those years ago.

 He'd never get to hug her or tell her what he felt.

 He'd never live with her.

 He would never give her a kiss or feel her hands gently wrapping around his.

 Or spend the rest of his miserable immortality with her.

 He was never going feel loved again. 

 After a while his cries stopped sounding human and became completely animal.

 His screams turned to growls and his sobs turned to wounded howls. 

 In that chill morning, Mystery lost what was left of his soul.

Chapter Text

 Zoey was on a date with her boyfriend when she felt a ripple through the Honmoon. She hadn't felt or seen it in five years, but chose to ignore it as it was probably nothing, maybe it was just her imagination.

The barrier was completely sealed afterall.

 They were in a subway train, getting back to the Huntrix tower after some trips through shopping malls. It was early in the morning when they left to spend it together, and now they were going to have lunch at her home with Rumi and Mira.

 Today wasn't special or anything, so they were keeping it simple, choosing to spend noon with his girlfriend's friends, as they were both very comfortable around each other by now, after two whole years dating.

 His name was Shi-on: He was handsome and tall, very slender but with a muscular sleeping build, with skin pale compared to hers; Brown eyes sharp but soft and his face round and sweet. He was conventionally attractive and a traditional Korean beauty, but he didn't wear a traditional hair style: Leaving it to grow and drop over his face, a long black bang hiding one of his eyes most of the time. 

He was shy and quiet. Gentle and kind most of the time but with an edge to it, like he could snap if needed. 

 He was just her type. 

 Zoey was 28 now, she still felt too young for marriage, but she was sure he was the love of her life.

 When they were leaving the subway she had been excitedly telling him everything about her latest obsession: Planarias! 

 She bubbled around, waving and jumping energetically as she told him about how they could eat something several times their own size. And how adorable she thought their googly eyes looked! And that they were the only worm species that didn't pose a threat to humans nor parasited us.

 Shi-on nodded along with a gentle smile, his visible eye looking at her tenderly as he picked up some shopping bags. And Zoey ever so excited hooped off the platform before he could catch up to her, the big crowd keeping him some steps behind.

 She was skipping slightly, feeling very happy as she kept thinking of the zillion ways she'd show her favorite new purse to Mira and Rumi. It had little fuzzy balls!!! 

 But as she walked towards the main exit she heard a high-pitched noise. Her head instinctively snapped towards the sound. 

 And then she saw him.

 Maybe 4 or 3 meters from were she stood, being lightly pushed around by the huge groups of people trying to pass through: She saw Mystery Saja.

 The ripple in the Honmoon. It had been him.

An odd feeling bubbled on her chest, her smile faltered but didn't fall, her breath ragged slightly as she felt a mix of confusion, surprise, fear and... Joy? 

 When he locked eyes with her, he pushed his bangs aside: The most gorgeous lavender eyes stared back at her.

 Zoey let out a gasp, much louder than she meant it to be, and her face grew slightly red with both embarrassment and something else. She averted her eyes, looking down and back to him slightly, as if looking at him physically burned. But a small smile formed anyways.

 A part of her hated herself for it, "Why are you smiling? He's an evil demon!"

 - Zoey? Is there something wrong?

 She got so distracted with her own rushing mind that she jumped startled when Shi-on stepped besides her.

 - Huh!? - She gasped again, her neck snapping to face him. 

 - Are you okay?  You suddenly stopped. - He asked with a tone of worry in his voice.

 - Oh! - Zoey came back to her senses, smiling brightly once again, looking at her loving boyfriend as she patted him on the arm, reassuringly - I thought I saw someone I knew.

 He smiled again, placing a steady hand on the top of her back, looking around. - Really? Who? You seemed a bit weird, are you sure you're fine?

Somehow he didn't see the shocked man in the crowd. 

 - Haha, It's nothing!- Zoey waved her free hand, then she tip-toed to leave a chaste kiss to his lips, trying to distract him- Let's go, Oppa! 

- Hm, alright! - He said, deciding to trust her. Zoey wrapped an arm around his and went back to yapping with excitement. Shi-on simply nodded along as they pushed trough the growing crowds. The place full of life as it was near midday and people hurried home to eat, so it was hard to see anything beyond the nearest 3 or 4 people.  But still, Zoey turned around one last time before being fully out of the subway.

 Eyes now golden started at her, but they didn't seem to register her or anything at all, the demon standing out like a sore thumb amidst the crowds as his view fogged into the distance.

And for a moment, Zoey felt guilt.

 Back at the penthouse, Zoey threw herself into the couch. Patting her tummy with a content sigh. Rumi had cooked a full meal for the four of them, and she devoured it all mercilessly. 

