Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Jungkook, are you recording?”

“Yeah, hold on.” The camera shook slightly before a young man with dark brown hair and glasses came into focus. “Okay. 3… 2… 1…”

The man released a calming breath and looked into the camera with a grave expression. “The Astoria Hotel. Once known for its lavish dinner parties and esteemed guest list, now forgotten in a sea of short-term vacation rentals.”

He began walking backward through a narrow hallway, crystal chandeliers on the ceiling casting odd shadows over his face. After a pause, the camera moved with him.

“You may be asking, ‘Is it the obvious lack of housekeeping that’s scaring guests away?’” He ran a hand along the yellowing wallpaper and checked his fingers for dust. “The answer to that question is ‘no’. But it can’t be helping…” 

With a frown, he wiped his hand clean on his corduroy pants. 

“Visitors to the hotel have been reporting ‘unexplained temperature changes’ and sightings of a ‘white figure’ in this very hall.” He spread his arms wide, gesturing around him. “And most recently…”

He paused in front of a door and tapped a finger underneath tarnished metal numbers—207. “A couple was attacked by the same white figure in this very room. Tonight, we will finally put the malevolent spirit to rest.”

Turning his body toward the camera, he said, “I’m Taehyung, and welcome back to Spirit Seekers.”

Taehyung’s gaze flicked up from the lens. “How did that look?”

“Great, as always,” Jungkook replied. “You wanna check it?”

“No, that’s okay. I trust you.” Taehyung’s cheeks rounded in a smile.

The camera pointed to the floor, catching Jungkook’s canvas sneakers stepping forward to meet Taehyung’s leather loafers. A single smooch was picked up by the microphone.

“Ready to keep going?” Jungkook asked. He backed up again, and Taehyung returned in the frame. 

“Yeah, we’ll do the room tour.” He wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and straightened his posture.

“3… 2… 1…”

“The couple that was attacked here just last week shared their story online in an emotional video to their followers. We’ll include a clip of it here.” His gaze flicked up again, and the camera shook with Jungkook’s nod.

“As you can see, they were pretty shaken up.” Taehyung pressed his lips into a frown. “Unfortunately, they didn’t manage to capture the spirit—or any of the other evidence that they mentioned—but the man did have some nasty bruises on his neck. Let’s hope we don’t suffer the same fate. Right, Jungkook?”

Jungkook made a show of moving the camera up and down to capture his agreement.

“We spoke to the hotel ahead of time to make sure that their same room was available.” Taehyung opened the door and gestured over his shoulder for Jungkook and his camera to follow. “Come on, let’s check it out.”

Taehyung held the door open as he entered. “Thanks to Jungkook’s insomnia, he was able to read every review posted about the Astoria since 2005 and determined that every recorded sighting has occurred near room 207.” 

He kicked the lid of a suitcase closed before continuing. “No one knows the true story of what happened here. Some say the spirit belonged to a child who was left behind on a family vacation. Others say it’s the founder of the hotel, angry that his life’s work has gone to ruin.

“But whoever the spirit belongs to, one thing’s for certain.” Taehyung held up a finger for dramatic effect. “Something is keeping them here.”

He pulled out a chair and sat at the small table set up in the corner. Various devices were scattered over its surface. One was a handheld radio, wires emerging to connect to a laptop and speaker.

“We’re going to use some of Jungkook’s equipment here and see what we can learn about our spirit,” he explained. “Jungkook? Would you like to join me?”

The camera jostled with a few clicks and sat still in front of the table. Jungkook entered the frame with a small wave and sat in the chair beside Taehyung.

“So, uh, we’re going to be doing a spirit box session to try to communicate with the ghost.” Jungkook began fiddling with the buttons on the radio, avoiding eye contact with the camera.

Taehyung placed a hand on Jungkook’s forearm. “We got a comment on our last video asking how you made that. Would you like to show them?”

“Oh! Yeah!” Jungkook’s eyes lit up as he held his creation up to the camera. “So basically, I just cut the mute wire inside this radio. That way it can sweep through the channels without stopping.”

He set the radio down and picked up the speaker instead. “Then, I have the audio output split between my laptop for recording and this speaker so we can hear it. Oh, and make sure if you do this at home you get an amplified speaker, so you can hear better. Or, I guess headphones would work too—if you’re by yourself.”

Taehyung’s cheek rested against his palm as he mooned over Jungkook setting the speaker back down and lining it up squarely to the radio. A smile curled his lip before he said, “Jungkookie does such a good job of handling the equipment.”

Jungkook’s ears reddened. “Because if hyung touches them, they’ll break.”

Taehyung’s smile turned into a grin before he blinked away his fond expression and turned back to the camera. He cleared his throat. 

“So, if you haven’t seen us use one of these before, it basically flips through all the radio stations really quickly, allowing a spirit to pause on a word or phrase to communicate with us.” He gestured for Jungkook to turn on the radio. With the press of a button, the garbled sounds of music and talk shows filled the room.

Taehyung closed his eyes. “Are there any spirits here with us tonight?” 

The radio continued to sweep, only partial notes and half words coming through. 

“Sometimes it takes a while before they answer,” Jungkook whispered.

Then, a distorted “yes” sounded from the speaker. Taehyung’s eyes shot open, and he looked to Jungkook for confirmation. He nodded, and Taehyung shut his eyes again.

“If you have a message for us, we will hear you.”

The garbled static of the radio grew louder as Jungkook turned a knob. He and Taehyung leaned closer, mirroring each other as they turned an ear to the speaker. 

“—married—”

“Did you hear that?” Taehyung exclaimed, brow pinching. “Was that ‘marry’?”

“Or maybe ‘Mary’, like the name? Is your name Mary?”

Crackling words continued to fill the air, tinny in the camera’s microphone. 

“I think I heard something!” Jungkook gasped. “Something ‘bee’… Isn’t that the name of the hotel bar?” He looked at Taehyung. “Honeybee?”

“Yes! I think I saw it downstairs… Do you think that’s a clue?”

“We haven’t done any interviews yet—we can start there?” Jungkook turned down the radio’s static and stood from his chair. 

“Yes, let’s check with the locals—”

“—the bartender?”

“That’s a great idea, Jungkook!” Taehyung stood with a long exhale. “We haven’t had a case this exciting since Kansas!”

Jungkook’s eyes darted over the table, and he grabbed a few devices. A slim, black voice recorder slipped into his pocket, and a digital thermometer hooked into a loop on his belt. His hand passed in front of the lens before it lifted from a tripod with a shake. He brought the camera closer to the crackling radio, the discordant voices growing louder.

“Let’s leave this going, and I’ll record anything it picks up,” Jungkook’s voice muffled behind the camera. “And battery is still good, but can you grab a spare?”

He filmed the stained carpet as he walked to the door. It creaked open, and he stood in the threshold until Taehyung’s loafers passed through the frame. 

The rough carpet of the hallway cut to a shaky view of dated wallpaper, settling on Taehyung. He glanced over his shoulder before walking backward.

“We’ve just heard a presence on our spirit box, so we’re going down to the hotel bar to check in with some locals.” Taehyung wiggled his eyebrows before beckoning the camera to follow him. “Come on, let’s see what they know about the hotel.”

As he turned to walk forward, they stepped onto the tiled floor of the lobby. A circular room welcomed guests, with a reception desk and staircases to lead to the higher floors. 

“Take a look at the architecture!” Taehyung awed, pointing out carved accents of the banisters and trims around the hallway. “How old is the hotel, Jungkook?”

“From our research, the hotel was built 120 years ago. And it was—”

Jungkook cut himself off as yelling echoed through the lobby. He pointed the camera at his shoes, Taehyung’s heels just out of frame.

“What do you mean I should have called ahead?” a high-pitched voice shouted.

“I am sorry, sir, that room is not available. I can upgrade you to a suite at no extra charge?”

Jungkook’s pace quickened as they crossed the lobby floor.

“This place is empty, how is it that the one room—” 

“It’s fine, we’ll take the suite, ma’am,” a calmer voice interrupted. 

Taehyung’s loafers met the carpeted walkway, and Jungkook pulled the lens up. The camera glanced back at the lobby. 

Several men gathered around the desk, a tall one leaning an elbow on its surface. The camera zoomed in, the focus blurring for a moment before Jungkook adjusted the lens. The angry man lifted a duffel bag onto his shoulder and stomped up the stairs. His companions followed in a mass of plaid and canvas jackets.

“Did we get the transition shot or should we do it again?”

The camera whipped around, and Taehyung’s face filled the frame, features shaking with the slightest movement. Jungkook adjusted the zoom, and Taehyung adjusted his hair.

“Are you still rolling?” He smiled, eyes looking above the lens. 

“Yeah—but I think we got the shot,” Jungkook mumbled, lowering the camera to the carpet again. “I’ll save the battery—”

📹

“Do you mind repeating that for the camera?” Jungkook asked. “If it’s okay?”

“Sure, I can do that.”

The camera shifted from a view of Jungkook’s lap to a man sitting at the bar. It blurred for a moment before focusing on his graying hair and wrinkle-lined skin.

“You were saying you have noticed something out of the ordinary here at the Astoria?” Taehyung prompted from beside the man.

“Yes,” he nodded, caught between looking at Taehyung or into the lens. “I get a weird feeling whenever I come here…”

Taehyung leaned forward. “And can you tell us more about that?”

“Uh…”

“Like an energy shift, or maybe a cold spot?” Taehyung offered. “Do you feel it anywhere in particular?”

“Yes, in the bathroom.”

“Really? How interesting… Does that mean—”

“—I think it’s the fries.”

Taehyung’s excited brows fell, and he minutely shook his head at Jungkook with a frown. 

“Well, thank you so much for your help, sir!” He clapped his shoulder as he stood from the bar. “Enjoy your evening!”

The camera just caught the roll of his eyes before Jungkook pointed it at his feet.

“What a waste of time,” Taehyung muttered. “No one in there knew anything.”

“It’ll be okay,” Jungkook said. “It’s only 10 o’clock. We still have all night.”

“You’re right,” Taehyung sighed. “I just hope that will be enough. Do you think we should have booked for more than one night?”

“Tae, you know how it is. If we don’t catch anything on the first night, we won’t catch anything at all. And besides, that couple only stayed one night, and you heard what they saw.”

“I know. Sorry, I’m spiraling again.”

