✦ The Moonlit Nightmare ✦

The soft patter of rain tapped against the windows, a rhythmic lull that couldn't soothe the storm inside him.

Taehyung tossed in his sleep, the sheets tangled around his legs. His breath came in short, ragged bursts as the dream pulled him deeper.

He stood in a desolate field, the earth beneath him cracked and dry, yet the air smelled of burning. 

A figure stood in the distance, his back turned, shoulders stiff. The sky above churned in muted gray tones, neither night nor day.

"Hyung?" Taehyung's voice broke, his tone filled with desperation.

The figure turned slowly, revealing Namjoon's face, but something was wrong. His eyes were lifeless, his expression hollow. A faint, bitter smile curled his lips.

"Why didn't you save me, Taehyung?" Namjoon's voice echoed, haunting and distorted.

Taehyung's chest tightened. "I tried! I—" He stepped forward, but the ground beneath him crumbled like ash, dragging him down.

Namjoon's image began to fade, swallowed by a swirling mist. "It's too late now," he whispered before disappearing completely.

The mist thickened, transforming into dark smoke. Taehyung stumbled, his feet brushing against charred flowers littering the ground. Among the ashes, a single burned flower symbol glowed faintly, pulsing with life.

His trembling hand reached out to touch it. The moment his fingers grazed the edge, a deafening scream pierced through the silence.

✦ The Office, 3:00 AM ✦

The fluorescent lights buzzed softly, casting a pale glow over the small office. Taehyung pushed open the door, his soaked coat clinging to him as he stepped inside. 

The familiar clutter greeted him—files scattered across the desk, a whiteboard filled with timelines and unanswered questions, and in the center of it all, Namjoon's photograph.

He dropped into his chair with a heavy sigh, his hand running through his damp hair. His mind was still reeling from the nightmare, the image of the burned flower symbol seared into his memory.

"Another sleepless night?"

The voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

He looked up to see Jungkook leaning against the doorframe, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.

"Nightmare again?" Jungkook asked, stepping inside.

Taehyung nodded, not trusting his voice.

Jungkook set the coffee down in front of him, his expression softening. "You've been pushing yourself too hard, hyung. You can't keep chasing ghosts."

"They're not ghosts," Taehyung said quietly, his voice laced with frustration. His eyes flickered to Namjoon's photograph. "He's still out there. I know it."

Jungkook frowned, crossing his arms. "Even if he is, this—" he gestured to the chaotic mess of papers and maps, "—this obsession is eating you alive."

The rain fell heavier as the city drowned in a sea of gray. Taehyung walked briskly down a dimly lit alley, the sound of his shoes splashing through puddles. His coat clung to him like a second skin, but the chill in the air was the least of his concerns.

He clutched the file from the Seong case, his mind racing with fragments of evidence that refused to fit together. The burned flower, the cryptic symbols, and the lingering question: Why now?

Lost in thought, he didn't notice the shadow trailing him until he turned a corner.

"Excuse me," a voice called softly, halting him mid-step.

Taehyung turned sharply, his hand instinctively brushing the gun holster beneath his coat. Standing a few feet away was a woman, her umbrella tilted to shield her from the rain. Her face was partially hidden in the shadows, but her eyes—sharp, calculating—met his with an intensity that made him pause.

"Yes?" Taehyung's voice was calm, but his guard was up.

The woman stepped closer, her movements deliberate but unthreatening. "You dropped this," she said, holding out a small, crumpled piece of paper.

Taehyung frowned, taking the paper from her hand. He unfolded it to reveal a note scrawled in hurried handwriting:

"The flowers will burn again."

His heart skipped a beat as he looked up at her. "Where did you find this?"

She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips. "On the ground, just a few steps back. It seemed important."

Her voice was steady, but there was something about her—something that didn't sit right with Taehyung. The way her eyes lingered on him, as though she knew more than she let on.

"Who are you?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

The woman's smile faded. "Just someone passing through," she replied cryptically. She turned to leave, but paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Be careful, Detective. Some questions lead to answers you won't like."

