Ignite the Soul Chapter 13 (Early Preview)

Chapter 13: Local Legends

Danny recalled the story from high school. "So, I remembered something Zoey told me back in high school, and I wanted to know if it was based on anything."

Zoey raised a brow, wondering where this was going.

Danny thought back before explaining. "She told me one of her grandmother's stories about demons and demon hunters."

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all tensed. Thankfully, years of pop star training helped them keep a straight face. However, Rumi and Mira turned to Zoey. Beneath those smiles, Zoey could just feel their deadpan and disappointed expressions. Zoey felt her stomach drop, embarrassed because even she had thought it was just a story at the time.

Why was Danny asking about demons? Did he know more than they thought? 

"Is that a thing in Korean mythology? Demon Hunters protecting Korea back then or something like that.”

Jazz raised a brow. She vaguely recalled Danny saying something along those lines back then.

Zoey let out a short, awkward laugh, waving her hand dismissively. “Oh, yeah, that. My grandma loved old folktales and ghost stories. She used to make up all kinds of stuff to scare me into going to bed.”

She shrugged, forcing a casual smile. “The ‘Demon Hunters’ were just something she made up, I guess. You know, like bedtime story stuff. I suppose you can say they were inspired by traditional shamans, mu.”

Mira stepped in. “Korean mythology doesn’t really have demons in the same sense as Western traditions,” she lied. “There aren’t many figures that represent pure evil like that.” But to the Hunters, Gwi-Ma was close to that idea. How many people had he led astray only to add them to his ranks?

Danny blinked. "Huh, so not that much different from other shamans on TV that I've seen."

Zoey quickly thought back to her lessons with Celine for an excuse. “You can think of it as holistic medicine. The soul is the source of life, so physical illness often ties to sickness of the soul. I guess my grandmother wanted to make her traditions more exciting to me growing up."

Rumi nodded. "If you’re looking for something vaguely similar, I suppose the closest comparison might be the Agwi.”

Danny tilted his head. “Agwi?”

“Basically what most Koreans think when you say evil ghost,” Rumi clarified. “They’re called Agwi or ‘Hungry Ghosts.’ They are supposed to be spirits of people who, because of their bad deeds in life, now suffer from endless hunger and thirst, not crossing over to paradise." Technically speaking, this could also apply to people who died and ended up joining Gwi-Ma's army. Maybe people met a Jeoseung Saja and came up with the Agwi. Seemed plausible.

Jazz nodded thoughtfully. “That lines up with what I found,” she said. “Most of what I found centered around Gwishin. Not unlike the western view of ghosts, it's tied to strong emotions or unfinished business.”

Danny nodded, some of the curiosity easing from his expression. “Got it. Thanks for clearing that up.”

Mira checked her phone. “Hey,” she said, nudging the others, “we should probably head out soon if we want to stay on schedule.”

Behind their smiles, HUNTR/X felt relieved. For now, their secret was safe.

Han River

They left Ikseon-dong for the Han River, trading narrow streets for open paths. They rented bikes and rode into the cool breeze as the city noise faded. Rumi sped ahead with a laugh, Danny close behind. Mira kept a steady pace, Zoey wove between riders, and Jazz stayed back, filming the river and her friends.

After the first stretch of the path, Danny glanced over his shoulder at Mira, who had been riding with quiet focus. “Bet I can beat you to the next checkpoint,” he called, grinning.

Mira raised an eyebrow, her lips curving slightly. “You’re on.”

They surged forward without another word, their bikes speeding up as they pulled ahead. The path opened just enough for them to push harder, weaving through riders with quick turns and bursts of speed. Danny laughed as Mira kept pace, her movements steady and controlled. Even so, neither of them pushed to the absolute limits.

Behind them, Rumi slowed, watching with an amused shake of her head. “Let them burn themselves out,” she said, easing her pace. Zoey fell in beside her, content to cruise, while Jazz stayed back, capturing the sudden race on camera before lowering her phone and enjoying the ride at a gentler speed.

