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elryuse · 1 month

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Hierarchy

Part 3 : New Faces, Same Cases

Y/n POV

The morning sun painted the sky in hues of gold and pink as I pedaled my beloved bicycle towards Jooshin High. The wind whipped through my hair, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. I felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over me, a stark contrast to the anxiety that had been gnawing at me in the days leading up to this moment.

As I approached the school, a line of luxury cars snaked along the driveway. Their polished exteriors gleamed under the morning sun, a testament to the wealth and privilege of their owners. A red carpet had been rolled out, a crimson ribbon leading to the grand entrance.

I watched in fascination as a group of four girls emerged from the cars. They were dressed in designer outfits, their long legs and flawless makeup drawing the attention of everyone around them. Wonyoung, Ryujin, Minjeong, and Jimin—the angels of Jooshin High, as they were known—stepped onto the red carpet, their every movement a picture of grace and elegance.

I was both dazzled and dumbfounded. What was the significance of the red carpet? Why were they treated so differently? As I parked my bicycle, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had stumbled into a different world.

Gathering my courage, I made my way into the school. The halls were filled with students, their conversations a low hum of privilege and exclusivity. I felt like a small fish in a vast, unfamiliar ocean.

My classroom was a cavernous space, bathed in the soft glow of fluorescent lights. The desks were arranged in neat rows, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy of the hallway. I found my seat at the back, hoping to blend into the background.

As I sat down, I couldn't help but notice the way the other students were staring at me. They were sizing me up, assessing my worth. I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me.

A few minutes later, a woman entered the room. She was tall and elegant, with a warm smile that instantly lit up the room. "Good morning, everyone," she said. "My name is Ms. Han So Hee, and I'll be your homeroom teacher for this year."

She greeted the privileged students first, her voice filled with warmth and admiration. When she turned her attention to the scholarship students, her tone shifted slightly, becoming more formal.

"Welcome to Jooshin High," she said. "I hope you will find this to be a challenging and rewarding experience."

After introducing herself, Ms. Han outlined the rules and policies of the school. The first rule was clear: the privileged students were the main focus of the teachers. The scholarship students were secondary. The second rule was even more shocking: the educational materials would be differentiated, with a greater emphasis on the privileged students.

A murmur of discontent rippled through the scholarship students. We had all been warned about the elitism of Jooshin High, but this was beyond anything we could have imagined.

As the students were discussing the rules, a familiar figure burst into the room. It was Ryujin, one of the angels of Jooshin High. She apologized profusely to Ms. Han, who dismissed her apology with a wave of her hand.

"It's quite alright, Ryujin," she said. "Just be more careful in the future."

Ryujin thanked Ms. Han and took her seat. The other students watched in awe, their eyes filled with envy.

But the scene took a dramatic turn when a scholarship student, who had arrived late, tried to enter the classroom. The doorman stopped him, his face stern. "I'm sorry, but you're late," he said. "You're not allowed to enter the class."

The student pleaded with the doorman, but to no avail. He was expelled from the class, his face filled with shame and humiliation.

As I watched the scene unfold, I felt a cold dread settle in my stomach. Jooshin High was not what I had expected. It was a hell on earth.

Small Timeskip

The classroom door swung shut behind Ms. Han, the sudden silence a stark contrast to the cacophony of the hallway. As soon as she was out of sight, the students pulled out their phones, tablets, and laptops, their screens illuminating their faces. The air was filled with the sounds of games, laughter, and idle chatter.

I couldn't help but notice Ryujin, her presence radiating through the room. She was surrounded by her friends, a group of privileged students who seemed to orbit around her. There was something about her that drew me in, a magnetic force that pulled me towards her.

As I watched her, she glanced in my direction. A flicker of recognition crossed her face, and then she smiled. My heart skipped a beat. I quickly turned away, pretending to be engrossed in my book.

But Ryujin wasn't deterred. She stood up and walked towards me, her steps confident and purposeful. I felt a surge of excitement and dread.

"Hi there," she said, her voice warm and inviting. "I've never seen your face before. What's your name, little one?"

I was taken aback by her familiarity. She was one of the most popular girls in school, and yet she was talking to me as if we were old friends.

"My name is Y/n," I replied, my voice barely audible.

Ryujin smiled. "Nice to meet you, Y/n. You're new here, aren't you?"

I nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement.

"Well, welcome to Jooshin High," Ryujin said. "I hope you'll enjoy your time here."

I thanked her, my heart racing. I couldn't believe that Ryujin was actually talking to me.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked, gesturing towards her friends.

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. But something inside me told me to say yes.

"Sure," I replied, my voice barely a whisper.

Ryujin took my hand and led me to her group of friends. They were all dressed in designer clothes, their laughter and chatter a constant buzz of energy. I felt out of place, but Ryujin seemed to sense my discomfort.

"Don't worry, you'll fit right in," she said, squeezing my hand.

