The paramedics and police descended upon the scene, transforming the once lively restaurant into a grim tableau of investigation. An air of suspicion enveloped the patrons, each one now a potential suspect in the mysterious attempted murder of Taehyung. He was alive.

Yet, I alone held the secret of what had truly transpired. A strange sense of satisfaction coursed through me as I gazed upon his pale form, he was staring out of space, but I quickly cloaked that feeling in a shroud of fear. Later that day, Jungkook, ever the considerate friend, offered me a ride home, as his path conveniently led in that direction.

Meanwhile, the day's plans at the office were shelved, and he urged everyone to leave early, the weight of the day’s events hanging heavily in the air.

As we ascended the staircase, fatigue weighing heavily on my shoulders, I paused before my door, contemplating whether I should express my gratitude for his kindness in bringing me home.

I glanced back, finding him lingering by the entrance, keys dangling from his fingers. It seemed he was caught in a moment of indecision, torn between the comfort of home and the allure of the night.

"Jungkook..." I ventured, the formality of his title slipping away as I embraced the familiarity of his name outside the confines of our professional lives.

His gaze met mine, an unspoken expectation hanging in the air. "Elliot..." he replied, my name rolling off his tongue like a warm embrace, evoking a sense of belonging that felt all too right.

A torrent of questions surged within me, each one clamoring for attention as I braced myself for an impending revelation that I felt ill-prepared to face.

"I knew what happened to Taehyung," he stated, his gaze piercing into mine. A chill swept through me, freezing my thoughts. He knows. The implication was clear—he must have witnessed it.

"Did you..." I began, but my voice faltered, lost in the weight of the moment.

"Rebecca. Yes, I saw her behind Taehyung," he interjected, completing my thought with a grim certainty. My mind raced, the name echoing in my consciousness. Suddenly, everything began to align.

Rebecca. My mother. She had been with me all along, a silent guardian. She had shielded me from the malevolent spirit, had intervened when Taehyung was going to touch me. In a panic, I scanned the room for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

I burst through the door of my house, and there she was—sitting at the edge of my bed, a serene figure amidst the chaos. It was the first moment I truly recognized her presence.

Her hair, her smile, her hands, and the way she adorned herself—all of it flooded back to me in vivid detail.

"Mom..." I managed to whisper, my voice trembling with a mix of uncertainty and longing. She turned her head, and as she approached, the familiar contours of her face became clearer. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds, a deep and enchanting green.

"Elliot..." she said softly, her voice wrapping around my name like a gentle breeze. Her cool hands brushed against my cheek, and instead of fear, a sense of calm washed over me. She was my mother, after all.

For the first time, I found solace in this cursed gift that allowed me to glimpse the departed. I stepped into her icy embrace. Though she lacked warmth and felt incomplete, her presence was a comfort I had longed for, and that was enough.

But the lingering question remained,  how could Jungkook see her?

Jungkook's p.o.v

I allowed her the space to find her own solace after the revelation of her mother’s identity. I understood that a multitude of questions lingered in her heart, but those could remain unaddressed for now; Rebecca’s time was fleeting. Soon, she would slip away into the shadows of her afterlife, her debts finally settled.

Resting against the chair by the window, my thoughts drifted back to days gone by. The time when my fate was weaved together with Elliot's.