Ahead, Danny and Mira raced each other. He tried to pull ahead, but Mira slipped past him with ease. He laughed and pushed harder as they sped through the path. A near-collision made Danny swerve, his heart pounding, but he quickly recovered.

Mira stumbled briefly but recovered quickly without slowing down. Danny noticed and narrowed his eyes, but she only glanced back before looking ahead again.

Mira’s hat flew off in the wind, but she didn’t notice. As she rode along the Han River, people stared and whispered. Was that really Mira from HUNTR/X, or just someone who looked like her? When she slowed to avoid a trash can, she heard a young boy call her name.

Mira blinked and reached up, then froze when she realized her hat was gone. She didn’t mind meeting fans on her days off, but one curious person could quickly draw a crowd. She glanced around, concerned.

Something lightly tapped her head.

She turned to see Danny riding beside her with a wide grin. Mira reached up and felt her hat back in place. Danny must have grabbed it and caught up.

“It’s just us today,” Danny was already pedaling ahead again. “They can meet you next time.”

He sped off before she could respond, leaving Mira momentarily stunned. A faint blush warmed her cheeks, but it quickly softened into a grin. With renewed energy, she leaned forward and chased after him.

They reached the bridge in a rush, braking hard and gathering near the railing as the river stretched wide beneath them, glowing with streaks of orange and blue. Breathless and laughing, Danny immediately pointed at the ground behind them. “I crossed first,” he insisted, grinning despite his heavy breathing.

Mira scoffed, brushing hair from her face. “Please. I was ahead the whole last stretch. You just think you won.”

“No way,” Danny shot back. “You slowed down at the end. I passed you.”

“I adjusted,” Mira corrected, folding her arms. “Big difference.”

“You hesitated,” he said.

“I didn’t hesitate,” she replied, sharper now. “You’re just bad at losing.”

Danny stared at her. “I’m not losing because I won.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Mira said, unimpressed.

“Guys,” Jazz cut in, holding up her phone with a knowing smile. “I have pictures.”

They both turned toward her at once.

“And?” Danny asked quickly.

Jazz flipped through a few shots, then raised an eyebrow. “You’re both arguing over a difference of maybe half a second. Honestly, it’s too close to call.”

Mira huffed, but a smile tugged at her lips. Danny groaned, running a hand through his hair.

“That’s not fair,” he muttered.

“It’s very fair,” Jazz said lightly. “Call it a tie before you two start a rematch right now.”

They lingered there, leaning against the cool metal, watching the water drift by as distant music and city sounds softened in the open air. 

After another minute by the railing, Zoey pushed off first. The others followed. Danny fell into step beside Zoey, their pace settling into something calmer as they rode side by side along the curve of the river.

Seoul Forest

After the city’s hum faded, they entered Seoul Forest, where traffic noise gave way to rustling leaves and birdsong. The air cooled beneath the canopy, and they slowed to rest in the quiet shade.

They walked the main path, taking photos as the tension eased. Sunlight filtered through the canopy; Rumi framed the trees, Mira shot wildflowers, and Jazz lingered behind Danny, watching him more than the scenery.

Danny slowed, brushing a tree’s bark as a faint hum stirred under his skin. He glanced around, but everything looked normal.

Mira straightened, brushing dirt from her hands with quiet satisfaction.

Jazz noticed Danny lingering and nudged his shoulder.

They continued along the path, leaves crunching underfoot as a breeze stirred the canopy.

For a moment, everything felt calm.

Danny's ghost sense went off mid-step, and he stiffened. A chill ran down his spine, a wisp of blue mist escaping as his eyes snapped to the treeline.

He swallowed. Was it a demon or an actual ghost this time?

Either way, it was close.

Danny tried to come up with an excuse. “Uh, hey. I think I missed a scenic point back there. I’m gonna head back a bit and catch up with you guys at the next stop.”

Rumi perked up slightly. “Oh, actually, I need to use the restroom anyway. I’ll just meet you there too.”

Jazz stepped in immediately. “Same here,” she added, already moving forward. “I’ll go with you.”

Zoey hesitated, glancing between Danny and the others. “I could-”

Jazz hooked her arm through Zoey’s before she could finish. “Come on,” she said brightly, steering her along. “Girl talk. You’re not getting out of it.”

