𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ˢᵒᵒᵏᵒᵒᵏ

Five

6 p.m.

Seoul, South Korea

Author

Jisoo had never believed in ghosts, and she wasn't the kind of girl who got scared easily. Her courage was her armor, and she wore it proudly. But there was something about Jungkook, something unnerving, something dark. But, she never cared. But, maybe, someday, she would learn how dark it is exactly.

She arrived at Jungkook and Junghyun's house as planned, fully expecting a casual evening. But when she knocked, the door opened on its own, eerily silent. The air inside felt thick, like it was pressing down on her. Still, Jisoo isn't one to get spooked by something so cliche.

"Junghyun?" she called out, her voice echoing back strangely in the empty space, "You here?"

No response. The house was silent. Too silent.

She frowned, walking further in. She had been here plenty of times, but something felt off this evening. The shadows were deeper, and the faintest noise made her pause.

"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath, pulling out her phone to text Junghyun. But just as she did, the lights flickered and went out completely, plunging the room into darkness.

A low hum began to fill the room, like a soft vibration resonating from somewhere deep below. It was a sound she couldn't place, almost mechanical, but too subtle to be normal.

She felt her pulse quicken, but shook it off. "Okay, very funny. Jungkook, if this is your idea of a joke, it's really stupid," she called out, trying to keep her voice steady.

But then, in the pitch-black silence, something whispered.

Not a human whisper, but something otherworldly. It wasn't in her ear, it was inside her head.

"Turn around."

Her blood went cold. It wasn't the kind of whisper that could be ignored. It was primal, like a command she had no choice but to follow.

Jisoo hesitated, swallowing hard. She had always been brave. But this, this wasn't about bravery. This was about survival. Slowly, almost against her will, she turned.

What she saw made her heart stop.

Jungkook stood at the far end of the hall, bathed in shadows, his face half-hidden. But it wasn't the normal Jungkook she was used to. There was something wrong with him, his eyes glowed faintly, a soft, unnatural red. His expression was blank, cold, like a puppet waiting for orders. His presence was suffocating, filling the space with an oppressive energy that made her legs weak.

"Jungkook?" Jisoo whispered, trying to ground herself, to regain control. But he didn't move.

The low hum grew louder, almost deafening now, like the walls themselves were vibrating with some kind of unseen force.

Jungkook's voice cut through the noise, but it wasn't his usual cocky tone. It was low, cryptic, "You shouldn't have come here, Jisoo."

She blinked, her heart racing, "What....what are you talking about?"

"You're too close to things you don't understand. Things you can't understand," he said, taking a step toward her, his movements unnervingly slow, deliberate, "There are forces at play you can't control. I can't control."

Jisoo't instinct screamed at her to run, but her legs felt glued to the floor. This wasn't like any prank she'd experienced before. This was something much darker, "Jungkook, stop playing games."

But he wasn't playing games. His eyes locked onto hers, and for a brief second, everything around them blurred, like reality itself was bending. The walls of the house shifted, becoming taller, closing in on her. The hallway stretched impossibly long, and the air became heavier, colder.