Taehyung watched as she disappeared into the foggy night, her silhouette blending with the rain-soaked streets. His fingers tightened around the note, the words burning into his mind.

Who was she? And how did she know about the flowers?

✦ The Office, Later That Night ✦

Taehyung slammed the note onto his desk, his frustration bubbling over. Jungkook, who had just entered with another coffee in hand, raised an eyebrow.

"Another clue?" Jungkook asked, setting the cup down.

"More like another mystery," Taehyung muttered. He explained the encounter with the strange woman, describing her as best as he could.

Jungkook frowned. "You think she's tied to the case?"

"She has to be," Taehyung said. "No one outside the precinct knows about the burned flower. And that note—" He gestured at the paper on the desk. "It's a warning. Or maybe a threat."

Jungkook leaned over the desk, studying the note. "Do you think she'll show up again?"

"I'm counting on it," Taehyung replied, his jaw tightening.

But deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't just tied to the case. There was something more—something personal.

As the rain outside turned into a full-blown storm, Taehyung stared at the note one last time before pinning it to his board. The woman's words echoed in his mind, louder than the thunder outside.

"Some questions lead to answers you won't like."

And yet, he couldn't stop himself from asking.

The storm raged on as Taehyung sat alone in his office, his gaze fixed on the cluttered board before him. Photos, notes, and red strings connected fragments of unsolved mysteries, each one a piece of a puzzle he had dedicated his life to solving. 

But tonight, it wasn't just the Seong case pulling at him. A photograph tucked in the corner of the board caught his attention—a closed file he hadn't been able to forget. 

Namjoon.

His hand trembled slightly as he reached out to touch the edge of the photo. His brother's smile was frozen in time, a cruel reminder of everything he had lost. It had been years since Namjoon vanished without a trace, and despite the case being labeled cold Taehyung had never truly let it go. 

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. The voices of the past whispered to him, pulling him into memories he wished he could escape. 

"Hyung, you're overthinking again," 

Namjoon's voice echoed in his mind, calm and reassuring. "Sometimes, you just have to let things be." 

But Taehyung couldn't. Not then, and certainly not now. 

A knock on the door snapped him back to reality. Jungkook peeked in, his expression cautious. "Hyung, you okay?" 

Taehyung straightened up, masking his emotions with practiced ease. "Fine. Just... thinking." 

Jungkook stepped inside, holding a folder. "I've been working through the Seong case files. There's something odd about the timeline." 

Taehyung waved him over, grateful for the distraction. "What do you mean?" 

Jungkook spread the documents across the desk, pointing to a series of events. "The arson report and the disappearance of the victim's brother don't line up. If the fire was deliberate, why wait weeks before contacting the authorities? It feels like someone wanted to draw attention to it—at the right time." 

Taehyung's brows furrowed as he examined the notes. "You think it was staged?" 

"Maybe," Jungkook admitted. "But it's hard to tell without more evidence." 

Taehyung nodded, his mind already piecing together possibilities. But as he analyzed the details, the corner of Namjoon's photo lingered in his peripheral vision, like a ghost haunting him. 

Unable to concentrate any longer, Taehyung grabbed his coat and left the precinct, ignoring Jungkook's concerned look. The cold night air bit at his skin as he walked through the empty streets, his thoughts heavier than the storm clouds above. 

He found himself standing outside the building where Namjoon was last seen—a crumbling apartment complex on the edge of town. The city had long since moved on, but for Taehyung, this place held more questions than answers. 

Lightning illuminated the sky, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Taehyung's breath fogged in the air as he took a step closer, his chest tightening. The memory of that night clawed at him: the frantic phone call, the rush to get there, and the silence that greeted him. 

His phone buzzed, jolting him from his thoughts. He pulled it out to see a text from Jungkook. 

Hyung, there's something you need to see. Meet me at the precinct.

Taehyung hesitated, glancing back at the building one last time. The past could wait, he decided. For now, the present demanded his attention. 

As he turned and walked away, the rain washed away his footprints, leaving no trace of his presence. But the shadows remained, watching, waiting. 

