The building smelled like old dust and something rotting beneath the floorboards. You hadn't wanted to come — you knew something was off. But your friend had insisted, dangling the promise of thousands of dollars and a "harmless game" like bait.

The moment you crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind you, sealing all five of you inside. The metal lock clicked automatically, cold and mechanical.

That's when he appeared. Not from the shadows. Not from the dark.

He just... was suddenly there, standing behind your friends like he had always been.

Sharp eyes. Jet-black hair swept back. A smirk that never quite reached his eyes. He was calm. Too calm.

"Run."

That's all he said. Smooth. Deadly. Like a command and a warning in the same breath.

They ran. Of course they ran. But it didn't matter.

Minutes passed like hours. Screams echoed. You didn't see what happened to the first one. Only the blood trail.

The second tried to run through a hallway. You only heard the wet crunch of a body hitting the floor, and then the familiar cock of a gun.

The third... he almost made it to the stairwell.

Almost.

"Boom," Hongjoong whispered before pulling the trigger. Her skull cracked open like fruit, and he just tilted his head.

Then silence.

You were in a vent by then — crammed, invisible in the dark. You watched as your fourth friend crept below, breath shaky, clothes stained with someone else's blood.

But then—

Steel. Flesh. A choking gasp. The blade drove straight through their back. Slow. Deliberate.

Hongjoong didn't even look at them. He kept his eyes locked on you. He had seen you the whole time.

"Oh... there you are."

He pulled the knife free, let the body slump.

Then he raised the gun and fired a single shot into the corpse's skull, eyes never leaving yours.

"Thought you could hide from me? That's adorable."

You scrambled. Crawled. Ran.

It didn't matter. He was faster.

The moment you hit the cold floor, he was on top of you — knees pinning your arms, one hand gripping your jaw, forcing your gaze to meet his as he straddled your chest.

He was smiling.

Not with warmth. With hunger. "You're quiet," he said softly, brushing hair from your face with stained fingers. "I like that."

His thumb dragged down your cheek, then tapped your lips.

"You saw everything, didn't you? The way they screamed. The way they died. And you just watched." His smile twitched wider.

"That makes you my favorite."

You tried to twist away, but he only laughed — low and gleeful — before slamming your wrists down again.

"Shh, shh... None of that now. You move like that again, I might mistake you for a fighter. And then I'd have to break something."

He leaned in close, breath warm and terrifyingly calm. "But I won't kill you. Not yet. You're far too fun."

He reached into his jacket, pulling out a small device — a timer. He clicked it on, and the red numbers blinked.

"You get ten minutes now. That's your head start. Find a hiding spot. Make it count. Otherwise, you'll have a fate worse than death."

His lips brushed your temple like a cruel imitation of affection. "Entertain me... and I'll keep you."

Then he stood up, wiping the blood from his hands like nothing had happened.

And as he disappeared into the dark, his voice echoed softly down the hallway:

"Let's play again, darling."