Burns

The demons held their breath. No matter how fiercely Gwi-Ma hungered, no matter how desperately he longed for the return of the good old days when souls were so plentiful he could choke on them — the past few decades had left him in an oddly tranquil state. As if he were amused, watching one generation of huntresses give way to the next, observing how each step brought them closer to weaving the golden veil that would forever divide the two worlds. But now, the fire of his boundless essence burned brighter, scorching the air around him to the point where mere proximity could reduce one to ashes. His maw twisted in irritation, and all that remained was to pray he wouldn’t turn his gaze upon them — to those who waited devotedly for his every word as if it were their salvation. The voices of shattered human souls in their minds never gnawed at their thoughts when Gwi-Ma had something to say. And yet, it had seemed like only yesterday everything was going so well… Jinu, with his absurd plan to create a boy band, had been steadily winning over hearts, giving the demons more souls to drag below — where they either ended as food in Gwi-Ma’s bottomless stomach or became yet another demon tormented by the endless wail of their own regrets. The huntresses were widening the cracks among themselves without even realizing it. Entire cities gave hearts to those who didn’t deserve it, and the veil grew thinner, tearing right before their eyes. And the indifferent world cared nothing for those who vanished without a trace, victims of invisible catastrophes. A low hum reverberated through their realm, and the shadows trembled with hunger, pressing themselves to the ground. Their faceless forms bowed in anticipation, while the weaker demons immediately tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible, hiding behind others’ backs. Jinu was yanked downward with such force that the earth shook, and a fresh wave of searing heat singed the tops of the tallest among them. They could only be grateful it wasn’t their fate to stand directly before the master of this abyss. "Tell me," Gwi-Ma began, deceptively calm, his fiery maw stretching wider, "how are demons like you different from those crawling at the foot of my throne?" Jinu slowly rose, cautiously trying to decipher what answer was expected of him. Unfortunately, silence wasn’t an option — he had to take the risk, walking the knife’s edge once again. "I… wasn’t born here?" he ventured hesitantly, searching for any hint in the crowd before bowing his head submissively, shoulders tense. It seemed even the success of his scheme couldn’t save him now, not with Gwi-Ma’s wrath hanging so heavily over him. A cruel chuckle sliced through the air like the crack of a whip, making every demon flinch. "Think again," Gwi-Ma prompted, almost tenderly — but his flames grew taller. Jinu clenched his fists and opened his mouth, but before he could respond— "You see… the absence of a soul has its drawbacks. It makes one forget reason and return to more… instinctive impulses." Gwi-Ma’s voice always crackled with the hiss of fire, threatening even when he sounded lazily disinterested. "You’re no different from that whimpering mass below — except for your ideas. Because there’s no more intelligence in you than in a mindless flea." The demon ducked his head, trying to shield himself from another wave of scorching air as Gwi-Ma’s fury blazed hotter. No one understood the true source of their master’s irritation. The huntresses no longer sang, fractured as they were when Rumi’s skin had snaked with patterns, and the humans were ready to willingly surrender their souls at tonight’s final concert. Honmoon had nearly fallen completely, and Jinu’s little stunt — succumbing to the pretty singer’s words — had been conveniently forgotten. Human doubts gnawed at their thoughts with renewed fervor, reacting to the displeasure of the one who had allowed them to fester into monstrous proportions. Silent to all but their victims, yet so unmistakable… The demons below stirred — some clutched their heads with muffled screams, others lashed out at those beside them, surrendering more violently to the poisoned thoughts. "I… I don’t understand…" Jinu forced out, trembling, unable to fully hide his terror from the howling shame in his mind before Gwi-Ma. The fiery maw twisted in displeasure before exhaling heavily, blasting them all with unbearable heat, severing the doubts and emotions that had kept his underlings in check. "Everything was so perfect… She had so much hunger inside her, so much rage… And instead of bringing her to me, you gave her to—" Gwi-Ma cut himself off in sheer fury, his flames surging to the heavens, staining everything a venomous crimson. "Celine!" Jinu hastily raised his hands, clearly bewildered but already prepared to beg for mercy. "My nature will always overpower their pitiful human convictions. She could play in her sandbox as long as she wanted — hunger would have led her to me eventually. But you… you nearly ruined everything." Scrambling for scraps of understanding, the demon rushed to defend himself. "I told her the truth! Shattered her ties to the others even more! Isn’t… isn’t that what you wanted?" he finished weakly, the panic of a cornered liar creeping into his voice. Gwi-Ma fell silent for a moment, as if unable to believe what he was hearing. "Do you know where Rumi went after you rejected her?" he asked, fiery tendrils brushing against Jinu’s skin. Few knew that some of their patterns were nothing but burns — brands of ownership. Because Gwi-Ma’s flames reached everywhere. Even through Honmoon, when one’s veins already ran with poisoned blood. "To Celine?" Jinu ventured cautiously, not daring to test their master’s patience further. "You see, my daughter decided that a mistake like her didn’t deserve to live — and handed her sword to her." Jinu jolted. No one could tell what shocked him more — the news that Rumi might no longer be alive (given their failed romance), or the revelation that she was… their next mistress. Gwi-Ma’s successor, who would one day take his place, opening her own hungry maw to the flood of human souls. "Fortunately, Celine proved too soft," the voice hissed, the flames seeming to dim… Only to erupt even hotter, searing the demons with painful licks. "But you… you let this happen!" The earth trembled with his wrath, cracking open as magma surged forth, drawing the first screams from the demon horde below. Doubt, fear, and aggression howled in their minds — urging them to hide, to beg, to slash and tear, to choke on rot and weep, but never to stop. Jinu clutched his ears, futilely trying to block out the suffocating whispers of a lost soul’s secrets. "I didn’t… I didn’t know!" he wailed, curling in on himself, claws digging into his temples. Gwi-Ma did not temper his fury. He snorted in displeasure and stretched his fiery maw wider. But Jinu wasn’t devoured, as they all expected. "My daughter will attend your concert. It would be a shame to ruin her favorite toy…" he muttered irritably, and at last, the flames ceased their relentless lashing. His focus shifted back to Jinu, who slowly, painfully straightened under his gaze, lifting his head like a hunted animal. "But what if… she starts to sing?" "Well… I suppose I can let her play human a little longer, if she wishes. What are thirty or forty years compared to an eternity of hunger? She was born to shine, after all." His voice held a strange… pride. "And she’ll have two whole worlds for it." Jinu glanced uneasily at the crowd below, then back at the fiery maw. "She… will consume you?" Gwi-Ma upheld this world — he was its master, the pillar of this sky and all beneath it. But if there were two masters… "Or I, her," he rumbled, almost pleased. "Rumi shows great potential, but when her time comes, I won’t go quietly. And she’ll appreciate one last gift from me. But for now…" The fiery maw narrowed slightly, concealing the abyss within. "Don’t you dare stand in her way." The whisper seared across the demon’s face, branding him anew. Jinu choked on the pain but asked no more questions — though he should have. Because if Gwi-Ma and his daughter understood only aggression and battle, he couldn’t surrender victory so easily. But if Jinu attacked… would that count as "standing in her way"? "You’re a clever boy. You’ll figure it out," Gwi-Ma mocked before exhaling mightily, dissolving Jinu into smoke and sending him through the torn veil to Earth. Then his gaze turned to the horde below, and the demons froze in terror. "I suggest you prepare. You’ll be meeting my daughter — and she deserves the finest show…"