The room was suffocatingly quiet. Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the kind that pressed down on the chest, making every breath feel heavier than the last. Jeon Jungkook sat on the cold floor, knees drawn close, his gaze fixed on the old book lying open in front of him. The pages were worn, yellowed with age, filled with symbols he barely understood—but tonight, they felt impossible to ignore.

He knew this was stupid. Unreal. Something out of a fantasy he didn’t even believe in. And yet, his fingers trembled slightly as he traced the markings on the page. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe desperation. Or maybe he was just tired of the noise in his own head. Whatever it was, it pushed him forward.

A quiet sigh left his lips as he reached for the small blade beside him. “It’s nothing,” he muttered to himself, almost mocking his own actions. “Just a stupid ritual.” Still, he lit the candles one by one, their dim glow casting shifting shadows across the walls. The room immediately felt different—heavier, colder—but he ignored it.

Settling inside the uneven circle drawn in chalk, Jungkook took a deep breath and began to read.

The words felt wrong. Unnatural. Each syllable rolled off his tongue like it didn’t belong there, like something was forcing them out of him instead of the other way around. The candle flames trembled violently, and a sudden chill ran down his spine, sharp enough to make him pause.

“…okay, that’s weird,” he whispered.

The temperature dropped even further. His breath came out faintly visible, and the air felt thick, almost suffocating. A nervous laugh escaped him as he shook his head. “I should stop—”

The lights flickered.

Once. Twice.

Then everything went dark.

Jungkook’s heart slammed against his ribs as silence swallowed the room whole. Not a single sound. Not even the faint crackle of the candles. Just nothing.

“Hello…?” His voice came out softer than he intended.

No answer.

Of course there wouldn’t be. Because there was nothing there.

Right?

A faint sound broke the silence.

Behind him.

Jungkook froze. Every muscle in his body locked as a strange, overwhelming presence settled into the room—heavy, ancient, watching. Slowly, almost painfully, he turned his head.

“Did you really think…” a low voice echoed, smooth and dangerously calm, “…nothing would answer?”

His breath caught.

And when he turned fully—

He saw him.

Kim Taehyung stood just beyond the circle, half-hidden in shadows. The faint candlelight revealed just enough—sharp features, dark eyes, and an expression that was far too calm for something that shouldn’t exist. Those eyes… they didn’t feel human. They felt deep. Endless. Like they could swallow him whole.

Jungkook scrambled back, panic rising fast. “W-who are you?!”

The man tilted his head slightly, studying him like he was something curious. Something insignificant.

“You called me,” he replied simply.

“No—I didn’t—I mean—this isn’t real—”

His words stumbled over each other, but Taehyung only watched, completely unfazed. Then he took a step forward.

And stopped.

Right at the edge of the circle.

His gaze dropped briefly to the markings beneath his feet before lifting again, something flickering in his expression—something close to irritation.

“…how interesting,” he murmured.

Jungkook’s breathing grew uneven as he pressed himself back against the wall. “What… what is this…?”

A slow smile spread across Taehyung’s face. Not warm. Not comforting. Something darker.

“You didn’t just summon me,” he said, his voice lowering as it wrapped around Jungkook like a whisper in the dark. “You bound me.”

Silence filled the space between them, thick and suffocating.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Jungkook whispered, shaking his head.

“Oh, you will,” Taehyung replied softly. “Very soon.”

He crouched slightly, bringing himself closer—close enough for Jungkook to feel the unnatural cold radiating from him. Close enough to feel that overwhelming presence pressing down on him.

“You look disappointed,” Taehyung added, his tone almost amused. “Were you expecting something less… real?”

“I wasn’t expecting anything,” Jungkook admitted, his voice barely steady.

A quiet chuckle escaped Taehyung’s lips, sending another chill down his spine. “That was your first mistake.”

The air shifted again, something invisible tightening around Jungkook, pulling at him in a way he couldn’t explain. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared at the figure in front of him—terrified, yet unable to look away.

And then he noticed it.

Taehyung hadn’t stepped inside the circle.

Not once.

A thought formed in his mind, hesitant but growing stronger by the second.

“…you can’t come in,” Jungkook said softly.

Taehyung’s gaze snapped to him instantly, sharp and focused.

Jungkook swallowed, fear still clawing at his chest—but something else rising with it now. Something steadier.

“You can’t,” he repeated.

For a moment, Taehyung said nothing. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face—dark, intrigued, almost impressed.

“No,” he admitted quietly. “I can’t.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

“But don’t let that make you feel safe, Jungkook,” he continued, his voice dropping into something far more dangerous.

Jungkook’s breath hitched.

“Because the moment you step out…” Taehyung paused, his eyes darkening as the candles flickered violently once more.

Darkness swallowed the room again.

And his voice echoed through it—

“I won’t need permission anymore.”

To be continued… 🖤