Chapter Text
Wandering the demon world was always tedious – but it was especially tedious when you were trying to find literally anything or anyone.
Time wasn’t really working down there… and it was nearly impossible to navigate. There were areas that were easier to navigate than others, sure, but the wastelands… Well, the wastelands were nothing but a nightmare.
Jinu sighed.
He needed to get his plan in motion soon. Gwi-Ma was getting weaker with every day that passed, every week, every month. He couldn’t take much longer, or the demon king’s mood would switch from agreeing to anything in desperation, to going on a killing spree in bling rage…. or worse.
But… at least he was making progress.
Only one week ago had he managed to find two demons that were perfect for his plan. He’d heard someone singing and had followed the sound, only to find a demon he had met several times before. Jinu had never known him closer, they just… occasionally ran into each other by coincidence. For all they knew, the demon world was pretty much endless, but… it felt oddly small at times.
He had never seen the second demon before – tall and well-built – but the two of them had seemed weirdly close. Quickly, he’d learned that they’d stayed together for decades already.
He knew at least the older one of them could sing, and everything else was unimportant. Everything else could be figured out as they went.
And the two of them had agreed easily enough...
They couldn’t stand up to Huntrix with just the three of them, though.
They needed more. Maybe if Huntrix was less popular, he’d stand a chance with only two other demons involved. But as it was, he would need more.
More voices, more back-up; more power.
Finding anything or anyone in the demon world was tedious already – finding anything or anyone without even knowing what or who was close to impossible.
Jinu didn’t know for how long he was walking along the barren mountain range marking the borders of the deserted wasteland surrounding Gwi-Ma’s altar, before he spotted another saja. He’d mostly come across dokkaebi and water demons so far, but he had no use for them. They would follow his every command if Gwi-Ma agreed to his plan, but… they were horrible at pretending to be human.
For his plan, they had to pass as human.
He needed sajas – even from different eras, they at least knew how to act human.
They used to be human.
And that saja he’d spotted… He knew him.
Well, not personally. Not yet.
He’d seen him twice, centuries ago… from a distance. It was hard to forget him, though.
Approaching the other demon, Jinu did his best to not appear threatening or confrontative. He didn’t need any hostility here.
Soon enough, the other saja noticed him and turned to face him, briefly glancing back at the cave he was sitting in front of. Instantly, Jinu felt the effect of the other’s eyes meeting his – he was old. Jinu knew that instinctively, despite that saja’s youthful appearance.
His hair was silvery white like a full moon in winter, and long; strands of it fell over his face. Still, Jinu could see his bright, golden eyes looking right at him.
“Hello,” he said lightly, putting on his friendliest tone.
The older saja looked at him in silence, not greeting him back, but there was no hostility in his expression or aura.
Not expecting an answer anyway, Jinu sat down near him without asking. Still no sign of displeasure or protest.
“I will get straight to the point,” he said with a smile. “I have a plan to destroy the Honmoon, and I want to ask for your help.”
The other’s eyes narrowed a little at that and his head tilted to the side just slightly – he seemed interested, even with his expression remaining blank otherwise.
“I don’t think we have met personally before,” he continued undeterredly, “I’m Jinu. What is your name?”
“He doesn’t remember,” another voice chimed in, smooth and deep.
Jinu looked up and behind the older saja in front of him, towards the cave – where another saja approached. The first thing he noticed was how young that one looked.
And as a demon, he didn’t feel old either.
He had shorter, ashen grey hair tinged with a muted blueish green that fell into his forehead to his eyebrows – which were pulled together in a mild frown.
“I named him Mystery,” the younger demon added, and sitting down next to the silver-haired demon, he eyed Jinu – as if thoroughly assessing him.
“Mystery?”
Really?
Jinu couldn’t hide the genuinely amused smile tugging at his lips at that.
“Well, it fits,” the younger demon said with a shrug. “I can’t figure out anything about him. And I had to call him something.”
His eyes narrowed, slitted pupils contracting more. Slowly, he leaned against the other’s – Mystery’s – shoulder. Like he was stating a claim.
“What’s your plan? What do you want from him?”
Jinu caught himself clenching his jaw and forced his muscles to relax again.
The way the younger demon leaned on the other seemed familiar. They seemed to know each other for a while already. Years, at least.
Jinu found himself wondering if… Mystery would tolerate a demon this much younger than himself to lean against him almost possessively, and speak for him if he was any less… apathetic than he seemed at the moment.
Even he felt agitated by the audacity of this young demon, no matter how close those two seemed to be. And the disrespect wasn’t even directed at him.
Catching himself and calling his lighthearted, friendly tone back to him, he explained,
“It’s pointless to attack the Hunters directly, so I want to go after the fans instead. Their souls power the Honmoon – if they lose interest in Huntrix, turn against them… the Honmoon will collapse into itself.”