As we sat down, Ryujin's friends introduced themselves. There was Minjeong, the ice queen of the group; Jimin, the bubbly social butterfly; Chaewon, the quiet observer; and Yeji, the rebellious free spirit.

They all seemed to be very friendly, and they made an effort to include me in their conversations. I was surprised by their warmth and openness.

After a while, Ryujin pulled out a vape. The other girls followed suit, inhaling deeply. I watched them with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"Have you ever tried this?" Minjeong asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I shook my head. "No, I can't smoke."

The girls laughed. "Oh, come on," Jimin said. "It's not that bad."

I resisted the urge to try it. I didn't want to disappoint Ryujin or her friends, but I also didn't want to do anything that could harm me.

As we sat there, chatting and laughing, I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. For the first time since I arrived at Jooshin High, I felt like I was part of something.

Just as we were starting to get comfortable, the bell rang. Ryujin took my hand and led me back to our classroom.

"We should hang out sometime," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I nodded, my heart pounding with anticipation.

As we entered the classroom, I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. Perhaps Jooshin High wasn't as bad as I had thought. Maybe there was a chance for me to find my place here after all.

Meanwhile In So-hyun's POV

The hum of the air conditioner filled the classroom, a constant drone that barely registered in my mind. My gaze drifted out the window, watching the rain streak down the glass. As the queen bee of Jooshin High, I was accustomed to feeling on top of the world, but today was different.

A sudden vibration in my pocket snapped me out of my reverie. I pulled out my phone, my heart pounding. An anonymous number had sent me a photo. My breath caught in my throat as I recognized the younger version of myself, vaping and laughing with a boy who looked completely out of place. He was dressed in plain clothes, his books piled high, a stark contrast to the designer labels I was accustomed to.

Panic surged through me. I typed furiously, demanding to know who the sender was and what they wanted. But the anonymous person remained silent, sending only a chilling message: "Soon... You'll understand."

Fear gripped me as I realized the implications of the photo. It was a secret I had buried deep, a part of my past I had hoped to forget. The thought of it being exposed to my classmates and friends filled me with dread.

I couldn't believe it. I, So-hyun, the queen bee of Jooshin High, was being threatened. I was the one who controlled the social hierarchy, the one who everyone looked up to. How could anyone dare to challenge me?

Overwhelmed by a mix of fear and anger, I burst into tears. I ran out of the classroom, leaving my friends Yujin and Gaeul confused and concerned. As Gaeul followed me into the bathroom, I collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

"So-hyun, what's wrong?" Gaeul asked, her voice filled with worry.

I couldn't find the words to explain. The secret I had been hiding for so long was now threatening to destroy everything I had built. I was terrified of what would happen if anyone found out about my past.

"I don't know," I managed to choke out. "I just... I'm scared."

Gaeul wrapped her arms around me, offering comfort. "We'll figure this out together," she said. "Just tell me what's going on."

I hesitated, unsure if I was ready to share my secret. But I knew that I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. So I told her everything, from the vaping to the boy I had met.

Gaeul listened intently, her expression filled with shock and concern. "I can't believe you never told me," she said. "You're not alone, So-hyun. We're all here for you."

Her words offered me some comfort, but the fear still lingered. I knew that the person who had sent me the photo was watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.

In the days that followed, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, expecting to be caught. The stress was taking a toll on me, and I began to feel physically ill.

One night, as I was trying to sleep, my phone buzzed again. I opened it with trepidation, expecting another message from the anonymous sender. But to my surprise, it was a text from an unknown number.

"Meet me at the old amusement park tomorrow night at midnight," the message read. "If you don't come, I'll release your secret to everyone."

Panic surged through me. I knew that I couldn't ignore the threat. I had to go.

The next night, I found myself standing at the entrance of the abandoned amusement park. The place was eerily quiet, the only sound the wind rustling through the trees. I hesitated for a moment, but then I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

As I wandered through the park, I felt a sense of dread creeping over me. The place was dark and foreboding, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. I turned around, my heart pounding. There, standing in the shadows, was a figure cloaked in darkness.

"So-hyun," the figure said, their voice cold and menacing. "It's time for you to pay the price."

I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The figure stepped closer, their eyes glinting in the darkness.

"You think you're so perfect, don't you?" they said. "But you're just like everyone else. A hypocrite who pretends to be something she's not."

Before I could react, the figure grabbed me and pulled me into the shadows. I struggled to break free, but their grip was too strong.

As the figure dragged me deeper into the park, I realized that my secret was about to be exposed. My carefully constructed image was about to be shattered, and I would be left alone and humiliated.

I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the worst. But then, something unexpected happened. A bright light flashed in the distance, followed by the sound of sirens.

The figure froze, their grip on me loosening. I took advantage of the distraction and broke free. I ran towards the light, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I reached the edge of the park, I saw a police car pulling up. I stumbled towards the officers, my legs shaking.

"Help me," I cried, tears streaming down my face.

The officers rushed over to me, their faces filled with concern. They listened to my story, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"We'll find out who did this," one of the officers said. "Don't worry, we'll protect you."

