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The metallic sound of the Saingeom echoed through the narrow alley. The blade, shiny like a ghost, trembled slightly in Rumi’s hand. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the handle. The purple braid—once her pride—now felt like a rope tying her to the reality she desperately wanted to deny.
In front of her, Mira and Zoey stood. Their pretty, angelic faces were now full of shock.The weapons they held, designs with heavenly details, were pointed straight at her. The heart beat wildly, not only from the fear, from the betrayal she felt in every cell.
—Rumi… —Mira’s voice, usually sweet like honey, broke.
—Explain… —Zoey added, with a look Rumi couldn’t read.
But what could she explain? How could she tell them about the nightmare her life had been? She was raised to hate what she was, -- a monster..--an abomination to the Honmoon. Every touch, every kiss shared with Mira and Zoey now felt like a lie, a trick built over a deep sea of secrets.
The lump in her throat made it hard to breathe.Words wouldn’t come. She just shook her head, tears quietly rolling down her cheeks. Panic took over, pushing her to run. She turned and ran without thinking, desperate to put distance between herself and the eyes that once made her feel safe.
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The cold Seoul wind hit Rumi’s face as she ran, tears mixing with sweat. Fear and desperation burned through her like fire. Behind her, the echo of Mira and Zoey's voice follows like a curse. Her girlfriends. Her partners. Her hunters.
She feels the weight of the hate she has carried for years, now growing like a poisonous plant that threatens to choke her. The truth has come out: Rumi is a demon, the very creature she once swore to destroy. The irony hits her like a punch in the chest.
She steps into a dark alley, the smell of trash and dampness twisting in her stomach. Her breaths come in short, painful gasps, each one a struggle. The patterns on her skin glow faintly in the broken lamp’s light, mocking her, reminding her of what she has become.
She thinks of Celine. The woman who took her in after her mother died, the one who planted hatred for her own blood deep in her heart. How could Celine, knowing what she truly was,force her to live this lie?
Rumi stops, cornered. The alley has no way out. She lifts her hands, watching her trembling fingers. —How many demons has she killed with these hands?- How many times has she done it, knowing it was right… knowing all along that she is one of them?
The lump in her throat grows tighter. —She can’t live like this anymore..-. She can’t keep hiding the truth from the ones she loves.
Rumi summons her Saingeom, shining as beautifully as the moonlight. She holds it tightly, the sharp tip aimed at her heart. Closing her eyes, a single tear slides down her cheek. She thinks of Mira and Zoey—their smiles, their arms around her, their kisses. A pain fill her chest. How could she ever think of leaving them?
A choked cry escapes her lips. She doesn’t want to die. She wants to live, to love, to be loved. But how can she, when she's like....this?
Just as she’s about to press the blade into her chest, hurried footsteps echo behind her.
—Rumi! —a familiar voice cries, heavy with pain.
It’s Mira.
—Rumi, please! Wait! —Zoey’s voice follows, shaking with fear and desperation.
Rumi's eyes open.She sees them running toward her, their faces pale and shaken. The weapons that once pointed at her are gone, and for a moment, she feels like she can breathe again.
—Rumi... please..don't-..Don't do it..—Mira pleads, her eyes filled with tears. —We...lov- we love you-—-Mira said, barely a whisper, but loud enough for Rumi to hear.
Rumi's eyes stare into nothing. She feels distrust in every part of her. Every instinct tells her this is a trap, maybe another trick from Celine. How can she believe her words after what she saw, after seeing they eyes?
—Love me?..- she asks, her voice barely a hoarse whisper breaking in the air. She looks at them, searching for hatred and fear in their faces, but finds only confusion and… affection? The Saingeom trembles in her hand, its still dangerously close to her heart.
Mira approaches cautiously, as if she might do something if Rumi comes closer.—- "Rumi...please, put down the Saingeom,"–she says softly, with more caution than she would have liked. Reaching out a trembling hand toward her, she adds, -"We love you...Really.. None of this changes how we feel."-
Zoey nods vigorously, tears running down her cheeks. —-"We were confused,but... it’s because we didn’t understand. We didn’t know how to react. But we love you...Rumi. More than anything in this world."—
The words, though honest, feel empty to Rumi. How could they love her? How could they love a demon, the creature they promised to fight? She thinks of Celine’s stories, of cruel demons and broken souls. Is that what she really is? The monster beneath her skin?
