Chapter Text
‘This is his fault…’ Celine thinks to herself, her mind a swirl of both anguish and hatred as she sprints through the moonlit woods. ‘All his fault…’
As urgent and panicked as she currently is, she can’t risk going too fast or she could drop the infant currently cradled in her arms, held tightly to her chest like the precious cargo that she is.
She glances down at the child, she’s miraculously still fast asleep, despite everything. A few tufts of her vibrant purple hair peek out from within the soft blanket she’s wrapped in, shining in the moonlight even under Celine’s shadow.
‘I shouldn’t be the one holding you right now.’ Celine thinks bitterly, tears welling in her eyes as she continues to run. ‘You should be in your mother’s arms instead... I should be back there still, not her.
Mi-yeong had begged Celine to get her daughter to safety, she was too hurt to run, she couldn’t carry the girl herself right now.
Celine argued, she wanted to stay and fight, to stay and protect everyone.
But she could never say no to Mi-yeong, nor Kim for that matter, when they begged her for something. Not even once.
Mi-yeong trusted her enough with her daughter, that she could protect her. Celine couldn’t let her down, not again. Celine took the girl in her arms and held her close.
“Celine… Keep her safe, protect her.” Mi-yeong asked, tears forming in her eyes too.
“I will… I promise.” Celine vowed.
“We’ll be right behind you, don’t worry!” Kim had told with an encouraging wink and faltering smile as she drew her bow and turned back to aim it towards the treeline. The shake in her voice betraying her fear.
There was rustling in the leaves all around them, everywhere. Celine turned and ran, not looking back.
“See you soon, Rumi, Celine.” Mi-yeong called out after, accompanied by the sound of her Sain-Geom slicing through the air towards an approaching foe.
“Goodbye.” Celine whispered back, her voice thick with sorrow.
Celine didn’t want to admit it, but she had a sickening feeling that that may be the last time she would ever hear their voices.
She tries to silence her thoughts and stay focused as she continues running. She is very much in good shape but even she is starting to feel the fatigue getting to her now from running so far in such a short time.
There, the house! Celine can see the lights coming into view up the hill, she’s not far now. But she can hear something behind her, several somethings, gaining distance fast. She doesn’t look back to see what exactly, she doesn’t think she wants to know.
Her legs are burning as she reaches the grounds of the estate, she ignores it and keeps pushing herself, the sound of whatever is chasing her is still not far behind. Rumi is awake now, crying softly as Celine reaches the steps up to the back door. Thank god they left it unlocked earlier.
She throws the door open, rushing inside to slam it shut again instantly and lock it as swiftly as she is possibly able to. Within seconds, the sounds of clawed hands banging and scraping at the door begin to rattle the house, viciously trying to break it down.
Celine was exhausted, physically, mentally, emotionally... But she made a promise.
She would keep Rumi safe no matter what.
With a weary sigh, she wipes her tears and heads down the hall to the stairs, to Rumi’s room. Once there, she gently places the baby in her crib before barricading the door with a chair and pushing a bookcase in front of the window.
She manifests her twin blades and readies herself, the back door wouldn’t hold forever. They’d find a way in eventually.
And no one is coming to help her…
~~~ 15 years later ~~~
Seoul is unusually quiet tonight, distant sounds of sparse traffic echo through the light drumming of the rain.
On a secluded, small street, a young girl sits alone at a bus station, a large backpack laying heavy on the seat by her side. No one who passed her by would think anything of it, except if one were to get close enough they would hear the shallow, uneven breaths and light sniffles of someone who is desperately trying to hold back her tears.
The girl is just barely a teen, knees curled up to her chest on the seat, her black hoodie and jeans speckled with dark stains from the rain, her long hair flowing around her body like a cloak, yet it provides neither warmth nor comfort for her. Even with her dark black roots beginning to creep back in, the neon pink of her crudely dyed hair stands out a stark contrast against her own muted clothes and dreariness of the rainy street as well as her own emotions.
Her eyes sting with tears. She fights so hard to keep them in, they don’t deserve them, not again, not ever. For a long while, she continues to stay strong but the memories of not even an hour ago keep ringing within her skull, unrelenting and agonizing
She apologized, she promised, swore, to be better, she pleaded, she sobbed, she begged.
She never begs anyone for anything, ever.
