why do lifts ding open and close? ;

"Bring this ghost to his respective- oh, are you handling that one?" the intimidating black-headed tall, muscular demon was clutching a ghost's arm, squeezing it tightly as he stood in front of you. He pointed to Jimin as he finished his sentence.

Oh, he just wanted you to help out.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that, I'll be back later," you answered, straightening your back to look confident and professional. The demon nodded, walking away while pulling the ghost along.

He should've treated the spirit nicer, instead of bruising them, you thought, narrowing your eyes on the hand that crushed the arm of the ghost.

"That was hot," Jimin whispered into your ears, running his tongue over his plump, red lips.

You smacked the spirit's head, pulling him towards the lift. "So supervisors are people who sent the ghosts to their respective places?" You asked, waiting patiently behind the closed doors.

"Yeah, they're notorious for their hard-to-tame attitudes." the turquoise-haired male answered, voice a little muffled as his head was bowed down.

The lift dings open, and both of you enter. The ghost beside you lets out a sigh of relief as the door starts to close.

"What's our first mission?" you questioned, lifting your fingers to press a level on Jimin's command. Before Jimin could speak, a hand clasps between the closing doors, pulling it open.

"Level three,"

A lady and another figure, that had the same faded body as Jimin's, walked in. Both of you stared at each other, you in shock and her in disgust. Her eyes dragged down, eyeing you up and down.

Did your clothes look that bad?

She pointed at the buttons, urging you to press them. Jimin steps forward and presses the numbers three and seven. "Why are you making the ghost do everything? If he knows all these, you should help other ghosts," the lady bared her teeth at you.

"He's a special case, special treatment," you answered coldly without sparing her a glance. You kept your cool, not wanting to expose you or Jimin.

The lift dings open, and the lady, along with the ghost, exits the room. Jimin exhales loudly, placing his hands on the bar.

"Time here is different from the time on earth. We have no day or night, but if I'm right, the guards have finished their rounds." Jimin spoke softly, looking at the ceiling.

They didn't even have light bulbs, just a tiny candle hanging from the ceiling. These demons and ghosts must hate light a lot.

"Tell me a little more about this festival," you said curiously, looking at his exposed neck. "We're being punished," he answered.

"The lowest level - level eighteen - is for those who've committed unforgivable crimes. They can never escape, therefore they'll be punished every day, for eternity. Every ghost that comes here, are ghosts that have sinned." his eyes flutter shut and his breaths got heavier.

Like he was remembering something he didn't want to remember.

"What level are you from?"

He tensed up at your question. Before he could say anything, the door opens. "Let's go." there was a shift in his voice. It was deeper, darker, and colder. Then, he walked out.

You hit a nerve.

"It should be somewhere..." he murmured, talking to himself as he walked down the hallway. The place was huge. The moment you walked out of the elevator, there was a narrow hallway. It was that narrow that two people couldn't walk side by side down the passageway.

It wasn't like a hotel anymore. Instead of walls, there were cages, bloodied metal bars, and spirits,. Well, they looked like people, like beggars.

They were poorly dressed. Some wore tattered grey shirts and black pants, while others wore ragged white shirts and torn blue jeans.

Your heart began to beat faster.

As you scanned the room, you realised something - there were more women than men. You always thought that crimes were mostly committed by men, but you were wrong.

Women commit crimes too. Not that you thought they didn't, but the media made it seem like only one percent of the criminals were women.

Some ghosts cowered in the corner of their cages, while others hissed and snarled at you. Jimin pulled you by the hand, telling you to keep up.

You could feel the suspicion growing in the spirits as they eyed your entwined hands. So that's why Jimin didn't hold your hand downstairs.

The security here was really bad. What if the ghosts tried to escape? Lost in thought, you didn't realise Jimin had stopped in front of a specific cage.

Inside the cage sat a brunette, wearing tattered and torn black clothes. He had his knees to his chest, hands over his legs.

His back shook subtly, and soft sniffles could be heard from him. His hands and legs were stained with blood, black and blue bruises, and cuts.

You looked behind, only to see an empty cage. Blood pooled at one corner of the confined room, but there was no one there. Maybe he was using his powers. The one that made him invisible to the human eye, something Jimin used to hide from you.

Your brows pulled together, did ghosts even have powers?

Jimin was facing the cage, hands wrapping around the red-coloured bar. You moved closer towards him, looking at the boy, then looking back at him.

His teeth sunk onto his plump lips and his eyes watered.

Who was this boy?

"Jungkook," he breathed out shakily.

The boy looks up and lets out a small gasp. He had mono-lid doe eyes, a round nose, and thin but kissable lips. His rosy cheeks glistened under the lights, exposing the trail of wetness left behind by his tears.

His lips parted as he stared at Jimin. Sparks lit up in his orbs. "H-Hyung?" he stutters, disbelief written all over his face.

"It's me, kook. I promised that I'd come back," Jimin lowered himself to Jungkook's level, hand squeezing through the bars the reach his friend.

Jungkook crawls towards him, grabbing his arm. More tears stream down the boy's face. Despite his clothes and his condition, he was still really cute.

Jungkook unfolded his arms, putting them through the holes of the bars and wrapped them around Jimin. You winced as you watched his face scrunch up in pain.

