Jungkook found a secluded corner in the library, a small table tucked away between towering bookshelves. He sat down, pulled the mysterious novel from his backpack, and opened it again, the scent of aged paper filling his senses. He was halfway through the first chapter when his phone buzzed, a message from Jimin.

Jimin: Still in the library? Don’t get lost in another world, Kookie. I know your exam is tomorrow!

Jungkook smiled to himself and typed a quick reply.

Jungkook: I found a new book. It’s about vampires.

A second later, his phone buzzed again.

Jimin: Vampires?! You and your dark fantasies, I swear. Don't let those bloodsuckers distract you from reality. See you at the café later?

Jungkook: Promise. But this book feels different. It's… really vivid.

He closed his phone, a strange sense of anticipation building inside him. The book described the night, not just as a time of darkness, but as a living entity.

The moon was a beacon, and the shadows held secrets no human could ever comprehend. The protagonist, a powerful and ancient vampire, was described with a chilling elegance.

His eyes held the weight of centuries, and his movements were as silent and swift as a whisper in the wind.

Jungkook was so engrossed that he didn’t notice the sun had set until the library lights flickered on. The large windows that had once been filled with warm daylight now reflected the dark, silent cityscape of Seoul.

He shivered, a sudden chill running down his spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

The city outside, a place he knew so well, suddenly felt foreign, mysterious. He looked at the book in his hands, then back at the window.

The thought of a creature of the night, a being like the one described in the pages, existing somewhere in this very city, was both thrilling and terrifying.

He finally snapped the book shut, his mind still buzzing with the story. He had to go home, but the thought of his usual walk through the city’s streets felt different now.

He was no longer just a college student heading home; he was a character in a story, stepping into a night that held so many secrets.

He clutched the book tightly, a new kind of adventure awaiting him just outside the library doors.

The familiar click of his apartment door locking behind him was a comforting sound. Jungkook toed off his shoes and dropped his backpack by the entryway, the novel still tucked safely inside.

He was a creature of habit, and his evening routine was a well-worn path: shower, dinner, and then a movie or a book. Tonight, there was no question of what he’d be doing.

After a quick meal of instant noodles and kimchi, he settled onto his couch, the novel in his hands. The city lights of Seoul twinkled through his large window, a beautiful but distant backdrop.

He opened the book to where he’d left off, the words once again pulling him into a world of eternal nights and ancient power.

The protagonist was a lonely figure, powerful but isolated, a predator who was also a prisoner of his own nature.

He was deep into a description of the vampire's castle when his phone buzzed. It was Jimin again.

Jimin: Still with the vampire book? You're going to get nightmares, you know.

Jungkook grinned, a warmth spreading through him. He loved how Jimin knew him so well.

Jungkook: It's just a story, Jiminie. And it's actually really good. It's not like a vampire is going to show up at my window.

He laughed to himself, but as he looked up from his phone, his eyes drifted towards his window. The moon was high and full, casting a stark white light on the buildings across the street.

A sudden, unsettling thought crossed his mind: What if there was something out there?

He shook his head, chastising himself for getting so swept up in a fictional world. He was a practical person, a student, not someone who believed in myths. He forced his attention back to the book.

The story was now describing a moment of profound loneliness for the vampire, a quiet observation of the human world he could never be a part of.

The vampire’s longing was so palpable, so beautifully written, that Jungkook felt a pang in his own heart.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's just a book, Jungkook," he whispered to himself, the words feeling a little less convincing than before.

He read on, completely lost to the world outside his apartment, unaware of the secrets the city held and the eyes that might be watching from the shadows.

Jungkook’s eyes were heavy, but he couldn't tear them away from the book. He had been reading for hours, the moon now a pale sliver in the sky.

He was nearing the end of the chapter, a particularly intense section describing an ancient ritual.

The text was archaic, almost like a poem, and Jungkook found himself mouthing the words as he read them.

“...For the heart that seeks, and the blood that calls… let the ancient one walk again among the living… let the veil between worlds be lifted…”

The words were poetic, almost hypnotic. He felt a strange vibration in the air, a tingling sensation on his fingertips.

He leaned closer, his brow furrowed in concentration. The last few lines were different, written in a spidery, crimson ink that seemed to glow faintly in the dim light of his room.

“By the light of the moon, and the bond of the soul… I summon you to me, to make me whole.”

As he finished the last line, a sudden gust of wind slammed his window open with a loud bang, startling him.

A few loose pages of the book fluttered, and the book itself felt heavy, almost humming with a silent energy.

Jungkook’s heart pounded in his chest. He quickly jumped up and slammed the window shut, his hands trembling slightly.

"What was that?" he mumbled to himself, looking back at the book on the couch. It lay open to the page he had just read, the crimson text seeming to pulsate.

A shiver ran down his spine, but he dismissed it as a simple coincidence. A draft from the window. Nothing more.

He glanced at his phone. It was past midnight. He had to get some sleep. But as he went to close the book, he saw a small, ornate bookmark fall from between the pages.

It was a single, long black feather, strangely smooth to the touch. He picked it up, his thumb running over the silky surface. It felt… impossibly soft.

He put the feather inside the book and placed it on his nightstand. As he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just done something irreversible.

He had read the words, and the world outside his window felt different now. The moon seemed brighter, the shadows longer.

He closed his eyes, his mind replaying the words of the spell, the image of the feather, and the feeling of the wind.

He was just a college student. But what if the book wasn't just a story? What if the legends were real?

TBC 💜

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AUTHOR - BEAR 🐻