An elevator dinged its arrival, and the camera watched their feet shuffle inside.

“When we get back to the room, I’ll check if the spirit box caught anything while we were gone,” Jungkook said. “Let’s reset a bit, maybe take a shower? Then we can do some exploring. Try to capture an EVP?”

“That sounds good.” Taehyung’s hand reached across the frame to squeeze Jungkook’s. “Thanks.”

The camera moved to center their hands in the frame. It zoomed in slightly.

“You think there’ll be decent water pressure?”

Taehyung snorted. “Not with century-old pipes.”

The light flickered, sending their embrace into a moment of darkness.

“I’ll just be happy if the elevator doesn’t break down.” The camera moved to the arched floor indicator above the doors. “I feel like that arrow has been on ‘2’ for a while.”

“Do you think—” The elevator dinged, and the camera faltered. “Never mind.”

Jungkook’s feet followed behind Taehyung’s as they stepped over the threshold. He lifted the camera, filming Taehyung’s back as they walked down the narrow hall. 

Photos lined the walls at varying heights and in assorted frames. Some hung from wires, some leaned far from their nail. The outdated carpet muffled their footsteps down the otherwise silent corridor.

“It’s pretty cold up here,” Taehyung said, pulling his cardigan tighter around him. “Do you think they have a working furnace?”

As he turned to Jungkook, the light dangling from the ceiling behind him flickered. The electric candles of the chandelier winked in and out, independent of one another. The camera dipped lower, and a rustle came from Jungkook’s pocket. A small beep followed.

“72 degrees,” he said, holding a digital display in front of the camera. The number changed. “Wait. It’s dropping.”

The frame darkened again, another light flickering.

“Jungkook, are you recording?”

“Oh—yeah!”

The camera rose and caught Taehyung’s expression, mouth slightly agape. He gazed up at the ceiling through fogged lenses, white breath falling from his exhale. His face dimmed, and he pointed somewhere behind the camera. It whipped around—the light behind them winked out.

“Mary? Are you with us?” Taehyung called out.

The camera zoomed in on the elevator doors behind them. The chandelier at the end flickered, rapidly flashing—then another, the sweep blurring the picture as Jungkook turned the camera to capture it. The image zoomed out, capturing Taehyung’s wide eyes. The fringe of his hair fluttered, and a noise rose from beside him.

A photo rattled against the antique wallpaper. The gold-painted circular frame held a black-and-white image of an infant. The camera moved closer, filming it shaking on its nail.

“Jungkook—tell me you’re getting this?” Taehyung’s excited voice shook like the frame.

“Yes! I can’t believe it,” he breathed.

The rattling grew louder—the photos beside Taehyung shook now. Electricity hummed and crackled with the lights. Every photo in the corridor was shaking.

Whoosh.

Taehyung’s hair rippled and he staggered back.

Crack!

A photo fell from the wall, sending a shard of glass onto the carpet. Taehyung turned around, and the camera shook as Jungkook adjusted the focus on him.

A white shape floated behind him, visible for mere moments as the light’s illumination faltered. The camera zoomed in, but the figure was gone. The lights remained lit.

“Was that a full-blown paranormal experience?” Jungkook asked through heavy breath.

“I felt something pass through me!” Taehyung gasped, wide eyes staring above the camera lens.

Jungkook’s footsteps echoed as he passed Taehyung, pointing the camera at the carpet. His hand reached into view, turning over a wooden frame. Behind shattered glass, a sepia photo showed a group of people posing in front of a large building.

“Tae, is this the hotel?”

He approached the camera, brow pinched as he took the photo from him. 

“Yeah, do you think the ghost is telling us something?”

The camera frame blurred, capturing the upside-down hallway.

“Come on, let’s get back to the room! We have to check out this footage!”

 📹

The camera shook as it attached to the tripod, a white t-shirt filling the frame.

Jungkook sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward to comb down his hair in the viewfinder. In the background, a stream of water echoed against fiberglass.

He sat back with an exhale, squaring his shoulders.

“So, the last time we checked in was on our way to the bar. Unfortunately, none of the interviews led us anywhere.” Jungkook shook his head slightly.

“To be honest with you, we were feeling pretty discouraged. But just when we were considering our next move, we may have caught our first spirit materialization.

“What you are about to see is the raw, undoctored footage of our encounter.” Jungkook paused for a moment, counting out three taps to his knee before continuing.

“This could be ‘Mary’, the presence we met with the spirit box.” He paused again, counting out another three taps. 

“Where do we go from here? Only one photo fell in that hallway.” He reached out of frame and held the picture up to the camera. “Could this be a hint at—”

Four loud knocks echoed from the hotel room door. Jungkook frowned at the sound. He stood, exiting the frame. 

The door clicked open.

“Uh… can I help you?”

“Yeah, you’re in our room.” A brassy voice muffled off-camera, echoing in the hallway.

“You must have some kind of mistake,” Jungkook said. “I specifically booked room 207.”

“Oh, did you now?”

“How would you like to be upgraded to a new room?” A new voice interrupted, smoother than the last. “Penthouse suite, overlooks the city.”

“We’re not interested.” The chain lock rattled against the door as Jungkook swung it shut. The rattling stopped abruptly. “Hey—”

“Kid, trust me, we’re doing you a favor,” the impertinent voice returned, louder, no longer muffled. “What’s with the camera?”

“Hey!” Jungkook yelped. “You can’t just come into someone’s room!”

“What? Are you a cam boy or something?” Another voice laughed, bright and bubbly. The camera shifted slightly, rattling the view of the empty bed.

“Don’t touch that!” Jungkook’s hand covered the lens, and the camera spun to face the rest of the room. When he removed his hand, five men stared back. 

“Is everything okay out there?” Taehyung’s voice echoed from the shower.

“Wait, someone else is here… could we get them kicked out for, you know… filming?” A slender man in a backward baseball cap looked to a blond in a black leather jacket. He shrugged.

“Everything is fine! Just—just room service at the wrong room!” Jungkook called. He lowered his voice. “You need to leave. Now.”

“Guys, it’s worse than cam boys—they’re hunters.” A black-painted fingernail pointed at the spirit box on the table. The hand retreated into an oversized red flannel. “Or, at least they think they are.” 

“Actually, we have a semi-successful web show with over 1,000 monthly subscribers.” Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest.

The man’s eyes rolled under his shaggy black hair.

“And what’s it called? Ghostfacers?” The brassy voice came from a tall man, a baggy jacket over his broad shoulders. 

“Spirit Seekers…” Jungkook mumbled.

“Jin, go easy on him.” The man with the smooth voice and a fitted blue flannel clapped a hand on Jin’s khaki-colored jacket. He shrugged it off. “What’s your name, kid?”

“I’m not telling you!” Jungkook snapped back.

“Jungkook?” Taehyung called. “Are you talking to someone?”

Jin smirked.

“Check this out.” ‘Baseball cap’ lifted the cracked photo from the bed. “Namjoon, what do you think?”

The man wearing a blue flannel took it, squinting at the glass. He handed it to Jin.

“Where did you get this?”

“In the hall.”

“Huh, they’re pretty good for amateurs.”

“We’re not amateurs!” Jungkook’s voice raised in pitch. “We just captured a materialization out there, and the ghost left us this as a clue!”

“So, I assume you’re already aware that one of the people in the photo matches the ghost’s description?” Namjoon raised an eyebrow at him.

“Really?” Jungkook stepped closer. “Who?”

Namjoon pulled the photo away from him before he could look. “I thought you were a real ghost hunter?”

“I am—we are! I was about to reverse-search that picture online to find out who’s in it. But you interrupted my show!”

“Did you think to check the back?”

Jungkook’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t reply.

Jin’s eyes flicked upward, and he took the photo from Namjoon. Without hesitation, he threw it to the floor. Jungkook jumped back as the remainder of the glass shattered across the carpet. He slipped out the photo.

“Jungkook! What’s going on out there?” Taehyung’s voice was shrill. The water in the shower shut off.

Jin’s eyes scanned the back of the photo, and he handed it back to Namjoon. He nodded and slipped it into his pocket. “Thanks for your help, amateur.”

A dripping-wet Taehyung burst from the bathroom, a towel hastily wrapped around his waist.

“Careful!” Jungkook reached out a hand. “There’s broken glass.”

“Wha—” Taehyung’s eyes widened. He held the towel tighter. “Who are all these people?”

“Don’t worry about us,” Namjoon called over his shoulder as he left the room. Jin followed, then ‘Baseball cap’ and ‘Red flannel’.

“Maybe you should consider the cam boy gig instead.” The blond pat Jungkook’s shoulder.

“Jimin! Come on!” ‘Red flannel’ held the door open and nodded toward the hallway.

“I’m coming, Yoongi!” Jimin rolled his eyes and carefully stepped over the broken glass on his way out. Yoongi allowed the door to slam shut after him.

Taehyung stood stunned for a moment, carpet damp under his feet. “Jungkook? Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?”

“Those guys are here for the ghost too.” Jungkook slumped onto the bed, face falling out of frame. “They knew about the haunted room and everything.”

“Another group of paranormal investigators?” Taehyung sat down on the corner of the bed. “We’ve never had competition before…”

“Maybe? They called themselves ‘hunters’.” Jungkook rolled onto his stomach.

“Like, ghost hunters?”

Jungkook’s voice was muffled. “They took the photo we found, and now they’re probably going to put the spirit to rest before us.” 

Taehyung reached over to rub Jungkook’s back. “Then why don’t we follow them? They can’t stop us from investigating the same case.”

Jungkook popped up, returning into frame. “Yeah! Yeah, you’re right…”

He stood from the bed and walked out of view again. The sound of rummaging through the gear came from behind the camera.

“Hold on!” Taehyung laughed. “Let me get dressed!”

“Oh—yeah!”

Jungkook’s face appeared in front of the lens, his hand reaching over it.

“I’ll turn this—”

📹

Black canvas shoes shuffled on red carpet.

“I think I hear them,” Jungkook whispered. 

Taehyung’s muffled voice replied, “Are you sure it’s them?”

The camera’s view swung up, half the frame filled with the peeling yellow wallpaper. The blurry other half bloomed into focus. In the middle of a corridor, the one in the khaki jacket stood with the one in the blue flannel.

“What can you tell me about this picture?” Jin asked, shoving the faded photograph into the face of someone in a red polo shirt, sitting in a chair. “It was hung in one of your hallways.”