Both demons stared at him for a moment, thinking about his words.
“I heard you sing once, shortly after I ended up here,” Jinu continued, looking at Mystery.
“I saw what you can do to anyone who listens.”
Almost 400 years ago, Jinu had come across two sajas singing to other demons – while the second demon had seemed to breathe life into everyone around him, Mystery had had an almost hypnotic effect on them. Jinu hadn’t been able to forget the sound of the silver-haired saja’s voice for decades after. It was nothing but mesmerizing. Downright divine; angelic.
Ironic, for a demon.
If Jinu could just get him to join…
“So, your plan is to form… what, a band? To rival the Hunters? You really think that could work?” the younger demon asked then, leaning forward a little, and Jinu looked at him again.
Despite the question, his face was a mask of indifference, an unreadable look in his eyes.
“I wouldn’t ask for help to go through with it if I didn’t,” he retorted with a smile, and the other’s brows twitched.
Interesting.
Most demons fell for his smile in an instant.
This one seemed more… annoyed with it.
“Do you remember your name?” Jinu asked to distract from the moment of tension, unwilling to risk it to grow into hostility.
“Yes,” the younger demon said, not breaking eye contact. “It’s none of your business, though.”
Jinu just barely managed to suppress the growl he felt rising in his throat. That little brat was straight up challenging him, openly and blatantly.
No hostility. He needed Mystery.
For the first time, Mystery moved – he put a hand on the other’s arm, as if telling him to hold back and be nice.
Jinu watched as the younger demon glanced at Mystery and immediately relaxed, leaning back against Mystery’s shoulder then.
“I will join you,” Mystery then said, softly. His voice was as melodic as Jinu remembered, even when he was just talking. “But only if he comes, too.”
It took all of Jinu’s self-control to not sigh in annoyance.
Mystery wanted to take that brat along? Seriously?
“Don’t look so thrilled,” the younger demon immediately commented.
He’d really let slip how much that thought displeased him.
“I might actually be useful to you and your plan, believe it or not.”
“Can you sing?” Jinu asked automatically, and the younger one shrugged.
“Yes. But that’s not what I meant.”
How else would that demon be useful to him?
“I’m actually from this century.”
Jinu’s breath hitched at that.
Impossible.
Even the youngest demons he knew were a few decades old already. He’d already stressed about how to navigate in the modern era after only catching occasional glimpses of it through the Honmoon.
“When did you die?”
“Just a few years ago.”
Mystery nodded slightly and muttered,
“Six.”
It was impossible to keep track of time that precise in the demon world.
“I was born after 2000,” the younger demon said. “You’re gonna need me if you want to find your way around up there. Even in only the last few decades, the world changed a lot. I doubt you’ll find anybody else around here who actually knows the 21st century.”
His tone was a little too certain for Jinu’s liking, but…
He doubted that, too.
“Alright,” he agreed.
He didn’t like that young demon, but… he wasn’t stupid. No way he’d find any other demon from this century, especially one that was also willing to join him.
“You’re both in, then.”
“How gracious,” the younger demon said sarcastically, still looking at him indifferently.
A mild scowl tugged at Jinu’s features, and he took his time to really look at the other now. He hadn’t bothered giving him much attention before, since his intention had been to get the silver-haired demon with the divine voice to join him.
But now that the younger demon – a demon for only six years, perhaps the youngest demon he’d ever met – would be joining too… and since he was nothing short of Jinu’s wildcard in the modern world… maybe he was worth a closer look.
He seemed to be a little shorter than Mystery where they sat next to each other, with a lean build – Jinu could tell that much even with the silken black hanbok covering and semi-successfully hiding the other demon’s frame.
In a fight, he could most definitely easily overpower the younger demon.
But his closeness with Mystery… was concerning.
Jinu had heard stories about the silver-haired saja. Rumors. He didn’t know a demon alive that would willingly pick a fight with that saja. And he didn’t know a demon that survived a fight with that saja.
If Mystery didn’t only tolerate the younger demon, but… like him, Jinu would be stupid to oppose him. No matter how much he opposed him.
And then, he saw it.
The glint in the younger demon’s eyes.
It made Jinu’s throat tighten as it dawned on him.
Of course.
There was a glint of darkness in the younger one’s eyes; a glint like moonlight reflecting off a knife pulled out from under a cloak. It shone through the mask of indifference, and even though his expression didn’t change the slightest, Jinu noticed the look in his eyes changing.
He had noticed that Jinu had noticed.
He was opposing Jinu on purpose.
This young demon didn’t simply have no ounce of respect in his body – he intentionally held eye contact, spoke when he wasn’t addressed by his elder, made those small remarks… All just to provoke.
