Mon Amour // ATEEZ

9 Haunted

He collapsed onto the ground, a single knee propping him up. Clutching his chest, he displayed visible signs of pain. I can see the anguish etched across his face, the flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Who's here?" I asked, my brows furrowed in concern. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the sudden distress. What's going on?

Hongjoong shifted his gaze away, fixating on something in the distance that I couldn't see. The empty look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine, an eerie feeling creeping up my skin.

"Is this some kind of ominous premonition?" Seonghwa joked, not fully grasping the seriousness of the moment. "Shh" I couldn't help but shush him out.

"I can't breathe" Hongjoong gasped, his voice strained, his face a paler shade of vampire-pale. I felt my heart race then crouched down to his level. I didn't know what to do so I just grabbed his shaking hand in mine. "Okay, try to focus on something else" I whispered, my voice laced with concern. His breaths were ragged and desperate, refusing to calm down. Trying to provide some comfort, I traced circles on his hand with my thumb.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted towards me, his eyes filled with an overwhelming sadness. They searched my face as if yearning for something familiar, something that could offer solace. If it would bring him even an ounce of peace, I was willing to be that source.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he redirected his attention to the ground, his thoughts in shambles.

"Who's here, mister Hongjoong?" I repeated, my voice laced with urgency but also worry. 

But as I watched Hongjoong grasp for stability, a peculiar sensation crept up my spine, as if someone or something had invaded my space. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I turned, my gaze locking with Seonghwa's.

"Do you feel that too?" I whispered, my voice barely audible amid the noise of the arcade.

"Feel what?" Seonghwa looked around to try and find the feeling.

I couldn't quite find the words to explain it, the way the air seemed to vibrate with an otherworldly energy. It was as if a malevolent force hovered just out of sight, taunting us from the shadows.

Hongjoong's gaze, haunted by a thousand untold stories, came back to me. I tried to offer him a small smile, reassuring him that he wasn't alone in this strange disquiet. But his eyes held a weight that time couldn't erase.

He released my hand abruptly as he stood up with a sense of urgency. "Let us go back to the car and hurry to the museum" He insisted abruptly.

"Wait, what was that about?" I scrambled to my feet, struggling to keep pace with Hongjoong. I glanced back at Seonghwa who has the same confuse look as I do.

Outside, Seonghwa swiftly unlocked the car doors, and Hongjoong wasted no time hopping into the back seat. His eyes bore into us, silently urging us to join him with a sense of desperation. I joined him in the back seat as to try and make him talk.

Seonghwa started the car, and as I stole a glance at Hongjoong, I furrowed my brows in an attempt to comprehend the situation.

"Can you help me understand, mister Hongjoong?" I asked, my voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of frustration.

"It feels like he's always watching me," Hongjoong confessed as he looked away at the scenery, his voice laced with a mixture of fear and anguish. "Everywhere I turn, I sense his presence. The enemy I thought I had escaped, the one who haunted my darkest nightmares, he's returned"

Glancing at the rearview mirror, I could see Seonghwa's expression turn solemn, reflecting the weight of Hongjoong's words.

I met Hongjoong's haunted eyes, a new understanding dawning upon me. This wasn't simply a delusion or a figment of his traumatized mind. No, this was something real, something trying to drag him back into the shadows from which he had fought so hard to escape.

"Who?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

His eyes tuned back to me, filled with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. "And he wants me gone for real this time" He whispered, almost inaudibly.

"This doesn't really say who it is really" Seonghwa said, I squinted my eyes and gave him a slap on the back of his neck. "Ow!" Seonghwa cried out, rubbing the spot where my hand had landed.

Hongjoong stared mindlessly at nothing in the Horizon. His eyes bearing the weight of countless untold secrets "But we must go to the museum. It's there where I might find something to end him once and for all" He declared as if that was nothing.

Confusion knotted in my stomach, and I sank down in the car seat. This whole situation was growing more bewildering by the minute. I needed answers, a sense of direction, anything to make sense of the swirling chaos that surrounded us.

"We're here" Seonghwa exclaimed as he unbuckled himself. Hongjoong wasted no time and immediately stepped out of the car. Whoa, wait a sec please.

Stepping out of the car, I carelessly placed my foot in a puddle of water. A wave of frustration washed over me as I winced at the sight of my once-pristine Louis Vuitton now ruined. "Aaah" I groaned.

I hurried towards the museum doors, where Hongjoong and Seonghwa were already waiting. The vampire effortlessly swung open the grand entrance.

But instead of the expected silence, we were met with the crew wielding balloons and confetti cannons. Startled, I leapt back. Hongjoong, on the other hand, remained unmoved, his expression unchanged

"What on earth is this? Did you have any idea the crew would pull this stunt?" I whispered to Seonghwa, a mixture of frustration and anger bubbling within me.

He shook his head vigorously. "I didn't know either," He replied, turning his attention back to the crew, attempting to muster a smile. Yet, it appeared more pained than genuine. "I think I peed myself a little" He added.

"Party!" The director exclaimed, his excitement palpable. In all my years at our museum, I had never seen him so animated. I released a weary sigh, my hand instinctively rising to cover my face in exasperation.

The rest of the crew gathered around us, their anticipation akin to that of hungry wolves closing in. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear, I won't deny it. They whisked Hongjoong and Seonghwa away, disappearing from my sight. My eyes darted around anxiously, desperately searching for any trace of them.

This is really not the time!

Soo Yun, a crew member whom I barely know, led me to a secluded room, away from the rest of the group. The room we entered was hosting an exhibition, centered around mummies and their mysterious tales. As we stepped inside, I noticed another group engrossed in studying the remains.

Confusion settled over me, causing my brows to furrow in Soo Yun's direction. Instead of offering an explanation, she simply grinned, her smile unnaturally exaggerated.

"What is this about? Where did they take Hongjoong and Seonghwa?" I asked feeling a tinged of frustration. No, who am I kidding? I'm mad as hell.

"The director wanted you guys to see different exhibitions by yourselves. So I'm here to guide you, Dalhae" She still smiled unnaturally, making me want to run away right this instant.

"I already know everything about mummies, now if you'll excuse me, I'll see myself out" I began walking away but before I could even take a step out of the room, Soo Yun stopped me with her arm.

I furrowed my brows. "What the hell?"

"The director wants you to see the whole exhibition, please forget about the vampire and just enjoy the rest of your day"

My heart raced, a sense of unease washing over me. Something isn't right.

What are they doing to Hongjoong?