As the officers escorted me to their car, I looked back at the abandoned amusement park. I knew that my ordeal was far from over, but for the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope.

To Be Continued

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flurrys-creativity · 18 days

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A stitch in time...

Pairing: Ateez (OT8) x GN!Reader; Genre: angst, horror, thriller, murder au, hinted supernatural au, mentioned detective au; Rating: nsfw, 18+, MDNI; Warnings: ghost hunting, abandoned place, trespassing, hints of being haunted, blood, puddles of blood, talks about blood, hinted murder, mentions of a serial killer/mass murderer, hinted demon possession, slight description of a rotting body, descriptions of dead bodies, OBVIOUSLY major character deaths, NO happy ending, open end... let me know if I missed something; Wordcount: 5.783

Event: @pirateeznet 2nd anniversary event; Prompt: Horror

moodboard/prompt credit: @daemour

Summary: Hunting for a ghost at an abandoned convent turned way more gruesome than any of you could have anticipated.

A/N: I feel like I suck at horror... and I feel like this isn't even closely enough horrific... well... have fun anyway. FUN FACT THOUGH! The title "A stitch in time..." is based on the proverb "a stitch in time saves nine" so I included some hints based on that proverd as well as the meaning of the number 9... the research was definitely a lot of fun and made my brain go brrrrrr...

“Why is it we’re going in the middle of the night again?”

You opened one eye, an amused smirk playing over your features upon hearing San’s question.

The car shook gently as Yunho drove your group along a winding, uneven path towards an abandoned convent. Seonghwa guided him through the dark of the night with a map on his lap, ignoring San’s anxious demeanour completely.

Hongjoong, who sat next to Seonghwa on the double passenger seat, rolled his eyes. “You know the reason”, he grunted dismissively and made himself more comfortable in his seat again.

“I know”, San whined, leaning forward to grab Hongjoong’s shoulders, “but why?”

Wooyoung leaned over your form to pry San’s hands from their leader. “Oh, come here, my sweet little scaredy-cat.”

You opened both eyes now, watching them be all touchy and cuddly right on your lap with an unreadable expression.

Jongho made the sound of throwing up, pretending to be heavily disgusted by their display of affection.

“The real question is, why didn’t you two want to sit next to each other? Now you’re torturing Y/N instead with your antics.” Yeosang snickered from behind, thankful he wasn’t the victim caught in the middle for once.

The two men on your lap turned their heads, looking at your face. While San had an almost apologetic and pleading expression, Wooyoung just grinned up at you cheekily. “Oh, you know Y/N secretly likes that.”

You scoffed at that, pushing his head playfully away from yourself. “You wish.”

“Oh, yes! You have no idea how much I wish for you to join.”

“If they’re asking you to follow them, they want a threesome with you. Just a heads up.” Mingi commented, laughing at how Jongho immediately made the throwing up sounds again.

“Mingi!” San cried out, sitting back up and turning around to look at the man behind him. “You can’t just say that!”

“Worried you’re too scared to get it up?”

This time you rolled your eyes and slid down in your seat, wishing to be excluded from the fight. You closed your eyes again, drowning out their bickering voices and focusing on the reason you were there to begin with.

“We’re here!” Seonghwa’s voice cut through the discussion, directing a stern look at all the passengers around you. “Remember to be discreet. We do not want any authorities to bust our mission.”

“Yes, mom!” All of them called in unison before spilling out of the parked car.

You chuckled softly, seeing Seonghwa’s pained smile. He truly did behave like the mom of the group. “They’re a lot, aren’t they?” You patted his shoulder and got out of the car yourself.

Yunho had opened the tailgate of the car, revealing several backpacks and equipment for the paranormal investigation they had planned.

“So this convent was abandoned ninety years ago after a massacre where eight nuns and a priest got murdered”, Hongjoong recited the information he had gathered over the past few weeks, “the other residents were so traumatised by this event that they couldn’t stand it staying near this place.”

Yeosang laughed nervously. “Nine people died back then.” He glanced around at his team. “And we’re nine people as well.”

The second Yeosang finished his observation, San started whining loudly, pouting and refusing to go anywhere near the convent now.

Jongho smack Yeosang’s back. “Better watch out then.”

You rolled your eyes again and grabbed your backpack, hoisting it up on one shoulder. “They’re joking”, you muttered towards San as you thrusted his backpack into his flailing arms.

Wooyoung wrapped himself around the broad shoulders of San. “I’ll protect you, my sweet little scaredy-cat.” He laughed squeakily and jumped up and down, pulling San towards the building in the process.

“So much for being discreet”, Seonghwa sighed deeply. He turned on his flashlight, letting the circle of light wander over the surrounding area.

“It’s going to be alright.” Mingi patted his shoulder. “We’re far away from any town or village. Who’s going to notice we’re trespassing, huh?”

“With that blabbermouth even the capital miles away will hear us do that”, Jongho grunted, switching his flashlight on as well and heading straight for the building.