Jinu wasn’t sure if the younger demon was looking for a challenge in provoking a demon older and therefore more powerful than him, if he was just pushing limits for the thrill of it, or if he wanted to get Jinu in trouble with Mystery if Jinu decided to put him in his place.
Either way… he needed to tread carefully.
The younger demon’s mouth twitched, then pulled into a smirk. Sharp as the edge of a blade.
He knew that Jinu had realized he was playing him.
“So, Mys,” he said then, not taking his eyes off Jinu’s. “We’re in, hm?”
Mystery nodded.
“How many are we?” he asked quietly, his gaze resting on Jinu as well.
“With you two? Five,” he answered immediately. “That’s enough.”
Jinu didn’t know if he felt comfortable or uncomfortable under their gazes.
Tendency: uncomfortable.
Mystery’s eyes were gentle, warm. Unusually so for one of their kind. A mild curiosity was directed at him, but under that Jinu could see… sadness. Pain. And something else… Something lost.
The gentleness didn’t seem like a cover or mask, though, it seemed more like… it was all that was left.
Thinking of the stories he’d heard about the silver-haired saja especially in the past two centuries, that gentleness was unexpected to say the least. Jinu had expected something akin to a beast, something cruel and ruthless. Not this.
The younger saja’s eyes were a stark contrast to Mystery’s.
Now that he let the mask of indifference slip – now that he had him figured out – Jinu was reminded to not judge people by their appearance.
The demon – the boy – in front of him looked so young, no older than a teenager. He looked downright adorable, too, with soft cheeks and big eyes… But the look in those eyes had changed from indifferent to sharp, cold. Calculating.
Dangerous.
Every instinct Jinu had screamed at him to back off, get out of there.
He was face to face with a predator.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
But he needed them. Both of them. Mystery’s voice and ability to mesmerize, and the other demon’s knowledge about the modern world.
Jinu really just hoped that the seemingly cruel nature of the young demon could be balanced out by them – the other four.
At least three of them seemed kind and stable enough to keep that one in check… Jinu didn’t have much hope for himself, though.
This kid seemed to have targeted him with how he’d played him within mere minutes. The way he’d just stared at him in blatant provocation – deliberately poking at his naturally predatory demonic instincts; straight eye contact meant and caused aggression.
“How did you two meet?” he asked conversationally, catching the darkening of the young demon’s gaze. Quickly and as calmly as possible, he added,
“I want to know who I’m working with.”
The younger demon shrugged.
“Mys just stood in front of me when I woke up here. And stuck around ever since. Can’t seem to get rid of him.”
His tone was dry and almost flippant, but the look and nudge he gave the older demon spoke of affection.
Jinu nodded a little.
So, it was similar to the other two demons he’d found and gotten to join him. They’d also told him that they’d met and stayed together ever since.
He was aware, that was fairly normal for their kind. They almost always moved in pairs or small groups, wary of outsiders but loyal to death to their… pack.
Somehow, in his 400 years as a demon, Jinu had never felt that kind of attachment to anybody. He genuinely didn’t expect to ever feel it. And he was completely fine with that.
But apparently, Mystery felt that kind of attachment – meaning, he had to be more than careful around the younger saja.
If the rumors about Mystery held just a fragment of truth, Jinu wouldn’t survive touching anything the older demon considered his.
“Alright,” the younger demon said with a grin, then, clapping his hands – and both Jinu and Mystery winced lightly at the sudden noise. “Let’s get going then.”
“You don’t even want to know what’s in it for you?” Jinu asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Every saja wished to either lose their memories, or to get them back. Jinu was going to promise all of them exactly that – that Gwi-Ma would erase or bring back their memories, whatever they wanted.
Gwi-Ma would be desperate enough to grant that. Once he was free, he wouldn’t rely on the control he had over five of his demons. To Gwi-Ma, it wouldn’t matter.
But to them it did.
“What’s in it for me,” the younger demon started, getting up from the floor and stretching, “is getting out of this place, at least for a while. I’m bored. Fucking with the Hunters sounds fun enough.”
Even Mystery raised a brow at that before glancing at Jinu again. Quietly, he got up as well, offering Jinu a hand.
For a split second, Jinu hesitated. Then, he took the older saja’s hand and let him pull him to his feet.
They should go meet the other two he’d found for his idea, and start actually planning. Since they lived in a relatively safe part of the demon world, they had agreed that Jinu could come back to them with whoever else he found.
It was strangely nice of them, to allow other demons – strangers – into their space like that.
Jinu could feel the younger demon’s gaze burning into his back as he walked ahead to lead them, and his body tensed automatically.
Danger.
Predator.
He really hoped he wouldn’t regret this…