Namjin Oneshots

Chapter 3: Unwelcome Guests

The thick, oppressive air of the mansion seemed to cling to everything it touched. Taehyung and Jimin stood in the grand foyer, eyes wide and darting across the room, trying to make sense of the foreboding space. The high ceiling stretched above them, but the darkness seemed to swallow the upper half of the room, making it impossible to see beyond a few feet. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, bouncing back at them in strange, unnatural ways.

"I don't like this place," Jimin whispered, clutching the sleeve of Taehyung's jacket. His voice was barely audible, but the fear in it was clear. His eyes flicked nervously from one corner to another, his body tense with anticipation.

Taehyung, though usually the more adventurous one, felt the same unsettling tension knotting in his stomach. "We should've waited for the others," he muttered, though he wasn't sure how much safer he would feel even if they were together. "This place feels... wrong."

Jimin nodded, biting his lip as he glanced toward the grand staircase that spiraled up into the second floor. It seemed to stretch endlessly into the shadows, the wooden steps old and cracked, as if they hadn't been touched by human hands in decades.

The faint sound of creaking came from above them, and both of them froze. The noise was soft, almost imperceptible, but it sent a chill down their spines. Jimin's hand tightened on Taehyung's arm.

"Did you hear that?" Jimin whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

Taehyung nodded, his eyes locked on the staircase. "Yeah... but no one's supposed to be up there."

For a long moment, neither of them moved. The silence in the mansion felt suffocating, as if the very walls were pressing in on them, waiting for something to happen. The only sound was the faint creak of wood settling and the soft rustle of their clothes as they shifted nervously.

Taehyung swallowed hard and glanced at Jimin. "We should check it out."

Jimin's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Are you serious? What if-"

Before Jimin could finish, there was another noise - this time louder, a distinct shuffling sound like something moving across the floor above them. Both of them jerked their heads upward, eyes straining to see anything in the shadows at the top of the stairs. But there was nothing.

Taehyung felt his heart pound in his chest, a mix of fear and curiosity driving him forward. "Stay close," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he took a hesitant step toward the staircase.

Jimin hesitated, but the idea of being left alone in the foyer was worse than following Taehyung. He hurried after him, sticking close as they made their way to the foot of the stairs.

The first step creaked loudly under Taehyung's weight, the sound reverberating through the empty house. He winced but didn't stop. One step at a time, they ascended the staircase, each creak louder than the last. The air grew colder as they climbed, and Jimin shivered despite the warm layers he was wearing.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the hallway stretched out before them, long and narrow, with doors lining either side. The doors were closed, but each one seemed to exude an air of mystery and foreboding. The hallway was darker than the foyer, the light from their flashlights barely piercing through the thick shadows.

"Which way?" Jimin whispered, his voice barely audible in the suffocating silence.

Taehyung's eyes scanned the hallway, his pulse racing as he tried to decide. "Let's just... pick a door."

The first door on their right seemed as good as any. Taehyung reached for the handle, his fingers trembling slightly as they closed around the cold metal. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at Jimin, who was watching him with wide eyes. Then, with a deep breath, Taehyung twisted the handle and pushed the door open.