—You..you don’t understand,—- she whispers, shaking her head. —-I’m dangerous… for you. For everyone.— She holds the Saingeom tighter, the blade cutting her palm a little. A drop of blood runs down the metal — a dark sign of what’s coming.
Mira takes another step forward, ignoring the danger. —-We don’t think that. You’re not dangerous, Rumi. You are the kindest, most generous person we know....Please come with us, okay? Let's go home...— Mira asks, her voice trembling.
–-"No ask me for the impossible,"— Rumi replies, ignoring Mira's plea, her voice heavy with pain. -—"Don't ask me to forgive something I can't change."-
Silence settles over the alley, broken only by Zoey’s sobs. Rumi feels trapped, suffocated by the weight of her own contradictions. She wants to believe them, to hold onto the hope that they can accept her as she is, but fear paralyzes her. The fear of being rejected, of being hated, of being destroyed.
She lifts her gaze to the night sky, searching for a sign, an answer. But all she finds is darkness — the same darkness that lives within her.
And then something happens
The steel sinks deep under her ribs. A quiet gasp escapes as blood stains her hands and the Saingeom.Her eyes, once filled with confusion and pain, widen with surprise and… relief? The pain burns—sharp and consuming—but it also feels freeing. She feels life slipping away, the darkness closing in, claiming her as its own.
It wasn't an impulse—or at least that's what she thinks at the moment, as her mind slowly began to fade—it was planned from the moment she ran out, it was a necessity.
-—“No!"— Mira screams, rushing to her side in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. Her hands shake as she presses the wound, trying in vain to keep Rumi alive.—"... Rumi.. no.. stay with me, okay? Breathe.. everything's going to be okay... We're going to be okay”— Mira says, her voice breaking, unable to breathe. Zoey drops to her knees, crying uncontrollably, unable to speak.
Rumi coughs, blood bubbling in her throat. She looks at them both with a weak, red-stained smile. “I know this is a bad moment…” she says, her voice breaking, trying to sound a little sarcastic. “…but I love you—more than anything in this world,” she whispers, barely audible. “I’ll always love you.” Her eyes fill with tears, not of regret, but out of gratitude, to thank the unconditional love of his girls, to thanks the unforgettable moments they spent on stage, or all those nights on the couch where they watched scary movies, or Zoey's turtles documentaries, and above all, the morning kisses that Rumi loved... Oh...She's really going to miss that..
To thanks that despite everything—despite her darkness—they loved her. And that love, was enough.
Her hands rise, trembling, searching for theirs Mira and Zoey grasp her fingers, holding on to her with all their love.She feels the warmth of their hands, the love radiating from their hearts, and allows herself one final smile.Allowing herself to be free...
—“No… don’t go,”- Mira begs, tears running down her face.- “Please, Rumi, stay with us.”
Zoey grips her hand tightly, shaking. “We need you… we love you so much… please, don’t leave us,”
But it’s too late. Rumi’s life slips away, like a candle blown out by the wind. Her hand goes limp, her eyes close, and her breathing slows.
One last sigh escapes her lips, and then—silence.
Mira and Zoey hold her, shattered, their sobs consuming every corner of their bodies. The world has emptied; the light that was Rumi is gone forever. Lying between them, serene, with a sad smile, she seems to float between life and death—a peace they can never touch. The girl she feared, the girl she believed unworthy, is gone, taking every piece of their hearts with her.
The chill of her absence seeps into their bones, a void impossible to fill. Every heartbeat reminds them of what will never return, every breath an echo of the eternity they have lost. Darkness surrounds them, immense, infinite, and every shadow reflects the love that could not save her. There is no comfort, only an abyss that screams her name and a world that feels too vast, too empty.
And yet, a tiny thread of her love remains, fragile, almost unreal, a whisper clinging to their souls. They hold it, trembling, knowing it is all they will ever have again. And in that desperate embrace, they cry not only for Rumi, but for the cruelest truth: that even the deepest, purest, most radiant love sometimes cannot defeat death. That the bravest heart can break and never be whole again. And in the silence that follows, only her name remains, floating in the darkness—eternal, impossible, unreachable.