As the room returned to a dim glow, everyone felt a lingering, eerie presence as if the stranger’s words hadn’t fully left the air. Lisa’s hand tightened around Jennie’s, her pulse quickening with a strange mixture of curiosity and fear. She looked around, feeling like she was on the edge of discovering something buried beneath layers of mystery.
Rosé exhaled, trying to steady herself. “Did anyone else feel that? It was like he could see right through us.”
Jennie nodded, jaw clenched, still shaken. “He knew things… things we’ve never told anyone.”
Jisoo’s expression hardened. She turned to Lisa, brows furrowed. “Are you seriously still thinking about staying? That guy is trouble. This whole place reeks of danger.”
But Lisa’s defiance flared. “We came here for a thrill, didn’t we? Besides,” she smirked slightly, “when have we ever backed down?”
Across the room, the Twice members exchanged wary glances. Nayeon pulled Jeongyeon aside, whispering urgently, “This doesn’t feel right. It’s as if we’re being pulled into something we don’t understand.”
Jeongyeon, though equally uneasy, put a hand on Nayeon’s shoulder. “I know, but we’re here now. Let’s keep an eye on them… just in case.”
Meanwhile, Momo leaned against the bar, her usually playful demeanor subdued. “I don’t like this guy,” she muttered to Dahyun. “Something about him feels… off.”
Dahyun nodded, her expression serious. “He’s got this aura, like he’s hiding something dangerous. I just hope the others don’t get in too deep.”
Suddenly, the faint hum of electronic music morphed into a low, throbbing beat that resonated through the walls. It was hypnotic, pulling them deeper into the room as if the space itself was alive, pulsing with secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Jennie shook her head, trying to shake off the spell-like haze. “Lisa, please. Let’s go. I don’t like what this place is doing to us.”
But Lisa’s eyes sparkled, the allure of the unknown drawing her in. “I know it’s risky,” she whispered, “but doesn’t that make it all the more intriguing?”
Before anyone could argue further, the room suddenly plunged into darkness once again, the pulsing beat vanishing into silence. A tense stillness settled over them, each breath loud in the void.
The lights flickered back on, and now, scattered across the room, were envelopes. Thick, jet-black envelopes sealed with an embossed silver serpent, identical to the one the stranger had shown them earlier.
One by one, the members of Blackpink and Twice picked up the envelopes, their hands hesitant, feeling the weight of whatever they held. Jennie’s fingers brushed the edge of hers, a chill creeping down her spine as she reluctantly broke the seal. Inside was a single card, its text printed in dark, elegant script:
"To know the truth, you must be willing to face your darkest secrets. Join us if you dare. Midnight awaits.”
Jennie’s eyes widened as she read it, her pulse racing. She looked up, meeting the similarly shocked expressions of her friends.
“What… what does this mean?” Rosé whispered, clutching her card as if it were a dangerous artifact.
Jisoo frowned, her hand trembling slightly as she tucked the card back into the envelope. “He’s toying with us. This has to be some elaborate setup.”
Lisa glanced around at each of them, feeling the gravity of their fear but unable to shake the allure of the invitation. “What if it’s more than that? What if he’s offering us a glimpse into something… powerful?”
Jennie took a deep breath, her resolve hardening. “Whatever this is, I don’t want any part of it. Let’s leave and pretend none of this happened.”
Before they could move, a soft chime echoed through the room, and their eyes darted to the far end where an ornate clock, seemingly out of nowhere, hung on the wall. It read 11:55 PM — five minutes to midnight.
Nayeon, who had been quiet up until now, took a step forward, her eyes locked on the clock. “We need to decide now. Once it strikes midnight, I have a feeling this offer won’t be on the table anymore.”
The tension in the room spiked, each of them torn between the primal urge to run and the temptation to stay, to explore the unknown and test the limits of their courage.
Chaeyoung, shifting uneasily beside Mina, finally spoke up. “Whatever we do, we stick together. If one of us stays, we all stay.”
Mina squeezed her hand, a silent show of support. “Agreed.”
Jennie looked at Lisa, silently pleading with her. But Lisa’s eyes held a stubborn determination. “I’m staying,” she whispered, voice laced with unbreakable resolve. “I have to know.”
Jisoo exhaled in frustration, but her loyalty to Lisa outweighed her fear. “Fine. If you’re staying, so am I.”
Rosé nodded, her gaze firm. “Me too.”
Reluctantly, Jennie agreed, her heart racing. “All right. Midnight, then.”
As the clock struck midnight, the room began to shift around them, the walls seeming to dissolve and reform into a grand, sprawling hall. The ambiance changed, and they found themselves in a gothic ballroom with chandeliers hanging like watchful guardians, casting eerie shadows over the marble floors.
And there, standing at the far end, was the stranger, a smirk playing on his lips as he held up a glass of champagne in a mock toast. “Welcome, ladies,” he announced. “To the game of truth. The night is yours to unravel… if you dare.”
The Twice members, who had followed discreetly behind, exchanged wary glances. This wasn’t the simple nightclub they had entered earlier; it was as if they’d crossed into another realm, a hidden layer of Seoul reserved only for those bold enough to face their fears.
The stranger gestured to the expansive ballroom filled with masked figures, each one observing them with a cold intensity. “Tonight, you’ll face your hidden selves, your secrets laid bare. Only those who are unafraid to see their own darkness can survive.”
The music resumed, a haunting melody that seemed to creep into their minds, amplifying every suppressed memory, every untold truth. Jennie’s grip tightened on Lisa’s hand as her gaze flickered nervously between the masked strangers and the familiar faces of her friends.
“Stay close,” she whispered to them. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Lisa’s expression softened, sensing Jennie’s worry. “We’ve got each other. Whatever this is… we face it together.”
With that, the night unfolded, each moment drawing them deeper into a labyrinth of secrets and illusions. Every glance from a masked figure, every whispered word, seemed to unveil hidden fears, insecurities they’d buried long ago.
As they moved through the ballroom, the crowd parted, revealing a grand staircase leading to a gallery above. The stranger stood there, watching them with a glint of amusement in his eyes, a silent dare in his posture.
Jennie led the way, and they ascended the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the silence. When they reached the top, the stranger’s voice drifted over them like smoke.
“Welcome to the truth,” he murmured. “Tonight, each of you will face your deepest secrets. Only those who accept them will find the exit.”
Lisa’s heart pounded, but she squared her shoulders. “Bring it on.”
One by one, the doors around them opened, each leading into a different room, each room seeming to hold a different piece of their pasts, their hidden fears, or regrets.
As they stepped forward, Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, Jisoo, and the Twice members braced themselves, each facing the weight of their secrets, unaware of how deeply this night would scar — or change — them.
In the shadows, the stranger watched with satisfaction, knowing that by dawn, none of them would be the same.
