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Idols of Gwi-Ma
“Everything’s going to plan, it’s nearly time. Soon it would be all over. Gold will spread across the Honmoon. My voice is better than before!” Rumi thought, moving across the stage as she continued to perform Golden.
Rumi continues performing, killing it with notes and a stellar voice, her eyes staring up at the Honmoon as gold begins to pulse through the threads humming in tune with her voice. A ring lowered from the ceiling, its metal shining as bright as Rumi. Rumi grabbed onto it, securely, as it began to move up and over the crowd. The crowd below her cheered as she soared over them, unaware that backstage, Mira and Zoey had been drawn away. Even Rumi had no idea of what was happening behind the scenes as she continued to bask in the Honmoon. She reached down to the crowd, her hope swelling in her notes as she touched the crowd, feeling and watching the Honmoon spreading over them. Rumi noticed a golden shimmer, brighter and stronger than before, coming from the back of the venue. “This is it! The Honmoon is going to be sealed!” Rumi thought, arriving back at the stage, hopping down from the ring, her voice swelling as she sang even harder, eyes fixed on the Honmoon as gold begins to pulse through the threads.
“You know we're gonna be gonna be golden, we're gonna be, gonna be born to be, born to be glowin'밝게빛나는우리you know that it's our time, no fears, no lies, that’s who we're born to be.”
Suddenly, everything went still, the lights cutting off as the music too died. Rumi faltered, confusion washing over her. The crowd murmured in confusion and frustration at the interruption of the performance.
Rumi felt her heart drop as the start of Takedown’s heavy beat began to echo around her. “What?”
“Is this a new song?”
“What’s going on?”
Rumi blocked out the voices from the crowd, watching as the Honmoon’s golden effect began to fade. “Takedown? They put this back in?”
With a sharp snap, the lights came back on but differently, a red, menacing colour washing over the stage and Rumi. The crowd started cheering with more excitement as this unexpected surprise of hearing a new Huntrix song, a golden treat in their minds, for the Idol Awards.
Mira and Zoey appear behind Rumi, ready to perform, making Rumi jump at the cold presence radiating from them like a bad odour that refused to leave the room. “How did they get here so fast?” Rumi questioned in her mind, recalling she had never seen them near the stage when she had dismounted the ring.
The beat dropped, and the song kicked into full gear, the girls starting their choreography, but Rumi, confused, still tried to play along, discomfort and concern writing across her face.
Mira and Zoey sing their lyrics but with more disdain and hatred in their voices, dripping with insidious venom with every note that crept out.
“Zoey? Mira? What?” Rumi questioned.
Mira and Zoey sang together, shifting from choreography to start encircling Rumi, dancing around and close to her, a chill rushing down her spine as she realised there was something targeted about it, directed mainly at her. “Had they figured it out?” Rumi asked herself.
It’s a takedown
So sweet, so easy on the eyes
But hideous on the inside
Whole life spreading lies
But you can’t hide
Baby nice try
Zoey took up her part, throwing a magenta clawed hand towards Rumi’s face, making her jump back.
I’m bout the switch up these vibes
I finally opened my eyes
It’s time to kick you straight back into the night.
But as the words hung in Rumi’s ears, she could hear Mira’s voice coming from Zoey’s mouth, then, when Mira swept in, tugging at Rumi’s braid a little, smirking at her, singing her part, her voice was higher like Zoey’s, as if the two had colluded to alter their voices to throw Rumi off balance.
Cuz I see your real face And it’s ugly as sin
Time to put you in your place
Cuz you’re rotten within
When your patterns start to show
It makes the hatred wanna grow
Outta my veins.
“What are you doing, girls? We’re so close, we’re so close. Just stop!” Rumi protested.
Her heart dropped in her chest as she saw Mira and Zoey standing side by side, the red glow of the stage washing over their faces. Their eyes focused on Rumi with cold, emotionless intensity, their lips curled into uncanny, sinister smirks. They swept towards her, breaking the song as they began to push and shove Rumi roughly, uncaring about the crowd's reaction and whether the girls were fighting. A clawed fist narrowly missed Rumi’s cheek as Zoey shoved her into Mira before Mira shoved her back like a child disgusted with her broken toy.