The rest followed him in various states of enthusiasm. Yunho was the last one to follow, closing the tailgate and locking the car before he tagged along.

All of you stopped at the gates to the convent, an unspoken tension weighing down on everyone.

You looked around, ignoring the roaming circles of light from the others. The surrounding woods seemed rather dense at night, the light of the flashlights barely reaching further than the second line of trees.

The old convent walls were overgrown with vines, some of them even stretching over gaping holes as the stone had caved in over time. Random things laid on the ground, grass half growing over them. Statues of angels had fallen over, their stone pieces scattered all over the place.

“Inviting”, you mumbled under your breath, pushing past the hesitating men and entering the convent grounds.

The path used to be there was barely visible - even less during the dark of the night. You stepped over some broken statue pieces, making a grimace at the crunching sound underneath your feet. You heard the others following you, their lights wandering around the area in curiosity.

“I think we should find the room where it all happened and set up some of our equipment there”, Yunho suggested, passing you with his long legs. Mingi followed close behind, already holding the EMF metre in his large hand.

When you glanced behind you, you noticed how the others also held their specialised equipment in their hands: a night vision camera, thermometers, an old radio to catch static sounds or even voices as well as a thermographic camera.

All that in hopes of witnessing the presence of one ghost.

Before you even entered the building the first small groups had built and split up. Wooyoung, San and Yeosang stayed outside, checking the grounds for any activity. Jongho quickly ventured into the left wing of the building on his own, while Seonghwa and Hongjoong went further into the back.

You hurriedly caught up with Mingi and Yunho, both of them walking up the stairs to the next level.

The steps cracked underneath your weight, making you wince from the seemingly loud sound. The stench of mould and wet furniture invaded your nose.

“Can you imagine all of this once bustled with life?”

“How lively can it be with a bunch of nuns living here?” You retorted to Yunho’s question, barely able to hide the grin on your face.

He snorted and slowed down his pace, staying next to you and bumping your shoulder playfully. “Don’t you have to be a little more respectful on these grounds? Aren’t they holy or something?”

“Even after all this time?” Mingi joined you on your other side, looking at you two with wide eyes.

“Definitely not!” You shook your head and rolled your eyes. “Maybe the church on the east side was a holy ground but definitely not anymore.”

“Why not?”

Yunho grinned at you, heavily amused by the fact Mingi now started asking you all kinds of questions.

“To make something holy you have to cleanse it. It’s basically like showering. If you don’t shower after a while you start to stink. So do grounds that don’t get cleansed regularly. They don’t stay holy.”

Mingi made a sound of understanding, nodding his head ever so slowly while his eyes roamed around the long hallway.

You glanced at Yunho, who simply winked at you. He didn’t say anything else, instead turning around a corner and leaving you alone with Mingi.

For a while you two only walked side by side further along the corridor. Your steps and the constant peeping of the EMF the only sound bouncing from the walls.

A cold shiver ran through your whole body. You stopped in your movements. You furrowed your brows.

Mingi stopped a few steps further down the hallway. “What’s wrong?”

“Didn’t you feel that?” You looked up at him, confusion written all over your face. “What about the EMF? Quick! Come back here! Does it pick something up?” You ushered Mingi back to your spot, grabbing his wrist and pulling the EMF right in front of your chest.

“Nothing.”

You moved Mingi’s arm around the area, hoping to catch some sort of activity. “What?” You growled in annoyance. Did you just imagine the cold? Is your mind playing tricks on you? What just happened?

“What’s wrong?” Mingi repeated his question, growing nervous from your frantic movements. “What was I supposed to feel?”

Your heart rate increased rapidly. Your breathing turned shallow. Your eyes darted around aimlessly and unfocused. “Something’s wrong.”

“What’s wrong?”

You blinked several times, softly shaking your head. You looked back up at Mingi. Fear evident in both of your gazes. “I don’t know.”

Before your mind caught up to your body, you already hurried back down the corridor. Something pulled you back downstairs. While you had no idea what it was, you just knew you had to be there as fast as possible.

The light of your flashlight flickered as you turned around a corner, momentarily leaving you in the dark. You rushed deeper into the building, barely avoiding broken doors and walls.

When you turned around yet another corner, you suddenly slipped and fell to the ground.

“Fuck.” You hissed as you pushed yourself up again. The flashlight had rolled several feets away from you, going on and off repeatedly. You raised one hand to your forehead, groaning from the dull throbbing.

You stopped in your movements. The scent of something metallic forcing its way into your nose. At the same time the feeling of something warm and sticky on your hands made itself known. As you sat there in the dark another cold shiver ran down your back. You raised your trembling hands in front of your body, eyes trained on them. Only after the flashlight turned on once again, did you see it.

Something red coloured your hands. It dripped down to the puddle on the ground, somewhat connecting your hands to it.

Your ears started ringing. A cold sweat spread all over your skin. Your eyes unfocused.

