i just spent like the last four hours re-reading and googling, and thinking abt greek mythology so I'm probs way into the weeds but here's my unhinged theories:
I. The Village: A Constructed Underworld
1. Stillwater as Tartarus
No Name, No History: Like the River Lethe, the town erases memory to sustain its illusion.
Unlocked Doors: Souls in Hades cannot escape; villagers cannot hide.
Pyramid Structure: Guwon rules from the apex like Hades, while the villagers are his loyal shades.
2. The Moon-Shaped Boulder
Sisyphus’s Punishment: The boulder looms as Guwon’s eternal task—maintaining the village’s facade.
Selene’s Chariot: The moon’s cycles reflect the inescapable repetition of Stillwater’s curse.
3. The "Regular Supplies"
Ambrosia or Poison? Food may be hallucinogenic (Lotus-eaters) or corpse-stored (Hades’ pomegranates).
II. Guwon: A Composite of Damned Figures
1. Sisyphus (The Deceiver King)
Stitches = Cheating Death: Like Sisyphus tricking Thanatos, Guwon is reanimated, doomed to maintain Stillwater.
The Ring Necklace: A modern boulder, binding Jinwoo to his cycle.
2. Hades (The False Benefactor)
Fig Scent: Dionysian decay + Persephone’s trap (offering "fruit" to imprison).
"Take You on a Walk": Language of ownership, like Hades leash-tugging shades.
3. Cerberus (The Guard-Dog)
Three Children = Three Heads: Silent, watchful, and possibly not human.
Villagers as Hounds: They scatter at Guwon’s presence, conditioned to obey.
III. Jinwoo: The Orphic Rebel
1. Memory as Resistance
Splitting Headaches: Pain when recalling the past = Lethe’s curse fighting back.
The "Burglar" Lie: Implanted memory to keep him docile (like Orpheus’s doubt losing Eurydice). Like why would a burglar break into a collapsed house?
2. The Ring Necklace (Ouroboros Leaf)
Loop of Control: No beginning/end, like Sisyphus’s labor.
3. The Kiss & Vomit
False Intimacy: A test, not affection—Guwon’s body rejects living connection.
Dionysian Rot: Vomit may contain fig seeds, symbolizing his decay.
IV. The Children (666: Cursed Innocents)
1. Why All Six Years Old?
6 = Imperfection (Pythagorean numerology); 666 = Eternal Stasis.
Do they ever age? Like shades in Asphodel, maybe they’re trapped in a loop.
2. Their True Nature
Homunculi/Revenants: Made by Guwon to populate his "paradise."
Cerberus’s Heads: They guard the town’s secrets, ensuring no one questions.
V. Predictions: The Mythological Climax
1. The Boulder Will Fall
Jinwoo will climb to the moon-rock, finding names of past victims carved into it.
Its collapse will unravel Stillwater’s illusion, exposing rot.
2. Guwon’s True Form
His stitches will split open, revealing black bile or fig roots beneath.
He’ll howl like a hound when his control breaks.
3. Jinwoo’s Escape (Or Failure)
Orphic Choice: He may lead the children out (like Orpheus with Eurydice) but lose them by looking back.
Sisyphean Twist: If he stays, he replaces Guwon—doomed to maintain the cycle.
Final Interpretation: A Hell of Their Own Making
Stillwater isn’t a town—it’s Tartarus disguised as Elysium, where Guwon plays god, the children are his wards, and Jinwoo is the latest soul to roll the boulder.
Ending Hypothesis:
Tragic: Jinwoo becomes the new Sisyphus, trapped forever.
Hopeful? He shatters the Ouroboros ring, freeing himself—but the town collapses into the abyss.
(TL;DR: This isn’t a love story. It’s a burial rite.)
want to do being dumb
did have sex