I don’t think you’re ready for the Takedown,
A demon with no feelings don’t deserve to live
It’s so obvious Ima gear up.
Zoey and Mira sang together, sweeping it, and started tearing Rumi’s jacket sleeves away, exposing the hideous violet, jagged patterns on her shoulders.
“Please! Stop!” Rumi pleaded, tears in her eyes as she tried to cover herself up.
Mira and Zoey kept going, tearing more of her jacket away until Mira ripped the last remnant away, exposing Rumi’s patterns, patterns she had all her life kept hidden, that were now on display.
Rumi stumbled back, fear in her eyes as she tried to hug herself, to hide her patterns as she stared at Mira and Zoey. None of this was making any sense. Her skin burned around her legs, demon patterns crawling down them as they wrapped around her neck, like acidic snakes torturing her.
Mira appeared on the right, Rumi, her voice deep, demonic whispering into Rumi’s ear. “We see what you are.”
“You’re a demon.” Zoey chimed in, appearing on Rumi’s left as her voice matched Mira’s
Everything started to click inside her head as Rumi pulled away from them, unable to take her eyes off the duo, reality shattering that these weren't her friends, they couldn’t be right?
“A mistake,” the duo snapped in unison.
“No!” Rumi pleaded.
“You have been since the day you were born.” They finished with a smirk.
The demon patterns crawled up Rumi’s jawline and around her cheeks and forehead. She clawed with her nails at her own skin, unable to stop herself, feeling every little burn, every little demonic inch enveloping her. Torturous agony washed over her as she dropped to her knees, watching as her hands and fingers started to grow longer but remained human-looking, save for the glowing violet and magenta patterns. “NO!!!” she screamed, the scream more demonic than that of a scared idol. Her voice sent magenta ripples throughout the Honmoon as her scream shattered every light around the stadium, plunging the place into darkness, and an uncomfortable silence took over the crowd and the stadium.
She stood hunched over, staring at the crowd backing away from the stage, eyes wide with terror at the wide-eyed idol standing upon it. She turned back, no longer seeing Mira and Zoey. Rumi cautiously backed up a little before bolting backstage, crashing into the scenery and railings as she tried to collect herself, her body and mind hurting, blurring with confusion as the lines between demon and human were blurred beyond anything she knew. She stumbled down a set of stairs, stopping her tracks at the sight of Mira and Zoey standing together, fear strong in their eyes as they stared at her. Rumi stammered, confused, looking back at the stage before staring at them, feeling a little sense of relief wash over her.
“What? How are you here? You were just on stage...that wasn’t you?” Rumi questioned, hope rising further in her mind. “Things would be okay. Now that Mira and Zoey were here, they could fix this,” she thought. She let out a deep sigh. “Oh, oh, thank goodness!” She moved towards them, her comfort, her support, but she walked closer to them, and they backed away from her. Rumi paused, staring at Zoey’s terrified eyes. “Why does Zoey look terrified?” Rumi asked under her breath. Then it dawned upon Rumi as she looked down at her demon patterns on her arms and hands, magentas and violets exposed, pulsing faintly. “No-- no--” She frantically wrapped her arms around herself, trying to cover herself up.
“How- do you have patterns?” Zoey questioned, her voice cracking, unable to process the sight before her.
Rumi continued to try to cover herself, but every attempt was fruitless now that they had seen them. “These were supposed to be gone--you were never supposed to see--”
Mira gave a disheartened look, her heart breaking inside her chest, “You were hiding this from us...This whole time..”
“I..I…I had a plan to erase them-- Jinu was supposed to-- he was-” Rumi stammered, frightened.
The mention of Jinu, the leader of the Sajas and a demon in his own right, rattled through their minds, and the number of fans who had died because of the Sajas riled them further.
“Jinu?! You’re working with him??” Zoey questioned with an accusing tone.
Tears flowed from Rumi’s eyes, her body shivering, everything spiralling further from her control “No! No, no, I was using him to fix all this! To fix me-- so we could all do our duty, we could all be strong, be together-”
Zoey shook her head, her voice tainted with disgust. “How could we be together if we can’t tell your lies from your truth, Rumi!”
