Lookism: Two Demons of Hell
Arc 1: Cheonliang – The Shore of the Abandoned
Chapter 1: What the Sea Spit Out
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Cold.
That was the first thing he felt.
Not pain. Not fear.
Cold.
Saltwater burned his throat as he coughed violently, fingers digging into wet sand. Each breath felt like it scraped his lungs raw. The waves behind him crashed relentlessly, as if disappointed he was still alive.
Ethan Cross lay on the shore of Cheonliang.
Abandoned.
Again.
Memories that weren't his — and yet were — flickered through his mind. A past life. A different world. A life where strength was admired from a distance, not lived. Where he had watched monsters fight and wondered what it felt like to stand among them.
Now he knew.
His body was small. Late elementary school age. Ribs visible. Clothes torn. Bruises old and new layered over each other like proof of neglect.
Whoever left him here hadn't expected him to survive.
Ethan laughed.
It came out hoarse, broken, but genuine.
"So this is hell," he muttered, teeth chattering.
"…Not bad."
He pushed himself up on shaking arms. Pain flared instantly, sharp and honest. His vision blurred, but his smile only widened.
Pain meant he was alive.
And alive meant he could fight.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Further down the shore, another body lay still.
Seongji Yuk didn't wake up laughing.
He woke up angry.
His fingers clenched around gravel and sand as his eyes snapped open. His head pounded. His body screamed. But worse than the pain was the familiar weight in his chest.
Thrown away.
Again.
He sat up slowly, jaw clenched, eyes cold despite his age. His frame was sturdier than most kids his age, muscles already forming from a life of hardship. His clothes were torn, but his posture was straight.
He stared at the ocean.
"If you wanted me dead," Seongji muttered, "you should've done it yourself."
The sea answered with another wave.
He stood.
That's when he noticed footprints.
Fresh. Uneven. Someone else had washed up here.
Seongji followed them instinctively, senses sharp. Cheonliang wasn't a place for coincidence.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Ethan heard footsteps.
Not light ones. Not cautious.
Confident.
He turned just in time to see another boy step into view.
The two stared at each other.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then Ethan smiled.
Wide. Curious. Dangerous.
"Oh?" he said lightly. "Guess I'm not the only trash the sea didn't want."
Seongji's eyes narrowed.
This kid was smiling.
On Cheonliang's shore.
Like this was amusing.
"…You're annoying," Seongji said flatly.
Ethan tilted his head. "You're grumpy."
They stood there, two abandoned boys, salt-stained and half-dead, staring each other down like predators sizing up competition.
Neither backed away.
Neither looked afraid.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
From the cliff above the shore, a man watched.
Broad shoulders. Scarred hands. Presence heavy enough to make the air feel different.
Mujin Jin.
He hadn't come looking for children.
He'd come to pay respects to the dead Cheonliang swallowed every year.
But what he saw made him pause.
Two boys.
Still standing.
One smiling like a madman despite his injuries.
The other glaring at the world like it owed him blood.
"…Interesting," Mujin murmured.
He watched as Seongji took a step forward.
Watched as Ethan did the same.
Not allies.
Not enemies.
Yet.
Just instinct.
Just hunger.
Mujin Jin's lips curved slightly.
"The sea has strange tastes these days," he said to himself.
"Spitting monsters back instead of corpses."
He turned and walked down toward them.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
The man approaching them was different.
Heavy.
Not physically — though he was built like a wall — but in presence. Every step he took felt like it pressed down on Seongji's instincts.
Danger.
Real danger.
Seongji clenched his fists.
Ethan, beside him, didn't stop smiling.
In fact… his smile grew sharper.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
Oh.
Now this was interesting.
Ethan felt it immediately — the kind of pressure only someone truly strong carried. Not loud. Not flashy.
But undeniable.
His heart started pounding.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
"Hey," Ethan said casually, looking up at the approaching man.
"You here to finish the job… or teach us how not to die?"
The man stopped in front of them.
Looked down.
And laughed.
Deep. Rough. Amused.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
"Brave," Mujin said.
"Or stupid."
His eyes shifted between the two boys.
"No family," he continued.
"No place to return to."
"And still standing."
He crouched to their level.
"Tell me," Mujin Jin said calmly,
"Do you want to survive… or do you want to become strong?"
Seongji answered instantly.
"Strong."
Ethan didn't hesitate either.
"Strong enough," he said, grin widening,
"that no one can throw me away again."
Mujin stared at them for a long moment.
Then he stood.
"Follow me," he said.
"If you keep up."
And without another word, he turned and walked away.
The two boys looked at each other.
Rivals.
Strangers.
Future demons.
Ethan laughed softly.
"Well," he said, stepping forward,
"guess hell just opened its gates."
Seongji walked past him without a word.
But this time—
Neither was alone.
