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Mira woke up covered in sweat.
She'd just had the strangest dream. And unlike most dreams, she remembered it with perfect clarity.
In the dream, it was already tonight. Already the Idol Awards. The Saja Boys got in a fight, so Huntr/x went on first and performed Golden. And it went off without a hitch. They nailed it.
They'd won. Turned the Honmoon Golden. Finally. Zoey hugged Mira so tight that she thought she was going to explode. Rumi stood on the stage behind them, cheering and screaming in delight.
But then Mira and Zoey had turned to hug Rumi. To congratulate her. Thank her. Tell her she’d been right.
And Rumi was gone.
Mira rolled over and found Zoey still peacefully sleeping next to her. She briefly considered waking her girlfriend to tell her about the dream, but decided against it. It was just nerves, that was all. No reason to let her bad night ruin Zoey’s rest too.
She rested her chin against Zoey’s shoulder for a few moments before she gave up on going back to sleep. It wouldn’t be any use, anyway. Her heart was still going way too fast from the dream. She swung her legs over the side of the bed with a sigh, leaving Zoey curled up with her turtle plushie. She stepped into the hallway and passed Rumi’s door just in time to hear her alarm go off.
Rumi always used a weird rotation of old American songs for her alarms - the kind of music she’d never normally listen to. She had a whole playlist set up so that her phone would select a random one each day. Mira had asked her about it once, and she’d explained that she didn’t want the shock of waking up to give her a bad association with something she actually liked. So she picked this weird stuff that had already been old even in Celine’s day. The notes drifted under Rumi’s door, following Mira down the hall.
“Don’t go ‘round tonight
Well, it’s bound to take your life
There’s a bad moon -”
The music cut off abruptly.
Well, Mira thought. Rumi’s up.
Mira reached the kitchen and filled the coffee maker. Her English vocabulary came from the classical education her parents had insisted on. Korean, Chinese, Latin, English - the formal kind taught in classrooms, not the slang found in music.
Still, she got the gist. Not exactly an uplifting song to start the day with. A bad moon rising felt just a little too real when most days included encounters with the supernatural.
She filled the tea kettle for Rumi and flicked on the stove. Zoey probably wouldn’t be up for a while still, so Mira decided to wait to make her girlfriend a cup of coffee à la Zoey - coffee with eighteen packets of sugar.
Once Mira’s coffee was ready, she filled a mug and sat down at the table. Rumi appeared a few minutes later wearing a turtleneck and hoodie.
“Morning,” Rumi said. “Ready for tonight?”
“Mmph,” Mira replied. “Your tea’s almost ready.”
“Thank you,” Rumi said. “What’s wrong?”
“Just nerves,” Mira shrugged. “Weird dreams about tonight.”
The tea kettle offered the first hint of a whistle, and Rumi turned off the stove. She dropped two tea bags into a mug and poured hot water over them, then joined Mira at the table.
“It’s been a while since you got nervous for a show.”
“Yeah,” Mira said. “This is a big deal though. After we seal the Honmoon…we can do anything we want with the rest of our lives.”
Rumi smiled. “You and Zoey, you mean. It’s been a few years. Are you…thinking of taking the next step?”
“Maybe,” Mira admitted. “We haven’t really talked about it yet. Things have been so busy. But…I’d like to.”
Mira sipped her coffee. “Don’t worry though, we’re not going anywhere. It’ll still be us. Still Huntr/x. We’d never leave you.”
She gave Rumi a teasing grin. “Otherwise, how are we going to get you to that bathhouse?”
Rumi reached across the table. She rested a hand on Mira’s, and Mira’s heart jumped. It did that every time Rumi touched her. It had for years now, ever since Mira and Zoey admitted to each other that they wanted Rumi to be their third. But Rumi had never shown any interest. She was too busy, too closed off. Too laser-focused on sealing the Honmoon.
“I’m happy for you two,” Rumi said. “And don’t worry, I’m a little nervous about tonight too.”
Mira raised an eyebrow. “You?”
“Yeah,” Rumi shrugged. “My voice is feeling really good, but it’s still my first performance since… you know.”
Mira knew. The first time they tried to perform Golden. When Rumi’s voice broke and she ran from the arena.
“You’ve got this,” Mira said. “I know you do.”
The rest of the morning was easy. Slow mornings the day of performances were a Huntr/x ritual. A little something to help preserve their energy for late-night performances. Zoey stumbled out of bed sometime around nine, and Mira had her coffee - with all eighteen sugar packets - ready.
They parted ways around ten for showers, then left for the venue an hour later. The afternoon was filled with last-minute rehearsals - three times through the vocals, and three more through the choreography. After a quick lunch break, they ran through it all together twice, and then Bobby came to get them for wardrobe, hair, and makeup.
By the time the MC announced the start of the Idol Awards, Mira was exhausted. The Saja Boys were set to perform first, then Huntr/x, followed by Hypur and TWICE. Mira was glad they were second on the set list this year. It would be nice to get it over with and enjoy the rest of the night.
The MC was scheduled to talk for a while, so Huntr/x headed back to the dressing room and nearly ran into the Saja Boys. The demons looked so cocky, the way men always did when no one was around to keep their egos in check. And fans had been fanning the Saja Boys’ egos for weeks. Especially Jinu. He smirked at Rumi, like she’d want anything to do with him.
“Ugh, look at that smug face,” Mira said. “I’m gonna freaking smash it.”
“Save it for the stage,” Rumi said.
Fair enough, Mira thought. If they did their jobs right tonight, there would be no need for smashing faces. They’d seal the Honmoon, and it would be over. The Saja Boys would lose.
No one knew quite how the golden Honmoon was supposed to work. Whether it would just be an impenetrable barrier or automatically banish all demons from the world. But even if it left the Saja Boys on this side, it wouldn’t take long to get rid of them. Once the Honmoon was sealed, this war would be all but over.
They’d only been in the dressing room a few minutes when Bobby burst in.
“Girls!” Bobby cried. “The Saja Boys are fighting! That means you’re on now!”
“Okay,” Rumi said. “This is it. For the fans.”
“For the world,” Zoey said.
“For us,” said Mira.
They rushed to the stage, waited for the lights to dim, and lined up in position. The first notes of Golden trickled from the speakers, and the lights flashed on. Mira didn’t think, she just moved. She knew this choreography. Knew these words. Knew it in her bones.
By the time Rumi stepped into the floating loop, Mira knew they were going to nail it. Earlier versions of the choreography had her and Zoey leaving the stage at this point, but they’d changed it just in case staying in view did anything extra to buoy fans’ spirits.
Rumi twirled over the crowd, and Mira stared in awe. Rumi looked absolutely ethereal up there, singing and spinning and reaching for hands. Golden flashes rippled across the Honmoon.
“She’s crushing it!” Zoey beamed.
Mira nodded. “She’s amazing.”
This kind of thing - this sight - wasn’t the kind of thing that had made Mira and Zoey fall for Rumi all those years ago. That was reserved for quiet evenings at home, huddled together on the couch. But seeing Rumi up there reminded Mira why she and Zoey had questioned everything, why they’d decided to take the risk, why they’d spent all this time chasing her. Out there in her element, she was breathtaking.
Rumi landed and all three danced together again, their voices climbing higher and higher. The golden flashes rippling through the Honmoon grew faster and more frequent. And when they hit the final pose, the crowd erupted in a raucous chorus of cheers.
The Honmoon gleamed even brighter than the stage lights. Gold. Real gold. Not just flashes. Strong, solid gold.
Zoey jumped into Mira's arms, and Mira squeezed her tight. Somewhere in the background, she could hear Rumi whooping and cheering, just like in her dream.
Rumi.
The dream.
Mira let go of Zoey and whirled, searching for Rumi.
She found Rumi quickly, but something was wrong. She was still cheering, but she wore a mask of terror.
No, not cheering, Mira realized. Screaming.
Then Mira saw why. Rumi was sinking.
Mira lunged for Rumi, grabbing her by the wrist. But the stage was already pulling at Rumi with impossible force, sucking her legs, then hips, then chest below the surface. No matter how hard Mira pulled back, she couldn't slow Rumi's descent.
No. Not the stage.
The Honmoon.
The golden Honmoon.
“What's happening?” Mira cried.
