#from what I've heard people who have been lured into cults usually have no idea they're in a cult

[the-spooky-children]

Evermore is definitely part of the cult, but what if his "blah blah blah" thing with John was genuine, what if he genuinely believes he's just helping run an elite group of rich members of the town searching for immortality, and because he's all wrapped up in it, the idea of it being a cult is absurd to him