But Mira’s voice was cracking more, her eyes unable to look at Rumi. “I knew it, I knew it was too good to be true.”
Rumi had to rally, had to regain control of the situation, be the leader and make them realise that while she had hidden herself, they were so close to fixing her, fixing everything. “Mira, no! Didn’t you see? See the gold? We’re so close—” She advanced towards them, trying to get close to them, to be together with them, but Mira and Zoey slowly backed away. “No, no, don’t leave! Don’t LEAVE.” She pleaded, desperation overwhelming her, not wanting them to leave; she needed them. “I can still FIX IT!” Rumi screamed, her demon voice coming out in full force, sending a shockwave rippling magenta and furious through the Honmoon and the girls. Mira and Zoey freeze in their tracks, disheartened looks giving way to fear. Mira seemed to swallow a lump in her throat, fighting herself as she summoned her Gok-Do, blade extended towards Rumi, halting her advance.
“Zoey, please…” Rumi begged, noticing Zoey hesitating, but before her, Zoey pulled out two shinkal, holding them up, not raised towards Rumi. Rumi stammered; her worst fear was now a reality before her. The girls who always had her back were now against her. All hope was crushed like a shattered mirror. Rumi whimpered, running off, tears streaking from her eyes, unaware of Mira and Zoey, lowering their weapons, sharing concerned, regretful looks between them.
Rumi ran through the halls, everything all the more clear, her rage directed at the one person who was behind this. She ran through the halls, crying, she had to find him, had to find Jinu. “Jinu? Jinu?! Where are you? Jinu!” A door slammed open, nearly flying off its hinges, her eyes burning with pure hatred as she saw Jinu standing alongside a ‘Mira’ and a ‘Zoey’, their eyes violet and gold, staring with evil intent at her. With a snap of his fingers, the demons reverted to their dokkaebi forms before disappearing.
Rumi shook her head, unable to accept the fact that someone she had colluded with, revealing herself to him, worked with him to try and fix things, and she couldn't believe she had just been played, and everything was falling apart. “Say you didn’t do this. She shoved him, but he didn't move. She punched his chest, angrier than ever before. “How could you do this?!
“It was all a lie.”
“It was real! What we had was real! I know it was!” Rumi protested. “Everything was closed. You would have been freed.”
“The things I said...I just needed you to trust me. That’s all.” Jinu stated, taking a deep breath. “You trusted too easily, especially with your desperate concept of being free.” There was no emotion in his voice or eyes as he stared down at Rumi.
“No, no! I know your story. You were a good person, and you still are. You just made a mistake-”
“I left them!” Jinu snapped, interrupting her, causing her freeze at the sight of patterns radiating on full display before her. “That’s right. I lied to you! I only made a deal with Gwi-Ma to get myself out of that miserable life.
“But...that’s not all you are. This is just your demon talking! You-You have to fight it!” Rumi protested. “I saw it in you, the good person, the one who wanted to be free, to fix things.”
“THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS!” Jinu snapped.
“YES, IT IS!” Rumi retorted, screaming, her demon voice taking over her voice, rippling the Honmoon, patterns flaring across her body.
Jinu took a deep breath, moving into a cold calm. “Listen to yourself. Is it working?” Rumi stopped, panting, eyes wide as she looked down at the ground. “You’re a demon, just like me. All we get to do is live with our pain, our misery. That’s all we deserve.”
“And your usefulness has reached its end. You are no longer required.”
Jinu’s eyes went wide as he felt something being pulled out of his very being. Rumi stared, feeling nothing but broken hatred for Jinu as she watched his body breaking down into magenta ash until nothing remained, leaving her alone.
“You didn’t deserve this. You want to fix it, no more hiding. Let yourself see your shining glow.”
Rumi exhaled, and a flicker of Namsam Stadium appeared in her mind. She stood there, clenching her fists as she felt an abyss forming inside her patterns. She turned and slowly walked off, tearing the Honmoon beneath her with every step.
Outside the Olympic stadium, Mira and Zoey stood watching the disappointed fans leave, the events heavy and overwhelming them as the news broadcast the attack on Rumi. Zoey stared at herself attacking Rumi, but it wasn’t her; she knew it wasn’t Mira either. They had been distracted by demons faking a kidnapping of Bobby. She realised it was too isolated, Rumi. The news report shifted to promoting the Saja Boys, all awards going to them without a doubt, without a performance.
