HALLOWEEN WENT WRONG

The Invitation

Rain drummed softly against the cracked windows of Bell view Mansion. The place looked like a ghost had built it out of memories—columns leaning, ivy choking the walls, chandeliers swinging like the house was still breathing.

“Perfect for a Halloween livestream,” Taehyung had said that morning, his smile was almost convincing.

Now, standing under the broken archway, Jungkook wasn’t so sure. The night had that heavy kind of silence, the one that presses on your skin and waits.

“Bro, are we really doing this?” Jungkook asked, adjusting the camera on his shoulder.

Taehyung’s cloak fluttered behind him, deep crimson under the faint light. “We promised the fans something special. This is it.”

Jimin laughed nervously. “Special, yeah. Like dying live.”

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “If we die, at least the view count will go up.”

They set up inside the dusty grand hall. Namjoon checked the mics, Jin arranged candles for ambiance, Hobi double-checked the battery pack, and the chat on Jungkook’s phone started exploding.

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“OMG THEY’RE ACTUALLY IN A MANSION???”

“Tae looks like he walked out of a gothic romance novel.”

“Why does Jungkook look like he’s about to fight a demon?”

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Jungkook smiled slightly at the comments. Then he caught Taehyung’s reflection in the dark glass of a cabinet—eyes soft, fixed on him.

“You okay?” Tae asked quietly, stepping closer.

“Yeah,” Jungkook replied, though his heartbeat said otherwise. “Just… déjà vu.”

Flashback.

A year ago, same night.

They’d filmed a Halloween special at a smaller haunted house. The camera caught something no one could explain—an extra shadow, standing right between them. Jungkook had brushed it off then. But Taehyung hadn’t slept for days after.

Now, Taehyung whispered, “Don’t look at the mirrors too long.”

Before Jungkook could ask why, the livestream countdown began.

“3… 2… 1…”

Lights on. The mansion glowed in eerie candlelight.

Taehyung faced the camera with his usual calm confidence. “Welcome, everyone, to our Halloween special. We’re here in the legendary Bellview Mansion—a place rumored to mirror your soul if you dare to stay past midnight.”

Jungkook panned the camera across the hall. “And we’re staying till dawn.”

The chat went wild.

Then, just for a second, the livestream glitched.

Every face on screen distorted—except Taehyung’s.

His stayed perfectly still, smiling.

And the caption at the bottom of the screen flickered:

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“ONE OF THEM IS NOT ALIVE.”

...****************...

Jin frowned. “Uh… did someone set that as a prank?”

Namjoon checked the settings. “No. It’s not from our side.”

Taehyung turned to Jungkook, voice steady but low. “Keep filming. Whatever happens… don’t stop.”