The PHONOI • || Lee Heeseung ||

Chapter 6: Guilt in Shadows

"If you feel a presence behind you don't look back, or you will be consumed by it."

Jia's POV

Red. All I see is red as I stood there alone, shrouded in an unsettling, crimson haze. The sky above is deep, bloody red, and the ground beneath my feet is slick with a sticky, viscous fluid that seems to pulse with a life of its own. As I look around, I realise that I am surrounded by a boundless, dark red expanse, like an endless, frozen lake of blood.

The air is heavy with the stench of decay and death, and my skin crawls with an eerie, creeping sensation. I try to move but my feet feel weighted, as if anchored to the spot. The blood around me begins to churn and bubble, like a witch's cauldron, releasing grotesque, unidentifiable fragments that float to the surface.

Suddenly, twisted, humanoid forms start to emerge from the bloody depths, their faces distorted in macabre, inhumane grins. My screams are drowned out by an unearthly, piercing whisper that seems to come from all directions, speaking in a language that sounds like the tearing of flesh.

I try to run, to at least walk forward but my legs feel paralysed. I try to shout, to get out of my despair but nothing seems to work. Suddenly, I'm jolted awake. I look around to see myself in my dorm room, my alarm clock buzzing right next to me. A dream. It was nothing but a dream. I sigh, turning off my alarm and taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

I've been having this same dream from time to time ever since that incident took place. My train of thoughts was broken by a notification on my phone.  It was a text from an unknown number. With my eyebrows furrowed I decided to check the message.

Unknown :
Hey, Heeseung here. I got your number from Jake. I was wondering if we could meet for the practice later?

                                            Jia:      
                                           Sure. What time?
     

Unknown:
After classes, around 5? Let's meet at the Athenaeum.

                                               Jia:
                                               Okay.

After I was done texting Heeseung, I decided it was time to get ready and tackle the battles of the day. After getting ready I stepped out of my dorm room, to be greeted by the sight of Choi Beomgyu leaning against the wall next to my door.

"Yo!" Beomgyu greeted with a bright smile on his face. "Wassup?" I greeted back smiling a little. "Did you have breakfast yet?" Beomgyu enquired. I shook my head and that's when I noticed Beomgyu holding a brown paper bag and two cups of coffee in either hands. He raised his hands holding the bag. "Well then, let's go eat. I'm practically starving. I bought us both breakfast" he said while making this weird expression. However, I felt a little warmth spread through my body with his kind gesture. I was indeed grateful to have met him on the first day. "Gosh Beomgyu, you didn't have to but thank you" I smiled at him and started walking.

We made small talks while he led the way to God knows where. Beomgyu is a bright person, he seems easy to talk to. After talking about our routine for the day and well him talking mostly about how this one teacher is giving him a hard time and how much he wishes for the teacher to just retire soon, we reached our destination.

We basically came to the campus and the sun kissed ground was bustling with activity and life. I could see students all around, some sprawled across the grass, some laughing with their friends and some on skate boards going around.