“Mira…what are we going to do?” Zoey quietly asked, watching as the Honmoon began to groan above, struggling with the turmoil around, as magenta pulses grew and clung like limpets, refusing to go away.
Mira shook her head, the reality of her family breaking apart making her feel as if she were drowning in her sorrow and despair. Her mind seemed to flicker back to when she first met Rumi and Zoey, drowning in more despair than she could imagine, but they pulled her through it. One voice echoed in her head. “Our faults and fears must be hidden,” she muttered in time with the words of Celine in her voice. “Celine made her hide it from us.”
“The Honmoon is tearing. Mira, what are we…” Zoey pleaded.
Mira turned towards her, the disheartened look fading from her eyes. “We fix this. We listened to the demons, we let them get between us. Yeah, Rumi hid herself from us, but we’ve hidden things too.”
“Kept our faults and fears, our flaws hidden,” Zoey chimed in.
“Exactly,” Mira replied, tears forming in her eyes. “Rumi needed us; she was there for us, and we turned our backs on her. We can’t perform our duty without her.”
“We were scared, we…we..should have been there for her,” Zoey softly said.
The air grew still as the holographic billboards all flicked to show the Sajas. Mira gritted her teeth, fists clenching. As the image of Jinu seemed to stare right at her, likewise for all the Sajas.
"Hey everybody, you must all be so sad about the Huntrix breakup...we are too. So, to cheer everyone up, we’re going to do a special live performance tonight! Midnight! Namsan Tower! Don’t miss it for the world!" he stated, gesturing towards Namsam Stadium Tower.
Mira and Zoey gasped in shock and fear, the stadium glowing magenta and red like a beacon beckoning people forward. Their eyes stared around at the crowds of people, picking up Saja Boys lightsticks as they began to move in organised rows towards the stadium, cheering out for the Saja Boys. Mira stepped forward, eyeing the wide-eyed, entranced look of one fan as her boot crunched down upon a lightstick. A Huntrix lightstick, cracked and broken, stared back at her.
“What are we going to do without Rumi?” Zoey asked.
“Where do you think Rumi will be?” Mira stated, pointing towards the beacon. “We have to be there for her. We have to help her. We can still fix things and save the world. We can still save her.”
Zoey nodded. “For all the times she’s picked us up. Let’s do it.”
Namsam was cold and empty, a small mass of magenta crackled at the centre of the centre, its violet maw of a mouth curled into a wicked smirk as a pair of beady fiery violet eyes narrowed at the sight of the running makeup and pulsing patterns walking up towards the stage, demons baying and crawling through the widening tear that she left in her wake.
Rumi kept her gaze on the floor, her voice soft, demonic, broken with emotion and shattered hopes. Unphased by the demons moving out to fill in some of the best seats in the house. She brought her gaze up to the mass before her, her voice singing her lament, her vocals raw and pained.
I was a ghost, I was alone
Lost in the dark, lost in my heart (Ah)
Given the throne, I didn't know how to believe
I was the queen that I'm meant to be
I lived two lives, tried to blend both sides
Yeah, might instigate my own state.
Nothing left to lose now
Nothing but the truth of what I am
The worst of what I came from, patterns I'm ashamed of
Things that even I don't understand
I tried to fix it, I tried to fight it
My heart was twisted, my heart divided
My lies all collided
Smiling on the surface
Wishing I was perfect, just like you
Fighting to be flawless Anything but honest
Thinking you'd hate me if you knew I let the fear in,
I tried to mask it
Scared of the mirror, I should've smashed it
And shown you the madness, the dreams and the damage
And dammit I hate this disguise.
“You come here like this? You think you can fix the world? You can't even fix yourself.” Gwi-Ma stated.
“I can't, I'm a mistake. I always have been. Celine should never have let me live,” Rumi replied.