The employee leaned back and crossed their arms.

“I don’t know, it’s probably just a stock image like most of them are.”

“I can’t believe they’re not even filming this interview!” Jungkook’s whisper grew louder.

“Shh,” Taehyung reminded. “Let’s get closer.”

The camera moved away from the corner and wobbled as it slowly approached.

Namjoon leaned forward, tapping the photo. 

“But not this one—this is the Astoria, right?”

The employee’s brow furrowed as they squinted at the image. “I guess?”

“So who are the people in this picture?” the louder one asked.

The one in the red flannel appeared at the opposite end of the hall, looking down at a device in his hand. He walked past the employee and his accomplices, waving the black item with a small antenna in an arc. It beeped, and he raised it higher, locking eyes on the camera’s lens.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Yoongi leaned against the wall opposite the employee.

Jin turned around, gaze flicking down to the camera. He threw his hands up in a dramatic sigh. 

Taehyung stepped forward, his back filling the frame as he squared his shoulders. 

“We came here to investigate this ghost, and you guys aren’t going to stop us.”

The camera lifted higher, capturing Yoongi’s raised eyebrows and the roll of Namjoon’s eyes.

“Fine, just don’t get in our way.”

Jin turned back to his suspect in the chair. The employee pulled a colorful box away from their lips and blew a cloud of vapor down the hall.

“Where were we?” Namjoon waved a hand through the air with a frown.

The camera moved around Taehyung and panned its image down to the familiar photograph in Jin’s hand, getting close to its yellowed back. 

“‘The Astoria Grand Opening, April 20, 1912.’ Does that help?” Jungkook said from behind the camera.

Jin shot a glare down over the camera’s lens.

“I was getting there… Can you stop filming us?” He pushed the camera away, palm covering the lens.

Jungkook’s canvas shoes on the red carpet shook into view for a moment, before the camera swept back up to the employee. 

“Actually.” They looked into the lens, then back up to Jin. “We gave them permission to film…”

“Why would you do that?” Jin’s voice raised in pitch. He handed the photo to Namjoon and stalked off-frame with an exaggerated shake of his head in Yoongi’s direction.

“My manager thought it would put a positive spin on it.” The employee shrugged. “After… never mind.”

“Yeah, we actually have a semi-successful web show with over 1,000 monthly subscribers,” Taehyung said. The camera swung to catch him putting his hands on his hips.

“Okay, but does this mean something to you now?” Namjoon extended the photo again and raised his eyebrows at the employee.

“No! I wasn’t working here in 1912!”

“No shit—Ow!” Jin yelped. The camera found Jin rubbing at his side next to a smirking Yoongi.

“How about the couple who was attacked? The ones who stayed in room 207?” Namjoon asked. “They posted it all over the internet.” 

Taehyung turned back to Jungkook with wide eyes. “They know about the couple—”

“They know about the couple,” Jungkook murmured, the camera shaking up and down.

A man with blond hair and a black leather jacket rounded the corner at the end of the hall. His gaze landed on Taehyung, then Jungkook, then fell to the camera. His cheeks rounded in a smile. 

“Ah, nice of you two to join us.”

Yoongi pulled his finger across his neck and subtly shook his head.

“Oh—what the hell are you two doing here?” Jimin forced his smile into a frown and crossed his arms over his chest.

The employee looked back and forth between the growing crowd in the corridor. “Those people weren’t supposed to say anything! My boss didn’t want this getting out.”

Jin returned to Namjoon’s side and pointed back at Taehyung. “Then why are they here?”

“She watched some of their videos before agreeing to it…” The employee trailed off, looking down into the camera. They pointedly avoided the lens as they continued, “Thought it would prove the hotel wasn’t actually haunted.”

“Hey—”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Taehyung finished Jungkook’s sentence.

The camera swiveled to the hunters, zooming in on Jin leaning to speak into Namjoon’s ear. 

“We’re not getting anywhere with this kid…”

A blur crossed the frame again, landing on a close-up of the employee.

“What about ‘John, Robert, William, and Rose’?” Jungkook recited from the back of the photo.

Their face paled.

“See? We’re getting somewhere when we ask the questions,” Taehyung said. “What can you tell us about the hauntings?”

“We—we’re not supposed to talk about it with guests.”

“We’re not normal guests.” Jin looked back at the camera. “Especially them.”

“It’s not just about the bad press or bad business… she doesn’t like it.”

Taehyung turned his glare away from Jin and back to the employee. “Who doesn’t like it? Rose?”

The lights in the hallway flickered, sending them into darkness. The camera followed their gazes up to the chandelier hanging over them.

“We’re not supposed to say her name.”

The camera moved down again, the pale-faced employee returning to focus.

Jin scoffed. “So, now you know her name?” 

“If you work here long enough, you hear the story.” They looked up to the flickering chandelier. “She worked as a maid here. Supposedly, she stayed in room 207.”

“Do you know why she's haunting the hotel?” Namjoon asked.

“Well…” The employee hesitated for a moment, visibly swallowing. “She committed suicide here.”

The employee yelped when the vase of dead flowers on the table beside them began to rattle. 

“Jimin? A little help?” Jin gestured with an annoyed hand.

The camera panned to Jimin leaning against the wall, fingers dancing on the sleeve of a red flannel. His smirk flattened into a frown as he turned to face them. With the roll of his eyes, he peeled himself off the wall and stepped closer to the employee.

Taehyung watched him with a tilt of his head as Jimin muttered something unintelligible under his breath. The vase stilled.

The employee looked between the vase and Jimin. “How did you—”

“Never mind that,” Namjoon interrupted. “The suicide. Care to elaborate?”

“It’s only a rumor…”

“We can work with rumors.”

“T-there was a man.” The employee jumped when the vase began shaking again. Jimin resumed his muttering.

“And?” Jin drew out in a sharp tone.

The vase rattled harder, clanging against the table, threatening to crack. Jimin squeezed his eyes shut, his eyebrows furrowed. He gripped a black crystal dangling from his necklace with white knuckles. 

“And she loved him! But he was married. She was so heartbroken that he didn’t love her back so she—”

“Watch out!” Taehyung grabbed Jimin’s arm and pulled him aside as the vase flew off the table and across the hall. Yoongi jumped out of the way before it smashed into the wall where he had just been standing. The employee shrieked as lights popped out one by one above them.

“Repellum omni malus spiritus,” Jimin continued, louder now.

The camera jostled as Jungkook unclipped the flashlight from his belt. A white circle of light searched the hall.

Yoongi pulled his phone from his pocket. “Hobi! Get down here, now!

“Nuh-uh, you’re not going anywhere.” The camera swung back to catch Jin forcing the employee back in their seat.

“Wait!” Taehyung raised his voice over Jimin’s. “Why was she staying at the hotel if she was an employee?”

Jin’s expression pinched. “Really? Does that matter?”

“Back then, it was common for hotel employees to live where they worked,” Namjoon dismissed.

All at once, the lights flashed back on. For a moment, everyone was still as they looked up at the chandelier. Then, it started swinging wildly.

“Shit,” Yoongi muttered, raising his phone to his ear again.

“What was her last name?” Namjoon asked. 

“I don’t know! I don’t know!” The employee stared wide-eyed up at the chandelier, arms reaching to cover their head. “All I know is 'Rose'!”

“I’m here, Yoongi!”

Jungkook whirled the camera around to catch the man in the backward baseball cap rushing around the corner behind them. He tucked a deck of cards into a satchel and ran to Jimin’s side.

“Fine,” Namjoon continued. “Does the hotel still have records from then?”

The employee watched curiously as Hobi took a lighter to a bundle of green herbs. They jumped when the door knobs across from them began rattling.

“Yes! There’s a record room! Downstairs! Away from the guests!”

“Wait,” Jungkook said, the camera tilting. “Something isn’t adding up.”

“Shh!” Yoongi hushed as the doors knocked against their frames. The lights flickered from dim to bright. 

“The room?” Jin took Namjoon’s place in front of them. “What room are we looking for?”

“It’s in the back!” they shouted, squeezing their eyes shut. “1E! Room 1E!”

The frame shifted to include the end of the hall where Jimin and Hobi held hands, both muttering as a thick trail of smoke rose between them.

“Just… don’t go anywhere else back there…”

Jin’s eyebrow rose, light flashing over his face, as he looked to Namjoon.

“Where should we not go?”

“I really shouldn’t be telling you this…” the employee whimpered, looking up at the ceiling with a grimace. “They found her body in one of those rooms, so no one goes inside anymore.”

With one last flash, the lights returned. The rattling stopped, and the camera panned around the hallway. Jimin and Hobi opened their eyes, allowing the Latin to fall from their lips. Taehyung looked up and watched the chandelier stop swaying. 

“Can I go now?” the meek voice asked. 

“Get out of here.” Jin pointed down the hall. The employee quickly jumped from the chair, a cloud of vapor trailing when they turned a corner.

“So what did we learn?” Namjoon addressed the hunters. “Ghost was a scorned lover who committed suicide? Shouldn’t be too hard to handle.”

The hunters followed Jin, and the camera shook as Jungkook trailed them too. 

“Why do you need her last name?” he asked.

Jin glared over his shoulder. “We can’t go digging up every Rose.”

The camera remained stationary as the hunters walked over the corridor’s carpet. The frame swiveled until Taehyung filled it. 

“I wonder what they meant…?” Taehyung asked, a glare falling over his glasses as his gaze was lost in the distance. “Never mind.” He shook his head and strode past the camera, swiveling again to capture his cardigan sway with his pace. 

The image shook, and Jungkook huffed out of frame. 

“So, where do we go now?” Taehyung called.

The other hunters ignored them, but Jin turned around, releasing a sound of annoyance.

“We? You got to film your little movie, we’re leaving without you.”

“And how are you getting into the employee-only area?” Taehyung asked. He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and held it in front of the camera lens. They bounced with a jingle, and Jungkook snickered.

“You—how?“ Jin’s eyes narrowed, and the others ahead of him faltered.

“Like they said, the manager said we could film… even in the restricted areas.”

“Why, you—”

Namjoon’s hand gripped the jacket at Jin’s shoulder. He pressed his lips together and shook his head.

“Fine,” Namjoon said. “Come on.”

The hunters turned a corner, and Jungkook spun the camera around. 

“I can’t believe you did that!” Jungkook said.