Zoey blinked, caught off guard, but let herself be pulled along.

“Alright,” Mira said with a small shrug. “Next stop, then.”

#

Danny followed his ghost sense to a small woodland shrine beneath the trees. A weathered tiger statue guarded a modest altar with fresh offerings. The same unfamiliar tug pulled him closer, where a strange bird perched atop the statue.

It looked like a magpie. Its plumage was sharply divided, glossy black feathers covering most of its head, back, and long tail, while clean white feathers wrapped around its midsection like a band. But what really caught Danny’s attention were its eyes.

There were too many of them.

Three small, dark eyes lined each side of its face, stacked in a neat row, all blinking at slightly different times as they fixed on him.

“…Okay,” he said slowly, tilting his head. “Are you wearing a hat?”

Perched atop its head, perfectly balanced between its many eyes, was a tiny black hat, flat-topped and wide-brimmed, like something from a historical drama.

The bird didn’t move.

The tiger statue’s eyes flared yellow, and before Danny could react, an ethereal blue tiger burst from the stone, landing between him and the shrine.

Danny didn’t move. “Easy… easy…” he said, voice tight, unsure if talking would help or make things worse.

The tiger kept coming, then, without warning, it bumped into a nearby potted plant.

The pot tipped and fell over with a dull clatter.

The tiger paused, staring down at the fallen pot. Without changing expression, it nudged the pot upright with one paw. It wobbled, then tipped over again.

Danny raised a brow.

The tiger tried again and again.

By this point, Danny's tension had completely drained away.

For the next thirty seconds, Danny watched in complete silence as the massive, glowing-eyed tiger repeatedly attempted to fix the pot, each attempt just slightly off and each failure met with quiet, stubborn determination.

Danny looked to the six-eyed bird for some sort of answer only to receive a sigh.

“…Okay,” Danny slowly rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re… not what I expected.”

After the tenth try, the tiger finally managed to get the pot standing upright and stepped back to inspect its work.

Danny let out a soft laugh. "That tracks."

He relaxed, the earlier edge gone, and took a cautious step closer. “Hey there,” he murmured.

Up close, the creature was even stranger.

Its cerulean fur bore bold black-and-white stripes and softer rosettes, while its red eyes with yellow corneas gave it a perpetually dazed, goofy look.

That impression wasn’t helped by the wide, perpetual grin stretched across its face, sharp white teeth on full display. Two larger, tusk-like fangs jutted from the top corners of its mouth, curving slightly downward in a way that should have been intimidating.

Instead, combined with the unfocused stare, it just made the whole thing look… kind of ridiculous.

Danny blinked. “…Wow. You are wow.”

The tiger glanced at him briefly and looked back at the shrine.

Danny followed its gaze, studying the shrine more closely. It felt old in a deeper way, settled and important.

The faint tug in his ghost sense lingered, not cold or sharp, just present.

He crouched slowly and extended a hand toward the blue tiger. It watched him, golden eyes unblinking.

"Aren't you a big old softie," Danny murmured.

The tiger huffed softly, and leaned forward just enough for his fingers to brush its cheek. Its fur was warmer than he expected, soft, dense, and very real. Encouraged, Danny stroked along its jaw, then up behind its ear. The tiger’s eyes half lidded, and it gave a low, rumbling sound that was unmistakably a purr.

"Okay, yeah." Danny let out a breath. “You’re definitely not trying to eat me. That’s a good sign.”

The bird fluttered down from its perch, landing lightly on his shoulder without warning. Danny stiffened for a second before relaxing again.

“Oh, hi,” he said, turning his head slightly. “You’re… bold.”

The bird chirped, tilting its head as its six eyes tracked him in overlapping motions. Up close, the tiny black hat sat perfectly in place.

Its feathers shimmered faintly, black and white catching subtle iridescence. When it hopped closer, Danny felt a faint warmth.

He reached up carefully, offering a finger. The bird stepped onto it without hesitation, claws light but steady. It let out a soft trill, almost pleased.

