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

23• Shattered Souls, Healing Hearts

Authors pov

Jungkook found himself in a small, stall room, his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to hide from the world. He had wandered aimlessly through the mansion, searching for a place to escape—escape from his fears, his trauma, the accusing looks, and the judgmental stares. All he wanted was to run away from it all, to disappear into the darkness where no one could find him.

He slid down the wall, collapsing onto the cold, hard floor. His sobs echoed off the walls, loud and desperate. The last time he had cried like this was during those horrible days and nights, those unforgettable moments that had shattered his soul. His mind was a whirlwind of painful memories, memories of what that man had done to him. He tried to push them away, to bury them deep inside where they couldn’t hurt him, but it was no use. They clawed their way to the surface, suffocating him with their weight.

Jungkook looked up at the ceiling with tear-filled eyes, his vision blurred by his anguish. He screamed in agony, a heart-wrenching cry that came from the deepest part of his broken soul. "Why?!" he screamed, banging the back of his head against the wall behind him. The despair he felt was indescribable, a pain so deep that it consumed him completely. He wanted out—out of this mansion, out of this nightmare, out of everything that hurt him.

As his sobs grew louder, his body shook with the intensity of his emotions. Snot rolled down his nostrils, and he sniffled, trying to catch his breath. But then, suddenly, he stopped crying. His breath caught in his throat as a familiar tune reached his ears. It was a melody that had haunted him for years, a tune that gave him sleepless nights. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat echoing the terror that gripped him.

"No," he whispered, his voice trembling as he shakily stood up. He heard the deep, menacing voice that had once tormented him, the voice of the man who had ruined his life. The man he had called his father. Jungkook gasped, his breath coming in short, panicked bursts as he saw him—the same man, with the same cruel smile and the same haunting eyes. But there was something different now. The man had a stab wound on his chest, the wound Jungkook had inflicted on him to end the nightmare years ago. Yet here he was, like a ghost, pale and lifeless but still as terrifying as ever.

"Father?" Jungkook’s voice was barely a whisper as he took a shaky step back. The man smiled, a twisted grin that sent chills down Jungkook’s spine. "Come to daddy," the man taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "Come here, my baby. Let's have some fun."

Jungkook was a hyperventilating mess. His breath came in rapid, shallow gasps as he desperately tried to escape the nightmare that had come to life before him. Without thinking, he flung the door open and ran, his feet pounding against the floor as he sprinted down the hallway. He could feel the man chasing him, could hear his taunting laughter echoing in his ears.

"Leave me alone!" Jungkook screamed, his voice filled with terror as he ran faster, his heart beating wildly in his chest.

Downstairs, in the living room, the others were still trying to make sense of Jungkook’s outburst. They exchanged confused and concerned looks, unsure of what to do next. But their conversation was abruptly cut off when they heard hurried footsteps and loud crying echoing through the mansion. The sound grew closer, and then they saw him—Jungkook leaping off the steps, his face contorted with fear and desperation as he ran to the door and began banging on it.

"Let me out! Please, let me out!" Jungkook screamed, his fists pounding against the door as tears streamed down his face. "Get me out of here! I can't stay here, not with him!"

They all rushed to him, trying to calm him down, but Jungkook flinched away from their touch, his body trembling with fear. He kept banging on the door, his voice growing hoarse from screaming. Yoongi’s eyes narrowed as he glanced up the stairs, his gaze locking onto the ghostly figure of the man standing at the top, staring down at Jungkook with malevolent eyes.