But her pleas had fallen on deaf ears, she was given five minutes to grab whatever she could grab from her room and fit in her bag before being forcefully shoved out of the front door of the estate onto her knees. The door violently slammed shut before she could even take one last look back at them.
What kind of parents throw their fourteen year old daughter out onto the street?
She hates them, god how she hates them. hate isn't even strong enough of a word to properly convey how she truly feels about them.
Her insufferable pig of a father, eternally disappointed in anything she does or doesn't do.
Her prissy bitch of a mother, eternally embarrassed of her and her behavior.
Her smug asshole of a brother, eternally dedicated to making her life even more miserable than it already is.
Yet despite the hate and the pain, she feels the longing, god the longing… The agonizing, shameful need for their love burns worse in her aching chest stronger in this moment than it ever has before.
The memories continue their terrible ringing.
“You have disgraced us and the Kang name for the last time Mira!” Her mother shrieked at her, even just the memory of it stung her ears.
“You are no daughter of mine anymore!” Her father raged. “Get out of my house!”
Her brother didn't even say a word, he simply watched from the corner with a smug smile curled across his stupid ugly face.
She stood frozen before them, shaking, tears running down her cheeks.
“Daddy… P-Please.” She managed to choke out, barely above a whisper.
“No.” His answer sounded so crushingly final. “I'll give you some time to pack. Then you're leaving. Goodbye Mira.”
With an aching and defeated cry escaping through her lips, she stumbled away out of the room and frantically scrambled up the stairs towards her bedroom.
She knew she messed up, she’d pushed her little acts of rebellion too far this time.
She was so sorry. Was she?
Sorry she wasn't a better daughter.
Sorry for being her. No she isn’t…
But she shouldn't be, she knows this. She knows her family doesn't treat her the way they should. The way a normal family would treat their child. She knows that she doesn't get to have the love other girls get.
Knowing just makes it hurt even more though.
It’s too much, Mira breaks. With an anguished whimper, she buries her face in her knees as she starts to sob. Her whole body trembles as she wraps her arms around her knees and holds herself tight. Pretending that maybe it could be someone else holding her. Anyone at all.
‘What am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go?’
She hardly even has any money on her… How cruelly ironic.
Dreary minutes pass by as the denim of her jeans absorb her tears, mixing them with the dampness of the rain. Her sobs show no sign of slowing down soon. Yet suddenly, her cries are interrupted by an unfamiliar and unsettling sensation rippling through the air around her.
It's… uncomfortable, unpleasant, cold. Enough to tear her out of her sobs and make her jolt upright and alert with a sharp gasp.
It felt as though she had suddenly plunged into icy water before the feeling suddenly retreated as quickly as it had come.
She could still feel it moving though, away from her, in the air around her. A soft sound now accompanies the sensation, a pretty and gentle shimmering sound, yet it sounds as cold as it had felt and almost… pained?
Mira doesn't understand it, but it fascinates her. She wants to understand it, and anything to distract her from her thoughts right now would be a blessing.
She wipes away the tears and snot onto her sleeve, taking a moment to compose herself before slinging her bag back over her shoulder. She steps down from the bench of the bus stop and curiously begins to follow the trail the odd sensation was leading her down.
Mira chases the feeling down like a white rabbit, leading her up the street, around a corner and finally to the edge of an especially dark alleyway.
She stops dead in her tracks at the foreboding path before her, she's never been a fan of the dark.
Afraid is not the word she would use and if you described her as such in front of her she would probably give you a swift bruise or two.
No, she's just simply not a fan of it.
So much so that she is fully willing to give up on her curious adventure on the spot and drearily slump back to the bus stop to continue crying. But before she can turn back, the sensation does something new.
It shows itself.
Faint woven lines of pure light, glowing with blue and indigo hues and as visually shimmering as it had sounded, reveal themselves to her. She’s almost shocked by the beauty of it.
The flowing, curving lines then zip down the alleyway into the darkness with an unexpected urgency. It feels like whatever this is is trying to get her attention.
Normally this situation would seem very obviously dangerous, a horror cliche even, an unexpected paranormal something trying to coerce her down a pitch black alleyway. But somehow, Mira thinks she trusts it, feeling some sort of connection with it despite her common sense screaming at her to just leave now. It feels like the sensation is pleading with her, as though it is in pain and is begging someone, anyone to help it.
Mira has never been one to back down from excitement, she'll humor this strange sensation and see what it wants from her. After taking a moment to steel herself, she steps into the darkness of the alleyway.