“I know!” Taehyung held his hand flat to the camera. “Shaking. Literally shaking.”

“If we can capture more of that, the show is going to go viral!” The camera’s view pointed down at their shoes. “I’m changing the battery, I don’t want to miss anything.”

📹

Shhhhh-tthunk.

Someone opened one of the many filing cabinets as the camera panned around a storage room. Multiple drawers were open, and folders were scattered across every available surface. The two unlikely groups crammed into the room to rifle through paperwork.

Taehyung held a folder up to the camera when it landed on him.

“The Astoria Hotel. 1915. Booking records.” He dramatically opened it. “Let’s see if we can find ‘Rose’ in room 207.” Taehyung flipped through the file, running his finger down columns of names.

“Tae, how many more times do you want me to film that?” Jungkook asked quietly behind the camera.

“Is anyone getting close?” Hobi asked, throwing a folder back into a drawer. “I still haven’t found anyone booking room 207.”

The camera shook as the metal door slid shut with a slam.

“Really, what year are you on?” Yoongi asked, looking through his own. “Because I’ve seen room 207, but never for Rose.”

“1917. When was she estimated to have died?”

“1920, and all my records are after that.”

“Let me look at that…” Namjoon stepped between what little floor space remained and leaned over both folders. He glanced down at the one in his hand. “So it’s not that the room wasn’t for rent… but that the records seem to be missing.”

Taehyung cleared his voice and addressed the camera. “Records appear to be missing from the Astoria’s archive. Could it be the ghost?”

He jumped as Jin slapped a hand on the filing cabinet beside him. 

“How do we know for sure? There are so many of these!”

The camera turned to the hunters over Taehyung’s shoulder as an argument broke out. Out of focus, Taehyung jerked his head toward the door. The image dimmed as it ducked into Jungkook’s lap, rustling against fabric. The quarreling grew quieter.

“So, what are we doing?”

Red carpet blurred, and the camera found Taehyung glancing down the empty hall, dim lights above shadowing his face.

“While they’re going through paperwork, let’s check out the room.” Taehyung walked down the hall. The camera followed, bouncing to catch up.

“Which room?” Jungkook whispered.

“The room her body was found in.”

Jungkook gasped. “The one where she… you know?”

Taehyung shrugged and looked over his shoulder into the camera. 

“Let’s find out.”

He stepped slowly, stopping in front of each door. 

“This one.” He pointed at a placard that read ‘1B’.

The camera repositioned on Taehyung’s other side, filming him reaching for a brass door knob spotted with oxidation.

“Ah!” He quickly drew his hand back. “It’s really cold!” Taehyung pulled his sleeve down and tried again. The metal rattled when he turned. 

“Are you sure it’s the room?” Jungkook asked. 

Taehyung flipped through the keys on the ring, attempting each one.

“I think so…” He inserted another. “I feel it.”

Click.

Taehyung took a deep breath, the knit of his cardigan on the knob. 

Antique hinges squealed as the door swung open. Inside the small room, sheets covered pieces of furniture. The dim light of the hall hardly lit the shape of an armchair in the corner. Taehyung stepped in and the camera followed.

Click. Click, click.

The image swung to capture a round light switch, Jungkook’s finger pressing it on and off. The camera dipped, and a white circle of light appeared on the ground. Jungkook shifted the flashlight, following Taehyung’s movement. He checked his watch.

“It's 1:03 a.m., and we are in the place of Rose’s death. Was this a room for storage? An office?” he asked the camera, putting on his inquisitive voice. “Or, perhaps a break room for employees like Rose?”

Jungkook panned the camera, filming every corner, following his beam of light. Among the vintage items, a lamp rose above furniture, and paintings leaned against the wall.

“Is there a presence with us?” Taehyung asked.

The camera slowly turned, following a line of wallpaper peeling in curled sheets. The light cast over Taehyung’s chest, and the lens blurred before refocusing on him. A breeze rolled into the room. A sheet cast over a cabinet in the background swayed.

“If there is a spirit with us, let us know.”

“T-Taehyung?”

Over his shoulder, a white shape shifted. But it was not the sheet that covered the furniture. 

A pale face stared back at the camera. Streaks of black dripped from her eyes. Bruises spotted her neck. The bodice of her white dress was stained with splotches of something dark.

A pointed finger appeared in front of the camera.

Her face turned angry, a scream reverberating in the small room. The white figure flew through Taehyung and past Jungkook.

The camera caught the door slamming shut. The frame shook as Jungkook attempted the knob. 

“We’re locked in!” Jungkook said. “Taehyung?” He cast the flashlight and found Taehyung clutching his throat. “Taehyung!”

Small items stacked on a shelf flew across the room. A crystal goblet shattered against the wall and a pocket watch hit the camera, knocking the lens askew. The image shook, the frame catching Taehyung’s legs.

“Repellius, um, spirits,” Jungkook attempted, his voice shaking. 

At an angle, the white figure reappeared in front of the door. She sobbed, watching Taehyung struggle to breathe.

A sudden boom echoed on the other side of the door. Another. Boom.

“Taehyung, come on!”

The camera rolled and landed on the floor, pointed to the door.

Crash!

The doorframe splintered as the wooden door burst open. Light from the hall filtered through the apparition, and Jin stepped in. He pulled something from beneath his thick, brown jacket. 

Boom!

A flash—then the audio peaked on the camera. A cloud of smoke passed through the ghost. She dissipated with one last scream.

Taehyung fell to the floor, the back of his cardigan coming into view. Jungkook immediately knelt beside him.

“What the hell was that!?” Jungkook shouted up at the hunter. “Did you shoot him?”

“What? It’s just rock salt.”

“And?”

Jin scoffed. “I thought you were a pro at this? Rock salt repels ghosts.”

Taehyung rolled over, his chest clearly heaving as he finally took a breath. Jungkook released a sigh and rested his head against Taehyung’s chest. 

“Did you get it?” Namjoon asked from the other side of the splintered doorway.

“Yeah, got a good look at her too.” Jin stowed a sawed-off shotgun beneath his coat. “Woman in white.”

“A what?” Taehyung asked from the floor. 

Jin extended a hand to him and swiftly pulled him up. Jungkook grabbed the camera, the image swaying until it settled on the hunter’s face. He rolled his eyes but addressed the camera.

“A ‘woman in white’—a ghost with unfinished business, usually unrequited love or heartbreak,” he explained. “Some went insane in life or murdered their children… It’s not a good thing.”

“We have to put her to rest!” Taehyung said.

“Nope, not ‘we’,” Jin said, grabbing Taehyung by the arm. “You two are going back to your room and staying out of this.” He pulled him out of the room.

“But—!”

“No. Investigation over,” Namjoon agreed, reaching for Jungkook. 

The camera shook as he was pulled, but he managed to point the lens at the hunter.

“What about the files?” Jungkook asked. “Did you learn anything?”

“Nothing. At. All.” The monotonous voice of Yoongi joined them as the others walked with their escort.

“The records are missing, which is something itself,” Jimin added with a glare at Yoongi. “Everything before her death is gone, so someone must have something to hide.”

Jin pushed the employee-only door open, and they stepped into the lobby.

“What's your plan now?” Taehyung asked, looking back at the camera as he tried to ask the group.

“Plan B—which includes sending you back upstairs,” Namjoon said, pressing the button on the elevator.

Ding.

The doors slid open, and Jin pushed Taehyung inside. Jungkook walked in himself, training the camera on the hunters. Jin reached in and hit the button for the top floor.

“Stay up there,” Jin scolded with a point of his finger. “We don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Are you sure—” Taehyung began, but the doors closed on his words. “Ugh!”

The camera swung up to Taehyung’s hardened expression.

“Can you believe this?” His voice was higher than normal, and he looked at Jungkook over the camera expectantly.

“Yes?” His reply echoed slightly in the confined space.

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “These hunters have been trying to take over our investigation all night!” He shifted to face the doors, and the camera dipped. 

Ding. Light shed on Taehyung’s chest from the parting doors. But he didn’t step off the platform.

“You know what?” He pushed up the sleeves of his cardigan. “Fuck this.”

Taehyung jammed his finger on a button, and the doors closed again.

“What are you doing?”

“Going back to that room.” Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest and stared up at the floor indicator.

“But, Tae—”

“This is our shot, ‘Guk. Do you want them to take all the credit?”

The camera faced the floor. “No…”

“Then we’re going to go back to that room, find that ghost, and solve this mystery.”

The elevator came to a stop, jostling the camera. It pointed at the doors as they slid open on the rounded mezzanine overlooking the lobby.

“Get down!” The camera nearly fell to the ground when Taehyung pulled Jungkook’s sleeve.

“Can’t we just do more research?” Jin’s voice rang into the high ceiling. “Instead of ‘communing with the dead’?”

“It’s them!” Taehyung hissed. He crawled forward and peered through the balcony rails.

The screen went black.

Then a blurred image of the lobby came into focus.

“No, we need all five of us to be here,” Hobi replied.

The hotel entry was dark and empty, a small lamp illuminating the unmanned front desk.

Jin sat with his legs thrown over the arm of a chair, tossing a small canvas bag into the air and catching it.

“You know, those kids are actually pretty funny.” He looked down at the phone he held over his face with his opposite hand.

Jimin shot a glare over his shoulder as he waved a burning bundle of herbs around the room. “Didn’t I tell you to turn off your phone?”

The camera zoomed in on Hobi lighting candles around a rounded carpet.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Jungkook whispered.

“No idea, but as long as they’re busy, they can’t stop us.” Taehyung tugged Jungkook’s sleeve again. “Come on!”

The camera blurred at an odd angle before turning upright in the hallway, capturing Taehyung’s back.

“I saw this stairwell on the emergency exit map,” he said over his shoulder. 

A loud metal door led them to a dark stairwell, footsteps echoing. Light filled the camera’s frame, and the cheap red carpet returned. “Employees Only” was printed on a few doors.

Jungkook caught up, rushing with the camera bouncing.

“Are you sure we should do this?” he asked. “Last time you almost got hurt.”

Taehyung’s shoulders fell.

“I know… but I felt something.”

“Well, yeah, I saw a ghost fly right through you,” Jungkook said, dipping the camera.

“No. Something else.” Taehyung sighed and leaned against the wall. “You know how we show up for an investigation, and I can just tell that we’re going to meet a ghost?”