“Okay, so you’re friendly too,” Danny glanced between the two creatures. “That’s… weirdly reassuring.”

He scratched the tiger under the chin again, earning another rumble, while the bird fluffed its feathers and settled more comfortably on his hand.

“You guys seem pretty domesticated.” Danny looked around the area, half expecting someone to step out and claim them.

“Do you guys have an owner?” he asked, glancing between the tiger and the bird. “Or are you just… hanging out here?”

The six-eyed bird and the blue tiger seemed to nod at his question.

Danny stared. Not even Cujo was this communicative. “Oh. Uh… are they nearby?” He craned his neck, scanning the shrine grounds, half expecting an elderly man in flowing robes to step out from behind a tree or lantern.

The tiger gave a slow, almost amused shake of its massive head. The bird followed suit.

Danny frowned. “Then where are they?”

The bird tilted its head, one set of eyes narrowing while another rolled, and the third blinked slowly before it let out a long, put-upon sigh.

Elsewhere

He sat alone at a corner table in a coffee shop, one earbud in. He looked like an ordinary young man, though he had lived for centuries and served as one of Gwi-Ma’s upper-level subordinates.

Being allowed into the human world was a privilege few demons earned. Officially, his purpose was reconnaissance: observe, gather information, and avoid detection by Hunters. Unofficially, he used these trips for his own interests.

Music was one of the few things that quieted his thoughts.

Demons were bound by shame. He knew that better than anyone.

Gwi-Ma’s voice slithered through his mind, soft and patient, never raising itself, never needing to. It simply reminded him. Again and again. The faces. The screams. The moment everything had gone wrong. The moment he had chosen wrong.

He clenched his jaw, forcing the memories down, but they clung like rot beneath the skin as silence followed without relief and he turned back to his work.

The plan lay scattered across the table in overlapping sheets of handwritten lyrics, verses scratched out and rewritten until the paper thinned beneath the ink.

His fingers hovered over the latest draft, the chorus rewritten again and again, and he whispered, “If it works…” while Gwi-Ma didn’t answer because it didn’t need to, peace having already been promised.

If the plan worked, he would have his human memories permanently erased. No more would he be haunted by the mistakes of his past.

An end to the noise, the guilt, the endless replay of what he’d lost and destroyed, he exhaled, steadying himself, knowing this was the only way out and that he would see it through.

Four hundred years had left him much to learn. To make his musical plan succeed, he needed to catch up with the times and use the powerful voice granted by Gwi-ma.

He was currently listening to South Korea’s top 40, noting HUNTR/X’s presence in the top 10. To beat them, he would master their style, studying chart leaders like BTS, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, BIGBANG, MONSTA X, and Tomorrow X Together.

It took a while to get used to the new style, but he started to like it. The clothes were brighter and bolder. Seeing people in less conservative style clothing compared to those worn 400 years ago was new. He didn’t mind, but it was different. He was used to staying in the background, so standing out felt unfamiliar.

More than anything else, the modern slang was going to be the second death of him. Just the other day, he overheard a girl calling him “low-key fine,” followed by something about him having “main character energy,” and he’d nearly tripped over his own feet trying to figure out if that was an insult or a compliment. Someone had looked at him and said, almost reverently, that he “was him.” He still didn’t know what that meant. “I am him?” he muttered under his breath, frowning slightly. “I’m who? What?”

Jinu leaned back, tapping the table as he replayed a melody, focusing on lyrics while setting modern lingo aside.

He spoke the lines he had been working on.

"When you're in my arms, I hold you so tight, so tight. Can't let go, no, no, not tonight..."

He considered what to write next before moving to another line below and writing.

"'Cause I need you to need me. I'm empty, you feed me..."

Jinu hummed, eyes half-lidded as he considered the phrasing. Something was missing overall.

He tapped his chin, a faint smile forming. He wanted their breakout single to be catchy and infectious, not... mid? Was he using that right?

He paused, wondering where Derpy and Sussie had gone. They usually wandered off, but it had been a while since he’d sensed them.

His lips felt dry as he glanced around the café. What did they even have to drink?