The Party That Killed || Hyunlix

73 🕸️

3rd person pov.
As they moved deeper into the corridor, the silence was almost suffocating. The entire surroundings seemed shrouded in darkness, and the flashlight barely pierced through, revealing strange symbols etched into the walls. The corridor stretched endlessly, and the chill in the air heightened their unease.

Changbin, attempting to gauge how much farther they had to go, asked quietly:
“How long is this corridor?”

Seungmin paused, trying to recall what he remembered from last time.
“As far as I recall… it’s pretty long. Maybe even very long,” he answered, staring into the darkness that seemed to pull them in deeper.

Jisung, his eyes filled with apprehension, noticed the symbols on the walls growing increasingly bizarre, while the corridor seemed to stretch on forever. Suddenly, and without warning, he grabbed Minho’s hand, moving closer to him as if seeking any form of reassurance in the eerie surroundings.

“Damn it, this feels like I’m in some kind of horror movie,” he blurted out, glancing nervously at the walls.

Minho and the others turned to him, noticing how much his demeanor had changed. Jisung wasn’t the type to scare easily, but this corridor, and those symbols, clearly had a way of unnerving even him.

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The group eventually reached the end of the corridor. The dim light and cold air only intensified the tension. Ahead of them, instead of another room, there was an unassuming wall.

Jisung, clearly disappointed, turned to Minho. “This has to be a joke,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“A joke? Definitely not,” Changbin replied, rolling his eyes. “Everything points to this being another wall with some hidden secret.”

“And those sounds?” Jisung asked, raising his eyebrows. At that moment, they heard something faint but distinct—scraping sounds, as if something—or someone—was moving behind the wall.

“You know what? That didn’t sound like a joke,” Minho said, glancing at the wall. “And if this isn’t some twisted prank, we probably shouldn’t stick around.”

Seungmin approached the wall, trying to figure out if there was any hidden passage. Meanwhile, Jeongin, unable to remain silent any longer, murmured:
“There’s someone there, right? And it’s something unpleasant.”

The noises grew louder, evolving into tapping and then shuffling against the wall.
“This is not… normal,” Changbin added, looking at the others with growing unease.

Jisung stared at Minho, his expression a mix of confusion and fear. “If this is another prank, now’s not the time for laughing.”

Seungmin didn’t wait any longer. He stepped forward, picking up speed as if preparing to throw himself against the wall. His movements were swift, as though repeating something he had done before.

“What the hell are you doing?” Changbin asked, watching him with disbelief.

“It worked before,” Seungmin replied, ignoring the doubt in Changbin’s voice. “Maybe it’ll work again.”

Changbin glanced at Jeongin, trying to gauge if he was on board with this idea. When Jeongin gave a hesitant nod, Changbin’s expression shifted. The humor in his eyes disappeared, replaced by seriousness.

“This isn’t the time for jokes, Seungmin,” he said softly, feeling the growing dread in the air. “We need to figure out what’s going on. This isn’t a game.”

Seungmin halted mid-step, realizing there was no point in trying. He stared at the wall, contemplating what else they could do to open it. The corridor’s darkness seemed to thicken, and the sounds behind the wall persisted.

“Maybe we should try something else,” he said, stepping closer to the wall again. “What if it’s connected to those symbols?”

Jisung, who had already doubted whether this was some absurd joke, began to waver.
“If it’s some kind of lock, we need to figure out how to activate it.”

“Agreed. We should try touching or pressing something,” Jeongin added, studying the carvings closely.

That’s when Changbin noticed something unusual. “Have you guys seen these scratches on the wall? They look like fingerprints… Maybe it reacts to touch?”

Seungmin immediately moved to the spot Changbin indicated, lightly touching the scratches. To his surprise, the wall began to tremble.

“Holy shit… it’s working!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the corridor. Then, glancing at Jeongin, he whispered almost inaudibly, “Last time, I had to touch it before I ran at it.”

Before he could step back, the entire wall began sliding aside, revealing a hidden space behind it. Inside was a room filled with strange objects, symbols, and old documents.

“This… this can’t be real,” Jisung whispered, staring at the opening wall. “It looks like something out of a horror story.”

Minho smirked slightly at him. “If you want, you can stay in the corridor,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Are you crazy? I’m going in!” Jisung retorted, shooting Minho an incredulous look. “But if this is some stupid joke, I’m not playing along.”

Changbin turned to the group, his voice steady but filled with authority.
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go.”

Without hesitation, he led the way. The others followed, their steps cautious. Seungmin and Jeongin paused briefly, glancing back at the now-shifting wall.

“Wait, did you put the cover back on?” Seungmin asked, frowning.

Jeongin shook his head. “No, I don’t remember doing that.”

A brief silence fell. The growing unease in the air made them all feel increasingly uncomfortable, as if something significant was about to happen.

Jisung, noticing their uneasiness, tried to lighten the mood, but his voice sounded slightly forced.
“Haha, very funny” he laughed harshly, attempting to mask his growing stress. “Now admit it, who did it? Stop joking around; I don’t believe none of you were involved.”

When they looked at him, he noticed their serious demeanor and something in their eyes that sent chills down his spine. At that moment, his confidence disappeared. He stared at them and fell silent, starting to turn pale.

Changbin looked at the rest of the group with seriousness in his eyes, trying not to let his emotions take over.
“Let’s leave this whole... thing for later” he said, his voice firm, as if determined not to let fear take control. “First, we need to go through these documents. If we start with that, we’ll all get too stressed and lose focus.”

They exchanged glances but eventually agreed it might be the smarter choice. Seungmin and Jeongin showed the documents to the others, and Minho also stepped forward to take a look.

Jisung, however, wasn’t ready to let it go. Without hesitation, he moved closer to Minho, peering over his shoulder, barely holding back from saying something that might divert attention from the matter at hand.

“Damn, these names...” Changbin muttered, flipping through pages filled with photographs accompanied by strange, unsettling information. It seemed that the deeper they delved, the darker the documents became.

Minho glanced at the pictures and began scanning them.
“This is sick...” he whispered, seeing images of people in bizarre poses, surrounded by rituals that could send shivers down anyone’s spine.

Jisung couldn’t take it anymore.
“Stop it! This has to be a joke, right? Who did this? Come on!” His voice carried irritation but also stress. “There’s no way someone could actually have something like this.”

The others remained silent. Their gazes were fixed on the pictures and names, and the atmosphere grew even tenser. Finally, Jisung fell quiet, feeling the unease within him grow.

“I don’t know what to think...” Minho finally spoke, looking at everyone before adding quietly: “But something tells me we don’t have a choice anymore. We have to figure out what’s going on...”

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I almost missed the time 😐