The camera shook slightly. “Yes, your intuition.”

“My intuition!” Taehyung nodded. “My intuition has been stronger here, and it’s really strong when I think about this ghost.”

There was silence behind the camera.

“Come on, we need to get in that room before these hunters piss her off.”

Taehyung pulled his cardigan sleeve down and reached for the brass knob. The door swung open without protest.

Jungkook turned on his flashlight. “So, what are we looking for exactly?”

The circle of light scanned over the covered furniture.

“You’ll know when you find it,” Taehyung replied. “Just feel it.”

“Right.”

Jungkook illuminated an L-shaped desk tucked into a corner. He pushed aside a stack of boxes and shined the light down on its surface. 

“So, right now I’m trying to, uh, feel for anything unusual,” Jungkook said behind the camera. He panned over to a vintage typewriter and pressed down one of the keys. The yellowed paper crunched as the bar hit it, its edges moth-eaten.

“It’s amazing how much we could do before electricity…” Jungkook trailed off, zooming in on the page where a “J” was printed.

Taehyung laughed somewhere out of frame. “You wouldn’t know what to do without electricity.”

“No… I know what this thing is…”

Jungkook punched down a few more keys, and the camera watched “JK + TH = < 3” ink across the page.

“See? I know how it works.”

He reached for the lever to move to the next line, but it slid on its own with a loud ding. The camera faltered with Jungkook’s jump.

“Uh, Taehyung?”

“Hmm?”

“Is it supposed to move on its own?”

A key depressed. Then another. The bars snapped in sequence, slowly filling the page with a jumble of letters.

“What do you—”

“You need to see this!”

Footsteps tapped across the room along with the tapping of the keys.

“No, that's not normal!” Taehyung’s voice was louder behind the camera. The typewriter grew still.

A finger appeared in frame, tracing the letters beneath Jungkook’s message.

k A u b e w H n j .

“Rose must be telling us something!”

“What does it mean?”

Ding!

Taehyung’s hand pulled back as the lever moved again, sending the carriage back to the end.

J l s k n d K l s l d R .

“What if we alphabetize the letters… or maybe the capitals spell something!” 

Taehyung muttered to himself. “No, that’s not it…”

2 0 7 .

“207, that’s our room!” Jungkook gasped. “That’s the room she stayed in.”

“But what about this room? Is she telling us we’re in the wrong place?”

Ding!

x x x .

“Uh, is that a no?”

Taehyung sighed. “I don’t understand. You can try to figure it out—I think there’s something weird about this wall.” His footsteps treaded away, but the camera remained focused on the typewriter. 

“He… ll… o,” Jungkook mumbled, pressing one key at a time. “Rose.”

“Huh.”

The camera lifted from the yellowed paper and panned over to Taehyung. He pressed his hand against the peeling wall.

“What is it?” Jungkook asked.

Taehyung’s face nearly touched the wall as his hand slid over the surface, pushing a sheet of wallpaper up.

“I’m getting a weird vibe. Keep the light on me.”

Jungkook’s flashlight shined on Taehyung’s hand. He trailed it down, exposing the plaster beneath the paper.

“Ugh, I should have paid attention when my dad tried to teach me about drywall… Doesn’t it look like there’s something—”

Ding!

The camera jumped, and Taehyung’s eyes were drawn behind them. 

Something flashed in the beam of light and landed in the wall with a thud.

Jungkook let out a scream.

A knife sunk into the wall where Taehyung’s hand had just been.

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“I don’t know,” Taehyung murmured, eyes locked on the wooden handle.

“We have to get out of here, Tae. I told you this was a bad idea.”

The camera shifted, and the beam of light appeared on the door.

“Wait.”

The image turned around, back on Taehyung. His gaze had not shifted.

“Tae…”

“Trust me, Jungkook.”

Taehyung gripped the handle and pulled. It did not move. He wrapped both hands around it and strained against it. With a loud tear, the knife slid through the plaster, splitting the wallpaper.

“Oh—are we going to have to pay for that?”

Taehyung wrenched the knife from the wall, gashing the paper in another direction. The camera came closer, zooming in on their destruction. Jungkook’s hand reached into frame and traced down the split. The plaster crumbled in places, allowing the light to penetrate the bones of the hotel.

“What is that?”

The camera panned down to the spot Taehyung pointed to—something blocking the light. Jungkook squeezed his fingers between the split and pulled the plaster apart, widening the gap.

“Yes, right there!” Taehyung slipped it out from the wall—a manila folder. Dust and cobwebs clung to the delicate paper.

“I can’t believe that was in there!” Jungkook breathed. 

“It must have been put there on purpose,” Taehyung said, crossing the room to the desk. 

The camera followed, positioned over his shoulder. He set the knife down and flipped the cover, revealing stacks of papers inside. Jungkook’s flashlight overexposed the frame, the text unreadable.

“This… this is for room 207.” Taehyung looked into the camera. “And 1920! These are the records we were looking for!” He glanced back to the papers, leaning over the desk. Suddenly, he turned to the camera again, eyes wide. “We need to tell the others.”

“Good idea, we should rub it in their faces.”

Taehyung closed the folder and tucked it under his arm, walking right out the door.

The camera shook as Jungkook hurried to catch up. They turned a few corners and exited the employee-only area. Voices echoed from the lobby ahead.

“Is it finally ready?” Jin asked.

Taehyung walked quietly, and the camera followed suit. Around a corner, they found Hobi lit by candlelight in the middle of the circular carpet.

“Yes, just a standard séance. You know the drill.” He beckoned the others with open arms.

Taehyung turned to the camera with a finger pressed to his lips. The frame zoomed in on the hunters.

Four of the men held hands in a circle, Yoongi standing off to the side. Jimin muttered to himself, eyes closed. 

“We welcome any spirits to join our circle,” Hobi spoke to the room. “Please make your presence known.” He looked at each of the others in the circle, his brow furrowing. “Loosen up and be welcoming, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry.” Jin rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes.

“Rose, please join us in our circle when you are ready,” Jimin said.

Silence filled the lobby. Yoongi walked around them, his device with the antenna in hand.

“I’m getting a slight uptick on the EMF,” he said quietly.

Namjoon nodded. “Okay, let’s try some questions.”

“Are you with us, Rose?” Hobi asked. “… Can you share your last name with us? We want to help you.”

Taehyung muttered to himself, too quiet for the camera to pick up.

“Shh, this footage could be good for the show,” Jungkook whispered.

“Yeah, sorry.”

A minute passed. The silence continued.

“Of course she doesn’t want to say anything now,” Jin mumbled. Yoongi kicked him. 

“Calming energy,” Hobi reminded, glaring at the pair. “We know why you killed yourself,” he continued. “But can you tell us what is keeping you here?”

Taehyung murmured again.

The camera’s view dipped to the tiled floor.

“What did you say?” Jungkook whispered.

“I didn’t…” The camera rose, catching Taehyung shaking his head, brow knit. “I didn’t…”

Jungkook’s arm reached into view, grasping his shoulder.

“Taehyung! Are you okay?”

He sat against the wall, head still shaking. Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, and the camera panned back to the hunters.

“Is there something you’re still attached to? An item or—”

“NO!” 

The camera shook as Taehyung’s shout echoed through the lobby. The hunters jumped and glanced around them. Jin’s gaze locked onto the camera, and he dropped the others’ hands. 

“You two?!”

Jungkook stood, camera swinging between Taehyung and the hunters.

Namjoon crossed his arms. “We told you to stay in your room!”

“This isn’t safe to interrupt,” Jimin said, looking nervously between them.  

“Wait.” Hobi pushed in front of them. He crossed the lobby, looking at Taehyung. He cocked his head and squatted down to his level. “You want to say something, don’t you?”

Taehyung lifted his gaze and nodded.

Hobi offered his hand and helped him to his feet. “I think we should continue the questioning.”

He led Taehyung to the center of the lobby, and the camera followed.

“Wait—why? What’s going on?” Jungkook asked.

Yoongi stepped into frame, holding him back. 

“Just trust him. Hoseok’s psychic. Besides, electronics and ghosts don’t go well together, so give them some space.”

Jin clicked his tongue and joined the rest of the hunters in the circle, hands clasped around Taehyung. The camera zoomed in on Jimin’s face as he shot Hoseok a questioning look. Hoseok raised his eyebrows and shrugged.

“Okay, Rose. We know you’re with us,” Hoseok said to Taehyung. “Can you try speaking again?”

“Help me…” he said quietly.

The camera faltered, the frame dipping slightly.

“Tae?”

“We’re trying to help you, but we need you to let us.”

“Help me!” he said louder. “Help me!” His voice shook with an unfamiliar pitch.

“What are you doing to him?” Jungkook asked, frantic as the camera fully dropped to film the floor.

Black boots stepped in front of canvas shoes.

“It’s not him talking,” Yoongi urged. “It’s Rose.”

The camera shook as Jungkook raised it, pointing between the hunters and Taehyung.

“We need to understand what is still keeping you here. We want to help you rest.”

Taehyung shook his head so hard that his glasses fell off. Candles cast shadows over his face, their light reflecting red from the carpet surrounding him.

“Taehyung? Are you okay?”

“Do you have unfinished business?”

“I loved him!” Taehyung shouted. “I love—” His voice choked on sobs.

The camera’s view shifted, filming past the hunters and focusing on Taehyung. Jungkook reached around the lens, offering his hand through the chain.

“I’m here, Taehyung.” He wrapped his fingers around Taehyung’s hand. “I love you.” 

The camera held the image for a moment, tears streaking down Taehyung’s cheeks. 

Then his eyes shot open, brow pinched in anger. 

“I don’t love you anymore! Stop hurting me!”

He wrenched his hand from Jungkook’s grasp and lashed out, swinging an open palm.

The camera tumbled, view blurred. Sharp clattering overwhelmed the microphone until it came to a rest. A sideways view of Jungkook on the tile appeared. He pushed himself up, eyes wide and searching the room. His gaze landed on the camera, then shot back toward the center of the lobby. He winced as he reached for the camera, a grimace on his face. 

The view cut to black.

📹

Jungkook’s finger leaves the red button atop his camcorder. The cold tile presses against his palms as he pushes himself up, the aches in his body pulsing with the movement.

“Okay, no more séance!” Namjoon says.

The hunters break their chain, backing away from Taehyung. He cries and sinks to his knees. 