 She tried to ignore it, to focus on her boyfriend, but Mystery's face kept flashing in the back of her mind.

 Some sort of anxiety started catching up to her, Shi-on didn't know about their job as hunters, he didn't know about demons.

 She thought this was all in the past.

 Yet, she not only had felt a disturbance in the Honmoon, and she not only saw a demon, but she saw the demon she had a crush on. 

 She swore she'd never see Mystery or any of the Saja Boys ever again. The fact she had smiled at him, even blushed made her feel dirty.

 She was in an amazing relationship with her dream man: Shi-on was the sweetest, he always listened to everything she said, he remembered every detail and always surprised her with her favorite things; He was always there for her and would do anything to get her to smile; He genuinely cared and loved her; He became good friends with the girls and Bobby, and even Celine respected and approved of him; Her own parents did too.

 Yet, she found her self feeling something else when she looked at her old nemesis.

 She felt anger and rage crawling up to her, her eyes tearing up slightly, directed at herself.

 Zoey hated, loathed cheating, she'd never do it, she never even considered the idea of feeling anything towards another man while locked in with someone else. The simple thought of it made her feel uneasy, like she was about to puke.

 "He's a demon! He tried to kill you, he tried to kill the entire population of Seoul! He probably can't even feel love, and even if he did, he'd get quickly tired of you like all your exes! He's just a pretty face you had a crush on five years ago! Why are you even thinking about it???"

 She laid slipping further down into the couch, in a fetal position, trying to rationalize it all, the sequence of thoughts running through her mind.

 "Wait that's not even the point! The Honmoon is opening again! I must tell the girls and Celine that there is a demon in the human world! We might have to start hunting demons again!" 

 She started to feel tears tickle as they trailed down her cheeks and pooled on her hair where it met the couch, the wet feeling bothering her.

 The thought of having to start hunting demons again left her upset. She was still an Idol, Huntrix was still as popular as ever, but she enjoyed the calm of actually having her free time to herself, instead of running around with blades and worrying about the safety of people, and about her own life or if she'd eventually fail, she didn't want to feel again the fear of being the reason someone lost their life. 

  - Zoey, is something wrong? You've been weird ever since you got back. - Mira approached, noticing how Zoey had isolated herself there instead of helping them wash and dry the dishes like she usually did. Rumi and Shi-on were still doing it, but they kept turning back occasionally to glance at her. 

 - I- I'm fine, it's just, you know haha, sudden sadness! - Zoey tried to laugh it away again.

 - No, you're not fine. - Mira bit back, she crossed her arms, but her eyes softened once Zoey looked up with a pained look. - Zo... You know you can tell us anything, what is wrong?

Zoey sat up slowly, drying her tears with her sleeves. When her guilty eyes looked over the counter, she saw her boyfriend walking towards her, and her chest clenched all over again.

 The three of them sat by Zoey's side. Shi-on wrapped an arm around her, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her right shoulder. Rumi sat at that side, holding her hand gently and Mira sat by Rumi's side, reaching to press an reassuring hand around that same wrist. 

 Zoey stayed silent for a little while, breathing in and out, basking in the warmth of their touches, of their love. She smiled gently as she looked up at them. They were her family, their safe place. This was her life now, she had nothing to hide, and no reason to fear.

 - Jagiya, could you please leave for a while? I- It's girl's talk. - She finally said once she mustered enough courage, almost a whisper, Looking at him as sweetly as she could and putting emphasis in the endearment term. 

 - Huh!?- Rumi jolted her face up and Mira glared at him, both assuming he was the reason she was crying.

 - I- I didn't do anything! - Shi-on lifted both arms defensively and it got a giggle from Zoey. 

 - He's innocent! I promise! - Zoey laughed, the first genuine smile ever since they arrived there. The girls quickly calmed down, and all of them smiled in relief. - Please? - She looked back at him.

 - Alright, love.- He left a small kiss on the left side of her forehead and got up, walking towards the door,

 Once he was gone, her smile fell off again.

 -Zoey, what do you mean, girl's talk? Are you pregnant!?- Mira almost screamed, and Rumi's face twisted in both shock and horror at the thought.

 -No!!! - Zoey grimaced. - It's.... It's hunter girl's talk.

 Mira and Rumi looked at each other. Surely, they had felt the disturbance too, but neither commented on it. Both believing it was just a misunderstanding of their senses.  Mira got up and sat by her other side, both girls held Zoey's arms tightly. When Zoey felt like her mind was coherent enough, she blurted out:

 - I saw a demon at the subway.