The dark alley leads to a small, dimly lit concrete courtyard between the surrounding buildings. It’s flooded slightly, the drain built into the pavement seems clogged, causing water to reach up almost to her ankles. She groans in annoyance trying to keep the water from soaking through her boots as she makes her way towards where the flowing lines want her to go.
Then she sees it. The lines point towards the far wall, becoming much more visible and more solid as they wrap themselves over a large puddle on the ground. But something’s wrong. Some kind of hole is burning itself away in the middle of the lines, turning the lines a bright magenta as it grows.
The cold sensation she felt at the bus stop then suddenly returns, but much stronger this time. The shimmering lines are practically screaming at her now. Begging her to help it so strongly that she somehow now feels its pain first hand, in her own body. It feels like she’s being stabbed and someone is twisting the knife, the worst pain she’s ever felt in her life. She doubles over, grunting and blinking away fresh tears as she braces herself against the wall for a moment before she forces herself to keep moving closer to the burning hole. She wants to help somehow with whatever is happening, to make this awful feeling stop.
The hole in the wall then suddenly stops burning, remaining stagnant as the pain in Mira’s chest dulls and begins to fade away. Just as she thinks the worst is over, the puddle beneath the hole erupts in even brighter flames, furious magenta and violet sparks burn bright as a hand begins to emerge from within.
Mira stares, frozen in both shock and horror as someone… No, something tears its way up out of the water, water that is certainly not deep enough for anything to be submerged in. Sickly grey skin, sharp clawed fingers with thin webbed skin stretched between them, a mop of long black hair sticks to its face, obscuring all its features save for large protruding fangs from its lower jaw and a single eye which glows an awful yellow.
Mira cautiously begins to back away from this… thing, praying she can silently retreat back down the alley to safety before it can notice her. It’s fully emerged from the hole now, it could turn and spot her any second.
*Splash*
Her boot hits the water much louder than she intended, causing her to flinch as the creature before her suddenly snaps its head towards her. She and it share eye contact for a brief moment, the look in its eye can be described as predatory, and hungry.
Mira bolts away down the alley with an uncharacteristic yelp of fear, not once turning to look back as she hears a deep snarl and the sounds of the creature's limbs splashing against the water as it begins to pursue her.
Back on the street, Mira glances around frantically hoping for someone who could help her, but the streets remain empty. She can hear the creature behind her gaining fast, so she keeps running, not stopping until she finds herself back at the bus stop. There’s another alleyway here, maybe with some luck she can get out of its sight and hide there until it's gone.
Stumbling around the corner into the alley, she runs down it and sees a door up ahead that’s left open. She then hears the creature behind her, it’s caught up with her already. She dives through the open door without a second thought and slams the door behind her before quickly locking it. The creature outside is now violently banging against the door as she tries to collect herself.
‘What… What is happening…? What the hell…?’ Mira thinks to herself in a panic, her whole body trembling as she slumps against the wall. ‘This isn’t real… This can’t be real…’
Just minutes ago she was having a crying fit over her stupid family and now she’s going to just die…? Ripped apart by some monster from a fairytale?
‘Good.’ A part of her thinks. ‘If I have to die then maybe it will at least teach my family a lesson. Maybe they’ll actually be sorry for once, after it's too late.’
She stares down at her own shaking hands to try ground herself, focusing on the chipped remnants of her black nail polish as she battles to control her breathing.
‘No…’ She tells herself, her fear slowly morphing into a newfound defiance. A new spark of rebellion within her. ‘You can do this. You won’t let this thing kill you.’
It did look sort of thin and sickly, maybe she could fight it… And if it still manages to kill her, she’d at least go down fighting back.
The door is still banging, it probably won’t hold forever. She pulls herself back onto her feet and starts to take in the room around her. It looks like the back entrance to an apartment or office building of some kind, but under heavy renovations, tarps and construction equipment scattered around. Across from her near a door to another room, a wall is torn open, plumbing working being done.
She sprints for it so quickly she almost trips herself, there’s a section of metal pipe sitting on a table that hasn’t been placed into the wall yet.
*Bang*
She can hear the hinges of the back door starting to strain now, they could give out at any moment.
*Bang*
She lifts the pipe up off the table, it’s heavy, awkward and too long, but she thinks it can work. She turns to face the door, gripping the cool metal tightly as she holds it above her head.
*Bang*
The door bursts open and the creature is already barreling across the room towards her, but Mira is ready for it.
