We paused before his foreboding mansion, a structure that seemed to have been untouched by time. Hand in hand, we approached, and with a single deft motion, he unlocked the heavy doors.

The exterior bore the marks of neglect, yet inside, a different world awaited. As Jungkook flicked the switch, the grand chandeliers overhead flickered to life, casting a warm glow that illuminated the sweeping staircase. The living rooms were adorned with rich wine-red sofas, inviting and luxurious.

It felt almost surreal, as if I had stepped into the pages of a storybook. "No spirits will disturb you here; you are safe within these walls. I’ll return shortly," he assured me before disappearing down a hallway, leaving me alone in the opulent living room.

I found myself captivated by the exquisite details of his home, my gaze landing on a striking portrait of him. A flutter of excitement raced through me, and I couldn’t help but smile. Just then, I turned to see Jungkook watching me from a shadowy corner, his own smile brightening the dim room. The unexpected sight made my heart leap, and I instinctively placed a hand over my chest, caught off guard by the moment.

You startled me, I confessed as I settled onto the couch beside him.

"My apologies, I didn't intend to. I was merely appreciating the masterpiece that you are," he replied, a playful glint in his eyes. A warm flush crept across my cheeks at his words.

He poured a generous amount of wine into a glass, offering it to me before filling his own. Rising onto my toes, I turned to take in the vast array of striking paintings that adorned the walls.

One piece caught my eye—a portrait of his parents. Despite their betrayal of my mother, a pang of sadness struck me; I imagined Jungkook must feel a deep longing for them. My gaze fell to the signature in the corner, confirming it was indeed Jungkook's work.

He created this! I marveled silently, studying the intricate details. Sipping my wine, I leaned in closer to examine the next painting, which depicted a woman’s graceful silhouette.

The image captured a woman draped in a flowing white nightgown, her hair cascading down her back, her profile turned slightly away from the viewer.

The features seemed hauntingly familiar, yet I couldn't quite place the face. As I leaned in for a better look, my foot caught on something, sending me sprawling forward and toppling a candlestick to the floor.

In an instant, the room trembled, and the photo frames shifted aside, unveiling a massive water tank. The liquid within was murky, but it was unmistakably clear what lay submerged beneath the surface. My wine glass slipped from my fingers, shattering against the floor in a cascade of horror.

There, entombed in the water, were the bodies of my mother, Rose, and Jungkook's parents. I spun around, searching Jungkook's face for answers, but what I found was a mask of fury. His expression was dark, his anger palpable. He clutched the wine glass tightly, his knuckles white with tension. In a heartbeat, the glass shattered, shards embedding themselves into his skin, a grim reflection of the chaos that had just unfolded.

The weight of the moment pressed down on me, and I felt an urgency that was almost suffocating. I attempted to flee, but my surroundings blurred into a haze, each step feeling like a struggle against an unseen force. Though I pushed myself to move, it was as if my body had betrayed me, rendering my efforts futile. The door loomed in the distance, an unreachable sanctuary.

Without warning, I collapsed, the unforgiving ground meeting my head with a jarring thud. In that fleeting instant, Jungkook's face materialized before me, his grin twisted and malevolent, a haunting specter in my fading consciousness. Then, as if a curtain had fallen, darkness enveloped me.