“And now everyone finally sees you for what you really are–”
“They do.” Rumi’s fingers tightened, her white skin darkening into a deep violet as magenta colours swirled into her patterns, her hands grew longer alongside her fingers, nails disappearing under the hardening violet skin. She tried to summon her sword to her grasp, watching as it flickered and pulsed, struggling to enter the plain of existence. She could feel it screaming as it was torn between the Honmoon and her grasp, leaving it in that state for a few seconds before letting it go.
“The Honmoon you so desperately protected was built on a foundation of lies. You would have never been free. You would always have to hide, but why hide anymore? There is always another place, or are you still so desperate to protect the Honmoon and fix yourself just to pretend you're not a mistake again? Even your precious friends, your precious fans, have turned on you. You are nothing but dirt beneath the tree, trampled, broken, discarded by the very thing you thought could save you.”
“It would never have worked. I realise that I will never be fixed. The lies collided, and there is nothing left for me. So why not just get it over with, end my life, take the Honmoon down? You’ve won, there’s nothing but ash for the world now.”
“Why would I kill you? To me, you’ve always been a demon, a child of mine. Don’t you see? You are not hiding anymore, you are amongst your own kind here.”
Rumi glanced over her shoulder at the crowds of demons watching her. Normally, these demons would be afraid of her, but now they were all watching her, concerned for her. She held out a hand, clawed fingers dancing in the air as her patterns shone.
“You can begin again.”Rumi’s patterns began to flash and resonate with energy as Gwi-Ma’s glow surrounded her. “I take what has been broken and make it anew. You can still have them, you can save them. You can watch the world burn away and never be alone, never hide your real self.”
“If this was the Honmoon I was supposed to protect, then I am glad to see it destroyed,” Rumi stated, her angelic voice no longer present in her demonic tones as her eyes flashed malevolently.
Rumi turned back to Gwi-Ma, her brown eyes slowly fading under a pulsing golden hue as her pupils became slits. A pair of horns slowly grew from her forehead as her ears grew into points. Saliva glistened from her teeth as they sharpened into points, her canines elongating into distinctive fangs. Her skin grew paler as her outfit shifted and warped under new power. Silver heels on boots that ran to her knees gleamed as a sleeveless dress with padded shoulders and a high mesh neckline wrapped around her upper body, splits in the lower half showing off her patterned thighs. Gloves, fingerless and leather, were pulled over her hands, giving her clawed fingers a more sinister vibe. A gat formed on top of her head as black makeup formed into a feline style around her eyes and lips. Topping the ensemble was a sochangui overcoat, modified with mesh sleeves and demon-patterned golden cuffs.
Rumi stepped forward, each click of her heels methodically echoing around her, the tear growing wider behind her as the Honmoon shrivelled away from her, each thread seeming to scream like a crying child as it severed from Rumi’s body. She walked into the mass of Gwi-Ma, finding the remaining four Sajas standing there, eyeing her, unable to process that she was a demon, a Hunter had fallen into Gwi-Ma’s grasp.
Baby Saja cried out in pain as his body was dissolved into a pillar of magenta energy. The other Sajas stared with abject horror as they too had the same fate cast upon them. Romance had a look of pure betrayal in his eyes before he was dissolved. The pillars of energy arced across the stage, burrowing into Rumi’s chest as she doubled back from the momentum, her patterns danced with magenta hues as she felt untamed power washing through every fibre of her being.
“They will belong. You will save them with your new strength. Idols will stand together. Feel the song of burning world coursing through your patterns.”
The energy slowed down as Rumi took a deep breath, sensing the number of souls slowly converging into the stadium. A smile crossed her face as she recognised two souls that weren’t pulled by her master, two souls that knew she had to save, to make them belong, whilst Gwi-Ma feasted on the worthless rest of them.
“Your idols will belong. Your idols will help you. Once they are enthralled, the Honmoon will burn,” Rumi coldly stated with detached emotion.
Out in the stadium, Mira and Zoey pushed through the crowd. Zoey’s heart stopped as she caught sight of Bobby amongst the crowd of fans. The cheers for the Sajas grew, everyone, eating up the growing mass in the centre of the stage as a unique special effect.
“Where’s Rumi?” Zoey asked.
“The stage…that’s..”
“Gwi-Ma.”