Zoey was suddenly at Mira’s side, pulling on Rumi's other sleeve. It was no use, though. Rumi kept sinking. Her eyes filled with tears.
“I'm sorry!” Rumi shrieked. Then her head slipped beneath the stage, leaving Mira and Zoey pulling frantically at the last few inches of her wrists.
“What do we do?” Zoey wailed.
“I don’t know!”
The fans were still cheering too loud for anyone to hear Mira and Zoey, but they screamed for help anyway.
Because the golden Honmoon was pulling Rumi - their Rumi - straight down to hell.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
“Rumi!” Her voice came out ragged, desperate. Loud enough to wake even Zoey.
“Mira?” Zoey said, still groggy. “What’s -”
“Rumi’s in trouble,” Mira said. She kicked the blankets off her ankles and ran into the hall, covering the distance to Rumi’s door in only a few steps.
“Rumi!” Mira burst through the door without bothering to knock.
Rumi sat up in bed, startled. She was on her feet in an instant, Saingeom in hand. “Mira? What is it? Demons?”
Mira stopped short, staring at the girl in front of her.
“R-Rumi,” she stammered. “You’re…here.”
“Um,” Rumi said. “Yeah. It’s my room.”
Zoey screeched to a halt by Mira’s side. “Mira? What’s wrong?”
“Rumi was in danger,” Mira said. “The Honmoon, it was hurting her.”
She turned to Zoey. “You mean you don’t remember? You were right there. We were trying to save her, but we weren’t strong enough, and it took her -”
Zoey placed a gentle hand on Mira’s arm. “Okay, slow down. Rumi’s right here.”
“No, she was -” Mira’s voice cracked. Tears welled in her eyes. “It was - last night, the Idol Awards! We were all there!”
“Mira,” Rumi said gently. “The Idol Awards are tonight.”
Mira glanced back and forth between them. “They…no, they can’t be tonight. We were already there yesterday. We did it, we sealed the Honmoon. But then it all went wrong. The Saja Boys, they must have sabotaged it or something, turned it against us, and -”
Zoey wrapped Mira in a tight hug.
“Baby,” Zoey whispered. “Deep breath for me.”
Mira obeyed, drawing air into her lungs.
“Out,” Zoey said softly.
Mira blew the air out.
“I know you’re scared,” Zoey said. “But we’re all right here. We’re all safe. It’s okay now.”
“It was real,” Mira whispered, trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
“I think it was a really horrible dream,” Zoey said gently. “I know you don’t get those a lot. But I do. I know how real they can feel. You were in bed with me all night, though.”
Rumi let her Saingeom slip back into the Honmoon. “I’m okay, Mira. I’m right here. Promise.”
Mira let the words sink in. Slowly, she allowed herself to relax against Zoey.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It just felt so real, and I was so afraid I was never going to see you again.”
“It’s okay,” Rumi said.
“Yeah,” Zoey added. “It’s been a really tough few weeks. It’s fair to have nightmares.”
Rumi’s phone lit up then, her morning alarm blaring through the speakers.
“I see the bad moon risin’
I see trouble on the way -”
Rumi flicked it off. “Well, it’s time to get the day started anyway. We have a lot to do. Meet in the kitchen for breakfast in ten?”
Mira nodded and allowed Zoey to lead her back to their room. She slipped into a new shirt - one that wasn’t soaked in sweat - and then followed Zoey to the kitchen. Rumi was already there, boiling water for her tea and starting coffee for Mira and Zoey.
“Hey there,” Rumi said with a gentle smile. “Coffee should be ready soon.”
“Thanks!” Zoey said, climbing on the counter to get the sugar.
“Yeah, thank you,” Mira murmured. She settled into a seat at the table.
“Feeling any better, Mira?” Rumi asked. “You seemed pretty shaken up earlier.”
“Yeah,” Mira forced a smile. “Sorry. Just a weird night. I’m okay now.”
Except she wasn’t. She sat quietly at the table and sipped her coffee while Zoey and Rumi chatted. She showered, took the car to the Idol Awards, and ran through rehearsals. She smiled and nodded through wardrobe, hair, and makeup.
But the whole time, things felt off. It was all too familiar, too much like her dream. Bits and pieces were different of course, but for the most part, the day was predictable.
Of course it’s predictable, Mira told herself. We’ve done this a million times. A million rehearsals. A million times in the makeup chair. A million shows.
By the time the MC was introducing the Idol Awards, Mira had managed to calm herself down. The day had been unsettling, sure, but she was a professional. She had a job to do. And weird dreams or no, tonight they were going to seal the Honmoon. End this thing. And get rid of those stupid Saja Boys.
As if summoned by Mira’s thoughts, the Saja Boys rounded a corner in front of her. They were headed the opposite direction - away from the dressing rooms - and the timing worked out just wrong so that their shoulders nearly brushed with the girls’.
“Ugh, look at that smug face,” Mira found herself saying. “I’m gonna freaking smash it.”
“Save it for -”
“Yeah I know, the stage,” Mira snapped.
Rumi and Zoey stopped, blinking at her.
“Sorry, Rumi.” Mira shook her head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
She sighed. “I think I’ll just be glad when this is all over.”
They’d barely even set foot in the dressing room when Bobby appeared in the doorway.
“Girls! The Saja Boys are fighting! That means you’re on now!”
The girls exchanged a look, and Rumi put her arms around their shoulders. “Okay. This is it. For the fans.”
“For the world,” Zoey agreed.
Mira just nodded, suddenly feeling sick.
Zoey and Bobby ran down the hallway, whooping and yelling something about corndogs. Mira followed, but her feet felt heavy, like they were made of lead.
A gentle hand squeezed her shoulder.
“Hey,” Rumi said. “We got this.”
“Yeah,” Mira nodded. “Thanks.” She followed Rumi through the twists and turns backstage. The stage lights switched off, and the girls lined up. Mira closed her eyes, bracing for the bright spotlight just a moment before it came on.
“I was a ghost, I was alone,” Rumi began.
Mira let the music take her. She let it move her tired limbs, let the words spill from her lips. This was their song. Their moment. And it was meant to be.
When Rumi stepped into the floating loop and took off over the crowd, the Honmoon flashed golden. Something about the sight made Mira’s stomach drop.
“Wow!” Zoey exclaimed. “She’s -”
“Crushing it,” Mira agreed.
Rumi landed, and the gold flashes came faster and faster. They finished out the final few bars, and the crowd erupted in cheers. The Honmoon flashed one last time, then gleamed solid gold.
Zoey threw herself forward, and Mira caught her with practiced ease. But she didn’t hear Zoey’s excited voice in her ear. She was already turning, looking for Rumi.
And Rumi was already sinking.
“Zoey!” Mira set her girlfriend down. “It’s happening.”
Rumi was only up to her ankles by the time Mira reached her. She was trying to step out of the Honmoon, but every movement pulled her in deeper.
Mira grabbed both of Rumi’s hands and pulled hard. Rumi stared at her, eyes wide.
“You were right,” Rumi gasped. “The Honmoon, it wasn’t supposed to -”
“No time,” Mira said. She glanced over her shoulder. “Zoey! The loop!”
Zoey understood immediately. She ran at a set piece and launched herself off of it, then grabbed the loop from its position over the stage. She landed gracefully by Mira’s side, and together they wrapped Rumi’s arms over the loop.
Rumi had sunk almost to her waist.
“Mira, Zoey,” she said. “I’m so sorry, I should have told you -”
“Stop apologizing,” Mira said sharply. “We’ll get you out of this.”
She glanced around frantically, then spotted a member of the rigging crew in the left wing. She sprinted to the man, shouting over the cheers of the crowd.
“You! We need her to fly now!”
“We aren’t set for -” the man protested.
“Now!” Mira roared.
The man nodded and turned to a nearby panel. The rope tightened and the loop strained to pull Rumi up. Mira sprinted back to Zoey’s side.
“Keep pulling,” Mira commanded. She and Zoey wrapped their arms around Rumi, just below where the loop sat on her body.
“Hang on, Rumi!” Zoey cried.
“Trying,” Rumi grunted.
Mira pulled. Zoey pulled. The loop pulled. The crowd finally fell silent, apparently noticing the activity on stage.
Rumi’s descent slowed, then stopped.
