Jazz for Two: The Silent Beat

Episode 13: The Devil's Chord

Episode 13: "The Devil's Chord"

The music hall felt colder than usual. The faint hum of the cursed song still vibrated through the walls, a constant reminder of the dark force that had bound itself to Do Yoon and Ju Ha. But tonight was different. The air was thick with tension—with something more ominous.

As the hours passed, the two of them had been sitting in silence, the piano between them like an unspoken barrier. The music was louder now, as if it was pressing in on them, forcing them to acknowledge its hold. Every breath they took felt labored. The weight of the curse was unbearable.

Do Yoon hadn't been able to sleep for days. He spent his nights awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the low hum that refused to let him go. Every time he tried to ignore it, it became more real, more persistent. It was in the air, in the floor, in the walls. It was inside of him, undeniable.

Ju Ha hadn't spoken much lately either, though Do Yoon could tell he was struggling with the same feelings. He could see it in the way Ju Ha's eyes kept darting around, his fingers twitching with the urge to play, to answer the music that called to him.

"Hyung," Do Yoon finally spoke, breaking the silence. His voice was quieter than usual, thick with the weight of everything they hadn't said. "I can't keep doing this."

Ju Ha's head snapped toward him, his expression unreadable. But there was something in his eyes—a flicker of concern, or maybe fear. It was the first time in days that Ju Ha had looked at him with that expression. The vulnerability was real, raw, almost tangible.

"You mean the song?" Ju Ha asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "It won't stop, will it?"

Do Yoon shook his head, unable to put the feeling into words. "No. It's inside me now. I can't escape it. And I don't think I can keep pretending like it's not changing me."

Ju Ha stared at him for a long moment, his gaze unwavering, almost searching. "I feel it too. But we can't give up now, Do Yoon. We've come too far."

"I don't know if we can stop it anymore," Do Yoon admitted, his voice faltering. "The music... it's part of us now. And it's taking me. Taking us. Do you feel it, Hyung?"

Ju Ha's breath caught in his throat. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the hum of the song growing louder, almost suffocating.

And then, without thinking, Ju Ha placed a hand on Do Yoon's shoulder. The simple touch felt like a lifeline—a connection that was more than just physical. It was something deeper, something that had been growing between them for weeks now, but neither had dared to fully acknowledge.

"Do Yoon," Ju Ha said softly, his voice unsteady. "I can feel it too. But I'm not going to lose you to it. Not to the song. Not to anything."

There it was—the promise. A quiet, fragile pledge that hung between them like a thin thread. A thread that neither of them was willing to break.

But the moment was shattered by a new sound—the screech of the piano's strings, a high, discordant note that cut through the air like a knife. Both of them turned toward the instrument, but this time, it wasn't just the music.

A figure stood at the edge of the room, watching them. A tall silhouette, bathed in shadow, its outline distorted and wraith-like. The presence in the room had shifted. And with it, the tension between them deepened.

Do Yoon and Ju Ha froze.

The figure stepped forward, and their blood ran cold as it became clearer who it was.

It was Jung Seok.

But something was wrong. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, his expression twisted into something far more sinister than the ghost they had encountered before. He wasn't just a spirit anymore—he was something far darker, far more corrupted.

"You thought you could break the cycle," Jung Seok's voice was soft, but it was filled with dark amusement. "But the song is eternal. It will never let you go."

Ju Ha's eyes widened in horror. "No... you're not him. What happened to you?"

Jung Seok's lips curled into a twisted smile. "You think you've escaped it? The curse... the song is not just a haunting. It's a chain, a curse bound in blood and music. The music doesn't die. It transfers."

Do Yoon stepped back, his heart pounding. "What are you talking about?"

Jung Seok stepped closer, his figure growing more solid, his presence more overwhelming. "The Devil's Chord is more than just a piece of music. It's a bond. A binding. It binds everything. It binds the living, the dead, and those foolish enough to think they can break it."

"You're lying," Ju Ha said, his voice shaky but fierce. "You can't—"

"You want to fight it, don't you?" Jung Seok interrupted, his voice like ice. "But you can't. The song is in you, both of you. And soon, you will realize that there is no escaping it."

Do Yoon clenched his fists, his stomach tight with panic. The music... it wasn't just in the building. It was in them.

"What do you want from us?" Do Yoon asked, his voice raw with desperation.

Jung Seok smiled, though it was more of a sneer than a smile. "The Devil's Chord... demands a price. And you two are its payment. It will consume you, slowly. It will drive you mad, break you, tear you apart. You are its new vessels. And I... I am its first."

Ju Ha stepped in front of Do Yoon, his body tense, his face hard with determination. "We won't let it take us. We won't be your vessels. We'll find a way out of this."

But Jung Seok's laugh was low, dark, and mocking. "You think you can fight fate? The song... it's already inside you. I've waited for this. You think you're the first to try to break free? The curse is inescapable."

With a wave of his hand, the room seemed to shift, as if the very air became charged with energy. The piano keys began to move on their own, producing a discordant, unearthly melody that made Do Yoon's chest tighten in fear.

The ghostly figure of Jung Seok began to fade, but his words lingered, hanging in the air.

"One day, you'll understand. There's no escape from the Devil's Chord."

The silence after Jung Seok's departure was deafening. Do Yoon and Ju Ha were left standing in the aftermath, the weight of his words sinking into their bones.

Do Yoon turned to Ju Ha, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. "Hyung... what now? What do we do?"

Ju Ha's expression was unreadable for a moment, but then his eyes softened, and he stepped closer. "We fight. We fight, together."