“Get her out of there!” Jin shouts.

Jungkook’s weight is too heavy for his wobbly knees. He nearly collapses, but the sight of Taehyung on the ground forces his shuffling footfalls closer.

“It’s okay—” Jungkook clears the roughness from his voice. “It’s okay, Tae. I’m here.”

“No, you have to wait,” Yoongi presses a hand to his chest. The pressure is firm despite his size. Yoongi glances over his shoulder. “He’s not back yet.”

Jungkook chews his lip and watches Jimin rifle through a bag. 

“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus…” Hoseok chants under his breath.

Jimin kneels beside him and pinches the candles. They snuff with a trail of smoke, one by one. He reaches for Taehyung’s hand, limp through the sobs. Jimin drags his finger over his skin, leaving streaks of soot. He moves to the next hand, and Hoseok continues speaking in Latin.

“… te rogamus, audi nos!”

Hoseok stops chanting, and Taehyung grows still.

“What… what happened?”

Jungkook pushes past Yoongi, tears that already formed in the corner of his eyes falling freely.

“Taehyung! I-I can’t believe—”

He falls to his knees and buries his face in Taehyung’s cardigan. The familiar scent eases his shuddering breath. Taehyung is stiff for a moment before his arms wrap around Jungkook’s shoulders.

“Hey, it’s okay.”

Jungkook pulls away, eyes darting over Taehyung’s face. He pulls a thumb through trails of tears, and Taehyung looks down, surprised to see them. He rubs his face with the sleeve of his cardigan.

“I’m confused?” Taehyung looks around at the group of hunters staring down at him. “What’s going on?”

“You…” Jungkook slips Taehyung’s wireframe glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, unsure how to explain. “You were—”

“You were possessed,” Yoongi says bluntly.

“See?” Jin crosses his arms. “This is exactly why we told you to stay out of this.”

“We found something.” Taehyung stands with shaky legs. Jungkook reaches to support him. “Well, Rose helped us find it.”

Jungkook nods and wipes away his remaining tears.

“Yeah, we came to show you.” He crosses the lobby and picks up the folder they left in the hall. He hands it to Namjoon. “These were hidden behind the wall.”

He takes them, eyebrow raised. The folder opens, and Jin reads over his shoulder.

“The records we were looking for—for room 207?” Namjoon asks.

“And who is ‘John Bell’ supposed to be?” Jin narrows his eyes. “How is this different from any of the other dead-ends?”

“‘John’ from the photo of Rose?” Taehyung adds.

“How can you be sure?” Namjoon pulls the photo from a jacket pocket.

“John Bell was one of the investors who funded the hotel,” Jungkook explains. The hunters look at him with curious expressions, and his ears grow hot. “I read a lot from Wikipedia before we came…” 

“Okay, so what’s your explanation? How is he connected to Rose?”

“We know she stayed in room 207, but there were no records of her booking a room,” Taehyung begins.

“Because she never did,” Jungkook finishes.

“And the story goes that she loved a man who never returned her affection. What if that was John?”

“Does that mean the love wasn’t unrequited?” Jimin glances at the other confused hunters. “They stayed in the room together?”

Taehyung shrugs. “Maybe? But why would the records be hidden? Who didn’t want people to know about their connection?”

“We need to ask Rose,” Yoongi says.

“Another séance?” Jin asks. “Like that went well.”

“No…” Hoseok says. He points at Taehyung. “We need him.”

“Him?” Jungkook grips Taehyung’s arm, and his jaw clenches. “Why do you need him?” 

“Well, we still want to investigate Rose’s story,” Taehyung says cautiously. “But what do you mean?”

“You don’t realize?” Jimin looks at Hoseok before looking back to Taehyung. “You’re psychic.”

“What?”

Jin shakes his head. “No, we’re not doing this. The kid could’ve died.”

“Even if he is psychic, he has no idea what he’s doing,” Namjoon says. 

“Hoseok’s séance didn’t get us anywhere—no offense, Hobi,” Yoongi says. “But for some reason, she spoke through him.” He points to Taehyung.

“No, we don’t use people for bait!”

“Well, as long as we have the proper protections in place…” Namjoon trails off. “Maybe bait isn’t so bad?”

“Now you’re on their side? What if he isn’t psychic, and he’s just more vulnerable than the rest of us?”

“Hey, he could be psychic.” Jungkook’s cheeks warm as the hunters look at him again. “… if he wanted to.”

“Is there a test?” Taehyung shrugs.

“No…” Jimin begins. He looks Taehyung over. “But a near-death experience can awaken abilities.”

“Did you ever feel different growing up?” Hoseok asks. “Vivid dreams? Do electronics malfunction around you?”

“Well… I never really fit in,” Taehyung speaks quietly, his eyes drawn to the corner of the room. 

“And you’re terrible with technology,” Jungkook adds. He cocks his head as the idea flows through his mind. “Oh my god, maybe you are psychic!”

Jin sighs with his entire upper body. “Fine, we’ll use the amateurs. What should we do?”

“We need to make her comfortable so she'll answer our questions.” Hoseok picks up the now-cold candles and hands them to Jimin.

“What about room 207?” Jimin stows them away into a bag on the floor. “It’s the room, isn’t it?”

“She has a history of showing up there,” Taehyung offers. “And it must hold happier memories than the downstairs room…”

“Alright, that settles it,” Namjoon says. “Party in their room.”

Jungkook and Taehyung follow the ghost hunters to the elevator. Namjoon presses the button.

“Hey.” Hoseok puts a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. “I know this can be overwhelming, but—”

“It’s fine. I-I’m okay,” Taehyung says.

“You sure?”

Taehyung avoids Hoseok’s gaze and nods with a tight-lipped smile.

Jin presses the already-illuminated button again. Jimin adjusts the satchel on his shoulder.

Jungkook slips his hand into Taehyung’s. Taehyung glances at him, eyes softening. His palm is clammy against Jungkook’s.

Ding!

The elevator doors slide open. Jungkook’s shoulder brushes against Jin’s as they both step forward.

“After you.” Jin gestures. 

Jungkook swallows against a lump in his throat and pulls Taehyung to the back corner of the elevator. 

The hunters file in after, cramming themselves in like sardines in a can.

Someone presses a button, and the doors shut. Jungkook tugs a finger at his collar.

“Ow,” Yoongi grumbles.

“Careful where you put your big feet,” Jimin hisses.

“Come on, you two,” Namjoon calls from the opposite side of the elevator. 

“That better be your camera pressing into my back,” Jin says. Jungkook’s ears burn hot.

Ding!

They pour out into the hallway and Jungkook breathes in cool air. 

“So, is one of you going to open it?” Jin asks.

“Right, sorry.” Jungkook falters, breaking from errant thoughts. He digs in his pocket and extends a shaky hand. The tarnished metal numbers reflect the dull light of the hall before swinging inward.

“One, two, three.”

Jungkook’s fingers strain against the weight of the bed. Namjoon walks backward with the other end until he reaches the wall. He steps aside, and Jungkook grunts as he pushes the bed frame into the corner.

“That should be enough room.”

A loud rattling draws his attention. Jimin is shaking a can with a red cap, looking over Hoseok’s shoulder as he takes a knife to one of the candles from downstairs.

“New sigil this time?”

“Yeah,” Hoseok replies, tongue between his teeth. “Wanted some extra protection.”

Jimin nods, popping the top off the can and bending over. Red paint sprays over the thin carpet and more than the fumes makes Jungkook’s head dizzy.

“We’re really gonna have to pay now.” Taehyung bumps his arm against Jungkook’s. They watch Jimin spray out a perfect circle, crossing over it to form a five-pointed star within.

“Hey, Taehyung.” Hoseok jerks his head. “Let’s get you prepped.”

He squeezes Jungkook’s hand and crosses the room.

Jungkook tucks his hands into his pocket, fidgeting with a piece of lint to keep his hands busy. The others are hard at work, preparing for a ritual that he barely understands. Meanwhile, his only skill is no longer needed.

“Spirit box, right?”

Jungkook turns to the source of the question, finding Yoongi pointing at his modified radio.

“Oh—yeah, I made that.” Jungkook nods. He nervously eyes the table filled with his supplies, his camcorder resting upon a tangle of cords and extra batteries. Yoongi inspects his mess, and it prickles the back of his neck with sweat.

“Not bad.” He tilts the radio to see the open back. “Isn’t always reliable, but works with ghosts if they’re motivated enough. And what’s this?”

“That? It’s a prototype I’ve been working on.” Jungkook picks up a black box small enough to fit in his palm. “Since EMF can be manipulated, making it so often disputed, I made one that no longer interferes with household items.”

“That… is actually really impressive.”

“Really?” Jungkook blinks and rolls his shoulders back. “I mean, thank you.”

“We stay away from most tech because usually it’s bullshit. But I’m the only one in the group who knows how this stuff works, and this—” He taps the invention in Jungkook’s hand. “You might be onto something.”

Jungkook can’t control the smile that widens his cheeks.

Namjoon finishes pouring salt into empty shotgun shells. He hands them to Jin and stands from his chair.

“Okay, here’s the plan. While you guys summon Rose, Jin and I will go downstairs and try to put her to rest for good.”

“Wait.” Jungkook raises a hand. “I know unresolved trauma can keep a ghost here, but how do you really put a spirit to rest? 

Jin, reloading his shotgun, laughs. “Salt and burn.”

Namjoon holds a hand out to him. “We can salt and burn their remains, but that isn’t always possible. Sometimes that trauma can be represented by a single item, and we can burn that instead.” 

“Hopefully her body isn’t in the hotel,” Jimin says, nose wrinkled, “but an object could be.”

“But the best thing to do, especially with a more positive energy ghost, is to solve their unresolved trauma,” Hoseok adds, setting his finished candles on each point of the pentagram.

“Good luck with that plan.” Jin cocks his sawed-off shotgun. “Any idea what the object could be?

“Well, we saw a typewriter… a knife…” Jungkook counts on his finger. “Was there anything else?”

Taehyung shakes his head. “We didn’t see much else in there…”

Jin winks. “Don’t worry kid, we’ll torch the whole place if we need to.”

If the words are meant to be comforting, they do nothing to ease the twist in Jungkook’s gut.

Jin opens the hotel door and peeks down the hall. 

“Ready?” He looks over his shoulder, holding the door open with his foot.