Somewhere overhead, the rigging groaned. Rumi groaned with it, and Mira saw a thick line of blood trickling from her armpits.
“It’s hurting her,” Zoey grunted.
“It’s fine,” Rumi said through gritted teeth. “I can handle it.”
The rigging groaned again, and Mira pulled harder.
Then the rope snapped.
The loop clattered to the stage, suddenly free from the tension. Rope whipped down hard, smacking Mira in the face. She blinked, momentarily stunned, but didn’t stop pulling.
Rumi resumed sinking, faster this time. Zoey shifted in front of her, pulling on her hands. Someone in the crowd screamed.
“Rumi!” Zoey cried. She looked around frantically. “Bobby? Someone! Help us!”
Rumi’s shoulders were only inches from the Honmoon’s surface now, and she wasn’t slowing down. Mira clenched her teeth, straining with everything she had. She heard a loud snap, followed by a sudden pain shooting down her left leg. She bit back a scream and shifted her weight to the right so she could keep pulling.
“Zoey,” Rumi said, her voice eerily calm. “Mira. We did it. We saved the world. And I just want you to know, before I go -”
“Stop!” Zoey sobbed. “Don’t say that, you aren’t going anywhere!”
“You two,” Rumi said. “You were the best part of my life.”
Mira’s hands bumped against the Honmoon. It felt hot, hostile, wrong. She tried to hold on, tried to follow Rumi’s shoulders beneath the stage, but her hands met solid wood. Rumi slipped from Mira’s grasp and sank to her chin.
“Don’t forget about me,” Rumi said.
Then her head slipped beneath the surface.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
She threw the blankets off and stumbled to the bathroom, gripping the edge of the sink.
Not a dream. Not a fucking dream.
And if it wasn’t a dream, neither was the night before. Or the night before that.
I’m losing my fucking mind.
She searched her mind for any possible explanation. If it wasn’t a dream, how did she keep waking up in her bed? And why, why was she being forced to relive the worst day of her life?
Three times. Mira had seen Rumi die - maybe worse - three times now.
She couldn’t get Rumi’s face out of her head. The utter terror at being dragged down to the demon realm. The acceptance when she realized that Mira and Zoey couldn’t save her. And the way she kept apologizing for the whole thing, like it was somehow her fault.
Mira stared into her own bloodshot eyes, searching for answers. Celine had made the girls memorize every known demon ability. Drilled them through everything that might happen on a hunt, over and over. None of it could explain this.
Wasn’t using music to weaken the Honmoon a new trick too, though? The demons were obviously adapting. Innovating. Had they somehow gotten into Mira’s head? Maybe she’d been captured, and this was some new form of torture to break her. Make her slowly go insane.
I need to test reality, Mira realized. If this was all in her head, something would be off. Just like in a dream.
She’d read once that you can’t see your reflection in dreams. Or that if you did, it would be distorted. But Mira’s reflection was perfectly intact. Two eyes. One mouth. Five fingers on each hand. And the distraught, messy-haired woman in the mirror moved when she did.
Mira screwed her eyes shut, willing herself to wake up. She squeezed her nails into her palms, hoping the pain would shock her back to the real world. But when she opened her eyes again, she was still in the bathroom.
She took a deep breath and summoned her Gok-Do. The other tests were too simple - too easy for the demons to replicate. But no one else had ever held her Gok-Do. No one else understood its weight or the way it felt in her hands.
The Gok-Do felt exactly the way it should. It was perfectly counterbalanced. Heavy in a way she’d grown accustomed to. Ans surprisingly warm to the touch.
Mira returned her Gok-Do to the Honmoon and leaned against the sink again. Whatever was happening to her, it was real.
Somehow, that was worse.
Mira opened the bathroom door and crossed to Zoey’s side of the bed. She needed a second opinion, someone to help her find a way out. She sat on Zoey’s side of the bed. Zoey’s breathing shifted just slightly, and then she curled in close to Mira’s warmth.
Zoey looked so peaceful, sleeping there. Her face was relaxed, her lips slightly parted, turtle plushie tucked loosely under one arm. So different from the look of desperation she wore each time they’d lost Rumi.
How do I explain this to her? Mira wondered.
Yesterday, Zoey had been the one to convince Mira that none of it was real. That it was just a dream. She wouldn’t have done that if she remembered the horrible things they’d seen. So, she obviously didn’t remember. Couldn’t.
Almost as if on cue, a memory crept into Mira’s mind. She didn’t understand why at first - it was just one of thousands of weird questions Zoey had asked her in their time together. But the longer she thought about it, the more she understood.
They’d been on their plane somewhere over Europe during the last world tour. Mira was reading a book. Zoey was playing games on her phone in the next seat over, her legs slung casually over Mira’s lap.
“Mira?” Zoey asked suddenly. “Would you believe me if I ever came to you and said I was stuck in a time loop?”
Mira looked up from her book. “A time loop?”
“Yeah, you know,” Zoey said. “Groundhog day. Source Code. That one throwaway episode of every sitcom made between 1999 and 2014.”
Mira smirked. “I'm pretty sure I'd think you were playing a prank on me.”
Zoey looked genuinely hurt, as if time loops were a real-life concern. “Well I'd believe you, Mira. I'd believe you every single time.”
“Zoey,” Mira shook her girlfriend’s shoulder.
Zoey blinked, her eyes heavy and confused. “Mir? Is it time to go already?”
“No, baby.” Mira said softly. “But I need to talk to you.”
Zoey sat up, suddenly awake. “Okay, yeah. What’s wrong?”
Mira took a deep breath. “It’s…about tonight. Things are going to get weird. Freaky.”
“Oh?” Zoey wiggled her eyebrows. “Well you know I’m always down for freaky. Planning a little post-Idol Awards celebration, huh?”
Mira rolled her eyes. “Not like that!”
Zoey looked disappointed. “Oh. Really got my hopes up, there.”
“Zoey,” Mira said. “I need you to focus, please. I think Rumi is in danger.”
Zoey’s expression turned grave. “In danger? How?”
“When we turn the Honmoon golden,” Mira said. “Something goes wrong. It…malfunctions or something. It’s going to pull Rumi down with the demons. And she’ll be gone. We’ll lose her.”
Zoey’s eyebrows furrowed. “How do you know this?”
“I know…because I’m stuck in a time loop.”
Zoey’s eyes went wide. “A time loop? A real-life time loop? This is the coolest thing that’s ever happened, Mira. And we hunt demons! And - aww, you came to me? I’m the first one you told?”
“Yes.” Mira said. “I need your help. Please, help me understand. I can’t watch Rumi die again.”
A few muffled notes of Bad Moon Rising floated down the hall, then abruptly shut off. Zoey took a deep breath.
“Okay, tell me everything.”
Mira recounted everything she could remember. By the time she finished, tears flowed freely down her face.
“We were so close to saving her, Zo.” Mira whispered. “And then it all fell apart.”
Zoey squeezed her hand, tears in her own eyes. “I’m so sorry that you’re going through this, Mira. And I’m so sorry you’ve been alone. I’m sorry I didn’t listen better yesterday. Or, your yesterday.”
Zoey cupped Mira’s face in her hand, pulling their foreheads together. “But you don’t have to do it alone anymore, okay? Every time it resets, you wake me up and tell me, just like you did today. I’ll help you figure it out. I’m on your side.”
“I don’t know how many more times I can live through this,” Mira admitted.
“Well, let’s try to get it right today then,” Zoey replied.
She stood and began pacing. “The last thing you remember is Rumi going all the way under? That’s been the last thing every time?”
Mira nodded. “And then I wake up back here.”
“Every time loop has a trigger,” Zoey said. “Some kind of inciting event. To keep time from resetting, you have to prevent that thing from happening.”
“I’ve been trying,” Mira said. “I don’t want to keep watching Rumi…I’m trying, Zo. I don’t know what else to do.”
“Tell me what else stood out,” Zoey said.
“The Saja Boys…” Mira said slowly. “They’re up to something. They’re always on their way to the stage, and then suddenly, they don’t perform. Bobby says they’re fighting, so we perform in their spot.”
“Every time?” Zoey asked?
“Every time,” Mira confirmed. “What if they aren’t fighting? What if they somehow figured out how to sabotage the Honmoon? Use it against us? And that’s why it hurts Rumi?”
