Jazz for Two: The Silent Beat

Episode 7: The Devil's Chord

Episode 7: "The Devil's Chord"

The echoes of the piano continued to reverberate in the dimly lit room, each note more urgent, more frenzied than the last. Do Yoon's heart hammered in his chest, his breath shallow and erratic as the ghostly figure at the piano played with increasing intensity. The air around them felt thick, suffocating, as though the room itself was alive, pulsating with energy.

"Hyung, we need to stop this." Do Yoon's voice was barely more than a whisper, but the urgency in it made his words feel like a thunderclap in the stillness of the room.

Ju Ha stood frozen beside him, his face pale, eyes wide in horror. "It's too late," he murmured, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and despair. "The song... the curse... it's too powerful now. There's no turning back."

Do Yoon's hand clenched into a fist at his side. He could feel the building's presence all around them now — a dark, hungry energy, pressing in from all sides. The air was heavy, oppressive, as though something was watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake.

"We can't just give up. Not like this."

But Ju Ha shook his head slowly. "You don't understand. The music — it's not just sound. It's a binding. Every time the song plays, it ties us deeper to this place. To the spirits. To the curse. And once the music reaches its end..." His voice trailed off, the words left hanging in the air like a warning.

Do Yoon glanced at the ghostly figure at the piano, its fingers moving in a swift, rhythmic motion, as though it were trying to finish a song that had no end. The melody was both beautiful and terrifying — a perfect blend of harmony and discord, as though the very fabric of the building was being torn apart with every note.

"Hyung, who is he?" Do Yoon asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "The man at the piano. Why is he here?"

Ju Ha didn't answer right away, his gaze fixed on the figure as if it were the last thing in the world he wanted to see. Finally, he spoke, his voice tinged with regret.

"That man..." Ju Ha's voice cracked, and for a moment, it seemed like the weight of the entire building had settled on his shoulders. "He's the one who started it all. The first student to die here. His name was Jung Seok. He was one of the most talented musicians at the conservatory before everything went wrong."

Ju Ha turned to Do Yoon, his expression filled with guilt. "I never told you the full story. I never told you how deep this goes."

Do Yoon looked at him, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you not telling me?"

Ju Ha swallowed hard. "Seok was a prodigy. He played the piano like it was an extension of himself. But he was driven — too driven. He started to delve into the darker sides of music. He became obsessed with the idea that music could be more than just sound, that it could have power — real power."

Do Yoon's heart skipped a beat. "Power? What kind of power?"

"The power to summon spirits." Ju Ha's voice dropped to a whisper, as if saying it aloud would somehow make it real. "He wanted to call the dead. To bring them back, to speak to them, to control them."

The room seemed to grow darker as Ju Ha's words sank in. The shadows on the walls stretched like long fingers, reaching toward them with an almost hungry quality. Do Yoon could feel a chill run down his spine.

"And... and did he succeed?" Do Yoon asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

Ju Ha nodded slowly. "Yes. He summoned a spirit. The wrong spirit. A malevolent one."

A wave of cold washed over them, and the figure at the piano let out a low, guttural laugh. Do Yoon looked back at the ghost, whose eyes were now wide open, staring at them with an unsettling intensity.

"The song is the key," the figure at the piano muttered, his voice barely audible over the dissonant chords he was playing. "The Devil's Chord... it can never be undone. Once it begins, it will keep playing, forever..."

Do Yoon's stomach churned, and his heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Devil's Chord. He'd heard the phrase before, but it had always been an old legend, something that didn't feel real. Until now.

"The Devil's Chord?" Do Yoon echoed, his voice trembling. "What is that? What does it mean?"

Ju Ha's face was ashen as he glanced toward the piano. "It's the moment when the song becomes a curse," he explained softly. "When the music is no longer just a tune. When it becomes a powerful, dangerous force that binds the living and the dead together. It can't be stopped. Not unless..."

His voice trailed off, but Do Yoon could see the fear in his eyes. He didn't need Ju Ha to finish the sentence to know what he was thinking.

"Unless we break the song," Do Yoon whispered, a sense of resolve growing within him. "We stop it."

Ju Ha turned to him sharply, his eyes wide with panic. "You don't understand. Breaking the song... it will cost us everything. The music is the only thing that holds the spirits in place. Without it, they'll be free — free to do whatever they want."

"Then we can't just let it keep playing," Do Yoon said firmly, his voice unwavering. "There has to be another way. We can't just let this place... consume us."

The room trembled again, the shadows closing in around them, growing more aggressive, more real. The figure at the piano continued to play, faster now, almost desperately.

Do Yoon felt a pull in his chest — an undeniable force calling him toward the piano, toward the center of it all. He didn't know how he knew, but he was certain of one thing: If they didn't stop this now, they would be trapped here forever. The building wouldn't let them leave. The curse would claim them, just like it had claimed every other soul who had ever stepped foot in the old music hall.

Do Yoon took a deep breath, his fingers trembling, but his resolve solid. "Hyung, I need your help." He turned to Ju Ha, his eyes locked onto his.

Ju Ha met his gaze, his face torn between fear and determination. After a long moment, he nodded.

"You're right. We can't let it keep going. We need to break the curse. We need to find a way to disrupt the song."

Do Yoon didn't wait for further explanation. He moved toward the piano, feeling the pull grow stronger with every step. As he reached out to touch the cold, worn keys, a blast of sound filled the room — a single, dissonant chord, like a scream tearing through the very fabric of reality.Untitled Part 7