The Party That Killed || Hyunlix

44 🕸️

3rd person pov.
The boys gathered around the screen once again, playing another recording from the tape with a number marked at the very top. They remembered this was supposed to be one of the last recordings Chan made before everything spiraled out of control.

“Wait…” Felix muttered, staring at the screen as they fast-forwarded the tape. “I think this is it.”

Seungmin felt his heart begin to race. Another recording from Chan, another set of mysteries. On the screen, Chan’s face appeared, looking more worn out, as if his life had been gradually falling apart.

“If you’re hearing this, it means there’s no turning back,” Chan’s voice came through, heavy and deliberate, as if he was about to share something of great importance.

Seungmin froze, his gaze locked on the screen. Something stirred within him, a feeling he couldn’t yet name. This case was becoming far too real, and escape was no longer an option.

“I know you don’t understand why I’m saying this now... Your brother... your brother didn’t die by accident, not in an accident…” Chan’s voice faltered, as though he was speaking only to Seungmin, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear.

Seungmin’s heartbeat quickened. What is he saying? he wondered, but before he could dwell on it, Chan continued:

“He died because he knew too much. He knew someone was after him, and time wasn’t on his side. He wanted to tell you, but he didn’t get the chance...”

The room fell silent. The boys exchanged glances, the weight of Chan’s words settling heavily over them. Seungmin felt as if the situation was beginning to suffocate him.

“It wasn’t just an accident. When you see this symbol… you’ll know it was always about us. About what happened that night. You have to find the truth, Seungmin, because you’re the only one who can.”

Chan’s voice faded, leaving the room engulfed in a thick silence. Seungmin stood motionless, staring at the others. His mind raced, piecing fragments together, yet nothing made sense.

“Seungmin…” Felix nudged him gently, breaking the stillness. “What does it mean?”

Seungmin struggled to form coherent thoughts, lowering his gaze.

“It… it all connects. And now I know it wasn’t just about my brother. He wanted to tell me something but couldn’t. Now it’s up to me to figure out what happened.” He looked back at the screen, then at the others. “And I have to find that symbol. It’s the key to the truth.”

≈🎃≈

The room was quiet, broken only by the clicking of a mouse as Felix scrolled through images on a flash drive. The screen showed blurry shots of old buildings, empty streets, and abandoned interiors.

“Looks like Chan had a thing for creepy places,” Felix remarked without looking away. “Does any of this even make sense?”

Jeongin and Jisung had gone to the store earlier, leaving only Seungmin and Felix behind. Seungmin stood by the desk, arms crossed, deep in thought. Each new image seemed to tug at something within him, though he couldn’t quite define what.

“Hey, look at this,” Felix said, stopping at an image. It was a photograph taken in a dim room where a large symbol resembling a blurred spiral surrounded by strange lines adorned the wall.

“Is that it?” Seungmin leaned closer to the screen.

“I think so. This place looks familiar, like it’s near the same area as the other pictures.”

Felix clicked to the next image, and the screen revealed something that made both of them freeze. This time, the picture was sharper, showing a group of people, likely a family, posing in front of the symbol. The most unsettling part was that one of the individuals… looked exactly like Seungmin.

“What the hell is this?” Seungmin straightened abruptly, as if to distance himself from the screen, but something held him in place.

“Is that… you?” Felix asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “How is that possible?”

Seungmin took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been there… at least, not that I remember.”

Felix studied the photo closely. “Do you think this place has something to do with your brother?”

Seungmin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe. But without context, it’s hard to tell.”

The door burst open with a bang as Jeongin and Jisung returned, bags of food in hand.

“Alright, we’ve got snacks for the night!” Jisung declared, setting the bags on the table.

Felix glanced at Seungmin, tilting his head. “Aren’t you curious how your brother knew Chan?”

Seungmin looked up, pausing as if searching for the right words. “After everything that’s happened… nothing surprises me anymore.”

Jisung raised a curious eyebrow, munching on a snack. “What are you guys talking about?”

Felix pointed at the screen. “About how our lives are turning into some kind of messed-up detective novel.”

Seungmin shrugged. “And how much of it still doesn’t make sense.”

≈🎃≈

3rd person pov.
Seungmin stood on an empty street, shrouded in thick fog. The air was heavy, a clinging chill settling on his skin. The sky above was unnaturally gray, and the world seemed void of sound.

A figure appeared before him. It was his brother—smiling, just as Seungmin remembered from long ago. He reached out a hand as if to guide him.

“Seungmin…” His voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it echoed in Seungmin’s mind. “You’re closer than you think.”

Seungmin lifted his hand, trying to touch him, but his brother turned away, disappearing further into the fog. The boy tried to follow, but his legs felt like lead.

“Wait!” he called out, panic rising in his chest.

His brother didn’t turn but pointed ahead. In the hazy darkness, the symbol emerged—a jagged spiral carved into a building wall, oozing with red liquid that dripped like blood.

“What does it mean?!” Seungmin shouted, but instead of an answer, there was a sharp crack, like something breaking apart.

The symbol began to glow, and the world around him shattered as though it were merely an illusion. Seungmin felt the ground vanish beneath him, and he plunged into darkness.

Just before he woke, he heard his brother’s voice one last time.

“Find the truth before they find you.”

Seungmin’s eyes snapped open, his heart pounding. The room was quiet, the soft light of morning streaming through the window. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to calm himself. Something was wrong, and the dream only confirmed it.

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Movie suggestion: Ginger Snaps III: The Beginning (2004)