The duo looked on at their sworn enemy, the first time they had seen him in this existence, which brought a sense of dread and fear. They scanned the number of people here; hundreds, if not thousands, of people were drawn in by this terror, by this lord of darkness. Everyone in Seoul was here, all entranced, awaiting their final unseen fate in the maw of Gwi-Ma.
“We need Rumi,” Mira stated. “She has to be here.”
“What are we going to do? We can’t defeat him without our third.”
“We have to try,” Mira called out, pushing her way towards the stage. “She’ll be here. She won’t let the Honmoon down.”
Zoey nodded, praying that Rumi would show up as she fought her way through the crowd with Mira until the sea of fans began to part, allowing them up onto the stage. Despite appearing as a fiery mass of magentas and violets, the air around the stage was cold, riddled with tears and static. A shrill ringing pulsing through the Honmoon as Mira drew out her weapon, closely followed by Zoey. They assumed their stances, ready for every Gwi-Ma that would throw at them.
“We finally meet face to face, Hunters.”
“This ends here, Gwi-Ma. Your reign of terror ends with gold!” Mira declared, raising her Gok-Do
Zoey nodded, determination in her eyes. “You keep your hands…er tendrils…er fire off our Honmoon!”
“Real smooth, Zoey,” Mira muttered.
“It’s the lord of the demons, okay. It’s hard not to be scared of this jerk!” Zoey retorted.
“You're braver than the last generation. Such strong souls, strong connections. Yet, like the previous generations, all it took was one little lie to divide you. You think you come here to save them, to be heroes. But look at you, you turned your back on your leader. Pathetic little children trying to be soldiers in a war that is already lost. You just don’t see it, do you?”
“We ain’t letting you in!” Mira stated. “We’re stronger!”
“Yeah, once Rumi gets here, your toast!” Zoey added.
“Together will burn out the voices stuck inside our heads and show you the true power of harmony and defeat you!” Mira finished.
Gwi-Ma softly chuckled, calmly staring down at the Hunters as the crowd of fans began to laugh too. “You think you can defeat me? You are welcome to try Little Hunters. But first there’s someone here who wants to say something to you.”
A look of concern crossed Zoey and Mira’s faces as all lights went down, leaving them and the stadium in the eerie glow of Gwi-Ma’s body and the faint glow of their weapons. The crowd murmured in anticipation of what was about to come. Dread washed over the hunters as a beat pulsed, dark and anthemic as a faint note crescendoed before a figure in black rose from out of Gwi-Ma’s body, the female demonic voice starting to chant as she hovered above Mira and Zoey.
Pray for me now
Pray for me now, pray for me now (dies irae illa)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (vos solve in favillam)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (maledictus erus)
Pray for me now, pray for me now (in flammas aeternum)
I'll be your idol
I'll be your idol (Yeah)
Mira and Zoey gasped as the figure landed before them, her golden eyes slowly rising to stare at them, revealing the patterned, demonic features of Rumi, cold and lost to the abyss. Rumi stretched out her hands towards the hunters as the crowd cheered excitedly.
“Rumi?” Zoey muttered, unaware of a faint glow flickering on her chest. Her eyes filled with fear at the pulsing patterns and golden demon eyes on a familiar face that she had cared for.
“No,” Mira whispered, her weapon lowering, a small flicker of disgust rose in amongst her fear, disgust onwards herself she had pushed Rumi to this point. Left alone, caused by her own fear and insecurity she had led Rumi to his grasp.
Rumi’s body snapped unnaturally as she began to dance an improvised choreography to the dark, high-energy EDM mixed with a rock beat that radiated through the stadium.
Keeping you in check (Uh),
keeping you obsessed (Uh)
Play me on repeat,
끝없이 in your head
Anytime it hurts (Uh), play another verse (Yeah)
I can be your sanctuary
Know I'm the only one right now (Yo)
I will love you more when it all burns down
More than diamonds, more than gold (Yeah)
Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm here for your soul
She danced closer, wedging herself between Mira and Zoey, crawling her fingers around their bodies as the beat continued to play out.
“Rumi, this isn't you,” Mira said shakily.
“Please, Rumi. We’re sorry,” Zoey pleaded.
