THE DEVIL WITHIN

1

On the eve of his tenth birthday, an excitable Jungkook finally drifts off to sleep, he has a dream.

It's unlike any dream he's ever had before. He usually dreams of fantastical things, of colour and magic, moulding his subconscious into fantastical worlds of wonder. But now, as he walks through the charred corridors of what he knows are the desolate ruins of his home, he is terrified. As the night wind whips around his bare feet, he shivers. He sees nothing but darkness everywhere he looks. Jungkook has never been afraid of the dark, but as he stares at the moonlit shadows painting strange shapes on what's left of the walls, he realises he does. He continues down the corridor, uneasy about how quiet it is.

“Eomma? Appa?” He yells, wincing as he realises how loud his own voice sounds in the silence. As he receives no responses, he feels a surge of panic in his chest. He tries again, louder this time. “Appa! Eomma! "Where are you?"

"You're wasting your time," a familiar voice says from behind him in the shadows. Jungkook attacks with ferocity and swings around to face the intruder.

"No, no, I'm not!" I must track them down! They may be injured!"

The figure moves forward slightly as he responds, but he still can't make him out. "They're not hurt."

He can't help but feel relieved, no matter how frightening the situation is. He exhales, only to take another in a sharp gasp as the shadowy figure continues in a voice that chills him far more than an icy night wind ever could. "They're no longer alive."

"You're lying!" Jungkook screams, tears welling up in his eyes despite his small chest's stubborn denial. "Who are you? "Why are you saying such heinous things?"

The figure finally takes a full step forward, stopping in a patch of moonlight, and he stumbles back, stunned, unable to take his gaze away from the face staring back at him.

His own face.