“Y/N!” You felt several hands pulling at your shoulders and arms. They shook you anxiously until you finally snapped out of your stupor.

“What happened?”

“Y/N?”

“Are you alright?”

“We heard you scream!”

You turned your head almost mechanically to look at them. Your eyes wandered over the seven faces staring at you. “Where’s Hongjoong?”

The men turned their heads, looking at each other and around, before shrugging with their shoulders.

“Wasn’t he with you, Seonghwa?”

“Only in the beginning!”

You looked back at your hands, trying desperately to stop the tremble inside of them.

Wooyoung grabbed your shoulder, pulling your focus back to them. “What happened, Y/N? We heard you scre-”. His voice got stuck in his throat when he finally noticed your hands. “What the fuck?”

The others turned their gazes to your hands as well. They gasped or cursed in shock.

“Is that blood?”

“Did you get hurt?”

“Why did you ask for Hongjoong?”

Yunho walked around the room, moving his circle of light all over the place. “Hongjoong?” His voice boomed through the room, even echoing from the hallway outside. “Hongjoong? Where are you?”

No answer.

“Y/N? Please”, Seonghwa begged quietly, crouching down next to you. “Tell us what happened?”

“Let’s get Y/N out of this room first”, Jongho interjected. He forcefully helped you up, keeping his hand on your upper arm and pulling you outside.

Once outside Jongho sat you down on one of the many fallen statues. He stepped back again, leaving you some space.

The others gathered around you, nervous glances being exchanged and wandering around. Hongjoong still hasn’t appeared.

Seonghwa was the first to move again, walking up to you and kneeling in front of your form. He pulled some tissues out of his pockets, as well as a bottle of water. Without a word he reached for your hands and quietly started cleaning them.

“Do you think Hongjoong got lost somewhere?” Yeosang whispered, glancing at the others with uncertainty.

“No.”

All heads snapped to you, surprised to hear your hoarse voice. “You seem to know something we don’t.”

You nodded ever so slowly. “There’s a reason I joined your mission.” You pulled a badge out of your pocket and held it up for them to see it. “I’m a detective and I’m working on a case of a serial killer. I followed some new leads, which brought me to you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yunho interrupted you with furrowed brows. His expression appeared cold and distant, as if he tried to control his own anger.

“Hongjoong was murdered.”

They gasped in shock, eyes widening almost comically. Some of them protested weakly, not wanting to believe one of their friends is dead. “He could just be hurt somewhere!”

“There was too much blood on the floor.” You shook your head and bit down on your lower lip. “He’s definitely dead already.”

“Shouldn’t we get out of here then? If there’s a serial killer roaming around that building somewhere?” Wooyoung questioned.

“We can’t just leave Hongjoong here!”

“HE’S DEAD ALREADY! Are you willing to risk your own life for a corpse?”

“HE’S OUR FRIEND!”

You watched them yell at each other. Silently, you noted down within your mind every little detail you caught on. After all, your intel showed you it must be one of them. “We won’t be able to leave.”

“What?” Their arguing stopped instantly as they turned back to you. As you didn’t say anything else, a nervous tension filled the air.

“You think it’s one of us”, Jongho stated bluntly, followed by more gasps of shock.

You saw how they turned to look at you, hoping Jongho only made a cruel joke. Though seeing your serious expression their hope vanished. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“I need to go back to the crime scene. I hope to find some sort of clue who might have done it.” You pushed yourself up, quietly thanking Seonghwa for his help cleaning you up.

“What about us?”

“You can’t go alone!”

San jumped forward and wrapped his arms around one of yours, clinging himself to your side. “I don’t wanna die here”, he whispered into your ear, looking at you pleadingly.

Seonghwa stepped next to you as well. “If it’s one of us, I agree that you can’t go alone.”

“We can’t all go”, you sighed in exasperation. “I fear we already destroyed important evidence the first time we were there.” You massaged your temples, feeling like your head was about to explode. “I also need to find his body.”

“Then let's make two groups”, Mingi suggested, “one will search for Hongjoong and the other will check the room again.”

You nodded. “Let’s do that.”

After some discussion Yeosang joined the two men, who already made it to your side, and the other four men formed the second group.

You hoped this way everyone stayed somewhat safe for now - or at least until you discovered some sort of clue to save the innocent.

“I, uh, I’ll stay outside of the room”, San whispered as he stopped in front of the broken door, staring with unfocused eyes into the dark void. He didn’t react to Seonghwa’s sweet words, asking him to come inside, nor did he react to Yeosang’s soft pulling.

“Stay in the doorway and look outside. That way you’re not out of sight.” You barely waited for his short nod before you walked into the room. You had grabbed San’s flashlight, since your own lied broken on the ground.

You immediately started your search, checking every corner of the room. You somewhat ignored the others, too focused on your own mission. There had to be something. You had to find something, anything.

San stayed at the doorway like you told him, but your constant muttering as well as the stench of blood and mold drained the colour from his face. “I don’t think I can…” He didn’t finish his words, doubling over and vomiting on the ground.

