𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐂 ||𝐛𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬|| ✔

CARNIVAL (2)

The group huddled together, the voice still echoing in their minds. The carnival lights flickered sporadically, casting long, dancing shadows across the worn-out rides and deserted game booths.

Riwoo's gaze landed on Arim who was looking at everything with expressions different from everyone else present there, his suspicion finally boiled over as he began, "We need to talk. Alone."

The others exchanged uneasy glances.

"Not the time for relationship drama," Jaehyun muttered, clutching Leehan's arm tighter.

"Shut it," Riwoo snapped. His tone left no room for debate. He grabbed Arim's wrist gently but firmly, pulling her aside.

The two stopped near a broken carousel, the painted horses frozen mid-gallop, their glassy eyes staring blankly into the darkness.

"Start talking," Riwoo demanded, his voice low. "Who was that guy, and why do you seem to know more about this place than you're letting on?"

Arim hesitated, her eyes darting to the others in the distance. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," Riwoo said, crossing his arms.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. This carnival... it's not normal. It's like a... a trap. A place that lures people in and keeps them here."

"Lures them in?" Riwoo's voice was skeptical, but his furrowed brow showed he was listening.

"Yes. That man warned me because... well, because I've been here before."

Riwoo blinked, taken aback. "What?"

"I came here when I was a kid," Arim continued, her voice trembling. "My parents brought me. Everything seemed normal at first, but by the time we realized something was wrong, it was too late. My dad... he didn't make it out."

The weight of her confession hung in the air. Riwoo studied her face, trying to discern if she was lying, but her fear was real.

"And you didn't think to tell us this earlier?" he said, his frustration evident.

"I thought it was just my imagination, just... just my messed up thoughts" Arim snapped, her voice breaking. "But when I saw the Ferris wheel and that man... it all came back."

Before Riwoo could respond, a high-pitched giggle echoed around them. The sound sent a chill down their spines.

"Did you hear that?" Arim whispered, her eyes wide.

Riwoo nodded, stepping closer to her. "Stay behind me."

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Meanwhile, the others were trying to stay calm.

"Maybe it's just a blackout," Woonhak suggested, though his grip on Sungho's arm said otherwise.

"In a carnival that looks like it hasn't been updated since the 80s? Yeah, sure," Taesan taunted.

The laughter came again, louder this time, and a faint rustling sounded from the shadows.

"Okay, nope, nope, nope," Jaehyun said, pulling Leehan along with him towards the nearest lit booth. "We're staying right here."

"Like that's going to help," Woonhak muttered, but he didn't move either.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Back near the carousel, Arim and Riwoo froze as a figure stepped out from behind one of the horses. It was the same man in the hat, his face obscured in shadows.

"I told you," he said, his voice gravelly. "You shouldn't have stayed."

"What do you want?" Riwoo asked, hiding arim behind him.

"To help," the man replied. "But time is running out."

"What does that mean?" Arim demanded, trying to take a sight of the man from behind riwoo who refused to let her face him.

The man ignored her, his gaze fixed on Riwoo. "Protect her. No matter what."

Riwoo's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

The man didn't answer. He simply tipped his hat and disappeared, leaving behind a faint smell of smoke and something metallic.

Before they could process what had just happened, the carousel suddenly creaked to life. The painted horses began to move, their glassy eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

"Run," Arim whispered.

"No kidding," Riwoo said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away just as the carousel began to spin faster and faster.

𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

They rejoined the group, breathless and wide-eyed.

"What happened to you two?" Sungho asked, alarmed.

"Later," Riwoo said, scanning the area. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"And go where?" Taesan asked. "Everything looks the same in this creepy place."

"We'll figure it out," Arim said, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.

Jaehyun, still clutching Leehan's arm, looked like he was about to cry. "Can't we just stay here? The clown statue hasn't moved, right?"

As if on cue, the clown statue in question turned its head slightly.

"Okay, nope!" Jaehyun yelped, practically climbing onto Leehan's back.

Riwoo couldn't help but chuckle despite the situation. "Leehan isn't your life support for God's sake"

"Let him be," Leehan muttered, smiling despite the surroundings.

Even in the midst of the chaos, a small laugh escaped arim's lips.

Riwoo glanced at her, his eyebrows raised, "Scared out of your mind, and you're laughing?"

"Better than crying," she shot back.

For a moment, the tension eased, and the group felt a flicker of hope. But as the distorted carnival music grew louder, they knew their ordeal was far from over.

To be continued...