End of Chapter 1
Chapter 2: If You Fall Behind, You Die
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Mujin Jin didn't slow down.
Not once.
The path up from the shore was steep, uneven, littered with broken stone and rusted debris. Each step dug into Seongji's already-aching legs. His lungs burned, throat dry, vision shaking—but the man ahead walked as if the slope didn't exist.
Like Cheonliang itself bent for him.
Seongji clenched his jaw.
I won't fall behind.
Behind him, he could hear Ethan's footsteps.
Light. Erratic. Almost playful.
That irritated him.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
This guy was insane.
Ethan's legs screamed with every step, muscles trembling, breath ragged. His body was weak—too weak. Starved. Abused. Untested.
And yet…
His heart was racing for a different reason.
This is it.
No rules. No safety. No one pretending to care.
Just survival.
Mujin Jin suddenly stopped.
Ethan almost crashed straight into his back.
"Stop," Mujin said.
Seongji halted instantly.
Ethan staggered once—then caught himself, grinning.
Mujin turned.
"There's food," he said, pointing downhill toward a cluster of broken buildings.
"There's shelter," he added, pointing uphill toward the forest.
Seongji frowned. "Which one—"
"Choose," Mujin interrupted.
"But understand this first."
His gaze hardened.
"I'm not raising you."
"I'm not protecting you."
"And I won't save you."
Silence fell.
"If you fall behind," Mujin continued calmly,
"Cheonliang will kill you.
And I won't interfere."
Ethan laughed quietly.
Seongji glared at him. "What's funny?"
Ethan wiped sweat from his face. "Nothing. Just… this feels honest."
Mujin's eyes flicked to him.
"…You're a strange one."
[POV – Mujin Jin]
The boy with the smile scared him more.
Not because of strength.
Because of enjoyment.
Mujin had seen fighters, killers, champions.
This one?
He liked the edge.
The other boy—Seongji—burned with rage and pride. Strong foundation. Solid instincts.
Together…
Mujin turned away again.
"Decide," he said.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Food meant strength.
Shelter meant rest.
Both were necessary.
But Cheonliang didn't allow comfort.
Seongji looked uphill.
"If we rest, we get hunted," he said.
Ethan tilted his head. "And if we eat, we get jumped."
Seongji glanced at him. "…So?"
Ethan smiled wider. "So we fight either way."
Seongji snorted despite himself.
"Up," Seongji said finally. "Shelter first."
Ethan shrugged. "I was hoping you'd say that."
They started uphill.
Mujin followed—at a distance.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
They didn't get far.
The forest grew darker fast, branches clawing at their clothes. The smell of damp earth and rot filled the air.
Then—
Footsteps.
Not theirs.
Ethan's eyes lit up.
Seongji tensed instantly. "Five… no. Six."
Too many.
Too early.
Figures stepped out from the trees—older boys, teens, scarred and confident. Cheonliang locals.
One of them smirked. "Well damn. Look what washed up."
Another cracked his knuckles. "Easy pickings."
Ethan leaned toward Seongji. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Seongji nodded slowly. "We don't run."
The first attacker rushed them.
[POV – Seongji Yuk]
Seongji moved first.
He stepped into the punch, shoulder slamming into the attacker's chest. The impact knocked the breath out of him instantly. Seongji followed with a knee to the gut and a shove that sent the boy crashing into a tree.
Pain shot up Seongji's arms.
Good.
Another attacker swung wildly. Seongji blocked—barely. The force rattled his bones.
Then Ethan was there.
[POV – Ethan Cross]
The punch hurt.
God, it hurt.
But Ethan laughed as he ducked under it.
He grabbed the attacker's wrist, twisted hard, and felt the joint scream before the man did. He slammed his forehead forward—once, twice.
Blood sprayed.
Ethan's smile was manic.
This is fun.
A kick slammed into his side, sending him rolling across the dirt. His ribs screamed.
He pushed himself up immediately.
Eyes bright.
"Again," he whispered.
[POV – Mujin Jin]
Mujin watched from the shadows.
No interference.
No guidance.
Only observation.
They were sloppy. Weak. Untrained.
But they didn't hesitate.
They didn't freeze.
They didn't beg.
That was enough.
For now.
[POV – Seongji Yuk & Ethan Cross]
The fight ended ugly.
Not clean.
Not heroic.
But the attackers backed off—bleeding, shocked, angry.
Seongji stood hunched, breathing hard.
Ethan wiped blood from his mouth, grinning like a demon.
They looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
But something had changed.
Respect.
Mujin stepped forward at last.
"You're alive," he said simply.
"That's lesson one."
He turned away.
"Rest if you can," Mujin added.
"Tomorrow, it gets worse."
Ethan laughed.
Seongji clenched his fists.
Cheonliang had accepted them.
Barely.
End of Chapter 2