“He needs to get out of here!” You ordered and pointed aimlessly at Yeosang and Seonghwa, hoping either of them would help him out.

Yeosang immediately jumped to his friend, waiting until he only gasped for air to pull him outside.

Seonghwa on the other hand already pulled out several more tissues and handed them to San. He crouched down as well, wiping along the doorframe for a second, before he followed Yeosang and San outside.

You stayed behind, pondering over the events that happened here. You definitely wanted to talk to Seonghwa, questioning him about his actions. As far as you knew he was also the last one to be with Hongjoong, making him the main suspect in this case.

Too absorbed in your own thoughts you didn’t notice someone approaching you.

Out of the corner of your eye and at the edge of your light you saw something bloodied. Again.

A scream got stuck in your throat.

You turned around. Ready to defend yourself.

When Mingi raised his hands in an innocent manner. “Hey, there.”

You cursed under your breath, laughing awkwardly when the initial shock subsided. “My heart nearly stopped, Mingi! You can’t scare me like that!” You walked over to him, pulling him into a hug from the relief you felt.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to.” He wrapped himself around you. “I just lost the others and knew you should be here.”

You furrowed your brows in surprise and confusion. “How did you lose the others? You should have stayed together.”

“You’re on your own as well!”

You rolled your eyes with a soft chuckle. “San wasn’t able to stay near the crime scene so the others brought him outside.” You turned your head and looked over the room again. “Maybe we should follow them”, you mumbled and pursed your lips. You had to question Seonghwa, there was no way around it.

Mingi guided you outside again, where you found a retching San and Yeosang helplessly standing next to him.

“Where’s Seonghwa?”

Yeosang pointed towards the building and you followed his finger with your gaze.

With a sigh you rolled your shoulders, ready to confront him, when Yunho, Jongho and Wooyoung came running from the direction you wanted to go.

Wooyoung stopped in his tracks, the colour from his features draining as he stared at you with wide eyes.

The other two kept rushing towards you, a crazed look in their eyes. “Weren’t you all supposed to stay with Seonghwa?” Yunho pointed accusingly at you and then at Yeosang and San.

“He went back in! How was I supposed to stay with Seonghwa with a retching San right over here?” Yeosang protested loudly, his hand vaguely waving over the bend over San.

“Mingi was with me”, you answered, furrowing your brows in suspicion. “Why are you even asking?”

“Because we just found his body”, Jongho interjected.

Your expression dropped, hands falling to your sides. “No”, you whispered, exhaling shakily. “This can’t be.” You ran past them, ignoring their calls and hurrying inside. You stopped at every little room, peeking inside in hopes to find Seonghwa.

“Hwa!” Your voice carried a sense of desperation as your search continued without any sign of him. “Seonghwa! Answer me!”

“He can’t.”

You whirled around at Yeosang’s voice. Your eyes jumped between his own, trying to understand what was going on. “This can’t be true.”

“What are you doing here?” Yunho interrupted you two, staring at you with a pointed look. “Why are you over there? We found him in that room.” He pointed at a room that you had passed already.

You scoffed and crossed your arms in front of your chest. “I already checked that room. Seonghwa wasn’t in there.”

“What are you talking about?” You heard the hint of annoyance in his voice before he stormed off into that room.

Without hesitation you rushed over to him, following him into the room as well. You ignored Yeosang who still stood there, silently watching you. “See, I told you-”

“Where did you take him?” Yunho’s voice boomed through the room. His anger finally took over and he turned around, glaring at you menacingly.

You startled from his sudden outburst, stumbling backwards and blinking several times.

Mingi showed up behind you, followed by the others. All of them got drawn into the room by his loud voice, worried gazes switching between him and you.

“I’m asking you again. WHERE DID YOU TAKE HIM?”

You stuttered something incomprehensible, unable to form a coherent sentence or argument. You didn’t even know what to say to calm him down either.

“How would they be able to drag a whole body around without any of us noticing? Y/N wasn’t even alone at all.” Mingi placed his hands on your shoulder, backing you up not just with his words but with his gesture as well.

“Then who did it?” Yunho stalked through the room, grabbing drawers, tables and chairs and throwing them around as if he’d find Seonghwa somewhere behind them.

You watched him silently, thoughts already racing inside your head. You had suspected Seonghwa to be the murderer but apparently you had been way off with him now gone too. Your eyes wandered to the other guys, wondering who the culprit might be instead.

Something wasn’t adding up.

You just couldn’t figure out what.

“I’m out of here”, San muttered, still pale and weak on his legs. He didn’t wait for any response, wobbling out of the room already.

“He shouldn’t go alone.”

You watched how Yeosang followed him until he was out of your sight. In the meantime Jongho tried calming Yunho down again, promising to find both missing members with him. They left the room as well, leaving Mingi at your side and Wooyoung close to the entrance, staring at you blankly.

“What are we going to do now?”

You silently shook your head, unsure what was the best course of action. You turned your head to look at Mingi. As of now he seemed to be the only one who couldn’t have done either of the murders.