Zoey snapped her fingers. “That’s it! We just have to kill the Saja Boys before we turn the Honmoon golden tonight!”
“Kill the Saja Boys,” Mira mused. “I like it. But…I don’t know how to tell Rumi all of this. You’ve seen how weird she’s been acting. If we tell her we’re trying to prevent her death, it’ll freak her out. If she even believes us.”
“Come on, you and me?” Zoey grinned. “We can take care of a few little Saja Boys by ourselves!”
Mira grinned back. “You’re right. Okay, what’s your plan?”
Mira and Zoey carried on with the morning as usual. But when they got to the choreography rehearsals, they changed things up. Zoey messed up as many moves as possible, and a visibly frustrated Mira pulled her into the hall for one-on-one time. They promised they’d be back and told Rumi she could keep going with vocal rehearsals. She had the most singing to do, anyway.
Mira tugged the door shut behind them. “Back soon, Rumi!”
“As long as I can stop messing up,” Zoey added helpfully.
They waited until they heard Rumi singing, then sprinted down the hall.
Zoey took a hard right at the first corner. “I saw the one Rumi likes go this way earlier.”
“She does not like him,” Mira hissed. “He’s a demon!”
“Could’ve fooled me, the way they were whispering at the signing,” Zoey said.
“Whatever,” Mira said. “I’m gonna kill that one first.”
“Really?” Zoey asked. “Not mine?”
Mira rolled her eyes. “You only think he’s hot because you hate him. And because you’re a freak.”
Zoey giggled. “Yeah, hating him definitely makes him hotter.”
The Saja Boys’ voices floated down the hall from behind a closed door. Mira and Zoey stopped just outside to listen.
“That’s definitely them,” Zoey whispered. “But that does not sound like Soda Pop. It’s kinda spooky.”
“Still has an annoyingly catchy beat though,” Mira said through gritted teeth.
“Maybe they’re using the Idol Awards to debut a new song?” Zoey suggested.
“Maybe,” Mira nodded. “It won’t matter though. Ready?”
Zoey gave her a grin and two thumbs up. Then she pushed the door open without knocking.
Mira waited around the corner, listening. The Saja Boys fell silent, apparently having noticed Zoey.
“Why are you here?” Jinu's voice.
“Not for you!” Zoey chirped. “I’m here for this cutie.”
Mira had to stop herself from groaning. Zoey was going to think other people were hot. And she was going to talk about it, out loud. Mira had accepted that long before they were in a relationship together.
But hearing her girlfriend actually flirt with a demon was going to kill her.
“I was actually hoping to talk to Mr. Silent and Mysterious here about tonight,” Zoey said. “But I guess it concerns the rest of you too, so you might as well gather ‘round.”
“Tonight…” Jinu said. “What about tonight?”
“Well,” Zoey said slowly. “I want to make a deal with you about the Idol Awards.”
That was the signal. The word deal meant that Zoey had gotten all five Saja Boys facing away from the door. Mira summoned her Gok-Do and slipped off her shoes, then tiptoed into the room.
Zoey had seated herself at a piano in the corner. The Saja Boys stood circled around her. Mira wished Zoey hadn’t given her quite so much ground to cover, but at least she seemed to have their full attention.
“What kind of deal?” Jinu was asking.
“Well, I’m thinking that maybe you should just let us win,” Zoey said. She examined her nails, cool and detached.
“And why would we do that?” Jinu sounded genuinely confused. “What’s in it for us?”
Mira pivoted on her front foot, throwing her hips and torso behind her Gok-Do’s weight. The blade swung in a blinding arc, cleaving straight through all five Saja Boys. None of them even had time to react.
“Wow,” Zoey said, stepping over the pink dust swirling at her feet. “That has to be some kind of record or something.”
“Thanks,” Mira grinned. “Now let’s get back before Rumi notices something’s up.”
Rumi had definitely noticed that something was up.
“Where were you guys?” Rumi demanded. She narrowed her eyes. “You weren’t off making out in a janitor’s closet again, were you? This is not the time, we need to focus!”
“Rumi, that was one time,” Zoey groaned. “And it was years ago! We were young and -”
“Zoey has the choreography down now,” Mira interrupted. “So let’s run through it all together and focus on winning.”
Rumi nodded and they went back to rehearsing. Mira felt bad lying to her, especially when she’d just gotten so mad at Rumi for doing the same thing. But she had a good reason. Everything was taken care of now, and Rumi could focus on performing. They’d turn the Honmoon golden, but Rumi would be safe this time.
Wardrobe, hair, and makeup went exactly like Mira remembered. The MC introduced the Idol Awards, and there were no Saja Boys wearing smug expressions backstage. Huntr/x was in the dressing room for just slightly longer than usual when Bobby burst in.
“Girls, the Saja Boys are missing! No one knows where they are! And that means you’re on now!”
Mira grinned at Zoey and Rumi. “Let’s do this!”
She led the charge to the stage. Mira actually felt excited to perform. Now that the Saja Boys were out of the way, they’d finally get to do things right. Experience the golden Honmoon in its pure form, without some dark magic turning it against them.
They could finally achieve everything they’d been hoping for.
By the time they hit the final pose, the Honmoon was already shining gold. Zoey leapt into Mira’s arms, and Mira held her tight. This moment was worth savoring. The Saja Boys were gone, the Honmoon was finally golden, and Rumi was finally safe. Mira could finally afford a moment to just close her eyes and hold Zoey. Zoey who had helped fix things. Who made this victory possible. Zoey who had her back, one hundred percent of the time. Her Zoey.
Mira finally set Zoey down and squeezed her hand. Together, they turned to embrace Rumi.
And watched in horror as the Honmoon dragged her under again.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
Fuck.
She bit back tears and shook her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Zoey. Zoey, wake up. I need you.”
“Mira?” Zoey mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. “What’s -”
“Time loop,” Mira said flatly.
Zoey sat straight up. “What?”
“Time loop.”
Zoey’s eyes went wide. “A time loop? A real-life time loop? This is the coolest thing that’s ever happened, Mira. And we hunt demons! And - aww, you came to me? I’m the first one you told?”
Mira sighed. “I told you yesterday, too. Or today. It was yesterday for me. Doesn’t matter. I failed again, and now I’m back here.”
“Wow,” Zoey said. “That sure sounds like a time loop.”
She shifted to face Mira. “Okay, tell me everything.”
Mira did.
Zoey was quiet for a full ten seconds after Mira finished. Then she grimaced, pulling her plushie close. “So, if killing the Saja Boys didn’t work…”
Mira nodded. “Then it either wasn’t them, or we can’t stop whatever they put into motion.”
“What if something is really wrong with the Honmoon?” Zoey asked. “I mean, why would it attack Rumi?”
“I don’t know,” Mira admitted. “But it’s always Rumi. And it’s always right after we finish the song. Right after we turn it golden.”
“Well then,” Zoey said. “We can’t turn the Honmoon golden.”
Mira grimaced. “Rumi will never go for that.”
“It doesn’t have to be forever,” Zoey said. “But we need more than one day to figure out what’s wrong with it. We can turn it golden at another show. It doesn’t have to be the Idol Awards.”
“Okay,” Mira nodded. “I’m on board. Come on, let’s go get Rumi.”
Mira led Zoey down the hall and knocked on Rumi’s door.
“Rumi?” Mira called. “Sorry to wake you, but we need to talk to you. It’s important.”
“Yeah,” came Rumi’s voice, already alert. “Come on in.”
Rumi was sitting on the edge of her bed, still wearing her pajama bottoms and brown hoodie from the night before.
“What’s up?” Rumi asked casually. “Ready for tonight?”
“Well actually, about tonight…” Zoey sat carefully next to Rumi.
“This is going to be hard to believe, but I’ve seen tonight.” Mira said. “A lot of times. I’m stuck in a time loop. And every time we turn the Honmoon golden…something goes wrong.”
Rumi furrowed her eyebrows. “What exactly goes wrong?”
“Something happens with the Honmoon,” Mira said. “It…it pulls you under, Rumi. Sends you down to the demon realm. Zoey and I have tried to save you so many times, but we can’t pull you out. I thought it was some trick from the Saja Boys, but we killed them last time, and it still -”
“Hold on,” Rumi held up a hand. “You killed the Saja Boys?”
