EIGHT HOURS ━ STRAY KIDS

HOUR FIVE.

Chan felt Hyunjin tighten his grip around his shoulders, whimpering slightly. Chan held him closer to his chest but felt his heart drop when a sickening crack rang out. Hyunjin's body fell limp against his torso. 

The lights flickered on and the body slid out of Chan's grip, clattering to the floor flaccidly. His neck was bent at an odd angle and a five was seared into his forehead. His eyes were wide with horror and disbelief, the whites stained pink. The three boys looked at each other. 

"How did we miss the murderer?" Chan stuttered out nervously. "He was right here-"

"It doesn't matter, Chan." Changbin's eyes were fixed on his shoelaces, fingernails digging into his palms in a tight fist. "He's gone."

Minho scoffed lightly. Changbin quirked an eyebrow, raising his gaze to Minho's. 

"You've been awfully problematic tonight, Minho. What's on your mind?"

 "Quick to accuse, aren't you?" Minho made a noise in the back of his throat. "I see how it is. Everyone blames me when it's their turn to die."

"Minho!" Chan exclaimed. "That was unnecessary!"

"But was it, Chan? Was it really?" Minho threw his hands up in frustration. "Why is everyone so quick to think it's me? Am I so horrid as to murder someone?"

"I never said it was you!" Changbin cried. "You made that connection yourself."

Minho opened his mouth, but promptly closed it and sighed. "We don't even know it's one of us. We shouldn't blame each other." He turned to Changbin. "I'm sorry for being so disagreeable. I think we're all tense."

Changbin turned away. "It's whatever. Can we just get out of here? The smell of burnt flesh is making me sick."

Minho frowned. "I don't smell anything."

Chan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Burnt flesh? But Hyunjin's neck was broken. What do you mean 'burnt flesh'?"

Changbin's eyes widened momentarily. He swallowed. "I just smell something. I don't even know if it's burnt flesh. It probably isn't, that's just what I assume burnt flesh smells like and I have no idea where it would be coming from-"

"What are you nervous about, Changbin?" Chan questioned. "You only ramble when you're lying."

Minho knelt to Hyunjin's side and flipped him over. There were scorch marks on the back of his shirt. He looked up at Changbin. "How did you-"

But Changbin had broken off into a run, scrambling out the door and into the hallway. Minho and Chan looked at each other before following, passing all the bodies and nearly slipping in puddles of blood. They turned the corner and saw that Changbin had disappeared. 

Chan swallowed. "Changbin? We're not here to do anything. We just want to talk."

Changbin's voice rang through one of the doorways. "Don't get near me. I know who you are."

Chan swallowed. That sentence sounded uncannily familiar. He and Minho peered through the doorway they heard Changbin's voice come from, hoping to see the man. But it was too dark for them to see anything. They entered carefully.

"What do you mean, Changbin?"

But as the door slammed behind them and the lights flickered on, they could see that Changbin was nowhere in sight.