"Now what?" Jisoo grumbled, his back and thighs protesting after he had remained in a crouched position for too long. Apparently, it didn't matter whether he was trying to be inconspicuous or not. Maybe the Being, whatever it was, already knew that he was here and had cast some sort of spell on him?

He walked into the middle of the hallway, to the spot where he had woken up earlier, and examined his surroundings. Everything looked exactly like back then. He hesitated. Should he try calling for Seungcheol? No, that would attract a bit too much attention. Walk down the hallway again? That didn't seem helpful either; he'd probably once again end up in the same loop.

Jisoo eyed the doors lining the walls. By now, it made sense to take a look at the rooms behind them even if it was only to find a window... but what if he found something super creepy in there?

In the movies he had watched, spectres had usually hidden under beds, in mirrors, in the bathtub, behind curtains......

"Urgh." Grimacing, he rubbed his temples. "Okay. I'll try to find an exit one more time and if I can't, I'll take a look. Sounds like a plan, right? Right."

Speaking to himself relieved some of the pressure on his chest.

"No!" The fire extinguisher hit the ground with a deafening sound after Jisoo had hurled it through the hallway. He had once again ended up in front of room 913. For the fourth time.

"Are you having fun, ?!" The monk was so angry that by now, he didn't care whether anyone heard him or not - on the contrary. "Fine! I'll do it! I'll play your little game and if I find you, I'll beat the out of you!"

Irate, he stomped to door 913 and flung it open without any hesitation. It crashed against the wall with a satisfying wham before he strode into the room.

Spectres, Beings, whatever. He just wanted to find his partner and leave this infuriating place.

The room that had come into view was the poster child of middle-class hotel rooms: A slightly dingy carpet, wallpapers in boring colours, a sturdy double bed framed by two bedside cabinets as well as a wall-mounted TV and a wardrobe in the corner next to a single, somewhat small window. A digital alarm clock on the left bedside cabinet read 00:00:00. The room was devoid of life and Jisoo wasn't quite sure whether he was relieved or disappointed.

He remained motionless for a few seconds, taking in the unimpressive sight, before he hurried to the window. Even though he was trapped on the ninth floor and wouldn't be able to leave through it, maybe he would be able to attract a passer-by's attention.

But surprisingly, once he looked outside he saw - absolutely nothing. A black void greeted him where the neighbouring buildings should have been and neither the ground nor the sky was visible. It was as if everything apart from the hotel had ceased to exist.

"What the hell." Jisoo's breath had fogged up the glass and he hastily stumbled a few steps back. Goosebumps prickled on his skin.

What kind of god-like monster could simply erase the world? What had happened to all the people? Would he be stuck here forever? Until he died of hunger or thirst? Until he died of old age?

No.

He'd rather kill himself.

"Seungcheol," he whimpered. The name had slipped out of his mouth without him thinking about it.

His partner had been there when the skinwalker had almost killed Minghao and him. He had been there when the vampires had hunted him down. He had even stepped in between the monk and his own step-brother at the risk of his life. And when Jisoo had gone missing during the search for Seokmin, his partner had joined in as well.

Even though Seungcheol was usually cold and unsociable and even though Jisoo really didn't want to admit it, he had begun to rely on the vampire.

So where was he now? Was he not inside the building?

Another cold shudder ran down his spine.

He needed Seungcheol. The Being would definitely know what to do. He had to find him, no matter what.

With this resolution, Jisoo sprinted to the door of the bathroom to take a look inside. Once he had confirmed that it was empty, he returned to the hallway and ran to the next door. The room was just as devoid of life as the first one.

The next one looked exactly the same; up to the alarm clock that was also stuck at 00:00:00.

The next room - surprise - wasn't any different but Jisoo wasn't ready to give up. If he had to choose between searching rooms for the rest of his life or despairing in a corner, he would rather keep running around - at least then he had a chance of finding either his partner or some sort of escape route.

And finally, after searching about fifteen rooms, he found something.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard quiet sobs. They sounded like music to his ears after the silence of the empty hallways; it didn't matter who was crying as long as he wasn't alone.

Carefully, he stepped into the room but jumped when something crunched under the soles of his sneakers. Splinters of wood were littering the floor mixed with glass shards and other materials. The room itself looked like a tornado had rampaged through it: all kinds of items were strewn across the ground, the wooden frame of the bed broken and the bedsheets shredded to pieces; and in the middle of it all, on top of the bare, badly torn mattress, laid a curled-up figure. A very familiar figure in a very familiar black outfit.

Coldness engulfed Jisoo's chest.

"Seungcheol! Are you okay?!"

The monk dashed forward but stopped once he got a closer look at the sight in front of him. Seungcheol's originally pale face was frighteningly white, the shadows under his closed eyes like dark-purple bruises. Blood caked his lips where he had bitten them and below strands of his dishevelled hair, his face was distorted in an expression of anguish Jisoo had never seen on him before. Words were spilling from his trembling, bloodied lips, broken apart by dry sobs, and the monk leaned closer in an attempt to hear but all he could make out was something that sounded like unfamiliar, foreign names.

Was he having a nightmare?

"Seungcheol?" Jisoo tried again, unsure whether he should wake him.

The only response he got was a pained groan.

Brows furrowed tightly, the monk reached out to shake him awake - but once again hesitated. Wouldn't he lose his hand if he touched the vampire while he was in that kind of state?

He jumped when Seungcheol groaned once again and curled even further into himself as several tears ran down his cheeks. His vulnerable state made Jisoo's heart clench.

Was that why he always looked so tired? Because he had nightmares once he slept? Or was this also the doing of the Being that had trapped them here?

Ultimately, it didn't matter. He needed his partner to wake up and he needed it now.

"Seungcheol! Come on, wake up!" The monk grasped his shoulder and shook but Seungcheol's eyes remained tightly shut. "Seungcheol!"

Shaking didn't seem to work but Jisoo had the distinct feeling that his life would end if he dared to slap his partner or pour cold water on him. Maybe if he slapped him really, really gently?

"Don't hurt me, okay? I'm doing this for your own good," he muttered while reaching for the vampire's face. With bated breath, he attempted to pat Seungcheol's cheek - but as soon as his fingers came in contact with his partner's cool skin, dizziness overcame him and his surroundings got swallowed by white mist.

He didn't feel his body slump onto Seungcheol's curled up form.

The first thing Jisoo saw when the fog lifted was what seemed to be a warehouse. Rows and rows of empty steel shelves stretched below a high metal ceiling, reflecting the cold neon light. Only a few lonely packages dotted them, their colourful packaging a stark contrast to the grey s