“Yeah,” Mira said. “It didn’t matter though. The Honmoon still malfunctioned, and time reset. I’m sure they’re perfectly alive today.”
Rumi considered this for a moment. Then she looked at Zoey. “You’ve seen this too?”
“No,” Zoey shook her head. “But I believe her. Everything she’s told me is classic time loop stuff. That’s why we can’t turn the Honmoon golden tonight.”
Zoey held up both hands to stave off Rumi’s protests. “It doesn’t have to be forever. We can still do it someday, just not tonight. We have to figure out what’s wrong with it first.”
Mira swallowed to keep her voice from breaking. “Please.”
Rumi picked at the bears printed on her pajama bottoms. “I want to believe you, Mira, but…a time loop? Really? How do you know that’s not just a demon trick?”
Mira sighed. She’d expected this. She pulled her phone out and glanced at the time. Then she pointed at Rumi’s phone, still sitting quietly on her nightstand.
“Bad Moon Rising,” Mira said.
“What?” Rumi asked.
On cue, Rumi’s phone lit up.
“I see a bad moon rising
I see trouble on the way.”
Rumi silenced her phone and looked at Mira.
“That playlist is random, right?” Mira pressed. “Except it isn’t for me. I know what happens because I’ve been here before. This is my fourth - no, fifth time living today. And I know what’s going to happen if we turn the Honmoon golden tonight.”
Rumi stared at the floor. When she looked up, there were tears in her eyes.
Mira had to stop herself from taking a step back. Rumi didn’t cry. Not in front of people, at least. Mira and Zoey had heard her crying alone in her room before, late at night when she thought everyone else was asleep. But in all these years, she’d only done it in front of them a couple of times.
“Don’t worry, we’ll do it someday,” Zoey said. She rubbed slow, calming circles into Rumi’s back.
“I don’t…” Rumi sniffed. “I can’t wait for that. I don’t have time.”
Mira crossed her arms. “What do you mean you don’t have time?”
“I - forget it,” Rumi said. “I can’t explain it.”
Mira shifted. “Is this why you’ve been acting so weird?”
“Yeah,” Rumi admitted. “And I’m not ready to talk about it yet. Can you guys please trust me on this?”
“Of course,” Zoey said quickly.
“Thank you. You said I get pulled through the stage?”
Mira nodded. “Every time.”
“I’ll just finish the song in the air then,” Rumi said. “I’ll stay in the floating loop the whole time. I’ll wait until the Honmoon has been golden for a few minutes, and then I can safely get out.”
“What makes you think it’ll be safe after?” Mira asked.
“Well, it’s supposed to be an impenetrable barrier,” Rumi said. “Whatever’s happening is probably just transitional. So let’s give it a try. Please?”
Mira’s gut told her no. But something about the pleading in Rumi’s eyes - the tears threatening to spill over any second - made her nod.
And so the show went on. Rumi entered the floating loop for her solo and crushed it, as expected. When the loop returned to the stage, Rumi stayed safely braced inside, hovering just over Zoey and Mira’s heads. The Honmoon began its familiar golden pulsing, and when they hit the final pose, the gold stayed.
Mira barely heard the crowd’s cheers. She was watching Rumi, half expecting her to get folded and dragged through the tiny shimmers of Honmoon on the edges of the loop.
Nothing happened, though. Rumi waved to the crowd, still safely positioned above the stage.
It worked.
Rumi smiled down from the loop, and Mira and Zoey grinned back.
“We did it!” Zoey shouted, bouncing up and down. Mira scooped her up and spun her in a circle. Zoey was right. They’d done it. Rumi’s idea worked.
When it was time to exit the stage, Rumi stepped out of the loop and into Mira’s arms. She’d agreed to let Mira carry her out, just in case. Rumi wrapped her arms tight around Mira’s neck.
“Thank you,” Rumi beamed. “For trusting me.”
Mira could feel Rumi’s breath against her neck, but forced herself to ignore it.
“Thank you,” she said. “For believing me. I know it was…kind of a wild story.”
Mira stepped behind the curtain, but she didn’t set Rumi down just yet. She wanted to carry Rumi all the way back to the dressing room, just to be safe.
“We make a pretty good team, don’t we?” Rumi grinned.
“Hell yeah we do,” Zoey chimed in. “Do you see that thing?”
She pointed at a nearby wall, where the golden Honmoon glowed against the darkness.
“We did it,” Rumi breathed. “All those generations of hunters, and we finally did it.”
Mira nodded, awestruck in spite of herself. She’d come to fear the golden Honmoon, but she couldn’t deny its beauty. Its soft light illuminated the twists and turns all the way to the dressing room. When they arrived, Zoey held the door open and Mira stepped through sideways.
“Look,” Rumi whispered. “Even in the bright light, you can still see golden threads.”
Mira nodded, but she found herself more focused on Rumi’s face. Rumi’s eyes were full of wonder, her face finally soft and relaxed. And she was still here.
“Are you gonna put me down now?” Rumi asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Oh,” Mira said. “Uh yeah, sure.”
She ignored Zoey’s knowing smirk and let Rumi’s feet drop carefully to the floor.
The Honmoon suddenly flashed, blindingly bright. It swallowed Rumi’s feet almost instantly.
“NO!” Mira roared. She tried to pull Rumi back into the safety of her arms, but the Honmoon’s grip was unbreakable.
Rumi clung to Mira, wide-eyed. Zoey grabbed Rumi’s jacket and pulled, but Rumi kept sinking.
Mira knew on some level that nothing was going to work. That once Rumi started sinking, there was no pulling her out. But what was she supposed to do? Just watch?
Never.
“I thought that once it was sealed, I’d be okay,” Rumi whispered. She was sinking fast this time, already past her waist.
“I’m so sorry,” Mira’s voice caught in her throat. “I’m going to figure it out. I promise you Rumi, I’ll find out what’s wrong with the Honmoon.”
Rumi’s shoulders slipped through the floor. She gazed up with that familiar look of sad acceptance.
“Maybe the Honmoon is working just fine,” Rumi said quietly. “Maybe this is just how it’s meant to be.”
-----
Mira’s life became an exhausting series of trial and error.
She woke up covered in sweat.
She told Zoey everything. And Zoey, true to her word, believed her.
They decided that not performing at all was the best option, so they faked sick. Rumi was furious when they told her, pacing back and forth and going on and on about how they’d all performed sick plenty of times, and this was the most important show of their lives.
Mira and Zoey held firm through the tirade. After Rumi stormed out, they collapsed back into bed, riddled with guilt.
“It was worth it,” Zoey told her. “If it keeps Rumi safe, it was worth it.”
Mira nodded. She hated lying more than anything else in the world. But Zoey was right. If Rumi wasn’t going to listen, they had to go around her. Keeping her safe was the top priority.
Mira went back to sleep. She told herself it was just to sell the “sick” act, but if she was being honest, she was exhausted. The confusion, the scheming, the emotional whiplash of losing Rumi every night and waking up to find her safe again at the penthouse…it was too much to handle.
By the time Mira woke up, it was dark outside. Zoey was cuddled up next to her, one arm draped over Mira’s waist while the other held her phone.
Mira blinked, surprised she’d slept so long. She shifted under the blankets and rested her head on Zoey’s chest.
She glanced at Zoey’s phone. “Idol Awards?”
“Yeah,” Zoey pulled Mira closer. “Figured I’d watch. Maybe Twice can beat the Saja Boys. Strategy is a really solid song.”
“I don’t think the Saja Boys will even perform,” Mira said. “Bobby always says they’re fighting. I thought they were just scheming, but I’m starting to believe it.”
“They wouldn’t be the only ones,” Zoey muttered.
“Rumi’s still mad?” Mira asked.
“Yeah,” Zoey said. “I went to the kitchen for snacks a couple of times and didn’t see her anywhere. I think she holed up in her room. She’s gonna be pissed for a long time.”
Mira grimaced. She could handle Rumi’s anger. It was worth it, if it kept her alive. But Zoey hated when people were mad at her. She couldn’t stand it for even a few minutes.
“Thank you,” Mira said. “For having my back in this.”
“Of course,” Zoey forced a smile. “What kind of person would I be if I didn’t believe my own girlfriend when she got stuck in a time loop?”
