The Party That Killed || Hyunlix

67 🕸️

Seungmin pov.
Everything is coming to an end. The police officers stand in front of the house, ready to leave. Their car is parked on the roadside, its engine softly humming in the background. One of them, the older one, breaks the silence.

“If you find anything, you have our number,” he says, handing me a business card. “Call us. If it's something important, we'll come. And don’t wait for us. If you remember anything, let us know immediately.”

I nod, sensing this is more than just protocol now. They’re starting to take us seriously. They know we might have something of interest to them. And yet… what good is it if we can’t even handle what we’ve already seen?

The man steps away to exchange a few more words with his colleague, and in that moment, I glance at Jeongin. I silently thank him for his help, but I know there’s still so much ahead of us. Minho and Changbin remain quiet, still staring at the house’s door.

“Then, we’ll call,” I say, looking at the officers as I slip the business card into my pocket.

In the silence that follows, everything feels more real. This isn’t a game anymore. It’s no longer just recordings. We’re deep in this now. And we have to find a way out on our own terms.

The police drive away, leaving us with mixed feelings.

I stand there, watching Jeongin as he turns to walk away. Before disappearing around the corner, he glances back at me one last time. His face looks tired, but there’s something in his eyes—something I can’t quite name, but I know it’s important. Maybe it’s fear, or maybe it’s just that, for the first time, we truly realize what’s happening.

“Tomorrow…” he says softly, as if unsure whether he should say it at all. “We’ll stick together, right?”

I look at him for a moment, feeling my heart pound heavily. Tomorrow… What will tomorrow bring? How will things look then? I have no idea. All I know is that everything is changing with every passing minute. What was once simple is now a puzzle I need to solve.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure what to say. I wanted to tell him everything would be fine, but I couldn’t. Because I didn’t know if it was true. Because I didn’t know how this story would end.

Jeongin walked away, leaving me behind. I stood on the same street, staring at the spot where he had been just moments ago. Silence filled the space between us. And the thought that I’m alone... but not completely. At least, not yet. Because I know that whatever’s coming might change everything. But I don’t know what’s waiting for me. Everything that once felt certain now feels uncertain. And maybe it’s that uncertainty that pushes us forward.

≈🎃≈

3rd person pov.
Jeongin walked slowly, his thoughts consumed by everything that had happened over the past few hours. The images of ritual preparations, the sound of whispers, and the strange feeling that lingered throughout it all replayed in his mind. But now, out on the street, everything seemed slightly more real.

As he neared his house, he noticed three of his friends standing at the entrance.

“Jeongin!” Felix called out, while Hyunjin and Han looked at him expectantly. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone all day!” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Jeongin stopped just in front of them, feeling a little uneasy. The last thing he needed right now was their questions.

“Nothing much, I just… got held up,” he replied, slightly flustered, trying to mask his unease.

“Held up?” Hyunjin repeated, looking at him with uncertainty. “And why weren’t you answering your phone? We tried calling you so many times.”

“What are you talking about?” Jeongin gave them a slightly confused look. “Everything’s fine. I just had a lot on my mind,” he tried to explain, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that his responses weren’t convincing.

Jisung stared at him for a moment before stepping closer. “And what about your behavior? You seem… different. Like you’re hiding something.” he said, looking into his eyes with a slightly suspicious expression.

Jeongin felt a sudden rush of heat on his face. For a moment, he wondered if he should tell them everything, but then he remembered last night—the recordings and how he still didn’t understand what had really happened. He couldn’t tell them about Jungmin, the cult, or Chan’s house. It was all too strange for them to believe.

“It’s nothing,” he finally said, keeping his answer short. “I’ve just been overworked.”

Felix, though clearly sensing something was wrong, decided to let it go. “Okay… But remember, you don’t have to hide from us if something’s up,” he said with a small smile, though his eyes betrayed lingering doubts.

Jeongin simply nodded, unsure of how to respond. He felt his friends were starting to suspect something, but he wasn’t ready to share the truth. The last thing he wanted was more questions.

“Alright,” he said at last. “I just… need some sleep.”

With those words, he passed by them, not looking back at their curious faces, and entered his house, leaving them outside, full of doubt and even more uncertainty.

≈🎃≈

Seungmin pov.
In the darkness, I can still feel my heart pounding faster as I see Jungmin. I start following him. I don’t know why, but something compels me to move. Even as his figure fades into the distance, I can’t stop. He picks up his pace, so I begin to run, the wind tugging at my face. When he leaves the street, I notice I’m no longer in the same place. The alley I’m running through leads directly to Chan’s house.

Jungmin approaches the gate. My steps grow heavier, as if something about this moment feels off. I step onto the yard after him, already sensing that everything is changing. The yard I know doesn’t look the same. It’s dark, eerie, almost surreal. Moments later, Jungmin disappears inside the house.

My hands begin to tremble, but I can’t stop myself. I move closer to the door, my heart pounding in my chest. I stand there, hesitating for a moment. I wonder if I truly want to do this.

The door creaks as I push it open. The darkness that appeared behind me seems to swallow everything. I stand on the threshold and glance back, but the yard is gone, replaced by an empty, shadowy void. I freeze, unable to believe there’s no way out anymore.

Suddenly, I realize I can’t turn back. Only the darkness and the door ahead remain.

I step inside.

Silence. Then, as if everything shifts, I hear a whisper. I can’t make out the words, but I feel its pull. I turn toward the sound. Down the stairs, I see Jungmin. His eyes are locked on me. He’s smiling.

Strange. Nothing seems to change, yet everything feels different in this moment. Then, as if an unseen force pushes me, I move toward the stairs. My steps are impossible to stop. When I reach him, he doesn’t look away.

He stops in front of a wall I hadn’t noticed before. Of course, it wasn’t there earlier.

I look at him, and he’s still smiling, as if waiting for something. Moving backward, he keeps staring at me with that grin, but at the same time, he steps through the wall as if it doesn’t exist.

What the hell?

And then, for reasons I can’t explain, I approach the wall. I feel like there’s no way out anymore. This place has no boundaries, no logic. I pass through it without resistance.

Then, everything disappears.

I hear one final whisper, as if someone is telling me something I’ll never forget. I know that when I wake up, I’ll have to return. I have to explore the basement. I must find the hidden room.

And then, everything goes dark.

I open my eyes.