"I'll get you out of here," Jimin whispers, stroking his brown, sticky hair. Jungkook nods, staring back at him. You cleared your throat, wanting to get rid of this third-wheel feeling that bubbled within you.

Although they were friends, it looked like they were reciting a scene in a korean drama where a couple that was forced to leave each other finally got back together.

Jungkook lifts his head, gazing at you. "I-Isn't that a counter lady?"

Jimin shook his head, "She's a friend from earth, I'll explain later, okay?" he stood up. "Tulips, this is Jeon Jeongguk. Call him Jungkook, he's one of the six friends that we have to save, Jungkook, this is my friend, tulips."

A mischievous grin crept up Jimin's lips. You rolled your eyes. He never failed to lighten the mood. "Y/n," you correct him, holding out a hand for him to shake.

He gladly took your hand into his, teeth showing as his lips pulled back. Oh god. His bunny-like smile made your legs tremble.

"Okay," Jimin pulled your hand out of his, lips pulled downwards as he looked at you. "Let me discuss with Jungkook okay? We need to make a plan. Play with your rectangular box, sunflower." and with that, he lets go of your hand.

Tulip? Sunflower? Now what, a flower game? Funny how there were actual people named after flowers.

What could've been his occupation when he was alive?

Also, did he just refer to your cellphone as a rectangular box? Why did he have to make special names for everything?

You kicked the ground, pacing up and down the narrow corridor. A whisper made its way to your ears. Your head snaps towards the source, only to see a female ghost staring at you intently.

"You're not from here, are you?" she asked, lips pulled up creepily. Her vibe screamed one word - crafty. "Y-Yes?" You answered, backing away slowly. "Yes I'm from here or yes, I'm not from here?" impatience dripped off her tongue.

"The latter," you reply, gulping nervously. What if she runs through the bars and attacks you? Wait, she can't, otherwise, why would the guards put her in a cage?

So ghosts can't walk through walls? "Stop thinking so much honey, listen to me," the lady picks her nails, before staring back at you.

Her blue-coloured orbs matched the icy cold glare she gave you. "Do you want to know a secret?" the same wicked smirk never left her lips.

"N-no?" you whispered in a questioning tone, turning your head to stare at Jimin, who was busy muttering something to Jungkook.

When you looked back, she was gone. Your breathing only got heavier as you moved backward, back hitting the other person's cell bars. You could only hope that the cell was empty.

Your eyes never left the cell that the lady was in. What if she was tricking you? Your weak heart couldn't take it. Your shirt sticks onto the bars, forbidding you from walking away.

You needed to catch your breath anyway. Everything seemed too easy. Shouldn't there be guards to come and catch you? Or like, something that would go against you, stop you from escaping?

A black, long hand emerged from behind you, clasping itself onto your face. The prisoner's claws dug into your skin, gripping your mouth tightly.

You could feel something wet and sticky dripping down your chin.

Tears formed in your eyes as you struggled against it, using your hands to pry it off. It hurts.

Your eyes darted to Jimin's whispering figure, shouting to grab his attention. The palm of the monster's hand covered your nose, blocking your airway.

The tears you tried to hold back trickled down your face. With every scream you let out, the monster dug its claws deeper.

You felt light-headed, tired, and scared. The thumping of your heart filled your ears.

You trashed in its hold, kicking the bars. All of a sudden, a loud shriek filled the air, and a thud replaced the sound of your heartbeat.

Two warm hands cupped your face, not allowing you to look down. "Shit daisy, I'm so sorry." concern danced in his orbs as he wiped off the blood on your cheek.

He searched your eyes, looking for something, anything. But you kept them blank, unwilling to show him any emotion.

You could feel the guilt radiating around him. If you allowed yourself to let go, the only emotion he'd see would be pain. And you didn't want him to feel worse.

After all, it was your fault for walking too far away. Your hand brushes across your cheek, stopping inches away from your lips.

Holes. There were three holes on your cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I should've paid more attention, I'm really sorry, my rose." Jimin whispered, scrunching his nose as he held you in his arms.

But you couldn't focus. Something was off.

"Lily?"

You whacked his arm. "Stop with the flower game, it sounds weird, having you address me with a name that other's use."

Jimin snorts, lips curling up.

You looked down, then you turned your head. There was a hand. And a male clutching his hands, wailing loudly.

"Did you..." you trailed off, looking at the male before you, then to the hand on the floor. Jimin nods, eyes glinting under the dimmed lights.

Something still felt off.

You wiggled out of his grip, walking down the hallway. "Lilac?" he called out, trailing after you. In every cage, there was at least one ghost, or two.

"Jungkook." you stop at his cage, staring at the sitting boy. He looks up, eyes darting from your cheek, to your eyes. "Are you-" you cut him off, there was no time.

If your hypothesis was right, you had to get out.

"Are the cages all filled?" You asked, eyeing the lift at the end of the hallway. "Yeah, there's no space for anymore, so some ghosts share a cage." He answered. "Why?"

You stepped aside, allowing the view of an empty cage to fill his sight. You've been there for more than fifteen minutes, and the cage opposite his had been empty ever since you were there.

"It's impossible for a ghost to escape," Jimin murmurs, "Although the security isn't the best, the only way to escape is by the lifts. And every second, there's at least someone on it."

Just then, the lift dings open.

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i'm sorry for not updating. i had some personal issues oof. this chapter is longer than the usual ones. hope you enjoyed!