*Thunk*
With either beginner's luck or some innate skill she didn't know she had, she lands a perfect swing across the monster’s jaw, the impact sending it reeling into the wall with a crash. Mira doesn’t hesitate, slamming the pipe down at least half a dozen more times onto its head before the creature can recover. After that she doesn’t wait to see if she killed it, she’s already running to the busted door and back towards the street, the pipe still firmly in her grasp.
Outside, she’s met with a horrific sight, more flaming holes growing on the surface of glowing lines, as several more of those creatures begin to pull themselves out towards her. She feels the sting of shared pain once again as these new holes are torn, but it isn’t nearly as severe this time, like it’s a faded wound she’s already grown used to. The creatures hit the ground and start to move, slimy black hair trailing across the pavement as they slowly slink closer.
“Shit…” She mutters to herself, only a little bit terrified, as she raises the pipe once more, planting her feet firmly and preparing to keep fighting.
The creature closest suddenly lunges and she reacts again with surprising precision.
*Thunk*
She doesn’t know if these things can even be killed but it certainly seems like they can be hurt. Then, rapid footsteps come from behind her, the first creature has gotten up again. Without even thinking she swings behind her and hopes for the best.
*Thunk*
Another hit, and it tumbles back through the broken doorway. The creatures seem genuinely surprised that she’s fighting back, maybe she really can do this after all and-
*Slice*
Mira lets out a strangled cry as white hot pain suddenly erupts in her left arm just below her shoulder as a clawed hand swipes at her, tearing through her hoodie and into her flesh. She can already feel the blood running down her arm, it doesn’t feel that deep of a slice but it still really hurts. She swings the pipe down towards the monster that had just cut her, hitting it a few times. It's enough to force it away from her as she tries to limp back towards the street, not once turning her back on the creatures.
There’s five of them now, and she suddenly realizes that she can’t do this… She already feels exhausted. They seem to realize this as well, the surprise in their glowing eyes turning now to wicked glee as they realize just how outmatched she is.
She holds her ground, raising the pipe again to try to keep fighting until they inevitably overwhelm her. But just as she does, something shifts in the creature's expressions, they suddenly look… Scared?
No, not just scared, they look terrified.
And they’re no longer looking at her but past her and she hears the clicking of what sounds like someone in heels charging down the alley. The monsters then turn to flee back towards the flaming holes they came from.
Before she can turn to look behind her or before any of the creatures can even move an inch, a figure leaps over Mira’s head from behind.
It’s a woman, dressed in a simple grey suit, her long black hair flowing around her as she moves. She wields two twin swords that glow with a similar light as the flowing lines do, one a strong blue, the other a fierce pink. One of the blades carves its way into the closest monster and its body erupts into a puff of magenta smoke, disintegrating entirely.
Mira can’t help but be in utter awe of this woman. She moves her body and blades with such grace and skill, it's as if slaughtering these things was simply a thoroughly rehearsed dance to her. Not even fifteen seconds have passed since the woman leapt over her and there is now only one monster left, she thinks it's the first one that pursued her in that other alleyway.
It scrambles away from the woman in utter panic back towards a nearby puddle to escape. But before it can reach it, the woman throws her pink sword after it. The blade spins through the air in a perfect arc before slicing through the creature's flesh and then it too, is reduced to nothing but colored ash. The sword then lands, embedded into the pavement and cracking it into a shattered spiderweb pattern as the woman turns back to face her.
She looks to be in her late thirties or early forties, some faint wrinkles below her eyes and a few greying streaks peppering her raven hair that reaches down to her waist. She gives off an air of authority and professionalism. Her eyes are cold, calculating, yet with a trace of some distant warmth behind them, pushed far back but still present. Despite her acutely put together appearance and mannerisms, there’s a lingering fatigue about her, the kind that no amount of sleep could fix. Mira also finds her face incredibly familiar, although she can’t seem to place how exactly.
The woman squints at Mira, staring in a way that feels like she’s analyzing every little thing about her. The Woman’s gaze goes from her boots up, stopping briefly to the now battered pipe in her hand before landing on the slash on her arm.
“You’re hurt.” The woman says nonchalantly, as though she just got out of a dull business meeting rather than just killing several monsters with swords, her voice equally authoritative as the rest of her.
With a graceful flick of her wrist, the sword in her hand somehow vanishes away into thin air. She then approaches Mira while reaching into the purse slung over her shoulder, pulling out a small medical kit from within.