“Yeah.” Namjoon follows but stops at the table with Jungkook’s camcorder. He reaches into the mess and holds a set of walkie-talkies by the antennas. He tosses one to Yoongi before he and Jin leave the room.

“Alright, now that they’re gone, we can finish our preparations,” Hoseok snaps a lighter and burns a bundle of sage.

“What, exactly, are you doing?” Jungkook’s gaze flicks away from the slamming door.

Jimin raises his brow. “Don’t tell me you two aren’t using protection.”

“I—we—” Jungkook stutters. He looks to Taehyung for support, but his lips are pressed together to hide a smile.

Jimin’s disapproving face melts into a full-body laugh. 

“It’s a protection spell,” he says once he collects himself. “Keeps everyone… safe.”

Jungkook’s ears redden at Jimin’s wink.

“Taehyung, have you ever meditated before?” Jimin says to Taehyung. He gestures for him to sit on the chair placed in the center of the pentacle.

“Uh, maybe once or twice.” Taehyung shifts awkwardly in his seat. His eyes follow the smoldering sage that Hoseok traces over his body.

“Okay, so this is kinda like that.” Jimin kneels in front of him, and Taehyung meets his gaze. “It is extremely important that you maintain only positive energy while we’re doing this.”

Jimin takes his hands. “No matter how good Hobi and I are, we cannot guarantee the…entity we summon is going to be friendly. Only you have the ability to control what enters the circle.”

Taehyung nods, eyes wide.

“So I want you to think of something that makes you happy. Happier than you’ve ever felt before.”

Taehyung’s gaze flickers to Jungkook.

“Once you have it, don’t let it go. These thoughts will protect you. No matter what happens.”

“O-okay,” Taehyung stutters.

“And don’t let what Jin said scare you,” Hoseok adds. “I can feel your gift, Taehyung. You just need to allow yourself to use it.”

“Okay,” Taehyung says, more confidently this time. He squares his shoulders. “I can do this.”

“Atta boy.” Jimin ruffles Taehyung’s hair and stands. “We’re going to do a quick protection spell on you before we start. You ready, Hobi?”

Hoseok nods.

“Thrice around the circle’s bound, sink all evil to the ground.” Jimin pulls his necklace over his head and slips it over Taehyung’s. He examines the black stone pendant as Jimin repeats the spell.

Hoseok walks in a circle around him, lighting the candles while the heavy smoke trails behind him.

“Thrice around the circle’s bound, sink all evil to the ground.” Jimin lifts a silver flask and pours a clear liquid into his hand. Taehyung blinks suddenly as Jimin splashes his face. “… So mote it be.”

He presses a hand to his face, looking at the liquid. “Is that holy water?”

Jimin laughs. “It’s salt water, do I look like a pastor?”

“Now repeat after me,” Hoseok instructs. “‘Protect me with all your might, oh goddess gracious day and night.’”

Taehyung squeezes his eyes shut. “Protect me with all your might, oh goddess gracious day and night,” he recites.

“See? You’re a natural,” Hoseok smiles.

A faint blush colors the tops of Taehyung’s cheeks.

Jimin pulls a bundle of black rope from his bag.

“Whoa, what is that for?” Without thinking, Jungkook moves closer. Yoongi grabs his shoulder and stops him from stepping into the pentacle.

“This is to protect him—and us. Just in case.” He uncurls the roll and eyes Jungkook. “Alright? Relax, fear attracts negative energy.”

“I’m going to be okay, ‘Guk. Here”—Taehyung slips off his glasses and hands them to Jungkook—“I don’t want to lose these again.”

Jimin and Hoseok begin binding Taehyung’s arms and legs to the chair, and Jungkook looks away. He presses his thumb against the edge of the wire frames in his hand until a dent forms in his skin.

Jungkook tries to force down the anxiety that crawls up his stomach. His eyes wander the room, landing on the scattered pile of his inventions on the table. He rolls up a few cables and straightens a few devices.

When he reaches for his camcorder, he hesitates. His hand itches to slip under the strap and press ‘record’ on the scene playing out behind him, but he looks over his shoulder at his boyfriend tied to a chair, in the middle of a pentacle, about to be possessed by a ghost, and stops himself.

This—Taehyung—was more important.

“We’re in position.” Namjoon’s voice crackles through the radio in Yoongi’s hand. 

“Are you ready?” Yoongi asks.

Taehyung looks to Hoseok, then to Jungkook.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

Jimin takes a centering breath. “Amate spiritus obscure...”

The lamp on the nightstand flickers.

“Te quaerimus, te oramus.”

A breeze blows through the musty drapery. Jungkook doesn’t remember opening the window.

“Nobiscum colloquere.” Jimin furrows his brow, and Hoseok’s voice joins his.

The lamp light goes out completely, and Jungkook jumps when it tips off the nightstand and shatters on the floor.

“Apud nos circita!”

All at once, the flames of the candles rise inches higher. Then, the light is sucked out of the wicks with a whoosh!

The room is dark save for the smoke trails snaking languidly through the air. Jungkook fumbles for the flashlight on his belt. He clicks the button, and a bright ring of light appears. It shines on the chair and the rope that wraps around Taehyung’s limbs. Jungkook shifts the light, illuminating his face.

Taehyung flinches away and squeezes his eyes shut. He breathes deeply and tugs at his neck to pull his face as far away as possible.

“Rose?” Jimin says hesitantly. “Are you with us?”

Taehyung’s head whips in his direction. He opens his eyes, clouded pupils staring. The light falters, and Jungkook steps back. He lowers the flashlight so only a dim edge of light hits his face.

“Yes,” he replies, voice slightly higher-pitched. 

The hairs on the back of Jungkook’s neck stand on end. The accompanying chill runs down his spine and over his arms.

Yoongi slowly brings the walkie-talkie to his mouth. “She’s here. You’re good to go.”

Hoseok clears his throat. “Hello, Rose. Do you want to share your whole name with us? We want to get to know you.”

Taehyung’s neck twitches, and his head shifts in jolting movement. “Campbell. I’m Rose Campbell.”

“And what did you do here at the Astoria?” Jimin asks.

Taehyung turns to him, straightening up. “I am a maid… I clean the rooms.” 

“That’s right, you worked here since the hotel opened.”

Taehyung nods slowly, in a cadence that makes Jungkook’s throat tighten.

“What about this room?” Jimin asks, gesturing around them. “You stayed here, right?”

“I met him here.” Taehyung’s tongue touches each word. He stares forward, eyelids relaxed as if in a dream.

“Who is he? Can you tell me about him?”

“John.” A smile crawls over Taehyung’s lips. “Such a nice man… He offered me a job and takes care of me.”

“Oh? Did he pay for your room while you lived here?”

Taehyung cocked his head. “Live here? I live down the street, three blocks away… John says it is very convenient.”

“Can you tell us more about John?”

“He is my best friend. He visits me while I clean, and I go downstairs and visit him in his office… And after work, he brings me to his room.”

“His room—room 207?”

“Yes.” Taehyung’s teeth catch on the last sound. “He always keeps this room available for us. It’s our room.”

“How is it going?” Namjoon asks. 

Yoongi lifts the walkie-talkie to his mouth. “No change, we’re still talking to her. You guys?”

“Jack shit!” Jin cut in. “We’ve burned a few things, but this place is empty—” 

Yoongi spins the dial, quieting Jin’s tirade.

“We’ll keep trying,” Namjoon’s voice came through, hardly audible. “But she might not be tied to an object.”

Hoseok and Jimin catch each other’s eyes.

“… What did John mean to you?”

Taehyung blinks. His shoulders pull back before speaking. “I… am in love with him. He tells me we’ll be together forever.”

Jungkook’s breath catches in his chest. The words coming from Taehyung’s mouth are familiar, yet foreign.

“But he didn’t love you back, did he?” Jungkook says, stepping forward. 

Taehyung’s gaze into the distance snaps in his direction. The question sends his eyebrows into a pinch. 

“He was my best friend… we were supposed to be together forever…”

“But?” He steps closer again, eyes unmoving from his boyfriend tied to the chair.

“Jungkook!” Jimin hisses. “The negative energy—not a good idea.”

“We need the inform—”

“John?” Taehyung suddenly cuts in. His white eyes are shaking, staring into Jungkook’s chest. “You don’t love me like you said…”

Jungkook looks down and places his knees carefully outside the painted pentacle. He searches Taehyung’s eyes—familiar, but clouded with someone else’s emotion. Tears are welling on his eyelashes.

“What did John do?”

“He… loved Mary. He was married!” Taehyung’s lip curls, and a tear rolls down his cheek. “He lied to me.” Taehyung’s fingernails dig into the wood armrest. “He didn’t like that I knew.”

“Rose?” Jungkook speaks quietly, carefully choosing his words. “What happened the day you died?”

Taehyung’s grimace shakes. Tears leave trails down both of his cheeks. His eyes lock with Jungkook’s. 

Jungkook pulls in a deep breath, and a satisfied smile crosses his face. 

But there is only anger behind those clouded eyes.

The black rope creaks. “No…” Taehyung pulls on his arms and attempts to kick with his legs. “No!”

Jungkook falls back on his hands. His heart thrums in his chest with Taehyung’s thrashes.

Jimin wrenches the walkie-talkie from Yoongi’s grip. 

“Did you find something yet?” he shouts to the others. “This isn’t working…”

“Men are liars! They’re incapable of love!” Rose shouts with Taehyung’s voice. “You’ll just leave me!”

“I-I’m not like those men!” Jungkook insists. “I’m not like John!”

“No, you’re too possessive!” Spittle flies from Rose’s insult. “You have no confidence! You just hide behind a camera!” 

“Jungkook!” Hoseok shouted. “The couple! Just—she doesn’t like that you two are in a relationship!”

“W-what?” Jungkook backs away, palms pulling himself along the rough carpet. 

Taehyung’s body spasms, pulling his head to the side, his limbs resisting his restraints. He tosses his head forward, ropes taut over his chest. His fringe dangles in front of his face and covers his eyes.

Rose looks up, staring into Jungkook’s eyes through Taehyung’s hair. Blood drips from Taehyung’s nose.

“Apud nos circita…” Jimin’s nervous eyes dart to Hoseok.

“Nobiscum colloquere…” Hoseok joins him. He bends down with his lighter, desperately striking the wheel.

They raise their voices. 