“I think we shouldn’t be splitting up again”, he mumbled and gently pushed you towards the entrance.

Wooyoung stayed where he was, his head turning almost mechanically as you passed.

“Aren’t you coming?” You called over your shoulder. A cold shiver ran down your spine again. Something definitely was off here.

Even with Mingi’s suggestion of staying together, it appeared harder than all of you anticipated. Somehow there seemed to be always a kind of situation that pulled your group apart.

And one by one your group got smaller and smaller.

After Hongjoong and Seonghwa, Yeosang was the next to vanish.

Except for another large puddle of blood his body was nowhere to be found.

Then Jongho disappeared.

He heard a noise and followed it. Never came back.

San currently sat down, pressed against a wall. He slightly rocked his upper body back and forth, mumbling quietly and erratically to himself.

You tried calming him down, crouching down in front of his form. Though your words didn’t reach him at all.

A movement at the corner of your eye caught your attention, letting you glance towards it for a second. Only when your gaze moved back to San, did your brain register what you saw.

Mingi.

At least a version of Mingi.

Pitch black eyes. Hollow cheeks and blood streaks running down from his eye sockets. Chapped lips and an even paler complexion than San who felt sick.

The air got stuck in your throat, fear gripping at your very core. Your eyes shakily moved back, followed by your whole head.

You exhaled in disbelief, pitifully laughing at yourself and your mad imagination. “It’s you”, you chuckled and shook your head, “again.”

Except for some dishevelled clothing and hair Mingi looked just the same.

You stood up and brushed over your clothes, sending one last pitiful glance at San. “I think I’ll go look for Yunho. He’s been raging around like crazy with everything that’s going on.”

As you started to walk away, Mingi silently followed you, continuously staying one step behind you. He only left your side when you asked him to check a room here and there.

To your surprise though Yunho was nowhere to be found. At the same time you noticed something else.

It felt eerily quiet.

“Let’s head back to San”, you called out and started running towards the outside.

Your breathing came out ragged when you finally reached the spot where you had left him.

Only to find an empty spot.

You cursed under your breath, running your fingers through your hair. “This can’t be happening.” You paced around and started chewing on your nail.

By now you had searched every room of the convent and even the outside grounds without having found any trace of the others.

Except for puddles of blood.

You stopped your pacing, your head turning towards the church at the east side of the grounds.

The only place you hadn’t checked yet.

Your first steps were hesitant, more like a stumble before you broke out into another sprint.

When you reached the double doors to the church, two voices called out your name. You turned around with wide eyes, seeing both Wooyoung and Mingi running towards you.

“You shouldn’t go in there alone”, Mingi panted once he reached you.

“You shouldn’t be here in the first place”, Wooyoung hissed.

You blinked several times, trying to comprehend what was happening. With furrowed brows and your eyes switching between them two you still reached for the door, intent on opening it.

It’s then that you noticed Wooyoung wasn’t even looking at you. His glare was directed towards Mingi.

“What’s going-”

“How many times do I have to kill you?”

Your jaw dropped open and your eyes widened when you heard Wooyoung’s question.

“WHY! Why can’t you stay dead?”

You stepped back, your weight pushing the door to the church open. You stumbled backwards, barely catching yourself.

Mingi called out to you but got rooted in his place when you reached for your weapon and raised it towards them. You moved it between the two men, desperately trying to make sense of this whole situation.

“What do you mean by killing him over and over again?” Your voice was barely above a whisper as your eyes flicked towards Wooyoung and then back to Mingi.

“So”, you inhaled deeply, “you killed all the others?”

“No!” Wooyoung raised both his hands, a desperate attempt to show his innocence. “I swear it wasn’t me!”

Your attention turned to Mingi who stared ahead of you with a face void of any emotion. When you glanced back at Wooyoung, you noticed how his eyes widened in shock as they focused on something behind you.

Ever so slowly you turned around. You swallowed harshly.

The inside of the church was kept in pristine condition. The walls stayed a blinding white, same with the floor. The seats were aligned in perfect rows from the front to the back and the gold applications on the altar appeared as new as ever.

There wasn’t any sign of broken furniture nor spots of mould. The only thing inside the whole room that shouldn’t have been there were six bodies placed in a circle right in front of the altar.

You clapped your hand in front of your mouth, the scream stuck in your throat.

More blood pooled around the bodies, connecting them to one another. Their pale skin nearly glowed against the dark red of the blood. Their hands were folded in a praying manner across their chests while their dead eyes stared at the ceiling.

You turned back around to the two remaining guys. “What kind of psycho are you to do this to your friends?” You yelled and pointed your gun back at Wooyoung. “And you tried killing Mingi too?”

“It wasn’t me!” Wooyoung cried out. “Well, at least not this.”

“How am I supposed to believe you?” You glanced towards Mingi, who stayed oddly impassive to the whole situation. You mused he was in shock.

