The Cursed Gathering (Sope, Taemin, Taekook, Namjin)

7• Secrets in the Shadows

Authors pov

The group continued to tread carefully through the mansion, their footsteps echoing ominously in the long, dark hallways. Despite the earlier humor, an air of tension lingered. The riddle about the imposter had left everyone on edge, and every glance exchanged carried a hint of suspicion.

“Why do these hallways never end?” Hoseok groaned, peering around the corner of yet another identical corridor. “I feel like we’ve been walking in circles.”

“It’s like a bad horror movie,” Jimin muttered, rubbing his arms as if to ward off the chill in the air. “The kind where everyone dies one by one.”

“Way to keep the morale up,” Jin said dryly, his eyes scanning the walls for anything that might resemble a clue.

“We just need to stay focused,” Namjoon said, though his voice wavered slightly. “We’ll find something useful soon, I’m sure of it.”

Taehyung suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Jungkook to bump into him from behind.

“Hey, what’s the hold-up?” Jungkook grumbled, rubbing his chest where he’d collided with Taehyung’s back.

“Shh!” Taehyung hissed, raising a hand to silence the group. “I hear something.”

Everyone immediately fell silent, their ears straining to catch whatever sound Taehyung had noticed. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of their own breathing. Then, faintly, they all heard it—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like the sound of fingernails drumming on wood.

“It’s coming from behind that door,” Taehyung whispered, pointing to a large, ornate door at the end of the hallway.

“Should we... check it out?” Hoseok asked hesitantly, glancing around at the others.

“Could be our next clue,” Yoongi said, his voice calm as he stepped forward. “Let’s go.”

They approached the door cautiously, and Yoongi reached out to grab the doorknob. The handle was cold to the touch, and he had to twist it with some force before it finally gave way. The door creaked open, revealing a dark, dusty room that looked like it hadn’t been disturbed in years.

The tapping noise continued, now clearer but still faint. It seemed to be coming from somewhere within the room.

“Flashlights on,” Jin instructed, and they all directed their beams toward the source of the sound.

In the corner of the room, they spotted an old, weathered chest. The lid was slightly ajar, and the tapping was coming from inside it.

“Anyone else getting serious horror vibes here?” Jimin whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at the chest.

“Only all the time,” Hoseok replied, his voice trembling slightly.

Yoongi approached the chest cautiously, his flashlight in one hand and the other poised to lift the lid. The others gathered behind him, holding their breath in anticipation.

With a quick motion, Yoongi threw the lid open, revealing a stack of old papers and a dusty, leather-bound book. The tapping noise stopped abruptly.

“Is that it?” Jungkook asked, peering over Yoongi’s shoulder. “No ghost or monster?”

“Thankfully,” Yoongi muttered, sifting through the papers. “Looks like some kind of journal.”

Namjoon leaned in, his curiosity piqued. “A journal? Maybe it’ll have some answers.”

Yoongi carefully picked up the book and dusted off the cover. The leather was cracked and worn, the pages yellowed with age. He opened it to the first page, and the group huddled around him, trying to read over his shoulder.

The writing was elegant, though slightly faded. The first few entries seemed to be ordinary diary notes—mundane details about the weather, daily routines, and other trivial matters. But as they flipped through the pages, the entries grew darker and more cryptic.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Jin said, squinting at the strange symbols that filled one of the pages. “It’s like the writer was losing their mind.”

“Or trying to hide something,” Taehyung suggested, his voice low.

They continued to flip through the journal until they reached the final entry. The handwriting was shaky, the ink smeared as if written in haste. It read:

*“The walls have eyes, the shadows whisper secrets, and among us, one hides. Beware the false friend, for they are closer than you think.”*

“Great, another cryptic warning,” Jimin said, rolling his eyes. “As if we weren’t paranoid enough already.”

“There’s more,” Yoongi said, pointing to a small, folded piece of paper tucked between the pages. He unfolded it carefully, revealing another riddle:

*“To find the truth, seek what is hidden, 
But beware, for the imposter is well-ridden. 
In the light of day, they appear as one, 
But under the moon, their true nature’s spun.”*

“Well, that’s just unhelpfully vague,” Hoseok remarked, crossing his arms.

“What does ‘well-ridden’ even mean?” Namjoon asked, scratching his head in confusion.

“Maybe it means they’ve been pretending for a long time?” Jungkook suggested, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced.

“Or maybe they’re just really good at hiding,” Taehyung added, his tone thoughtful.

“Great, so we’re back to square one,” Jin sighed, closing the journal with a frustrated snap. “We have no idea who the imposter is or what they want.”

“But we do know they’re hiding something,” Yoongi pointed out, his eyes narrowing slightly as he glanced around at the group.

“And they’re among us,” Jimin added, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Okay, let’s not start accusing each other again,” Hoseok said quickly, holding up his hands. “We’re supposed to be a team, remember?”

“Right, because that worked out so well last time,” Jungkook said with a sarcastic grin.

“Look, let’s just keep searching,” Namjoon said, trying to sound confident despite the unease in his voice. “We’ll figure this out.”

They nodded in agreement, though the tension between them was palpable. As they turned to leave the room, Yoongi’s eyes flicked back to the journal, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He slipped the book into his jacket, keeping the riddles fresh in his mind.

The imposter was indeed among them, but as long as he played his cards right, no one would ever suspect him.