“Next up,” came the MC’s voice, “Your favorite heartthrobs, the Saja Boys!”
The camera panned over a cheering crowd. Fans waved Saja Boys glowsticks and pointed excitedly, but the enthusiasm died after a few minutes. No one took the stage.
“Just like you said,” Zoey murmured.
“Okay…” the MC said. “There’s been a slight change of schedule. Next up, we have Rumi of Huntr/x, performing Golden!”
Mira and Zoey shot upright at the same time. They exchanged a look and crowded closer to the phone screen. The stage lights went dark, then flashed on to reveal Rumi. Alone.
Rumi raised her microphone and began to sing.
“She still went,” Mira said in disbelief.
“Without us,” Zoey’s voice was full of hurt.
Rumi had slightly modified the choreography, but her performance was close to the original plan. She sang all three of their parts without the harmonies, then stepped into the floating loop.
The camera followed Rumi as she flew over the audience, gracefully brushing fingers with clamoring fans.
“What’s the Honmoon doing?” Zoey asked. “I can’t see it.”
“I can’t either,” Mira said. “It must not show up on camera.”
They held their breath as Rumi landed back on the stage. Maybe without all three of them there, it wouldn’t work. Maybe Rumi’s voice alone wouldn’t be enough to turn the Honmoon golden.
Rumi finished Golden in a triumphant pose. The camera went to a closeup of her beaming face. But then she glanced down and her expression shifted. The camera changed angles to show Rumi sinking into the stage.
“No,” Mira whispered, voice hoarse.
“Rumi!” Zoey clutched at her phone, as if trying to reach Rumi through the tiny screen.
Rumi looked around frantically for something to hang onto, but there was nothing in reach.
Guilt stabbed through Mira’s chest. She knew it wouldn’t have made a difference if she’d been there. She’d been powerless to help Rumi every time. But at least those times, Rumi hadn’t been alone.
I abandoned her, Mira thought.
Then, I can’t do that to her again. Whatever else happens, I’ll be there for the show.
“Mira,” Zoey’s voice cracked. “Is this it?”
Mira nodded gravely. Rumi’s head sank below the surface of the stage, and the feed cut out. A loud rameyon commercial blared from Zoey’s phone, a stark contrast to the horrifying scene seconds earlier.
“We’ll keep trying. We’ll get her next time.” Zoey sniffed. “See you when you wake up, Mir.”
“Thank you,” Mira squeezed Zoey’s hand. “I love you, Zo.”
Then everything went black.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
Told Zoey everything.
They hatched a new plan and broke into three different power plants. By noon, they’d cut power to more than half of Seoul - including the Idol Awards venue.
The organizers scrambled, loading performers and equipment onto high speed trains and private jets. The Idol Awards went on almost as planned - just in Busan instead of Seoul.
Mira kept her promise to not abandon Rumi again. She followed Rumi onto the plane, even allowing herself to hope that the new location would make a difference.
But that hope was short-lived.
Instead of losing Rumi in Seoul that night, all they managed to do was lose her in Busan.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
Told Zoey everything.
Hatched a new plan.
Called a bomb threat into the Idol Awards.
Police cleared the arena. The show went on two hours late.
And the Honmoon swallowed Rumi whole.
-----
Woke up. New plan. Lost Rumi. Woke up. New plan. Lost Rumi.
Woke up.
Lost Rumi.
Lost Rumi.
Lost Rumi.
Lost Rumi.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat. Again.
She stumbled to the bathroom and gripped the sink just like she’d done all those days ago.
She looked like shit. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her hair was a mess. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of every failure.
“Get it together,” she growled at her reflection.
Mira pushed off the sink and reached for the Honmoon. She ran her fingers over its surface, watching it ripple like water.
“What’s wrong with you?” She asked out loud. “Why Rumi?”
The Honmoon felt normal - if you could call it normal in this weakened state. The Saja Boys had been Gwi-Ma’s most effective plan…well, ever. The barrier had become like Swiss cheese these last few weeks, and it was all Mira, Zoey, and Rumi could do to keep up with the demons coming through the holes.
But a golden Honmoon was supposed to fix all that. It was supposed to be perfect, seal the demons out forever. Not eat its most dedicated servant alive.
Something Rumi said bobbed to the surface of Mira’s memory. She couldn’t remember which time it was - the days had blended together long ago. But she did remember the sad acceptance on Rumi’s face.
“Maybe the Honmoon is working just fine,” Rumi had said.
Why?
Why would she say that when it was so clearly not working fine?
Mira considered the facts. How weird Rumi had been acting. Those nights sneaking away from home. The time Mira had followed her and, from a distance, seen her talking to Jinu.
Maybe the Honmoon is working just fine.
Mira rubbed her temples.
“Rumi,” she whispered. “What did you do?”
“Girls!” Bobby burst into the dressing room. “The Saja Boys are fighting! That means you’re on now!”
“Okay,” Rumi said. “This is it. For the fans.”
“For the world,” Zoey said.
“For us,” Mira whispered. She tried not to cry when she looked at Rumi.
Zoey bounced out of the dressing room, cheering with Bobby. Rumi went to follow, but Mira caught her arm.
“Rumi,” Mira said. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“Yeah,” Rumi smiled. “Thanks Mira. I feel much better after we talked last night - now that we’re performing Golden instead of Takedown.”
“That’s good,” Mira nodded. “But you can tell me anything. Anything at all.”
Rumi blinked. “Oookay. Well, I don’t know if this is really the time, but…I’m…bi?”
“Oh,” Mira said. “I mean wow, that’s amazing, and thank you for sharing with me, and I’m so sorry if you felt like I was trying to force that out of you. And like, you know Zoey and I are dating so obviously we’re cool and stuff.”
Mira took a deep breath. “But I wasn’t actually asking about that. I need you to be honest with me. About what you are.”
Rumi furrowed her eyebrows. “Okay, well I thought you already knew this, but I’m also trans.”
Mira shook her head. “Yes Rumi, you told us that years ago. It’s why you wear hoodies everywhere. I know.”
Rumi waved her free hand, clearly frustrated. “Okay well, I don’t know, it seems like you’re looking for some big confession, and that’s all I got.”
“Really,” Mira said flatly. “That’s all you got.”
“That’s all I got.”
“You know, I’m trying to help you,” Mira said, her voice rising. “But I can’t do that if you won’t be honest with me!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Rumi exclaimed. “Now let go of me! We have a job to do.”
Rumi wrenched her arm free and stormed off toward the stage. Mira watched her go, stunned. Then she hung her head and followed, knowing exactly what awaited them.
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
She didn’t bother telling Zoey.
She sat quietly through breakfast. The food tasted like sawdust.
She went through the motions in rehearsal, resigned. Sat in the dressing room, waiting for Bobby. And when he burst through the door to tell them they were on early, she made her way to the stage.
The lights dimmed. Rumi and Zoey took their places on stage, but Mira hung back. She couldn’t make her feet move. She just stood there, staring at the floor.
“Mira?” said a gentle voice. Bobby.
“I can’t do it again, Bobby.” Mira said.
“Can’t…do…”
“Forget it,” Mira said. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“You can talk to me, Mira.” Bobby said. “What’s on your mind?”
Mira gave Bobby a hard look. Then she shrugged. “Fuck it, you won’t remember any of this anyway.”
She squared her shoulders. “Demons are real, Bobby. And Zoey, Rumi and I hunt them. We’re part of a generations-long group of women who use music to protect the world from those demons.”
She paused, scanning Bobby’s face for a reaction. But he just stood there, waiting patiently for her to go on.
“You knew,” Mira realized.
“Well yeah,” Bobby said. “You didn’t think Celine just picked some random guy to be your manager, did you? I know how important the work you do is. I was trained to help you handle it.”
“But…why…” Mira stuttered.
“You didn’t seem ready to tell me about it. So I never pried.”
Bobby flashed a playful smile. “Come on, all those times I’ve covered for you? Told the press that you girls jumping from a plane or killing a guy on stage was just part of the show? Of course I knew!”
Mira considered this for a moment, then shook her head. She didn’t have time to fully consider the implications of Bobby being a handpicked demon hunters’ assistant. She was running out of time.