“Y-Yeah… Uh, Thank you...” Mira says, more confused than anything now. Where does she even begin to ask what's happening? “What were those things…?”
“Water Demons.” The woman responds as if that clears up anything at all. “May I see your arm?”
Without protest, Mira unzips her hoodie and lowers her sleeve as the older woman takes some disinfectant and bandages from the kit and starts to treat the young girl's wound.
“Demons? Like… Real demons?” Mira nervously scoffs, not wanting to believe it despite the very real experience she just survived.
“Yes.” The woman responds flatly, her eyes glancing back down to the pipe that Mira is still tightly gripping in her hand. “And it seems like you did a decent job holding them off until I got here.”
“Y-Yeah…I guess I did.” Mira says, looking down at the bandage now being wrapped around her arm before looking back at the woman. “Who are you anyway?”
“My name is Celine.” She responds simply as she finishes wrapping the bandage and steps back.
“Mira.” She mumbles back absentmindedly The name ‘Celine’ has sparked Mira’s memory and she suddenly makes the connection on why she seemed so familiar.
Celine Kwon, The incredibly famous singer from The Sunlight Sisters, a pop group from the 90s that became a worldwide sensation.
Then Mira remembered that Celine is also the only surviving member of the trio after some undisclosed tragic accident took the lives of the other two members.
But that still doesn't explain why this mostly retired celebrity just killed several demons in front of her. She still has so many questions.
“What are those glowing lines?” Mira asks next. “The thing the demons came through?”
“You can actually see it?” Celene asks, a hint of surprise in her usually calm voice. “It’s called The Honmoon, it’s a barrier which acts to prevent demons from entering our world… and normally only hunters are able to see it.”
Each answer Mira receives only causes her even more questions. Demons? Real Demons!? A magical barrier? Hunters?
She opens her mouth to ask another question but is cut off by Celine before she can get a word out.
“You know, I run an entertainment company these days.” She must have picked up on Mira recognizing her already. “And I actually happen to be scouting for girls around your age to form a new idol group. It would involve learning music theory, singing, songwriting, choreography, that sort of thing.”
Celine then locks eye contact with Mira, and in a hushed tone adds. “And, learning how to do that.” While gesturing her head back towards where the demons have been.
“If that's something you may be interested in?” She offers. "I think you have real potential. I will warn you though, it would not be an easy experience. Long hours, meticulous studying and intense physical training.”
Mira, joining an idol group? She has trouble believing that could ever happen. Sure, she can play piano and likes dancing sometimes but she doesn’t exactly have a personality fit for an idol.
“Of course, living space and any necessities would be provided to you during your training as well.” Celine continues
‘Living space’ gets Mira's attention, something she desperately needs right now. Maybe this could be a fresh start for her…
“Uh, yeah, sure, maybe.” She says, stringing her words together in an attempt to sound cool and not quite so desperate.
“Alright, well here's my card.” Celine says, handing the pink haired girl a laminated business card with contact info and a ‘Sunlight Entertainment’ logo in the corner.
“You have plenty of time to decide.” The older woman tells her as she walks over to take her other sword out from the ground. She pulls it free of the pavement before making it vanish away just like she did the first one.
“If you decide on yes, just call me and we can get everything planned.” She says as she steps past the younger girl and back onto the street. “See you around, Mira.”
And with that Celine is gone from sight. Once the clicking of her heels against the pavement fades away, the only sound left in the alleyway is from the pittering of the rain around her.
Mira holds the card in one hand and takes her phone from her pocket with the other, opening it to add Celine to her contacts.
Her stomach lurches as the phone screen lights up.
1 new message
From: Dad
After some anxious hesitation, she shakily unlocks her phone and heads to her contacts to read his message.
October 23rd 12:26 a.m. 7 minutes ago.
Dad: We’ve decided. We'll give you another chance. Come back home princess.
She really, really does hate them so much, toying with her like this. Telling her things are final then suddenly they aren't. Manipulating her.
She may still be young but she's not stupid enough to not notice what they're doing.
But still, she’d probably be better off back there with them than out here in the rain with no money, no food and now demons lurking around.
She'll go back (she refuses to call that place home), for now.
But Celine’s info is already added and ready to go. She feels strangely hopeful for once.
The second her family makes her feel like they did tonight again, she's leaving… and for good this time.