The precinct buzzed with quiet energy as Taehyung stepped inside, shaking off the rain from his coat. Jungkook was waiting for him near his desk, a fresh set of files spread out, but something—or rather someone—caught Taehyung's attention before he could speak.

A young woman stood at the far end of the room, her eyes scanning the walls of caseboards. She wore an air of quiet determination, her posture tense as though she were trying to make sense of the chaos before her. Her hands clutched a small leather-bound notebook, and her gaze, sharp and focused, betrayed a mind racing faster than her surroundings.

"Who's that?" Taehyung asked Jungkook, tilting his head toward her.

Jungkook glanced over and smirked. "That's Y/N. New recruit. Word is she pushed hard to get transferred here. Something about this city's cases catching her interest."

"New recruit?" Taehyung muttered skeptically. "She looks like she's trying to solve the entire board right now."

As if sensing their eyes on her, Y/N turned, her gaze meeting Taehyung's. She stepped forward, her movements measured but confident. "Detective Kim?"

"That's me," Taehyung said, his tone neutral.

Y/N extended her hand. "Y/N. I'm here to assist on the Seong case—or whatever you're working on."

"Assist?" Taehyung arched a brow, crossing his arms. "This isn't an internship. What's your angle?"

Y/N hesitated for a moment, then straightened her shoulders. "I have my reasons for being here. Let's just say I'm looking for answers, and I think this precinct is where I'll find them."

Taehyung studied her for a beat, noting the resolve in her eyes. He didn't trust easily, but there was something about her that piqued his curiosity. Before he could respond, Jungkook cleared his throat.

"Hyung, about that timeline I mentioned..." Jungkook gestured to the files on the desk.

With a glance back at Y/N, Taehyung motioned for her to follow. "Fine. Let's see what you've got."

The three of them huddled around Jungkook's desk as he walked them through the inconsistencies in the Seong case. Y/N listened intently, occasionally jotting notes in her notebook.

When Jungkook finished, Taehyung leaned back, arms crossed. "So, Y/N. Any brilliant insights?"

She looked up, unfazed by his tone. "The arson and the disappearance might seem like separate events, but there's a pattern here. It's subtle, but the way the evidence was planted—almost like breadcrumbs—isn't typical. It feels... deliberate. Someone wanted this to be found."

Jungkook blinked. "That's... exactly what I was thinking."

Taehyung's lips twitched, almost forming a smirk. "Not bad for a first day. But theories don't solve cases. Let's see if you can back it up."

"I intend to," Y/N replied calmly, her gaze unwavering.

As they returned to the case files, Taehyung couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity in her approach. She reminded him of himself—dogged, determined, and haunted by something she wasn't ready to share.

And though he wouldn't admit it, he had a feeling that whatever answers Y/N was searching for might end up being tied to the very mysteries he couldn't let go of.

The conference room felt colder than usual, the dim light barely illuminating the cluttered corkboard plastered with photographs, red string, and hastily scribbled notes. Y/N stood at the threshold, her gaze flickering between Jungkook, who was setting up his laptop, and Taehyung, who leaned against the table with his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"Close the door," Taehyung said curtly, his voice low but commanding.

Y/N complied, the soft click echoing ominously in the silence. She approached cautiously, her eyes lingering on the chaos before her.

"This is the case," Jungkook began, gesturing to the board. His voice carried an edge of weariness, though his youthful face betrayed an underlying determination. "We call it the 'Vanishing Thread.' Multiple disappearances over the past five years—seemingly unrelated victims, no clear patterns... until now."

"Until now?" Y/N echoed, stepping closer.

Jungkook clicked a few keys, and the projector whirred to life, casting an array of images onto the wall. Crime scenes, missing persons' reports, and surveillance footage blurred together in a grim collage.

Taehyung straightened, his sharp gaze locking onto Y/N. "There's one thread tying them all together. The flower."

"The flower?" she asked, her brows furrowing.

"Each victim left behind something with a burned flower symbol," Taehyung explained. He picked up a photograph from the table and handed it to her. It showed a charred petal scrawled onto a crumpled piece of paper. "It's always present, but there's no traceable origin. No fingerprints, no DNA. Nothing."

