Chanmi felt as if she had been snapped out of some kind of cupid, when she felt a strong jerk and for a moment, her heart stopped. Then she realized that she was not asleep in her bed. She was in the kitchen with a knife in her hand, and right in front of her was a terrified Jungkook, who snatched the sharp tool from her hand and threw it into the sink.
Breathing heavily, she looked at him with wide-open eyes, not understanding what had just happened.
- God, Chanmi, what did you want to do? - He asked, carefully watching her face.
- What did I want to do? - She asked, looking at him uncomprehendingly. - Why am I here? Why am I not sleeping in peace, Jungkook?
The boy saw how terrified she was.
- Since you don't know, I'm even less likely to answer that question for you.
She allowed him to take her into his embrace. Snuggled into him, she looked to the side, feeling how reassuringly he stroked her back. In front of the kitchen entrance, she saw the real daughter of the Kim family extending her hand toward her.
- Let me go... - she whispered, and then Chanmi cried. Jungkook embraced her even tighter, resting his chin on her head.
- Let it all out - he said. - I am by your side. I will be there all the time.
She had carried him away before, hated him and wanted him to disappear from her life, but now he was her support. In his arms, she felt safe and knew that no harm would come to her.
- I think... we need to find the real Chanmi, and then I will have peace. I have to let her go - she whispered.
The brunet pushed her away from him, still holding her shoulders.
- When you say let her go, you mean....
- That she must disappear from this world. She must die so that I can live.
Jungkook looked shocked.
- Are you serious? Do you want to kill her?
- Yes, and you will help me do it.
He looked at her with wide-open eyes. He mirrored her face to see that she was completely conscious and meant it.
- How do you want to find her?
- All we have to do is find out where the place that appears in my dreams is located. I'm sure that's where she is.
- Do you think the doctor will tell us?
- He certainly knows, since he brought his son to life in the same way. He has no choice. Since he started it, he has to finish it.
*
It was early morning when Chanmi rang the intercom at the retired doctor's house. Jungkook stood by her side, impatient when the man wasn't going to open for them.
- Maybe he's not there?
It was only a moment when she unexpectedly became weak. Her ears began to ring, and she felt a strange pain in her chest. She put her hand to her left breast and crouched down, trying to recover.
Jungkook leaned over her, worried about her condition.
- What's going on?
- I felt bad. I have pain in my chest.
The boy grabbed her shoulders and led her to the car. He sat her in the front, crouching in front of her and keeping his hands on her knees.
- I think I should take you to the hospital now.
- You don't have to. It's temporary, it will pass in a while. This is not the first time. I guess that my bad mood is related to near death. My heart is getting weaker and weaker. Young women can also die of a heart attack, right?
The brunet looked deeply worried as he stared at her the whole time. He was afraid that eventually it would be too late, and he wouldn't have time to help her.
His attention was caught by an older man who was returning home from his morning jog. He left Chanmi with the car door open and ran up to the doctor.
- You must tell us the truth. Her death clock is ticking, and we have no more time. I beg - he turned to him in a soft voice, and then the man looked in the direction of the car, where the frighteningly pale girl was sitting.
- I think I have already told you everything.
- You certainly know where the real Chanmi is located. You know the place that belongs to this sect.
The man looked at him anxiously.
- Why do you want to know this?
- You said that if Chanmi survives this period and survives, for the real Chanmi will die. It seems to me that this will not be the case. She is dying and the only way to save her life is to get rid of the real daughter of the Kim family. - His pleading gaze crushed the man's gaze. He could see how anxious he was to protect this innocent girl. - This is a young woman who has her whole life ahead of her. Why should she be the victim of a heartless family? She is not guilty of anything. She wants to live, just as much as we do.
The doctor rubbed his eyebrows, then sighed loudly.
- Do you associate the estate with abandoned buildings that were not finished because of the company's bankruptcy? - Jungkook nodded. - It's abandoned for a reason. It's a cursed place. Underneath one of the buildings there is a basement that is home to a monster. If you want to go there, only during the day. The man is not there then.
The doctor took one last look at the ill-looking Chanmi, then entered the house. Jungkook returned to her and put his hand to her face.
- I know where it is.
- So take me with you, bastard. - He fixed his puzzled gaze on his brother, who was sitting in the back of the car wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a face mask of the same color to hide his burns.
- How did you get here?
- I wrote with him when we left home. He insisted that he was keen to join us. He wants to help us - Chanmi interjected.
- Don't tell me you dared to get on the bus.... - Jungkook was shocked.
- Now that it's cooler outside, I can come out in the daytime from hiding. In disguise, you can't see that I'm a monster.
- You are not a monster, Chansung - the girl corrected him.
- To people I look like that.
- And I already thought you could teleport.... I wouldn't be surprised at all - Jungkook declared.
- Knock yourself in the head before you say something, stupid head.
These words made Chanmi smile slightly.
- Since you know where the place is, let's go there. We can't waste time. Another attack could be my last - the redhead stated.
The brunet nodded and sat behind the wheel. Before he started the car, he looked at his brother in the mirror.
- It will be fine - he said. - We just have to protect her.
*
When they got out of the car, they carefully looked around the area. It was a field in which stood three blocks of shells, nothing else. The place had a strange aura, so adventurous youngsters flocked here, recording videos for a vlog. In them, they revealed evidence that this was a haunted place and the words about the curse were no joke.
A shiver went through Ore at the sight, but she blamed it on the penetrating wind. She told herself that the place did not scare her in any way.
- I don't know where we should go - Chansung declared, looking around himself.
- We don't have time to think about it. We have to look for the entrance in the buildings. I suspect it may be in one of the basements - his brother declared.
- After all, these basements were built before the blocks were built, so why would the entrance be in the basement?
- The bastard must have made his life easier somehow - muttered Jungkook.
Her legs were like jelly from fear. Holding on to her friend's hand, she looked around. Her attention was caught by a figure standing in the distance and pointing with her hand to something beside her.
- There is the real Chanmi - the redhead stated, pointing in her direction. The boys followed her. - She is showing me something.
The closer she got to her, the more and more she blurred. When she got to where the daughter of Kim's family had been just a moment ago, she lowered her head and realized that the girl was pointing her finger at the sewer entrance.
- It seems to me that this is the way to get to the underground - she whispered, glancing at the peasants.
Jungkook immediately opened the flap and looked down. A yellow light was burning there, which made him spot the ladder.
- I'll go down first - he declared.
Chanmi moved behind him, and at the very end Chansung joined them. The young people looked ahead, noticing a long corridor against whose walls strange, frightening sounds echoed.
- I feel like I'm recording a horror movie. My appearance is just a supplement to this nightmare.
The redhead looked at her friend with furious eyes.
- You say that again, and I swear I'll hit you.
She grabbed him under the arm and they both headed after Jungkook, who was leading them. They had set him up for a tiger since he was showing the most courage.
It seemed to them that the long corridor didn't end at all, until they saw the entrance to one of the rooms. It was from it that the strange, frightening sounds that caused goosebumps were coming from.
Before they went inside, Jungkook turned to face them.
- We've come this far, so whatever happens, we can't chicken out now. This is our only chance to help you, Chanmi.
- I know - she replied in a trembling voice.
She closed her eyelids and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she nodded to Jungkook.
- It's now or never.
Chansung took her hand and squeezed it tightly.
The three young people entered a terrifying room that no one had a chance to see even in the worst horror movie. They had seen it with their own eyes, and worse, they were inside it.
The real nightmare was yet to come, and one of them had to die today.