ââŚWhat,â Mira says flatly. âWhat do you mean, why does she have patterns?â
Celine can barely hear her over her own ragged breathing. Itâs been so long since she last saw anything like those lines outside one of her nightmares; when they finally turned the Honmoon golden, theyâd been so sure that it meant Rumi would be safe from Gwi-Maâs influence forever. As soon as Rumi was born, Celine had promised Miyeong that her baby would be safe, and they threw themselves into making sure their comeback would be unforgettable. Four years of albums, concerts, TV appearances and fan meets; four years of taking turns to get up with the baby at night and watch the small yellow sparks grow strong enough to keep her safe. And then, finally, it had been enough. Rumi would be able to live her life without hearing Gwi-Maâs voice, and the Honmoon was strong enough it hadnât needed to call any more Hunters.
The Sunlight Sisters had finished the work of so many generations: a world without demons, a world where they could finally set down their weapons. Miyeong had done it for Rumi, of course; Sunmi had done it for all the little girls who would never need to be thrown into this battle after them. And Celine, who had started to do it all for Miyeong, had - somewhere between the bedtime stories and 3am bottle feeds and watching Rumi toddle towards her, tiny hands reaching up for Celine - started to do everything for Rumi as well.
Now her baby girl is standing before her, coloured marks pulsing across her skin.
And all Celine knows is that she failed.
âRumi-ya,â she whispers. âWhat happened? I donât understandâŚâ
âI donât understand whatâs happening,â Celine says.
Miyeong is still holding her hand flat against her chest. Celine should move - it doesnât feel right, that she should be touching Miyeong without Miyeong knowing what it means to Celine, to be touching her like this. To be touching her at all.
Before she can say anything, a door opens and another young man emerges from one of the bedrooms. Then he catches sight of the two of them and throws his hands up to cover his face.
âARGH, MY EYES! Why are you both so gross?!â
âDonât you start,â Miyeong warns him, although she does let Celine take her hand back. âHow do you think you got here?â
âNot like that!â He staggers off towards the kitchen, eyes still covered, muttering darkly.
âSo youâve managed to scar two of them for life,â Miyeong teases. âAre you going to go three for three, or will you come talk to me?â
Celine lets herself be lead back into the bedroom, and Miyeong settles her back onto the bed and takes a seat next to her.
âJust tell me what youâre feeling,â Miyeong prompts. âYou donât have to have all the answers.â
Celine - Celine has not been in a position where that was remotely true since even before Rumi was born. But sheâs willing to try.
âConfused,â she spits out after a moment. âScared.â
âBecause you thought I was dead?â
Celine cannot bring herself to say it. She just nods.
âDid you have a flashback..?â
âNo, no, nothing like thatââ
âCeline, love, nobody will think any less of you for going back on the antidepressants. Thereâs nothing wrong with getting help.â
âThat isnât it,â Celine confesses. âMiyeong-ah, I donât know how to explain this but I donât remember any of this. Not like I forgot things, but I remember different things happening.â
Understanding dawns slowly. âYou remembered me dying.â
(Celine remembered her being dead, above all else, but itâs close enough that she nods.)
â⌠And Rumi? You were asking..â
(Celine does not think about the tree. Celine makes a decision not to think about the tree, which takes some effort.)
âI have to be sure sheâs safe. I have to knowââ
Sheâs shaking again. When did that happen?
âSheâs fine, you heard Hajoon. Sheâs probably burning all our eggs and making a mess youâll be cleaning up later, but thereâs nothing wrong with her.â
(Rumiâs a good cook, out of necessity if nothing else. Too many times Celine had needed to take care of a breach in the Honmoon, and there was only so many packaged snacks she was willing to buy: Rumi had started making her own meals just so she wouldnât have to rely on whatever Celine could pull together.)
(That is probably not the detail to get stuck on.)
âMiyeong, please. You have to believe meââ
âOf course I believe you! You saw something that terrified you, and you didnât know what was real when you woke up. You know what Dr. Kim said about PTSDââ
âI donât,â Celine does not snap, but she does raise her voice slightly. She regrets it immediately, and forces herself to take a deep breath. âIâm not hallucinating or insane, or whatever youâre thinking. This is a demon thing, it has to be.â
âI know it seems that way right now, but there arenât any demons. Not any more.â
Celine watches as Miyeong reaches out to the Honmoon, letting it shimmer around them briefly.
âItâs over, love. No more demons.â Miyeong cradles Celineâs face in her hands. âEveryoneâs safe.â