Wooyoung stepped towards you and you quickly focused back on him. “I can’t let this slide.” His eyes widened and his expression morphed from shock to sheer panic.

The gun shot rang loudly through the air, followed by the dull drop from Wooyoung’s body hitting the floor.

You exhaled shakily. Your eyes were unfocused.

You only got it together when Mingi started moving again.

Mingi calmly walked over to Wooyoung’s body and picked it up, carrying it over to the circle of the others.

“What are you doing?”

“Finishing what you started.”

“What I started?” You asked incredulously. You scoffed, disbelief radiating from every cell inside your body.

“The human mind is such a flimsy thing.” Mingi laughed out, the sound empty and foreign. “Can’t even remember what you did, you poor little thing.” He placed Wooyoung down on the ground, filling one of the empty spots in the circle.

Goosebumps erupted all over your skin as one cold shiver after the other ran along your spine.

This wasn’t right. Nothing of this was right.

You raised your gun back up, pointing it at Mingi this time. Dread filled your chest at the thought of having shot someone innocent. Though he said he tried to kill Mingi - more than once. So technically Wooyoung wasn’t that innocent. At least that’s what you tried telling yourself to justify the seemingly grave mistake you made.

“Explain yourself!”

“You suspected Hongjoong at first-”

You barked out a laugh. “What are you even talking about? He died first! How should he have been a suspect?”

Mingi’s head turned towards you, a boyish grin plastered on his lips. “Remember the reason you joined this expedition? ‘Cause you thought there was a serial killer hiding among us. And you suspected Hongjoong to be it.”

You bit on your lower lip, silently waiting for him to continue speaking.

“Now with Hongjoong’s death you needed a new suspect and who else to pick but his partner for everything.” Mingi stood back up, walking around the circle of bodies only for him to stop at Seonghwa’s head. “So you confronted him and killed him, thinking all your made up clues inside your head were pointing at him. But then his body disappeared and fear gripped your heart again.”

Memories flashed inside of your mind, showing you scenes of a fight and Seonghwa’s face twisted in pain.

“Same with all the others. Yeosang, Jongho, Yunho, San.” Mingi stopped at each one of them as he spoke before he slowly walked towards you. “For each one of them you crafted yourself some sort of reason why they were the culprits and you killing them was supposed to save the others. And nobody ever suspected you. After all, slipping on Hongjoong’s blood was a great move: being covered in it nobody suspected any blood stain on you.”

Your hands started trembling as more memories of your gruesome actions filled your mind.

Mingi placed his hand on yours, slowly pushing them down until the gun pointed at the ground. He walked around you while his hands ran up your arms.

You shivered when his breath caressed the shell of your ear. “There never was a serial killer in this group”, he whispered in a low tone, “not until you turned into one yourself, my little mass murderer.”

You shook your head in denial, tears spilling out and running over your cheeks. This couldn’t be true. You couldn’t have possibly done all of this. “I don’t believe you.”

Mingi chuckled into your ear, his hands gently squeezing your shoulders. “Maybe you should believe your own memories. Aren’t they coming back to you? Right, you simply don’t want to trust yourself. How could it be possible for a good person to turn bad all in the name of justice.”

You shook your head again, barely noticing how Mingi guided you closer towards the circle of bodies.

There were still two empty spots and a part of your brain knew what that meant. “You’re going to end this here, aren’t you?”

Mingi laughed again. “On the contrary. You’ll be the one to end it all.”

You looked up at him through teary eyes, brows furrowing in confusion. “I won't kill you now that I know what happened!”

Mingi stepped away from you, walking over to one of the empty spots. “There's no need for that. This body has been dead for a while now.” He waved his hand in front of his form as if he was pulling a curtain aside, revealing the horrific state of his body that you had thought you imagined earlier on.

You slowly shook your head from side to side in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. You simply couldn’t believe this to be true.

You watched him sit down on the ground, crossing his long legs over one another and leaning back on his palms. He even tilted his head and grinned devilishly at you. “It’s missing only one more thing.” Mingi jerked his chin towards the second empty space of the circle.

A gasp tore its way through your throat at the indication. Yet, all you could do was shake your head mechanically. “You can’t mean that.”

“Oh, obviously I do. We both know you won’t be able to live with the guilt of having murdered eight men - eight friends.”

You desperately wished for this to be a lie, hoped to wake up from a nightmarish fever dream. Tears welled up in your eyes and your throat closed up.

Your mind played one murder after the other inside your head, letting you relive each and everyone of it.

Mingi layed down on the floor, laughing to himself while your inner turmoil tore you apart.

As if your body had a mind of its own, your feet carried you to the last empty spot. Your eyes wandered over the others, staring at them through a blurry vision.

“I can’t”, you whispered, followed by a soft hiccup. You dropped to your knees as sobs tore through your throat.

The dim light from the candles flickered around, casting shadows all over the circle. Soon the sun would rise again. Though none of the bodies inside the church would do the same.

Ever again.

Taglist: @xavi-in-kpopland @songsoomin

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