ETERNALLY

Chapter 5

The doors were something not out of place in an old, crumbling mansion. But this wasn't a mansion. Beomgyu knew that this was a place where bad things happened. Bad things would happen to him. Not a mansion. What the doors doing there was anyone's guess.

And then they all condensed into one.

A room number.

Room 17.

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Beomgyu turned around to face the dark brown wood. Slowly, he looked at the entrance to somewhere new, wondering where it would lead him to.

Reaching out, he grasped the old, golden doorknob, set in the patterned slab.

Turn.

Open.

Creak.

A bright beam of light pierced through the suffocating darkness, like a highlighted path leading to the crack in the door. Beomgyu pushed it open as far as it could go.

It was chained, as if there was a beast inside, contained for his safety.

The lights in the room crackled and flashed, like the lights of the practise room he came from. A human-like silhouette was pacing back and forth in the darkness. Back and forth, back and forth, almost hypnotising Beomgyu.

A flash of light streaked across the figure's face.

And he saw.

It was himself.

He was watching himself, being trapped in this room. He was being separated from himself, for his own safety.

He was the beast.

The Beomgyu within the room told the Beomgyu without to run, run as far away as possible.

But he couldn't. His feet were frozen to the ground, both a blessing and a curse.

He couldn't run. He couldn't hide. All he could do was watch, from behind the chains on the door, safe from physical harm.

He had to stay, to watch himself doing something he shouldn't.

He should not be doing whatever he was going to do. He should not be watching.

But here he was, doing both.

Another, larger, figure appeared in front of the door, momentarily blocking the frightened bear's view. Part of him wanted the shadow to move, the other half wanted it to stay where it was, so he wouldn't need to see whatever was going on in Room No. 17.

The silhouette moved.

To reveal the Beomgyu in the room charging at the figure.

Being caught in the stomach with a simple swipe of the hand.

Thrown to the ground.

And Beomgyu saw the book that he was holding, clutched to his chest like the phone to him outside.

The book had the same pattern the dice had burned in the grass, but Beomgyu didn't know that.

All he knew was that the other person wanted the book, and the Beomgyu inside would not give it up without a fight.

And an excellent fight he was putting up. Refusing to give in, the inner Beomgyu lashed out, protecting the book with his life.

The outer Beomgyu stayed still, willing himself with all his heart not to lose the book.

And the Beomgyu in the book collapsed onto the floor.

The book fell from his arms, to the other's feet.

Lightning flashed.

And his spikes appeared.

The Beomgyu outside started filming, so he could see everything without sticking his head into the crack between to door and the frame.

He saw himself, kneeling on the ground, a few scratches on his cheek, but otherwise unharmed.

Not to mention the large spikes from his back, protruding from his back.

And he turned around to look at the camera. He knew there were two of him, one inside the room, one outside.

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"Which side do I need to trust?"

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