Rumi moved closer, advancing as she roughly pulled Mira around with her dance moves, until she leaned closer to Mira's ear, hand gripping Mira's shoulders. “You thought you found a family. You don't deserve that one. This is the family where you belong,” Rumi stated, her voice booming but like honey in Mira’s mind.
Rumi flipped away, giving the crowd a creepy but excitable break dance before whipping back to the centre of the stage, looking over at the wide-eyed look on Mira’s disheartened face. She shifted into the next part of the song, beckoning with her fingers towards Mira as Mira’s Gok-Do shattered with the Honmoon threads around her, gaping tears forming around Mira’s feet.
“Mira?” Zoey asked, noticing Mira moving towards Rumi.
Cause the world will never love your sins
I'm the only one who'll ever let you in
Be by my side, let me take your pain
Within her chest, Mira’s soul pulsed outwards in various directions as a magenta hue rose inside her chest, shattering her soul as demonic patterns wormed their way across her skin.
Listen 'cause I'm preachin' to the choir
Can I get the mic a little higher? (Yeah)
Read me like the Bible (Hoo)
I can be the idol you rely on (You rely on)
내 황홀에 취해, you can't look away (Yeah)
Sure, you don't want me to save you?
Give me your desire (Hoo)
Yeah, I'm all you need, I'ma be your idol
Zoey blinked, frightened and afraid as Mira joined Rumi’s side, dancing in sync and perfectly with her. Mira’s voice was demonic, joined Rumi’s in harmony as the chorus reached the line ‘Read me like the Bible’. She starred in Mira’s idol awards outfit, which seemed to shift with back shadows dissolving and wrapping as platform boots formed, and fishnet stockings, alongside a top to match under a black leather crop top and matching skirt. Like Rumi, she gained a matching gat and a sochangui overcoat modified with mesh sleeves and demon-patterned golden cuffs. Still, unlike Rumi, Mira’s clawed fingers became adorned with silver rings to match a silver choker around her neck as spikes grew from both.
Mira’s golden eyes flashed towards Zoey as the demonic duo moved on with the song, Rumi stepping back to allow Mira a chance in the spotlight. Gwi-Ma watched slightly as the crowd noise reached an all-time high for Mira.
Visionary, fame, got you calling me an idol
Thank you for the pain 'cause it got me going viral
Uh, yeah, all caught up in your fever, makin' you a believer
Keep it up with that love, I'm going to save ya
Don't let it show, keep it all inside
The pain and the shame, keep it outta sight
Your insecurities feeds our connection
이 순간 give me all your attention
Rumi appeared on one side of Zoey, and Mira on the other, drawing her to the centre of the stage, clawed fingers wrapping gently around her shoulders and hands, the duo embracing her, and there, from the pre-chorus, let out like honey towards their friend, as if calling to her.
Don't you know that world will never love your sins?
I'm the only one who'll ever let you in
Be by my side, let me take your pain
Mira and Rumi moved their hands over Zoey’s soul, watching it dance and flicker. The crowd held their breath as the beat slowed down, punctuated by Zoey's shinkal shattering.
“They claim you're too much,” Mira began.
“And not enough,” Rumi added.
“Eagerness to please, too eager in their minds,” they said in unison. “But not to us. You were always perfect to use. We always loved you…We always cared…we can take away that pain and give you that place you’ve longed to belong.”
Zoey’s soul shattered in the moment, a few tears falling from her eyes as she too underwent a demonic rise, pushing through the shadows of insecurities to belong with her friends. Her outfit dissolving, shifting, still remains somewhat Zoey, with baggy black and violet high-waisted parachute pants with straps connecting to a halterneck top, long gloves rolled down her arms, stopping before her fingers as they grew into violet-clawed ones like her friends. A pair of chunky street style boots formed around her feet as she gained a matching gat and overcoat from her friends.
The trio bared fanged smiles before hugging each other tightly, patterns and horns glowing as they turned their golden eyes towards Gwi-Ma, who bowed before snapping unnaturally towards the crowd. They had a song to finish, a new mission to complete, as above them the Honmoon threads snapped and withered like untuned guitar strings. Magenta tears ripping through the very fabric, pulsing with the new demonic beat. With a clap of their hands, the Huntrix logo appeared, the ‘Hunt’ dissolving into a clawed demonic ‘Soul’ forming Soultrix before the fans.