“We’re supposed to turn the Honmoon gold tonight,” Mira said. “It’ll seal the demons out forever, stop the Saja Boys from damaging it, and save the world. But…”
Mira flexed her jaw, frustrated. “It’s so complicated. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Bobby placed a gentle hand on Mira’s arm. “You just told me that you girls hunt demons, and I didn’t even blink, did I? I’m here to help you, Mira. Whatever it is, I can handle it.”
“It doesn’t work,” Mira said. “Or, something goes wrong. The Honmoon yanks Rumi right down through the stage and forces her into the demon realm. I’ve seen it a hundred times. And we lose Rumi every single time.”
“You’ve seen it a hundred times,” Bobby rested his chin against his thumb. “How?”
“I’m…living it.” Mira said. “Over and over again. Zoey called it a time loop. Every time we lose Rumi, I wake up in bed and it’s this morning again.”
Mira fought the tears welling in her eyes. “I’ve tried so many times to save her, Bobby. And I can’t fix it.”
She hung her head, defeated.
“A time loop,” Bobby mused.
Mira looked up. “Do you know something about it?”
“I think I might,” Bobby said. “I think…I think I made it.”
Mira’s mouth hung open. “You what?”
Bobby began pacing. “When this thing happened to Rumi - the first time - where was I?”
Mira thought for a moment. “It’s happened so many times now. I barely remember the first time. But usually, you walk us to the wing. Stage right, like tonight. And when we go on, you wait behind the curtain.”
Bobby turned on his heel, pacing faster. “And you said Rumi gets pulled through the center of the stage.”
Mira nodded.
“I can’t predict exactly what I’d do, because I haven’t lived it yet,” Bobby said. “But if past me - future me - oh, this time loop stuff is complicated. It must be a real doozy for you.
“Anyway, if that version of me saw something bad happening to Rumi, and I didn’t know what it was or how to stop it, I supposed that I could have done something desperate. Something to buy us more time to figure it out.”
“Bobby, what are you saying?”
“I put you in the time loop, Mira. It had to be me. And I’m so sorry you’re going through this. But in that moment, it must have been my only option to save Rumi.”
“You put me in the time loop,” Mira said. “How?”
“You girls aren’t the only ones with special abilities,” Bobby said. He waved a hand, and tiny sparks danced between his fingers. “It’s not the same as yours, but for lack of a better term, I’ve studied my share of magic. It’s why Celine recruited me.”
“But I don’t understand,” Mira said. “How do I stop it?”
“It’ll stop when you save Rumi,” Bobby said, like that was the simplest thing in the world.
“How, Bobby? How do I save Rumi?”
The first notes of Golden started playing somewhere overhead.
“I don’t know,” Bobby admitted. “If I did, I would have just done that instead of putting you through all this.”
Mira’s heart sank.
Bobby grabbed her hand. “But I do know why I picked you.”
He gazed past her to the stage, where Rumi and Zoey were already in position. Rumi looked at them and made a hurried motion.
“You’re the protector, Mira. You’ll do anything for those girls. That’s why I know you’ll figure it out.”
The music swelled, and Bobby pushed Mira toward the stage. “Now go! Go save Rumi!”
A few minutes later, Mira’s heart broke in two.
Because she still couldn’t save Rumi.
-----
Mira woke up.
Went through the motions.
Sat on the couch in the dressing room, staring at her shoes.
A gentle weight pressed against her shoulder. “Hey, you.”
“Hey Zo,” Mira said.
“What’s going on?” Zoey asked quietly. “Something’s wrong.”
The couch dipped as Rumi sat on Mira’s other side.
“Yeah,” Rumi said. “Tell us. Maybe we can help.”
Mira glared at Rumi. She didn’t mean to be bitter, but after so many times, it was hard.
“I’m trying to help, Rumi. And you won’t let me.”
Rumi sat back like Mira had slapped her in the face. Even Zoey seemed surprised.
“Mira, what -”
“I’ve been here a hundred times.” Mira said, her voice already ragged. “I have lived today over and over and over.”
She stood and pointed at Rumi. “And I have watched you die every. Single. Time.”
Mira’s tears fell freely. For once, she didn’t fight them.
“Mira,” Zoey reached for her hand. “A time loop? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I did, Zo,” Mira sobbed. “I told you so many times. Nothing we tried worked.”
She turned back to Rumi. “Tonight, when we turn the Honmoon golden, it will pull you down to the demon realm. We’ve tried pulling you back. I’ve carried you off the stage. We faked sick. We moved the whole show. We killed the Saja Boys.”
“I don’t understand -” Rumi started.
“It happens every time!” Mira interrupted. “And as soon as it pulls you under, I end up back in bed this morning. I’ve tried so many times to save you. But I can’t do it. Not if you won’t tell me what’s really going on here.”
Mira set her jaw. “I can’t lose you again, Rumi. I can’t let you go out on that stage.”
“Mira,” Rumi said, her voice thick with desperation. “Mira no, please. We have to perform.”
“Rumi,” Zoey said softly. “Why don’t we do it another night? After we’ve figured all this out?”
“You don’t understand,” Rumi snapped. “It doesn’t work like that. I don’t have time!”
“You keep saying that,” Mira accused. “But you won’t tell me why!”
“I can’t tell you why!” Rumi shouted, tears running down her face. “I have to turn the Honmoon golden tonight!” And if it kills me, fine.”
“Why?” Mira demanded. “Why is it so important?”
“Why isn't it important to you?” Rumi countered. “Why should I matter any more than the rest of the world?”
“Because I'm in love with you!”
Mira froze, breathing hard. She hadn’t meant to say it. Had hardly even heard the words leave her mouth.
Rumi stared, eyes wide. Her gaze jumped from Mira to Zoey.
“It's okay,” Zoey said softly. “I know.”
She took a deep breath and stood next to Mira. “Rumi, I'm…in love with you too. We both are. I know it sounds kinda complicated, but we're in love with each other and with you. And if you don't feel the same, that's okay. But I can't imagine what Mira has been going through. If she’s lost you that many times…”
Zoey trailed off. She looked up at Mira, tears in her eyes. She took Mira’s hand and squeezed it.
Rumi pulled her knees to her chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Rumi, we -” Zoey started.
“You don't even know the real me,” Rumi said, her voice rising. “You can’t be in love with me. I'm…my dad was…
“My dad was a demon!” She blurted. “I’m covered in patterns, okay? Turning the Honmoon golden is my only chance at getting rid of them! At being normal!”
Rumi stood, her face only inches from Mira’s. “I don't care if it kills me! I'd rather be dead than keep living like this!”
“I know,” Mira said softly.
Rumi blinked. “What?”
“What?” Zoey agreed.
“Figured it out,” Mira shrugged. “I've had a lot of time. And yeah, I wish you told us sooner. But it was your secret to tell, not mine. So I waited.
Mira took a deep breath. “It doesn't change what I said. I love you.”
“Me too,” Zoey said softly.
“Now,” Mira said. “Now we can finally fix this. Now we can help you. We won't turn the Honmoon golden. Not tonight. Not ever. If the cost is your life, then we'll figure out some other way to reinforce it. But you have to listen. You have to let us help you.”
“But if we don't perform,” Rumi unzipped her jacket. She let it fall to the floor, revealing dark purple patterns etched across both arms. “How am I supposed to keep living like this?”
Rumi collapsed back onto the couch, looking utterly broken. “This was supposed to set me free.”
Zoey was there immediately, rubbing Rumi’s back. Rumi leaned into Zoey’s shoulder and sobbed.
“We'll figure it out,” Zoey said softly. “Together.”
Mira sat on the other side and wrapped her arms around Rumi’s waist. “I'd much rather have you than a golden Honmoon. No performance tonight. That’s final. All we care about is keeping you safe.”
“I don’t -” Rumi wailed. “I don’t deserve you guys.”
“Oh, that’s not true at all, Ru,” Zoey said. “You deserve people who care about you.”
A loud knock sounded against the dressing room door.
“Girls!” Bobby cried from the hallway. “The Saja Boys are fighting! You were supposed to be out there five minutes ago!”
Mira looked at Rumi, still curled into a sobbing mess on Zoey’s shoulder. She looked so small like this, stripped of the sleeves she’d worn like armor all these years.
Mira found Zoey’s eyes and nodded toward the stage.