Y/N studied the photo, her stomach twisting. "Who would do something like this? And why?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," Jungkook replied, his tone grim. "But it gets worse. The symbol... it's showing up in more places now. Not just with the victims."

Taehyung's jaw tightened, and he turned back to the board, pointing at a photograph pinned in the center. "This is our latest lead. Han Seojin. Disappeared three days ago. The burned flower was found in her apartment, but there were no signs of forced entry. She vanished without a trace."

Y/N's heart sank as she took in the photograph—a young woman with a bright smile, her face now surrounded by the red string that webbed across the board.

"What makes you think this case is different?" she asked.

"It's not just a disappearance," Taehyung said. "It's a message."

Jungkook leaned forward, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "We retrieved this from Seojin's laptop. It was left open, as if someone wanted us to find it."

He pressed play, and the room filled with the crackling sound of distorted audio. A voice, low and gravelly, whispered, "Find the thread, or cut it. The choice is yours."

The message ended abruptly, leaving the room in heavy silence.

Y/N's fingers curled into fists as she processed the information. "Why wasn't this reported sooner? If the symbol's been appearing for years, why didn't anyone connect the dots?"

Taehyung's expression darkened. "Because no one wanted to. The higher-ups dismissed it as coincidence, isolated events. It wasn't until now, with multiple cases crossing paths, that they couldn't ignore it anymore."

Jungkook added, "Taehyung's been working on this unofficially for years. That's why you're here. You're new blood, untainted by the bureaucracy. We need fresh eyes."

Y/N looked between the two men, sensing the weight of their unspoken expectations. "And if I don't see what you're looking for?"

"Then people will keep disappearing," Taehyung said bluntly, his gaze piercing. "And the person behind it will keep winning."

Taehyung placed the folder on the coffee table, the crisp sound of paper breaking the tense silence. Y/N leaned closer, her eyes scanning the assortment of photographs, case notes, and cryptic symbols scattered across the table. Jungkook leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed, watching her reaction.

"This is the third disappearance in three months," Taehyung began, his voice calm but laced with urgency. "Each victim vanishes without a trace, and the only thing left behind is this."

He slid a photograph toward her. It showed a charred flower, delicate petals blackened yet eerily intact.

"A burned flower?" Y/N asked, her brows furrowing.

"Not just any flower," Jungkook interjected, pushing off the wall to join them. "It's a camellia. The same symbol left at every scene."

"Why a camellia?" she asked, looking between them.

"Camellias symbolize admiration and perfection," Taehyung explained, his gaze darkening. "But in this context, it feels more like a signature. A message."

Y/N picked up one of the photographs, her fingers brushing against the edge of the paper. It was a haunting image of an empty room, the burned flower placed neatly in the center.

"And you think the victims are connected?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

"They are," Jungkook said. He grabbed a red marker and circled the names of the victims on a whiteboard. "All three of them were involved in something bigger. Something they didn't realize would make them targets."

Taehyung leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "The problem is, we don't know what ties them together. And until we do, we can't predict who'll be next."

Y/N nodded, the weight of the case settling on her shoulders. She could feel the intensity of their dedication, the drive that kept them going despite the dead ends.

As they sifted through the evidence, the room's atmosphere grew heavier. Taehyung reached for a photograph but paused mid-motion, his gaze locked on the folder beneath it.

"Wait," he muttered, pulling the folder open. Inside was a piece of paper he hadn't noticed before, folded neatly.

"What is it?" Jungkook asked, stepping closer.

Taehyung unfolded the paper slowly, his sharp eyes narrowing as he read the single line scrawled in crimson ink.

"You're closer than you think."

The words were chilling, the ink smudged as if written in haste. Y/N's breath hitched as she caught sight of it, her pulse quickening.

"Who would leave this?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Taehyung's jaw tightened, his gaze flicking to the window where the rain streaked down the glass. He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor.

"We're not alone," he said, his voice low but firm.

The three of them froze, the sound of footsteps echoing faintly from the hallway outside.