It takes a while for his eyes to adjust in the dark.

Jungkook is hidden in the shadows of a tall building. Only his head peeks out from the corner he's in. About a foot away is the door, which is blocked by the brick pillar he's behind.

He doesn't really know why he's hiding. They're expecting him. He's expecting him, but the rush of adrenaline keeps Jungkook in his place. Being here so close to the guy who threatened Y/n makes him a little nauseous too.

When he had first met Hoseok, he didn't think he was capable of something to this extremity, but it's always the ones you least expect to be insane.

There were so many signs back then that younger him had been in denial of. All those red flags he willingly ignored put his friends in danger. He refused to believe that any of it was real.

But now he knows the truth, and he's going to fix everything. No matter what.

"Come," a voice beckons from within the building. "You've been there long enough. It's time we had a talk, Jeon."

Jungkook jolts from where he stands. How long has Hoseok known he's been out here?

It takes him a second to head inside, to gather the courage to take those steps out of the corner and into the building.

As he walks in, the lights remain off. Everything, the walls and desks, are all black. Though the voice sounded like it was just around the bend, there's no one in sight. Well, from what he can make out in the darkness anyway.

"Stop." This time it takes Jungkook even less to cease his movements. He didn't walk a long distance, just enough to be standing in the center of the vast lobby. In that moment, he feels surrounded even though there's no one around.

His eyes scan across the interior searching for Hoseok. Nothing. It's just him, and it sends a chill down his spine.

"Perfect. Too perfect."

Jungkook is confused. About where the voice is coming from and what Hoseok means. There's nothing perfect about the situation he's in.

He's all alone in an empty building with HopeWorld plastered across it. The bright colors from the sign outside is a huge contrast to what it's like inside. It's cold and unwelcoming.

What's more unsettling is that Hoseok isn't anywhere in the lobby even though Jungkook can distinctly hear him. Anyone would excuse the disembodied voice to come from the intercom, but it sounds close. The ceiling is well above him, at least 15 feet, but it feels like Hoseok is speaking right in his ear.

That knowledge should be terrifying. He should be shaking in fear. He's not though. For someone like him, being dead then somehow alive again, Jungkook has learned that things that shouldn't be real very much are.

For fuck's sake, he's seen a reaper. Talked with one. Brought back to life by one.

Every superstition Jungkook grew up with, all those stories of monsters and mystical beings, are real. Every single damn one.

He had been stupid enough to get entangled with not one but two of them. Before he died, Jungkook didn't know that. He was clueless as to what was really out there, but now he knows everything. A veil of sorts had been lifted, and all the unknowns had become clear as day.

Demons, angels, reapers. Not just them, but also lesser known creatures like wendigos and leviathans. All of it, real.

Jungkook wishes he stayed on the right side of the tracks and tampered  with beings known for their sweet nature, but his heart had been tainted. He'd been tempted and followed an unmarked path leading to a deadend.

It took death for Jungkook to realize the truth, but for others, like Hoseok, they had gifts to see these kinds of things. They saw deeper within the shadows. They saw what was really there.

Some left it alone, while some delved right into corruption. The latter includes Hoseok.

"Not even a scar. Have to say I'm a bit disappointed." Jungkook feels a breath at his nape. "I should mark up that pretty neck of yours again."

If he hadn't already died once before, Jungkook would be scared shitless, but this isn't anything new. He's already seen this side of Hoseok.

"Maybe this time, I'll have a little more fun with it. You were always more my type."

Jungkook suddenly feels a hand gripping onto his waist. He jerks away, looking behind him only to be met with the same darkness.

Hoseok laughs. He's amused by Jungkook's reaction.

"This all could've turned out differently, Jeon, had you just let it happen. Now look at what you've done. What's that saying? Oh, yes, don't reopen old wounds."

There's a certain minor tone that irks Jungkook to the core, making him want to empty his stomach right there on the floor.

"It never healed." Jungkook's response comes out so small. It's unintentional as he's still reeling in all that's happening.

There's another laugh. This one is higher pitched, and something about it pulls Jungkook out of his current headspace. The anger he's beginning to feel subsides into an eerie calmness.

"You're not special, Jeon Jungkook. You're just a fuckup, and here you are, trying to find redemption. Are you really doing this for her? Or is it for yourself?"

For the first time since Jungkook has been standing there, he sees something. It starts off as a flash and continues to grow until he can make out the figure of someone else.

The person isn't Hoseok. No, whoever it is ambling towards him is much shorter and lean.

Two more steps and Jungkook locks eyes with a very handsome individual. Dark hair frames his angular jaw, his eyes seductive and menacing all at once. Those lips, pink and plush, are absolutely sinful.

One look, and Jungkook knows. There's no sliver of a doubt that the man in front of him is the demon behind it all.

"Hoseok," the demon begins, "likes to talk a lot, but I'm going to tell you like it is, Kook."

Jungkook visibly stiffens at the nickname he only ever lets Y/n call him. It's much more revolting when it comes from a stranger he's only ever heard and never seen up close.

The demon notices, and those kissable lips tug into a smirk. "You should be more careful. Flaunting that picture of your girlfriend around so carelessly, you had to know there would be consequences. I'm sure you didn't realize the severity of them, but here's the thing, Kook."

The lopsided grin falls easily off the demon's face. His eyes darken and narrow into a cat-like glare. "I always fuck who I want."

"No." It doesn't come out as strong as Jungkook intends, but he means it with every cell in his body.

The demon gives him an incredulous look. "No?"

It's a swift change, the calmness turning into one of complete fear. It's far more intense than Jungkook has ever felt.

His body trembles and becomes so weak his legs buckle from the weight. He tries to stay upright, but he drops to the floor with a thud. Pain shoots up his knees on impact.

"There's more than one way to have pleasure, Kook. Take now for example. I really love seeing you on your knees in front of me. I love how scared I'm making you feel."

The demon traces Jungkook's skin, starting at his temple and down his cheek. He grabs his chain harshly with one hand, pinching it between his fingers and thumb, and forces Jungkook to look up at him.

"It took eons for me to build this operation, and you just had to fuck it up. All you had to do was let me in. She wouldn't even remember when she woke up. All I want is what you promised. Well, maybe a little more considering everything. Tell me, Kook. Does she like it rough?"

Jungkook tries to tear the demon's hand away, but the fear is taking control of his body. He can't move a centimeter.

The demon let's out a chortle watching Jungkook struggle to fight his allure and continues to taunt him. "How does she feel about bloodplay? I'd love to take a knife to that flawless skin of hers, carve into her nice and slow."

"Shut up." It comes out as a whisper.

Jungkook doesn't want to hear anymore. He can't hear it. It hurts too much knowing that this is all his fault. Y/n would be safe if he hadn't been so naive.

She doesn't deserve any of this.

"I'm sorry, Kook, but I think this talk is going to take a lot longer than planned."

a/n: lol so i know what you're thinking: jay, how the fuck is this slowing down the plot? i mean by my definition, it is slowing it down lmao. there's a lot of information in this chapter. a LOT. i haven't revealed who the demon is yet, but i think i gave a pretty good description of who it is that i don't think you need me to give you a name (hint: it starts with a j). i also didn't outright say what kind of demon he is, but i feel like that's also pretty obvious.

to give you the gist of things, hoseok is a ceo of his own company and has the gift of seeing what's really in the dark (as written not so plainly above). he's working with a demon. the reason for that will be explained more so later on, but i dropped some clues already to give you an idea of what it is (hint: the part with eons and being let in. put two and two together and yeah ;)

next part will focus on you and namjoon. after this angsty chapter, we can all use some fluff!