“Te quaerimus, te oram—”

Rose screams. 

Jimin and Hoseok are thrown across the hotel room. Hoseok bounces atop the bed in the corner. Jimin crashes into a mirror on the wall.

She doesn’t stop screaming. 

Jungkook’s hands rush to his ears. He holds his head to the floor, wincing at the strangled voice coming from his boyfriend’s mouth.

Yoongi scrambles to Jimin’s side and lifts the walkie-talkie among a scattering of glass.

“We’re in trouble now! Get up here!” He drops the device and reaches for Jimin instead. Jimin brushes shards of glass from his clothes and stands with Yoongi’s arm under his.

The noise from Taehyung’s throat turns to a rasp. Jungkook risks a glance at him, and his eyes widen. 

Taehyung gasps for air. Red marks slowly crawl over the delicate skin of his neck in a snake of bruises. The blood on his upper lip has dried, and his eyes are rolled back, lost to the ire of Rose.

“Stop! Stop hurting him!” Jungkook shouts. He plants a hand on the carpet and lifts his body to stand in front of them. “You didn’t kill yourself, did you? You were murdered.”

Taehyung takes in a breath, a heave that shakes his shoulders. Jungkook’s ears ring.

“We were wrong. Everyone’s story about you is wrong.”

Rose leans forward against her restraints. Her white stare bores into Jungkook, waiting.

“John murdered you…” Jungkook speaks carefully. “You found out he was married, that he betrayed your trust… Were you going to tell her?”

“I just asked him to leave me alone…” Rose murmurs. “But he didn’t believe me.”

“He wanted to make sure you wouldn’t tell anyone?”

Rose nods, and Taehyung’s body wrenches with a sob.

“You loved John, and he did something terrible to you. It was unfair… But you can’t punish everyone else for finding love. No matter how much it hurts, you have to let go.”

“Men will keep doing this…” Rose leans back, the rope slackening. “I need to stop them…”

“This isn’t the way, Rose.” Jungkook steps closer. She squeezes her eyes shut, wincing away from him. “We can… we can…” The clouded eyes meet his, wide and afraid. “We can tell your story.”

“What?”

“Yes… yes!” Jungkook’s hand grasps Taehyung’s instinctively.

“But…”

Jungkook sighs. “I wish Taehyung could tell you himself. He would be so much better at this…” He glances at the hunters. “Guys, what do you—?”

Hoseok is standing in front of the spiderweb-cracked mirror, supporting Jimin’s weight. 

“You’re doing great,” Jimin manages through a wince. He jerks his head, and Jungkook follows the gesture.

Yoongi stands behind him at the table filled with his equipment. A red light blinks in his hand. He gives a thumbs-up from behind the camcorder.

Jungkook inhales a shaking breath and looks back at Rose. 

“We can expose John’s lies and share the truth with the world. Taehyung and I—we can tell the stories of the misunderstood. Not just the living, but you too. Then you can rest.”

Jungkook’s pulse beats in his neck. He pleads with his eyes, bouncing his focus between Taehyung’s.

Rose nods. “Thank you…” she breathes. Her exhale continues, and Taehyung’s shoulders slump. His eyelids dip drowsily. His head falls, chin to his chest, unbreathing.

The silence in the room presses on Jungkook’s ears.

“Taehyung?” Jungkook’s hand shakes as he reaches for his cheek. It’s cold against his palm. “Taehyung?”

His brown eyes shoot open with a gasp, darting around the room. Jungkook’s other hand grasps his face.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.” They lock eyes. Taehyung’s shoulders rise and fall with his breath.

“Did we do it?” he wearily asks.

The curtains billow, the movement drawing Jungkook’s eye to the broken mirror. Over Hoseok’s shoulder, a white figure fades and disappears.

“We did it. You did it.”

“Yes, we certainly did,” Yoongi says, dropping the camcorder to his side. He winks. “Don’t sell yourself short, kid.”

“Ropes aren’t necessary anymore.” Hoseok supports Jimin over to the bed. “Not that it stopped her from doing anything…”

Jungkook’s fingers dig at the knot around Taehyung’s ankle.

“Oh, Jimin! What did I—”

Boom!

Jin’s boot kicks the door open, and his shotgun swings into the room.

“Where is she?! Stay away from them!”

The sawed-off muzzle points at each of them, landing on Taehyung.

“Easy!” Yoongi steps in front of the shotgun and pushes the barrel down with a fingertip. “We already handled it!”

“Already?” Jin says through a heaving chest. “I just ran up two flights of stairs…”

Namjoon steps in behind him. “You put her to rest? Was she attached to an object here?”

“No, they did it the old-fashioned way,” Jimin says. “Resolved her unfinished business.”

With one last pull, Jungkook unfastens the knotted rope, and it falls limp around Taehyung.

“We did?” Taehyung rubs his arms.

Jungkook nods. “I’ll tell you everything.”

“Well, sun will be rising soon. Might as well get some sleep,” Jin says. He tucks the shotgun beneath his coat again. Namjoon steps into the hall, holding the door open for Hoseok and Jimin. 

“Sorry about the mess,” Yoongi says. He steps over mirror shards. “Careful, there’s glass here.”

“Wait, what about—and they’re gone.”

The door slams, and Jungkook looks at the state of their room. He toes his shoe over the red paint on the carpet, and Taehyung sits on the bed in the corner.

He sighs. “I guess we’ll clean up without their help.” Taehyung’s eyes sweep the room. “Look, Yoongi didn’t even stop recording!” He points at the table where a red light blinks atop a pile of equipment.

Jungkook pulls a cord from the mess and plugs it into the camcorder. He picks it up, the lens looking back at him. His thumb reaches for a red button, and the red light goes out with a click.

📹

“Action!”

“Behind us is the Astoria Hotel. It may have fallen from its height of class and grandeur, but we discovered the charm within. After a long night of investigating, Rose Campbell, the ghost who has resided here since the 1920s, has passed on.” 

Taehyung holds his hands behind his back and walks along a wrought iron fence. Jungkook matches the pace, the camera bouncing slightly.

“She was our toughest spirit yet, but luckily we met another group of investigators, and because of them, we came out safe. Room 207 is no longer a place of fear—although, it may be closed for renovations for some time.”

Taehyung clears his throat and adjusts his posture before continuing.

“But most importantly, we found a purpose in our investigation. Many are trapped on this plane by their dark experiences in life. But we are here to bring light to their stories and offer rest for disturbed spirits. So please stick with us as we hear the tragic story of Rose Campbell.”

Taehyung gestures to the lens and pauses for a moment. Jungkook counts under his breath.

“That’s all for this episode of ‘Spirit Seekers’. Thank you for watching. We’ll see you in the next life.” 

Taehyung looks over his shoulder at the Astoria Hotel towering behind him. “I hope Rose is happier now. Wherever she is.”

Jungkook holds the shot for a moment, then points the camera down to his shoes. “I’m sure she is, Tae. You don’t feel her anymore, right?”

“No, I don’t.” He unfastens a button on his cardigan and pulls on his collar. “But I’m still not really sure how to feel for her—or any spirit. Not consciously.”

“It’s okay. We have all the time you need to figure it out.” Jungkook centers Taehyung in the frame again. “Wanna do another take?”

“Yeah.” Taehyung fluffs his fingers through his hair. “This time, let’s do it from—“

“Hey! If it isn’t our favorite duo, the Ghostfacers!” A distant voice comes somewhere from the left of the frame.

“Spirit Seekers,” Taehyung corrects. 

“That’s what I said.” Jin appears in front of the camera and straightens Taehyung’s cardigan.

“Wait! Are they filming?” Another voice, bright and bubbly grows louder. “I want to be in it!”

Jimin’s face fills the viewfinder.

“We faced the spirit!” he says in a lower register. “This time it wasn’t an old man in a mask!” He purses his lips to hold back a laugh.

“Make sure you get his good side,” Yoongi’s voice appears out of frame. “Otherwise known as his backside.”

Jimin doubles over in a cackle and stumbles out of frame.

A sigh releases behind the camera, and it lowers to view the parking lot’s asphalt. The red button depresses under Jungkook’s thumb.

“What do you guys want?” He crosses his arms, camcorder still strapped to his hand.

Jin smiles through a sigh and matches his pose. “Can’t we just be happy to see you boys, alive and well?”

“That would be a first,” Taehyung grumbles.

“Just leave them alone, Seokjin,” Hoseok says. “It doesn’t take a psychic to see through your bullshit.”

Jin rolls his eyes. “Whatever”

Namjoon walks down from the hotel entrance, a heavy bag over his shoulder.

“Hey, I’m glad we ran into you on our way out.” He drops his bag and rests his hands on Jungkook and Taehyung’s shoulders. “You know, that was pretty good for your first time. I didn’t tell you last night, but not everyone survives an encounter like that.”

Jungkook and Taehyung meet each other’s glance. 

“So stop looking for trouble,” Jin laughs. “Let’s keep you two alive and well. We don’t want another friend to turn into a ghost.”

“That’s happened?” Taehyung asks.

“We’re friends?” Jungkook cocks his head.

“Never mind that, we have to go!” Jin lifts the heavy bag and rushes down the sidewalk.

Namjoon shakes his head and follows. 

Yoongi chases close behind and leans into him. “You know they’re not going to give it up, right?” 

“I know, but at least I warned them…” his reply trails off, too far to hear.

“What about my psychic abilities?” Taehyung turns to the remaining hunters. 

“Try tarot instead of risking your life,” Hoseok says. Jimin claps him on the shoulder, and they walk into the parking lot.

The Spirit Seekers stand shoulder to shoulder before the Astoria Hotel. Jungkook lifts the camcorder and films the hunters. 

Jin tosses their bag into the trunk of a low, black muscle car, and Namjoon steps into the driver’s seat of the old vehicle. Yoongi holds the door open to another car, a sedan with pop-up headlights. Hoseok catches their eye and waves before disappearing into the same car.

“Bye!” Taehyung raises his arm high to wave. “Do you think we’ll ever run into them again?”

Jungkook zooms in on the hunters. A deep, gravelly engine roars.

“Maybe? Hopefully under better circumstances.”

The classic car rolls up beside them, and Namjoon leans an arm out the window.

“Oh yeah—make sure you delete any footage of us. We don’t like to publicize what we do.” 

He gives one last wave before driving away from the hotel and turning onto the empty street.