SMILE: A Terrible Night.

Blood Dance With Death.

Chapter 21: (Scarlet's pov)

The basement was dark, and the remnants of the circus, a place of wonder and excitement, had transformed into a labyrinth of shadows and eerie silence. I had hoped that the vastness and disarray would offer me refuge from Taehyung, but as I crouched amid the wreckage, an unsettling sense of dread began to creep over me.

Just when i decided that I would somehow try to settle. The silence that had initially welcomed me was abruptly shattered by screams and desperate pleas. The sounds were not distant; they seemed to emanate from the very walls of the circus. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing the rising panic that gripped me.

I stood up, my legs trembling uncontrollably as I tried to make sense of the auditory assault. The screams were mingled with groans of pain and desperate cries for mercy. I strained to locate the source, but the sounds seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

The air was heavy with a musty atmosphere, making it difficult to breathe. My eyes darted around, searching for some semblance of an escape route or a safe haven, but the shadows seemed to close in around me. Suddenly, a cold, sinister voice cut through the din, its tones carrying an unsettling calmness.

The voice was unmistakably Taehyung's, and it sent a jolt of fear through me. I followed the sound, my footsteps were hesitant and uneven, as I stumbled backward into the gloom.

Taehyung: Do you hear them? The whispers of my victims, begging for release.

The words were laced with a chilling detachment, as if he were recounting a mere observation rather than acknowledging the torment he had inflicted. My breath hitched in my throat, and I felt my heart race as I tried to steady myself. The screams grew louder, more insistent.

I backed away instinctively, trying to distance myself from the sound. My feet stumbled over debris and broken carnival equipment, making my retreat clumsy and erratic. The sound of Taehyung's voice was growing louder, but so were the screams. They seemed to merge into the terror that reverberated through the basement.

I felt a sudden chill on my skin, and I froze. My back collided with something solid and unyielding, and I gasped in shock. I spun around to face whatever was behind me, my heart thudding painfully in my chest.

The source of the chill became apparent as I saw Taehyung standing directly behind me. His presence was nearly as suffocating as the voices, his form looming out of the darkness. He was holding a mobile phone to his ear, the device crackling with the distorted echoes of the tortured souls.

His gaze was cold and calculating, his expression were a twisted mask of amusement and malice. The mobile phone was emitting the distorted voices, amplifying the nightmarish sounds that filled the basement. He moved closer, his breath warm against my neck as he spoke.

Taehyung: And now, do you feel that chill down your spine? That's the touch of death drawing near you.

The words were a sinister whisper, it was a promise of the horrors that awaited me. I felt his fingers graze my arm, the contact sending an icy shiver down my spine. His touch was both invasive and intimate, a grotesque reminder of the danger I was in.

I tried to move away from him, but my legs felt like lead, I could see the faint, eerie glow of the mobile phone casting an unsettling light across his face, highlighting the cruel satisfaction in his eyes. His fingers continued to trace over my skin, his touch cold and unsettling. I could feel the weight of his gaze, the intensity of his scrutiny as he assessed my reactions.

Scarlet: Why would you kill people, Taehyung.

I said gritting my teeth.

Taehyung: You see, Scarlet, Death is the ultimate intimacy, and I am its most devoted lover.

He had a tight grip on my hand, as he tugged my hand behind my back, twisting it. I tried to get my hands out of his grip, but he was unyeilding.

Scarlet: Let go of me.

Taehyung: Just to let you know, I don't kill out of hatred or anger. I kill because it's my purpose.

Scarlet: You are a fucking monster.

Taehyung: You can call me a monster, but I'm just a reflection of society's darkest desires.

His voice was calm and composed, but the menace behind it was unmistakable. The realization of what he was implying sent a wave of nausea through me. The thought of the basement being a repository for the souls, with him was too much to bear.

I forced myself to take a step back, jerking away his hand, I needed to find a way out. His hand reached out to grab me again, and I ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding his grasp. I sprinted through the maze of old tents and abandoned carnival rides, the echo of my footsteps mingling with the distant cries coming out of Taehyung's phone. The sounds of his pursuit were behind me, growing fainter as I pushed myself to move faster.

The basement was a maze, and I had to navigate it carefully to avoid becoming trapped. I reached a large, collapsed tent and ducked inside, hoping for some semblance of cover. The fabric was tattered and worn, offering little protection, but it provided a temporary shield from view. I crouched in the shadows, trying to catch my breath and calm my racing heart.

The dim light from the single bulb flickered erratically, casting eerie shadows across the tent. I could hear the distant sounds of Taehyung's footsteps, but they were growing more distant, as if he were searching elsewhere. The relief was temporary, but it was a precious chance to gather my strength and formulate a plan.

The struggle for survival was far from over. The basement might have offered a temporary reprieve, but the danger was still ever-present. I had to stay focused, keep my wits about me, and find a way to escape this nightmarish reality.