Chapter Text
“Jinu?!”
Rumi was running down the halls backstage, and she had no one. Mira and Zoey have seen what she really was; a half-demon, with the same patterns as them. A mistake.
“Jinu, where are you?!”
She stops when she sees a familiar figure down the hall. It was Jinu, but demons who looked like Mira and Zoey were standing on each side of Jinu, his patterns were out, and he was in his demon form, and he wore a cold expression. “Say you didn’t do this…” Rumi was panting as she approached Jinu with frustration. Jinu brought his hand up and snapped his fingers; those demons behind him transformed back to their demon forms and turned into pink smoke as they disappeared.
“How could you do this?!” She brought her hands up and angrily pushed the taller man back, which only made him take a step back, unfazed by her action. “It was all a lie.” His tone was distant and bland. “It was real! What we had was real! I know it was!” She tried to convince Jinu, but at the same time, she was trying to convince herself.
How could Jinu do this? She felt her heart tug at her chest, and it hurt. First was Mira and Zoey finding out who she is, and now this? It felt like someone was crushing her, almost as if she was struggling to breathe.
“The things I said? I just needed you to trust me. That’s all.”
Jinu turned his heel, as he slowly began to walk away, but Jinu was desperate, “No… No!” She grabs Jinu’s arm, which makes him stop in his tracks, but he doesn't turn around to face Rumi. “I know your story. You were a good person, and you still are.” Rumi lets go of Jinu’s arm as she takes a step forward, “You just made a mistake.”
What Rumi said was like a trigger for Jinu, breaking his distant demeanor, “I left them!”
As he turned around, in a split second, his eyes turned into his demon eyes but returned to normal. “That’s right. I lied to you.” He took a step forward, making Rumi take a step back. “I only made a deal with Gwi-Ma to get myself out of that miserable life!”
A memory from 400 years ago flickers back to the same day Jinu left his mother and sister. “I left them alone..!” Another memory flickers of three men laughing, Jinu laughing with them, but as soon as he sees his reflection, his smile slightly fades, showing guilt. “While I slept on silk sheets in the palace with my belly full every night!”
Time went back to the present with a broken Jinu, half of the patterns on his face glowing. His eyes slowly formed tears, but he held them back.
“I left them. I left them.” Jinu’s voice slightly broke as he repeated what he said, like he was trying to get the message to Rumi, or that he was trying to remind himself of his mistake, not letting himself forget. “But that’s not all you are…” Rumi shakes her head, “That’s just your demon talking… You have to fight it!”
“That’s not how it works!” Jinu’s demonic voice came out,
“Yes, it is!” Rumi’s demonic voice came out, too, sending a ripple of waves that made the Honmoon barrier shake. Her eyes widened in shock when she heard herself… What was she becoming? Her breathing was labored as she slightly dropped her arm down to her side. “ Listen to yourself… You’re a demon, just like me. All we get to do is live with our pain, our misery– That’s all we deserve.”
Rumi stood there, Jinu’s words echoing in her head. She tried to block off her thoughts, but couldn’;, she was too mentally tired for this; everything was going all wrong, and it's all because of her patterns. Because she wasn’t doing enough. But then she took a deep breath, gathering all that was left of her mental strength to try and convince Jinu one more time.
Just as Jinu was about to leave, Rumi spoke up, “And so what if that’s what we deserve…?” She tightened her fists, trying to find the words in her head, “Pain… Misery… That’s only temporary.” Jinu and Rumi locked eyes. She looked determined, meanwhile Jinu looked doubtful. “What matters? Is that.. We forgive ourselves… No matter the mistake.” She takes a deep breath, “Because reminding yourself of your mistakes will only get you so far.”
Jinu was taken aback by what Rumi said, and only stared at her, his demon eyes fully glowing as they locked eyes. he sighed, “...And if Gwi-Ma wins, what then?” Rumi grew hopeful by what Jinu said, “He won’t. Because we’ll be there to take him down.” She takes a step forward, hoping Jinu will join and help her defeat Gwi-Ma and his demons.
Jinu looked down at Rumi, his eyes slightly softened briefly before returning to a doubtful look. “I’ll… try. But I can’t guarantee that we’ll win against him.” That made Rumi smile with so much hope, her eyes slightly sparkled. She finally let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Thank you.”
Jinu turned his back on her. “Don’t thank me yet. We haven’t won.” Pink smoke was emitted from Jinu before he disappeared. Immediately, Rumi ran out of the arena to go and find Mira and Zoey. She checked everywhere, but they weren’t present unless… Gwi-Ma already took them.
“No, they’re fine…” She reassures herself, she shakes her head, trying to make the bad thoughts go away. Before Rumi went out to find Mira and Zoey, she teleported herself to a familiar garden. She looked down to see a woman with long hair under the tree trunk.
Celine. The woman who raised her.