“We’ll take care of this,” Zoey said. “We’ll go tell the crowd we can’t perform tonight. They’ll understand. Stay here - we’ll be right back, okay Rumi?”
Rumi could only manage a nod.
Zoey pulled Mira out the door, and together, they rushed to the stage. When they stepped past the curtain, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Mira’s heart sank. They think we’re here to perform.
Zoey grabbed a microphone and offered the crowd an awkward wave. “Hello everyone, and thank you to our fans for being here to support us at the Idol Awards. We love every single one of you.”
Mira forced a smile and mimicked Zoey’s wave.
Zoey took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, I am here to tell you that Huntr/x will not be performing tonight. We did not come to this decision lightly. However, it’s important that we take a break for the health and safety of our dear friend Rumi.”
There was a light smattering of applause, followed by a few angry jeers.
“Again?” one voice shouted.
“But I came here just to see you!” cried another.
Mira stepped forward. “We know this is disappointing. But we still hope you will enjoy the many other wonderful acts here tonight.”
“Yes,” said a familiar voice.
Mira and Zoey whirled to meet Jinu’s smug face. He was flanked on either side by the rest of the Saja Boys.
Jinu snatched the microphone from Mira’s hands.
“While others might let you down,” Jinu grinned, ushering Mira and Zoey off the stage. “The Saja Boys never will. Isn’t that right, boys?”
The rest of the Saja Boys offered a polite bow.
Jinu left Mira and Zoey standing in the wing. When he crossed back to center stage, the Honmoon parted in his wake, crumbling into a weak pink dust.
“Trust me,” Jinu said. “The Saja Boys and I would be delighted to be Your Idols.”
Jinu snapped, and dark music dripped from the speakers. The Saja Boys’ outfits swirled and melted, colorful jeans and pastels replaced by a black hanbok and gat. Their skin faded to its natural gray, fangs and patterns fully exposed.
The crowd went wild.
Chants of “Pray for me now” in English filled the air, followed by an even darker hymn.
“Is that…?” Zoey asked.
“Latin.” Mira confirmed.
They watched, stunned as the Saja Boys began to sing. This new song was nothing like the bright, upbeat Soda Pop. These words were meant to demean. To manipulate. To control.
“Mira,” Zoey tugged on Mira’s sleeve. “Look at the audience.”
The purple stage lighting made it difficult to see, but Mira could make out a few rows of blank faces, slack jaws, empty eyes. The audience was utterly mesmerized.
No, Mira realized. Hypnotized.
Zoey stepped onto the stage, waving her arms at the audience. “Snap out of it! Don't listen to them!”
Some of the most glassy-eyed fans took up the chants of “Pray for me” and the Latin hymn. Mira reached back in her memory, hurriedly translating the few words she could remember. Master…eternal flames…
Shit.
Mira grabbed Zoey's vest and hauled her back, shielding the smaller girl with her body. Half a heartbeat later, purple flames ripped across the stage, consuming the place Zoey had been standing.
But the flames weren’t just flames. They danced with the Saja Boys, hungry and malicious. Alive.
“Mira,” Zoey whispered. “I think that’s -”
“Yeah,” Mira said. “I feel it too.”
They exchanged a look, then said in unison, “we need Rumi.”
Zoey bolted for the changing rooms. Mira followed, the image of the growing flames still burned into her retinas. The twists and turns backstage took on an eerie red from the light of the disintegrating Honmoon.
“Rumi!” Zoey burst through the changing room door.
Rumi was on her feet instantly. Her patterns had spread while they were gone, climbing up her neck and across her face. They flashed a dangerous violet.
“What’s going on?” Rumi demanded. “The Honmoon is falling apart!”
“The Saja Boys,” Zoey panted. “They summoned Gwi-Ma.”
Rumi’s eyes widened. She glanced at Mira, who nodded.
“First I learn that I’ll never be free,” Rumi muttered. “And now this.”
She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Alright. Let’s go.”
Mira and Zoey followed Rumi back to the stage, the dying gasps of the Honmoon lighting their path.
“Rumi,” Mira said. “What’s the plan?”
“I don’t have one,” Rumi’s jaw was tight. “I’m out of plans. Turning the Honmoon golden was my last one.”
They reached the wing of the stage. Gwi-Ma’s flames had consumed the entire backdrop, and the ghostly trails of half-extracted souls floated above several audience members’ chests.
Rumi turned to face Mira and Zoey. “But we have to do something. Follow my lead. We’ll figure it out as we go.”
She looked at Mira. “You said that in every version of this before, I die, right?”
Mira nodded, her face grim.
“Then…” Rumi said. “Then I guess fuck it. I’m not dying without doing this.”
She grabbed Mira’s face and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. Mira was too shocked to relax into the kiss, but heat crept up her neck all the same. For just a moment, she forgot the horror movie unfolding in front of her. Rumi. She was kissing Rumi.
Rumi broke the kiss off abruptly. She turned to Zoey, cupping the smaller girl’s face in her hand. She kissed Zoey gently, almost reverently.
“Mira,” Zoey mumbled, stunned. “Mira, Rumi kissed us.”
“I saw,” Mira said. “I was there.”
“Mira,” Zoey said, more urgently. “Mira, promise that if time resets again, you’ll tell us. Promise you won’t let us forget! Promise that once this is over, we can be together.”
Mira smiled for the first time in days. “Promise.”
The Saja Boys’ song reached a crescendo, and they floated - levitated - straight off the stage.
“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you both sooner,” Rumi said. Then she stepped past the curtain and interrupted the Saja Boys’ song with a single note.
Mira watched, stunned, as Rumi stopped in front of Gwi-Ma. A mocking laugh came from somewhere inside the flames.
“You’re too late,” Gwi-Ma said. “You’ve lost. The Honmoon is all but gone. You failed to turn it golden.”
Rumi nodded. “Not golden. But maybe now…maybe now we have the chance to make something real.”
She glanced back to Mira and Zoey and began to sing. Her voice came out low, raw, vulnerable. And so completely Rumi.
“Nothing but the truth, now,” Rumi gestured to the patterns on her arms.
Her eyes were filled with sorrow and hope and love, and Mira realized she wasn’t singing for an audience. She was singing just to them. Just to Mira and to Zoey.
“I don’t know why I didn’t trust you to be on my side,” Rumi sang. Mira felt the apology resonate in her chest.
I love this woman so much, Mira thought.
Zoey squeezed Mira’s hand and stepped onto the stage, her voice joining Rumi’s. “Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?”
Mira followed. “I should’ve let the jagged edges meet the light instead.”
Their voices swelled in unison, and Mira held back a gasp as the audience’s souls retreated into their bodies.
“Show me what’s underneath, I’ll find your harmony
The song we couldn’t write, this is what it sounds like.”
-----
Mira woke up covered in sweat.
She threw off the blankets and leapt out of bed, then stopped when she realized something was different.
Zoey was there, cuddling her turtle plush just as she had the last hundred times. But Rumi…Rumi was there too, forehead pressed against Zoey’s back.
“Zoey,” Mira said. “Rumi.”
The other girls blinked and sat up, confused.
“What day is it?” Mira demanded. “Tell me you remember it. Tell me it worked.”
“Day after the Idol Awards,” Zoey yawned.
Rumi offered a sleepy grin. “I remember. It worked, Mira.”
Mira stood there for a moment, stunned. She flipped through the memories of last night. The song. Rebuilding the Honmoon. Fighting the Saja Boys. Jinu’s sacrifice, banishing Gwi-Ma…and stumbling home with Rumi safe in their arms.
Finally, finally safe in their arms.
Mira collapsed back onto the bed, practically tackling Zoey and Rumi. The tears came before she could stop them, warm and salty against her cheeks.
“It worked,” she sobbed. “We finally saved you, it worked.”
“You saved me, Mira.” Rumi wiped at Mira’s tears with a thumb. “Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
“Never,” Mira said. “I would never.”
No one said anything for a moment, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. They just sat there, warm and safe in each others’ arms.
“So, uh,” Zoey finally said. “Are we all like…together, together, now?”
“I assume so,” Mira said. “You both spent last night in my bed.”
Rumi grinned. “I’d like for us to be.”
“Great,” Zoey flashed them a smile and slid out of bed. “I’m starving. So, first order of relationship business…breakfast date?”