Listen 'cause I'm preachin' to the choir
Can I get the mic a little higher? (Yeah)
Read me like the Bible (Hoo)
I can be the idol you rely on (You rely on)
내 황홀에 취해, you can't look away (Yeah)
Sure you don't want me to save you?
Give me your desire (Hoo)
Yeah, I'm all you need, I'ma be your idol
The trio were unmatched in their perfect choreography, fires erupting around the stage as they beckoned and called out to the glowing souls in the crowd. Continuing the performance, leading them like the pied piper idols they were, towards the steps of the stage.
Hear me now Hear me now
Oh, you're all alone
All you'll ever be is broken
But I see beauty in the broken glass
Zoey knelt down, reaching out a hand to touch Bobby’s as he neared the stairs nearest to her.
Living in your mind now
Too late 'cause you're mine now
I will make you free
When you're all part of me
As the crowd moved onto the stage, cheering and watching the performance as they marched towards Gwi-Ma, the trio came together in the air, floating before their new master, before snapping straight back into the choreography, watching with hungry smiles in their minds.
(Listen 'cause I'm) I command the choir (Now)
Preachin' everyone their desire
Living by the altar
Watch me set your world on fire
내 황홀에 취해, you can't look away (Yeah)
No one is coming to save you
Now we runnin' wild
You're down on your knees,
I'ma be your idol
Zoey reached her hands up into the sky, bringing out her inner lyricist to add one more part to their song.
No one ever truly loved us
We’re all that shines
Together we be your idol
Burn it all down, never protected
Now we’re setting your sins free
Rumi felt the same urge, extending her hands down towards the fans, flexing her clawed fingers at those who looked at her, adored her. The men, the women and the children, all transfixed on her, walking into the fires behind her.
Let’s us guide you, let us be your idols
No more running, no hiding
The Queen meant to be
Your Idols will save you from yourselves
This is the way the fires rise.
Mira could only smirk as she decided to join her friends, adding her own stinging point to the song as if making a declaration to her friends and to herself.
No more insecurities, no sin
Let the voice under your skin
Preach to the fire For all need
Is to follow your Idols
The trio landed on the stage, watching, soul after soul absorbing into Gwi-Ma’s growing body. For a brief moment, they focus on Bobby, no emotion, only the thought that he was nothing, saved from all the lies and sins of the world.
Rumi hissed, turning towards the end of the stage, eyes narrowing on a familiar dishevelled figure wielding two sickles. The figure locked eyes with Rumi, then Zoey, and finally Mira.
“R-Rumi..” Celine stammered.
“Little Celine. What do you think?” Rumi asked. “I don’t have to hide my patterns anymore, my false mother!”
“You made her afraid!” Mira stated.
“You tore us apart,” Zoey snapped. “Faults and fears must never be seen.”
“Well, look at us now. No more Honmoon, no more hiding. How does it feel?” Rumi asked.
The trio began to circle Celine like vultures, shoving and clawing at her.
“No longer bound by your false teachings.” Mira chimed in with a singing voice.
“Your lies can’t hurt us anymore!” Zoey hissed
“You failed. There is no Honmoon left to protect. Let yourself rest, Celine. Your time and duty are over,” Rumi whispered.
The sickles clattered onto the ground as Rumi smirked, watching Celien slowly move to join the back of the crowd.
“The world burns tonight,” Zoey purred. “Shall I get the snacks?”
“And the notebooks,” Mira added. “If the world is truly to burn, let your voices pull those weaklings to their demise.”
Rumi licked her lips. “Can we modify Takedown to target humans? I really think it’s the best song we have.”
Mira toyed with her hair. “Maybe we can steal Soda Pop, too.”
“Yeah, we can take it, Mira. After all, Gwi-Ma popped their sodas!! So there are no thorns in our sides now,” Rumi calmly stated, smirking.”If he hadn’t popped them, I could never have saved you. Now we’re all together, the sins are in the past. We have a new world, and we’re together for always.”
“Always and together. Soultrix will feed our master!” the trio declared, watching the final few lost souls souls wandering their way into the fires as a still silence crept over Seoul's nightlife.